Back in February, Wizards of the Coast shocked the MTG world with a surprise four-set announcement. Within this smorgasbord of information was a brand new MTG set for 2023: Commander Masters. As the name gives away, this set is part of MTG’s Masters series lineup, which are each chockablock with reprints. Again, as you might be able to tell from the name, Commander Masters contains reprints tailored toward Commander players.
Considering, throughout recent years, the Commander format has exploded in popularity, this set is primed to be exceptionally popular. With many Commander cards costing over $50 a piece, such as Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, these reprints are certainly needed too! Subsequently, Commander Masters may well be the best and most successful set of 2023. So long as the product’s pricing doesn’t get in the way of its success, that is.
Potential pricing issues aside, Commander Masters has plenty for MTG players to be excited about. Now that the set’s spoiler season has officially begun, there’s certainly no shortage of that going around! With numerous high-value Commander staples and niche favorites filling packs Commander Masters is shaping up nicely. So, without any further ado, let’s dive right into the spoilers and everything you need to know about Commander Masters.
Commander Masters Release Dates
With the spoilers from the set flooding social media, it should come as no surprise that we know a good deal about Commander Masters dates. In fact, unless Wizards is going for a sneaky double release, we know all the dates already! So, to cut right to the chase, here are all the dates you need to know for Commander Masters!
- Debut and Previews Begin: July 11th
- Commander Deck Previews: July 17th – 20th
- Card Image Galleries Complete: July 21st
- Pre-Prerelease with Loading Ready Run: July 22nd
- WPN Premium Store Preview Events: July 28th – 30th
- Command Zone Podcast’s Extra Turns Gameplay: August 2nd
- Global Tabletop Launch: August 4th
Commander Masters Release Leaks & Spoilers
Since the spoiler season for Commander Masters is well underway, unsurprisingly, there are lots of cards for us to talk about right now. There are so many, in fact, that it’s rather hard to go over all of them in one place! Subsequently, throughout this section, we’ll be highlighting the themes of reprints, rather than extensively listing each card.
To kick things off on the bright side, Commander Masters has many absolutely amazing reprints lurking within its packs. Many of these cards, such as The Ur-Dragon, Jewled Lotus and Kozilek, the Great Distortion are all rather expensive Commander staples. All very much in need of a reprint, these cards are all worth a pretty penny, to say the least!
Alongside these highly prized staples, Commander Masters is also reprinting several niche, but nonetheless expensive cards. Only being printed once before, these cards, such as Archfiend of Despair and Capture of Jingzhou should fall in value once the set releases. While this may not be good news for those cracking packs, it’s definitely a good thing when MTG gets cheaper.
Unfortunately, alongside these needed reprints, Commander Masters also includes a lot of less-than-stellar cards… This is partly thanks to the set’s focus on having an enjoyable Limited environment, and partly due to the implicit constraints of making an MTG set. In any case, there are numerous rare cards in Commander Masters worth less than a dollar, potentially spoiling pack openings…
For better or worse, the spoiler season for Commander Masters isn’t over just yet, as there are plenty more reprints to be revealed throughout this week. The spoiler season for Commander Masters’ reprints will conclude on the 17th of July. After this point, there will be four days of Commander deck previews.
Commander Masters Articles
If you do want to read more about Commander Masters spoilers, we’ve got you covered! Just have a gander at some of our articles about them below.
- Commander Masters Draft is Changing the Rules of MTG
- 25-Year-Old Premier Reprint Cycle Confirmed in Commander Masters
- Heavily Requested Free MTG EDH Cycle May Finally Get a Reprint
- MTG EDH Spoilers Showcase Multiple Expensive Haymakers
- New Commander Masters Spoilers Reveal Multiple $40 Mythics
- Expensive Game-Breaking Card Headlines Additional Commander Spoilers
Commander Masters Art Treatments
As is typical for a Masters set, while it is the focus, Commander Masters isn’t all about bringing the prices of cards down. In fact, in some instances, this set may even increase the price of already in-demand cards! As you might expect if you’ve played an MTG set in the past four years, this is thanks to art treatments.
In Commander Masters, Wizards is treating players to a pair of new, unique art treatments, alongside borderless art cards. As seen on the Grand Abolisher above, this borderless art can be absolutely gorgeous. As with previous sets, this can make these cards rather lucrative for collectors and Commander players alike. For better or worse, however, only 46 cards in Commander Masters are getting unique borderless art.
