Duskmourn Set Review - Reprints

Nick Wolf • September 19, 2024

Set Review
Terramorphic Expanse reprint cover image
(Terramorphic Expanse | Sam Burley)

White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Artifacts & Lands | Allied & Shards | Enemy & Wedges | cEDH | Reprints | Pauper/Budget

Steeped for Centuries in Rot and Malevolence

Reprints, if you think about it, are pretty similar to horror movie remakes. But not like the remake of Evil Dead, which put a different spin on the source material. You can't really change much other than the art and flavor text of a reprint; otherwise they're no longer a reprint. It'd be like calling Drake Hatchling a reprint of Azimaet Drake: very similar, but not the same.

No, reprints are more like Gus Van Sant's Psycho. You know, the one starring Vince Vaughn. The one where the entire film is a shot-for-shot duplication of Hitchcock's original. Anyway, how about some Duskmourn?

Like we've grown accustomed to with recent releases, there isn't much to speak of in the way of reprints when it comes to the main set of Duskmourn. All the reprint juice is sourced from the squeeze of the ancillary products associated with the big spooky house set. All told, there are only six non-basic-land reprints in Duskmourn proper, while the Commander decks have a combined 268. And of course, there are also the Special Guests that come along with the set, which feature 10 more reprints. 

So no more talking, let's get to running blind through endless corridors of reprint terror. As always, prices mentioned below are in USD, and deck stats are courtesy of our friends at EDHREC. 

Duskmourn

Leyline of the Void

Did we need it?

Never a card people are too excited about seeing an opponent drop on turn zero in Commander, Leyline of the Void is well-known as an asymmetrical way to nuke graveyard and death-trigger decks without breaking a sweat. This former $50 card was originally part of a five-card cycle from Guildpact, but we've actually seen LotV (wait, that's not Liliana of the Veil... maybe abbreviating this card isn't the best idea) plenty, with reprints in Magic 2011 and Core Set 2020, before popping up again more recently in Time Spiral Remastered, Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales, and even Mystery Booster 2. It's also weirdly the only mono-black Leyline they've made, while green and red have four, and white and blue have three each. I guess this is the definition of "nailed it in one."

Because of all those appearances, you can acquire your very own Leyline of the Void of any stripe for under $5, except the original Guildpact printing, which is $6. So no, we didn't need another one, unless you're really into extended art versions of cards.

Did we want it?

For certain strategies, Leyline of the Void is pretty close to an auto-include in the 99. Those strategies tend to revolve around our gloomy pal Umbris, Fear Manifest, who very much appreciates sending things into the void. A whopping 71% of Umbris decks play Leyline of the Void, compared to the next highest percentage of cEDH team-up Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools and Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh, who play it roughly 13% of the time.

Overall, EDHREC logs Leyline in 21,234 decks, good for 1% among all black decks, so we didn't need another Leyline of the Void, unless you're playing Umbris and want some new art to look at.

Pyroclasm

Did we need it?

Pyroclasm's been around since Ice Age as a way to sweep away lil' guys, and it's truly an original in the sense that most sets include variations on the theme. It's been quite some time actually since straight-up Pyroclasm has been seen in a regular release: after appearances in six straight Core Sets, we haven't seen it since Magic 2011. Even still, it's got a sweet textless version, some inclusions in premium products, a stint on The List, and now two versions in Duskmourn.

Very few of these printings are more than a quarter, with the Ninth Edition foil and the aforementioned textless version topping the list at about $3-4, so there isn't much excitement for a new version of Pyroclasm, as spooky as it might be.

Did we want it?

Unsurprisingly, Pyroclasm isn't nearly as useful in Commander as it is in Limited. Only 8,513 decks are noted to include it. Interestingly, it's Hansk, Slayer Zealot (née Michonne) who plays it the most, with 78% of Hansk lists running it. I would have assumed it would be more ubiquitous in something like Firesong and Sunspeaker (11%), but that's why I usually write about art. 

Ethereal Armor

Did we need it?

This one's probably the best reprint of the main set in terms of both price and usefulness to Commander, which isn't exactly a compliment. We first met Ethereal Armor in Return to Ravnica, where it immediately shoehorned itself into any enchantment/Aura-based deck that wants to attack, of which there are a lot, as I'm sure you know. Since then, it's been featured in Time Spiral Remastered for some reason (why not wait until Ravnica Remastered?) as well as a few products here and there. By far the most expensive of those versions is the Year of the Rabbit 2023 version, which will run you about $26 for the privilege of having a small leporine child on the art. It's also been overshadowed a bit by All That Glitters, which tends to happen in Magic as the years go by.

