Doctor Who Reprint Review

This Is Just the Reset

As previews for Doctor Who (WHO) rolled on by, I learned a lot about what Doctor Who is. I will share what I learned here, in case you, like me, were only tangentially aware of the franchise until recently. Ahead of those previews, I knew that A) Doctor Who is a television show, B) it comes from the UK, and C) it involves phonebooths and striped scarves in some capacity.

Now, I know that what I already knew is true, but I also know so much more. I know there are a lot (a lot) of named characters that are now Magic cards, and it appears that Zordon from Power Rangers is one of those characters. I know that there are actually a lot of Doctor Whos, and that one of them is Buckaroo Banzai. Also dinosaurs are involved? Truthfully I know more about Inspector Spacetime than I do Doctor Who.

Listen, I'm new at this. And I believe fellow Commander's Herald scribe Jubilee Finnegan when they say that "90% of this spoiler season is the Doctor Who fans going 'I promise this is really clever, take my word for it.'"

Mythics and Rares

All told, this release provides us with 126 reprints spread throughout all the WHO Commander decks. Of course, we're not going to discuss all of them because, despite my repeated cajoling, they still refuse to pay me by the word. Instead, we'll take a look at the interesting ones as well as the ones that might move the needle in terms of affordability or playability. As always, monetary figures herein are USD, deck usage stats are courtesy of EDHREC, and jokes that don't land are credited to "Jason Alt."

Wedding Ring

Did we need it?

Wedding Ring had only appeared once before, in Crimson Vow Commander, but it quickly became a sought-after piece for the jewelry box. From a gameplay perspective, it makes for fun interactions and table politics, as well as awkward jokes about matrimony that might ruin Commander night at your LGS, especially when the player that gave you a Wedding Ring token copy asks you to open a joint back account. Because of its unique ability (up to but not including drawing cards in mono-white, which is still a perk even in the Year of our Lord 2023) and scarcity, Wedding Ring was demanding upward of $30 when it debuted in November of 2021. It's since become a bit cheaper, hovering around $15-20, but with its inclusion in WHO, we can expect that number to fall further. So yes, we needed it.

Did we want it?

Wedding Ring is only present in 1% of the decks that can play it, which is certainly lower than one might expect when considering the price and the card itself. That's still 17,608 decks, mind you, but apparently Commander players prefer not to be betrothed. I expect that number to rise measurably as more people get their hands on it (and fingers in it?) thanks to its presence in WHO. It's a fun card, and one that just happens to go infinite in a number of ways, for better or worse. The commanders that are most likely to make use of Wedding Ring at the moment are Queen Marchesa (1,442 decks) and Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis (1,037 decks), which just serves to remind us why Commander is the best format, as clearly there are hundreds of players out there who made a "these characters love each other and I just think that's neat" theme deck. Can't do that in Lorcana.

Farewell

Did we need it?

It might surprise you to learn that Farewell has only cursed us with its presence since February of 2022. In less than two years, the card's become one of the most efficient collectors of groans at casual Commander tables everywhere. It's also more expensive now than it's ever been, averaging around $11 for the various printings from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. There is also a Planeswalker Championship Promo going for $20-ish, which is also a card I've been assured does in fact exist. If we "needed" more Farewells out there is debatable from an ethics point of view, but for those of us who have wanted to feel the power to ruin moods but didn't want to spend their lunch budget on a copy, a reprint isn't the worst thing in the world.

Did we want it?

They say that research suggests that roughly 1% of the population meets the criteria for psychopathy, but 13% of Commander decks that can include Farewell do so. The math just doesn't line up. Farewell's present in 162,428 decks logged on EDHREC and most commonly appears in decks built around two NEO peers, Shorikai, Genesis Engine (4,429 decks) and Isshin, Two Heavens as One (4,867 decks). Those numbers will rise with WHO, and the new version's flavor text will be quoted as soon as someone casts this card on me during a Commander night and I throw them out of my house.

War Room

Did we need it?

I know all these WHO reprints are technically "Universes Beyond" and thus are not part of the greater Magic canon. It's amusing, however, to imagine that, somewhere in the Multiverse, an unnamed planeswalker was staring at a map of Europe and talking on a rotary phone when some weird dragon archvillain dragged them to Ravnica by turning on his giant wizard magnet beacon. That's my headcanon for this version of War Room, at least. As far as the card itself, it's a great way to provide yourself with a little added utility in a land slot, specifically to draw some cards, and since it debuted in Commander Masters in 2020, it's maintained a respectable average of $3-4. Not wallet-shattering, by any means, but when it's a card that you can theoretically use in every deck, that might add up. And with WHO, that price might dip a bit, and incidentally provide players with the first new art War Room has seen, assuming you're okay with art that could have been a production still from a Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? animated feature film.

