To finish off February with a bang, Wizards of the Coast recently shocked players with a massive four-set announcement livestream. Within this massive haul of announcements, Wizards revealed a brand new MTG set releasing this year; Commander Masters. As the name suggests, this reprint-filled Masters set will be focused all around iconic and powerful Commander cards. Considering the Commander format has risen through the ranks to become MTG’s most popular format, this set is primed to be incredibly popular. So long as the product’s pricing doesn’t get in the way of its success, that is.
While the set has only recently been announced, there’s nevertheless a surprising amount of details to go over. So, without any further ado, let’s get into everything you need to know about Commander Masters!
Commander Masters Release Dates
Despite having only been announced very recently, Wizards of the Coast has been surprisingly forthcoming with dates for Commander Masters. In a welcome change, rather than only being given one date to look forward to, Wizards has announced three dates! Thanks to this benevolent gesture, we don’t have to needlessly guess about every single date and detail. For the most part, that is. With that waffling out of the way, here are the dates we know, so far, for Commander Masters.
- First Look: May 16th, 2023
- WPN Premium Store Preview Events: July 28th to 30th, 2023
- Tabletop Launch: August 4th, 2023
While getting three dates rather than one is undoubtedly better than usual, Wizards hasn’t told us everything just yet. There’s no word on when the set’s spoiler season will be taking place, for instance. This detail should be announced during the First Look in May, however, that’s not going to stop us from guessing. Following from past precedent with Masters sets, typically, spoiler seasons take place roughly three weeks before the set’s launch. Subsequently, the spoiler season for Commander Masters should take place between the 11th and 18th of July.
Commander Masters Release Leaks & Spoilers
So far, Wizards of the Coast has only revealed a trio of spoilers for Commander Master during its announcement. Despite this obviously being a rather small number, these spoilers tell us a surprisingly large amount about the set. The reveal of the Jewled Lotus reprint, for instance, isn’t just a plain reprint of a Commander favorite. Instead, the card is available in a brand new art treatment which makes cards “feel like they’re coming at you in a variety of ways.” Dubbed “frame break borderless” cards, these new variants are likely to be some of the most beloved and expensive in the set.
Just like the Jewled Lotus, the reprint of The Ur-Dragon is more than just the return of a Commander favorite. Showcasing the brand new “profile borderless treatment” this new art variant will allow players to get up close and personal with some of their favorite Commanders. Currently, there’s no telling just how many of MTG’s fan-favorite Commanders will get this new art treatment. Following past precedent, however, it is possible that around 80 legendary creatures will get this profile borderless treatment. That’s the number of borderless cards that Double Masters 2022 had, at least.
Last but not least, Wizards also showed off the immensely expensive Capture of Jingzhou. Currently costing around $215 on TCGplayer, this card will undoubtedly be one of the chase draws within the entire set. For better or worse, there’s no fancy art for this card, however, it does come in a variety of foil treatments. Within the set, players can find traditional foils, textured foils, as well as foil-etched cards.
Commander Masters New Cards
Unlike traditional Masters sets, which don’t include any new cards at all, outside of the occasional revolutionary land, Commander Masters is breaking the mold. Within the set’s vast array of products, players will be able to get their hands on 40 new cards. These new cards can be found in the set’s four Commander decks, to make them that much better. For now, Wizards hasn’t revealed any of the new cards they have created for Commander Masters. That being said, however, they have announced the themes of the decks, giving us a sneak peek at what’s in store. Here are the names of the X Commander Masters Commander decks.
- Eldrazi Unbound (Colorless)
- Enduring Enchantments (White-Black-Green)
- Planeswalker Party (White-Blue-Red)
- Sliver Swarm (White-Blue-Black-Red-Green)
Commander Masters Products
Alongside announcing a few spoilers to look get hyped about, Wizards also unveiled the product lineup for Commander Masters during the set’s reveal. As you might expect, Commander Masters features the usual smorgasbord of products that includes Set Boosters, Draft Boosters, Collector Boosters, and Commander decks. So far, we don’t know the exact breakdown of cards within each of these Boosters, however, they’re already causing controversy. This is thanks to their rather immense price tag, which reportedly leaves little room for Local Game Stores to make a profit. With Set Booster Boxes being priced at $419 by online retailers, it’s safe to say that MTG players aren’t too happy about the exorbitant prices either.
Draft Boosters
Set Boosters
Collector Boosters
Commander Decks
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