Iconic Masters

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Iconic Masters
[[File:{{#setmainimage:IMA logo.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description M in a circle
Design Erik Lauer (lead)
Ken Troop
Yoni Skolnik
Development Bryan Hawley (lead)
Adam Prosak
Alan Canode
Pete Ingram
Release date November 17, 2017
Plane Multiversal
Themes and mechanics Tribal
Keywords/​ability words Landfall, Outlast, Rebound, Renown, Storm, Suspend, Unleash
Set size 249 cards
(101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares)
Expansion code IMA[1]
Physical Masters series
Modern Masters 2017 Iconic Masters Masters 25
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins Iconic Masters Explorers of Ixalan

Iconic Masters is a booster-based compilation set[2] that was released on November 17, 2017. It is designed to be drafted.[3]

Set details

Iconic Masters packaging

Iconic Masters contains 249 cards (101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The name of the set was inadvertently revealed in a WPN-mail send to retailers in April 2017.[4] Iconic Masters offers players a tour through some of the most powerful cards in over 23 years of Magic history.[5] Featuring new artwork on many cards, the set brings an array of massive Angels, Sphinxes, Demons, Dragons and Hydras alongside some favorite and most memorable spells.

Iconic Masters was designed to provide an exciting and unique Limited experience with cards that had never been drafted together. Unlike Modern Masters or Eternal Masters, this product is not geared to any specific format. Mark Rosewater considers the name of the set misleading, because some really iconic cards are missing.[6][7][8] The release was met with disappointed reactions.[9]

Marketing

Remarkably, Iconic Masters was the second Masters series-set to be released in 2017. Its release was connected to the celebration of Magic's 25th Anniversary. The cards of the set were revealed at the HASCON prerelease on September 8–10, 2017. There were no previews. Like for other Masters series sets, the MSRP of one booster was set to $9.99.[10] Every booster box of Iconic Masters contains 24 booster packs — each with fifteen randomly inserted game cards, including one premium card in every pack. The 16-card boosters (the sixteenth card is a marketing card) feature artwork from Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Heroes' Bane and Firemane Angel.

Magic Online

Iconic Masters released on Magic Online on November 17, 2017, the same day as the paper set.

Themes and mechanics

Iconic Masters features the following limited archetypes:

Cycles

Iconic Masters has five cycles.

Cycle name {W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Praetors Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur Sheoldred, Whispering One Urabrask the Hidden Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Five mythic rare legendary creatures, one per color, representing the Phyrexian's rulers and a different philosophy among the Phyrexian army what exactly New Phyrexia should look like. They give a positive effect to the player controlling them, and an inverse effect to each of their opponents. Reprints from New Phyrexia.
Spirit Dragons Yosei, the Morning Star Keiga, the Tide Star Kokusho, the Evening Star Ryusei, the Falling Star Jugan, the Rising Star
Each of these rare legendary Dragon Spirit creatures costs six mana, has flying in addition to an ability when the creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield. Reprints from Champions of Kamigawa.
Cycle name {W}{U} {U}{B} {B}{R} {R}{G} {G}{W}
Futureshifted lands Nimbus Maze River of Tears Graven Cairns Grove of the Burnwillows Horizon Canopy
Rare dual lands that are able to add two colors of mana. Reprints from Future Sight.

Dual cycles

Cycle name {W}{U} {U}{B} {B}{R} {R}{G} {G}{W} {W}{B} {U}{R} {B}{G} {R}{W} {G}{U}
Bounce lands Azorius Chancery Dimir Aqueduct Rakdos Carnarium Gruul Turf Selesnya Sanctuary Orzhov Basilica Izzet Boilerworks Golgari Rot Farm Boros Garrison Simic Growth Chamber
When each of these uncommon nonbasic dual lands enters the battlefield tapped, its controller returns a land he or she controls to its owner's hand. Each of these lands can tap to produce two mana, one of each of the its associate guild's colors. Reprints from Ravnica Mega Cycles.
Draft Archetypes Azorius Charm Blizzard Specter Bladewing the Risen Rosheen Meanderer Chronicler of Heroes Vizkopa Guildmage Electrolyze Corpsejack Menace Lightning Helix Jungle Barrier
Ten uncommon multicolored cards that represent the draft archetypes of the set.

Changes in rarity

Mythic Rare to Rare

Rare to Uncommon

Rare to Common

Uncommon to Mythic Rare

Uncommon to Rare

Uncommon to Common

Common to Uncommon

Token cards

The set comes with seven creature tokens.

  1. {W} 1/1 Bird with flying for Emeria Angel.
  2. {W} 1/1 Spirit with flying for Doomed Traveler.
  3. {W} 4/4 Angel with flying for Angelic Accord.
  4. {U} 2/2 Djinn Monk with flying for Skywise Teachings.
  5. {R} 2/2 Dragon with flying and "{R}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn" for Dragon Egg.
  6. {R} 5/5 Dragon with flying for Day of the Dragons.
  7. {G} 4/4 Beast for Hunting Pack and Rampaging Baloths.

Notable cards

  • Mana Drain, following up on the Judge Gift card from 2016, this is the first reprint of this card in a large set. It was first printed in Legends and Mark Rosewater famously remarked in 1995 that “All of R&D would have to be hit by a bus first” before it would be reprinted. Of course, nowadays this should be applied to standard environments only.[11]

Cards with new art

Cards with new flavor text

References

  1. ↑ Product Information
  2. ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 21, 2017). "Will there be any non-reprints in Iconic Masters?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  3. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (September 11, 2017). "Iconic Masters Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Iconic Masters November 2017
  5. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (April 20, 2017). "HASCON and the Kickoff of our 25th Anniversary". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 12, 2017). "Why is the single most iconic red spell, Lightning Bolt, not in Iconic Masters?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  7. ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 23, 2017). "Do you feel you should have named Iconic Masters something akin to "Tribal Masters"?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  8. ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 01, 2017). "Is lightning bolt Iconic?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  9. ↑ Zach Barash (August 21, 2018), "The Future of Masters". Hipsters of the Coast
  10. ↑ Wizards Play Network
  11. ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 10, 2017). "I seem to recall you saying that it shouldn't be reprinted.". Blogatog. Tumblr.

External links

Physical releases
Magic Online releases
MTG Arena releases
Magic: The Gathering sets
 
M15 frame sets
Welcome & Core sets
Expansions
 
Special sets
Special series
Supplemental sets
Non-English Reprint sets
Other Box sets
Un sets
Commemorative sets
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