The trading card game Magic: The Gathering has released a large number of sets since it was first published by Wizards of the Coast. After the 1993 release of Limited Edition , also known as Alpha and Beta, roughly 3-4 major sets have been released per year, in addition to various spin-off products.
Magic has made three types of sets since Alpha and Beta: base/core sets, expansion sets, and compilation sets. [1] Expansion sets are the most numerous and prevalent type of expansion; they primarily consist of new cards, with few or no reprints, and either explore a new setting, or advance the plot in an existing setting. Base sets, later renamed core sets, are the successors to the original Limited Edition and are meant to provide a baseline Magic experience; they tended to consist either largely or entirely of reprints. Compilation sets also exist entirely of reprints, and tend to be made as either a special themed product, or as a way to increase supply of cards with small printings. Examples of compilation sets with randomized boosters include Chronicles and Modern Masters . There also exist compilation products with a pre-selected and fixed card pool, such as the Duel Decks and From The Vault series. Theme decks serve a similar function; however, they are always attached to a specific set or block, while compilations are free to pick and choose cards from any set.
All expansion sets, and all editions of the base set from Sixth Edition onward, are identified by an expansion symbol printed on the right side of cards, below the art and above the text box. From Exodus onward, the expansion symbols are also color-coded to denote rarity: black for common and basic land cards, silver for uncommon, and gold for rare. Beginning with the Shards of Alara set, a red-orange expansion symbol denotes a new rarity: "Mythic Rare" (the Time Spiral set featured an additional purple coloration for "timeshifted" cards [2] ). For the early expansion sets (from Arabian Nights to Alliances), the rarities of cards were often much more complicated than the breakdown into common, uncommon, and rare suggests. Cards in compilations are assigned partially arbitrary rarity by Wizards, with some cards assigned rare status and some assigned mythic rare in a given set.
After the second version (Beta) of the first set, which contained two cards mistakenly excluded from the first version (Alpha), all subsequent base sets through 10th Edition consisted of cards that had been printed before in either the original base set or an expansion set. Alpha through Fifth Edition did not have set symbols printed on the actual cards, though those sets were retroactively given set symbols in Wizards of the Coast's official Gatherer [3] database of Magic cards.
Set | Set symbol [3] | Set symbol description [3] | Set code [4] [3] | Pre-release date | Release date | Size [3] [5] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | ||||||
Limited Edition Alpha | None | LEA | none | August 5, 1993 [6] | 295 [I] | 74 | 95 | 116 | — | 10 | — | |
Limited Edition Beta | None | LEB | none | October 4, 1993 [7] | 302 [I] | 75 | 95 | 117 | — | 15 | — | |
Unlimited Edition | None | 2ED | none | December 1, 1993 [6] | 302 [I] | 75 | 95 | 117 | — | 15 | — | |
Revised Edition [II] | None | 3ED | none | April 11, 1994 [8] | 306 | 75 | 95 | 121 | — | 15 | — | |
Fourth Edition | None | 4ED | none | April 1995 [9] | 378 | 121 | 121 | 121 | — | 15 | — | |
Fifth Edition | None / Roman-numeral five [III] | 5ED | none | March 24, 1997 [10] | 449 | 165 | 132 | 132 | — | 20 | — | |
Classic Sixth Edition | A Roman-numeral six | 6ED | none | April 28, 1999 [10] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Seventh Edition | A serif numeral seven | 7ED | none | April 11, 2001 [10] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Eighth Edition | The number eight superimposed over three fanned cards | 8ED | none | July 28, 2003 [11] | 357 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | 7 [IV] | |
Ninth Edition | The number nine superimposed over three fanned cards | 9ED | none | July 29, 2005 [12] | 359 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | 9 [IV] | |
Tenth Edition | A Roman-numeral ten | 10E | none | July 13, 2007 [13] | 383 | 121 | 121 | 121 | — | 20 | — | |
Magic 2010 | "M10" | M10 | July 11, 2009 [14] | July 17, 2009 [15] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Magic 2011 | "M11" | M11 | July 10, 2010 [16] | July 16, 2010 [16] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Magic 2012 | "M12" | M12 | July 9, 2011 [17] | July 15, 2011 [17] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Magic 2013 | "M13" | M13 | July 7, 2012 [18] | July 13, 2012 [18] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Magic 2014 | "M14" | M14 | July 13, 2013 [19] | July 19, 2013 [19] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Magic 2015 | "M15" | M15 | July 12, 2014 [20] | July 18, 2014 [20] | 284 | 101 | 80 [21] | 53 | 15 | 20 | 15 [IV] | |
Magic Origins | Planeswalker symbol breaking through the horizon | ORI | July 11, 2015 [22] | July 17, 2015 [22] | 288 | 101 | 80 | 55 | 16 | 20 | 16 [IV] | |
Core Set 2019 | "M19" | M19 | July 7, 2018 | July 13, 2018 [23] | 280 | 111 | 80 | 53 | 16 | 20 | — | |
Core Set 2020 | "M20" | M20 | July 5, 2019 | July 12, 2019 [24] | 321 | 152 | 86 | 65 | 16 | 20 | — | |
Core Set 2021 | "M21" | M21 | June 26, 2020 | July 3, 2020 [25] | 274 | 111 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 15 | — | |
Magic: The Gathering Foundations | A five-point star-shaped portal | FDN | November 15, 2024 [26] | — |
Expansion sets from Ice Age to Rivals of Ixalan (with the exception of Homelands) came in groups called "blocks". Blocks were cohesive products: they usually centered around one plane, followed a particular storyline, and contained cards and mechanics that supported both. Blocks generally consisted of one large "stand-alone" expansion set of 250-380 cards, followed by one or two small expansion sets of 141-200 cards which continue the themes introduced in the large set. Like the base set, stand-alone expansion sets contain basic land cards; other expansion sets do not. Beginning with Alliances , expansion sets were given codenames while in development; the code names of the expansions of a block usually fit together to form a phrase or common theme. [27] Ice Age, Homelands, and Alliances were retroactively declared a block at some point, despite Homelands not being connected to the other two in any way. In 2006, WotC retroactively dropped Homelands from the Ice Age cycle and added Coldsnap to it. With the Zendikar cycle in 2009, the traditional large-small-small block structure began to be varied, with some blocks including a second large set later in the cycle. Starting with the Battle for Zendikar block in 2015, the default structure of a block was changed to large-small, with two blocks released per year and each block consisting of only two sets. [28]
Ice Age and Alliances were the first two sets to have a well-defined relationship, but the idea of calling connected sets a "block" or "cycle" did not exist at the time of printing. Also beginning with Alliances in June 1996, expansion sets were released in a regular pattern: the base sets were released in October with the small expansion sets being released in February and June. With the exceptions of Stronghold , a 1998 set released in March rather than February, and Scourge , a 2003 set which was released in May rather than June, this pattern of months was never broken, over a 10-year period, until 2006, when Dissension was also released a month early in May instead of June, because of the July release of Coldsnap. The third set in a block has since been released in late April or early May. From 2005-2015, there was a fourth release date each year in mid-July, usually reserved for base sets. Other summer releases included Coldsnap and Eventide . [XXVI]
Fallen Empires was an experimental expansion in which most cards have three or four different pieces of artwork. You could see them as 121 common cards, by art, or 36 cards by the text. It was also a major expansion in the idea of tribes, especially Goblins and Merfolk.
Most early expansion sets did not have exact release dates; they were just shipped out within the space of a week, and retailers could start selling them as soon as the sets were received. By the time of Alliances in 1996, however, release dates were set as Mondays (the earliest set with an exact Monday release date might possibly have preceded Alliances, but Alliances is the earliest set with a cited and confirmed Monday release date). Beginning with Mirrodin in 2003, the release dates were changed from Monday to Friday. All sets beginning with Homelands [VI] also have a pre-release date, on which cards are sold in limited quantities in pre-release tournaments. These tournaments were formerly always held two weeks before the release date, but since Shards of Alara they are now held one week before the release date.
