The previous two days of spoilers for Modern Masters 2017, the latest iteration of the Magic: The Gathering Modern Masters product line from Wizards of the Coast, saw numerous high-value, competitively viable cards reprinted and while today’s spoilers are still just coming out, they’re already shaping up to be just as impactful as the first two days.
The first spoilers of the day feature some very interesting white and blue cards, including another of the Miracle cards from Innistrad‘s Avacyn Restored.
Phantasmal Image (source), Séance (source), Sphinx’s Revelation (source), Entreat the Angels (source), Mist Raven (source)
- Phantasmal Image: One generic and one blue mana, 0/0 Illusion. You may have Phantasmal Image enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it’s an Illusion in addition to its other types and it gains “When this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.”
- Séance: Two generic and two white mana, Enchantment. At the beginning of each upkeep, you may exile target creature card from your graveyard. If you do, put a token onto the battlefield that’s a copy of that card except it’s a Spirit in addition to its other types. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
- Sphinx’s Revelation: X generic, one white and two blue mana, Instant. You gain X life and draw X cards.
- Entreat the Angels: Double X generic and three white mana, Sorcery. Create X 4/4 white Angel creature tokens with flying. Miracle for X generic and two white mana.
- Mist Raven: Two generic and two blue mana, 2/2 Bird, flying. When Mist Raven enters the battlefield, return target creature to its owner’s hand.
Next is a batch of cards that includes Pyromancer Ascension, a very interesting card from the Zendikar block that has seen a lot of play in Combo decks such as Blue/Red Storm. as well as Death’s Shadow, which sparked a variant of the Zoo deck called Suicide Zoo.
- Momentary Blink: One generic and one white mana, Instant. Exile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control. Flashback for three generic and one blue mana.
- Pyromancer Ascension: One generic and one red mana, Enchantment. Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that has the same name as a card in your graveyard, you may put a quest counter on Pyromancer Ascension. Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell while Pyromancer Ascension has two or more quest counters on it, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
- Death’s Shadow: One black mana, 13/13 Avatar. Death’s Shadow gets -X/-X, where X is your life total.
Next to Damnation and the Zendikar fetch lands, one of the most requested cards for reprint has been Innistrad‘s Liliana of the Veil, a powerful Planeswalker that sees play in a multitude of decks and archetypes. Thanks to Channel Fireball, we now know that she will be in the set, alongside another card that is typically played in the same decks as she is, Abrupt Decay.
- Liliana of the Veil: One generic and two black mana, Planeswalker with starting loyalty of three. +1: Each player discards a card. −2: Target player sacrifices a creature. −6: Separate all permanents target player controls into two piles. That player sacrifices all permanents in the pile of his or her choice.
- Craterhoof Behemoth: Five generic and three green mana, 5/5 Beast, haste. When Craterhoof Behemoth enters the battlefield, creatures you control gain trample and get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control.
- Abrupt Decay: One black and one green mana, Instant. Abrupt Decay can’t be countered by spells or abilities. Destroy target nonland permanent with converted mana cost 3 or less.
Following up on that are some interesting cards at common, including another component of the Zoo archetype, Burning-Tree Emissary.
- Burning-Tree Emissary: Double red-green hybrid mana, 2/2 Human Shaman. When Burning-Tree Emissary enters the battlefield, add to your mana pool.
- Magma Jet: One generic and one red mana, Instant. Magma Jet deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Scry 2.
- Past in Flames: Three generic and one red mana, Sorcery. Each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. Flashback for four generic and one red mana.
Paste Magazine received three commons and two rares, all of which are shared in one single article.
Bone Splinters, Gnawing Zombie, Mortician Beetle, Extractor Demon, Falkenwrath Aristocrat (source)
- Bone Splinters: One black mana, Sorcery. As an additional cost to cast Bone Splinters, sacrifice a creature. Destroy target creature.
- Gnawing Zombie: One generic and one black mana, 1/3 Zombie. Pay one generic and one black mana and sacrifice a creature: target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
- Mortician Beetle: One black mana, 1/1 Insect. Whenever a player sacrifices a creature, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Mortician Beetle.
- Extractor Demon: Four generic and two black mana, 5/5 Demon, flying. Whenever another creature leaves the battlefield, you may have target player put the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Unearth for two generic and one black mana.
- Falkenwrath Aristocrat: Two generic, one black and one red mana, 4/1 Vampire, flying, haste. Sacrifice a creature: Falkenrath Aristocrat gains indestructible until end of turn. If the sacrificed creature was a Human, put a +1/+1 counter on Falkenrath Aristocrat.
Up next are two spoilers from Aaron Forsythe, Magic: The Gathering Design Director at Wizards of the Coast.
Basilisk Collar, Vithian Stinger (source)
- Basilisk Collar: One generic mana, Equipment. Equipped creature has deathtouch and lifelink. Equip cost of two generic mana.
- Vithian Stinger: Two generic and one red mana, 0/2 Human Shaman. Tap: Vithian Stinger deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Unearth for one generic and one red mana.
Modern Masters 2017 is set for release on March 17, 2017, with the digital release for Magic: The Gathering Online coming on March 23, 2017.
Stay tuned to TechRaptor for more news on Modern Masters 2017 and all things Magic: The Gathering.
Quick Take
Fun fact: the person who previewed Death’s Shadow is the person who created the Modern Suicide Zoo deck; I find it very appropriate that Wizards of the Coast chose him to preview Death’s Shadow for Modern Masters 2017.
Overall, I’m becoming more and more excited by the cards confirmed to be in Modern Masters 2017, not only because of the potential impact it will have on the barrier to entry for Modern, but also because it will have an impact on other formats as well. Burning-Tree Emissary and Magma Jet are both now Pauper-legal and are sure to bring about some interesting new decks, for example.
What are your thoughts on today’s spoilers? Let us know in the comment section below.
