Innistrad Remastered: The Collector’s Guide

The Legacy of Innistrad Remastered

MTG Innistrad Remastered is the latest in a long line of ‘remastered’ MTG products, where multiple previously-released sets based on a single plane are pulled together in a single ‘best of’ release. We’ve had Time Spiral Remastered, Dominaria Remastered, Ravnica Remastered, and now it’s time for everyone’s favourite spooky plane, the Gothic Horror plane of Innistrad! With hordes of zombies, lurking demons and charming vampires, there’s a lot for players to sink their teeth into.

As a Remastered set, the cards included are tried-and-tested bangers across multiple formats – some are here for limited, but others stretch back all the way back to Modern, Legacy and even Vintage. This means Innistrad Remastered will have particular appeal to collectors, providing new and exciting versions of some of the most powerful and best loved cards in MTG history.

Not only that, but the set is full of exciting variants that we’ve not seen before. Let’s take a deep look at what’s lurking in the shadows.

Frames and variants

A key feature of collecting Innistrad Remastered is the card variants in the set, with many cards never printed in that style before.

Firstly we have the old border ‘retro’ cards, with icons like Snapcaster Mage, Liliana of the Veil and Griselbrand printed in the traditional frame for the first time. Players of eternal formats such as Legacy and Vintage are going to love the option of playing these well-loved cards in the retro frame. Interestingly many of these old frame cards ONLY appear in old frames in the set. As part of these, double-sided cards, like Delver of Secrets, are getting the retro frame for the very first time too. Each Play booster has a slot for a retro frame card, while foil retro frames are only in Collector boosters.

Perhaps most striking of all is the ‘monster poster’ treatment, perfect for a set based on old horror movies. These full-art, borderless treatments look incredible and show what a vintage horror movie about some of these monsters would look like, featuring on 10 cards in the set. These versions are only available in Collector boosters.

Full-art cards make a return with cards like Young Wolf, which are perfect for making your Modern or Commander deck look even better. Borderless cards are found in both Play and Collector boosters.

The Innistrad showcase treatments from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Crimson Vow make a return – ‘equinox’ for werewolves and ‘fang’ for vampires, on cards that didn’t have it previously, such as Blood Artist and Huntmaster of the Fells.

The set also features MTG’s first ‘headliner’ card – a new feature where one card gets an ultra special treatment. In this case it's the serialized, double rainbow foil, movie poster Edgar Markov!

The other element of note is that the MTG Innistrad Remastered set is unique in that it actually features a few cards that were not originally printed in an Innnistrad set. While most cards are from either Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Anacyn Restored, Shadows Over Innistrad, Eldritch Moon, Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, cards from other sets that are a flavourful it make an appearance to. Among them is Mass Hysteria, originally printed in Mirrodin. This adds an extra aspect for collectors, with some of these cards printed in old border for the first time, or simply due to the new Innistrad flavour (Mass Hysteria’s new art features werewolves, for example).

Key Cards and Their Value

Now let’s look at some of the best cards in Innistrad Remastered:

Edgar Markhov

Edgar Markov is one of the most powerful commanders of all time. With his ‘eminence’ ability, he has an impact on the game without even being cast, and an opponent can do nothing about it. Not only was the card in desperate need of a reprint in terms of its price, but it appears in the set in a standard border, a retro border, with a showcase ‘fang’ frame, and showcase ‘movie poster’ serialised double rainbow foil! There are 500 of the latter to find in Collector Boosters.

The Meathook Massacre

The Meathook Massacre is the newest card on the set, and a huge hit from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt. Not only is it a sweeper can that can get around indestructible, but provides a drain effect that soon mounts up. So powerful it was banned in Standard at the time, it’s a Commander favourite, especially in ‘aristocrats’ style decks.

Emrakul, the Promoised End

Another card that was too good for Standard when it first appeared and was banned, Emrakul, the Promised End is a literal game ender. Taking over your opponent's turn is usually enough to finish them off, casting their own spells against them and running their creatures into your bigger blockers. Emrakul first appeared in Eldritch moon, when the powerful Eldrazi was having a distorting, cosmic-horror influence over the gothic plane.

Liliana of the Veil

Once deemed the most powerful Planeswalker of all time, Liliana can lock your opponents out of the game, destroying either their hand or their creatures, putting them between a rock and a hard place! In Commander, Liliana really shines when you can turn the self-discard into an advantage, such as reanimator. Liliana appears in Innistrad Remastered in retro border for the first time.

Snapcaster Mage

While perhaps not the powerhouse it once was, Snapcaster remains a well-loved, frequently played card across many formats. Allowing you to recast any instant or sorcery from your graveyard for just two mana extra, as well as providing an instant-speed two-power creature, is very powerful, and ‘Snappy’ appears in the set for the first time in retro broader.

Summary

Whether you're collecting Innistrad Remasted or looking to crack packs and pull the best cards of Innistrad Remastered, there’s something for everyone in what has to be one of the best ever MTG Innistrad sets. Whether it's a sealed product or singles, perhaps one of the amazing variants in the set, everything you need is on the Innistrad Remastered page at Magic Madhouse!