Locations
After about almost two months away, I'm back with a new Flavor Gems! If you're wondering what I've been up to, I've been writing scripts for CoolStuff videos (check out my Baron Sengir video) and I'm now a continuity consultant for Magic... but mostly I needed a break after my 75th article in three years! UMA was a surprise to everyone, and has some really great new art for many of the reprints - 49 new pieces, in fact! To give you an idea of how much new art we usually get with the Masters sets, here's a list of the new pieces we've seen in each set:
- Masters 25 - 37 + 1 token
- Iconic Masters - 23
- Eternal Masters - 54
- Modern Masters (2017) - 16
- Modern Masters (2015) - 5
- Modern Masters - 24
This, I should note, does not include art that had previously only been seen on MTGO or on a promo of some sort. In this article I'll be tackling the most flavorful new pieces of art one by one, giving you some history and lore to go along with it!
Dark Depths
Dark Depths by Mathias Kollros
This is, perhaps, my favorite new piece of art from Ultimate Masters. In it, we've gotten a 180 degree perspective shift from the original Dark Depths, where we saw Marit Lage lurking beneath the ice. In the new art, we're instead seeing Marit Lage's perspective looking up, with a similar figure above the ice. Note the scale shark! Marit Lage is huge; she eats Eldrazi for breakfast and is still hungry afterwards (not canonically).
Dark Depths by Stephan Martiniere
Which artwork is better is largely a matter of preference, but I do enjoy that this clearer artwork of Marit Lage herself exists. She's fun as a dark, amorphous mass of tentacles and eyes, but giving her clean design helps distinguish her from the Eldrazi, who share a similar creative space to this ancient avatar. People have wildly speculated on what exactly Marit Lage is (she's not an Eldrazi), and having her visuals scream 'something evil from the deep' rather than 'something from beyond our world' really helps there.
Marit Lage is an amusing case for what bits of lore players latch on to. She's mentioned on a handful of cards and is mentioned a total of three times in the novel The Eternal Ice... and that's about it! Despite all that, she now has more artwork than many modern planeswalkers! So what do we actually know about Marit Lage? It's not much.
According to The Eternal Ice, she was a being in the same power range as planeswalkers, and she was imprisoned about 500 years before the events of that novel (around the 2400s AR). Some have latched on to what amounts to Word of God that Marit Lage can travel between planes... but there's nothing to support that. Dominaria especially is home to lots of things that aren't originally from Dominaria, and even if Marit Lage is from somewhere else it doesn't mean she travelled to Dominaria under her own power. But honestly, this paragraph is longer than the total amount written on Marit Lage in the story or on cards.
Demonic Tutor
Demonic Tutor by Zack Stella
The funny thing about this artwork is that it isn't actually new. It was in The Art of Magic: the Gathering - Ixalan earlier this year, which makes me wonder what this artwork was originally intended for. Regardless, this is the best view we've seen of Ixalan's demons (who also appear in Dark Nourishment). They're very distinctive from other planes, with bat-like features and even 'wings' like a bat's. While we didn't see much of them this time on Ixalan, there are strong hints that Aclazotz, the bat-god of night mentioned on Arguel's Blood Fast, is a demon who granted Elenda vampirism.
Frantic Search
Frantic Search by Mitchell Malloy
Every so often an artist gives us a treasure trove of easter eggs, but the last time this many were hidden in a single image was probably in Expropriate. Mitchell Malloy filled this image to the brim, and you can check out the ongoing thread to see how people tracked them down one by one. My friend Loreley Weisel has already found the lion's share (probably all?). Let's tackle the known easter eggs from left to right. I should mention from the start that based on the flavor text, this is on Tolaria West.
About midway down the stack on the left is a book with an unusual texture. Based on the purple ribbon marker, it's pretty safe to say that this is Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII. Straight down from there is an odd spherical shape, which is a Ninth Edition Icy Manipulator.
The central figure is holding the Book of Rass. In the background beneath the book is a Cogworker's Puzzleknot. Directly below him (beneath his belt) is the original Spellbook. Just to the left of that, hiding in the shadows, is the 'top' of the original Sensei's Divining Top. In the bottom-right corner lies an Aether Vial. Just above that is a weird creature in a container, reminiscent of the original art for Frantic Search and some of the other Urza's Saga era Tolarian cards.
About a third of the way up the stack on the right you can see a book with a bone-like binding, which is pretty clearly the Grimoire of the Dead. Above that, an Artificer's Assistant is flying into the picture carrying a scroll from Walking Archive. Above the artificer's arm appears to be a book similar to the one from Charm School.
Is there more? Post in the twitter thread if you discover something new!
Gamble
Breeches the goblin was a member of Vraska, Relic Seeker's crew on the Belligerent known for his extreme relatability. He was a very excitable goblin, who would exclaim things loudly, most famously "DEBT AND ALE AND CARDS!". This flavor text for Gamble is a reference to that. If you want to read the original scene, check out Something Else Entirely. Is this card a depiction of Breeches? Probably not, but I would love it if it were.
Goryo's Vengeance
Goryo's Vengeance by Randy Vargas
A goryo is a vengeful ghost, and this updated art changes the subject of the art from a random oni to a young woman. I love this new version of the art, as it's much more evocative of Japanese horror, although it retains some nice touches from the original like extra limbs. This art is much more 'readable' than a lot of the kami art from Kamigawa while staying true to the aesthetic. Also, check out the murder weapon, this poor vengeful spirit was stabbed in the back.