Did we want it?

As mentioned, a colorless-producing nonbasic land like War Room can slot into any deck. Just like the memed-to-death Temple of the False God, just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should, as War Room is obviously better in decks with as few colors as possible. Of the 3.1 million decks currently logged on EDHREC, War Room is in 6%, or 194,094 decks. That's a lot, and it's worth pointing out that there is a large player group jamming this thing into five-color decks, because we as players are free to make our own decisions, even if they're bad. Even the preconstructed deck in which War Room can be found, Timey-Wimey (side note: I don't care how many of you love Doctor Who, I'll never forgive Wizards of the Coast for creating a scenario in which I have to type that two-word abomination), is a three-color deck.

As Foretold

Did we need it?

It's been explained to me that "four knocks" as referenced in the flavor text of this reprint is a poignant and foreboding plot point that paid off in a stirring self-sacrifice, and I can appreciate that. However, during that explanation the terms "Saxon Master," "Time Lords," "time lock," "Time War," "Gallifrey," and "reincarnation" were included, and suddenly I knew exactly how my dog must feel when I try to chart for him point-by-point the storylines of the Hulkamania era of WWF in the late '80s and early '90s. Downshifted from mythic rare to regular rare here in WHO, As Foretold only averages a couple bucks now, but it wasn't always that way. Back when it was still fairly new, you couldn't get one for cheaper than $15, and like many random mythics and older cards it saw a hard spike in price during the pandemic's peak in mid-2021, cresting at around $30 briefly. I can't say we absolutely needed a new version, but if the Doctor Who reference carried on the reprint is as memorable as I'm led to believe, I'm happy for those who draw enjoyment from it.

Did we want it?

There aren't a ton of decks that play As Foretold, and it's been reprinted enough and is cheap enough that it's likely most people who wanted one probably have one. We first discovered As Foretold in Amonkhet way back in 2017, and since then has been reprinted in Commander Masters 2022 as well as appearing recently in the Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales bonus sheet. Of the decks that can play it, only 1% do, translating to roughly 18,000. Top commanders that include As Foretold are Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres (536 decks), Jhoira of the Ghitu (358 decks), and Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus (643 decks).

Just kidding, it's you-know-who. More than 10% of Atraxa decks play As Foretold.

Carpet of Flowers

Did we need it?

We went from a downshift to an upshift, as Carpet of Flowers originally appeared in Urza's Saga (USG) as an uncommon, but is here in WHO it's a rare. I say "originally printed," but the word "originally" is actually redundant, as not counting The List or Secret Lair appearances, the USG version is the only version. That said, USG uncommons are often more expensive than modern-day mythics, and Carpet of Flowers was no different. If you were lucky enough to snag a couple of these when they were at their cheapest, then that means you were still paying about a buck and it was more than ten years ago. At its peak (again, that pandemic-driven price spike we've seen hit so many cards) in 2021, it'd run you close to $40. With an easily accessible reprint in a preconstructed deck, the current $11 average price will surely sink, and I think it was a wise choice not to include overtly Whovian art on the reprint.

Did we want it?

Despite its high price and relative scarcity, we still see Carpet of Flowers in 5% of all decks that play green, or 70,246 decks, and if we're talking about a sample size of just me, you'd see Carpet of Flowers played in 100% of decks that can include it, because I love it. I don't even care that the only times I seem to draw the dang thing are those rare occasions no one is playing Islands. I'll jam it into just about anything that even sniffs the green wedge of the color pie, but it's also quite popular in cEDH, unless I've been lied to. Now that anyone can get a copy simply by picking up the "Paradox Power" preconstructed deck, I'd wager we'll see Carpet of Flowers popping up more often.

Fractured Identity

Did we need it?

Perennially underrated, Fractured Identity is a removal spell, sure, and one that's particularly adept at allowing for politicking, but it's also one half of multiple two-card game-ending combos, be it with Phage the Untouchable, Transcendence, or Leveler, and if you want to be hipster about it, hit 'em with the Immortal Coil and Morningtide. The card's uniqueness, coupled with the fact that before now it only appeared in its original set of Commander 2017 followed by a singular Secret Lair entry, means that it's been able to maintain an average price of around $5 for years. It's a good inclusion in WHO simply for the fact that it's a fun card, and can be a supremely powerful one in the right circumstances, and more players should own copies.

Did we want it?

