Final MTG Stardates Dump Reveals Multiple $35+ Reprints With Dubious Artwork

Today’s WeeklyMTG stream was absolutely packed with new MTG Star Trek content. Not only did we get a full look at both of the set’s Scene Boxes, but we also got the final reveal dump for the MTG Stardates reprints as well. As with most recent Universes Beyond bonus sheets, this one is a mixed bag both aesthetically and financially, with some great reprints and questionable art alike.

The Heavy Hitters

While we only saw a few seriously expensive reprints from Stardates today, they are undeniably bangers. Leading the pack at $42.50, we have Bruvac the GrandiloquentBruvac the GrandiloquentIf an opponent would mill one or more cards, they mill twice that many cards instead. (To mill a card, a player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.), a real modern classic for Mill decks. By doubling all your mill effects on a reasonably-costed body, this card is not only a staple in the 99 of most Mill decks, but also one of the best Mill Commanders in its own right.

Bruvac aside, the rest of today’s big Stardates reprints are all lands. Talon Gates of Madara gets its first-ever reprint here after its debut in Modern Horizons 3, adding a $36 card to the pool. This has quickly become one of the best utility lands in high-level Commander, serving as a flexible combo piece in Gaea’s CradleGaea’s Cradle{T}: Add {G} for each creature you control.-focused decks like Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy. The card also shines in lower brackets, with over 244,000 decks running it by current EDHREC numbers. Beyond Commander, Workshop decks in Vintage and Cradle Control decks in Legacy also love Talon Gates, making it a real multi-format all-star.

Though not quite a first-time reprint, Shizo, Death’s StorehouseShizo, Death’s Storehouse{T}: Add {B}.
{B}, {T}: Target legendary creature gains fear until end of turn. (It can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures.) is also making another appearance in Stardates, after only one reprint on The List since its 2004 debut. This is a surprisingly powerful land, granting reliable evasion for just a single black mana, which helps out a ton in decks like Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow and Kaalia of the VastKaalia of the VastFlying
Whenever Kaalia attacks an opponent, you may put an Angel, Demon, or Dragon creature card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that opponent.. It’s also an untapped black source, meaning that, like the Kamigawa Channel lands, it’s essentially a free include in most black decks that want it. As a result, it’s currently sitting at a very respectable $35.

Rounding out the bangers from today’s final Stardates dump, Phyrexian TowerPhyrexian Tower{T}: Add {C}.
{T}, Sacrifice a creature: Add {B}{B}. is a very welcome reprint. This is a stone-cold classic in Commander, appearing in a staggering 490,000 decks across all brackets. Whether it’s a casual graveyard deck like Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver, or a serious cEDH list like Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh and Silas Renn, Seeker Adept, Phyrexian Tower can generate tons of value, triggering sacrifice synergies while powering you ahead by two mana. Factor in its considerable play in Modern after a Modern Horizons 3 reprint in 2024, and it’s no wonder this classic land is sitting at $30.50 on the low end.

The Solid Reprints

After this, things drop off considerably for the Stardates bonus sheet value-wise, but you can still find some decent hits. Legendary creatures, in particular, are well-represented here, with old cEDH favorite Arcum DagssonArcum Dagsson{T}: Target artifact creature's controller sacrifices it. That player may search their library for a noncreature artifact card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. leading the charge at $15.50. We’re also getting a reprint of Empress GalinaEmpress Galina{U}{U}, {T}: Gain control of target legendary permanent. (This effect lasts indefinitely.) at $14.60, and a first-time reprint of Thada Adel, Acquisitor at $10.30. These are joined by the notoriously unfun Sen Triplets at $9.20, and Captain Sisay, which currently sits around $13.60. Sisay is notably already available for just $5.70 as an Avatar Source Material reprint, so this alternate art version could be worth a similar amount.

The bulk of the other somewhat valuable cards here are legendary creatures as well, with Drivnod, Carnage Dominus at $6.30, Mogis, God of Slaughter at $5.80, and Stella Lee, Wild Card at $4.60. This is actually Stella Lee’s first ever reprint after the Thunder Junction Commander decks, so this is a great add, especially since the card is fringe cEDH playable. Other notable legends, specifically Torbran, Thane of Red Fell, Isshin, Two Heavens as One, and Sisay, Weatherlight Captain round this batch out at $4.50, $3.85, and $2.60, respectively.

One interesting anomaly among these mid-value cards is Flare of Fortitude, one of Magic’s more balanced ‘free’ spells, which clocks in at $5.90. This is a proper Commander staple in white, showing up in over 195,000 decks as a budget alternative to cards like Teferi’s Protection. It’s also a first-time reprint here, which is great to see, even if its original Modern Horizons 3 appearance was only two years ago at this point.

The Regrettable Duds

As is always the case with bonus sheets in Magic, a lot of the reprints on offer in Stardates are, essentially, bulk duds. The most valuable card left at this point is Ertai Resurrected at $1, and things go quickly downhill after that price-wise. That said, while there’s not a ton of value on offer here, there are at least some pretty playable cards.

Green Landfall players, in particular, are eating quite well here, with both Loot, Exuberant Explorer and Tatyova, Benthic DruidTatyova, Benthic DruidLandfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you gain 1 life and draw a card. getting reprints. Counter-based Commander decks also get a couple of playable reprints in Rishkar, Peema RenegadeRishkar, Peema RenegadeWhen Rishkar enters, put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target creatures.
Each creature you control with a counter on it has "{T}: Add {G}." and Mikaeus, the Lunarch, both of which are, notably, the first alternate-art versions of these classics. None of these cards are worth more than $1, however, so they’re not exactly moving the value needle much.

Similarly, Jhoira, Weatherlight CaptainJhoira, Weatherlight CaptainWhenever you cast a historic spell, draw a card. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.) and Riku of Many Paths are both very playable Commanders, but price-wise duds at $0.40 and $0.30, respectively. Add in Hull Breach and Decree of Pain, two fairly underwhelming removal spells by current standards, and that’s all she wrote on the Stardates bonus sheet.

Overall, as always with MTG bonus sheets, Stardates is a bit of a mixed bag. There are certainly some great hits, but your chances of pulling one are low, especially now that Stardates aren’t guaranteed in Collector Boosters anymore. There’s also the added complication of the artwork, which is a bit uncanny given all the real-world actors involved, but could have the benefit of lowering prices considerably on some of the pricier reprints. Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see how things pan out once these cards hit the market.

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