Fallen Empires
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| Fallen Empires | ||
|---|---|---|
| Release date | November 1994 | |
| Mechanics | *Creature tokens, "Tribal" creature types, Cards that gain counters each turn |
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| Size | 102 cards (functionally different)/ 187 cards (counting new artwork) |
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| Expansion code | FEM
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| Magic: The Gathering Chronology |
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| The Dark | Fallen Empires | 4th Edition |
Fallen Empires was the ninth Magic: The Gathering set and the fifth expert level set, released in November 1994. Out of the set of 187 cards, 102 were functionally unique, with the remainder being variant illustrations of other cards in the set. It was sold in packs of 8, each containing seven common cards and one uncommon card. Though the set contained no rare cards, some uncommons appeared three times on the uncommon sheet ('U3') and others appeared only once. The latter are sometimes referred to as rare. The expansion symbol for the set is a crown, possibly of the contesting ruler of Sarpadia.
Contents |
[edit] Storyline
Fallen Empires takes place on the continent of Sarpadia after the Brothers' War in Antiquities. Each of the major cultures on Sarpadia is confronted with internal threats caused by the cooling weather: the dwarves wage war with orcs and goblins; the Vodalian merfolk face the homarid menace; the elves of the forest struggle to contain the fungus-like thallids; the proud soldiers of Icatia confront opposition from religious zealots; and the dark Order of the Ebon Hand fights a thrull revolt. The storyline of Fallen Empires is continued in the Ice Age set.
[edit] Set history
Because previous sets were underprinted, more Fallen Empires cards were printed than any previous set. Additionally, the set is considered by many fans to be one of the weakest in terms of card power. As a result, booster packs of Fallen Empires have been available for a long time after going out of print in 1995, and still cost much less than sets currently in print. The booster packaging was also semi-transparent and some card names particuarly the uncommon are visible through it.
[edit] Mechanics
Fallen Empires introduced a tribal theme that would later be revisited in Onslaught. Each color had two main creature types, as well as cards that benefit from controlling creatures of those types. Another theme introduced was color wars; specifically, each color making war on itself, with two major tribes for each color.
| Color | Tribes |
|---|---|
| Black | Order of the Ebon Hand and Thrulls |
| Blue | (Vodalian) Merfolk and Homarid |
| Green | Elves and Thallid |
| Red | Dwarves and Goblins/Orcs |
| White | Icatia's Order of Leitbur and Farrelite Cult |