Premium cards have been inserted into booster packs since Urza's Legacy . Originally 1 premium card was inserted for every 100 cards. The ratio was changed to 1 in 70 cards with the Torment expansion. Beginning with Tenth Edition the rate was increased to 1 in 56 cards. [29] This later changed to 1 in 45 cards with "Core Set 2020"
Starting with Battle for Zendikar cycle, sets sometimes also contain an entry in the Masterpiece Series. [30]
The block model has evolved as time went on. In addition to a formalized structure (which was occasionally varied) Wizards began to have trouble developing small sets that satisfied their own quality standards. Players also reported fatigue at playing in the same environment for a year at a time. The decision to remove one small set from each block, as showcased in Battle For Zendikar block, was a result of this dissatisfaction. It culminated in the decision to delete small sets entirely; since the conclusion of Ixalan cycle, all sets have been large-sized sets. However, not all large-size sets will involve travel to a new plane; some will be sequels to the set prior to it, if the depth of the plane's story and mechanics allows. Dominaria, released in 2018, was the first set under this model. [30]
Set | Expansion symbol | Expansion symbol description [3] | Expansion code [4] [3] | Development codename [27] | Pre-release date | Release date | Size [3] [5] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | |||||||
Pre-cycle sets [30] | |||||||||||||
Arabian Nights | A scimitar | ARN | Arabian Nights [31] | none | December 1993 [32] | 92 [V] | 41 | 19 | 32 | — | 1 | — | |
Antiquities | An anvil | ATQ | Antiquities [31] | none | March 1994 [33] | 100 [VI] | 30 | 44 | 26 | — | — | — | |
Legends | The capital of a Doric column | LEG | Legends [31] | none | June 1994 [34] | 310 | 75 | 114 | 121 | — | — | — | |
The Dark | A thin crescent moon | DRK | The Dark [31] | none | August 1994 [35] | 119 | 40 | 44 | 35 | — | — | — | |
Fallen Empires | A crown | FEM | Fallen Empires [31] | none | November 1994 [36] | 187 [VII] | 121 | 66 | — | — | — | — | |
Ice Age | A snowflake | ICE | Ice Age [31] | none [VII] | June 1995 [37] | 383 | 121 | 121 | 121 | — | 15 | — | |
Homelands [IX] | The globe of Ulgrotha | HML | Homelands [31] | October 14, 1995 [VII] | October 1995 [38] | 140 [X] | 71 | 27 | 42 | — | — | — | |
Alliances | A flowing banner | ALL | Quack [27] | May 18, 1996 [39] | June 10, 1996 [10] | 199 [XI] | 110 | 43 | 46 | — | — | — | |
Mirage Block | |||||||||||||
Mirage | A palm tree | MIR | Sosumi/Menagerie [27] | September 21, 1996 [40] [XXV] | October 7, 1996 [10] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Visions | Zhalfirin Triangle of War/stylized "V" | VIS | Mirage Jr. [27] | January 11, 1997 [41] | February 3, 1997 [42] | 167 | 62 | 55 | 50 | — | — | — | |
Weatherlight | The Thran Tome, an open book | WTH | Mochalatte [27] | May 31, 1997 [43] | June 9, 1997 [10] | 167 | 62 | 55 | 50 | — | — | — | |
Tempest Block | |||||||||||||
Tempest | A storm cloud | TMP | Bogavhati [27] | October 4, 1997 [44] | October 13, 1997 [10] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Stronghold | A portcullis | STH | Rachimulot [27] | February 21, 1998 [45] | March 2, 1998 [10] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Exodus | A bridge | EXO | Gorgonzola [27] | June 6, 1998 [46] | June 15, 1998 [10] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Urza's Block | |||||||||||||
Urza's Saga | Two gears | USG | Armadillo [27] | October 3, 1998 [47] | October 12, 1998 [48] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Urza's Legacy | A hammer | ULG | Guacamole [27] | February 6, 1999 [49] | February 15, 1999 [10] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Urza's Destiny | An Erlenmeyer flask | UDS | Chimichanga [27] | May 29, 1999 [44] | June 7, 1999 [50] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Masques Block | |||||||||||||
Mercadian Masques | A domino mask | MMQ | Archimedes [27] | September 25, 1999 [51] | October 4, 1999 [52] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Nemesis | The spiked halberd wielded by Crovax | NEM | Euripides [27] | February 5, 2000 [53] | February 14, 2000 [54] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Prophecy | Three crystals | PCY | Dionysus [27] | May 27, 2000 | June 5, 2000 [55] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Invasion Block | |||||||||||||
Invasion | The symbol of the Coalition [XII] | INV | Beijing [27] | September 23, 2000 [44] | October 2, 2000 [56] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Planeshift | A swirling portal | PLS | Hong Kong [27] | January 27, 2001 [57] | February 5, 2001 [57] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Apocalypse | The mask of Yawgmoth | APC | Shanghai [27] | May 26, 2001 [58] | June 4, 2001 | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Odyssey Block | |||||||||||||
Odyssey | The Mirari on a twisted stand | ODY | Argon [27] | September 22, 2001 [44] | October 1, 2001 | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Torment | An ouroboros / A nightmare creature | TOR | Boron [27] | January 26, 2002 [59] | February 4, 2002 [59] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Judgment | A balancing scale | JUD | Carbon [27] | May 18, 2002 | May 27, 2002 [60] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Onslaught Block | |||||||||||||
Onslaught | A four-legged "morph" [XIII] creature | ONS | Manny [27] | September 28, 2002 [61] | October 7, 2002 [61] | 350 | 110 | 110 | 110 | — | 20 | — | |
Legions | Two crossed spears behind a shield | LGN | Moe [27] | January 25, 2003 [62] | February 3, 2003 | 145 | 55 | 45 | 45 | — | — | — | |
Scourge | A dragon mask/skull | SCG | Jack [27] | May 17, 2003 [63] | May 26, 2003 [63] | 143 | 55 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | |
Mirrodin Block | |||||||||||||
Mirrodin | The Sword of Kaldra | MRD | Bacon [27] | September 20, 2003 [64] | October 2, 2003 [64] | 306 | 110 | 88 | 88 | — | 20 | — | |
Darksteel | The shield of Kaldra | DST | Lettuce [27] | January 24, 2004 [65] | February 6, 2004 [65] | 165 | 55 | 55 | 55 | — | — | — | |
Fifth Dawn | The helm of Kaldra | 5DN | Tomato [27] | May 22, 2004 [66] | June 4, 2004 [67] | 165 | 55 | 55 | 55 | — | — | — | |
Kamigawa Block | |||||||||||||
Champions of Kamigawa | A torii gate | CHK | Earth [27] | September 18, 2004 [68] | October 1, 2004 [69] | 306 | 110 | 88 [XIV] | 88 | — | 20 | — | |
Betrayers of Kamigawa | A shuriken | BOK | Wind [27] | January 22, 2005 [70] | February 4, 2005 [69] | 165 | 55 | 55 | 55 | — | — | — | |
Saviors of Kamigawa | A Japanese-style lantern | SOK | Fire [27] | May 21, 2005 [71] | June 3, 2005 [69] | 165 | 55 | 55 | 55 | — | — | — | |
Ravnica Block | |||||||||||||
Ravnica: City of Guilds | A Gothic-style church tower | RAV | Control [72] | September 24, 2005 [73] | October 7, 2005 [74] | 306 | 110 | 88 | 88 | — | 20 | — | |
Guildpact | The seal of the Guildpact | GPT | Alt [72] | January 21, 2006 [75] | February 3, 2006 [75] | 165 | 55 | 55 | 55 | — | — | — | |
Dissension | The broken seal of the Guildpact | DIS | Delete [72] | April 22, 2006 [76] | May 5, 2006 [76] | 180 | 60 | 60 | 60 | — | — | — | |
Coldsnap | |||||||||||||
Coldsnap [IX] | A hanging trio of icicles | CSP | Splat [27] | July 8, 2006 [77] | July 21, 2006 [78] | 155 | 60 | 55 | 40 | — | — | — | |
Time Spiral Block | |||||||||||||
Time Spiral | An hourglass | TSP/TSB [XV] | Snap [72] | September 23, 2006 [79] | October 6, 2006 [79] | 422 [XV] | 121 | 80 | 80 | — | 20 | 121 | |
