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   |art = [[Sue-Ann Harkey]]
   |art = [[Sue-Ann Harkey]]
   |release = June 10, 1996<ref>[http://octgn.blogspot.de/2005/12/alpha-thru-ravnica-patch.html OCTGN Fansite]</ref>
   |release = June 10, 1996<ref>[http://octgn.blogspot.de/2005/12/alpha-thru-ravnica-patch.html OCTGN Fansite]</ref>
   |plane = [[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]] ([[Terisiare]])
   |plane = [[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]] ([[Terisiare]])<ref name="FAQ">{{WebRef|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030218051826/http://www.wizards.com:80/magic/generic/storyline/faq.asp|title=Dominian FAQ (archived)|author=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|publisher=wizards.com}}</ref>
   |mechanics = [[alternate cost|Alternate]] and [[cost|additional cost]], [[cantrip]]s and [[Snow]]
   |mechanics = [[alternate cost|Alternate]] and [[cost|additional cost]], [[cantrip]]s and [[Snow]]
   |keywords = [[Cumulative upkeep]]
   |keywords = [[Cumulative upkeep]]
   |size = 144<br/><small>(55 commons, 43 uncommons, 46 rares)</small>
   |size = 144 cards<br/>{{curmb|55|43|46}}
   |code_expansion = ALL
   |code_expansion = ALL
   |code_expansion_ref=<ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-august-2004-2004-08-02|Ask Wizards - August, 2004|[[Wizards of the Coast]]|August 02, 2004}}</ref>
   |code_expansion_ref= {{DailyRef|ask-wizards-august-2004-2004-08-02|Ask Wizards - August, 2004|[[Wizards of the Coast]]|August 02, 2004}}  
   |code_development = Quack
   |code_development = Quack
   |series = [[Ice Age block]]
   |series = [[Ice Age block]]<ref group="note">''[[Coldsnap]]'' replaced ''[[Homelands]]''.</ref>
  |first = [[Ice Age]]
  |first = Ice Age
  |second = '''Alliances'''
  |second = Alliances
  |third = [[Coldsnap]]<ref group="note">Previously ''[[Homelands]]''.</ref>
  |third = Coldsnap
   |previous = [[Homelands]]
   |previous = Homelands
   |next = [[Rivals Quick Start Set]]
   |next = Rivals Quick Start Set
}}
}}
[[File:ALL booster.jpg|thumb|right|''Alliances'' booster]]
[[File:ALL booster.jpg|thumb|right|''Alliances'' booster]]
'''Alliances''' is the eighth ''[[Magic]]'' expansion and was released in June 1996 as the second set and first [[small expansion]] in the [[Ice Age block]].  
'''Alliances''' is the eighth ''[[Magic]]'' expansion and was released in June 1996 as the second set and first [[small expansion]] in the [[Ice Age block]].  


Line 30: Line 29:
''Alliances'' is black-bordered and was the first set to be printed on [[print sheet|sheets]] of 110 cards. The set's [[rarity]] breakdown is: 55 commons (40@[[C2]], 10@C3, 5@U6), 43 uncommons (40@U2, 3@[[R6]]), 46 rares (46@R2).<ref>[http://www.wizards.com/magic/generic/cardlists/Alliances_Checklist.txt ''Alliances'' Checklist]</ref> Each common card and the 5 uncommons cards @U6 have 2 pieces of art,<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/two-adnates-2002-07-23|Two Adnates|[[Magic Arcana]]|July 23, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/double-boon-2007-03-28|Double Boon|[[Magic Arcana]]|March 28, 2007}}</ref> making collectors view this as a 199 card set. Since the ratio of uncommons to rare is 3:1 in a booster pack, the 3 rares @[[R6]] are considered as uncommon even if they could be found in the rare slot of an ''Alliances'' booster pack. A similar statement can be made about the 5 commons @U6. The [[expansion symbol]] of the set is a banner, or pennant, to reinforce the “alliance” concept.<ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-october-2006-2006-10-02|Ask Wizards|[[Brady Dommermuth]]|October 31, 2006}}</ref>
''Alliances'' is black-bordered and was the first set to be printed on [[print sheet|sheets]] of 110 cards. The set's [[rarity]] breakdown is: 55 commons (40@[[C2]], 10@C3, 5@U6), 43 uncommons (40@U2, 3@[[R6]]), 46 rares (46@R2).<ref>[http://www.wizards.com/magic/generic/cardlists/Alliances_Checklist.txt ''Alliances'' Checklist]</ref> Each common card and the 5 uncommons cards @U6 have 2 pieces of art,<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/two-adnates-2002-07-23|Two Adnates|[[Magic Arcana]]|July 23, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/double-boon-2007-03-28|Double Boon|[[Magic Arcana]]|March 28, 2007}}</ref> making collectors view this as a 199 card set. Since the ratio of uncommons to rare is 3:1 in a booster pack, the 3 rares @[[R6]] are considered as uncommon even if they could be found in the rare slot of an ''Alliances'' booster pack. A similar statement can be made about the 5 commons @U6. The [[expansion symbol]] of the set is a banner, or pennant, to reinforce the “alliance” concept.<ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-october-2006-2006-10-02|Ask Wizards|[[Brady Dommermuth]]|October 31, 2006}}</ref>


