Is WotC Making a new Modern Format?: How and Why

Challenges and Articles forum

Posted on Nov. 18, 2015, 12:03 a.m. by Servo_Token

Note: This is not a factual document at the time of writing that I can summon proof, facts, or other citation for - strictly my opinions and why I think that they could be what were looking to for our future as MTG nerds.

If I have heard anything said over and over about competitive Magic over the last two years, it is that it it is just too expensive. This is largely contributed to by two important factors. The first of which is the unforeseen growth of the game through the general acceptance of nerd culture in our society as well as the ever-increasing outreach that the players of today have. Its a fun game and people want to share it with their friends, but WotC wasnt exactly able to plan for how fast this has happened. This is understandable as any growth spurt will come as a surprise as it goes against your projections that cant account for it. Anyway, an ever increasing player base means that more people are trying to get to the same number of cards. The cards in the pool arent plentiful enough to go around for everyone. This is both a good and bad thing, good in the fact that the game is growing which means that it wont be stopping any time soon, bad in the fact that a card that should cost like $5 costs $20 due to demand. We all know as players progress through the game, there is a natural inclination to play with older cards as opposed to newer ones, which leads to playing older formats such as Legacy and Modern. However, this is where we come into our second important factor that makes Magic expensive, the reserve list. This is an ancient document that very few players of today were actually around for that states that WotC will promise to never reprint any card on that list. So far, theyve kept that promise, but at a cost of creating a more expensive and hostile environment for their newer players, the ones that they as a business need to cater to to keep moving forward. In my opinion, the reserve list is an outdated, arbitrary rule that WotC is holding to because they pinky swore to their friend a long time ago, and I am under the impression that even though it still means a lot to them, they are starting to see it as more of a neusance than anything. This is why they have gone ahead and laid the foundations of a new format, a New Modern.

So what makes me think that there will be a new modern? Well, for one thing, the reserve list is extremely inhibitive. It creates a barrier of entry that is too high for new players to something that they want - old formats. So the obvious answer to getting around it is to create an environment where the list doesnt matter. Lets look at some evidence. In the last two years, we have seen a lot of new things come out, the first of which is the M15 border change. Way back in the day, there was another border change, going into 8th edition. This is the same distinguishing mark that is used to tell which card belongs in the current Modern format as opposed to those that dont. So yes, im basically suggesting that they are doing the same thing and the M15 border change was our first indicator of a New Modern. Now lets fast forward to this past year where Khans of Tarkir gave us Fetch lands. This revolutionized the way that a lot of people playing only standard saw mana bases. Fetching is without argument the best thing that you can be doing in a multicolored mana base. But wait! Theres also fetch able dual lands out of Battle for Zendikar. The Jeskai Black format is the greatest example of how powerful fetching a dual land is in any format. People are literally playing Mantis Rider and Tasigur the Golden Fang in the same deck. Cats are playing with Dogs, the worlds gone kooky! But thats a different article. Anyway, in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, or any other format that allows it, Fetching a dual land is the best thing that you can be doing with your mana base, so its obvious that this needs to be a part of any up and coming format. On to clue three! With the recent (like, yesterday) reveal of what could potentially be (and totally are) legit spoilers involving Colorless becoming a new color and getting its own basic land, R&D now has the wiggle room to print colorless cards without the Sword of Hangarback problem, wherein any deck ever can put this colorless card in it and it will be good. I feel that this is another distinguishing feature of the format, and by making this happen, theres another clear line drawn as to where this format starts and others stop. Like, this is the format with Wastes Lands, as opposed to those stupid formats with Wastelands. My fourth and final key in was actually brought about by a company other than WotC, StarCityGames. They recently announced that they intend to drop the legacy format. Now, I dont know if you were aware of this, but SCG was a major work horse in what was keeping the Legacy format alive. Why would a big business such as SCG drop one of their biggest markets? Well I dont know much about business, but I can only assume to clear out their inventory and make room for all the sweet new New Modern stock. This is strictly bad speculation, but just another thing to think about.

But what happens to Legacy, Modern as we know it, and Standard? Well, Standard isnt going anywhere. Modern will probably take the place of Legacy as the Older format that people play when they want to drop a bunch of cash but not buy Moxen, and take the place of all Legacy tournaments now. New Modern will obviously take the place of Modern, and Legacy, well We all know what happened to Extended But on the bright side, Vintage will probably gain at least 7 players, getting them up to maybe even a 5 round FNM! Thats like 23, maybe even 24 players! Good for you vintage!

So realistically speaking, I am completely under the impression that in order to avoid the Reserve list, WotC has decided to make Modern into a Legacy that they can reprint things into, and just make a new modern that will be much cheaper for those that have expressed old format budget concerns. I could actually see this happening every 8-10 years as cards move around, get printed, and the game continues to grow. But hey, thats all just my theory. What do you all think about this as a possibility? Would you play a new modern starting at M15? How would you feel about Legacy not being supported in favor of Modern and Modern 2? Let me know where you think the current formats as we know them are headed, and thanks for taking the time to read the words that I put onto an internet forum. Also, please excuse any and all broken English as it is FAR past my bed time. I just wanted to get all this down before I forgot what I had been thinking about... Anyway,

Thanks guys!

Epochalyptik says... #2

I remain dubious.

First, none of the cards from the current Modern format are even on the Reserved List. The RL only impacts eternal formats; Modern is not an eternal format. So in this sense, Legacy (which has been a dying format for some time now) is in the most precarious position. The idea that Legacy is being or will be phased out in favor of some newer and more accessible format is not, I think, much of a stretch, but I don't find the evidence presented above to be much in the way of proof.

Further, I don't think Wastes will stick around past Oath of the Gatewatch (assuming they're even real). They're tied specifically to the areas ravaged by the Eldrazi and have a specific use, much like Phyrexian mana or snow mana. It's not impossible that WOTC would reintroduce Wastes as the Eldrazi story arc continues, but it doesn't seem like it's going to be part of every block. The Wastes mana symbol also doesn't affect artifacts, which, for the most part, are still entirely colorless and can be cast easily by any deck.

I do applaud the effort you put into this thread, though. It's much more reasoned than the typical "Do you think" threads with nothing more to offer than next-to-baseless speculation.

November 18, 2015 12:19 a.m.

JANKYARD_DOG says... #3

Subbing, because like you it is that time of night we must waste sleeping... If only there were a way around that...

November 18, 2015 12:23 a.m.

Servo_Token says... #4

Epochalyptik

Yes I realized that the reserve list has nothing to do with the current modern format at face value, but what it does do is lock players to that format due to the barrier of entry from modern to legacy. What i'm suggesting here is that this problem is what would be "going away". People want to branch to legacy, but they can't because the cards are too expensive. But there's so many of these types of people that the cards that they play with also become too expensive. If this problem doesn't go away eventually no one will be playing anything past standard and kitchen table commander.

As for the wastes, it could just be that I love the idea of them so much and I don't want to see them go. However, you can't tell me that there are legitimately any plains, mountains, or swamps on Ravnica either, so to me at least the flavor is there that they could stay through the rest of the new sets and just be a thing. Though you could also be right that it could end up like the case of phyrexian mana. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

November 18, 2015 12:38 a.m.

JexInfinite says... #5

I see wastes as another iteration of snow lands. I don't think it'll play any role outside of Oath.

As for the border change, they just wanted to make it look more streamlined, and make all the cards looks more like the planeswalkers do. I don't think it'll be anything like the jump to 8th, since that was the entire card background being changed, rather than a minor streamline, and a foil stamp. The foil stamp, IIRC, was one of the more important reasons for the border change, to try and further prevents fakes.

November 18, 2015 12:47 a.m.

I see this from a few different perspectives. The first being barrier of entry to new players. Why would I want to spend $1,500.00 plus on a competitive Legacy deck? The second being Wizards, whose gain comes from current sales in cards in print. The last coming from the secondary market, in this case Star City Games.

As a long time Magic player, since around Revised, I can assure you that investing in an Eternal format like Legacy is more than worthwhile. Cards don't rotate and, more than likely, increase in value due to supply and demand. It's much harder to convince newer players to this ideal, however. Which leads me to my next point.

Modern is becoming more accessible due to MM1 and MM2, reprints of Modern staples in Standard sets, and so forth. It's obvious that Modern is Wizards' baby, and will continue to be so, thus they cater to it. It is entirely plausible that a new format will emerge, albeit several years from now when there is a greater card pool, however is doubtful in the near future.

Wizards has nothing to do with the secondary market, thus their sales are targeted towards Limited and Casual play, which is obvious by the products they produce. Considering the ban list, Legacy could see a death or rebirth pending support, or lack thereof, by other vendors other than SCG. Star City Games recent lack of support of Legacy is disappointing, however does open the door for other vendors like Channel Fireball, TCG Player, and others to exploit that gap.