Fractured Identity only appears in a shade over 10,000 decks logged on EDHREC. This may mean that despite the hilarity of winning a game by forcing a Phage on all your opponents, many players might not even know it exists. Seeing it pop up in another round of preconstructed decks in WHO might help broaden its appeal, assuming WHO has appeal, and that's the thing about these massive Universes Beyond releases: they'll either be immediately one of the highest-selling releases of all time, or they'll be the final nail in the coffin of Magic as we know it. Really just depends on what you read on the internet.

Heroic Intervention

Did we need it?

At one point flirting with $20 average prices for a single copy, the card still maintains a price of roughly half that despite going onto it's sixth reprint with WHO. Purists of the game might scoff at the WHO version's art featuring two British people instead of Ajani slicing a net in half, but it's still a great card regardless of its art. Being in WHO might not depress the price too much more, but I think we can assume it won't ever hit those $20 heights from a few years ago.

Did we want it?

People love gotcha cards, and Heroic Intervention is one of the gotcha-iest gotcha cards there is. It's the seventh-most played green card in Commander (and second-most played green instant behind Beast Within), appearing in 406,600 decks. That's good for 28% of the decks that can play it. When it comes to reprints, cards like Heroic Intervention are exactly what we like to see - easy to use, powerful, beloved, and more expensive than they should be.

Wound Reflection

Did we need it?

With its inclusion in WHO, Wound Reflection now has seen print thrice in the last 15 years, first appearing in Shadowmoor before seeing its first reprint in 2020's Double Masters. The WHO version also brings us the card's third unique art, though keeping with the symmetry of its predecessors. Before it saw its first reprint, Wound Reflection was a pricey card, hitting nearly $40 in 2018 and is still averaging around $10 for either the original or the 2XM versions. Cards that make games end are always worth a look, and there aren't many that move things along more efficiently than Wound Reflection, especially when you pair it with something like Quietus Spike, Heartless Hidetsugu, Raving Dead, Havoc Festival, or even Blessed Wind.

Did we want it?

We don't see Wound Reflection too often, which is understandable. As mentioned, the card's always been pretty expensive, and there's that whole "it's a six-mana enchantment that doesn't do anything by itself" caveat, a la Aysen Highway. Wound Reflection's only in 23,225 decks, and is most commonly spotted in Jund punisher decks alongside Overabundance. Perhaps with it being in WHO, we'll see it a little more often, especially if that price comes down as a result of the reprint.

Uncommons and Commons

Lightning Greaves

Did we need it?

Lightning Greaves has been printed 28 times, but it's still around $6. Regardless of how fashionable they look on the WHO version, that trend is unlikely to change. We've seen a new print of Lightning Greaves every year (sometimes twice!) since around 2014, and often with new art too: the WHO version marks the seventh depiction of the go-fast shoes. So I wouldn't say we needed another copy of Lightning Greaves, but at this point, why not?

Did we want it?

As a colorless artifact, any Commander deck can play Lightning Greaves, and according to EDHREC, one in four decks do. It's the fourth-most played artifact, behind only Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and Swiftfoot Boots, and has been teaching new players the difference between hexproof and shroud for almost exactly 20 years now; Mirrodin debuted in October of 2003, after all. Since Commander players love putting the Greaves in every deck, more copies floating around can't hurt.

Three Visits

Did we need it?

If this were a reprint review of Commander Legends, I'd be regaling you with a bunch of miscellaneous trivia about how it's the first reprint of Three Visits since Portal Three Kingdoms, a 21-year gap, and how it was upshifted to uncommon for some reason. Instead of all that, I'll just say that the new printing in WHO, which reminds me not of the television show but of the movie Zardoz, probably won't do anything to affect the average price of $5 for the Commander Legends version, and it definitely won't do anything to lower the P3K's price tag of $60.

Did we want it?

Before it appeared in Commander Legends in 2020, few players had copies and even fewer were playing them in a random Commander deck. Since then, however, we see Three Visits in 25% of all decks that can play it, good for 352,092 lists total. That's good enough to squeak into the Top Ten green cards at tenth overall. That's a good reprint right there. Will the WHO version have that kind of impact? Not a chance. But at the risk of sounding like I'm three-visiting the same comment repeatedly, more copies is never a bad thing.

Clockspinning

Did we need it? 

This is the first reprint of Clockspinning since it debuted in Time Spiral 17 years ago, and first-ever version featuring David Tennant. It's a unique card, as many from Time Spiral were, and as such still averages around $1; not bad for a common that often doesn't do anything. Now that it's in WHO, we might see that price fall a tiny bit.

Did we want it?

Even though it's clear that the original intention was for Clockspinning to interact with suspend cards, we see it most often used to tinker with Sagas, adding or removing counters to trigger specific chapters at will. It's only used in around 13,000 decks, but that's a respectable number for such a niche card, and if you want to really see Clockspinning live up to its fullest potential, head over here.