The Alliances lands have a unique violet colored text box, and is the last expansion set to have this feature. The Mirage and Visions sets share the same color scheme, and from Fifth Edition on, land text box color was standardized.
The Alliances lands have a unique violet-colored text box and Alliances is the last expansion set to have this feature. The Mirage and Visions sets share the same color scheme, and from Fifth Edition on, land text box color was standardized.


===Marketing===
===Marketing===
''Alliances'' was released eight months after the less-than-spectacular ''[[Homelands]]'', which is the longest gap between expansion sets in the history of the game. Prior to the ''[[Coldsnap]]'' release it was the third and final set in the Ice Age block with ''Homelands'' being the second set.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/third-times-charm-2013-04-29|Third Time's the Charm|[[Mark Rosewater]]|April 29, 2013}}</ref> It was sold in [[booster pack]]s of twelve cards which included eight [[common]]s, three [[uncommon]]s and one [[rare]].<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/how-trivial-2018-10-22|How Trivial|[[Mark Rosewater]]|October 22, 2018}}</ref> A booster box contained 45 booster packs. This was the last time that boosters contained twelve cards. All boosters feature the same artwork from <c>Benthic Explorers</c>.  
''Alliances'' was released eight months after the less-than-spectacular ''[[Homelands]]'', which is the longest gap between expansion sets in the history of the game. Prior to the ''[[Coldsnap]]'' release it was the third and final set in the Ice Age block with ''Homelands'' being the second set.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/third-times-charm-2013-04-29|Third Time's the Charm|[[Mark Rosewater]]|April 29, 2013}}</ref> It was sold in [[booster pack]]s of twelve cards which included eight [[common]]s, three [[uncommon]]s and one [[rare]].<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/how-trivial-2018-10-22|How Trivial|[[Mark Rosewater]]|October 22, 2018}}</ref> A booster box contained 45 booster packs. This was the last time that boosters contained twelve cards. All boosters feature the same artwork from <c>Benthic Explorers</c>.  


This was the last expansion to feature regular multiple artworks on cards. The practice was discontinued to ease identification of cards by their artwork, which was important to the global community as ''Magic'' was beginning to see print in languages other than English.  
This was the last expansion to feature regular multiple artworks on cards. The practice was discontinued to ease the identification of cards by their artwork, which was important to the global community as ''Magic'' was beginning to see print in languages other than English.  


''Alliances'' is also the last standard ''Magic'' expansion that was underprinted, as supply did not meet demand in many areas. ''Alliances'' was highly anticipated after the long wait from the release ''Homelands''.
''Alliances'' is also the last standard ''Magic'' expansion that was under-printed, as supply did not meet demand in many areas. ''Alliances'' was highly anticipated after the long wait from the release ''Homelands''.


