
As always, we’ll start with the mechanics (and there are a lot), then go over the archetypes.


Finally, unlike every other Masters set, this one was introducing new cards: obviously the Power Nine isn’t going to affect Limited too much, but the Conspiracy cards (and other assorted new-to-MTGO cards that fill in some gaps like Predatory Nightstalker ) add an interesting dimension to the set. Next, the set’s range limitation was everything not legal in Modern (everything pre-Mirrodin that hadn’t been reprinted, a couple supplemental sets, and a couple of cards banned in the format), and it’s a lot harder to make a good set out of older cards (simply because there is a lot of junk), so Vintage Masters makes a lot of rarity downgrades to compensate (notably 27 rares to uncommon). The set was an MTGO-exclusive set which meant it was free of a lot of restrictions a set normally has: the Reserve List was fair game, it doesn’t have to follow the normal restrictions of a sheet (the set has 105 rares and 30 mythics, both twice as many as a normal large/Masters set), and it includes a fifth ultra-rare rarity. Vintage Masters is one of the strangest sets WotC has ever released, mostly because it has so many different goals. While I wish there was a bit more notice, I’m fine with this from a content perspective: I like Masters sets more than normal sets, a “first pass” of a set is much easier than a second pass (which is what Lorwyn would have been), and I wasn’t too far along with my Lorwyn article.

Well, this is interesting: WotC pulled the Lorwyn Flashback Favorites and replaced it with a Vintage Masters Flashback with the unique hook of original-border Power.