While the alternate art borderless cards certainly look good, they’re far from the most striking Commander Masters cards. That honor, instead, goes to Borderless Profile cards, which are new to Commander Masters. Available on 24 cards, this art treatment puts legendary creatures front and center by only showing their face. While this is somewhat of an unusual look for an MTG card, it’ll nevertheless let you show off your Commander in style!
Last but not least, the final art treatment available in Commander Masters is the new Frame Break style. As you can see on the Jewled Lotus above, this art treatment literally jumps out of the frame. Pushing elements and the art of the card right to the border, these cards look absolutely spectacular. Subsequently, this art treatment is likely to be the most expensive in Commander Masters.
As if Commander Masters didn’t have enough going for it already, the set also brings back Textured Foils and Etched foil cards!
Commander Masters New Cards
Unsurprisingly, considering it is a set all about Commander, Commander Masters has its very own preconstructed decks. In a unique twist for a Masters set, however, these decks feature ten new cards. So far, only one of these new cards from each deck has been spoiled. Thankfully for interested players, however, these new spoilers are all the face cards of the deck. As we mentioned before, each of these new cards also looks rather powerful, providing a new option for an established archetype.
Eldrazi Unbound
Commander: Zhulodok, Void Gorger Colors: Colorless
For the first time in thirteen years, Wizards of the Coast has created a new Eldrazi titan. The biggest of the big, these cards have been absolutely devastating in the past, and Zhulodok, Void Gorger is no different. For Commander-playing Eldrazi fans, Zhulodok is an absolutely fantastic choice for a commander thanks to their cascade ability. Going off not just once, but twice, this ability allows you to quickly fill the board with, hopefully, sizable threats.
Costing six mana themselves, Zhulodok, Void Gorger is hardly the easiest commander in MTG to get onto the battlefield. Thankfully, however, cards such as Forsaken Monument and Eye of Ugin help to mitigate this problem. Similarly, these cards will help cast the high-cost Eldrazi that are needed to activate Zhulodok’s ability.
Considering both these utility cards are $10 a piece at the moment, hopefully, this deck will also include reprints of them. Whether or not that will happen, however, is unclear for now, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Enduring Enchantments
Commander: Anikthea, Hand of Erebos Colors: White – Black – Green
Typically, enchantment decks in MTG fall into one of two categories, Selesnya or Boros. Anikthea, Hand of Erebos, however, takes things in a different direction by throwing black into the mix. While this is definitely an unorthodox move, Anikthea certainly makes it worth it thanks to their graveyard ability.
Allowing you to reanimate your non-Aura Enchantments as 3/3 Zombie Token copies, when attacking, Anikthea, Hand of Erebos is quite the threat. When combined with Enchantments such as Doubling Season and Anointed Procession things can get really out of hand. As if all that wasn’t enough, Anikthea, Hand of Erebos also gives your Enchantment creatures menace!
Thanks to these abilities, Anikthea, Hand of Erebos seems like an incredibly compelling choice for an Enchantment-themed Commander deck. Whether or not they’re better than the exceptionally useful Sythis, Harvest’s Hand, however, remains to be seen.
Planeswalker Party
Commander: Commodore Guff Colors: White – Blue – Red
In terms of MTGs’ expansive lore, Commodore Guff is one of the most powerful characters in the entire multiverse. Unfortunately for players excited about this all-powerful Planeswalker, however, their card doesn’t quite live up to expectations. In fact, Commodore Guff is kind of just a bit meh really.
Compared to the current choice for a Superfriends Commander deck, Atraxa, Praetor’s Voice Commodore Guff certainly doesn’t cut the mustard. In their defense, their Planeswalker abilities are rather useful, especially for a Jeskai Superfriends deck. Either drawing cards and dealing manage for -3, or creating a Planeswalker-only mana dork for +1, Commodore Guff has plenty of uses. Their passive ability, however, isn’t nearly as potent as Atraxa, Praetor’s Voice, who can buff all your Planeswalkers thanks to their Proliferate ability.