If Legacy fails to see that support in other vendors, it could very well go the way of Vintage, which could open up new potential formats for WoTC to provide. Personally, say it ain't so, as Legacy is a beautiful format that still deserves to see the light of day (and cost wise, isn't too far off of Modern...).

Those are my two Lincoln's.

November 18, 2015 1:48 a.m.

kengiczar says... #7

If WotC decides to totally ignore legacy from a card design perspective and a product re-release perspective this will have some very unique effects:

  • Legacy will get more powerful cards and change drastically more often since WotC can make cards keeping only the Modern, New Modern, and Standard in mind. They will also stop banning cards in Legacy Vinage. The current banlists would probably stay in tact.
  • If another company does pick up Legacy, especially with the first point, then it will need to be a "big leagues" format where only the richest embrace it because it has such a large cash payout. This company would also be in charge of additions to the ban-ist, essentially acting as the Dana White of Legacy/Vintage.
  • If WotC moved to this "new modern" and then developed standard from now on with creatures and game winners in mind, eventually some of those will trickle into what is currently Legacy and Vintage and shake it up even more drastically than things like Dig Through Time and Treasure Cruise because all of a sudden you're back to a world where creatures are king!

Check out this Tolarian Academy interview of Eric Froehlich here to hear him talk about how he thinks MTG needs better prize support and how he misses the old days of magic. With the combination of the Legacy/Vintage card pool and WotC not caring if they print card so strong that they make creatures dominate those formats I have a feeling Eric Froelich would be very happy!

Now as far as WotC utilizing the M15 border change as a future start point for "new modern": Yes, 100% agree. I also agree that every 8-10 years WotC will be making a "new modern" in he future. It makes sense for collectors, for people who "miss the boat" on format staples because they weren't arund when those cards were cheap, and allows them the freedom of creativity to evolve the game.

The current modern would be hit pretty hard at first and become what is bassically legacy in terms of people playing but it will take 5 or so years before pros stop playing it if they prefer it to the "new modern" so long as Star City Games or Channel Fireball continue to support it. This is only true of the FIRST Modern rotation though. By the time the second one comes around players will have become savy and come to realize that modern isn't actually an eternal format. This will really force magic into a world where it's just Standard and whatever the current years "new modern" is for WotC to reap all that cash money, with game stores making more money than ever from product sales.

As long as Mark Rosewater is alive I believe we'll have a shot at either a true sixth color (purple for the win) or changing how Card types, Super Types, and Sub Types work if they go to this 8-10 years modern rotation strategy.

November 18, 2015 3:27 a.m.

8vomit says... #8

November 18, 2015 10:07 a.m.

MindAblaze says... #9

Are we discussing the possibility/potential of Legacy becoming unsanctioned? Wouldn't that have a similar outcome to just reprinting stuff off the reserved list? I read on MaRos blog that the likelihood of there ever being a protour for legacy is directly related to the availability of the legacy staples, so wouldn't it just make sense to eliminate the format completely?

Also, this change in card frame does leave potential for making Modern "New Legacy," and making a new Modern. It shows that WotC acknowledges the mistake the reserved list was for the players and as a business decision, and by eliminating the format those cards are relevant in they've effectively corrected the mistake.

November 18, 2015 1:09 p.m.

I am curious why you say "However, you can't tell me that there are legitimately any plains, mountains, or swamps on Ravnica either..." if you look at the basic lands you can see Ravnica does, they are just depicted differently as the plane is a giant city, it can still have islands, plains, swamps, mountains, and forests. They just look unlike anything we are used to seeing.

November 22, 2015 4:23 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #11

Didn't I make an article on this already?

I'll be doing full advertisement on it come SOI. Or maybe even when ORI gets kicked out.

EDIT: I did not however cover the potential removal of legacy as a format as a whole. Just the new modern-like format: Current.

November 23, 2015 4:46 p.m. Edited.

Servo_Token says... #12

Have to admit, I didn't read that article. I remember seeing it on the front page once and was like "man, I don't have time to read things today."

Though now looking at it, I do appreciate you posting as you did when this was in the first paragraph of your one:

It doesn't matter who came up with the idea, it matters that the idea gets spread throughout the world to make this format viable

So yeah. Bump, I guess?

November 23, 2015 11:46 p.m. Edited.

Femme_Fatale says... #13

It was a while ago, so new articles would most likely come up every now and then. Though I suggest others should read it as my article covers different points as it focuses primarily on what the new format, Current, would have for individuals.

November 24, 2015 1:56 p.m.

This discussion has been closed