Overall vintage and legacy are 100% casual play. When's the last time your local game store offered an fnm with either of those formats? Probably never. What I'm actually curious about is to why people are crying over paying $10 a pack for premium quality cards in general and they are upset when they open that damn turtle everyone is complaining about. I see a great use for it and plan on actually playing it. What I don't see a use for is people complaining about there not being many if any at all modern playables. First of all wizards came out and said this will be vintage and legacy cards with some commander stuff thrown in. Second of all the entire set hasn't been spoiled yet. There's still almost 200 cards left in the set. There's bound to be a couple cards that are modern playable. An example that I've seen so far is shaman of the pack. That's actually standard playable right now because origins hasn't rotated out to modern yet. If everyone recalls it was printed as an uncommon there as well. I pulled 3 between the box and 2 fat packs I bought and play it in my modern elves. It's very modern playable and elves have some fun mechanics to play with. That card is great if you're playing them. So people complaining about these cards not being modern playable is laughable to me.
My LGS has unsanctioned, as many proxies as you want Vintage every Tuesday and sanctioned, no proxy Vintage every Friday with a Saturday $35 buy-in tournament once a month. We're also not the only LGS in the area to support Vintage. There are even more in the area that support Legacy. There are larger Vintage tournaments a couple times a year with the NYSE and Bazaar events, which also include Legacy tables, and there's a couple Legacy GPs every year. SCG also has a few Legacy Opens each year and a Legacy Classic every Sunday.
We were never going to get Wirewood Symbiote - but I don't know that anything really changes regarding counterspell other than now it is more available. We're just as likely to get counterspell after this comes out as we were before - which is to say, not much likelihood at all (~0.1%).
I agree with Irmo, but for a slightly different reason. The fact that they put in Counterspell as a COMMON tends to point to a decision that WOTC won't print it in a Standard set any time soon. If they were going to upgrade the rarity, this would have been the perfect place to do it. They already upgraded Lightning Bolt's rarity, and the two cards are often seen as comparable. Counterspell at Common will likely be too powerful and "unfun" for a regular set's draft format and therefore likely won't enter Standard any time soon.
Rarity in this set has nothing to do with anything regarding playability or reprtinability in another format - rarities here are only to check the amount of copies in print and the limited impacts. That's it.
Source?
There doesn't need to be a source.. that's all rarities signify - how common they want them to show up in limited formats (the overwhelming main reason) and to check prices (Goyf in both MMs is the big one - now FOW as well). Rarity shifts have never meant anything other than one of these two things (other than our ability to play them in pauper or not).
Edit - In re-reading your post: it is understood by everyone that rarity in a given set is independent of something's rarity in other sets correct? If Wizards released yearly draft sets and in one set lightning bolt was a mythic (because EVERY creature in the draft format was x/3 or smaller and thusly didn't want completely destroy the format with bolt at common/uncommon) and in the following year was a common (because it wouldn't do anything to warp the draft beyond how they designed it) then that is WELL within their wheelhouse and as such Bolt would have 2 different rarities which would depend on which set you were talking about. Rarities don't mean anything.
I was always under the impression that a rarity shift, while certainly pertinent and potentially driven by the current limited format, also marked a shift in WOTC's design philosophy. However, in looking for quotes or articles to substantiate it, all I found on point was this:
Rarity shifts are when card developers in R&D change the rarity of a card to augment an archetype in a Limited environment.
While one could potentially argue that's a partial and incomplete definition, it's also all I could find and it goes a long way to prove your point. So I'll concede it.
They announced Goblin Charbelcher earlier, which is used in the Modern Belcher deck. They've listed a few others as well, but unfortunately the focus of this set is Vintage, Legacy, and EDH.
I'm more worried for the prospect of ever getting cards like Counterspell and Wirewood Symbiote in Modern if they are in this set.
We were never going to get Wirewood Symbiote - but I don't know that anything really changes regarding counterspell other than now it is more available. We're just as likely to get counterspell after this comes out as we were before - which is to say, not much likelihood at all (~0.1%).
I agree with Irmo, but for a slightly different reason. The fact that they put in Counterspell as a COMMON tends to point to a decision that WOTC won't print it in a Standard set any time soon. If they were going to upgrade the rarity, this would have been the perfect place to do it. They already upgraded Lightning Bolt's rarity, and the two cards are often seen as comparable. Counterspell at Common will likely be too powerful and "unfun" for a regular set's draft format and therefore likely won't enter Standard any time soon.
