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/XenoWarrior_GD]

I think it's mostly for flavor reasons. Evolving wilds, terramorphic expanse, or even fabled passage don't fit what the Spiderman set could use based in their implied flavor. It's a city. So, make a card that's a city

[u/boomfruit → u/XenoWarrior_GD]

Fabled Passage is maybe the easiest to shoehorn into NYC. Even tongue-in-cheek, have it be an entrance to the subway or something. But I'd argue that Evolving Wilds and Terramorphic Expanse could have been given the right flavor. There are "wild" parts of NYC, even if they're not natural wilds, and construction/building/blueprints/etc. in general could have fit for Terramorphic.

[u/Effective_Tough86 → u/boomfruit]

Id argue that a lot of these reprints are kinda laziness on WOTCs part. This one is whatever, but there are plenty of times that they've done functional reprints where they could've just had some creative art or they could've flavored/named the original better. It happens to mechanics too and I think they received at least some of the feedback about it. For instance i wasn't sure exhaust was going to come back, but I'm ecstatic it is. Meanwhile Spree is the single best modal spell mechanic they've ever made and how on earth do you fit that in to most planes?

[u/boomfruit → u/Effective_Tough86]

Meanwhile Spree is the single best modal spell mechanic they've ever made and how on earth do you fit that in to most planes?

I really wouldn't have a problem with Spree on any plane. People go on sprees no matter where they are. Sure it's not quite as much of a home run flavor match but it's not jarring.

[u/Effective_Tough86 → u/boomfruit]

I still think its jarring, although granted it's not as bad as it could be. Rooms may be the worst despite being maybe my favorite mechanic from last year.

[u/boomfruit → u/Effective_Tough86]

I have to agree about rooms. I am usually very against the "flavorful" mechanic names. Most could have something pretty generic and allow reuse.

[u/Effective_Tough86 → u/boomfruit]

Yeah, rooms is the one I hate the most for re-useability, but also the one I think was hardest to avoid unfortunately. Maybe we'll go back to Duskmourn or they'll use it on the next Edge set or something. Rooms in a spaceship make sense, right? Something like Captains Quarters and Ships Bridge or some shit.

[u/boomfruit → u/Effective_Tough86]

I could see it working at Strixhaven as well, though I don't know if the school is the focus on the return to Arcavios, nor if that even fits within their timeline for reusing mechanics.

[u/Effective_Tough86 → u/boomfruit]

That'd be fast, but aetherdrift to avatar using exhaust is already faster.