Only two Illustration Rares and one Special Illustration Rare have been cut from our set: Snorlax, Mewtwo, and Mew ex have been turned into promos for some of our English products
While it is true that a few of these cards have now been Masterpieces twice (Mana Vault, Ancient Tomb, Through the Breach), we need only look as far as Mana Crypt and Sol Ring for examples of cards that have had multiple rare and shiny versions that have tended to trend upward together once the Masterpiece started to rise
As such, Tom LaPille and his development team worked very hard to find a good balance between the two options
Investors should prioritize rarity to showcase valuable pieces
Lots of people these days know all about the ultra modern cards such as the Prismatic Evolutions Umbreon ex and even extremely old collectibles such as the Base Set Charizard, but the sets from the 2000s deserve their time in the spotlight
This can be effective against creature decks that dont go too wide, but with some downsides