Mercadian Masques
From MTG Salvation Wiki
- For other uses, see Mercadian Masques (book).
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| Symbol | 
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| Design Team | Mike Elliott (lead), Bill Rose, Mark Rosewater | |
| Development Team | Henry Stern (lead), Mike Elliott, Robert Gutschera, William Jockusch, Mark Rosewater with contributions from Charlie Tin Canno and Beth Moursund | |
| Release Date | October 1999 | |
| Mechanics | Mercenaries, Rebels, Spellshapers, Alternate Casting Costs, Recruiters, depletion lands, storage lands | |
| Keywords/ Ability words | None | |
| Size | 350 (110 Common 110 Uncommon 110 Rare 20 Land) | |
| Expansion Code | MMQ | |
| Development Codename | Archimedes | |
| Sets in Masques block | ||
| Mercadian Masques | Nemesis | Prophecy |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology | ||
| Urza's Destiny | Mercadian Masques | Nemesis |
Mercadian Masques is the nineteenth Magic expansion and was released in 1999 as the first set in the Masques block.
Contents |
[edit] Set details
Mercadian Masques featured 350 cards and was the first large expansion to use the new 6th Edition rules. This was the first set to have an accompanying fat pack.
[edit] Keywords and mechanics
Unusually, Masques introduced no new keyword abilities to the game, although it did have several themes that were continued throughout its block. These included:
- Rebels and Mercenaries: creatures able to search through their controller's library and "recruit" creatures of a specific type into play.
- Spellshapers: creatures that had repeatable activated abilities that mimiced various classic spells, potentially turning otherwise useless cards into powerful effects. All of Masques's spellshapers required paying mana, tapping the creature and discarding a card to use their ability.
- Masques also reintroduced instants and sorceries with alternative casting costs, such as Invigorate. This mechanic had not been used since Visions.
- Creatures with abilities usable by any player, such as Squallmonger and Flailing Manticore.
| “ | Designers were puzzled and frustrated by the question "Why didn't Masques have any new mechanics?" They pointed to the Rebel/Mercenary "recruitment" mechanic of Ramosian Lieutenant and friends as one of several new mechanics in the set, but without a keyword, it was dismissed by many players. If it were printed for the first time today, "Recruit" would likely be an ability word, and it—along with "Gating" creatures such as Marsh Crocodile and "Spiritcraft" creatures such as Teller of Tales—became one of the strong arguments in favor of ability words. | ” |
[edit] Cycles
Mercadian Masques has eight cycles:
- Depletion lands: These common lands came into play tapped with two depletion counters. Whenever each land is tapped for mana, a depletion counter is removed and the controller adds two mana of the appropriate color to his/her mana pool; when there are no depletion counters left, the land is sacrificed — Remote Farm, Saprazzan Skerry, Peat Bog, Sandstone Needle, and Hickory Woodlot.
- Flailing creatures vertical cycle: Each of these red creatures can be made either more or less powerful, by any player willing to pay the mana — Flailing Soldier, Flailing Ogre, Flailing Manticore.
- Instantments: Each of these common Aura enchantments has flash — Cho-Manno's Blessing, Buoyancy, Maggot Therapy, Flaming Sword, and Tiger Claws.
- Mongers: Each of these uncommon 3/3 creatures has a cost of
and one colored mana, depicted as strange-looking supernatural beings, have activated abilities costing 
that any player (not just the controller) can play — Wishmonger, Sailmonger, Scandalmonger, Warmonger, and Squallmonger.
- Rishadan pirates vertical cycle: When each of these blue Pirate creatures comes into play, each of the controller's opponents is required to pay a certain amount of mana or sacrifice a permanent — Rishadan Cutpurse, Rishadan Footpad, Rishadan Brigand.
- Storage lands: Each of these uncommon lands come into play tapped and can be tapped either to add one storage counter to it, or to remove any number of storage counters to add that amount of colored mana to its controller's mana pool — Fountain of Cho, Saprazzan Cove, Subterranean Hangar, Mercadian Bazaar, Rushwood Grove. These lands are similar to another cycle of "storage lands" in the Fallen Empires expansion.
- Unwilling creatures: Each of these uncommon creatures is undercosted for its color and power/toughness, but grants a boon to your opponent when it comes into play — Charmed Griffin, Indentured Djinn, Enslaved Horror, Hired Giant, and Hunted Wumpus.