Planar Chaos | Stylized letters "PC" / Möbius strip / overlapping planes | PLC | Crackle [72] | January 20, 2007 [80] | February 2, 2007 [80] | 165 [XV] | 60 | 55 | 50 | — | — | — | |
Future Sight | An eye gazing through a rift portal | FUT | Pop [72] | April 21, 2007 [81] | May 4, 2007 [81] | 180 [XV] | 60 | 60 | 60 | — | — | — | |
Lorwyn Block | |||||||||||||
Lorwyn | Elvish "leaf blade" with a serrated edge | LRW | Peanut [82] | September 29, 2007 [83] | October 12, 2007 [83] | 301 | 121 | 80 | 80 | — | 20 | — | |
Morningtide | Sunrise / A flame | MOR | Butter [82] | January 19, 2008 [84] | February 1, 2008 [84] | 150 | 60 | 40 | 50 | — | — | — | |
Shadowmoor Block [85] | |||||||||||||
Shadowmoor | Crown of the Reaper King | SHM | Jelly [82] | April 19, 2008 [86] | May 2, 2008 [86] | 301 | 121 | 80 | 80 | — | 20 | — | |
Eventide | Eclipsed sun | EVE | Doughnut [85] | July 12, 2008 [87] | July 25, 2008 [87] | 180 | 60 | 60 | 60 | — | — | — | |
Alara Block | |||||||||||||
Shards of Alara | 5 shards of a plane | ALA | Rock [88] | September 27, 2008 [89] | October 3, 2008 [90] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Conflux | 5 shards coming together | CON | Paper [88] | January 31, 2009 [91] | February 6, 2009 [91] | 145 | 60 | 40 | 35 | 10 | — | — | |
Alara Reborn | 5 shards connected | ARB | Scissors [88] | April 25, 2009 [92] | April 30, 2009 [92] | 145 | 60 | 40 | 35 | 10 | — | — | |
Zendikar Block | |||||||||||||
Zendikar | A hedron | ZEN | Live [88] | September 26, 2009 [93] | October 2, 2009 [93] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Worldwake | A hedron opening | WWK | Long [88] | January 30, 2010 [94] | February 5, 2010 [94] | 145 | 60 | 40 | 35 | 10 | — | — | |
Rise of the Eldrazi | A hedron opened | ROE | Prosper [88] | April 17, 2010 [95] | April 23, 2010 [95] | 248 | 100 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Scars of Mirrodin Block | |||||||||||||
Scars of Mirrodin | Encircled hexplate with a smaller hex cut out | SOM | Lights [96] | September 25, 2010 [97] | October 1, 2010 [97] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Mirrodin Besieged | Mirran/Phyrexian symbols combined | MBS | Camera [96] | January 29, 2011 [98] | February 4, 2011 [98] | 155 | 60 | 40 | 35 | 10 | 10 | — | |
New Phyrexia | The letter Phi, the symbol of Phyrexia | NPH | Action [96] | May 7, 2011 [99] [100] | May 13, 2011 [99] [100] | 175 | 60 | 60 | 35 | 10 | 10 | — | |
Innistrad Block | |||||||||||||
Innistrad | Two stylized outward facing herons [101] | ISD [102] | Shake [96] | September 24, 2011 [103] | September 30, 2011 [103] | 264 [XXVII] | 107 | 67 | 59 | 16 | 15 | — | |
Dark Ascension | Innistrad symbol turned inward [104] | DKA [105] | Rattle [96] | January 28, 2012 [105] | February 3, 2012 [105] | 158 [XXVII] | 64 | 44 | 38 | 12 | — | — | |
Avacyn Restored | The collar of Avacyn | AVR [106] | Roll [96] | April 28, 2012 [106] | May 4, 2012 [106] | 244 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 15 | — | |
Return to Ravnica Block | |||||||||||||
Return to Ravnica | Symbol of the five guilds in set | RTR [107] | Hook [88] [108] | September 29, 2012 [107] | October 5, 2012 [107] | 274 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 25 | — | |
Gatecrash | Pointed arch | GTC [109] | Line [88] [108] | January 26, 2013 [109] | February 1, 2013 [109] | 249 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | |
Dragon's Maze | Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash symbols combined [110] | DGM [110] | Sinker [88] [108] | April 27, 2013 [110] | May 3, 2013 [110] | 156 [XXVIII] | 70 | 40 | 35 | 11 | — | — | |
Theros Block | |||||||||||||
Theros | Column and arcs | THS [111] | Friends [88] [108] | September 21, 2013 [111] | September 27, 2013 [111] | 249 | 101 | 60 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Born of the Gods | Horns of Xenagos | BNG [112] | Romans [88] [108] | February 1, 2014 [112] | February 7, 2014 [112] | 165 | 60 | 60 | 35 | 10 | — | — | |
Journey into Nyx | Horns of Xenagos and column | JOU [113] | Countrymen [88] [108] | April 26, 2014 [114] | May 2, 2014 [113] | 165 | 60 | 60 | 35 | 10 | — | — | |
Khans of Tarkir Block | |||||||||||||
Khans of Tarkir | Two crossed scimitars in front of a shield | KTK [115] | Huey [116] | September 20, 2014 [115] | September 26, 2014 [115] | 269 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Fate Reforged | Two mirrored fangs/timelines | FRF [117] | Dewey [116] | January 17, 2015 [117] | January 23, 2015 [117] | 185 [XXIX] | 70 | 60 | 35 | 10 | 10 | — | |
Dragons of Tarkir | A shield in the shape of a dragon's face | DTK [118] | Louie [116] | March 21, 2015 [118] | March 27, 2015 [118] | 264 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 15 | — | |
Battle for Zendikar Block | |||||||||||||
Battle for Zendikar | A hedron with a "Z" crimp | BFZ [119] | Blood [120] | September 26, 2015 [119] | October 2, 2015 [119] | 274 [XXX] | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 25 | — [XXX] | |
Oath of the Gatewatch | Kozilek blade projections | OGW [121] | Sweat [120] | January 16, 2016 [121] | January 22, 2016 [121] | 184 [XXX] | 70 | 60 | 42 [122] | 12 [122] | 2 | — [XXX] | |
Shadows over Innistrad Block | |||||||||||||
Shadows over Innistrad | Avacyn's collar deformed (in this case, upside-down) | SOI [123] | Tears [120] | April 2, 2016 [123] | April 8, 2016 [123] | 297 [XXXI] | 105 | 100 | 59 | 18 | 15 | — | |
Eldritch Moon | Silhouette of Emrakul | EMN [124] | Fears [28] | July 16, 2016 [124] | July 22, 2016 [124] | 205 [XXXI] | 74 | 70 | 47 | 14 [125] | — | — | |
Kaladesh Block | |||||||||||||
Kaladesh | Vines made of aether | KLD | Lock [126] | September 24, 2016 | September 30, 2016 | 264 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 15 | — | |
Aether Revolt | Blossom made of aether | AER | Stock [126] | January 14, 2017 | January 20, 2017 | 184 | 70 | 60 | 42 | 12 | — | — | |
Amonkhet Block | |||||||||||||
Amonkhet | Pyramid with floating top | AKH | Barrel [126] | April 22, 2017 | April 28, 2017 | 269 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Hour of Devastation | Horns of Nicol Bolas | HOU | Laughs [127] | July 8, 2017 | July 14, 2017 | 199 | 70 | 60 | 42 | 12 | 15 | — | |
Ixalan Block | |||||||||||||
Ixalan | Compass rose | XLN | Ham [128] | September 23, 2017 | September 29, 2017 | 279 | 101 | 80 | 63 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Rivals of Ixalan | Half compass rose with two Northern points / Rooftops of Orazca | RIX [129] | Eggs [128] | January 13, 2018 | January 19, 2018 | 196 | 70 | 60 | 48 | 13 | 5 | — | |
Three-and-One Model | |||||||||||||
Dominaria | Benalish shield [130] | DOM | Soup [131] | April 21, 2018 | April 27, 2018 | 269 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Guilds of Ravnica | A cityscape or crown with five elements | GRN | Spaghetti [132] | September 29, 2018 | October 5, 2018 | 259 | 111 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | |
Ravnica Allegiance | An inverted version of Guilds of Ravnica's set symbol | RNA | Meatballs [132] | January 19, 2019 | January 25, 2019 | 259 | 111 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | |
War of the Spark [133] | Planeswalker symbol with Nicol Bolas's horns | WAR [134] | Milk [135] | April 27, 2019 | May 3, 2019 | 264 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 15 | — | |
Throne of Eldraine | Sword with pixie wings | ELD | Archery [136] | September 28, 2019 | October 4, 2019 [137] | 269 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Theros Beyond Death | Mask of the returned | THB | Baseball [136] | January 17, 2020 | January 24, 2020 | 254 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 5 | — | |
