Generated on 10 Jul 2024
Based on 346 answers
The introduction of Modern Masters marked a significant milestone in Magic: The Gathering's supplemental set offerings. Modern Masters, first introduced in 2013, was designed with dual objectives: to make older cards more accessible to new players while preserving the value of these cards for existing players.
Origins and Purpose
The creation of Modern Masters stemmed from the need to support the Modern format without disrupting the secondary market excessively. Mark Rosewater, a key figure in Magic’s design, explained that introducing these cards was a balancing act. Wizards aimed to increase the number of important Modern cards in circulation without devaluing them excessively. This set featured reprints of cards from Eighth Edition through Alara Reborn, making it an attractive acquisition for both new players and seasoned collectors.
Modern Masters was designed expressly to address accessibility issues. Many Modern staples had become prohibitively expensive, and this set aimed to mitigate that by reintroducing these sought-after cards into the market. Despite this, the set maintained a tightrope balance between replenishing the supply and not crashing the market value.
Design and Challenges
The design of Modern Masters came with unique challenges. The set was made entirely of reprints, which meant that designers and developers had to be meticulous about card selection to ensure that the overall set was cohesive and offered a compelling draft experience. Modern Masters was developed extensively, with playtests confirming its balanced mechanics. According to Rosewater and his team, choosing the cards, mechanics, and themes were significant aspects of the design process.
Draft Environment
One noteworthy aspect of Modern Masters was its focus on creating a robust limited environment. The set was crafted to be drafted, meaning every pack was designed with this format in mind. This was appreciated by many players, who found drafting Modern Masters both challenging and rewarding. The draft environment adeptly mixed cards and mechanics from various sets, creating unique and exciting gameplay scenarios.
- Modern Masters 2015 continued this draft-centric approach.
- Innovatively, each pack contained a foil card, adding another level of excitement.
- Some players, however, found the emphasis on specific archetypes limiting, feeling constrained to pursue certain strategies aggressively from the start of a draft.
Interestingly, Rosewater noted that the density of mechanics made for a more complex drafting experience, likened to that of the Time Spiral block. This complexity required players to have a better understanding of archetypes, enhancing the depth and strategic diversity of the set.
Ecology-minded Packaging
The Modern Masters 2015 set also experimented with innovative packaging solutions intended to be eco-friendly. New cardboard booster wrappers were trialed, reflecting Wizards’ ongoing efforts to be more sustainable. While this change had mixed reception and some operational challenges, it marked an important step toward environmentally responsible products.
Collector Concerns and Rarity
One of the more contentious aspects of Modern Masters was the rarity assignment of certain powerful cards. For instance, the inclusion of Tarmogoyf as a mythic rare was a strategic move. It was designed to maintain the value of existing copies while making newer ones available. Rosewater and his team had to carefully navigate this intricate balance of availability and value, aiming to satisfy both new players and collectors alike.
"We are walking a tightrope," noted Rosewater, emphasizing the delicate balance needed to ensure both the accessibility of cards and the preservation of their value.
Paradoxes and Trivia
Modern Masters has some interesting anecdotes and trivia associated with it. For example, the presence of Tarmogoyf in Modern Masters introduces a time paradox. Tarmogoyf is a future-shifted card from Future Sight, suggesting a timeline conundrum since Modern Masters consisted only of reprints. Rosewater humorously leaves the resolution of such paradoxes to philosophers.
Narcomoeba presents another such paradox. Initially printed as a "future card" in Future Sight, its reprinting in Modern Masters adds to the intriguing temporal lore surrounding these cards. Similarly, the decision to reprint cards with new artwork—like Dark Confidant—sparked discussions about maintaining the spirit of the original cards while adapting them for new sets.
Future and Follow-Ups
The success of Modern Masters paved the way for subsequent iterations like Modern Masters 2015, and other thematic reprint sets like Eternal Masters. These sets showed that there was both a market and a passionate player base for complex, nostalgia-driven products. Rosewater acknowledged this, indicating that every success in this arena increased the likelihood of future, similar products.
Overall, Modern Masters set a precedent for how reprint sets could be handled, maintaining the value of older cards while providing new accessibility. It became a blueprint for striking a balance between catering to highly enfranchised players and welcoming new ones into long-standing formats.
Quotes
One memorable quote from Rosewater, encapsulating the challenge and excitement of Modern Masters, was: “It’s a balancing act. New art gets many players excited, but we also want art being a tool players can use to recognize the cards.”
Another interesting insight from Rosewater highlighted the delicate nature of increasing supply without devaluing cards: "We are increasing supply of those cards. The issue is just how much supply."
The journey of Modern Masters has been one of navigating complex challenges and delivering an enticing product that engages a diverse audience, ensuring Magic: The Gathering's evolving legacy continues to resonate with its dedicated community.
The introduction of Modern Masters marked a significant milestone in Magic: The Gathering's supplemental set offerings. Modern Masters, first introduced in 2013, was designed with dual objectives: to make older cards more accessible to new players while preserving the value of these cards for existing players.
Origins and Purpose
The creation of Modern Masters stemmed from the need to support the Modern format without disrupting the secondary market excessively. Mark Rosewater, a key figure in Magic’s design, explained that introducing these cards was a balancing act. Wizards aimed to increase the number of important Modern cards in circulation without devaluing them excessively. This set featured reprints of cards from Eighth Edition through Alara Reborn, making it an attractive acquisition for both new players and seasoned collectors.
Modern Masters was designed expressly to address accessibility issues. Many Modern staples had become prohibitively expensive, and this set aimed to mitigate that by reintroducing these sought-after cards into the market. Despite this, the set maintained a tightrope balance between replenishing the supply and not crashing the market value.
Design and Challenges
The design of Modern Masters came with unique challenges. The set was made entirely of reprints, which meant that designers and developers had to be meticulous about card selection to ensure that the overall set was cohesive and offered a compelling draft experience. Modern Masters was developed extensively, with playtests confirming its balanced mechanics. According to Rosewater and his team, choosing the cards, mechanics, and themes were significant aspects of the design process.
Draft Environment
One noteworthy aspect of Modern Masters was its focus on creating a robust limited environment. The set was crafted to be drafted, meaning every pack was designed with this format in mind. This was appreciated by many players, who found drafting Modern Masters both challenging and rewarding. The draft environment adeptly mixed cards and mechanics from various sets, creating unique and exciting gameplay scenarios.
- Modern Masters 2015 continued this draft-centric approach.
- Innovatively, each pack contained a foil card, adding another level of excitement.
- Some players, however, found the emphasis on specific archetypes limiting, feeling constrained to pursue certain strategies aggressively from the start of a draft.
Interestingly, Rosewater noted that the density of mechanics made for a more complex drafting experience, likened to that of the Time Spiral block. This complexity required players to have a better understanding of archetypes, enhancing the depth and strategic diversity of the set.
Ecology-minded Packaging
The Modern Masters 2015 set also experimented with innovative packaging solutions intended to be eco-friendly. New cardboard booster wrappers were trialed, reflecting Wizards’ ongoing efforts to be more sustainable. While this change had mixed reception and some operational challenges, it marked an important step toward environmentally responsible products.
Collector Concerns and Rarity
One of the more contentious aspects of Modern Masters was the rarity assignment of certain powerful cards. For instance, the inclusion of Tarmogoyf as a mythic rare was a strategic move. It was designed to maintain the value of existing copies while making newer ones available. Rosewater and his team had to carefully navigate this intricate balance of availability and value, aiming to satisfy both new players and collectors alike.
"We are walking a tightrope," noted Rosewater, emphasizing the delicate balance needed to ensure both the accessibility of cards and the preservation of their value.
Paradoxes and Trivia
Modern Masters has some interesting anecdotes and trivia associated with it. For example, the presence of Tarmogoyf in Modern Masters introduces a time paradox. Tarmogoyf is a future-shifted card from Future Sight, suggesting a timeline conundrum since Modern Masters consisted only of reprints. Rosewater humorously leaves the resolution of such paradoxes to philosophers.
Narcomoeba presents another such paradox. Initially printed as a "future card" in Future Sight, its reprinting in Modern Masters adds to the intriguing temporal lore surrounding these cards. Similarly, the decision to reprint cards with new artwork—like Dark Confidant—sparked discussions about maintaining the spirit of the original cards while adapting them for new sets.
Future and Follow-Ups
The success of Modern Masters paved the way for subsequent iterations like Modern Masters 2015, and other thematic reprint sets like Eternal Masters. These sets showed that there was both a market and a passionate player base for complex, nostalgia-driven products. Rosewater acknowledged this, indicating that every success in this arena increased the likelihood of future, similar products.
Overall, Modern Masters set a precedent for how reprint sets could be handled, maintaining the value of older cards while providing new accessibility. It became a blueprint for striking a balance between catering to highly enfranchised players and welcoming new ones into long-standing formats.
Quotes
One memorable quote from Rosewater, encapsulating the challenge and excitement of Modern Masters, was: “It’s a balancing act. New art gets many players excited, but we also want art being a tool players can use to recognize the cards.”
Another interesting insight from Rosewater highlighted the delicate nature of increasing supply without devaluing cards: "We are increasing supply of those cards. The issue is just how much supply."
The journey of Modern Masters has been one of navigating complex challenges and delivering an enticing product that engages a diverse audience, ensuring Magic: The Gathering's evolving legacy continues to resonate with its dedicated community.