It helps to [look at the whole set in Gatherer][1] and think about what you *don't* see. * The only counterspell is [Memory Lapse][2] (this is actually better now than it was back then -- remember this was competing with Counterspell and Mana Drain). * There are no real card draw spells. There is one looting spell, [Forget][3], and all the other "draw a card" cards are cantrips. * The only straight-up removal spell [costs 5][4] (beyond that, you've got the annoyingly-specific artifact-smashing Legends and [Serrated Arrows][5], which is one of the few cards to escape Homelands and actually see competitive play). * The only sweepers are a couple of cards that do 1 damage to everything (e.g. [Dry Spell][6]) and [Apocalypse Chime][7]. * There's no real burn in the entire set. Direct damage is limited to [overcosted pingers][8] and cards like [Winter Sky][9]. * There are no mana-ramp cards in the set. * There are a lots of cards like [AEther Storm][10] and [Aysen Highway][11] -- which do practically nothing (one notable exception: [An-Zerrin Ruins][12]). * Its flagship cards are *Legends*-style giant honkin' Legends that are practically unplayable against the competitive decks of its day. Basically **it's a set that's full of rather weak creatures and *almost nothing else***. Have fun turning [Spectral Bears][13] sideways! Mark Rosewater described it [this way][14]: > It wasn't very innovative. It didn't introduce any strong mechanics. > It didn't have good synergy. It wasn't particularly elegant. It didn't > have many of the qualities that we now judge a set's design by. (To be > fair, the set was very flavorful, so it wasn't without any design > merit.) Its reputation was cemented when Wizards tried to "fix" Homelands' unpopularity by [adding stupid rules to the first Pro Tour][15]. [1]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?set=%5B%22Homelands%22%5D [2]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2950 [3]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2941 [4]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2912 [5]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2909 [6]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2917 [7]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2900 [8]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2995 [9]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3009 [10]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2935 [11]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3016 [12]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2990 [13]: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2981 [14]: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr97 [15]: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr134