What was the last iconic MTG card ever printed in your opinion?
General forum
Posted on July 13, 2023, 6:09 a.m. by StopShot
This is a subjective discussion. What you count as a card being iconic is up to you. Is your definition of iconic restrictive so that only cards like the mox/power-9 count and post-Pioneer cards don't or do you have a laxer interpretation such as for any card memorable enough to be referenced like Elvish Visionary and its copycat Elvish Doomsayer.
Additional question, do you feel like present day MTG is more or less iconic than it was in the past? Do you feel like MTG might be trying too hard or not hard enough to come off as iconic in the present day? (i.e. "I think MTG is trying too hard to be iconic by rushing stories that needed more time to be refined/improved upon rather than to meet a deadline" or "I think MTG is not trying hard enough to be iconic as it's relying more heavily on other IP's to make sales than on its own branding.)
lespaul977 says... #3
While I know it’s been an immensely popular card for many years, I think the original lion artwork for Path to Exile has helped make the card iconic in my opinion. I’m personally not a huge fan of the card’s drawback (I’ve won too many games from people playing it against me that I don’t foresee myself using it), but the artwork is very well done, and that counts for a lot in my book.
I very much feel that MTG hasn’t made too many iconic cards recently. Of the newer cards I’ve seen, the artwork hasn’t been anything special, and I feel like WoTC has been more focused on making overly-power creeped mechanics with too many silly keywords. I was actually really disappointed with the two D&D sets and the most recent Innistrad sets since they have mechanics and keywords that are so cumbersome to the game that they take the fun out of the game (namely initiative and day/night). Right now, they’re focused on pushing as many cards as possible and lining their pockets, and until they take a step back and start putting some TLC into the game, I don’t think we’ll see anything iconic anytime soon.
July 13, 2023 10:55 a.m.
For a card to be iconic, it needs a few major elements - it needs to be emblematic of something, needs to have the weight of history, needs to be either the first of your kind or so novel that you eclipse anything which came before, and needs to be generally applicable so most folks will interact with it (or so incredibly strong in its niche as to dominate conversations despite limited usage).
If you fail any one of those elements, it will be hard to be considered an icon. For newer cards, the problem is going to be the weight of history element - unless they are so format defining as to instantly cement their place in Magic’s identity, it might take a while for them to pass from “powerful card” to “iconic card” status. I expect many of the recent cards folks do not consider iconic today will be considered iconic in a decade.
I expect cards like Dockside and Ragavan will reach iconic status - I think they have sufficiently influenced the game that they could presently be considered iconic cards, though accept there is room for disagreement there. Those would probably be my two nominations for most recently printed iconic card - with the acknowledgment more cards printed since then might establish themselves as iconic once they have a longer provenance.
For cards recently released which I suspect might become iconic in a couple years, my money would be on Orcish Bowmasters. It does a bunch of really powerful things, fairly unique things, can be used in a number of decks, and is making quite a splash in conversations. Those are all solid indications something might one day be considered iconic - I just do not think we are there yet, and only time will tell.
July 13, 2023 11:51 a.m.
wallisface says... #5
For a card I think is iconic right now, i’m going to suggest Unearth. I wreaks of colour-flavour and is a go-to great spell in a lot of the “older” formats.
For a card that I think will become iconic if we give it a few years, i’m going to suggest The Mycosynth Gardens. I think the card will age well, in addition to it “feeling” like a card that’s older than it actually is (and so more ingrained in history).
July 13, 2023 4:20 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #6
I think there’s also a personal “these are the first few cards I’ve seen that imprinted the game in my mind” iconic to be considered. Cards like Stasis and Twiddle seem iconic to me, both because their mechanics were original and their art is very cryptic and original, but also because they were what I saw first. When you grew up with straightforward art like what was drawn on a He-Man package, something like the original Terror was WILD. I feel like the newer MtG products are better polished, which has some upsides... but lacks that iconic Will-o'-the-Wisp feel. (if I had more skill/time I would link the original arts rather than whatever is about to come up with them - sorry all)
July 13, 2023 7:49 p.m.
My take here is that eras, rather than the game as a whole, are defined by iconic cards, usually cards that dominate the landscape around them or that represent the state of design philosophy of the time. (This criterion is more based on competitive value than I usually lean toward, but how do you pick a card that says, "This is what Magic: the Gathering is all about!")
The Power Nine, Necropotence, Arcbound Ravager, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, and Lurrus of the Dream-Den are all examples of cards that are iconic of an era by way of power. The Power Nine represent a time when the idea of buying, collecting, and selling cards for their own sake wasn't being considered. Lurrus of the Dream-Den represents an era of wild experimentation and heavy pushes for power.
The era we're in right now, in my opinion, is marked by a rapid increase in supplementary products (Commander sets alongside Standard sets, Universes Beyond) and "tracking" mechanics like day/night, dungeons, Ring tempting, and similar effects. So what card defines this? I'm going to say Nazgul. It's not on the same power level as the cards I listed above, but it's the most representative of the current design philosophy: non-M:tG origin, uses a tracking mechanic, and modifies deck building rules. We'll see what shakes out in a few years,
July 14, 2023 10:50 p.m.
psionictemplar says... #9
While I do not feel this would be the most recent, I would like to nominate the classic Birds of Paradise.
July 17, 2023 10:13 p.m.
KnightsBattlecry001 says... #10
Stoneforge Mystic, Mox Opal, Puresteel Paladin, most creatures with infect, and the original Phyrexian Praetors. I would say they represent a small stretch of time where they all were a big deal. They were to me anyway. That time during original Zendikar and Scars of Mirrodin block was when I got back into the game so they always hold a special spot as well as nostalgia to me.
Idoneity says... #2
I'd like to define "iconic" subjectively for sake of this post, being a card that is indicative of how MTG exists at its core. Infamous cards like Ragavan and Oko, whilst famed, are not iconic for being enjoyable or indicative of ideal gameplay: just for being broken.
The first card that came to mind was Sedgemoor Witch, as it was and remains beloved by the community. Other definitions of "iconic" naturally exist, but this card struck my definition quite purely.
July 13, 2023 7:33 a.m.