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths | A monstrous eye | IKO | Cricket [138] | April 17, 2020 | May 15, 2020 | 274 | 111 | 80 | 53 | 16 | 15 | — | |
Zendikar Rising | Hedron and X | ZNR | Diving [139] | September 18, 2020 | September 25, 2020 | 280 | 101 | 80 | 64 | 20 | 15 | — | |
Kaldheim | Battle axe | KHM | Equestrian [140] | January 29, 2021 | February 5, 2021 | 285 | 111 | 80 | 64 | 20 | 15 | — | |
Strixhaven: School of Mages | A Strix | STX [141] | Fencing [142] | April 16, 2021 | April 23, 2021 | 275 | 105 | 80 | 69 | 21 | 10 | — | |
Four-set Model | |||||||||||||
Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | Dragon head | AFR | Zebra [143] (Replaces Core Set) | July 16–22, 2021 | July 23, 2021 | 281 | 101 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 20 | — | |
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | Wolf howling at moon | MID | Golf [144] | September 17–23, 2021 | September 24, 2021 | 277 | 100 | 83 | 64 | 20 | 10 | — | |
Innistrad: Crimson Vow | Stylized bat | VOW | Clubs [145] | November 12–18, 2021 | November 19, 2021 | 277 | 101 | 83 | 64 | 20 | 10 | — | |
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty | Rising sun behind a mountain | NEO | Hockey [146] | February 11–17, 2022 | February 18, 2022 | 302 | 119 | 87 | 58 | 18 | 20 | — | |
Streets of New Capenna | Angel wings surrounding brass knuckles | SNC | Ice Skating [147] | April 22, 2022 | April 29, 2022 | 281 | 99 | 81 | 62 | 19 | 20 | — | |
Dominaria United | Coalition symbol over Benalish shield | DMU [148] | Judo [147] | September 2, 2022 [149] | September 9, 2022 [149] | 281 | 101 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 20 | — | |
The Brothers' War | A split gear | BRO | Kayaking [150] | November 11–17, 2022 | November 18, 2022 | 287 | 101 | 80 | 63 | 23 | 20 | — | |
Phyrexia: All Will Be One | Phyrexian symbol bisecting a circle | ONE | Lacrosse [150] | February 3–4, 2023 | February 10, 2023 | 271 | 101 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 10 | — | |
March of the Machine | Elspeth's sword shattering a phyrexian symbol | MOM | Marathon [150] | April 14–20, 2023 [151] | April 21, 2023 [151] | 291 | 116 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 15 | — | |
March of the Machine: The Aftermath | Explosion | MAT | Marathon Epilogue [152] | No Pre-release Scheduled | May 12, 2023 | 50 | 0 | 15 | 25 | 10 | 0 | — | |
Wilds of Eldraine | An open storybook with a diamond nestled in the pages | WOE [153] | Netball [152] | September 1–7, 2023 [153] | September 8, 2023 [153] | 381 | 101 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 15 | 105 | |
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | An eye in the center of a stylised compass rose | LCI [154] | Offroading [152] | November 10–16, 2023 [155] | November 17, 2023 [156] | 291 | 108 | 92 | 64 | 22 | 5 | 119 | |
Murders at Karlov Manor | A Cinquedea Short Sword | MKM [157] | Polo [158] | February 2–8, 2024 [159] | February 9, 2024 [160] | 286 | 81 | 100 | 70 | 20 | 15 | 148 (inc 317z) | |
Outlaws of Thunder Junction | A cowboy hat | OTJ [161] | Quilting [158] | April 12, 2024 [162] | April 19, 2024 [163] | 276 | 91 | 100 | 60 | 20 | 5 | 98 | |
Bloomburrow | A maple leaf | BLB [164] | Rugby [158] | July 26-August 1, 2024 [165] | August 2, 2024 [166] | 281 | 88 | 100 | 64 | 22 | 5 | 116 | |
Duskmourn: House of Horror | Stylized moth | DSK [167] | Swimming [158] | September 20–26, 2024 [168] | September 27, 2024 [168] | 286 | 91 | 100 | 60 | 20 | 15 | 131 | |
Aetherdrift | A checkered flag | DFT | Tennis [158] | Q1 2025 | February 14, 2025 [169] | unrevealed | |||||||
Tarkir: Dragonstorm | A dragonstorm | TDM | Ultimate [158] | Q2 2025 | April 11, 2025 [170] | unrevealed | |||||||
Edge of Eternities | unrevealed | unrevealed | Volleyball [158] | Q3 2025 | August 1, 2025 [171] | unrevealed | |||||||
Return to Lorwyn | unrevealed | unrevealed | Wrestling [158] | Q1 2026 | Q1 2026 [172] | unrevealed | |||||||
Return to Arcavios | unrevealed | unrevealed | Yachting [158] | Q1 2026 | Q1 2026 | unrevealed | |||||||
Event set | unrevealed | unrevealed | Ziplining [158] | Q2 2026 | Q2 2026 | unrevealed | |||||||
Unknown | unrevealed | unrevealed | Amsterdam [173] | Q3 2026 | Q3 2026 | unrevealed | |||||||
Unknown | unrevealed | unrevealed | Berlin [173] | Q4 2026 | Q4 2026 | unrevealed | |||||||
Unknown | unrevealed | unrevealed | Cairo [174] | Q1 2027? | Q1 2027? | unrevealed | |||||||
Set | Expansion symbol | Expansion symbol description | Expansion code | Development codename | Pre-release date | Release date | Size | ||||||
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other |
These sets are legal in non-rotating formats such as Modern or Legacy, but not rotating formats such as Standard.
They are notably not legal in Pioneer.
Set | Expansion symbol | Expansion symbol description [3] | Expansion code [4] [3] | Development codename | Release date | Size [3] [5] [175] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | ||||||
Modern Horizons | Modern Masters symbol coming over a horizon | MH1 | Contemporary [176] | June 14, 2019 [177] | 254 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 5 | 1 | |
Modern Horizons 2 | Two Modern Horizons symbols overlapping | MH2 | Decadent [178] | June 18, 2021 [179] | 313 | 101 | 100 | 78 | 24 | 10 [180] | 3 | |
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | The One Ring on a triangle | LTR | Anvil | June 23, 2023 | 281 | 101 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 20 | 17 | |
Modern Horizons 3 | Eldrazi symbol coming over a horizon | MH3 | unrevealed | June 14, 2024 [181] | 303 | 80 | 101 | 60 | 20 | 5 |
These introductory sets were intended for novice Magic: The Gathering players. They were illegal in sanctioned tournaments until October 2005, [182] when they became legal in Legacy and Vintage.
Set | Expansion symbol | Expansion symbol description [3] | Expansion code [4] [3] | Release date | Size [3] [5] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | |||||
Portal [XIX] | |||||||||||
Portal | A portal | POR | June 1997 [183] | 222 [XX] | 90 | 57 | 55 | — | 20 | — | |
Portal Second Age | A pentagon | P02 | June 1998 [184] | 165 | 70 | 45 | 35 | — | 15 | — | |
Portal Three Kingdoms | The Chinese character for the number 3 | PTK | May 1999 [185] | 180 | 55 | 55 | 55 | — | 15 | — | |
Starter | |||||||||||
Starter 1999 | A five-pointed star | S99 | July 1999 [186] | 173 | 63 | 55 | 35 | — | 20 | — | |
Starter 2000 | None | S00 | July 2000 [187] | 57 [XXI] | 39 | 6 | 2 | — | 10 | — | |
Global Series | |||||||||||
Global Series: Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling | A mountain | GS1 | June 22, 2018 | Two 60-card decks |
Reprint sets are sets of certain cards from previous sets that were re-released for different reasons. Some reasons include the cards were fan favorites and popular demand brought them back or in some cases, reprints were to commemorate certain events such as widely known matches or anniversary sets. Some reprint sets revolved around a certain theme; for example, Beatdown was themed around old, out-of-print, heavy-hitting creatures. Reprinting a card in one of these sets does not affect when it leaves Standard.
Deck Builder's Toolkits are released at the same time as a core set and contain only cards from sets that are legal in Standard at that time; they are not sets as such. These boxed sets therefore have no symbol or code of their own.
Set | Expansion symbol | Expansion symbol description [3] | Expansion code [4] [3] | Release date | Size [3] [5] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | ||||||
Chronicles [XVII] | No specific symbol [XVIII] | CHR | July 1995 [188] | 125 [XVII] | 37 | 43 | 45 | — | — | — | ||
Rivals Quick Start Set [XXXVII] | No specific symbol | none | July 1996 [189] | Four pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Multiverse Gift Box | No specific symbol | none | November 1996 [190] | Boosters from various sets in various languages | ||||||||
Anthologies | No specific symbol | ATH | November 1998 [191] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Battle Royale Box Set | No specific symbol | BRB | November 12, 1999 [192] | Four 40-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Beatdown Box Set | A mace | BTD | December 2000 [193] | Two 61-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Deckmasters: Garfield vs. Finkel | A stylized letter "D" | DKM | September 17, 2001 [194] | Two 62-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Premium Foil Booster | Alara block symbols | none | January 8, 2010 [195] | 539 foil cards from the Alara block [XXXV] | ||||||||
Duels of the Planeswalkers (decks) | A stylized letter "M" inside a circle | DPA | June 4, 2010 [196] | Five 60-card decks | ||||||||
Modern Event Deck | Three-pronged object | MD1 | May 30, 2014 [197] | 60-card deck, 15-card sideboard | ||||||||
Mystery Booster | No specific symbol | MB1 | March 13, 2020 [198] | 1694 | 1060 | 452 | 152 | 30 | — | — | ||
Time Spiral Remastered | Tilted hourglass | TSR | March 19, 2021 | 289 | 121 | 100 | 53 | 15 | — | 122 | ||
Dominaria Remastered | The skyship Weatherlight, seen from the front | DMR | January 13, 2023 | 271 | 101 | 80 | 60 | 20 | 10 | 196 | ||
Ravnica Remastered | A row of Ravnican buildings | RVR | January 12, 2024 | |||||||||
Innistrad Remastered | 2025 | |||||||||||
Mystery Booster 2 | MB2 | |||||||||||
International sets | ||||||||||||
Renaissance (French/German) | No specific symbol | none | August 1995 [188] | 122 | 51 | 40 | 31 | — | — | — | ||
Rinascimento (Italian) | No specific symbol | none | August 1995 [188] | 69 | ? | ? | ? | — | — | — | ||
Duel Decks | ||||||||||||
Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins | A stylized axe and bow combination symbol | EVG | November 16, 2007 [199] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra | A point-reflected pair of swooshes | DD2 | November 7, 2008 [200] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic | A halo with horns coming up through its center | DDC | April 10, 2009 [201] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Garruk vs. Liliana | A leaf inside a semicircle | DDD | October 30, 2009 [202] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition | Yawgmoth's and the Coalition's symbols combined | DDE | March 19, 2010 [203] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret | Two trapezoids with parts missing | DDF | September 3, 2010 [204] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons | A shield in the shape of a dragon in flight | DDG | April 1, 2011 [205] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas | Nicol Bolas' horns superimposed on Ajani's axe-head | DDH | September 2, 2011 [206] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth | Two nearly-interlocking zigzags | DDI | March 30, 2012 [207] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari | Combination of Izzet and Golgari symbols | DDJ | September 7, 2012 [208] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt | Combination of stylized sword and devil horns | DDK | March 15, 2013 [209] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters | Combination axe, helmet, and wings | DDL | September 6, 2013 [210] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska | Arcane symbol and gorgon tentacle | DDM | March 14, 2014 [211] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning | Winged eye | DDN | September 5, 2014 [212] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks Anthology | No specific symbol | DD3 | December 5, 2014 [213] | A reprint of the first four Duel Deck sets | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora | Godsend (Elspeth's spear) and waves | DDO | February 27, 2015 [214] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. Eldrazi | Half-hedron and Eldrazi tentacle | DDP | August 28, 2015 [215] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed | Demon wing and half of Avacyn's collar | DDQ | February 26, 2016 [216] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis | Hedron and horns | DDR | September 2, 2016 [217] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Mind vs. Might | Stylized knotwork | DDS | March 31, 2017 [218] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins | Combined trident and axe heads | DDT | November 10, 2017 [219] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
Duel Decks: Elves vs. Inventors | Bow and arrow superimposed on gear | DDU | April 6, 2018 [220] | Two 60-card pre-constructed decks | ||||||||
From the Vault | ||||||||||||
From the Vault: Dragons | Wings of a Dragon | DRB | August 29, 2008 [221] | 15 limited foil dragon cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Exiled | An arrow firing diagonally leaving a trail | V09 | August 28, 2009 [222] | 15 limited foil formerly banned cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Relics | An orb on a stand | V10 | August 27, 2010 [223] | 15 limited foil artifact cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Legends | A crown [224] | V11 | August 26, 2011 [224] | 15 limited foil legendary creature cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Realms | Mountain and sunrise | V12 | August 31, 2012 [225] | 15 limited foil land cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Twenty | Numeral 20 in a circle | V13 | August 23, 2013 [226] | 20 limited foil cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Annihilation | Stylized bomb or fractured orb | V14 | August 22, 2014 [227] | 15 limited foil cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Angels | Stylized angel wings | V15 | August 21, 2015 [228] | 15 limited foil cards | ||||||||
From the Vault: Lore | Scroll unrolling to become castle tower | V16 | August 19, 2016 [229] | 15 limited foil cards and one token | ||||||||
From the Vault: Transform | Dark planet with lighting on the top or bottom depending on which side of the card is viewed | V17 | November 24, 2017 [230] | 15 limited foil double-faced cards | ||||||||
Signature Spellbook | ||||||||||||
Signature Spellbook: Jace | Spellbook | SS1 | June 15, 2018 [231] | 9 cards | ||||||||
Signature Spellbook: Gideon | Gideon's sural and shield in front of an open book | SS2 | June 28, 2019 [232] | 9 cards | ||||||||
Signature Spellbook: Chandra | Flame in front of an open book | SS3 | June 26, 2020 [233] | 9 cards | ||||||||
Premium Deck Series | ||||||||||||
Premium Deck Series: Slivers | A coiled sliver / A sliver claw | H09 | November 20, 2009 [234] | 60-card premium foil deck | ||||||||
Premium Deck Series: Fire and Lightning | A flame and lightning bolt | PD2 | November 19, 2010 [235] | 60-card premium foil deck | ||||||||
Premium Deck Series: Graveborn | A human skull | PD3 | November 18, 2011 [236] | 60-card premium foil deck | ||||||||
Masters Series | ||||||||||||
Modern Masters | A stylized City of Brass | MMA | June 7, 2013 [237] | 229 [237] | 101 [238] | 60 [238] | 53 [238] | 15 [238] | — | — | ||
Modern Masters 2015 Edition | The City of Brass symbol rotated and then mirrored | MM2 | May 22, 2015 [239] | 249 [239] | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | ||
Eternal Masters | Hourglass made from two City of Brass symbols | EMA | June 10, 2016 [240] | 249 [240] | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | ||
Modern Masters 2017 Edition | Floating "U" over crown | MM3 | March 17, 2017 [241] | 249 [241] | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | ||
Iconic Masters | Stylized letters I and M. | IMA | November 17, 2017 [242] | 249 [242] | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | ||
Masters 25 | The number 25 over the planeswalker symbol | A25 | March 16, 2018 [243] | 249 [242] | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | — | — | ||
Ultimate Masters | Infinity symbol made out of two stylized skulls | UMA | December 7, 2018 [244] | 254 [244] | 101 | 80 | 53 | 20 | — | — | ||
Double Masters | A diamond on top of an X | 2XM | August 7, 2020 [245] | 332 [245] | 91 | 80 | 121 | 40 | — | — | ||
Double Masters 2022 Edition | A double X on top of a diamond | 2X2 | July 8, 2022 [246] | 332 [246] | 91 | 80 | 120 | 40 | — | 1 | ||
Commander Masters | Shield with elongated hexagon | CMM | August 4, 2023 | 436 | 171 | 218 | 277 | 70 | ? | ? | ||
Deck Builder's Toolkits | ||||||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit | No specific set symbol | w10 | May 21, 2010 [247] | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Refreshed Version) | No specific set symbol | w11 | March 11, 2011 [247] | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (2012 Edition) | No specific set symbol | w12 | July 13, 2012 | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (2014 Core Set Edition) | No specific set symbol | w14 | July 19, 2013 | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (2015 Core Set Edition) | No specific set symbol | w15 | July 18, 2014 | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Magic Origins Edition) | Planeswalker symbol breaking through the horizon | ORI | July 17, 2015 | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Shadows over Innistrad Edition) | Star with trail and "16" | w16 | April 8, 2016 | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Amonkhet Edition) | Star with trail and "17" | w17 | April 28, 2017 | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Ixalan Edition) | Star with trail and "17" | w17 | September 29, 2017 | Box set of 285 semi-randomized cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Core 2019 Edition) | N/A | N/A | July 13, 2018 | Box set of 285 fixed cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Ravnica Allegiance Edition) | N/A | N/A | January 25, 2019 | Box set of 285 fixed cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Core Set 2020 Edition) | N/A | N/A | July 12, 2019 | Box set of 285 fixed cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
Deck Builder's Toolkit (Theros Beyond Death Edition) | N/A | N/A | January 24, 2020 | Box set of 285 fixed cards and 4 booster packs from recent editions | ||||||||
(Holiday) Gift Boxes | ||||||||||||
2012 Holiday Gift Box | N/A | N/A | November 16, 2012 [248] | 4 Boosters, 20 basic lands, 1 foil alternate-art card from Return to Ravnica (Dreg Mangler), 6 illustrated plastic dividers + stickers for customizing the dividers | ||||||||
2013 Holiday Gift Box | N/A | N/A | November 15, 2013 [249] | 4 Boosters, 20 basic lands, 1 foil alternate-art card from Theros (Karametra's Acolyte), 6 illustrated plastic dividers + stickers for customizing the dividers | ||||||||
2014 Holiday Gift Box | N/A | N/A | November 14, 2014 [250] | 4 Boosters, 20 basic lands, 1 foil alternate-art card from Khans of Tarkir (Sultai Charm), 6 illustrated plastic dividers + stickers for customizing the dividers | ||||||||
2015 Holiday Gift Box | N/A | N/A | November 6, 2015 [251] | 5 Boosters, 20 basic lands, 1 foil alternate-art card from Battle for Zendikar (Scythe Leopard), 6 illustrated plastic dividers + stickers for customizing the dividers | ||||||||
Shadows over Innistrad: The Gift Box | N/A | N/A | May 13, 2016 [252] | 5 Boosters, 20 basic lands, 1 foil alternate-art card from Shadows over Innistrad (Ravenous Bloodseeker), 6 illustrated plastic dividers + stickers for customizing the dividers | ||||||||
Kaladesh: The Gift Box | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5 Boosters, 20 basic lands, 1 foil alternate-art card from Kaladesh (Chief of the Foundry), 6 illustrated plastic dividers + stickers for customizing the dividers | ||||||||
Throne of Eldraine Bundle Gift Edition [253] | N/A | N/A | November 15, 2019 |
|
Starting with the Kaladesh block, some sets include the Masterpiece Series. Wizards of the coast has stated "the Masterpiece Series... began with Zendikar Expeditions". [254] They were retroactively added with the announcement of Kaladesh Inventions. [254] Cards in the Masterpiece Series appear at a higher rarity than Mythic Rares, and consist of either reprints, or cards from the set whose packs they appear in. However, they are not considered part of that set, and instead get their own expansion symbol; moreover, as with reprint sets (see below), printing in a Masterpiece Series entry does not affect format legality. Note that entries in the Masterpiece Series do not have expansion codes, except for Zendikar Expeditions, which has code "EXP".
The Guilds of Ravnica Mythic Edition is a package that is sold exclusively on Hasbro's website. It contains 24 Guilds of Ravnica packs, 8 of which contain a predetermined Masterpiece card.
On January 10, 2019, the Ravnica Allegiance Mythic Edition was announced. Unlike the Guilds of Ravnica version, the Ravnica Allegiance Mythic Edition was sold on eBay and shipped globally. [255] It contains 24 Ravnica Allegiance packs, 8 of which contain a predetermined Masterpiece card.
The set codes listed below come from the 3-letter code printed on the card frames at the bottom.
Block/set | Set | Code | Expansion symbol [3] | Release Date | Total Cards | Cards in first set | Cards in second set |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battle for Zendikar | Zendikar Expeditions | EXP | Hedron with base | September 26, 2015 | 45 | 25 | 20 |
Kaladesh | Kaladesh Inventions | MPS | Column or letter π made of aether | September 24, 2016 | 54 | 30 | 24 |
Amonkhet | Amonkhet Invocations | MP2 | Nicol Bolas' head shape | April 28, 2017 | 54 | 30 | 24 |
Guilds of Ravnica | Guilds of Ravnica Mythic Edition | MED | Planeswalker symbol in front of a shield | October 3, 2018 | 8 | 8 | N/A |
Ravnica Allegiance | Ravnica Allegiance Mythic Edition | MED | Planeswalker symbol in front of a shield | January 24, 2019 | 8 | 8 | N/A |
War of the Spark | War of the Spark Mythic Edition | MED | Planeswalker symbol in front of a shield | May 1, 2019 | 8 | 8 | N/A |
Strixhaven | Strixhaven Mystical Archive | STA | A scroll | April 23, 2021 | 63 | 63 | N/A |
The Brothers' War | The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts | BRR | Gear-shaped symbol with diamond in the middle | November 18, 2022 | 63 | 63 | N/A |
March of the Machine | Multiverse Legends | MUL | Wings surrounding a Phyrexian invasion portal | April 21, 2023 | 65 | 65 | N/A |
Wilds of Eldraine | Enchanting Tales | WOT | A diamond encircled by a spell wave | September 8, 2023 | 63 | 63 | N/A |
Outlaws of Thunder Junction | Breaking News | OTP | A jail door | April 19, 2024 | 65 | 65 | N/A |
Starting with the Ravnica Allegiance expansion, collector packs started. Wizards of the Coast also had collector packs (premium packs) in Shards of Alara, but no sets after that until Ravnica Allegiance. Collector packs in Throne of Eldraine consist of five to six foil commons, three to four foil uncommons, three alternate art cards, one card from supplemental sets (from the Brawl deck series or planeswalker deck exclusive cards), one rare or mythic rare, one extended art rare or mythic rare, one foil rare or mythic rare, and a foil double faced token. Theros Beyond Death collector boosters consist of four to five foil commons, two to three foil uncommons, two full art foil basic lands, one card from supplemental sets (Theros Beyond Death planeswalker deck exclusive cards), one rare or mythic rare, one foil rare or mythic rare, two alternate art "Constellation" cards, and a foil double faced token.
Set | Set symbol | Set code | Pre-release date | Release date | Size | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | |||||
Jumpstart | Two cards linked together with a circle around them | JMP | July 16, 2020 | July 17, 2020 | 495 | 197 | 154 | 87 | 17 | 40 | — |
Jumpstart 2022 | Two half decks in an oval | J22 | December 1, 2022 | December 2, 2022 | 819 | — | |||||
Foundations Jumpstart | Two cards spinning into each other | J25 | November 15, 2024 |
The Secret Lair Series is Wizard of the Coast's first full foray into selling single reprints directly to players.
The first Secret Lair series all consisted of alternate art reprints. Wizards of the Coast was trying to work with artists they usually didn't: street artists, comic book artists, album cover designers, etc. Alternately, they used traditional Magic artists working with very non-traditional art briefs. In some later series, original art was used in combination with alternate card frames.
With The Walking Dead series, the premise of only reprints with alternate art was abandoned. Mark Heggen revealed that R&D views the Secret Lair platform as a product-testing grounds platform that lets them try things they can't do in normal products. He acknowledged that it had been art up to 2020, but that they had broadened the concept to speak to audiences of different sizes. If they identify a small group that would be thrilled by a specific product, this could cater to them: "like the game of Magic the Secret Lair will always try new things and evolve - the first year focused on art which is the low hanging fruit" and "as we have new ideas and want to try new things to make the game joyful for more people, Secret Lair is the place to do that experimentation".
Even though the reaction among the fans was very negative, the Walking Dead was the best-selling drop, luring buyers from outside of the Magic world. This prompted the company to keep on experimenting in this realm and creating the Universes Beyond product line. "Universes Within" is the popular name given to cards that are functional reprints of Universes Beyond cards, made to fit within the lore of Magic: The Gathering.
Most cards are legal in the Vintage, Legacy and Commander formats.
Set | Set symbol | Set code | Release Date |
---|---|---|---|
Secret Lair Drop | Shooting star | SLD | 2020, 2021, 2022 |
"Universes Within" | Shooting star | SLX | 2022 |
Transformers | Transformers logo | BOT | November 18, 2022 |
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | The One Ring | LTR | June 23, 2023 |
Doctor Who | Stylized TARDIS | WHO | October 13, 2023 |
Jurassic World | T-Rex skull | REX | November 17, 2023 |
Fallout | Vault Boy | PIP | March 8, 2024 |
Assassin’s Creed | Assassin insignia | ACR | July 5, 2024 |
Final Fantasy | 2025 |
Starting with Planechase in 2009, Wizards of the Coast has occasionally printed sets intended primarily for multiplayer play, which do not necessarily consist entirely of reprints but are not legal in Standard; a card printed in one of these is legal only in Eternal formats, and reprinting a card in one of these sets does not affect when it leaves Standard. These sets usually consist of fixed decks.
