Avatar: The Last Airbender spoiler season is now in full swing, and this set looks like an absolute blast. All of the show’s iconic characters get their time in the spotlight, and their abilities are perfectly interwoven into the Magic universe.
Beyond just the new cards featured in the main set, we’re also getting a full-blown bonus sheet showcasing 61 reprints. Each card represents one episode from the original Avatar series, making it a fun quest to collect them all. Five of these exciting cards have just been revealed, including a pricy old tutor debuting all the way back in Portal.
Cruel Tutor
Cruel Tutor is quite an unusual card. While many of Magic’s old-school library searching effects are quite powerful, this is one of the worst of the bunch. Paying three mana for a card that functions identically to Imperial Seal just isn’t worth it in any competitive setting.
Yet, the card is still quite expensive. Outside of its appearance on The List, it has seen no reprints since its original printing 28 years ago. This is the first time the card will be available with alternate art, and it has also never appeared in foil up to this point. This could add some extra appeal to collectors or Commander players looking to add some flare to their semi-casual decks.
As things currently stand, Cruel Tutor is worth a whopping $34 in its cheapest form according to TCGplayer. In theory, this new variant could be much more affordable. With bonus sheet cards appearing in less than 4% of Avatar play boosters, however, it’s possible low supply will prevent the card from plummeting in price as much as it would have if it showed up in previous bonus sheets with higher odds.
Mystic Remora
When cEDH players think of efficient value engines that can take over games, Mystic Remora is bound to be high on that list. While Rhystic Study is more feared in traditional Commander due to its versatility and lack of downsides, the fact that this card can be played turn one and punish every opponent for playing any source of fast mana or tutor makes it a competitive powerhouse.
Following its printing in Ice Age, the potent enchantment was featured in Dominaria Remastered and received multiple Secret Lair treatments. Nonetheless, its $9 price tag makes it a welcome reprint. It’s hard to not appreciate the simple yet seemingly ominous artwork, too.
Heroic Intervention
Heroic Intervention is no stranger to bonus sheet printings, having just gotten reprinted alongside the release of MTG Spider Man. It’s also shown up in a variety of Universes Beyond crossovers, including Doctor Who and Fallout. Even still, its Commander demand has kept its price tag up for years.
Nearly every green creature-focused EDH deck wants this card as board wipe protection. On top of that, there’s no better way for Enchantress shells to avoid the negative effects of an opposing Bane of Progress. This doesn’t even take into account the card’s effectiveness when being used proactively alongside your own board wipe or Armageddon to break a game wide open.
Showcasing Prince Zuko in the late stages of his character transformation in the artwork of Heroic Intervention is an incredibly flavorful decision. An iconic character deserves a fitting reprint, and this staple still holds a reprint value of roughly $10.
Eladamri’s Call
While this card is sometimes overshadowed in Constructed by the likes of Green Sun’s Zenith or Chord of Calling, Eladamri’s Call is one of the strongest creature tutor options available in Commander. The card is at its best when finding missing combo pieces in Derevi, Empyrial Tactician shells, but its overall flexibility makes it a great inclusion in nearly any creature-focused deck that can play it.
Eldamari’s Call first came to Magic with the release of Planeshift before getting reprinted in Masters 25 and Modern Horizons. It also showed up in the Ghostbusters Secret Lair, making this the second time this card has been reskinned. Eladamri’s Call’s consistent EDH demand has helped the card maintain a market value of over $9.
Dark Depths
By itself, Dark Depths is a very mediocre land, since it doesn’t tap for mana and requires a huge investment of mana to get your 20/20. Once you pair it with cards like Vampire Hexmage that are capable of removing all 10 ice counters on a whim, though, the land becomes an incredible threat. Even in an environment like Legacy where Wasteland runs rampant, Dark Depths remains a dominant win condition in conjunction with Thespian’s Stage.
Nonetheless, its lack of EDH dominance combined with the fact that it’s banned in Modern has kept Dark Depths’s demand on the low side. The card has been reprinted in multiple Masters sets and appeared in the Modern Horizons 3 Tricky Terrain precon, resulting in the card’s price falling to just above $1.
There are bound to be some duds on the bonus sheet, but so far, the reprints are mostly strong choices. It’s always nice to see old cards that don’t fall on the Reserved List get some love. Make sure to be on the lookout as more bonus sheet cards get revealed in the coming weeks.
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