===Storyline===
===Storyline===
Line 43: Line 42:


==Mechanics and themes==
==Mechanics and themes==
''Alliances'' didn't introduce any new [[keyword]]s, but it did introduce the popular [[alternate cost]] [[mechanic]], popularly referred to as [[Pitch card|"pitch cards"]], that allowed a player to discard cards of specific colors (and in the case of two cards, with an additional life payment) to cast a spell instead of paying its printed [[mana cost]]. In Magic: The Gathering history, this mechanic, or a derivative or variant thereof, appears on [[rare]] [[cycle]]s in the [[Masques block]], the ''[[Betrayers of Kamigawa]]'' expansion, and the ''[[Coldsnap]]'' expansion.
''Alliances'' didn't introduce any new [[keyword]]s, but it did introduce the popular [[alternate cost]] [[mechanic]], popularly referred to as [[Pitch card|"pitch cards"]], that allowed a player to discard cards of specific colors (and in the case of two cards, with an additional life payment) to cast a spell instead of paying its printed [[mana cost]]. In Magic: The Gathering history, this mechanic, or a derivative or variant thereof, appears on [[rare]] [[cycle]]s in the [[Masques block]], the ''[[Betrayers of Kamigawa]]'' expansion, and the ''[[Coldsnap]]'' expansion. There are also a number of cards that exile the top of the library as a cost.


''Alliances'' builds on many of the themes of the [[Ice Age block]]. [[Cumulative upkeep]] and [[cantrip]]s return, as does the [[allied color]] theme and a few new [[legendary]] [[creature]]s. The [[Snow]] mechanic on only a few cards.
''Alliances'' builds on many of the themes of the [[Ice Age block]]. [[Cumulative upkeep]] and [[cantrip]]s return, as does the [[allied color]] theme and a few new [[legendary]] [[creature]]s. The [[Snow]] mechanic appears on only a few cards.


===Design & Development===
===Design & Development===
''Alliances'' was the second expansion by the quartet known as the "East Coast Playtesters",<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/ice-and-men-2006-07-03|Of ''Ice'' and Men|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 6, 2003}}</ref> which also designed ''[[Ice Age]]''. While it was sold as an ''Ice Age'' expansion, design diverged from it. For example, the [[Snow]] mechanic was considered a failure, and it was completely ignored. The vast majority of the mechanical tie-ins were added in Development, including a few Snow-matters cards, because the mechanic rated highly on flavor.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/playing-blocks-2009-12-03|Playing With Blocks|[[Mark Rosewater]]|December 07, 2009}}</ref>
''Alliances'' was the second expansion by the quartet known as the "[[East Coast playtesters]]",<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/ice-and-men-2006-07-03|Of ''Ice'' and Men|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 6, 2003}}</ref> which also designed ''[[Ice Age]]''. While it was sold as an ''Ice Age'' expansion, design diverged from it. For example, the [[Snow]] mechanic was considered a failure, and it was completely ignored. The vast majority of the mechanical tie-ins were added in Development, including a few Snow-matters cards because the mechanic rated highly on flavor.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/playing-blocks-2009-12-03|Playing With Blocks|[[Mark Rosewater]]|December 07, 2009}}</ref>


At some point, Continuity (the department responsible for the storyline) decided that ''Alliances'' would have a race of sentient gorillas. The design team thought this was a silly idea and protested by renaming all the cards in the set to have "Gorilla" in their names.<ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-may-2002-2002-05-01|Ask Wizards|[[Skaff Elias]]|May 28, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|feature/know-your-gorillas-2012-12-28|Know Your Gorillas|[[Monty Ashley]]|July 30, 2012}}</ref>
At some point, Continuity (the department responsible for the storyline) decided that ''Alliances'' would have a race of sentient gorillas. The design team thought this was a silly idea and protested by renaming all the cards in the set to have "Gorilla" in their names.<ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-may-2002-2002-05-01|Ask Wizards|[[Skaff Elias]]|May 28, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|feature/know-your-gorillas-2012-12-28|Know Your Gorillas|[[Monty Ashley]]|July 30, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{YouTubeRef|jofyGSFDq8M|How Trivial with Mark Rosewater|channel=Magic: The Gathering|creator=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=August 4, 2023}}</ref>


==Creature types==
==Creature types==
Line 58: Line 57:


