As the climactic chapter in the Phyrexian Arc, March of the Machine is a true celebration of the multiverse. Bringing all of Magic’s planes together, whether big or small, Magic’s heroes are going all out in the fight against the Phyrexians. Thankfully, for non-Vorthos players, March of the Machine is compelling for more than just its themes and incredible lore. As, in celebrating the Multiversal themes of the set, Wizards of the Coast is printing all manner of reprints! Predominantly found within the Multiverse Legends booster sheet, this celebratory promotion features gorgeous reprints galore! Alongside this, The List is also being overhauled for March of the Machine, although perhaps not to players liking. In a break from the established order, March of the Machine takes The List differently.
Flavor First
Typically, within any MTG set, The List has been a source of compelling reprints and decent value. Appearing within roughly 25% of Set Boosters, The List is hardly a sure thing. However, it’s nevertheless an enjoyable bonus. Alongside providing occasional value, The List also expands upon a set’s themes, mechanics, and characters through classic reprints. For March of the Machine, this is no different, with Wizards playing into the set’s Multiversal themes. As you might expect, this means many classic and long-dormant planes are being reprised, just like the main set. Even cards from 1998’s Portal Second Age are being reprinted to show the scale of this multiversal war!
With classic cards from all manner of planes being reprinted, unsurprisingly, The List for March of the Machine is incredibly flavorful. Unfortunately, however, that’s just about all the latest version of The List has going for it. From a flavor perspective, it’s incredibly fitting that
Heliod, God of the Sun
Heliod, God of the Sun
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to white is less than five, Heliod isn't a creature. (Each {W} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to white.)
Other creatures you control have vigilance.
{2}{W}{W}: Create a 2/1 white Cleric enchantment creature token.
, is being reprinted in The List. After all,
Heliod, the Radiant Dawn
Heliod, the Radiant Dawn
When Heliod enters, return target enchantment card that isn't a God from your graveyard to your hand.
{3}{U/P}: Transform Heliod. Activate only as a sorcery. ({U/P} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.)
is an impactful part of the story and a powerful card within the main set. When it comes to value, however, Heliod, God of the Sun, is hardly what you want to be pulling from the list. As, according to current TCGplayer prices, you can pick up a copy of Heliod, God of the Sun, for just $2.99.
Alongside reprinting the classic versions of now compleated characters, The List also reprints plenty of missing characters. These include
Avenger of Zendikar
Avenger of Zendikar
When this creature enters, create a 0/1 green Plant creature token for each land you control.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may put a +1/+1 counter on each Plant creature you control.
and
Soul of Shandalar
Soul of Shandalar
First strike
{3}{R}{R}: This creature deals 3 damage to target player or planeswalker and 3 damage to up to one target creature that player or that planeswalker's controller controls.
{3}{R}{R}, Exile this card from your graveyard: It deals 3 damage to target player or planeswalker and 3 damage to up to one target creature that player or that planeswalker's controller controls.
. As defenders of their respective planes, it’s obviously sensible that these cards are getting reprinted. Their values of $3.25 and $0.27, however, aren’t exactly ideal.
Substantial Losses
As you might have already gathered from the prices above, with flavor being the focus of March of the Machine, The List’s value has taken a hit. After all, with only 300 cards making up The List, cuts had to be made somewhere. Sadly, when deciding what to cut, Wizards removed several powerful and pricy creatures that are evidently lacking flavor. While they’re not exactly gone, thanks to Multiverse Legends, this even remarkably included the existing pair of Phyrexian Praetors. Priced at $10 and $15 respectively,
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Flash
At the beginning of your end step, draw seven cards.
Each opponent's maximum hand size is reduced by seven.
and
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Swampwalk (This creature can't be blocked as long as defending player controls a Swamp.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
departing The List is undoubtedly a disappointment for value hunters.
Unfortunately for value fans, these two powerful Praetors aren’t the only fairly expensive cards to be cut. As joining them on the cutting room floor are cards such as
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Haste
{T}: Create a token that's a copy of target nonlegendary creature you control, except it has haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
,
Karn Liberated
Karn Liberated
+4: Target player exiles a card from their hand.
−3: Exile target permanent.
−14: Restart the game, leaving in exile all non-Aura permanent cards exiled with Karn. Then put those cards onto the battlefield under your control.
, and
Old Gnawbone
Old Gnawbone
Flying
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, create that many Treasure tokens.
. On average, these cards have been worth around $10.50, $12.50, and $20, respectively, making them obviously quite lucrative. Thanks to its price, Old Gnawbone was even one of the most expensive cards on The List previously!
Thankfully, while most of March of the Machine’s list is devoted to flavor, there are some value bombs.
Eidolon of the Great Revel
Eidolon of the Great Revel
Whenever a player casts a spell with mana value 3 or less, this creature deals 2 damage to that player.
, for instance, is a new $10 addition that’s not to be scoffed at. Alongside this, March of the Machine also introduces one of the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoth Triomes to The List. While it’s hardly the whole set, finding a $17
Ketria Triome
Ketria Triome
({T}: Add {G}, {U}, or {R}.)
This land enters tapped.
Cycling {3} ({3}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
in a Set Booster is certainly hard to complain about. Last but not least, the surprisingly stable $19
Phyrexian Crusader
Phyrexian Crusader
First strike, protection from red and from white
Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)
is also being integrated into The List.
Continuously Compelling Value
Thankfully for value fanatics, unlike The List for Unfinity, March of the Machine isn’t overhauling everything. Out of the 300 cards that make up the list, March of the Machine is only changing 75 of them. This means that while there’s plenty of thematic flavor to enjoy, there’s a decent amount of value too. High-price cards such as
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Feast and Famine
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from black and from green.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card and you untap all lands you control.
Equip {2}
and
Mycosynth Lattice
Mycosynth Lattice
All permanents are artifacts in addition to their other types.
All cards that aren't on the battlefield, spells, and permanents are colorless.
Players may spend mana as though it were mana of any color.
, for instance, are both sticking around. Subsequently, the loss of six $10+ cards is hardly the end of the world for The List enthusiasts.
Thankfully, March of the Machine also has that in droves for those after even more value. Through the Multiverse Legends bonus sheet, MTG players should have no trouble finding iconic and expensive legendary creatures. Available within Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters, not only are these reprints valuable, but thanks to new art and card frames, they’re absolutely gorgeous. As if that wasn’t enough, exclusively to Collector Booster, each Multiverse Legends card is also getting 500 serialized variants. Should the prices from The Brothers’ War indicate anything, these prized collectible cards could be worth upwards of $2000!
Read More: MTG Multiverse’s Tiniest Plane To Appear in March of the Machine