The Gathering’s Spider-Man Set Has Me Longing For the Heyday of One Card Kind

It doesn’t matter what sort of IP they’re about, Magic: The Gathering‘s Universes Past units virtually all the time have one factor in widespread: they’re completely riddled with legendary creatures. It solely is smart; every franchise, from Fallout to The Lord of the Rings, has dozens of memorable characters to showcase, and giving them every a legendary creature is the obvious method to take action. The Spider-Man set for Magic: The Gathering is especially dense with legendary creatures, depicting as many Spider-Folks and members of their rogues’ gallery as doable. I’ve preferred loads of these playing cards, however each time I see one, part of me wonders if it may’ve been a planeswalker as an alternative.

Magic: The Gathering followers at the moment reside in a slight period of shortage for planeswalker playing cards. It was once widespread for Magic units to function three or extra planeswalker playing cards, however at the moment, units usually solely function one or two. What’s extra, Universes Past refrains from touching the planeswalker card kind, despite the fact that it would be completely justifiable to show among the strongest pop-culture characters into planeswalkers. As somebody who adores planeswalkers, each within the lore and on the battlefield, sets like Spider-Man make me lengthy for the halcyon days of those playing cards.

Magic: The Gathering Would not Star Planeswalkers The Approach It Used To

Conflict of the Spark Was a Spotlight of MtG for Me

There is a very clear before-and-after cutoff for planeswalkers’ prevalence. In July 2023, MtG devs introduced they supposed to purpose for one planeswalker per set transferring ahead, beginning with Wilds of Eldraine. This announcement made me assume again to Conflict of the Spark, the famously planeswalker jam-packed finale of Nicol Bolas’ main story arc.

Conflict of the Spark was a dream come true for me, plagued by unusual and uncommon planeswalkers alongside the common mythic uncommon ones. Planeswalkers all the time seize consideration after they’re performed, and their loyalty system makes them arguably essentially the most dynamic card kind within the recreation. Not solely did I relish the prospect to get some lower-rarity planeswalker cards that I may nonetheless slot into sure decks, but it surely gave me motive to anticipate many new planeswalker characters sooner or later. For that motive, Conflict of the Spark stays a high contender for my favourite set, and in a time when WotC is printing far fewer planeswalkers, I cling to its reminiscence.

Universes Past Has Stored Planeswalkers at Arm’s Size

Universes Past strikes me as an incredible alternative to print some distinctive planeswalkers, and it did begin that method. The first Dungeons and Dragons set for MtG turned a pair D&D characters into planeswalkers (as a way to emphasize these characters, moderately than point out they’d the identical powers as MtG lore’s planeswalkers). Since then, nevertheless, Universes Past has deliberately omitted planeswalkers; MtG head designer Mark Rosewater has confirmed as a lot, and says the D&D set should not have featured them both.

Though I believe characters like Sauron, Aang, or The Physician may’ve made sensible planeswalkers, reflecting their vary of abilities and impression on their respective worlds, I begrudgingly admit that it will additionally muddle the cardboard kind’s identification somewhat. It is meant to set precise Magic planeswalkers other than different named characters within the franchise and word who has the precise skill to planeswalk. Nonetheless, it will be a comfort prize for the mainline Magic: The Gathering sets which have largely set planeswalkers apart.

Even Magic: The Gathering lore has knocked planeswalkers down a peg, because of the Omenpaths that permit regular individuals to maneuver between planes.

I Nonetheless Have Hope for MtG Planeswalkers’ Future

Within the meantime, I at the very least take some consolation in the truth that WotC hasn’t stopped pushing the boundaries of the planeswalker card. The Aetherspark from Aetherdrift is among the greatest experiments the sport has seen in recent times, melding two card archetypes that would appear completely incongruous, and Tezzeret’s return in Edge of Eternities throws one other hat within the ring of colorless planeswalkers. MtG might not print a ton of planeswalkers anymore, however I am nonetheless going to maintain my eyes on the horizon, and hope for the most effective; perhaps their time will come once more.