Pretty sure at the end of the last one he states he graduated with his PhD and being done with school, is making this a focus. Get ready for an avalanche of pure gold mtg content
The New Capenna video was delayed for a bit, so he may have worked on this one while waiting for approval to use certain media in his New Capenna video.
@@felixmortem1177 yeah they used to have Math together too but ended up switching courses last minute this semester but its cool that at least they have a single class together this year
They only care about the community when we can shill product for them. What happens when the community complains about lackluster products or extortionist pricing tactics? Nothing.
The downside is that this channel can't be an impartial critic of WOTC. Waxing lyrical about the memories evoked by these cards and not mentioning the small issue of their large price... is that because Sam authentically believes that Masters sets should be premium collectors' memorabilia and not accessible reprints for formats like Modern (most popular deck: $1200), Legacy (>$4k) or Pioneer ($500, with heavy upkeep costs as it's a young format)? Or is it because he knows that he'll fall out of WOTC's good graces if he says anything? Right now every flagship eternal format is ludicrously expensive, yet double masters costs ~2.5-3x what a normal set would, despite being way easier to develop (all they need is to commission some art and throw together a decent draft format). WOTC is enjoying the best commercial years of Magic's history and they're thanking the players with £250+ booster boxes. I'm not saying you shouldn't be happy for Rhystic Studies getting publicity but just remember that WOTC isn't doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, they're doing it because they want him on their side.
@@dm9910 While I agree with your concerns, it's more likely that Sam never even wants to broach the concept of "reviewing" magic product as a product, and instead desires to only talk about art in his characteristically flowery way. I think WOTC just knows that he's not the kind of creator that would complain about it even if they didn't tell him not to.
For real man. The idea is such a beautiful love letter to the game we’ve all come together to play, but the price reveals a cynical board room chewin’ on stoagies.
Yeah there is simply no way I, or most of my friends for that matter, can justify spending 325 dollars to gamble on a box of cards... guess I'll just be buying singles for my decks, but damn I'd love to crack some packs.
That game between Blohon and Pardee feels even more impressive considering how Liliana and her zombies are the force that allows the Gatewatch to triumph over the Promised End herself in Eldritch Moon. A gorgeous example of the game reflecting the story.
I absolutely LOVE that so many of the legendary artists from the early days of Magic were brought back for this set. As much as I hate the price and some of the card choices, there's so much here that hits all the right notes.
I was really glad to see the veteran artists come back, but what I felt was very lacking is the women illustrators in the Borderless cards. I would have loved to see Kaja, Amy Weber, Nicola Leonard, Rebecca Guay , Heather Hudson and many more from the original team. Out of the 32 artists that did the Borderless cards in the set only one of them was a woman. It feels very disproportionate gender wise with returning veteran artists.
I was gonna mention this. Both the Foglios have done wonderful work in the past, and I was sad to see sets start to appear without their art bringing a dash of levity to the otherwise dead-serious game.
I love that your videos usually start with an unrelated tangent and I'm always fascinated where you end up with it I love your videos on Magic, obviously, but I'd also just listen to you talking about anything
This video has really made me appreciate a set that I previously thought of as just a soulless cash grab it's still a cash grab at such an absurd price, but there's something there
It's definitely a cash grab, but soulless its not. Which makes it more insidious, in the end, since it's playing off our nostalgia and values as much as it is.
Opening a new City of Brass... when my first one was from Arabian Nights, jostled memories of hot summer days at my school's courtyard, awaiting parents to come pick me up, while playing Magic with my friends on the rough floor. Not a care in the world, we looked at the cards and just thought the best of all of them, and how the game brought us together each day. Even having moved countries away from where I started, the nostalgia really brings me back
I remember reading in some edition of National Geographic that certain cultures view the future as being behind them, as they are unable to see it. I feel like most cultures view themselves as progressing forward through time and leaving the past behind them, but the opposite can also make sense in a vacuum of contrary cultural context.
when I was young, younger than i can remember I went to summer camp and met some older kids who played this funky card game, they showed me a bunch of cards and let me borrow a deck to play with and watch their games. when I got home it was the only thing I really remembered from the camp, I remember telling my mom all about it and going to target to get some random precon deck, their was a funny alligator and a Plasma Elemental (for no clear reason this one stuck with me the most) I was far too young to understand or really play the game but hte cards were cool, and one day, years later it would become a huge part of my life, I dont have any of my childhood cards anymore, lost to time but Ive got alot more now Wherever those kids from camp are now, I really want to thank them for showing me Magic the Gathering all those years ago
I loved this trip down memory lane with you. Especially loved the little Alice in Wonderland hook in the beginning at the start, that served as a platform to the whole "memory" thing. And then, right at the end, you show the little "Alice" easter egg in Golgari Rotfarm (which up until that point I did not know of), which ties the whole video together. I got goosebumps and have tears in my eyes right now. Never thought I would get teary-eyed because of how someone structures a video but here we are. Your videos, truly, are art. Love you, man.
I think you would appreciate to know that your videos evoke strong emotions in me every time I watch them. You really have a way with words, and you deepen my love for this game and your channel with every new entry. I know you probably hear this a lot, but in my opinion you have some of the best videos I've ever seen.
@@T1nyFr0gg Yeah, I absolutely do? I haven't touched Alchemy. I ignored the Standard Challenger decks. I barely look at Commander Precons anymore. I have the self awareness to know what products interest me. And that's where I assign my time and thoughts.
I wish I could experience this time capsule of a set, go back through my own memories... But at nearly $20 per pack, that's clearly not feasible. And it sadly makes me feel more and more Ike Magic is no longer a product or game made for me.
That's why I'm glad there's pauper. I've played Magic competitively on and off before. The price has always been the one that killed it. I found pauper years later and never looked back.
Agreed. Though it sucks to pay for packs, the singles market loves it! Im planning on picking up a foil alt art Damnation when I can. That art is so iconic.
