Modern Masters 2015

Modern Masters 2015, officially styled as Modern Masters (2015 Edition), is the second set in the Modern Masters series. It is a booster-based compilation set containing cards legal in, and intended for, the Modern format. It was released on May 22, 2015.

Set details
Draft Like a Master Modern Masters 2015 is a 249 card set consisting of reprints of cards originally printed between Eighth Edition and New Phyrexia. Modern Masters 2015 is exclusively booster-based, thus no satellite products such as preconstructed theme decks are branded with the set. Each booster contains 15 playable cards: 10 commons, 3 uncommons, one rare or mythic rare, and one foil card of any rarity replacing the basic land which would normally be found in a booster as Modern Masters 2015 does not contain a run of basic lands. Due to the higher expected average value of the cards contained in a booster and the lower print run, the MSRP of one booster of Modern Masters was set to $9.99 ($3 higher than the first Modern Masters set). Due to the higher MSRP booster displays only contain 24 packs, which is also the number required for a regular draft (three boosters for each of eight players), as the set was designed specifically for draft. As an experiment, the packaging for English language boosters was made of recyclable paperboard. This gave cause for concern about the possibility of resealing the packages with other content and also about printing and collation issues. The packaging material features the word Magic, without : The Gathering, a first in Magic history. The 16-card boosters (the sixteenth card is a marketing card) feature artwork from Noble Hierarch, Karn Liberated and Vendilion Clique. A number of cards changed rarity from their original printing to create a better drafting environment or because mythic rare wasn't introduced until the Alara block. Some cards receive new artwork.

The set was printed in English, Japanese and Chinese Simplified.

Magic Online
Modern Masters 2015 released on Magic Online on May 29, 2015. It was not available for redemption.

Themes and mechanics
Some mechanics were dictated by cards that were wanted for constructed reasons. Other mechanics were chosen because they were synergistic with those mechanics and each other. As the two new blocks entering were Zendikar and Scars of Mirrodin blocks, R&D leaned slightly on choosing themes from those two blocks. During the coverage of GP Utrecht (Modern Masters Weekend) the following limited archetypes were presented on one of the official Twitch channels:


 * : Metalcraft/Affinity (Ethercaste Knight, Glassdust Hulk)
 * : Proliferate (Tezzeret's Gambit, Spread the Sickness)
 * : Bloodthirst aggro (Ashenmoor Gouger)
 * : Domain ramp (Rampant Growth</c>)
 * : Convoke tokens (Selesnya Guildmage</c>, Sigil Blessing</c>)
 * : Spiritcraft/Soulshift) (Restless Apparition</c>)
 * : Elementals (Shrewd Hatchling</c>)
 * : Sacrifice/tokens (Drooling Groodion</c>, Necrogenesis</c>)
 * : Double strike/Equipment (Boros Swiftblade</c>, Hearthfire Hobgoblin</c>)
 * : Graft (Plaxcaster Frogling</c>)

Common to Uncommon

 * Devouring Greed</c>
 * Spread the Sickness</c>
 * Lightning Bolt</c>
 * Mutagenic Growth</c>
 * Agony Warp</c>
 * Ethercaste Knight</c>
 * <c>Glassdust Hulk</c>
 * <c>Pillory of the Sleepless</c>
 * <c>Sigil Blessing</c>
 * <c>Wrecking Ball</c>
 * <c>Cranial Plating</c>
 * <c>Expedition Map</c>
 * Ravnica block bounce lands
 * <c>Azorius Chancery</c>
 * <c>Boros Garrison</c>
 * <c>Dimir Aqueduct</c>
 * <c>Golgari Rot Farm</c>
 * <c>Gruul Turf</c>
 * <c>Izzet Boilerworks</c>
 * <c>Orzhov Basilica</c>
 * <c>Rakdos Carnarium</c>
 * <c>Selesnya Sanctuary</c>
 * <c>Simic Growth Chamber</c>

