Myth conception
October 4th 2008 01:21
As you may recall, we now have a fourth level of card frequency in Magic, tantalizingly named “mythic rare.” Shards of Alara hit the shelves yesterday, so we’ll soon have a better idea of how the mythic rare works in practice. I wonder if they’re working correctly at my local retailer, though. I bought the product oddly referred to as the “fat pack,” which comes with eight booster packs – and three of them had a mythic rare.
If your goal is to open a card in a booster, there’s more involved than just the color of its expansion symbol. I think we’ve gotten a little caught up in the fact that mythics are RARER THAN RARE OMG. “Rarer” means that fewer of them were printed – but in the case of modern Magic sets, there are still millions, more individual copies than there are Magic players. If you’re willing to open enough boosters, you will see every card in the set sooner or later. Players have also determined through experience that all cards of the same level are in fact equally rare; some commons are not in fact more common than others, regardless of how long it takes you to find them. (Part of the problem here is that the contents of boosters are packed semi-randomly: print runs are apparent because certain cards are always or often next to each other, especially among the commons, but the cards in a booster can start at any point in the run.)
I don’t think we can reasonably claim we weren’t warned, though. Despite the impression created by Pro Tour coverage and its rare-heavy decklists, every official informational passage I’ve seen in my life emphasizes that Magic is a collectible. If every card were equally easy to find, it would cease to be a collectible and the cards would lose most of their value – and most of their appeal.
Some of the concerns about mythic rares arise from the possibility of one or more of them becoming a tournament staple and its secondary market price rising to impossible levels. This problem is not limited to mythics, though. Recent developments on the secondary market have proven that even regular rares (or sometimes even uncommons) can reach astounding prices. Future Sight’s now infamous Tarmogoyf is the best example.
Will this happen to any of Alara’s mythic rares? Frankly, I’d be surprised if it did. The most expensive cards in Standard are all from either the second or third set in a block, which have (relatively) very short print runs. As an October release, Alara’s print run will not end until the beginning of February. Its multicolor theme and Dungeons and Dragons-inspired flavor are sure to be a hit among players, meaning that demand for boosters and theme decks will be high, pushing print numbers up.
One last point: don’t forget that the addition of the mythics is not only about making cards difficult to find. Yes, it gives the designers a safe way to print cards that might be overpowered or unbalancing in drafts. But it also has a flavor side: mythic rares are intended to depict people, spells, or objects of, well, mythic proportions – things that stand out even from other of the Magic multiverse’s rarities not only because of their power but because of their uniqueness and ability to inspire awe. If what we’ve seen of Alara is any indication, that part of their mission is well and truly accomplished.
If your goal is to open a card in a booster, there’s more involved than just the color of its expansion symbol. I think we’ve gotten a little caught up in the fact that mythics are RARER THAN RARE OMG. “Rarer” means that fewer of them were printed – but in the case of modern Magic sets, there are still millions, more individual copies than there are Magic players. If you’re willing to open enough boosters, you will see every card in the set sooner or later. Players have also determined through experience that all cards of the same level are in fact equally rare; some commons are not in fact more common than others, regardless of how long it takes you to find them. (Part of the problem here is that the contents of boosters are packed semi-randomly: print runs are apparent because certain cards are always or often next to each other, especially among the commons, but the cards in a booster can start at any point in the run.)
I don’t think we can reasonably claim we weren’t warned, though. Despite the impression created by Pro Tour coverage and its rare-heavy decklists, every official informational passage I’ve seen in my life emphasizes that Magic is a collectible. If every card were equally easy to find, it would cease to be a collectible and the cards would lose most of their value – and most of their appeal.
Some of the concerns about mythic rares arise from the possibility of one or more of them becoming a tournament staple and its secondary market price rising to impossible levels. This problem is not limited to mythics, though. Recent developments on the secondary market have proven that even regular rares (or sometimes even uncommons) can reach astounding prices. Future Sight’s now infamous Tarmogoyf is the best example.
He’s big and green, just like the $50 bill you exchanged for him.
Will this happen to any of Alara’s mythic rares? Frankly, I’d be surprised if it did. The most expensive cards in Standard are all from either the second or third set in a block, which have (relatively) very short print runs. As an October release, Alara’s print run will not end until the beginning of February. Its multicolor theme and Dungeons and Dragons-inspired flavor are sure to be a hit among players, meaning that demand for boosters and theme decks will be high, pushing print numbers up.
One last point: don’t forget that the addition of the mythics is not only about making cards difficult to find. Yes, it gives the designers a safe way to print cards that might be overpowered or unbalancing in drafts. But it also has a flavor side: mythic rares are intended to depict people, spells, or objects of, well, mythic proportions – things that stand out even from other of the Magic multiverse’s rarities not only because of their power but because of their uniqueness and ability to inspire awe. If what we’ve seen of Alara is any indication, that part of their mission is well and truly accomplished.
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