List of Magic: The Gathering sets

These are tables of Magic: The Gathering card sets. A trading card game published by Wizards of the Coast, Magic is primarily marketed in base/core sets and in expansion sets. Except for the game's original release (Alpha/Beta) core sets through Tenth Edition consisted entirely of reprints; from Magic 2010 forward, new cards have been printed in core sets, although reprints still comprise the majority of the set^[1]. The core sets have ranged in size from 249 cards (Magic 2010) to 449 cards (Fifth Edition). Expansion sets, which have ranged in size from 92 cards (Arabian Nights) to 422 cards (Time Spiral), are primarily comprised of new cards, with few or no reprints. Compilations or reprint sets are distinguished by generally not being released in randomized boosters, instead containing a pre-selected card pool (possibly including new cards). 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. The actual distribution can be found in the respective set's article. Cards in compilations are assigned rarity by Wizards, however, they do not necessarily match within the set, with some singletons rare and some mythic rare in a given set.

Wizards of the Coast assigns an internal development codename^[3] and a three-character expansion code^[4] to each set.

Base/core set editions

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^[5] database of Magic cards.

Expansion sets

Expansion sets beginning with Mirage have come in groups (usually three) which form a block (the preferred term in actual gameplay) or cycle (the preferred term when describing the associated storyline) consisting of one large "stand-alone" expansion set of more than 300 cards, followed by one or two small expansion sets of less than 200 cards, which continue the themes introduced in the large set. In recent years the large stand-alone expansion sets have had about 250 cards. 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 three expansions of a cycle usually fit together to form a phrase or common theme.^[3]

Ice Age and Alliances were the first two sets to have a well-defined relationship, but were not created as a canonical block 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 (Alliances was originally the third set of the block; it was retroactively made a second set with the release of Coldsnap in 2006). 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. Since 2005 there has been a fourth release date each year in mid-July. Since Magic 2010 this has been reserved for Core Sets, since they are now released on an annual basis; before that, core sets would occupy this slot every other year, alternating with special releases such as Coldsnap and Eventide.^[XXVI] In recent years Wizards has experimented with other block models, with Lorwyn and Shadowmoor comprising two, connected mini-blocks of a large expansion followed by a single small expansion and the Zendikar block with Rise of the Eldrazi replacing the second small set with a stand alone large set.

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.

Compilations/reprint sets

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 and Extended.

Some decks include cards never previously printed. Planechase and Archenemy sets feature oversized cards not legal in sanctioned formats that are intended to affect every player in game, and beginning with Commander, some introduce new multiplayer-oriented cards legal only in eternal formats; Commander introduces 51 such, while Planechase (2012 Edition) introduces 21 such.

Introductory sets

These introductory sets were intended for novice Magic: The Gathering players. They were illegal in sanctioned tournaments until October 2005,^[122] when they became legal in Legacy and Vintage.

Sets not legal for tournament play

These sets, though also published by Wizards of the Coast, are not legal for DCI-sanctioned tournament play.

Magic: The Gathering Online exclusive sets

Sets exclusive to Magic: The Gathering Online.

Notes

References

External links

• Official Magic: The Gathering sets page from Wizards of the Coast
• Explanation of the meaning of every expansion symbol through Time Spiral