Set | Expansion symbol [3] | Expansion code [4] [3] | Release date | Size [3] [5] | New cards | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | |||||
Planechase | |||||||||||
Planechase | Two circular arcs, the lower with three upper spikes | HOP | September 4, 2009 [256] | Four 60-card decks + 40 plane cards | 0 | ||||||
Planechase 2012 Edition | Two circular arcs, the upper with three bites removed from bottom | PC2 | June 1, 2012 [257] | Four 60-card decks and 40 plane or phenomenon cards | 21 | ||||||
Planechase Anthology | Two circular arcs, the upper with five upper spikes | PCA | November 25, 2016 [258] | Four 60-card decks and 86 plane or phenomenon cards | 0 | ||||||
Archenemy | |||||||||||
Archenemy | A trident | ARC | June 18, 2010 [259] | Four decks, each with 60 cards and 20 oversized scheme cards | 0 | ||||||
Archenemy: Nicol Bolas | Nicol's horns with orb | E01 | June 16, 2017 [260] | Four 60-card decks, four planeswalker cards, and one 20-card scheme deck | 0 | ||||||
Commander | |||||||||||
Commander | Three prongs symbolizing the "wedge" coloration | CMD | June 17, 2011 [261] | Five 100-card decks each with 3 oversized foil Commander cards | 51 | ||||||
Commander's Arsenal | 3-part gem | CM1 | November 2, 2012 [262] | 28 foil cards (18 regular, 10 oversized) | 0 | ||||||
Commander 2013 Edition | 3-part gem with hooks | C13 | November 1, 2013 [263] | Five 100-card decks each with 3 oversized foil Commander cards | 51 | ||||||
Commander 2014 | Shield-shaped 3-part gem | C14 | November 7, 2014 [264] | Five 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 61 | ||||||
Commander 2015 | 2-part shield | C15 | November 13, 2015 [265] | Five 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 56 | ||||||
Commander 2016 | Shield with a sword | C16 | November 11, 2016 [266] | Five 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 56 | ||||||
Commander Anthology | Shield with crown | CMA | June 9, 2017 [267] | Four 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 0 | ||||||
Commander 2017 | Shield with 4 parts | C17 | August 25, 2017 [268] | Four 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 56 | ||||||
Commander Anthology Volume II | Shield and swords upon a amphora | CM2 | June 8, 2018 [269] | Four 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 0 | ||||||
Commander 2018 | Shield with horizontal lightning bolt symbol | C18 | August 10, 2018 [270] | Four 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 59 | ||||||
Commander 2019 | Shield with descending ribbon and two etchings | C19 | August 23, 2019 [271] | Four 100-card decks each with 1 oversized foil Commander card | 59 | ||||||
Commander 2020 / Ikoria Commander | Shield with thorns | C20 | May 15, 2020 [272] [273] | Five 100-card decks each set on the plane of Ikoria | 71 | ||||||
Zendikar Rising / Zendikar Rising Commander | Split shield with hedron inserts | ZNC | September 25, 2020 [274] [275] | Two 100-card decks each set on the plane of Zendikar Rising | 6 | ||||||
Commander Legends | Shield combining elements of the Legends expansion symbol in the lower part, and the legendary card frame in the upper part | CMR | November 20, 2020 [276] | The Innovation Product for 2020, Commander Legends is the first Commander set designed to be drafted. It includes 361 total cards. Of these, 165 are new cards, including 71 new legendary creatures and planeswalkers. | 165 | ||||||
Kaldheim Commander | Shield behind stylised axe head | KHC | February 2, 2021 [277] | Two 100-card decks set on the plane of Kaldheim | 16 | ||||||
Commander 2021 / Strixhaven Commander | Shield with six inlays | C21 | April 23, 2021 [278] | Five 100-card decks each associated with a school of Strixhaven | 81 | ||||||
Forgotten Realms Commander | Shield behind dragon head | AFC | July 23, 2021 [279] | Four 100-card decks set in the D&D region of the Forgotten Realms | 62 | ||||||
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Commander | Shield with claw marks | MIC | September 24, 2021 [280] | Two 100-card decks set on the plane of Innistrad | 38 | ||||||
Innistrad: Crimson Vow Commander | Shield with two vampire fangs | VOC | November 19, 2021 [281] | Two 100-card decks set on the plane of Innistrad | 38 | ||||||
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty | Futuristic angular shield / Origami shield | NEC | February 18, 2022 [282] | Two 100-card decks set on the futuristic plane of Kamigawa | 38 | ||||||
Streets of New Capenna | Shield behind angel wings | NCC | April 29, 2022 [283] | Five 100-card decks each associated with a New Capenna crime family | 93 | ||||||
Battle for Baldur's Gate / Commander Legends 2 | Shield behind hexagon | CLB | June 10, 2022 [284] | Following on from the success of Commander Legends, Battle for Baldur's Gate is the second Commander set designed to be drafted. It includes 361 cards, of which 344 are new cards including 69 new legendary creatures and planeswalkers. | 344 | ||||||
Warhammer 40,000 | Skull in front of angel wings | 40K | October 7, 2022 [285] | The first cross-over from Universes Beyond legal set in MTG. Legal in Commander, Vintage and Legacy. It features 321 cards and 168 cards that are not reprints. | 321 | ||||||
The Brothers' War | Gear inside a shield | BRC | November 18, 2022 [286] | There are two decks in total, with every card in the decks featuring the retro frame treatment. Each deck is helmed by the two brothers Urza and Mishra, with new cards specifically designed for the Commander format. Legal in Commander, Vintage and Legacy. It features 176 cards and 28 cards that are not reprints. | 176 | ||||||
Wilds of Eldraine | The back of an open book with a diamond across the spine | WOC | September 8, 2023 [287] | There are two decks in total, "Virtue And Valor" and "Fae Dominion". | |||||||
Conspiracy | |||||||||||
Conspiracy | Seal | CNS | June 6, 2014 [288] | 210 [XXXII] | 89 | 68 | 43 | 10 | — | — | 65 |
Conspiracy: Take the Crown | Seal of the Black Rose | CN2 | August 26, 2016 [289] | 221 [289] | 90 | 67 | 50 | 14 | — | — | 80 |
Other sets | |||||||||||
Explorers of Ixalan | Ship's wheel | E02 | November 24, 2017 [290] | Four 60-card decks and various game components | 0 | ||||||
Battlebond | Two connected figures in front of a diamond shape | BBD [291] | June 8, 2018 [292] | 254 [292] | 85 | ||||||
These sets, though also published by Wizards of the Coast, are not legal for DCI-sanctioned tournament play.
Set | Expansion symbol [3] | Expansion code [4] [3] | Pre-release date | Release date | Size [3] [5] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | ||||||
Collector's Edition [293] | no symbol [XXXIII] | CED | none | December 1993 [294] | 363 | 75 | 95 | 117 | — | 76 | — | |
International Collector's Edition | no symbol [XXXIV] | CEI | none | December 1993 [294] | 363 | 75 | 95 | 117 | — | 76 | — | |
Astral [XXII] | star with a trail | none | none | April 1997 [295] | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Un-sets [XXIII] | ||||||||||||
Unglued | A cracked-open egg | UGL | August 7, 1998 [44] | August 17, 1998 | 94 [296] | 38 | 28 | 28 | — | 5 | — | |
Unhinged | A horseshoe | UNH | November 20, 2004 [297] | November 19, 2004 [297] | 141 | 55 | 40 | 40 | — | 5 | 1 [XXIV] | |
Unstable | A wrench with an acorn-shaped hole | UST | none | December 8, 2017 | 268 [XXXVI] [298] | 102 [XXXVI] | 90 [XXXVI] | 61 [XXXVI] | 15 | 5 | — | |
Unsanctioned | A horseshoe in half of a cracked-open egg over two crossed wrenches with acorn-shaped holes | UND | none | February 28, 2020 [299] | 96 | 30 | 22 | 30 | 4 | 10 | — | |
Unfinity | An atom | UNF | none | October 7, 2022 [300] | 638 | 232 | 198 | 156 | 52 | 26 | — | |
Pro Tour/World Championship Decks | ||||||||||||
Pro Tour Collector Set Inaugural Edition | No specific symbol | none | none | May 1996 | Eight 60-card pre-constructed decks (720 cards total due to sideboards and additional inserts) | |||||||
World Championship Decks 1997 | No specific symbol | none | none | 1997 [301] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
World Championship Decks 1998 | No specific symbol | none | none | 1998 [301] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
World Championship Decks 1999 | No specific symbol | none | none | 1999 [302] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
World Championship Decks 2000 | No specific symbol | none | none | 2000 [302] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
World Championship Decks 2001 | No specific symbol | none | none | 2001 [302] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
World Championship Decks 2002 | No specific symbol | none | none | 2002 [302] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
World Championship Decks 2003 | No specific symbol | none | none | 2003 [302] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
World Championship Decks 2004 | No specific symbol | none | none | 2004 [302] | Four 60-card pre-constructed decks | |||||||
These sets are exclusive to Magic: The Gathering Online .
Set | Expansion symbol [3] | Expansion code [4] [3] | Release date | Size [3] [5] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Cards | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Mythic Rare | Basic Land | Other | |||||
Masters Editions | |||||||||||
Masters Edition | A circle and a quarter-circle | MED | September 10, 2007 [303] | 195 | 60 | 60 | 60 | — | 15 | — | |
Masters Edition II | A circle and two quarter-circles | ME2 | September 22, 2008 [304] | 245 | 80 | 80 | 80 | — | 5 | — | |
Masters Edition III | A circle behind two quarter-circles | ME3 | September 7, 2009 [305] | 230 | 75 | 70 | 70 | — | 15 | — | |
Masters Edition IV | 4 quarter-circles forming an hourglass | ME4 | January 10, 2011 [306] | 269 | 80 | 72 | 105 | — | 12 | — | |
Vintage Masters | Helmet with a V-shaped pattern | VMA | June 16, 2014 [307] | 325 | 101 | 80 | 105 | 30 | — | 9 | |
Tempest Remastered | Arch broken by lightning bolt | TPR | May 6, 2015 [308] | 269 | 101 | 80 | 53 | 15 | 20 | — | |
Magic: The Gathering Online Deck Series | |||||||||||
Magic Online Deck Series: Legacy Format | No specific symbol | N/A | November 8, 2010 [309] | Two 60-card decks with 15 card sideboards | |||||||
Momir Vig Basic Event Deck | No specific symbol | N/A | November 22, 2010 [310] | Deck with 1 avatar card & 60 basic lands | |||||||
Magic: The Gathering is a tabletop and digital collectible card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast, Magic was the first trading card game and had approximately fifty million players as of February 2023. Over twenty billion Magic cards were produced in the period from 2008 to 2016, during which time it grew in popularity. As of the 2022 fiscal year, Magic generates over $1 billion in revenue annually.
