Outlaws of Thunder Junction releases on April 19, and with it come a whole host of splashy reprints sure to put the yee in your haw. OTJ has three bonus sheets filled with spicy cards, and two of them – Breaking News, and Special Guests – contain smashing reprints.
The other, Big Score, contains cards originally destined for an Aftermath style epilogue set, and we’ll have an article out on those when they’re previewed. For now, let’s roundup the Outlaws reprints and see the best of what’s on offer.
OUTLAWS OF THUNDER JUNCTION BREAKING NEWS
Breaking News cards are all reprints that fit the criteria for committing a Crime, one of the new mechanics in OTJ. The reminder text for committing a Crime is:
(Targeting opponents, anything they control, and/or cards in their graveyards is a crime.)
Breaking News cards are also all set like newspaper headlines, and they have some choice flavor text that echo what that headline would be. “Bear Dismayed to Discover Food Chain Keeps Going” might be my favorite.
They also come in a textured foil treatment, which looks pretty dang cool.
One of the spiciest reprints here is Mana Drain. Mana Drain sees a lot of play in Commander, and in many ways, it’s one of blue’s only solidly cheap ritual effects. The borderless version in textured foil looks *chef’s kiss*.
Thoughtseize is currently seeing play in Pioneer and Modern, and getting this staple into the hands of players is always a good thing. Might have one of the best arts of the set, too!
Speaking of cards that see a lot of play, Leyline Binding sees play all over the spectrum of formats, and as a rare from a two-year old set, enjoys a reprint here for sure.
Mindbreak Trap is a little more niche, but in that niche? It’s a staple. That niche is cEDH, and it’s a card sorely in need of a reprint. I don’t know about you, but I’m Hootin’ about this reprint.
Grindstone most often sees play in Commander, but also some Legacy play too in Painter decks. It’s a solid one to reprint; keeping the price below $30-40 can only be a good thing.
Unlicensed Hearse still sees sideboard play across the formats, and for good reason: it’s cheap and efficient, and also gives you a bit of reach should the board open up. Keeping copies cheap and available is great, as it sees play across many decks.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Oko is banned in virtually every format. Still, that doesn’t stop Commander players wanting to jam a copy, and with Commander being the largest format, this is a welcome reprint to the many cruel, cruel opponents that just have to elk your Commander.
Dust Bowl is also a pretty nice reprint, especially for lands decks. While Crucible of Worlds x Strip Mine isn’t the friendliest of “combos” – nor the most efficient – Dust Bowl does have a place in lands decks that can generate a lot of mana and do weird stuff with untapping lands. It’s also just a nice repeatable effect for tables that run a lot of Maze of Ith and other effects.
Getting premium removal into as many hands as possible is great for helping players on a budget have good interaction at Commander tables. Anguished Unmaking is one of the stronger options Orzhov has available, and Abrupt Decay is seeing something of a renaissance as curves drop and Ward becomes more prevalent.
Though not commanding nearly the same price tag as the previous removal spells, Bedevil and Path to Exile are always good reprints to see too.
Rounding things out for Breaking News is Crackle with Power. While the other offerings are a little less exciting, Crackle is a staple finisher for burn decks and big mana decks. It was starting to creep up in price so this is a really nice reprint.
OUTLAWS OF THUNDER JUNCTION SPECIAL GUESTS
Special Guests have replaced The List now, and aim to keep the available pulls in that slot to a smaller number, which means more chances at those big-ticket reprints. The List slot for OTJ contains both Big Score cards and Special Guests. And let me tell you: OTJ has some cracking Special Guests.
Stoneforge Mystic is like a fine wine: it just gets better with age. Age here is basically equipment decks getting better and better. Tutoring an equipment is one thing, but the timeless ability to both put it into play uncounterable for the most part, while cheating mana costs, at instant speed? That’s what makes it so good. This new art from Livia Prima is also fantastic, but picking a Stoneforge Mystic art will always be hard, as they all basically rock.
If you’re not a fan of equipment, then maybe you’re a fan of green, value plays, and lands-matter. That’s the other end of the spectrum, right? Scapeshift sees play in both Modern and Commander, and this new artwork is… well, it’s fantastic.
Speaking of lands, Prismatic Vista so far hasn’t received a Borderless treatment, only the Expedition frame in Zendikar Rising. If you at all enjoy blinging out your decks, this one’s for you.
Port Razer and Notion Thief aren’t the most expensive cards, nor do they see the widest play. They are just solid cards, though, and having fun OTJ borderless art is sure to excite people who like these cards.
I’m much more excited about Morbid Opportunist. For some reason I still don’t have a copy, and this borderless art from the Outlaws Special Guest sheet is stunning. I’m gonna need multiple copies.
The cards chosen for the Special Guests were reportedly chosen because they fit the plane. Deserts having a theme in the set and Naya Commander deck is surely why Desert got a reprint, but we have to think Desertion was picked partly just for the pun.
Brazen Borrower and Mystic Snake are the final two Special Guests, and like Port Razer and Notion Thief, don’t see the widest play. They do see play, though, especially in Cube – where these two art treatments can bling out your Cube experience.
END STEP
Outlaws of Thunder Junction is shaping up to be a pretty monumental set. It has some seriously powerful new cards, but it also has the chance to open some cracking reprints in every Play Booster. What are you excited to open?
Kristen is Card Kingdom’s Head Writer, and member of the Commander Advisory Group. Formerly a competitive Pokémon TCG grinder, she has been playing Magic since Shadows Over Innistrad, which in her opinion, was a great set to start with. When she’s not taking names with Equipment and Aggro strategies in Commander, she loves to play any form of Limited.