Why Does WotC Not Print New Artifact Lands in Non-Standard Sets?
General forum
Posted on Aug. 3, 2020, 1:02 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
WotC has said that the artifact lands are too powerful to be reprinted in standard, and that they cannot print new artifact lands in standard for the same reason, so why can they not print new artifact lands in non-standard sets? They have reprinted the existing artifacts lands multiple times in non-standard sets, so there really is no good reason to not print new artifact lands in non-standard sets. Think of all the unexplored potential that there is!
What does everyone else say about this? Why does WotC not print new artifact lands in non-standard sets?
EleshNornsFs says... #3
Artifact decks don't struggle in the needing more artifacts department. There is no need to create new ones because there is no real demand for it.
August 3, 2020 1:28 p.m.
I am surprised they re-printed any of them at all. Even for Commander. The abusability of them in certain deck archetypes is very high. And, as mentioned, there is a reason playsets of them show up in certain deck strategies.
August 3, 2020 1:30 p.m.
Last_Laugh says... #5
Artifact Lands made people quit in record setting droves... WotC won't make that mistake again.
August 3, 2020 2:43 p.m.
TriusMalarky says... #6
To drive the point home.... Darksteel Citadel is Ancient Tomb or Mishra's Workshop or sometimes even better(and it's indestructible) when used with Affinity(Frogmite and friends), gives one or more of your creatures +1/+0(Cranial Plating, is a 5/5 indestructible(Ensoul Artifact), can be sacrificed to give any of your artifact creatures a +1/+1 counter(Arcbound Ravager), fixes your mana(Glimmervoid and Spire of Industry), all at once.
That's not counting Krark-Clan Ironworks and Mox Opal which are banned in Modern, and everything in Legacy and Vintage that I don't know about because I don't pay attention.
It would be really awesome if we suddenly had 8 or 12 or, if we unbanned the original colored artifact lands, up to 24 total copies of that. Not that you need that many, but still.
And, with the combination of affinity and improvise, as well as some other specific cards, it is not only that but also Black Lotus. Of course, in that deck every thing is Workshop + Lotus + whatever else it was anyways, so the point is sorta moot.... until you realize that you can have a deck where everything, even your win conditions, are Lotus Workshops and the only reason the deck isn't good is because your 10+ t1 power has no evasion, even if it's partially consistent.
August 3, 2020 2:44 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #7
DeinoStinkus, WotC has explained that, when a being awakens their planeswalker spark, they transcend all previous states of existence, which is why neither Karn nor Tezzeret are artifacts.
August 3, 2020 8:32 p.m.
channelfireball12345 says... #8
Generally speaking, the more artifact lands affinity and similar artifact-centric strategies have at their disposal in a given format, the worse things tend to go for everyone else, and then nobody has fun. Those decks aren’t exactly floundering in their respective formats + current metagames, either...
August 3, 2020 8:34 p.m.
channelfireball12345 says... #9
DemonDragonJ ooh that’s interesting, didn’t know that lol. I figured the reasoning behind that was something along those lines, yet I’ve still always wondered nonetheless.
August 3, 2020 8:36 p.m.
channelfireball12345 says... #10
** yet nevertheless, I’ve still always wondered.
August 3, 2020 8:37 p.m.
jethstriker says... #11
"WotC has explained that, when a being awakens their planeswalker spark, they transcend all previous states of existence, which is why neither Karn nor Tezzeret are artifacts."
That's just them giving a flavor reason. The reason is still gameplay related. Adding artifact type into these Planeswalkers would lead to unintended interactions, especially in eternal formats. Mishra's Workshop, Tinker, and Goblin Welder immediately comes to mind.
August 4, 2020 12:37 a.m.
channelfireball12345 says... #12
jethstriker Good point, I hadn’t even considered that.
TriusMalarky says... #2
Have you ever looked at any artifact central strategy and not seen the playset of Darksteel Citadel? If you have, that deck was doing it wrong.
Citadel is already a god-level land in any strategy that likes artifacts. Anything else would be overkill and put artifact strategies firmly on top of every single format they're legal in.
August 3, 2020 1:25 p.m.