How Often Does Refresh Get Reprinted Across MTG Sets?

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Refresh card art from Odyssey by Keith Garletts

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

How Often Does Refresh Get Reprinted Across MTG Sets?

If you’ve ever chased the green instant Refresh, you know it isn’t just about the two-mana swing in your curve—it’s about the little moments that surround a card’s life in the sandbox of Magic: The Gathering. Refresh first appeared in Odyssey, released in 2001, as a common green instant with a tidy two-mana cost: {2}{G}. Its effects—Regenerate target creature and Draw a card—are quintessentially green: value, inevitability, and the dance between offense and resilience. The art by Keith Garletts captures a moment of quiet revival, a moth-like image that flits toward a spark of life, and the flavor text by Nantuko teachers adds a touch of philosophy to the battlefield. This combination of utility and mood is precisely why collectors and players alike may wonder about reprint frequency across sets, eras, and printings. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Looking at the data snapshot for Refresh, we see a card that has remained in the older corners of the card catalog rather than becoming a frequent reprint staple. In the Scryfall dataset, Refresh is listed as a common in Odyssey, with a non-foil and a foil printing—yet there isn’t an obvious, ongoing trail of reprint appearances in later sets. The card’s lineage is rooted in green’s classic toolkit: it buys time by returning a creature to life, while finally rewarding you with a card draw that keeps your options open. But the question remains: how often do we see Refresh reappear in the modern era? The data we’ve compiled suggests not as often as some evergreen staples, though it remains a beloved artifact of its time. The rarity label, at common, already signals that it’s the sort of card that could fit into lordly reprint cycles, but the truth in the wild is more nuanced. Sometimes, the significance of a card isn’t in a new printing, but in its continued presence in casual formats, Commander circles, and budget decks. 🎲

Data snapshot: Refresh in context

  • Card name: Refresh
  • Set: Odyssey
  • Mana cost: {2}{G}
  • Type: Instant
  • Rarity: Common
  • Text: Regenerate target creature. Draw a card.
  • Flavor text: “Death is a moth that dances toward our inner flame. The brightest fire can singe its wings.” — Nantuko teaching
  • Printings: Odyssey (and foil/nonfoil variants as part of Odyssey printings); no obvious reprint flag in the supplied data
  • Color identity: Green
  • Artwork: Keith Garletts

From a design perspective, Refresh embodies the early 2000s approach to green) mechanics: cheap threat mitigation, card advantage, and a simple, clean effect that rewards tempo and board presence. The regenerating shield mirrors the era’s fascination with creatures enduring through combat, while the card draw keeps the engine turning. This duality—regeneration and card draw—tells a story about green’s core philosophy: leveraging life and vitality to outlast opponents. The flavor text, with its Nantuko reference, adds a depth that resonates in casual play as well as in lore discussions. It’s a card that invites nostalgia, and that emotional pull can influence how often it’s reprinted in spirit—even if print counts don’t always align with fan desire. 🧙‍♂️

So why does a card like Refresh show up in reprint cycles less frequently than, say, a modern planeswalker or a cornerstone removal spell? There are a few factors at play beyond raw power: meta shift, set themes, and the desire to keep evergreen staples in circulation. Odyssey itself was part of a long bridging arc in MTG’s history, paving the way for blocks that explored regeneration and card draw in distinct package formats. When Wizards designs new sets, they weigh whether a card’s effect is still relevant to current formats and whether its art and flavor would resonate with new audiences. In Refresh’s case, its mechanics don’t push the modern meta as aggressively as some newer green plays—but its timeless design ensures it remains a favorite for nostalgia-seekers and budget players. ⚔️

For collectors and players who prefer modern printings, the absence of frequent reprints for Refresh doesn’t diminish its charm. In fact, it can enhance collector value for enthusiasts who chase Odyssey-era commons, foil variants, or condition-specific printings. The card’s value in a sealed product or a curated collection isn’t solely about playability; it’s about preserving a snapshot of MTG’s evolution. The art, the flavor, and the memory of the time when regenerating a creature and drawing a card felt like a small, strategic victory all contribute to a durable, if understated, appeal. 💎

As we compare art reprint frequency across MTG sets, Refresh serves as a guidepost: not every beloved card must be reprinted to remain significant. Some cards accrue secondary life through unique formats, casual playgroups, or the stories they tell in the corners of the color wheel. And while this particular green instant may not flood booster boxes, it still fosters thoughtful conversations about card design, collectability, and the enduring magic of reprints that keep old-school memories alive. 🎨🪄

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