Richard Channing Garfield is an American mathematician, inventor and game designer. Garfield created Magic: The Gathering, which is considered to be the first collectible card game (CCG). Magic debuted in 1993 and its success spawned many imitations.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game, abbreviated as PTCG or Pokémon TCG, is a tabletop and collectible card game developed by Creatures Inc. based on the Pokémon franchise. Originally published in Japan by Media Factory in 1996, publishing worldwide is currently handled by The Pokémon Company. In the United States, Pokémon TCG publishing was originally licensed to Wizards of the Coast, the producer of Magic: The Gathering. Wizards published eight expansion sets between 1998 and 2003, after which point licensing was transferred to The Pokémon Company.
Unhinged is a humor and parody themed expansion set to the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Unhinged was released on November 19, 2004. Its tone is less serious than traditional Magic expansions. It is a follow-on to Unglued, an earlier humor themed expansion set. It was followed in turn by Unstable.
Mark Rosewater is the head designer for Magic: The Gathering, a position he has held since 2003.
The Odyssey is a Magic: The Gathering expert-level block. It consists of a trio of expansion sets: Odyssey, Torment and Judgment.
Magic: The Gathering Limited Edition is the first Magic: The Gathering card set. It premiered in a limited release at Origins Game Fair in 1993, with a general release that August. The initial print run of 2.6 million cards sold out quickly, and a new printing run was released in October 1993. These two runs are known as Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, or just Alpha and Beta for short. Although Alpha and Beta are referred to as different sets by some, officially they are the same set; Wizards of the Coast had expected that people wouldn't necessarily be able to tell the two press runs apart. Beta fixed a number of misprints and errors on cards. The printer accidentally used different corner rounding dies for the second run, resulting in Alpha cards being noticeably distinct in shape and appearance from Beta cards and all subsequent cards. The Beta printing also included a revised rulebook with a number of clarifications, although creator Richard Garfield's short fiction "Worzel's Tale" was removed to make room. The print run of Beta is given as 7.3 million or 7.8 million depending on the source. Despite the set's print run being about three times as big as Alpha's, Beta sold out as quickly as its predecessor.
The collectible card game Magic: The Gathering published seven expansion sets from 1993 to 1995, and one compilation set. These sets contained new cards that "expanded" on the base sets of Magic with their own mechanical theme and setting; these new cards could be played on their own, or mixed in with decks created from cards in the base sets. With Magic's runaway success, many of the printings of these early sets were too small to satisfy the rapidly growing fanbase. Cards from them became rare, hard to find, and expensive. It was not until Fallen Empires and Homelands that Wizards of the Coast was able to print enough cards to meet demand; additionally, Wizards of the Coast published Chronicles, a reprint set that helped fix many of the scarcity issues with the earliest sets.
The collectible card game Magic: The Gathering published nine base sets from 1993–2007, also referred to as core sets. The base sets were considered descendants of the original Limited Edition, and shaped the default setting and feel of Magic. These sets consisted entirely of reprinted cards. These cards were generally simpler than cards in expansion sets, omitting multicolored cards, and used only the original abilities and keywords of Magic such as Flying and Trample. This simplicity led to many cards from these sets being considered "staples" of deck design. All cards were given a white border to mark them as reprints, with a few exceptions. From Fourth Edition in 1995 onward, a new base set would come out once per two years in the spring or early summer; for tournament play, that set would be legal for two years in the Standard format until the next core set replaced it.
Unearthed Arcana is the title shared by two hardback books published for different editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Both were designed as supplements to the core rulebooks, containing material that expanded upon other rules.
Time Spiral is a Magic: The Gathering expert-level block consisting of the expansion sets Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, and Future Sight. It is set on the plane of Dominaria, the first time that that plane had been visited since 8th Edition.
The collectible card game Magic: The Gathering has released compilation sets, reprint sets, and box sets over its history. These are distinct from core sets and expansion sets, the most heavily marketed sources of new cards. With the exception of Chronicles, reprint sets generally do not affect tournament legality in supported formats; for example, cards reprinted in the Modern Masters reprint set, while legal for tournament play, did not necessarily cause the card to be included in the "Standard" environment.
Magic: The Gathering formats are various ways in which the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game can be played. Each format provides rules for deck construction and gameplay, with many confining the pool of permitted cards to those released in a specified group of Magic card sets. The Wizards Play Network, the governing body that oversees official Magic competitive play, categorizes its tournament formats into Constructed and Limited. Additionally, there are many casual formats with the Commander format being one of the most popular formats of the game.
The Lorwyn block is a Magic: The Gathering expert-level block consisting of two sets: Lorwyn and Morningtide. A third set, codenamed "Jelly", was originally planned as part of the Lorwyn block, but partway into the design of Lorwyn, it was split into a two-set block. Jelly was revealed as Shadowmoor, the first set of the new two-set block. The two blocks were linked together and rotated through the official tournament formats as a single, four-expansion unit. The primary theme of the Lorwyn block is tribalism.
Shadowmoor is a Magic: The Gathering block consisting of the expansion sets Shadowmoor and Eventide. The block was originally conceived as a single set that was to be released as the third in the Lorwyn block, but it was ultimately released as a semi-independent two-set block. Shadowmoor was linked thematically to Lorwyn, and the four sets comprising the two blocks rotated through official tournament formats together.
The Zendikar block is a Magic: The Gathering block consisting of the sets Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi. The eponymous setting is a vast, untamed wilderness, whose few bastions of civilization exist primarily for outfitting treasure-seeking expeditions to distant locales. Colossal ancient octahedral stones called "hedrons" float in the sky. A phenomenon known as "the Roil" causes frequent geological upheaval as it sweeps across the land. Unlike the previous two blocks, there is no multicolored theme. Instead, the themes Zendikar and Worldwake revolve around lands, and a theme of an adventure or quest. Rise of the Eldrazi, while part of the Zendikar block creatively and for the sake of constructed tournament rules, is unique mechanically and is designed to be drafted on its own. Drafts in the Zendikar block are either ZEN-ZEN-WWK or ROE-ROE-ROE.
The rules of the collectible card role-playing game Magic: The Gathering were originally developed by the game's creator, Richard Garfield, and accompanied the first version of the game in 1993. The game's rules have frequently been changed by the manufacturer Wizards of the Coast, mostly in minor ways, but several major rule changes have also been implemented.
Gavin Verhey is a Principal Magic: The Gathering Designer at Wizards of the Coast. He has been a member of numerous Magic set Design and Development teams since joining in 2011, including Aether Revolt, Conspiracy, Conspiracy: Take the Crown, Fate Reforged, Gatecrash, From the Vault: Angels, From the Vault: Annihilation, From the Vault: Twenty, Ixalan, Kaladesh, Modern Masters 2017, Oath of the Gatewatch, and Shadows Over Innistrad, in addition to being the lead designer of Archenemy: Nicol Bolas, Commander 2017, and Battlebond. He also currently writes the weekly column Beyond the Basics on the official Magic website. Mark Rosewater considers him part of the fifth generation of Magic designers.
Magic: The Gathering Arena or MTG Arena is a free-to-play digital collectible card game developed and published by Wizards of the Coast (WotC). The game is a digital adaption based on the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) card game, allowing players to gain cards through booster packs, in-game achievements or microtransaction purchases, and build their own decks to challenge other players. The game was released in a beta state in November 2017, and was fully released for Microsoft Windows users in September 2019, and a macOS version on June 25, 2020. Mobile device versions were released in March 2021.
The retail release date for the Urza's Destiny card set was June 7, 1999; the expansion rotated into the Constructed tournament environments on July 1, 1999, the first day of the month following its retail release.
Friday, May 25, 2001 (Evening Edition) / Good luck to everyone at the prerelease tomorrow.
Like the aforementioned Mr. Gottlieb, I'll be poking my head in at the Seattle Champions of Kamigawa Prerelease event Saturday, as will several other R&D and Magic Online types.
The 2005-2006 Block is codenamed "Control" "Alt" and "Delete". The 2006-2007 Block (we're actually already talking about it so we had to name it) is codenamed "Snap" "Crackle" and "Pop".
The Anthologies box set was published in November 1998. It was meant to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Magic and featured two decks filled with specially reprinted cards from every expansion made until that day.
Circle of Protection: Black and Volcanic Island were excluded from Alpha as well as five basic lands (one of each type).[ dead link ]
The New York [Homelands prerelease] event -- October 14th, 1995 -- was my first Prerelease and I had to call and preregister as there were an extremely limited number of seats available.
Brothers Yamazaki [...] There are two versions of this card, each with different art. The cards are numbered 160a/306 and 160b/306. The art has no effect on game play.