==Cycles==
==Cycles==
''Alliances'' has five [[cycle]]s:
''Alliances'' has seven [[cycle]]s:
{| class="wikitable wrapped-table"   
{| class="wikitable"   
! Cycle name
! Cycle name
! {{W}}
! {{W}}
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|{{card|Nature's Wrath||ALL}}
|{{card|Nature's Wrath||ALL}}
|-
|-
|colspan="6"|Rare spells that have a negative effect on both of its enemy colors. This cycle was the first to attempt to hose both enemy colors at once and inspired the creation of similar cycles in the ''[[Mercadian Masques]]'' and ''[[Coldsnap]]'' expansions.
|colspan="5"|Rare spells that have a negative effect on both of its enemy colors. This cycle was the first to attempt to hose both enemy colors at once and inspired the creation of similar cycles in the ''[[Mercadian Masques]]'' and ''[[Coldsnap]]'' expansions.
|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Pitch card]]s'''
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Pitch card]]s'''
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|{{card|Bounty of the Hunt||ALL}}
|{{card|Bounty of the Hunt||ALL}}
|-
|-
|colspan="6"|Uncommon [[instant]]s that have an alternate casting cost that includes exiling a card of its color.
|colspan="5"|Uncommon [[instant]]s that have an alternate casting cost that includes exiling a card of its color.
|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Replacement lands'''
|rowspan="2"|'''Replacement lands'''
Line 92: Line 91:
|{{card|Heart of Yavimaya||ALL}}
|{{card|Heart of Yavimaya||ALL}}
|-
|-
|colspan="6"|Rare [[land]]s that are sacrificed when it enters the battlefield unless you sacrifice a [[basic]] land of a given type and have a mana ability that produces mana of that land's type and another activated ability.
|colspan="5"|Rare [[land]]s that are sacrificed when it enters the battlefield unless you sacrifice a [[basic]] land of a given type and have a mana ability that produces mana of that land's type and another activated ability.
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''Common allied-color ability spells'''
|{{card|Kjeldoran Pride||ALL}}
|{{card|Soldevi Heretic||ALL}}
|{{card|Phantasmal Fiend||ALL}}
|{{card|Agent of Stromgald||ALL}}
|{{card|Undergrowth||ALL}}
|-
| colspan="5" |Each of these common spells gives you a benefit for playing one of its allies. Except for Kjeldoran Pride, they all benefit the previous color in the color wheel.
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''Uncommon allied-color ability spells'''
|{{card|Juniper Order Advocate||ALL}}
|{{card|Viscerid Drone||ALL}}
|{{card|Balduvian Dead||ALL}}
|{{card|Primitive Justice||ALL}}
|{{card|Nature's Chosen||ALL}}
|-
| colspan="5" |Each of these uncommon spells gives you a benefit for playing one of its allies. Except for Juniper Order Advocate, they all benefit the next color in the color wheel.
|-
|-
! Cycle name
! Cycle name
! {{W}}{{U}}
!{{W}}{{U}}
! {{U}}{{B}}
!{{U}}{{B}}
! {{B}}{{R}}
!{{B}}{{R}}
! {{R}}{{G}}
!{{R}}{{G}}
! {{G}}{{W}}
!{{G}}{{W}}
|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Uncommon gold spells'''
| rowspan="2" |'''Uncommon gold spells'''
|{{card|Energy Arc||ALL}}
|{{card|Energy Arc||ALL}}
|{{card|Lim-Dûl's Vault||ALL}}
|{{card|Lim-Dûl's Vault||ALL}}
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|{{card|Nature's Blessing||ALL}}
|{{card|Nature's Blessing||ALL}}
|-
|-
|colspan="6"|[[Uncommon]] [[multicolored]] spells that require two mana of allied colors to cast.
| colspan="5" |[[Uncommon]] [[multicolored]] spells that require two mana of allied colors to cast.
|-
|-
! Cycle name
! Cycle name
! {{G}}{{W}}{{U}}
!{{G}}{{W}}{{U}}
! {{W}}{{U}}{{B}}
!{{W}}{{U}}{{B}}
! {{U}}{{B}}{{R}}
!{{U}}{{B}}{{R}}
! {{B}}{{R}}{{G}}
!{{B}}{{R}}{{G}}
! {{R}}{{G}}{{W}}
!{{R}}{{G}}{{W}}
|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Tricolor spells'''
| rowspan="2" |'''Tricolor spells'''
|{{card|Phelddagrif||ALL}}
|{{card|Phelddagrif||ALL}}
|{{card|Wandering Mage||ALL}}
|{{card|Wandering Mage||ALL}}
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|{{card|Winter's Night||ALL}}
|{{card|Winter's Night||ALL}}
|-
|-
|colspan="6"|[[Rare]] multicolored spells that have a [[mana cost]] that includes MNO, where M and O are two colors of mana that are allied with N, a third color of mana.
| colspan="5" |[[Rare]] multicolored spells that have a [[shard]] [[mana cost]].
|}
 
===Pairs===
''Alliances'' has three [[mirrored pair]]s.
 
====Mirrored Pairs====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" |Mirrored  Pairs
!Description
|-
|{{card|Suffocation||ALL}} {{nowrap|({{U}})}}
|{{card|Burnout||ALL}} {{nowrap|({{R}})}}
|Each of these uncommon instants uses an out-of-color-pie effect from the other's color and draws you a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
|-
|{{card|Library of Lat-Nam||ALL}} {{nowrap|({{U}})}}
|{{card|Fatal Lore||ALL}} {{nowrap|({{B}})}}
|Each of these rare sorceries has your opponent choose between letting you draw three cards or another effect.
|-
|{{card|Reinforcements||ALL}} {{nowrap|({{W}})}}
|{{card|Misinformation||ALL}} {{nowrap|({{B}})}}
|Each of these one-mana instants puts three cards from a graveyard to the top of a library.
|}
|}


==Strictly Better or Worse==
==Strictly Better or Worse==
*<c>Storm Crow</c> is strictly better than <c>Vodalian Soldiers</c>.
*<c>Storm Crow</c> is strictly better than <c>Vodalian Soldiers</c>.
*<c>Undergrowth</c> is strictly better than <c>Fog</c>.
*<c>Undergrowth</c> is strictly better than <c>Fog</c>.
Line 137: Line 177:


==Notable cards==
==Notable cards==
*<c>Balduvian Horde</c> was initially heralded as the "new <c>Juzám Djinn</c>," then considered the best creature in '''Magic''', as a 5/5 for {{2}}{{R}}{{R}}. It later proved to be only mediocre and has seen print in ''[[6th Edition]]''.
*<c>Balduvian Horde</c> was initially heralded as the "new <c>Juzám Djinn</c>," then considered the best creature in ''[[Magic]]'', as a 5/5 for {{2}}{{R}}{{R}}. It later proved to be only mediocre .
*<c>Death Spark</c> will later inspire the [[Recover]] keyword ability.
*<c>Diminishing Returns</c> is the first attempt at creating a "fixed" version of <c>Timetwister</c>. Despite its decrease in power compared to Timetwister, Diminishing Returns sometimes still sees play in [[Vintage]] alongside Timetwister.
*<c>Diminishing Returns</c> is the first attempt at creating a "fixed" version of <c>Timetwister</c>. Despite its decrease in power compared to Timetwister, Diminishing Returns sometimes still sees play in [[Vintage]] alongside Timetwister.
*<c>Elvish Spirit Guide</c> had a new unique feature: remove from the game from your hand to get mana. <c>Elvish Spirit Guide</c> sees play in the popular [[Legacy Belcher deck]].
*<c>Elvish Spirit Guide</c> had a new unique feature: exile it from your hand to for a {{G}} mana. Alongside its [[timeshifted]] reprint <c>Simian Spirit Guide</c>, they see play various Eternal fast combo decks.
*<c>Force of Will</c> continues to be an important and potent card in every format it is legal in because it can [[counter]] any spell without the use of mana. Because it was one of the most powerful cards in the set and any blue card can be used to cast it, players joked that every blue card in ''Alliances'' is the most powerful, leading to the running joke that <c>Storm Crow</c> is one of the game's strongest cards.
*<c>Force of Will</c> continues to be an important and potent card in every format it is legal in because it can [[counter]] any spell without the use of mana. Because it was one of the most powerful cards in the set and any blue card can be used to cast it, players joked that every blue card in ''Alliances'' is the most powerful, leading to the running joke that <c>Storm Crow</c> is one of the game's strongest cards.
*<c>Helm of Obedience</c>'s templating let <c>Leyline of the Void</c> and similar effects make it mill indefinitely. <c>Thought Dissector</c> was printed with the corrected version.
*<c>Ivory Gargoyle</c> was powerful because it was difficult to get rid of it permanently and was used in some [[control]] decks as a win condition.
*<c>Ivory Gargoyle</c> was powerful because it was difficult to get rid of it permanently and was used in some [[control]] decks as a win condition.
*<c>Kjeldoran Outpost</c> was used as a win condition in [[Counterpost]]-style control decks.
*<c>Kjeldoran Outpost</c> was used as a win condition in Counterpost-style control decks.
*<c>Lake of the Dead</c> was used to speed up already-powerful <c>Necropotence</c> decks.
*<c>Lake of the Dead</c> was used to speed up already-powerful <c>Necropotence</c> decks.
*<c>Spiny Starfish</c> and <c>Soldevi Sentry</c> are the first of the only five cards that care about [[regenerate]].
*<c>Taste of Paradise</c> and <c>Primitive Justice</c> have functional [[multikicker]].
*<c>Thawing Glaciers</c> was used in many different decks, especially after the [[6th Edition#Rule changes|Sixth Edition Rules]] came into effect, allowing players to use cards like this one with delayed triggered abilities twice thanks to the reconstruction of the new [[End of turn step]].
*<c>Thawing Glaciers</c> was used in many different decks, especially after the [[6th Edition#Rule changes|Sixth Edition Rules]] came into effect, allowing players to use cards like this one with delayed triggered abilities twice thanks to the reconstruction of the new [[End of turn step]].


