Magic: The Gathering - Let's Open Two "Iconic Masters" Packs!
It's been a long time since I last posted anything related to Magic: The Gathering, so let's return to that topic by opening two packs from the new Iconic Masters line. This is a special release intended for booster draft competitive game events, and it combines cards from throughout the history of Magic as part of the 25th anniversary event lineup.
While I didn't get anything particularly amazing in these packs, a few things stuck me. The cards I would think of as "iconic" don't seem to be here. Dark Ritual and Lightning Bolt are certainly iconic, although the former is less so in the modern game design for black and was recently reprinted as a special card in recent sets. There doesn't seem to be an iconic tribal theme either. There are, however, some rarity changes that might interest players of pauper formats or players building budget decks who need certain cards to be less expensive as singles. This article section lists all the changes in rarity, and many new cards are now legal in Pauper formats thanks to these changes.
On to what was in the packs. You can click the images for a larger version.
It seems like a good mix of utility cards for any color, and some useful lands and artifacts. I got a couple mana rocks, some interesting non-basic lands, and some cards that look like good additions to several of my decks.
The shop owner where I bought these mentioned that he was told by the publisher that he could only order a limited number of boxes as though it were an extremely limited release, and then Wal-Mart was shipped cases upon cases of these. If you want to buy a pack or three, go to your game shop. Their prices are probably slightly less than Walmart's, and they need the business anyway.
I can see where this set could lead to a fun booster draft event. However, I don't think it's likely to be a good buy for players who just want to get new cards for their collection. You'd to better to find the release list and buy your singles at your local game shop unless you really like opening a pack of cards for its own sake.
I'm planning to open several packs of cards over the coming days and post photos of the contents here on Steemit along with my thoughts on any standouts. Keep an eye on the #openapack tag to keep up-to-date!
All photos by the author.
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Man, I should try to get into Magic when I have more money. Always been fairly interested in it, but for now I'm gonna stick with collecting Pokemon cards because I have an addiction problem to that, lol.
If you want to get into casual Magic, try the duel decks. The Goblin vs. Merfolk set looks good. I preder to play Commander myself, and the official starter decks can be a solid starting loint too.
I'd probably be honestly better off looking into playing Magic online, since I'm literally the only friend in my small group of friends that's interested in card games. Most of the local comic/card game shops have shut down besides a small few where I wouldn't be able to find people to play either. Probably a big reason why I haven't jumped into it or attempted to, besides already collecting Pokemon.
I might suggest getting Archenemy then if you ever get the real cards. 4 preconstructed decks designed ro play together in a specific game means no one has to buy more cards ever. And it is a great 4-player game if you routinely play in a group around a table.
Cool, thanks for the recommendation, man! Appreciate it :)