@@Gorbgorbenson If people crack less packs then there are less singles floating around the market. A healthy singles market means a healthy pack market. The singles marketfor reprints will most likely not change as much as it should have
Everytime I watch a video of you, I feel elevated. Your love for this game is so obvious on display here and on top of it you expertly craft your content like a mastersculptor. Thank you for what you're doing, I look forward to whatever is coming next
Still the only channel I’m a patron for and I don’t even play Magic with about 20 interests on RUclips. Incredible production quality and story telling ability
I like how you framed Master sets as *the* place where players' memories of MtG coalesce and overlap with one another, because that's what my draft experience of this set really felt like. Even drafting and playing something as simple as Boros beatdown reminded me of so many things, from building my first commander deck with Aurelia, the Warleader; to playing with cards like Heroic Reinforcement and Tenth District Legionnaire in different Standard formats; to playing Lightning Bolt, Rift Bolt, *and* Lightning Helix reminding me of how it first felt to directly damage someone for three.
I got into Magic at the end of Shards of Alara, and found EDH through a few local professors and teachers who had been jamming the format since the early, early days of Highlander. My first decks were all in those 3-color shards. Empyrial Archangel, Phyrexian Tyrrany, Sedris, the Traitor King, and Magister Sphinx brought back so many memories for me. And then Rise of the Eldrazi came, and Emrakul was briefly legal in the format - what a rush! What a fun time to be playing Magic at a big kitchen table in my parent's house, stifling laughter so we didn't wake anyone up on the second floor. Thanks for the lovely video :)
Yeah. Those voices really brought up them feels man :'c And it's not even like crazy long time too, I remember the first couple of years of playing (2016-2017 for me) I would always have some sort of a pro tour stream or recording playing in the background. Oh man, the in-depth explanations and discussions of what line the player can take, who's at advantage because of what, the excitement in those voices when the top deck indeed was the card they've been talking about just then, that dramatic advantage bar graphic rushing towards the player. Such a shame that WOTC decided shitting out expensive Pringles every week and doing busted chase cards in ten art variants each set is better than having any integrity as a game
As always, Sam, a beautifully-woven video. You are a beacon of optimism when it comes to Magic, and that aura always takes me back to when I first started playing, back during an era of whimsy and wonder. If I may comment a duo of cards which beget long-lost memories of my own, Arachnus Spinner and Arachnus Web come to mind- with a little bit of help from Deadly Recluse. Seeing all their inclusions in Double Masters 2022 brings me great joy, especially with the downshifts. I hope to once again own foil copies of these cards that I have cast hundreds of times over a kitchen table, sharing a few spellslinging nights with my family. I adore the flavor of Arachnus Spinner- simply an elegant representation of a spider casting its web, and the creature's ability to break out of it with enough willpower. It has won me many a game as a sort of control win condition back during its time. I truly wish Wizards would print more cheap and efficient spiders in the same vein as Deadly Recluse, because the inner mage in me wishes to replicate my old deck once more. It is something I dote on- looking back at cards from the past that I used to play and love so much, and rebuild a deck around them with a modern flair. Including new cards printed since that original deck's creation, as well as a better understanding of what makes Magic decks function so well- it reminds me of when artists revisit old pieces they've done and recreate them, showing how much they've progressed as a creative. It's a humbling and exciting thing to do, and Masters sets always seem to remind me about another card that has been lost to the annals of time.
Sometimes the memories dredged up by Masters sets are in time for the future to enter and other times to enter the past not taken. The full art Chaos Warp by Phil Foglio might be the first time most people will find out about the sillier, whimiscal side of standard magic in the 90s, as the last set to have new art from him was Unglued (under the alias Claymoore J. Flapdoodle). Or the fact that I forget whether or not that was my writing on the flavor text of Crucible of Worlds, considering that it was a community voted and made card in 2003-04. Mayel's Aria reminded me of a forgotten Naya Deck that needs to be finished in the brew.
How can you make me feel emotional over card board that I’ve only been playing with for 2.5 years! Anyway love the content and well crafted reflection! Ikoria will always be nostalgic for me, as its the first set I ever drafted
For me I get that full nostalgia rush from the Rampant Growth art, as someone who started playing during 7th edition right at the tail end of classic bordered cards it was the first and last time I ever saw that art for the card. Seeing it come back again all these years later as well as the gorgeous new borderless version has made me a lot happier to find either one in a pack than I would have expected.
Man I remember getting totally fixated with Kev's mastery back in the legions era with hunter sliver, I admire him since and always look at his work, this new Emrakul is absolutely stunning
Biggest blow of nostalgia for me came from a foil Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre I managed to pull. I started playing right around Mirrodin Besieged, and I remember seeing the Eldrazi and thinking, "This is a rad card game." Shortly after starting, I bought the From the Vault: Legends premium set, and I didn't even know Ulamog had found its way in there until I opened it up. I sadly traded that Ulamog away within the next 2 or so years, but pulling this one made me feel like that Ulamog card had found its way back to me! Such a fun box to open, and I can't wait to draft some 2X2 with my friends! Great video as always Sam, thank you!
Such a lovely retrospective you've given the community with this video! Many of the references to pro tours and the like especially sat well with me, as even though I primarily play edh, I always enjoyed watching those tournaments and the narratives building up around the people competing with one another! Thank you so much for taking me on this trip down memory lane!
Every video of yours I watch is breathtaking. Chills, happiness, and memories long forgotten always resurface and I can't describe how much I adore your work.
@@spartanboosts - it was all public information, they were reacting to community responses to direct evidence. Just because you didn't like that it was real (and neither do I) doesn't mean it didn't exist.
