The Future is Now: Part I
Ages and ages ago I promised that I’d do some articles running down the futureshifted cards featured in the Time Spiral block. Specifically, the likelihood that they might see print in a Planar Set (A set with a fixed location, not a Masters set) and what planes they might be from! I may have missed Time Spiral Remastered but I definitely keep my promises! So let’s get into it! (Possibilities on a scale of 1-10)
Tarmogoyf
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 5Tarmogoyf is an insanely good card (as we’ve seen in Modern and some eternal formats) so I doubt it’d be safe for a Standard legal set. However, in a set with the right makeup, as in less easy ways to fill your graveyard, it could be made into a more fair card. Fun sets such as Battlebond or Conspiracy could give Tarmogoyf a canonical home.
Possible Plane(s): Dominaria 8
Tarmogoyf belongs to the creature type Lhurgoyf which only has 8 total printed cards. All of the planar set printed ones belong to Dominaria over various sets with the first being printed in Ice Age (Poor Saffi) and additional ones being printed in Odyssey and Planar Chaos. This isn’t a 100% guarantee of Tarmogoyf being in Dominaria but it’s more than likely thus the high, but not definite, score.
Grove of the Burnwillows
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 6Grove of the Burnwillows is a weird card but it’s not inherently game-breaking. It was good due to the interaction between it and Punishing Fire. Without a similar way to abuse it this would actually be pretty safe in limited. The main issue is that making your opponent gain life every tap isn’t a good effect, making it a feel-bad rare pull and it would likely need a cycle to go with it. This could be problematic in a flavor sense. Grove is already on shaky ground, Red gaining your opponent life isn’t normal. So what would a cycle of these even look like?
Possible Plane(s): Lorwyn: 5; Moag: 5
The art style and the fact that the flavor text mentions seasons in a poetic manner hint me towards Lorwyn (if you want justification read Bitterblossom). However, there’s nothing in the art, name, or text hinting at Lorwyn so it’s a 50/50 with Moag, a plane from Planechase. Moag is home to The Fields of Summer and the art on the plane card gives me a similar vibe to Grove, it’s not much but it’s enough for me to wonder.
Horizon Canopy
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 5Canopy is a good card, a pain land that has onboard cycling is a sweet deal. Canopy runs into a similar issue as Grove, a cycle would be necessary. That’s not inherently bad but it’s pretty damn good. I just don’t know if WOTC wants to risk it.
Possible Plane(s): Pyrulea: 10
We actually have full confirmation on this plane. Pyrulea is featured in Planechase and the art used on its card “Horizon Boughs” WINK WINK, is just an uncropped version of Horizon Canopy’s art.
Dryad Arbor
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 2Do I even need to explain why this score is so low? Dryad Arbor is confusing and has caused controversy by its appearance. This is one of those cards that’s good in concept but in reality, doesn’t quite work out. The futureshifted frame made it stand out from other lands or creatures but From the Vault gave us a look at what it would be with a modern frame, and it’s a problem. It looks way too much like a land, which actually was used to a player’s advantage during an event a while back. People have been calling for a ban on the specific printing of Dryad Arbor. Thus a reprint is unlikely unless a new frame is made.
Possible Plane(s): Lorwyn: 4
There are no real hints to a solid plane here but the flavor text, the typing, and the art on both versions give me a Lorwyn vibe. It’s a low score but Lorwyn is the only plane I can think of that fits.
Bridge from Below
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 5Bridge from Below is a card that makes new players unhappy, an enchantment that does nothing when it’s on the battlefield is counterintuitive. However, it’s another card that’s not inherently broken.
Possible Plane(s): Alara: 4
The art from the original doesn’t give many hints and since there’s no flavor text we have no clues at all. The good news is that the newer art resembles (vaguely) The Maelstrom on Alara. This is by no means confirmation but the fact that Bridge from Below’s ability seems at home on Grixis helps this theory for me
Daybreak Coronet
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 5While not a broken card it just doesn’t seem likely. Multiplayer sets don’t want this since it’s only really powerful one on one. However Standard might want this under some specific circumstances so I’m willing to give it a chance.
Possible Plane(s): Theros: 7
The original art doesn’t offer us many clues but we lucked out here, Coronet has a solid planar tie. Both times it’s been reprinted the art and flavor text has featured Brimaz, a character we know heralds from Theros, thus we have solid reasoning to anchor this card to Theros.
Street Wraith
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 5Cycling as a mechanic is pretty dang popular, the main reason this score isn’t higher is that we just saw it come back on Amonkhet. In the future, I fully expect if Cycling returns Street Wraith will be right there with it. The only hindrance though is that it has Swampwalk, an outdated mechanic. This is a big drawback since I can’t really imagine R&D bringing Landwalk back.
Possible Plane(s): Fiora: 6
The flavor of Street Wraith screams Fiora to me, everything from the art to the flavor text is very Paliano. There’s no real confirmation here though so for now this remains a guess.
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 1Poor Korlash. The name and flavor are so cool yet the ability is so unplayable and lame. Grandeur is cool in theory but it also shuts off this and other cards with it to the main players who would use it, EDH players. It’s still playable, it’s got solid stats in a mono-black deck, and regenerate is nice, but still it’s not gonna happen. Regenerate, Grandeur, and Legendary status basically seal Korlash’s fate as a never to be reprinted card.
Possible Plane(s): Dominaria: 10
The original blackblade canonically resided on Dominaria, in fact, the Blackblade itself (although reforged) was just picked up on Dominaria a few years back. There’s no discussion here, 100% Dominarian.
Graven Cairns
Possibility of a Planar Reprint: 7A similar score to any other filter land, they’re pretty powerful but also pretty safe. Filter lands don’t net you mana they just give you fixing and they’re not as good as other options. I think honestly it’s more than likely we’ll see Filter lands return in the future.
Possible Plane(s): Lorwyn:10 Zendikar:10 Ulgrotha:10
Graven Cairns is weird since we’ve canonically seen it on three planes. According to its original flavor text, it’s on Ulgrotha since it directly references the Sengir Vampire family. We’ve seen it on Lorwyn for its first planar print, thus solidifying its existence there. And on Zendikar it was printed as an expedition land with Zendikari art, so we know it exists there too.
Well, that’s it for part one, tune in next month for the next selection of timeshifts!
Feel free to let me know what planes you think these cards might be from in the comments below!
You also can find me on Twitter @East2Westmtg or email me at East2westmtg@gmail.com.
As always I’ve been East2West, your resident timeshifter and planar chaotic, and I’ll see you guys on the battlefield!