Uncommon to Common

 * <c>Conclave Phalanx</c>
 * <c>Skyhunter Skirmisher</c>
 * <c>Telling Time</c>
 * <c>Tribal Flames</c>
 * <c>Thrummingbird</c>
 * <c>Vigean Graftmage</c>
 * <c>Ghostly Changeling</c>
 * <c>Plagued Rusalka</c>
 * <c>Thief of Hope</c>
 * <c>Dragonsoul Knight</c>
 * <c>Gut Shot</c>
 * <c>Inner-Flame Igniter</c>
 * <c>Viashino Slaughtermaster</c>
 * <c>Alloy Myr</c>
 * <c>Cathodion</c>
 * <c>Runed Servitor</c>
 * <c>Rusted Relic</c>
 * <c>Sickleslicer</c>
 * <c>Sphere of the Suns</c>

Rare to Common

 * <c>Scion of the Wild</c>

Rare to Uncommon

 * <c>Hikari, Twilight Guardian</c>
 * <c>Novijen Sages</c>
 * <c>Incandescent Soulstoke</c>
 * <c>Skarrgan Firebird</c>
 * <c>Worldheart Phoenix</c>
 * <c>Cytoplast Root-Kin</c>
 * <c>Eldrazi Temple</c>

Rare to Mythic

 * <c>Bitterblossom</c>

Mythic to Rare

 * <c>All is Dust</c>
 * <c>Indomitable Archangel</c>
 * <c>Apocalypse Hydra</c>
 * <c>Etched Monstrosity</c>
 * <c>Eye of Ugin</c>

Cycles
There are two cycles in Modern Masters 2015, one of which is a double cycle:

Token cards
The set comes with 16 tokens.
 * 1) 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." for <c>Nest Invader</c>, <c>Dread Drone</c>, <c>Kozilek's Predator</c> (Ulamog spawn)
 * 2) 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." (Emrakul spawn)
 * 3) 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." (Kozilek spawn)
 * 4) 1/1 Soldier creature for <c>Raise the Alarm</c>
 * 5) 1/1 Spirit creature with flying for <c>Spectral Procession</c>
 * 6) 1/1 Faerie Rogue creature with flying for <c>Bitterblossom</c> (new art)
 * 7) 0/0 Germ creature for <c>Flayer Husk</c>, <c>Mortarpod</c>, <c>Sickleslicer</c>
 * 8) 1/1 Thrull creature for <c>Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder</c> (Magic Online art)
 * 9) 3/3 Elephant creature for <c>Bestial Menace</c>
 * 10) 1/1 Insect creature for  <c>Ant Queen</c>
 * 11) 1/1 Saproling creature for <c>Necrogenesis</c>, <c>Scatter the Seeds</c>, <c>Selesnya Guildmage</c>, <c>Tukatongue Thallid</c>
 * 12) 1/1 Snake creature for <c>Bestial Menace</c>
 * 13) 2/2 Wolf creature for <c>Bestial Menace</c>, <c>Wolfbriar Elemental</c>
 * 14) 1/1 Worm creature for <c>Creakwood Liege</c>
 * 15) 3/3 Golem artifact creature for <c>Precursor Golem</c>
 * 16) 1/1 Myr artifact creature for <c>Myrsmith</c>

Notable cards

 * <c>Tarmogoyf</c>, the most expensive card in the Modern format. Like in the first Modern Masters, it is printed as a mythic rare.
 * <c>Splinter Twin</c>, a critical part of an infinite combo deck, was eventually banned in modern for reducing competitive diversity.
 * <c>Eye of Ugin</c>, was eventually banned in modern for its role in causing the "Eldrazi Winter".
 * Cards with new art:
 * <c>Daybreak Coronet</c>
 * <c>Vendilion Clique</c>
 * <c>Shadowmage Infiltrator</c>
 * <c>Pillory of the Sleepless</c>
 * <c>Etched Champion</c>