Lord of Extinction will always have a special place in my heart. Although fairly recent, I played him in my Jarad, Golgari lichlord commander deck and with the support of my friend playing his mill deck to see what shenanigans would ensue, enabled for a 3 person KO at over 250 life loss per person. A game and now card that lives in infamy in my playgroup
Magic can lean into nostalgia because of the dizzying highs and terrifying lows of this game. You'll always remember a bad beat or an incredible mise off the top. I've been playing this game for over 20 years now, and sets like these are a small way for me to reach out and feel things that I never thought I'd experience again. I always lament about not being able to go back to a point in Magic's histroy and relive it. This is as close as someone can get, and it's nice. I just wish it wasn't so damned expensive. Thanks for the great video!
My father played mtg when I was a boy. I still remember the first time I saw the original nightmare next to the early 2000s version. To this day I get nostalgic over that card. Mono black for the win.
I started playing MtG with Zendikar and after a long time of hardly playing it at all, recently returned and discovered your amazing channel shortly after. The foil Emrakul i pulled back in Rise of Eldrazi is still my favourite card, thank you for this wonderfully nostalgic video.
This isn't the first time your videos have made me tear up, Sam, but I think it is the one that resonated with me the most. Not in relation to the history of the pro scene -- my relationship with the game has been largely casual, even if I have ended up with an encyclopedic knowledge of cards -- but in the meta-narrative of our history dictating our future, and how the future informs how we perceive our history. Eternal Witness has always been a favourite card of mine, and I think you perfectly encapsulated why. Thank you for this.
Finally got the time to watch this fantastic video, amazing job as always! Very happy to see that you finally got sponsored by WotC, your work elevates what they do and helps people understand that there is more to MtG than just what we find at face value. I hope you get to work with them again.
I also enjoy in that piece learning what happened to that wish-discarded silver coin in the Alchemy archtype *Predatory Sludge* . Truly a gift that keeps giving.
Even though I absolutely loathe the concept of limited and have an intense hatred of the fact that sets are designed around it, this video almost convinced me to start buying some Double Masters packs. Great content as always!
I love how much I still can learn from you talking about the Magic: The Gathering before I started playing (around M15). For me, it's the tarkir and theros cards that bring me back. I made a tarkir cube, with the same goal in mind, to take me and the people I started playing magic with down memory lane. but if I had to point out specific cards, I would say As Foretold. in high school at the start of summer break we would camp in the backyard of one of our friends and buy a booster box to draft together and play lots of commander after the draft. one year we drafted amonkhet. after the draft was done and we played our games, it started raining, really really badly. it was so bad that the tent flooded and some of my cards got water damaged, and the most expensive one from those was As Foretold.
Wonderful video. As a newer magic player, I don’t have a lot of nostalgia for those old cards, but these masters sets allow me to experience the classics for the first time. In that sense I get the vibe of these sets being like a “greatest hits” list, when I open cards and recognise cards I’ve heard about but never played with.
i love your videos so much, you have an intriguing way of narrating your passion of magic, it's so captivating, and for that i would like to thank you.
I'm so glad Julie Dillion found her way into MtG. I've been following her work for years and she's such an excellent illustrator. May her clients be generous and their payments timely :3
I love everything about master sets, except how they cater to a bubble of collectors and are a middle finger to the bigger playerbase who wants a more acessible game and above everything else, a celebration of artificial value and gambling. Sorry, but i cant separate the two, they are tied too close from each other in master sets, specially when despite the existence of collector boosters in master sets now being the big whale product, the regular product itself still needs to be a premium product.
Thank you very for your content, always helping me look at this delightful game in a new and splendid light. You truly dig up emotions I never knew were waiting to erupt from my core. Another wonderful experience.
Your videos, Magic Arcanum's and MtG in general are very good at making me nostalgic for a history I wasn't part of. And when you touch on moments from Theros or Tarkir's sets where I was playing it's even more so. Seeing the same artists and their styles on cards after all these years is so magical, there's just something about the old art It's the same feeling I get when I see a Blue Eye White Dragon in YuGiOH or older covers of Warhammer 40k Codexes, growing up with something really does cement it in your mind forever
I started playing during Rise of The Eldrazi and my first pack of magic was a Kozilek booster I opened in a cabin at summer camp. It’s cool seeing the big dude back with art by Ian Miller!
Why am I crying at the club? Seriously though, I’ve been on a downswing with magic because of price increases and product fatigue, and I sincerely thank you for reminding me why this game makes me so happy.
The memory of me in Japan when Eldritch Moon had just released. Going to the Prerelease and then opening a box and a "Fat Pack" as we used to call them. Opening my first Liliana, The Last Hope and just being and enjoing that time. 6 years have passed and I still have that box and bundles in my closet, as mementos from that era of my life. Still enjoing the game and loving every single time I get to sleeve a new brew. Magic is just the best, it has given me friends, stories, love, dispair and enjoiment and just by simply asking, Hey! wanna play a game?
Original modern masters will always hold a special place in my heart, attending gp Vegas, being apart of the largest table top event, even opening the only "non-money" foil mythic at said event.
Watching this after overhearing some of the ~discourse~ over the weekend. This is another excellent video from Sam, as celebratory and nostalgic as ever. I'm glad to see creators getting compensated for their work in promoting the game. My only criticism is that I wish I had more context for some of the PT moments as I missed out on many of these before getting into the game. Also looking forward to listening to your interview with the Commander Sphere!
I know it isn't "optimal play", but when I assemble my kitchen table 60 card casual decks, I love putting in as many different versions of a single card that I can. It turns every game into a trip through time. I have a lot of great memories, not only of the actual cards themselves, but of the eras in which a certain art was printed. It's a blast.
Venters' Phyrexian Altar reminds me of Onulet, the way the altar points downwards toward the center is the same as the Onulet staring at you. Hell of a throwback.
Birds of Paradise was the first pack foil I ever opened and I still have it to this day, in my Atarka, World Render EDH deck--my very first deck I ever built and played for Commander. My friend Max and I would play 1v1 EDH in his mom's basement for hours after I came over at 2am after a night working at AMC. I had just started grad school at the time and it was great to have a friend like him to hang with after a stressful day of work.