Snuff Out

Did we need it? 

Here's an example of a reprint that's been stricken by the monkey's paw. To date, Snuff Out has appeared only twice: once in its original form in 1999's Mercadian Masques, and again ten years later as an inclusion in Duel Decks: Garruk vs. Liliana. The Masques version's art features Squee, and the DDD version's art features Liliana. The WHO art features what appears to be goth Baymax. Of all the cards we've discussed so far, this one is far and away most likely to not impact pricing simply because non-Who fans won't understand or enjoy the art we see here, and it's a shame, because Snuff Out deserves a solid modern reprint, especially since it's a $10 common.

Did we want it?

We don't see Snuff Out at the same rate of other mono-black removal spells. It's in 2% of the decks that can play it, or 34,899 decks overall, but for certain decks, it's by far the best option for when you have to make something dead. It's been a mainstay in my Greven, Predator Captain deck since 2019, and any deck that wants to trade life for a sneaky removal spell need look no further than Snuff Out.

Reprint Lightning Round

• Stormcarved Coast, Deserted Beach, Sundown Pass, Dreamroot Cascade, Shipwreck Marsh, Rockfall Vale: First reprints since Innistrad: Midnight Hunt/Crimson Vow.
• Fiery Islet, Waterlogged Grove, Horizon Canopy, Sunbaked Canyon: First reprints since Modern Horizons, except for Horizon Canopy, the much older sibling of the cycle that first showed up in Future Sight and was also reprinted in Iconic Masters and as Bag End.
• River of Tears: Another Future Sight cycle starter, River of Tears has also seen printings in Iconic Masters and a few Commander releases.
• Talisman of Indulgence, Talisman of Progress, Talisman of Impulse, Talisman of Unity, Talisman of Curiosity, Talisman of Creativity, Talisman of Conviction, Talisman of Dominance: The allied-color Talismans first showed up in Mirrodin, while the cycle was completed with enemy-color versions in Modern Horizons. As for Talisman of Hierarchy and Talisman of Resilience, I guess you Orzhov and Golgari fans are just stuck with the vastly superior Dan Frazier versions. Woe is you.
• Ponder: Seeing its 13th printing with WOE, we've yet to break the theme of either "orb" or "liquid" when it comes to Ponder art.
• Sol Ring: I'm pretty sure this is the 65th printing of Sol Ring, but who's counting?
• Reliquary Tower: Despite being printed now 26 times, Reliquary Tower is still on average a $4 card because Commander players can't help but put it in every deck.
• Blasphemous Act: Thanks to WHO, red's best sweeper has hit the 20-reprint benchmark, with all but five of those printings coming in the last three years.
• Solemn Simulacrum: Another recipient of rampant proliferation, Solemn is seeing its 30th reprint in WHO, this time as a robot that reminds me of Marvin the Paranoid Android.
• Farseek: We've had Farseek since 2005's Ravnica: City of Guilds, and since then 15 more.
• Feed the Swarm: Black's attack on enchantments and thus the color pie only came to us recently, in 2020's Zendikar Rising, but is already on its 10th reprint with WHO. 
• Beast Within: WHO brings us Beast Within's 26th printing, one for each letter of the alphabet.
• Cursed Mirror: Surprisingly not originally from Eldraine but Commander 2021, Cursed Mirror saw immediate popularity as a fun twist on a mana rock, and as such is already seeing its third version, and first with new art.
• Inspiring Refrain: We're getting this one's first reprint since it debuted in Commander 2021, this time with significantly more face noodles.
• Out of Time: First reprint since Modern Horizons made players have to remember what Vanishing was.
• Thespian's Stage: Weird seeing this card without Dark Depths nearby, but WHO provides us with the sixth printing of Thespian's Stage, and first with new art.

Cheap and Nasty Reprints

All things considered, WHO brings us a solid catalog of reprints, especially compared to other recent Commander releases. Of course, there's the whole Universes Beyond/Booster Fun issue here that has plagued reprints in recent years: while some players might be excited to see these treatments or artistic interpretations of non-Magic intellectual property on their cards, many other players may not. It's a balancing act that Wizards must perform in attracting new players by way of Universes Beyond bait, while also not alienating their loyal playerbase. I don't envy that job.

For recent releases that aren't part of the Magic canon, there's always going to be that asterisk of "hey cool, they reprinted ____, but there's a Tyranid/Hobbit/Guy with a Bowtie on it." It'll be interesting to see how this expansion into outside IPs affects the game in the long-term, but that's a tomorrow problem, something that Doctor Who knows a little bit about. I assume. I still haven't seen it.

Until next time, reprint aficionados. See you in Ixalan probably.