Dancing Around the Fire: Circumventing the Reserved List

The people at Wizards love to print cards like . It's one of the highlights in terms of close funtional reprints of powerful, expensive Reserved List cards. is another potent example from Modern Horizons. is an even older homage to the past. This habit already started in the mid-nineties. and are the earliest attempts to provide powered-down versions of busted Reserved List cards. But how close can you get to the fire without getting burned?

The Current Situation

Mark Rosewater's latest comments on the Reserved List once again squashed all hope that these cards will ever see print again. I do not want to discuss whether these are bad news or good news. Instead I want to give a perspective on the associated possibilities and risks. However, first of all, here is what Rosewater had to say on the idea of amending or abolishing the Reserved List.

The Functional Reprint

Clear words. Younger individuals might ask: Why don't they print these cards with different names? Printing a card that's equal in every way but the name isn't allowed. This is what Wizards promised: "Reserved cards will never be printed again in a functionally identical form. A card is considered functionally identical to another card if it has the same card type, subtypes, abilities, mana cost, power, and toughness."

This means we won't see a card named Purple Lotus doing and being exactly the same as . However, this functional reprint topic is kind of controversial. clearly pays homage to the reserved , including the same card type, abilities, power, toughness, and the same mana value. It avoids breaking the Reserved List policy merely by virtue of a different creature type and, presumably, the different color. Even a cost that follows the exact same structure, two generic mana and two of the same color, is not fully identical in function if said color is different. This is an important observation for a thought experiment I want to entertain in the following.

Personally, I view Ravenous Giant as a neat gimmick since nobody seriously cares about either Giant or Djinn as a playable creature these days. The case is noteworthy mainly because it reveals a lot about a possible future. I don't want to go full-blown conspiracy theorist here, but we may be able to read something between the lines …

The Possibilities Are Endless

In this section I want to discuss some ways we could get those infamous reserved cards without violating the policy. Wizards are dancing around the fire that is called the Reserved List. They pay homage, they print fixed versions of overpowered cards, and they make money doing this. It has been going on since forever. While doing so they get closer and closer to the power ceiling enshrined in the Reserved List. and showed this. Every dual land cycle after the first—the pain lands, the shock lands—was designed as a fix of the original blueprint. is a more reasonable version of . is a more appropriate .

Since the dawn of Magic we have seen different cards in different colors doing exactly or close to the same. and . and . and . I could go on. Red has featured effects similar to before. So, if isn't a violation of the Reserved List and red can take extra turns … I mean, think about it, a sorcery for one red mana and one generic mana that reads, "Take an extra turn after this one," would break neither Reserved List promise nor color pie. It is possible. Other blue members of the Power Nine could appear in green, white, or black in a future color-shifting set similar to Planar Chaos. Maybe Ravenous Giant was testing the waters?

Furthermore and from Modern Horizons 2 demonstrated how changing and adding card types is another way to "reprint" certain effects. Imagine an enchantment that you can cast for zero mana and can sacrifice to add three mana of any one color to your mana pool. There may be policies that prevent such a card from seeing print, but the Reserved List isn't one of them.

Moonveil Controversy? What Moonveil Controversy?

Lately there was a lot of chatter about a related topic. Some people identified as an upgraded functional reprint of and thus a violation of the Reserved List promise. There's a lot to unpack here. First of all, about the only things these two cards have in common are the mana cost and the flying ability. But people created enough of a stir for Mark Rosewater to clarify that nothing stops Wizards from making cards better than those on the Reserved List.

Let's use this thought as proposition. If Wizards actually started doing better versions of reserved cards, where would you start?

A Better Dual?

Let's look at the ten original dual lands as the subject matter for another thought experiment. These highly desirable nonbasic lands produce two types of mana, have two basic land types, and enter the battlefield untapped. for example is a Swamp and a Forest at the same time. As these lands are on the Reserved List, they won't be reprinted. The closest cousins we got so far are the lovely shock lands from Ravnica, for example . They share the two basic land types and come into play untapped for the price of 2 life.

So how could we get duals that are just as good as the original ten without running afoul of the Reserved List? Following the Moonveil precedent, the answer is simple: just print better dual lands! Maybe they make you gain 1 life? Maybe lands with three basic land types, which we'd then have to call trials?

Obviously the hype would be unreal. The flow of money would be unlike anything we have ever seen. The classic Eternal formats, Legacy in particular, would enjoy a massive resurgence. However, there are more risks than one might think. Magic, with all its formats, the gameplay, the collectibility, and the passion involved, is an incredibly complex system. One can compare it to a complicated ecosystem.

For example Modern might crumble, if it found itself wedged between a suddenly more accessible Legacy and a still more accessible Pioneer. Making those cards could completely wreck players' perception of the game. What can top a set with either real or improved dual lands? Will any player want another set with pain, check, or shock lands anymore?

Then too we face a more cultural issue. To many players and especially collectors a move like that would feel like an actual . Magic has a rich history built on those old cards, and many would view this as robbery, as sacrilege. If they break the promise of the Reserved List, Wizards may or may not face lawsuits. But there's a much bigger danger. If Wizards are perceived to be robbing the temple, people might abandon the game.

Conclusion

Magic as a whole is still doing great! Why mess around with this nasty Reserved List topic and risk possible lawsuits? Even if there are no legal repercussions at all, I think there is way more money to be made following the charted course, and we all know that's the mission statement at the end of the day. There may come a day when it's no longer possible to create exciting designs without crossing the boundaries of the Reserved List. In the case of certain four-mana creatures that day has already passed. But overall, we can look forward to many more sets before things like dueling duals become an issue, if ever.

Wizards recently confirmed their plans to expand in serialized cards. This would mean they create a kind of pseudo-Reserved List, which underlines the statements from Mark Rosewater. At least one thing is for sure: won't be in my deck if I'm time walking in red. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a silver-tongued comment below!

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