My time with MtG started about a decade ago, so looking through the Double Masters offerings, the cards that fill me with the most nostalgia are the many Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash cards - my first block with the game. Honourable mention to the numerous Tarkir reprints in here too, one of my all-time favourite sets! This video's such a great exploration and celebration of the game's past and this set!
(Insert joke how most people making videos on Masters were given free product or have relationships with distributors) But for real it’s insane what prices people are willing to deal with and how it will sell no matter what. Good set, but it’s depressing to see the direction of the “game” QQ
@@ImortalZeus13 Yeah I agree. Something just rubs me wrong seeing this push from wizards on channels and on Twitter. Obviously anyone would take the chance. I would, but knowing people along with being in the position not to afford cards or pieces that we’d like to, is pretty annoying. There’s just this constant reminder that there are game pieces that are out of reach or experiences that you can’t take part of just because WOTC decided to price it at an insane rate. I sound more bitter than I am lol.
@@pixelsandscribbles you can literally just print out any card you want to play with, if you're talking about casual experiences. the prices only hold water because of competitive play.
@@TheKaijudist true that people solely consider card value when discussing price and not the work that went into designing the limited play experience. I also enjoyed the hell out of sealed
Great video as always, and I continue to love your work. I'm glad WotC is sponsoring you so you can continue to do excellent work. That said, this set just kinda bums me out. I've always loved the Masters sets. This is one of the greatest looking Masters sets, and I can't buy packs or draft because they've effectively priced me out of the game. The last time a set hit me this way was Time Spiral Remastered, which was a set that I really wanted to buy a box of, but because I didn't think to preorder, I got priced out of it almost immediately.
@@ImortalZeus13I would beg to differ, but I just cracked a half dozen packs of Time Spiral Remastered this past weekend, and a half dozen New Phyrexia the week before, for lulz and inspiration for my commander decks, so take that as you will.
@@andrewamann2821 60 dollars for 45 pieces of Cardboard. Youre not even likely to get a return on investment if you resell the cards. It's not reasonable.
@@ImortalZeus13 $60 for 15 pieces of cardboard, with a tanking resale value? No, I'm probably not going to make back the monetary value. As an entertainment cost? I find a few interesting cards to tinker with in my commander decks, and manage to get more engaging games, and a rough improvement in the quality of my local meta, by expanding their exposure to lesser-known cards, all for less than the cost of a similarly-priced board game. Seems like a pretty decent return, personally.
watch my video on Gifts Ungiven ft. Frank Karsten here:
ruclips.net/video/4qhX_fohdgY/видео.html
It's a good one. I just wish I had enough money to play modern
love that video. I think it's your best
Loved the video so much I went out and found an artist signed copy for my collection!
Hey guys, I'm convinced that Sam was captured and is now working in a sweat shop, 2 of his quality videos in 10 days? Something isn't right.
I feel like we need to fund an investigation. I'm willing to sell my bulk rares to a GoFundMe!
It is that WOTC money
Pretty sure at the end of the last one he states he graduated with his PhD and being done with school, is making this a focus. Get ready for an avalanche of pure gold mtg content
The New Capenna video was delayed for a bit, so he may have worked on this one while waiting for approval to use certain media in his New Capenna video.
How do you think prof was about to afford his 2xm22 boxes? Had to put Sam to work
That extended Emrakul artwork is CRAZY. Like, this video's stellar, but being shown that alone made this well worth the watch!
I loved watching your video with Sam and Prof, you guys have such amazing chemistry together
@@felixmortem1177 yeah they used to have Math together too but ended up switching courses last minute this semester but its cool that at least they have a single class together this year
Liliana the last hope beating Emrakul the promised end was so iconic.
I LOVE that Wizards knows about Rhystic Studies. When I saw one of the videos on the WOTC official side it was so exciting for the Vorthos community.
They only care about the community when we can shill product for them.
What happens when the community complains about lackluster products or extortionist pricing tactics? Nothing.
The downside is that this channel can't be an impartial critic of WOTC. Waxing lyrical about the memories evoked by these cards and not mentioning the small issue of their large price... is that because Sam authentically believes that Masters sets should be premium collectors' memorabilia and not accessible reprints for formats like Modern (most popular deck: $1200), Legacy (>$4k) or Pioneer ($500, with heavy upkeep costs as it's a young format)? Or is it because he knows that he'll fall out of WOTC's good graces if he says anything? Right now every flagship eternal format is ludicrously expensive, yet double masters costs ~2.5-3x what a normal set would, despite being way easier to develop (all they need is to commission some art and throw together a decent draft format). WOTC is enjoying the best commercial years of Magic's history and they're thanking the players with £250+ booster boxes.
I'm not saying you shouldn't be happy for Rhystic Studies getting publicity but just remember that WOTC isn't doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, they're doing it because they want him on their side.
@@dm9910
While I agree with your concerns, it's more likely that Sam never even wants to broach the concept of "reviewing" magic product as a product, and instead desires to only talk about art in his characteristically flowery way. I think WOTC just knows that he's not the kind of creator that would complain about it even if they didn't tell him not to.
Only Rhystic Studies could post a 22 minute ad for a new set that I would watch all the way through.
As always, an excellent video. I wish WOTC would print Master's sets at a reasonable price so more people can get your level of enjoyment out of them.
For real man. The idea is such a beautiful love letter to the game we’ve all come together to play, but the price reveals a cynical board room chewin’ on stoagies.
Yeah lol I should be the hypest for this release more than any other, but of course I can't afford to even draft it
I remember when they were like 10 bucks a pack now they're going for 15 a pack
my wallet just ain't got time for it
Wizards doesn't set the prices. Distributors do.
Yeah there is simply no way I, or most of my friends for that matter, can justify spending 325 dollars to gamble on a box of cards... guess I'll just be buying singles for my decks, but damn I'd love to crack some packs.