Phyrexian Altar
We've seen Phyrexian Altars before, specifically in the Urza's Saga Dark Ritual and on the saga Phyrexian Scriptures. If you look carefully at this art, you'll note that it is, in fact, the same design as the altar in Phyrexian Scriptures! Note the curved piping in the bottom middle of the altar and the bottom of the art of Phyrexian Scriptures, the center of the altar is pretty clearly what we're seeing in the saga's artwork.
Phyrexian Tower
Phyrexian Tower by Dimitar
The original Phyrexian Tower wasn't any place particularly special on Phyrexia. It appears in the background of Xantcha, Sleeper Agent, and in both cases appears with a red and black 'sky' in the background (I use 'sky' because it was in one of the nested spheres of Phyrexia). This new Phyrexian Tower appears to change the setting to Urborg, which is interesting. Another Legendary Land with a sufficiently vague name has had its flavor (and plane) changed like this, Kor Haven. For that card, it moved from Rath to Zendikar, both places where a legendary place called Kor Haven could exist. In this case, given that Phyrexia was pretty much destroyed and wasn't well known for its trees, I have to assume it's a similar situation.
So what is this new Phyrexian Tower? There's a fun answer and a boring answer. The boring answer is that this is simply a tower of Phyrexian design built during the Invasion. The fun answer is way more exciting. Remember WAAAAY back to the Key Art of Dominaria (the full version, not the edited version)? Take a look.
Back then, I noticed that it appeared like the Predator, the Phyrexian flagship and rival to the Weatherlight was a wrecked in the background. Well, take a look at the prow section, sticking straight up into the air. What if this Phyrexian Tower is, in fact, the crashed prow of the Predator? Centuries after the Invasion, there's almost no one left who could say what it originally way, they would just know it is Phyrexian in origin. In any case, I hope that's what the flavor of this one is.
Reanimate
Reanimate by Johann Bodin
Wizards of the Coast knows what you're really casting with these spells. The Titan cycle from Magic 2011 have been a fun art reference for years, with previous versions of Animate Dead and Terminate both targeting a Sun Titan. This version of Reanimate is pretty clearly telling you what to bring back: Grave Titan. I love how often the titans appear in reprint art for sets like this!
Sigil of the New Dawn
Sigil of the New Dawn by Volkan Baga
I can't lie, one of my absolute favorite things for a reprint is to take an older concept and reflavor it to something new that's just perfect. In this case, the original Sigil was a random card set on Otaria. There wasn't much significance to it. The new card, however, reflavors the setting to Bant, where Sigils play a major part in society and social status. In fact, with this card two-thirds of all cards with 'Sigil' in the name are now set in Bant! You can even see Seaside Citadel in the background.
Through the Breach
Through the Breach by Randy Vargas
So here is a really interesting card, especially for learning about how gameplay affects flavor. Check out this tweet from Kelly Digges, who wrote some of the art descriptions for Ultimate Masters.
I wrote the art description for this gorgeous @VargasNi piece after I the play designers what usually comes Through the Breach. It's based on a great concept piece for EMN, I think by @jacobsontyler, that never made it onto a card. (Deleted old tweet to correct credit.) https://t.co/KUzQAfBEyG
— Kelly Digges (@kellydigges) November 3, 2018
This scene, in particular, is a story moment from Emrakul Rises, when, following the death of Avacyn, Emrakul is finally able to manifest on Innistrad. Between the name, the creature most commonly cast with it (Emrakul), and the fact that it's a story moment, this card is a true flavor gem. The effect would just not have been as good if all three of those elements hadn't lined up.
And, oh, does it look familiar to you? That's because it's an interpretation of Tyler Jacobson's concept art of the same moment.
Concept Art by Tyler Jacobson
Randy Vargas added more prominent cryptoliths and Nahiri to the foreground, boosting the 'EMRAKUL, ARISE' feel of the piece. Definitely my top flavor gem of the set!
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
I have to admit, I'm not as big a fan of the flavor change of this one, but since the image from the original, Volrath's Stronghold overlaid onto a Urborg volcano, has now become the subject of Cabal Stronghold, I absolutely understand. Who would build this monument, though? I do love the Mask of Yawgmoth on the tomb and the black ichor (or glistening oil?) spreading from the monument.
The Best of the Rest
Ulamog's Crusher gives us some great flavor text that hints at what's going on with Zendikar. Apparently the Zendikari are confident enough against the remaining Eldrazi broodlings that they're a little cocky. Mistveil Plains moves the setting from Lorwyn to a different plane, one with angels. We see an abandoned angel statue in the distance. Kodama's Reach makes that long, skinny hand from the original art huge and intimidating. Reckless Charge flavors the card with what appears to be an Ixalan Orc. Offalsnout is somehow even more horrific now.
Defy Gravity's new flavor text is pure joy. Lava Spike is a fantastic, groan-worthy pun. Seismic Assault is a great look at the new Weatherlight. Squee, Goblin Nabob's new flavor text is so perfect for his character. Slippery Bogle's new art and flavor text is fantastic for such a silly creature.
There are still a lot of great cards I don't have space to include here without going on forever. I really love Ultimate Master's flavor!