Rarity in this set has nothing to do with anything regarding playability or reprtinability in another format - rarities here are only to check the amount of copies in print and the limited impacts. That's it.
They announced Goblin Charbelcher earlier, which is used in the Modern Belcher deck. They've listed a few others as well, but unfortunately the focus of this set is Vintage, Legacy, and EDH.
I'm more worried for the prospect of ever getting cards like Counterspell and Wirewood Symbiote in Modern if they are in this set.
We were never going to get Wirewood Symbiote - but I don't know that anything really changes regarding counterspell other than now it is more available. We're just as likely to get counterspell after this comes out as we were before - which is to say, not much likelihood at all (~0.1%).
I agree with Irmo, but for a slightly different reason. The fact that they put in Counterspell as a COMMON tends to point to a decision that WOTC won't print it in a Standard set any time soon. If they were going to upgrade the rarity, this would have been the perfect place to do it. They already upgraded Lightning Bolt's rarity, and the two cards are often seen as comparable. Counterspell at Common will likely be too powerful and "unfun" for a regular set's draft format and therefore likely won't enter Standard any time soon.
This set is meant for Legacy and Commander mostly. There are chances that we will see Modern legal cards in it too but I'm pretty sure there won't be many of them.
Does anyone know if there is a limit on how new the sets EM can be? I only ask because I am really hoping a reprint of Young Pyromancer with better art.
I haven't heard of one, and Deathrite Shaman is included and a recent printing.
I don't think we'll see Snapcaster or Liliana because those will be chase rare/mythic in MM3. Why waste that equity with a set devoted to formats that play them less frequently than Modern?
I think Grove is perfectly reasonable to expect - it's played in Legacy Jund and Legacy Lands decks and was eligible for prior MM sets without being reprinted.
I don't think we'll see Goyf or Bob. Bob isn't played very much anymore and while Goyf sees play in Canadian Thresh and Shardless decks, it can continue to sell MM packs instead of EM packs.
There will be PLENTY of opportunity for them to reprint non-Modern cards in EM while saving the Modern cards for next year's MM set. We should also take into consideration the number of cards reprinted in MM sets that were above certain price points before the reprints. There weren't really that many. Goyf, Bob, Cryptic, Emrakul, Karn, Clique, Fulminator, and Hierarch are the only ones that quickly come to mind (though I'm sure I'm missing a few). And those were spread out over two sets. Assuming 4 cards worth over $50 prior to the reprint, there are only 2 left (since we already know about Force and Wasteland). I think we'll see Karakas and possibly even Mana Drain, but I'm not at all hopeful for big money Modern cards.
We'll certainly see Modern playable cards, but my bet is that they aren't money cards. Probably more things like Abrupt Decay instead.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
Source: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/limited-information/modern-masters-2015-edition-previews-2015-05-06
While one could potentially argue that's a partial and incomplete definition, it's also all I could find and it goes a long way to prove your point. So I'll concede it.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
I think Grove is perfectly reasonable to expect - it's played in Legacy Jund and Legacy Lands decks and was eligible for prior MM sets without being reprinted.
I don't think we'll see Goyf or Bob. Bob isn't played very much anymore and while Goyf sees play in Canadian Thresh and Shardless decks, it can continue to sell MM packs instead of EM packs.
There will be PLENTY of opportunity for them to reprint non-Modern cards in EM while saving the Modern cards for next year's MM set. We should also take into consideration the number of cards reprinted in MM sets that were above certain price points before the reprints. There weren't really that many. Goyf, Bob, Cryptic, Emrakul, Karn, Clique, Fulminator, and Hierarch are the only ones that quickly come to mind (though I'm sure I'm missing a few). And those were spread out over two sets. Assuming 4 cards worth over $50 prior to the reprint, there are only 2 left (since we already know about Force and Wasteland). I think we'll see Karakas and possibly even Mana Drain, but I'm not at all hopeful for big money Modern cards.
We'll certainly see Modern playable cards, but my bet is that they aren't money cards. Probably more things like Abrupt Decay instead.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero