Land cycles are always welcome to MTG players, no matter what format you focus on. Many have been speculating on what land cycle we would get next for Standard. Fetches were out of the question, and the Shock Lands and Check Lands are all already in print. The Scry Lands have been considered an option, but without going back to Theros, many players speculated we wouldn’t get the cycle. To the surprise of many though, we’re getting them anyways, and in Core Set 2020 of all places!
[irp posts=”26109″ name=”Core Set 2020 Day 2 Recap | All Spoilers for June 18″]
Breakdown
We ended up getting the enemy colored cycle of Theros Scry Lands, but none of the allied colored cycle. Their names are Temple of Malady, Temple of Triumph, Temple of Silence, Temple of Mystery, and Temple of Epiphany. These lands are pretty simple: they come into play tapped and scry 1 when they enter. They do not have the land types like Shock Lands do, so it’s important to note they do not work with the Check Lands currently in Standard.
These are fantastic reprints, and they should hopefully lower the cost of the Scry Land cycle in general. The prices on these lands have been slowly creeping up over the past few years. Now, the lands should become very affordable for newer players or those building mana bases for their Standard decks.
But what formats are these lands played in besides Standard? Commander is the main home for them, where any dual land with a slight upside is fantastic. Not everyone can afford a Tropical Island, but a Temple of Mystery can do the job just fine. Some fringe decks in Modern play them, but they’re extremely niche in the format.
The reprinting of these lands, along with the printing of Starfield Mystic, hints at a return to Theros block. Could we see a revival of devotion mechanics and enchantment creatures? Stay tuned to Daily Esports for more spoilers, and you just might find out.