- Walls: Each of these common Wall creatures has defender and a
ability — Alabaster Wall, Stinging Barrier, Wall of Distortion, Battle Rampart, Vine Trellis. The latter seeing the most amount of constructed play.
[edit] Tournament impact
Mercadian Masques is not considered to be as high caliber as compared to the powerful sets of the Urza block. Reportedly, the designers were extremely gun-shy following the runaway power of the previous block and dialed back the power a tad too much; the same phenomenon would take place between the latter-day Mirrodin and Kamigawa blocks. However, the set did produce some tournament-quality cards. Gush; Rishadan Port; Squee, Goblin Nabob; Waterfront Bouncer; Hunted Wumpus; and Food Chain have all seen various degrees of tournament play.
[edit] Reprinted cards
The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Mercadian Masques:
- Afterlife — was last seen in Mirage.
- Brainstorm — was last seen in 5th Edition.
- Counterspell — was last seen in 6th Edition. This would be the last expansion to print the staple card Counterspell.
- Dark Ritual — was last seen in Urza's Saga. This would be the last expansion to print the staple card Dark Ritual, though it would be reprinted with its Ice Age art and expansion symbol in one of Coldsnap 's theme decks.
- Deadly Insect — was last seen in Alliances.
- Desert Twister — was last seen in 5th Edition.
- Disenchant — was last seen in 6th Edition. This wouldn't be seen in another expansion until Time Spiral (Eight years later).
- Energy Flux — was last seen in 5th Editon.
- False Demise — was last seen in Alliances.
- Giant Caterpillar — was last seen in Visions.
- Lure — was last seen in 6th Edition.
- Ogre Taskmaster — was last seen in Portal Second Age.
- Rain of Tears — was last seen in Tempest.
- Righteous Aura — was last seen in Visions.
- Squall — was last seen in Starter 1999.
- Stone Rain — was last seen in Portal Three Kingdoms.
- Timid Drake — was last seen in Weatherlight.
- Tranquility — was last seen in 6th Edition.
- Tremor — was last seen in 6th Edition.
- Venomous Breath — was last seen in Ice Age.
- Word of Blasting — was last seen in 5th Edition.
[edit] Functional reprints
Mercadian Masques has 17 functional reprints:
- Cloud Sprite is a functional reprint of Cloud Pirates from Portal, save for creature type.
- Drake Hatchling is a functional reprint of Azimaet Drake from Mirage.
- Fresh Volunteers is a functional reprint of Knight Errant from Starter 1999, save for creature type.
- Henge Guardian is a functional reprint of Igneous Golem from Mirage.
- Henge of Ramos is a functional reprint of School of the Unseen from Alliances.
- Highway Robber is a functional reprint of Dakmor Ghoul from Starter 1999, save for creature type.
- Iron Lance is a functional reprint of Fyndhorn Bow from Ice Age.
- Jhovall Rider is a functional reprint of Iron Tusk Elephant from Mirage, save for creature type.
- Kyren Glider is a functional reprint of Goblin Glider from Portal Second Age.
- Misshapen Fiend is a functional reprint of Dakmor Bat from Portal Second Age and Bog Imp from Starter 1999, save for creature type.
- Rampart Crawler is a functional reprint of Bog Rats from 6th Edition, save for creature type.
- Rishadan Airship is a functional reprint of Cloud Spirit from Stronghold, save for creature type.
- Rushwood Dryad is a functional reprint of Lynx from Starter 1999 and Zodiac Monkey from Portal Three Kingdoms, save for creature type.
- Skulking Fugitive is a functional reprint of Tar Pit Warrior from Visions, save for creature type.
- Snorting Gahr is a functional reprint of Slashing Tiger from Portal Three Kingdoms and Razorclaw Bear from Portal Second Age, save for creature type.
- Steadfast Guard is a functional reprint of Veteran Cavalier from Starter 1999 and Alaborn Grenadier from Portal Second Age.
- Wild Jhovall is a functional reprint of Hill Giant from Portal, Ogre Warrior from Starter 1999 and Barbarian Horde from Portal Three Kingdoms, save for creature type.
[edit] Theme decks
Each of the Mercadian Masques theme decks has at least one spellshaper, a theme of the set. The pre-constructed theme decks are:
| Theme deck name | |||||
| White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | |
| Deepwood Menace | ■ | ■ | |||
| Disrupter | ■ | ■ | |||
| Rebel's Call | □ | ||||
| Tidal Mastery | □ | ■ | |||