This was a common in Return to Ravnica, which suppressed its price. Even still, it at one point reached $1+, which is pretty good for a common in one of the most popular sets of all time. That said, it's very unlikely that any version other than the rabbity one will ever break that threshold again unless its similarly fancy and difficult to obtain.

Did we want it?

Like I said, Ethereal Armor's a pretty popular card for any deck looking to create a critical mass of enchantments. Several commanders see Ethereal Armor played in more than 90% of lists on EDHREC: Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice, Three Dog, Galaxy News DJ, and Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor. Also Xenk, Paladin Unbroken is right there too, with 88% of his lists running Ethereal Armor.

Overall, Ethereal Armor is seen in 68,876 lists, which equates to 3% of all decks playing white. That's good for sneaking in near the bottom of the Top 100 most-played white cards, and the 18th most-played white enchantment. That might not sound all that impressive, but keep in mind there are 760 mono-white enchantments in the history of Magic, so Ethereal Armor is objectively better than Alms. 

Also reprinted: 

Duskmourn Commander

Among all the usual reprints that come along with your average (by 2024's standards) Commander decks, Duskmourn also features a handful of returning favorites mocked up with frameless, showcase clothing. And some of the art was provided by an illustrator that fans of a certain age might recognize:

These are courtesy of Tim Jacobus, best known for his work creating nearly 100 iconic covers for the Goosebumps series of YA novels. These can be found exclusively in the "Nightmare Bundle" box sets. But wait, there's more:

These three promo versions are inspired by classic horror movie posters, as you could probably guess. For our purposes, out of these six reprints, Goryo's Vengeance is the most eye-catching, as it's only been printed twice thus far, in Betrayers of Kamigawa and Ultimate Masters, carrying a pricetag of around $30 and $20, respectively. Unfortunately, a hard-to-acquire full art promo version isn't going to do much to scare those prices down.

Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait

Did we need it?

Appearing for the first time since its debut in Commander Legends (with a spot briefly on The List notwithstanding), Aesi is a pretty pricey Simic legend, coming in at around $30 for a copy. There's plenty of discourse on whether Aesi is a fun or worthwhile card, but that's not for us to belabor. All we care about is whether a reprint will make the card more affordable for those Simic-loving psychopaths that want a copy, and Aesi here in the Jump Scare! Commander deck will do that. 

It'll also be found in Mystery Booster 2, if you manage to snag some of that.

Did we want it?

Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait is the 71st most-popular commander on EDHREC at the moment, with a crumb more than 10,000 logged. That, if you're not familiar with American math, is a lot. But there isn't much to say beyond those numbers, as the card often directs its players to craft a certain kind of deck, and EDHREC's numbers illustrate that. Look for even more Aesi decks to be made now that it's a lot easier to guarantee a copy in exchange for money.

Ashaya, Soul of the Wild

Did we need it? 

While not as expensive as Aesi, Ashaya was printed even fewer times. Or, in other words, only once, in its native Zendikar Rising. Sure, there were four different versions in that set (regular, full-art, planeswalker symbol, prerelease promo), but it's all collectively one printing, right? These day, Commander decks have become the go-to place to stick some solid reprints, alongside whichever Masters/Horizons/Remastered release is that year. Cards like Ashaya, that don't really fit the theme of anything in particular when taken out of the context of its original set, will continue to find their way into the 99 of a precon, and that's a good thing.

And if you're looking to maximize your dollar, both Ashaya and Aesi are in the Jump Scare! deck. However, that's not the best one to buy in terms of raw value...

...is what I would say if I liked cliffhangers, which I don't. The Rakdos-colored "Endless Punishment" deck is actually the best one to buy.

Did we want it?

There are far fewer Ashaya decks on EDHREC than there are Aesi decks, with the green tree friend at the helm of only 2,062 lists. Personally I think that's a shame, as Ashaya's a really interesting mono-green Commander, but I alas am only one among the 2,062 and cannot doctor the numbers. At least until someone gives me the password to EDHREC. EDHREC has a password, right? I don't know computers.

As a card in the 99, however, Ashaya's a much more common sight. It's played in 67,010 decks, good for 3% of all decks that include green. As you might expect for lore reasons, it's most frequently spotted in Nissa, Resurgent Animist decks, at 74%.

