Are you searching for a way to increase the value of your Magic: the Gathering collection?
A great way to achieve this is through Masterpieces. Collectors all over the world treasure these rare cards, and their value will likely increase in time.
But which MTG sets have Masterpieces?
In this guide, we’ll talk about Masterpieces and the sets they come from.
You’ll learn:
- What Masterpieces are
- Which sets you can find them in
- Which Masterpieces were retroactively classified as such
Let’s get started.
What are Masterpieces?
Omniscience (Masterpiece Version)
The name “Masterpiece” refers to a series of cards printed for various sets in Magic: the Gathering as promotional pieces.
Each one is a reprint of a strong card, except with a gorgeous new design. The Masterpieces themselves will not be reprinted, which makes them highly collectible.
They began with the fetch lands printed for the Zendikar Expedition series cards, which appeared in the Oath of the Gatewatch and Battle for Zendikar sets. The popularity of these cards was the catalyst for the concept of Masterpieces.
The Zendikar Expeditions lands were not at the time branded as “Masterpieces.” However, they are retroactively referred to as and considered as Masterpieces for the sake of collectability.
MTG Sets with Masterpieces
There are several sets with cards that are specifically branded as and considered as Masterpieces.
You can find Masterpieces in these sets:
- Hour of Devastation
- Amonkhet
- Aether Revolt
- Kaladesh
- Ultimate Masters
Hour of Devastation
One of the more recent sets, Hour of Devastation follows a neat Egyptian theme and features a lot of cards with one of Magic’s greatest villians, Nicol Bolas. As far as Masterpieces go, you can find a comprehensive list of those included in this set here.
This is also one of the most affordable sets on the list, so those looking to cheaply purchase a box to expand their collection should give it consideration.
Amonkhet
As part of the same block as Hour of Devastation, Amonkhet also follows an Egyptian mythology theme. In addition to the possibility of drawing Masterpieces, you’ll find creepy mummies and beautiful Egyptian cats in this set.
The full list of potential Masterpieces you could pull is here.
Kaladesh
A vaguely steampunk and vehicle-inspired theme was also utilized in Kaladesh. You might also find a useful Panharmonicon or fast land in Kaladesh packs.
The complete list of Kaladesh Masterpieces, which is the same as those in Aether Revolt, can be found here.
Ultimate Masters
Unlike with the other sets on this list, Ultimate Masters guaranteed that you would get one Ultimate Box Topper, considered a Masterpiece, with each box. As a whole, the set is also more powerful than most others because it contains reprints of some of the strongest cards in Magic.
The Ultimate Box Topper list is here.
MTG Sets With Retroactive Masterpieces
The sets included in this part of the list have cards that were not officially marketed as Masterpieces at the time. They are now retroactively considered Masterpieces, and may be treated as such.
There are only two sets with retroactive Masterpieces:
- Oath of the Gatewatch
- Battle for Zendikar
Oath of the Gatewatch
In each Oath of Gatewatch booster pack, you have the possibility of pulling one of a few beautiful and rare lands now considered Masterpieces. These are the first Masterpieces in Magic: the Gathering history, and they’re accordingly expensive.
You can find images of each one right here.
Battle for Zendikar
Like Oath of the Gatewatch, you might pull any of the Zendikar Expeditions lands. It’s also still a quite inexpensive option as far as booster boxes go.
Take a look at the entire list of Zendikar Expeditions lands you could get.
Aether Revolt
With Aether Revolt, you’ll find tons of vehicle-based cards and the Crew mechanic that allowed creatures to effectively “pilot” those vehicles. The effect was that said vehicles could temporarily function as creatures rather than just artifacts.
Click here for the full list of Masterpieces you could find in Aether Revolt.
Wrap Up
It’s true that you could get Masterpieces from any of the above sets. However, aside from the Ultimate Box Toppers in the Ultimate Masters boxes, it’s not absolutely guaranteed you’ll receive these Masterpieces with the purchase of a pack or even box.
If you want a specific Masterpiece, the only way to guarantee you get it is to buy it individually.
Booster boxes and packs are best for buying when you want to add a bunch of cards to your collection at once. They’re also a solid choice if you simply like the rush of opening a pack.
Interested in adding valuable fetch lands to your stock of MTG cards? Check out our guide to sets with fetch lands.