Will the Shocklands Ever Be Printed on a Plane Other than Ravnica?
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Sept. 2, 2018, 3:53 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
The shocklands are being reprinted, again, in the third Ravnica block, which is obviously a very good thing, but every time that they have been printed is on the plane of Ravnica.
I am displeased by this, because those lands were specifically designed to be generic and not reference any particular faction or plane in the multiverse, allowing them to be printed in any set on any plane. It is true that they were reprinted as masterpieces/Zendikar expeditions, but those were special cards that were not part of the normal set, so printing them only on Ravnica seems to violate that idea. Remember that the "checklands" (Glacial Fortress, Hinterland Harbor, so forth) have been printed in core sets, the Innistrad block, the Ixalan block, and Dominaria. Therefore, it makes little sense for the shocklands to remain exclusive to Ravncia.
What does everyone else say about this? Will the shocklands ever be printed on a plane other than Ravnica?
It sounds like you have two separate issues here:
The first is lore wise. But I think that Ravnica is the right place for them. Their names come from the guilds and I think thematically this works. Sure, the check lands get heaps of reprints be they're entry level dual lands. Shocks are a lot more specific, like buddy or bicycle lands which thematically are designed to fit that plane.
The second issue is price. But we have sets like Modern Masters where they can be reprinted as needs be, so this shouldn't be a concern.
September 2, 2018 6:24 p.m.
Does Zendikar, with the Expeditions, count? Temple Garden
Steam Vents as two examples.
September 2, 2018 7:43 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #5
APPLE01DOJ, the expeditions demonstrated how the shocklands could work from a flavor perspective on another plane, and the fact that the checklands have appeared on three different planes demonstrates how they can fit on numerous planes, as well.
legendofa, I am not counting the expeditions, because those were not part of the normal set and also insanely expensive.
enpc, yes, the reprinting of the filter lands in Master 25 was a very nice, and has me hopeful that they may appear, again, in the future.
September 2, 2018 9:22 p.m.
I suspect that the ally-colored shocklands will see a non-Ravnica printing before the enemy colors, which seems to be the typical pattern. That being said, I'm not going to expect them in any given set. It would have to be either a lands-matter set or a set with very few land interactions. While the Expeditions did prove that the names could be used outside of Ravnica, their basic land types would cause very specific potential interactions with the rest of the set. When/if they show up outside of Ravnica, they will be some of the most carefully vetted cards of that hypothetical set.
September 2, 2018 9:56 p.m.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #8
I don’t think they will since the names are so tied to the guilds. Steam Vents doesn’t make a lot of sense without pipes and machinery, for example
September 4, 2018 11:05 a.m.
Jimmy_Chinchila I think that the names are broader than that. In the case of Steam Vents, I would have no problem with the name being applied to geothermal vents, like those around geysers. Blood Crypt and Watery Grave might take some work to cover the full flavor, but others, like Temple Garden and Stomping grounds, have pretty flexible names that can tie into any garden around a temple, or any place where animals stomp around.
September 4, 2018 1:23 p.m.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #11
Sacred Foundry and Hallowed Fountain a bit tough to smooth over as well. Maybe Fountain could be a water spring in the middle of a desert...
September 4, 2018 5:31 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #12
In today's article, Mark Rosewater stated that WotC did, in fact, plan to print the shocklands in a set on a plane other than Ravnica, but logistical reasons prevented them from doing so, so the lands were printed in Ravnica, again, which is now something of a joke at WotC.
APPLE01DOJ says... #2
Man people will complain about anything!
Shocks are not overpriced & they're getting a third reprint, why could this be "displeasing"? You consider them "generic" I consider them Ravnica lands more than any other. They're very thematic with the guilds.
September 2, 2018 4:20 p.m.