That game between Blohon and Pardee feels even more impressive considering how Liliana and her zombies are the force that allows the Gatewatch to triumph over the Promised End herself in Eldritch Moon. A gorgeous example of the game reflecting the story.
I absolutely LOVE that so many of the legendary artists from the early days of Magic were brought back for this set. As much as I hate the price and some of the card choices, there's so much here that hits all the right notes.
I'm surprised there was no mention of Phil Foglio's alternate art on Chaos Warp. He's one of the iconic artists of old-school magic.
I was really glad to see the veteran artists come back, but what I felt was very lacking is the women illustrators in the Borderless cards. I would have loved to see Kaja, Amy Weber, Nicola Leonard, Rebecca Guay , Heather Hudson and many more from the original team.
Out of the 32 artists that did the Borderless cards in the set only one of them was a woman. It feels very disproportionate gender wise with returning veteran artists.
@@sharakolunarwolf terese nielsen
I was gonna mention this. Both the Foglios have done wonderful work in the past, and I was sad to see sets start to appear without their art bringing a dash of levity to the otherwise dead-serious game.
@@sharakolunarwolf what do you mean by disposable?
@@henrymccoy2306 disproportionate. Sorry that was a typo. As in a lot of guys doing art and a lack of gender representation.
I love that your videos usually start with an unrelated tangent and I'm always fascinated where you end up with it
I love your videos on Magic, obviously, but I'd also just listen to you talking about anything
This video has really made me appreciate a set that I previously thought of as just a soulless cash grab
it's still a cash grab at such an absurd price, but there's something there
It can be a good set and still be overpriced and inflated by the marketing team.
It's definitely a cash grab, but soulless its not. Which makes it more insidious, in the end, since it's playing off our nostalgia and values as much as it is.
At some point, we need to accept that capitalizing on nostalgia has always been the fate of Magic, ever since Hasbro acquired it
Opening a new City of Brass... when my first one was from Arabian Nights, jostled memories of hot summer days at my school's courtyard, awaiting parents to come pick me up, while playing Magic with my friends on the rough floor.
Not a care in the world, we looked at the cards and just thought the best of all of them, and how the game brought us together each day.
Even having moved countries away from where I started, the nostalgia really brings me back
I remember reading in some edition of National Geographic that certain cultures view the future as being behind them, as they are unable to see it. I feel like most cultures view themselves as progressing forward through time and leaving the past behind them, but the opposite can also make sense in a vacuum of contrary cultural context.
when I was young, younger than i can remember I went to summer camp and met some older kids who played this funky card game, they showed me a bunch of cards and let me borrow a deck to play with and watch their games. when I got home it was the only thing I really remembered from the camp, I remember telling my mom all about it and going to target to get some random precon deck, their was a funny alligator and a Plasma Elemental (for no clear reason this one stuck with me the most) I was far too young to understand or really play the game but hte cards were cool, and one day, years later it would become a huge part of my life, I dont have any of my childhood cards anymore, lost to time but Ive got alot more now
Wherever those kids from camp are now, I really want to thank them for showing me Magic the Gathering all those years ago
I loved this trip down memory lane with you. Especially loved the little Alice in Wonderland hook in the beginning at the start, that served as a platform to the whole "memory" thing. And then, right at the end, you show the little "Alice" easter egg in Golgari Rotfarm (which up until that point I did not know of), which ties the whole video together. I got goosebumps and have tears in my eyes right now. Never thought I would get teary-eyed because of how someone structures a video but here we are. Your videos, truly, are art. Love you, man.
I think you would appreciate to know that your videos evoke strong emotions in me every time I watch them. You really have a way with words, and you deepen my love for this game and your channel with every new entry. I know you probably hear this a lot, but in my opinion you have some of the best videos I've ever seen.
It's a good set for sure. $300 for a booster box is a bit rich for my blood though.
This set didn't need to cost this much.
If the cost was less, this would be the greatest reprint set in mtg history
Then don't buy one?
@@snazzystardust608 so, you agree with wizards saying "this product isn't for you." Very cool
@@T1nyFr0gg Yeah, I absolutely do? I haven't touched Alchemy. I ignored the Standard Challenger decks. I barely look at Commander Precons anymore. I have the self awareness to know what products interest me. And that's where I assign my time and thoughts.
I started playing magic almost a year ago and even I feel the nostalgia for cards I haven't even heard of. Amazing video, as always.
I wish I could experience this time capsule of a set, go back through my own memories...
But at nearly $20 per pack, that's clearly not feasible. And it sadly makes me feel more and more Ike Magic is no longer a product or game made for me.
At 400 dollars a box it's literally more viable to buy the bad revised dual lands
That's why I'm glad there's pauper. I've played Magic competitively on and off before. The price has always been the one that killed it. I found pauper years later and never looked back.
Agreed. Though it sucks to pay for packs, the singles market loves it! Im planning on picking up a foil alt art Damnation when I can. That art is so iconic.
@@Gorbgorbenson
If people crack less packs then there are less singles floating around the market. A healthy singles market means a healthy pack market. The singles marketfor reprints will most likely not change as much as it should have
@@ImortalZeus13 Some people think singles grow on trees.
Everytime I watch a video of you, I feel elevated. Your love for this game is so obvious on display here and on top of it you expertly craft your content like a mastersculptor. Thank you for what you're doing, I look forward to whatever is coming next
Still the only channel I’m a patron for and I don’t even play Magic with about 20 interests on RUclips. Incredible production quality and story telling ability
I like how you framed Master sets as *the* place where players' memories of MtG coalesce and overlap with one another, because that's what my draft experience of this set really felt like. Even drafting and playing something as simple as Boros beatdown reminded me of so many things, from building my first commander deck with Aurelia, the Warleader; to playing with cards like Heroic Reinforcement and Tenth District Legionnaire in different Standard formats; to playing Lightning Bolt, Rift Bolt, *and* Lightning Helix reminding me of how it first felt to directly damage someone for three.
I got into Magic at the end of Shards of Alara, and found EDH through a few local professors and teachers who had been jamming the format since the early, early days of Highlander. My first decks were all in those 3-color shards. Empyrial Archangel, Phyrexian Tyrrany, Sedris, the Traitor King, and Magister Sphinx brought back so many memories for me. And then Rise of the Eldrazi came, and Emrakul was briefly legal in the format - what a rush! What a fun time to be playing Magic at a big kitchen table in my parent's house, stifling laughter so we didn't wake anyone up on the second floor. Thanks for the lovely video :)
"Reprinting Eternal Witness is in a sense, a fullfilment of its own mechanic"
Beautiful quotes like that from you are what keep me in the game
the nostalgia of the videos for actual pro tours hit so hard it was physically painful, such a shame wotc destroyed organized play
Yeah. Those voices really brought up them feels man :'c And it's not even like crazy long time too, I remember the first couple of years of playing (2016-2017 for me) I would always have some sort of a pro tour stream or recording playing in the background. Oh man, the in-depth explanations and discussions of what line the player can take, who's at advantage because of what, the excitement in those voices when the top deck indeed was the card they've been talking about just then, that dramatic advantage bar graphic rushing towards the player.
Such a shame that WOTC decided shitting out expensive Pringles every week and doing busted chase cards in ten art variants each set is better than having any integrity as a game
Videos like this eliminate the sense of cynicism that can accompany nostalgia as a repackaged premium product to be sold.
As always, Sam, a beautifully-woven video. You are a beacon of optimism when it comes to Magic, and that aura always takes me back to when I first started playing, back during an era of whimsy and wonder.
If I may comment a duo of cards which beget long-lost memories of my own, Arachnus Spinner and Arachnus Web come to mind- with a little bit of help from Deadly Recluse. Seeing all their inclusions in Double Masters 2022 brings me great joy, especially with the downshifts. I hope to once again own foil copies of these cards that I have cast hundreds of times over a kitchen table, sharing a few spellslinging nights with my family. I adore the flavor of Arachnus Spinner- simply an elegant representation of a spider casting its web, and the creature's ability to break out of it with enough willpower. It has won me many a game as a sort of control win condition back during its time. I truly wish Wizards would print more cheap and efficient spiders in the same vein as Deadly Recluse, because the inner mage in me wishes to replicate my old deck once more.
It is something I dote on- looking back at cards from the past that I used to play and love so much, and rebuild a deck around them with a modern flair. Including new cards printed since that original deck's creation, as well as a better understanding of what makes Magic decks function so well- it reminds me of when artists revisit old pieces they've done and recreate them, showing how much they've progressed as a creative. It's a humbling and exciting thing to do, and Masters sets always seem to remind me about another card that has been lost to the annals of time.
Your art is amazing. Thank you.
Sometimes the memories dredged up by Masters sets are in time for the future to enter and other times to enter the past not taken. The full art Chaos Warp by Phil Foglio might be the first time most people will find out about the sillier, whimiscal side of standard magic in the 90s, as the last set to have new art from him was Unglued (under the alias Claymoore J. Flapdoodle). Or the fact that I forget whether or not that was my writing on the flavor text of Crucible of Worlds, considering that it was a community voted and made card in 2003-04. Mayel's Aria reminded me of a forgotten Naya Deck that needs to be finished in the brew.
This trip down memory lane reminds me of how this channel used to be know as magic man sam, we sure do come a long way since then
How can you make me feel emotional over card board that I’ve only been playing with for 2.5 years!
Anyway love the content and well crafted reflection!
Ikoria will always be nostalgic for me, as its the first set I ever drafted
For me I get that full nostalgia rush from the Rampant Growth art, as someone who started playing during 7th edition right at the tail end of classic bordered cards it was the first and last time I ever saw that art for the card. Seeing it come back again all these years later as well as the gorgeous new borderless version has made me a lot happier to find either one in a pack than I would have expected.
Big same. Coming into the game in the days of Wall of Spears and Thorn Elemental, Holy/Unholy Strength, whatever was on that demo CD of the game.
Man I remember getting totally fixated with Kev's mastery back in the legions era with hunter sliver, I admire him since and always look at his work, this new Emrakul is absolutely stunning
Biggest blow of nostalgia for me came from a foil Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre I managed to pull. I started playing right around Mirrodin Besieged, and I remember seeing the Eldrazi and thinking, "This is a rad card game." Shortly after starting, I bought the From the Vault: Legends premium set, and I didn't even know Ulamog had found its way in there until I opened it up. I sadly traded that Ulamog away within the next 2 or so years, but pulling this one made me feel like that Ulamog card had found its way back to me! Such a fun box to open, and I can't wait to draft some 2X2 with my friends! Great video as always Sam, thank you!
Such a lovely retrospective you've given the community with this video! Many of the references to pro tours and the like especially sat well with me, as even though I primarily play edh, I always enjoyed watching those tournaments and the narratives building up around the people competing with one another! Thank you so much for taking me on this trip down memory lane!
Your work is something that should never go unappreciated. From the bottom of my heart…thank you.
Every video of yours I watch is breathtaking. Chills, happiness, and memories long forgotten always resurface and I can't describe how much I adore your work.
I should not be getting this emotional over the words "Eternal Witness Briggs back memories"
Highest possible quality of magic content. Will watch everyone day one thanks for making these
Man, when even Sam forgets about the Spellbooks you know how badly they were made/advertised
Yeah, I also liked how briefly iconic masters was mentioned, because that set flopped hard and ended up being disliked by every intended audience
@@snowhusk That’s what happens when you get commissioned by Wizards. You tell half truths and can’t bring up artists who were falsely defamed.
@@spartanboosts what artists?
@@spartanboosts - it was all public information, they were reacting to community responses to direct evidence. Just because you didn't like that it was real (and neither do I) doesn't mean it didn't exist.
Lord of Extinction will always have a special place in my heart. Although fairly recent, I played him in my Jarad, Golgari lichlord commander deck and with the support of my friend playing his mill deck to see what shenanigans would ensue, enabled for a 3 person KO at over 250 life loss per person. A game and now card that lives in infamy in my playgroup
You’re doing a good job with how you made your videos. Please do continue, for we always support you through thick and thin.
I wake up from sleeping off a shoulder injury to a new Rhystic Studies video? I feel better already.
Magic can lean into nostalgia because of the dizzying highs and terrifying lows of this game. You'll always remember a bad beat or an incredible mise off the top. I've been playing this game for over 20 years now, and sets like these are a small way for me to reach out and feel things that I never thought I'd experience again. I always lament about not being able to go back to a point in Magic's histroy and relive it. This is as close as someone can get, and it's nice. I just wish it wasn't so damned expensive. Thanks for the great video!
My father played mtg when I was a boy. I still remember the first time I saw the original nightmare next to the early 2000s version. To this day I get nostalgic over that card. Mono black for the win.
I started playing MtG with Zendikar and after a long time of hardly playing it at all, recently returned and discovered your amazing channel shortly after.
The foil Emrakul i pulled back in Rise of Eldrazi is still my favourite card, thank you for this wonderfully nostalgic video.
This isn't the first time your videos have made me tear up, Sam, but I think it is the one that resonated with me the most. Not in relation to the history of the pro scene -- my relationship with the game has been largely casual, even if I have ended up with an encyclopedic knowledge of cards -- but in the meta-narrative of our history dictating our future, and how the future informs how we perceive our history.
Eternal Witness has always been a favourite card of mine, and I think you perfectly encapsulated why. Thank you for this.
Finally got the time to watch this fantastic video, amazing job as always! Very happy to see that you finally got sponsored by WotC, your work elevates what they do and helps people understand that there is more to MtG than just what we find at face value. I hope you get to work with them again.
I also enjoy in that piece learning what happened to that wish-discarded silver coin in the Alchemy archtype *Predatory Sludge* .
Truly a gift that keeps giving.
Even though I absolutely loathe the concept of limited and have an intense hatred of the fact that sets are designed around it, this video almost convinced me to start buying some Double Masters packs. Great content as always!
Why do you hate limited tho?
It's really cool how Magic has so much appeal to such different people. I literally only play limited lol, It's the absolute best
Love that Drew Tucker did some pieces for this set. His stuff from the dark is without a doubt some of my favorite art in the game.
I love the focus on everything wonderful about your selections, and passing over commenting on that Imperial Seal!
I love how much I still can learn from you talking about the Magic: The Gathering before I started playing (around M15).
For me, it's the tarkir and theros cards that bring me back. I made a tarkir cube, with the same goal in mind, to take me and the people I started playing magic with down memory lane.
but if I had to point out specific cards, I would say As Foretold. in high school at the start of summer break we would camp in the backyard of one of our friends and buy a booster box to draft together and play lots of commander after the draft. one year we drafted amonkhet.
after the draft was done and we played our games, it started raining, really really badly. it was so bad that the tent flooded and some of my cards got water damaged, and the most expensive one from those was As Foretold.
Your videos are always a consistent treasure. Just like the stories continued on these cards. Yours carries on in our gathering.
Wonderful video. As a newer magic player, I don’t have a lot of nostalgia for those old cards, but these masters sets allow me to experience the classics for the first time. In that sense I get the vibe of these sets being like a “greatest hits” list, when I open cards and recognise cards I’ve heard about but never played with.
Fitting that Pull from Tomorrow ended up being used as a bookmark, that’s way more useful than as the intended game piece.
i love your videos so much, you have an intriguing way of narrating your passion of magic, it's so captivating, and for that i would like to thank you.
I'm so glad Julie Dillion found her way into MtG. I've been following her work for years and she's such an excellent illustrator. May her clients be generous and their payments timely :3
Was not expecting a video so soon, I was ready for at least a month, but let’s goooo
Dude. You have some the most quality content. Even if I didn't love magic I would be so into this. Bravo.
I love everything about master sets, except how they cater to a bubble of collectors and are a middle finger to the bigger playerbase who wants a more acessible game and above everything else, a celebration of artificial value and gambling.
Sorry, but i cant separate the two, they are tied too close from each other in master sets, specially when despite the existence of collector boosters in master sets now being the big whale product, the regular product itself still needs to be a premium product.
Agreed. I can’t stand the rudies and other whales who think they’re stock market champions
Thank you very for your content, always helping me look at this delightful game in a new and splendid light. You truly dig up emotions I never knew were waiting to erupt from my core. Another wonderful experience.
I absolutely love your content. You truly know how to tell a story. I hope Wizards continues to sponsor you!
Your videos, Magic Arcanum's and MtG in general are very good at making me nostalgic for a history I wasn't part of. And when you touch on moments from Theros or Tarkir's sets where I was playing it's even more so. Seeing the same artists and their styles on cards after all these years is so magical, there's just something about the old art
It's the same feeling I get when I see a Blue Eye White Dragon in YuGiOH or older covers of Warhammer 40k Codexes, growing up with something really does cement it in your mind forever
I hope wizards keeps promoting content like this, great video!
Absolutely love your videos, thanks for your artistic analysis and the reminder of how much I love this game even though it infuriates me sometimes.
I only started playing Magic recently, so I love hearing cool history lessons like this!
Thanks again for your endless quality and insight! Love what you do! Keep it up!
Love that you got sponsored by the top dogs dude, super glad we get high quality uploads so often
Absolutely incredible video. Always happy to see a deep-dive into the art and memory of our favorite game. 💛
I started playing during Rise of The Eldrazi and my first pack of magic was a Kozilek booster I opened in a cabin at summer camp. It’s cool seeing the big dude back with art by Ian Miller!
Amazing content, as always! It’s great that WotC finally recognizes you for your work!
Why am I crying at the club?
Seriously though, I’ve been on a downswing with magic because of price increases and product fatigue, and I sincerely thank you for reminding me why this game makes me so happy.
Man, quality and pure inspiration. Awesome content!!
The memory of me in Japan when Eldritch Moon had just released. Going to the Prerelease and then opening a box and a "Fat Pack" as we used to call them. Opening my first Liliana, The Last Hope and just being and enjoing that time. 6 years have passed and I still have that box and bundles in my closet, as mementos from that era of my life. Still enjoing the game and loving every single time I get to sleeve a new brew. Magic is just the best, it has given me friends, stories, love, dispair and enjoiment and just by simply asking, Hey! wanna play a game?
Each of your videos is a treasure we don’t deserve but happily receive
This is your best yet. Great work as ever, but best yet.
Amazing video. As always. The artwork on Emrakul is just awe inspiring
Oh Man another update, I haven’t even gotten the chance to rewatch your last video yet!
This one gave me shivers, you are truly a genius at storytelling.
Keep up the awesome job, my friend. It's good to see you doing what you love
Original modern masters will always hold a special place in my heart, attending gp Vegas, being apart of the largest table top event, even opening the only "non-money" foil mythic at said event.
Watching this after overhearing some of the ~discourse~ over the weekend. This is another excellent video from Sam, as celebratory and nostalgic as ever. I'm glad to see creators getting compensated for their work in promoting the game. My only criticism is that I wish I had more context for some of the PT moments as I missed out on many of these before getting into the game.
Also looking forward to listening to your interview with the Commander Sphere!
I know it isn't "optimal play", but when I assemble my kitchen table 60 card casual decks, I love putting in as many different versions of a single card that I can. It turns every game into a trip through time. I have a lot of great memories, not only of the actual cards themselves, but of the eras in which a certain art was printed. It's a blast.
Venters' Phyrexian Altar reminds me of Onulet, the way the altar points downwards toward the center is the same as the Onulet staring at you. Hell of a throwback.
Such sensible and well thought essay. I love what you do, cheers from a fan!
My first ever judge promo i ever owned was a food chain, seeing it get some love and some amazing art is something i never thought i would see.
Birds of Paradise was the first pack foil I ever opened and I still have it to this day, in my Atarka, World Render EDH deck--my very first deck I ever built and played for Commander. My friend Max and I would play 1v1 EDH in his mom's basement for hours after I came over at 2am after a night working at AMC. I had just started grad school at the time and it was great to have a friend like him to hang with after a stressful day of work.
Always a good day when Rhystic Studies uploads. Thank you!
Now if only more people were able to actually enjoy this set.
Go do a phantom draft on mtgo
Sam makes me believe this could have been called "Pro Tour Masters" and no one would have blinked an eye.
the art department outdid itself again on this set. i was so happy when I saw that douglas shuler was back
I remember that Finkel win. He topdecked like the god he is lol. 😂 Finkel’s smirk after PV’s head-shake is so good lol.
My time with MtG started about a decade ago, so looking through the Double Masters offerings, the cards that fill me with the most nostalgia are the many Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash cards - my first block with the game. Honourable mention to the numerous Tarkir reprints in here too, one of my all-time favourite sets! This video's such a great exploration and celebration of the game's past and this set!
(Insert joke how most people making videos on Masters were given free product or have relationships with distributors) But for real it’s insane what prices people are willing to deal with and how it will sell no matter what. Good set, but it’s depressing to see the direction of the “game” QQ
300 dollars is too much for a full box of boosters, especially when they're not collectors boosters
@@ImortalZeus13 Yeah I agree. Something just rubs me wrong seeing this push from wizards on channels and on Twitter. Obviously anyone would take the chance. I would, but knowing people along with being in the position not to afford cards or pieces that we’d like to, is pretty annoying. There’s just this constant reminder that there are game pieces that are out of reach or experiences that you can’t take part of just because WOTC decided to price it at an insane rate. I sound more bitter than I am lol.
@@pixelsandscribbles you can literally just print out any card you want to play with, if you're talking about casual experiences. the prices only hold water because of competitive play.
The set is a blast to draft and open. Home run. I feel the price was justified for the fun I had at FNM last night
@@TheKaijudist true that people solely consider card value when discussing price and not the work that went into designing the limited play experience. I also enjoyed the hell out of sealed
Thank you so much for all these videos recently.
Great video as always, and I continue to love your work. I'm glad WotC is sponsoring you so you can continue to do excellent work.
That said, this set just kinda bums me out. I've always loved the Masters sets. This is one of the greatest looking Masters sets, and I can't buy packs or draft because they've effectively priced me out of the game. The last time a set hit me this way was Time Spiral Remastered, which was a set that I really wanted to buy a box of, but because I didn't think to preorder, I got priced out of it almost immediately.
Sam you're spoiling us! Excellent as always!
I love how much history and craft goes into these masters sets. I wish I could’ve drafted it.
You still can, if you and a few others can scrounge up the cash...
@@andrewamann2821 60 dollars for a one-time draft experience is highway robbery, regardless of whatever cards you might get from the draft.
@@ImortalZeus13I would beg to differ, but I just cracked a half dozen packs of Time Spiral Remastered this past weekend, and a half dozen New Phyrexia the week before, for lulz and inspiration for my commander decks, so take that as you will.
@@andrewamann2821
60 dollars for 45 pieces of Cardboard. Youre not even likely to get a return on investment if you resell the cards. It's not reasonable.
@@ImortalZeus13 $60 for 15 pieces of cardboard, with a tanking resale value? No, I'm probably not going to make back the monetary value. As an entertainment cost? I find a few interesting cards to tinker with in my commander decks, and manage to get more engaging games, and a rough improvement in the quality of my local meta, by expanding their exposure to lesser-known cards, all for less than the cost of a similarly-priced board game.
Seems like a pretty decent return, personally.