When it comes to their passive ability, however, Commodore Guff just isn’t as good as Atraxa, Praetor’s Voice. Thanks to their Proliferate ability, Atraxa can buff all of your Planeswalkers, not just one, making them an excellent Commander. Ultimately, Commodore Guff likely isn’t going to reinvent Superfriends decks, however, they will make a good addition to the 99.
Sliver Swarm
Commander: Sliver Gravemother Colors: White – Blue – Black – Red – Green
Thanks to their immense levels of synergy, Slivers are one of the most beloved creature types in all of MTG. Subsequently, there’s a lot of hype surrounding the brand-new Sliver commander, Sliver Gravemother. As the name suggests, this Sliver focuses on your graveyard and allows you to reanimate your cherished Slivers. This is achieved via their Encore ability, which brings a card back for just a turn.
To stop Sliver Gravemother from being completely broken, this Encore does come at quite a cost. That being the original mana value of the Sliver you’re trying to reanimate. While this will stop you from reanimating your entire graveyard without oodles of ramp, Sliver Gravemother is nevertheless incredibly powerful. After all, this ability allows you to claw your way back after a board wipe.
While powerful, it’s unclear if Sliver Gravemother has it in them to usurp the current favorite legendary Sliver, The First Sliver. What is for sure, however, is that Sliver Gravemother will be an excellent inclusion within any Sliver Commander deck.
Commander Masters Products
Following the recent Debut Stream for Commander Masters, we’ve now been inundated with details about all the set’s products. On the one hand, this is very useful for players looking to preorder or make an informed purchase. That being said, however, there’s one thing to keep in mind first. Commander Masters is seriously expensive.
Pushing the limits of MTG product pricing, Set Booster Boxes for Commander Masters cost a remarkable $419 on Amazon! Somewhat unsurprisingly, since this is the most expensive Set Booster of all time, MTG players aren’t too happy about this price point. Putting immense pressure on the reprints inside each booster, the Expected Value of Commander Masters is a massive talking point.
Currency, for better or worse, since spoiler season is ongoing, it’s unclear if Set Boosters will be worth the cost. Thankfully, there are other Commander Masters products for players to enjoy, however, they’re not all better. Draft Booster Boxes, for instance, currently retail for around $345. Unfortunately, this may price out many casual players who may otherwise want to enjoy this set.
Mercifully, not every Commander Masters product is so expensive. The individual Commander Decks, for instance, are only around $85 apiece. Since these decks contain new cards, they may well be the ideal product for many players to pick up. Ultimately, however, we’ll leave the decision of what, if anything, to buy, up to you.
To help inform your purchases, however, here’s a quick rundown of all the Commander Masters products that are available.
Draft Boosters
- 11 Commons
- In every sixth booster, one common is replaced with the Prismatic Piper.
- 3 Nonlegendary uncommons
- 2 Legendary uncommons
- 1 Legendary rare or mythic rare
- 1 Nonlegendary rare or mythic rare
- 1 Nonlegendary uncommon (in two thirds of boosters) or nonlegendary rare or mythic rare (in one third of boosters)
Set Boosters
- 1 Basic land
- 1 Borderless common or uncommon
- 4 Commons
- 2 Nonlegendary uncommons
- 1 Legendary uncommon
- 1 Legendary uncommon (in 50% of boosters) or a nonlegendary rare or mythic rare
- 2 Wildcards, including rares, mythic rares, borderless rares, and borderless mythic rares
- 1 Legendary rare or mythic rare
- 1 Nonlegendary rare or mythic rare
- 1 Traditional foil card
- 1 Token/ad card or card from The List
- 1 Art card, with a gold-stamped artist signature in 10% of boosters.
Collector Boosters
- 4 Traditional foil commons
- 2 Traditional foil uncommons
- 1 Traditional foil basic land in the retro frame
- 2 Non-foil borderless commons or uncommons
- 1 Traditional foil borderless common or uncommon
- 1 Traditional foil rare or mythic rare
- 1 Foil-etched rare or mythic rare
- 1 Non-foil (in 80% of boosters) or traditional foil (in 20% of boosters) extended-art rare or mythic rare from Commander Masters Commander decks
- 1 Non-foil borderless rare or mythic rare
- 1 Traditional foil or textured foil (in 4% of boosters) rare or mythic rare
- 1 Traditional foil double-faced token
Commander Decks
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