Arcane was a type of spell that first debuted in Champions of Kamigawa. It was a closed mechanic that was supposed to represent the “Spirit World” Magic which is different than “Magic” Magic and for the first time gave instants and sorceries sub-types. The down fall is that they can’t be reprinted unless Arcane is reprinted, but that was only a block mechanic. While I said that I wish that Arcane was revisited, it looks like Wizards is taking spells that were Arcane only and now making functional reprints without that subtype.
So, just for fun, let’s take a look at all Arcane spells without Splice, and see if they can be, or already are, reprinted. In alphabetical order:
- Aura Barbs – Great block hoser.
- Barrel Down Sokenzan – Good with Stuffy Doll.
- Blazing Shoal – The whole shoal cycle can be but most likely won’t.
- Blind with Anger – Just another variation of the “Temporary Insanity” mechanic.
- Call for Blood – I guess so.
- Charge Across the Araba – Sweep I see as more of a Red mechanic anyway. Maybe Green.
- Choice of Damnations – Don’t see why not.
- Cleanfall – Tempest of Light, but as a sorcery
- Crack the Earth – Maybe not at the cost of R, but sure.
- Cranial Extraction – That’s the rumored (basically confirmed) Scars of Mirrodin Buy-a-Box Promo.
- Crushing Pain – If it’s damage, Red can do it.
- Cut the Earthly Bond – Again, might be good in a block dealing with plenty of enchantments.
- Dance of Shadows – Hooray! Limited fodder!
- Death Denied – Better than Shattered Crypt.
- Death of a Thousand Stings – I guess, but it works better as Arcane (Think “Whenever you cast a spirit or Arcane…”)
- Desperate Ritual – Pyretic Ritual.
- Devouring Greed – Doesn’t work without Spirits.
- Devouring Rage – See above.
- Ethereal Haze – Holy Day
- Eye of Nowhere – Boomerang, but as a Sorcery.
- Feast of Worms – Only in Kamagawa Block.
- First Volley – Kinda like Shower of Sparks.
- Footsteps of the Goryo – Wizards doesn’t print reanimation spells anymore.
- Gaze of Adamaro – Sudden Impact, but 2RR instead of 3R.
- Heed the Mists – Most likely not. But then Wizards will go out and print it anyway. I still say no.
- Ideas Unbound – Blue gets cheap draw AND discard? Yeah right.
- Inner Calm, Outer Strength – Saviors’ “Wisdom” mechanic. No.
- Ire of the Kaminari – Yes, just so people will click the link and read the card to know the odds of it happening.
- Joyous Reprise – Arcane makes it cheaper: Bountiful Harvest.
- Komada’s Reach – Cultivate.
- Lava Spike – I wouldn’t say no.
- Murmurs from Beyond – Fact or Fiction was already there, and I would prefer to see that printed again than Murmurs.
- Otherworldly Journey – Yes, as proved by its inclusion in Divine vs. Demonic Duel Deck. And I would love to see it again.
- Part the Veil – Fills one of those holes that Development keeps talking about. If reprinted, hopefully as an uncommon.
- Path of Anger’s Flame – See Dance of Shadows.
- Peer Though Depths – Itself, a take on Impulse, Blue would love to see it return.
- Petals of Insight – No, because it’s already a combo enabler as it is.
- Plow Through Reito – Now that’s just dirty.
- Pull Under – Yeah, very real possibility.
- Pure Intentions – Didn’t go so well the first time, but would’ve been a great Jund hoser in Shards.
- Quiet Purity – Demystify
- Reach Through Mists – You can do other things AND draw a card for 1 mana. Used for the named combo in the set.
- Rend Flesh – That block’s Terror.
- Rending Vines – I could see that being colorshifted to White. But was also part of that “Wisdom” theme.
- Ribbons of the Reikai – Distant Melody was better.
- Sift Through Sands – The named combo in the set. Without that text, just like Catalog.
- Sink into Takenuma – You might think that something like this might never be printed outside this block. Black was already doing this before: Infernal Harvest (Yeah, it deals damage, but still).
- Sprawling Embers – I would love to see this as a Red/Blue spell, which means it will never happen (Yes, it makes sense in Red, Blue’s going to splash for it anyway, why not make it cost 2UR?),
- Stream of Consciousnesses – With everything exiling cards from the graveyard, this might be a nice twist to return.
- Strength of Cedars – Yeah, completely plausible (why this wasn’t in Zendikar I’ll never know).
- Sunder from Within – Demolish.
- Swallowing Plague – Most likely not since Black’s been getting damage removal based on the number of Swamps you control, which totally fits the mechanic.
- Terashi’s Cry – Maybe? Meh.
- Terashi’s Grasp – In an artifact heavy block, I would highly consider this a possibility. Until then Solemn Offering is a pretty close facsimile.
- Terashi’s Verdict – Puncturing Light is better.
- Three Tragedies – Fugue.
- Toils of Night and Day – I guess so? But why? (NSFW language)
- Unchecked Growth – The spirit part is because of the block.
- Unearthly Blizzard – Panic Attack.
- Unnatural Speed – Because it’s Arcane, means it’s only going to cost R; usually you get something added on for that cost as well.
- Uproot – More expensive Fallow Ground.
- Waking Nightmare – Mind Rot.
That’s a pretty extensive list with cards already reprinted (or even preprinted) that are also not Arcane. Is Wizards taking the easy way out by printing almost the exact same cards? How do you feel about Functional Reprints?
Listen, it gives deck builders more options to put in their decks. It also adds variations to cards; just because they printed a card that said “Target player discards 2 cards” doesn’t mean they’re never going to print another card with those words ever again. While M10 kinda soured that pool of Functional Reprints, I don’t think that people care too much about them being common or uncommon, it’s the Rares that get players up in arms about them.
So don’t be surprised if you open a pack of Scars of Mirrodin and you have a card of something you’ve seen before with something missing.
MTG Color Pie 