Mogis, God of Slaughter

Did we need it?

Not only do we get a new Mogis, but surprisingly we also get new art from Chase Stone to go along with it. First congealing from the stars of Born of the Gods, Mogis has received the Secret Lair treatment twice, first as a Jason Engle Constellation, and then as whatever you want to call those Comic Sans cards. 

Each of the now four printings feature different art, although while different they're all still a giant sky cow with an ax. Prices for the older trio range from cheapest at $7 to most expensive at $12, and our new version from Duskmourn Commander will fall somewhere on the lower end of that scale. 

Did we want it?

As of right this minute on EDHREC, Mogis is the 369th most popular commander, with 3,549 decks. That's not very many. The "group slug" archetype is often regarded as one of those strategies that isn't as teeth-gnashing as mass land destruction or chaos, but it definitely has its fair share of detractors. Mogis used to be the poster cow for that archetype, but he's been long since surpassed by new villains Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence and Tergrid, God of Fright. Maybe the reprint here will spark a Mogissance?

Kederekt Parasite

Did we need it?

This will be a theme running through a lot of these little blurbs, but again, here's another card we've only seen once, and for Kederekt Parasite, that "once" was actually Conflux, meaning this is the first printing since 2009. 

A classic example of the "Commander effect" on a card's price, pre-Commander life did not see this card as worth $15. But then Nekusar, the Mindrazer happened, and the rest is history. So if you're looking to punish your opponents' draw, and Underworld Dreams, Fate Unraveler, Spiteful Visions, Orcish Bowmasters, Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and Psychosis Crawler are too boring, you can at least get a Kederekt Parasite a lot cheaper now.

Did we want it?

As mentioned, Kederekt Parasite fits very nicely into a certain kind of deck. And to the designers' credit, the Endless Punishment precon is pretty much that deck. Right now, the parasite is in 20,086 lists as per EDHREC, which is around 1% of all decks playing black. And if you're curious, Nekusar is actually only the second-most popular commander who runs Kederekt Parasite. The number one for the card is actually Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin, who includes it in 71% of all lists.

Dryad Arbor

Did we need it?

It's a Forest...and a creature! If this is your first time seeing Dryad Arbor, I bet it's not all that interesting, but believe me when I tell you that when it first appeared in Future Sight all of 17 years ago, it was pretty wacky. Do you put it with your lands or with your creatures? Does it have summoning sickness? Does it die to Armageddon? These were all very real questions people asked. 

Since that debut, we've seen it a few more times: From the Vault: Realms, Time Spiral Remastered and a spot on The List. It, like Aesi, will also be included in Mystery Booster 2. It's not quite as expensive as it used to be, but the Future Sight version still demands around $10, and that FtV fancy foil that looks like a Forest is $25 (caveat on that one: if that's your preference and you don't mind a little white border action, it's the FtV version that'll be reprinted in Mystery Booster 2.)

Because of the reprint here, I see the price dipping to sub-$4 range, which is good for anybody who wants to hide a creature among their Forests on their playmat.

Did we want it?

Among decks that can play green, Dryad Arbor's still pretty relevant today. It appears in 86,032 lists, which is around 4% of all green decks on EDHREC. It's most popular in Baba Lysaga, Night Witch decks, because it satisfies two of the three needed card types to trigger that commander's ability, but we also see it in lands-matter decks, like Jyoti, Moag Ancient and Jolrael, Voice of Zhalfir. But really, Dryad Arbor's at its best when it's getting tutored up on the first turn with Green Sun's Zenith.

Whip of Erebos

Did we need it?

Whenever I see a reprint in a set-specific Commander deck that is very particular about its own lore, I find myself wondering what that crossover would be like. What would Erebos, the character, do if he found himself in that big ol' haunted house of Duskmourn? Only MaRo knows.

As for the card itself, Whip of Erebos is a very good one, and until now only appeared in its home set of Theros along with a cool promo version a short time later, in Fate Reforged Clash Packs. It's also $10 and $15, respectively, so this reprint will help out people looking to whip their graveyards into a frenzy.

Did we want it?

Commander players do like the Whip, as it's in around 75,000 lists that play black. It's a personal favorite of mine, and it's lived in my Greven, Predator Captain for about as long as that deck has existed. Both "halves" of the Whip are useful, but for decks that like both parts, it's often secretly one of the best cards in the 99. The commander who likes it the most, though, is actually Be'lakor, the Dark Master. Roughly half of that commander's 5,352 decks play Whip, presumably to retrigger the big Demon's Warstorm Surge-like ability.

