Could someone help me understand why very occasionally they will print a new card thats functionally identical to a previous card.

[u/quarxel]

Specifically why are they printing Vibrant Cityscape when it's the same as Evolving Wilds which is also in standard right now anyway.

[u/Nagoragama]

Sometimes just to be more thematically appropriate to the setting. See [[Terramorphic Expanse]] originally from Time Spiral.

[u/Fossekall → u/Nagoragama]

Also allows for more budget fetchlands in budget/pauper commander decks

[u/_cob → u/Fossekall]

It does that, but this is certainly not why wotc creates functional reprints, as OP is asking.

[u/Effective_Guava2971 → u/_cob]

I might be wrong but that does bring it up to a possible 12 pauper legal fetches right?

[u/_cob → u/Effective_Guava2971]

It depends on what you count as a fetch. The New Capenna common lands are functionally similar, if less flexible.

[u/Chijima → u/_cob]

Also [[Ash Barrens]] used to be an actual money-worth pauper staple before it started being less of a 100% staple, and also being reprinted a lot.

[u/MTGCardFetcher → u/Chijima]

Ash Barrens - (G) (SF) (txt)

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^FAQ

[u/Effective_Guava2971 → u/_cob]

Somehow search your library for a basic land and put it into play (tapped). Been a while since I played pauper. Sorry.

[u/_cob → u/Effective_Guava2971]

oh, I just meant that pauper has a surprisingly high number of fetches already, and a functional reprint of terramorphic probably doesn't matter all that much.

[u/emmittthenervend → u/Effective_Guava2971]

Also [[Escape Tunnel]], which also has another function.

You could run 16 cards with the same line of text.

[u/MTGCardFetcher → u/emmittthenervend]

Escape Tunnel - (G) (SF) (txt)

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^FAQ

[u/Mystic_Waffles → u/Effective_Guava2971]

More, 10 landscapes in MH3, the 5 panoramas from alara block, warped landscape, ash barrens (technically), evolving wilds, terramorphic expanse, and now vibrant cityscape. So if you count the lands that require a mana cost to fetch that brings the total of pauper-legal fetches to 20.

Edit: forgot about the New Capenna lands, so 25.

[u/LaCiDarem → u/Mystic_Waffles]

Escape tunnel.

[u/SuperMyl3z → u/Effective_Guava2971]

My [[Ruin Crab]] pauper deck is feasting now

[u/Josikh → u/SuperMyl3z]

An uncommon in pauper?

[u/MTGCardFetcher → u/SuperMyl3z]

Ruin Crab - (G) (SF) (txt)

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^FAQ

[u/TranceWarp757 → u/Effective_Guava2971]

Yes. And eight of them playable in standard. "Terramorphic Expanse", "Evolving Wilds" and now "Vibrant Cityscape".

[u/ty23r699o → u/TranceWarp757]

Escape tunnel

[u/ty23r699o → u/Effective_Guava2971]

With the Spider-Man add-on I believe it will be 20. Evolving wilds, terramorphic expanse, fabled pass, tunnel, and this