We’re right in the thick of Spider-Man spoiler season, and this is undoubtedly one of the most flavorful sets we’ve ever seen. Wizards of the Coast even went as far as to make a popular meme come to life with the inclusion of Imposter Syndrome.
The bonus sheet takes things a step further, showcasing a multitude of reimagined reprints that perfectly represent our arachnid hero and his encounters. This even includes a pricy EDH Game-Changer that’s finally getting reprinted.
Opposition Agent
Kicking things off, we have the most expensive Spider-Man bonus sheet reprint revealed thus far in Opposition Agent. Opposition Agent is a nuisance to play against. Many decks, especially in Commander settings, rely on tutoring.
Opposition Agent affects more cards than you might think. Beyond being an excellent card to Flash into play in response to Demonic Tutor, it also messes with Fetchlands and ramp spells like Cultivate. All the while you’re getting rewarded, since you can play cards that you search for on your opponent’s behalf!
Opposition Agent is a staple of cEDH and also sees some fringe Legacy and Vintage play in various Dark Ritual shells. Having only been printed in Commander Legends up to this point, this creature maintains a $23 price tag in its cheapest form, according to TCGplayer market price. Opposition Agent is a welcome reprint.
Savage Beating
Next up, we have Savage Beating. Savage Beating is far from a Constructed all-star and is mostly reserved for casual Commander play. However, as the name implies, the potent instant does have the ability to make combat a complete mess for your opponents. Giving Double Strike to your squad is no joke, especially when you get to untap all of your attackers and attack all over again. This may be enough to end games on the spot, depending on how big your board is.
Where Savage Beating shines brightest is in Commander decks where your Commander has a strong trigger upon attacking or dealing combat damage. For instance, Savage Beating is a great addition to a Velomachus Lorehold deck. Getting extra attacks lets you cast extra spells, all while threatening lots of damage. Savage Beating also pairs nicely with The Infamous Cruelclaw. Each time the Weasel connects (thanks to Double Strike, you may get a lot of triggers), you’ll get a big benefit.
Savage Beating was printed in Darksteel and reprinted in Commander Masters. Its price tag sits at $8.
Mindbreak Trap
Mindbreak Trap is an interesting card that, for a while, was worth a huge sum of money. However, its appearance in the Breaking News bonus sheet caused its price to plummet.
Still, Mindbreak Trap is an excellent sideboard option against Storm decks in Eternal formats, even if those strategies aren’t as popular as they used to be. The card also sees cEDH play, as free sources of counter magic are always welcome. Players can pick up Breaking News copies of Mindbreak Trap for just under $8.
Winds of Change
Winds of Change is another old card that received a reprint recently, this time in Mystery Booster 2. While it isn’t a full-on Wheel of Fortune since you can’t use it to completely refuel your hand, its efficiency does make it intriguing for Commander decks that care about players drawing cards.
Nekusar, the Mindrazer shells are a premium home for Winds of Change, forcing your opponents to draw cards, then punishing them for it. On the flip side, The Locust God decks want Winds of Change as a way to generate a bunch of extra tokens on the cheap. There are enough EDH strategies utilizing this effect to warrant its near $7 value.
Tangle
Our next couple cards share a flavorful theme. They all flavorfully show off Spider-Man’s web-slinging abilities. What better way to do this than with a reprint of Tangle, an old-school Fog variant from Invasion?
Keeping your opponent’s creatures tapped down in addition to preventing combat damage can buy you a lot of time, and make your opponent think twice about attacking all out again. Turbo Fog decks in Pauper make great use of this card for that reason.
Interestingly, Tangle’s only tournament-legal reprint came as part of The List. This will be the first time Tangle receives alternate art. The card’s lack of printings likely contributes to its $5 price tag.
Silkguard
Silkguard has similar flavor to Tangle in a Spider-Man set, but it actually has a completely different effect on the game. Rather than locking up opposing creatures, you’re protecting your own.
Chishiro, the Shattered Blade EDH decks want this card. Silkguard acts as both as a way to save your auras and equipment, and Modify any of your creatures to turn on Chishiro synergies . Even just as a way to spread +1/+1 counters around your creatures and enable Inspiring Call, Silkguard pulls its weight.
Silkguard has never been reprinted outside of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Commander, so once again, this is the first time it’s receiving new artwork. It currently sits at roughly $3.
Clever Impersonator
Our last card we wanted to highlight is Clever Impersonator. Clever Impersonator used to play an important role in Gyruda, Doom of Depths combo in Pioneer. With a high density of even-cost Clones, including Spark Double, as long as you didn’t whiff, you could keep selecting Clones with Gyruda’s triggered ability, copying Gyruda, and eventually win the game by either Milling your opponent out or presenting an insurmountable board presence.
Gyruda combo took a huge hit from the Companion rules change that makes you pay three mana to put it into your hand, though, and hasn’t made much of an impact since. Clever Impersonator is now mostly relegated to Commander play. Getting to copy any nonland permanent is strong in that setting, so it can go in a variety of decks. Clever Impersonator rests between $2 and $3.
So far, outside of a few gems, most of the bonus sheet cards aren’t all that pricy. Hopefully more elite reprints get revealed in the coming days.
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