Witch's Clinic

Did we need it?

It's actually pretty unexpected that Witch's Clinic has never been reprinted until now. Originally from Commander 2021 and nowhere else, it's the exact type of card that seems like it should have made appearances in every Commander product between then and now. But no, that simply wasn't the case, which is why the card's around $12. Hopefully after the reprint here, we can get copies for half that.

Unfortunately, we don't get new art, but Piotr Dura's witchy house is perfectly fine.

Did we want it?

Despite its singular appearance and $12 price, we still see Witch's Clinic in 50,439 decks. Any deck can play it thanks to that colorless identity, so truly its presence in 1% of all Commander decks is actually just that.

Any deck featuring a commander who likes to deal damage can make use of Witch's Clinic, but it's commanders that cause you as much pain as opponents who really appreciate the holistic healing of the witch. We've already mentioned two of them in Greven, Predator Captain and Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence, but we see Witch's Clinic pretty often in the lists of Ashling the Pilgrim, Umbris, Fear Manifest and The Howling Abomination as well.

Inkshield

Did we need it?

Another returning card from Commander 2021, Inkshield saw a spot in the Sheldon Menery Secret Lair as its only reprint until now. That Secret Lair version is around $10, while the original and full-art versions from C21 are $15 and $18, respectively. That's a considerable amount of money for a fancy fog, but if you've ever resolved an Inkshield at the exact perfect time during a Commander game, you know it's worth every penny. 

Hopefully, though, a first proper reprint will help limit the number of pennies you'll need.

Did we want it?

On EDHREC, there are around 50,000 decks that are spurting ink into the eyes of their opponents. That's good for 5% of all decks playing both white and black. It's a great card, and beyond the Strixhaven-era commanders, like Breena, the Demagogue, Shadrix Silverquill and Felisa, Fang of Silverquill, we see Inkshield most often in the 99 of Queen Marchesa. But really, if you're in black and white and are more defensive in nature, there's no reason not to pass the turn with five untapped mana and squint your eyes at opponents.

Extravagant Replication

Did we need it?

Full disclosure: I did not know this card existed until today. I am a professional Magic: The Gathering writer who has played this game since 1996, yet I am not infallible. 

In my defense, I rarely care about what's going on in blue, and Extravagant Replication has only been printed once, in New Capenna Commander. Of the three variations from that set, there's a regular version ($10), a full-art version ($14), and a fancy foil-only promo ($37). The version we're getting here in Duskmourn keeps the art featuring the flapper lady summoning a spectral tiger, which I suppose could still technically be feasible on Duskmourn. 

Did we want it?

Now that I know it exists, I want one, and I'm not alone, as 25,646 lists have beaten me to the punch in including it in their 99. Obeka, Splitter of Seconds is the most common commander for the card, with more than half of Obeka's 8,325 decks featuring a copy of Extravagant Replication. Nowhere on the most popular commanders list, however, is my Dragon-cosplaying best friend Sarkhan, Soul Aflame, who would love to have the excuse to become my best Dragon every turn, instead of just once. 

Special Guests

As promised, here are the 10 Special Guests of Duskmourn:

It's a strange collection of cards this time around. Sure, there are two each of white, black, blue, red and green, but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of connective tissue that binds them. Compare these Special Guests to Bloomburrow's emphasis on Squirrels and Rats, or Lost Caverns of Ixalan's Pirates and Dinos.

Not that I'm complaining. There are some interesting inclusions here. Currently, Damnation's the most expensive of the bunch, with Noxious Revival and Expropriate close behind, and speaking of Expropriate, this is the first true (read: non The List) reprint since it first appeared in Conspiracy: Take the Crown. 

For newer fans, they might be interested to learn that yes, there was a card simply called "Sacrifice," that was printed as far back as you can go, in Alpha. And after the usual gamut of Beta, Unlimied and Revised, it was never seen again. Until now.

A Playground of Terror

Overall, this set's reprints range from the very good to the completely pointless. This is not unusual. 

How do you feel about the lack of true reprint quality in the regular sets these days? Since everything's shuffled over to the Commander decks and Special Guests, we don't get that same pop of a well-placed reprint in a Standard set like we used to. And that makes me kind of sad.

Oh well, no time for feelings, we're only a few months away from the next release!

Until then, friends.