This isn't a single card discussion, but more of a directional query. The cards spoiled for Ultimate Masters are all Really Good -even in a masters set and theres only 41 spoiled so far.

Heres the list thus far

Entomb
Balefire Dragon
Through the Breach
Eternal Witness
Life from the Loam
Noble Hierarch
Tarmogoyf
Vengevine
Gaddock Teeg
Leovold, Emmisary of Trest
Lord of Extinction
Maelstrom Pulse
Sigarda, Host of Herons
Fulminator Mage
Kitchen Finks
Engineered Explosives
Platinum Emperion
Mana Vault
Ancient Tomb
Cavern of Souls
Celestial Colonnade
Creeping Tar Pit
Dark Depths
Karakas
Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Reanimate
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Liliana of the Veil
Lavaclaw Reaches
Goryo's Vengeance
Demonic Tutor
Bitterblossom
Temporal Manipulation
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Raging Ravine
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Stirring Wildwood
Karn Liberated
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Snapcaster Mage

Over 200 cards yet to be spoiled and these look shockingly good as far as eternal formats go. Is this a cash grab by wizards, or is something else going on?

MSRP is $335 for a box, $14 for a pack. Obvious cash grab.

Cash grab but so what? They are a business and this is profitable. I am interested in what they are going to replace masters sets with. They mentioned supplemental product but we’ll have to see what that entails.

WotC seem to be wasting a lot of reprint equity with this set, and I’m wondering why they have decided they need to do so now, in the last quarter of the fiscal year. None of the reasons I can think of say particularly good things about the current health of the game.

Maybe whatever ails them might soon spur them to reprint reserved list cards? One can only hope.

The list of cards being reprinted is unusually good. The flavor text on some of these cards is kind of funny too. Demonic Tutor reads: "Beware the generosity of demons." Beware getting whatever you want for 1B with no downside?

Why not just be happy? Dont worry... be happy.

@led i will always fow a demonic tutor... always
People saying.... but it was a better play to fow what they tutor for make me laugh.... just FOW THE DAMN TUTOR

After the negative feedback Wizards got from some of their Iconic Master and Masters 25 they really figured out the correct reprints to include (so far). I’m most excited for the approach they take to commons and uncommons since they seem to be willing to snub white at mythic and therefore take some balance risks. This is how a luxury product should be implemented.

Considering how much flack WotC has been getting for card quality, the least they could have done was check to make sure the preview card they would show on camera wasn't warped. You had one job Wizards.

@dstinct Didn't you know that WotC are campaigning for steel-backed ultra-hard inner sleeves? What they do is informed by sound market research.

Because a magic deck looking like explosives in an airport scanner isn’t enough. It needs to be metal as well.

@benjamin_berry said in Ultimate Masters:

Because a magic deck looking like explosives in an airport scanner isn’t enough. It needs to be metal as well.

Hell, it might actually help. My xray-opaque metal water bottles never get mentioned but the cards always do. Maybe I'll wrap my decks in aluminium foil next time...

Since wotc have gone back on every single promise they've made over the years, except one, maybe this is a sign that it's getting closer to abolishing the reserved list
Honestly, the number of people that would be happy without the RL would vastly exceed the number of people that still want it in place.
The whole reason for Master sets and Masterpieces were to satisfy the players wanting more reprints. Obviously selling more product along the way.
They proved, not explicitly, that original printings of cards can retain higher value over newer printings, save foil versions. Especially in the long run.
At least from My observations.

My two cents.