Line 153: Line 197:


==External links==
==External links==
*{{Oldprodpage|Alliances|Alliances|Alliances}} (old)
*{{Oldprodpage|Alliances|Alliances|Alliances}} (old)
*[http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/products/card-set-archive/alliances Official Alliances Information Product Page] (new)
*[http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/products/card-set-archive/alliances Official Alliances Information Product Page] (new)


{{Sets|state=collapsed}}
{{Sets|state=collapsed}}
{{Dominaria|sets}}
{{Dominaria|name=Ice Age|block}}
[[Category:Ice Age block]]

Latest revision as of 10:16, 17 May 2024

Alliances
 
Trivia
 
Alliances
[[File:{{#setmainimage:ALL logo.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description Pennant
Design Skaff Elias (lead)
Jim Lin
Chris Page
Dave Petty
Development Charlie Catripino (lead)
Skaff Elias
William Jockusch
Joel Mick
Bill Rose
Paul Peterson
Mark Rosewater
Art direction Sue-Ann Harkey
Release date June 10, 1996[1]
Plane Dominaria (Terisiare)[2]
Themes and mechanics Alternate and additional cost, cantrips and Snow
Keywords/​ability words Cumulative upkeep
Set size 144 cards
(55 commons, 43 uncommons, 46 rares)
Expansion code ALL[3]
Development codename Quack
Ice Age block[note 1]
Ice Age Alliances Coldsnap
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Homelands Alliances Rivals Quick Start Set
Alliances booster

Alliances is the eighth Magic expansion and was released in June 1996 as the second set and first small expansion in the Ice Age block.

Set details

Alliances is black-bordered and was the first set to be printed on sheets of 110 cards. The set's rarity breakdown is: 55 commons (40@C2, 10@C3, 5@U6), 43 uncommons (40@U2, 3@R6), 46 rares (46@R2).[4] Each common card and the 5 uncommons cards @U6 have 2 pieces of art,[5][6] making collectors view this as a 199 card set. Since the ratio of uncommons to rare is 3:1 in a booster pack, the 3 rares @R6 are considered as uncommon even if they could be found in the rare slot of an Alliances booster pack. A similar statement can be made about the 5 commons @U6. The expansion symbol of the set is a banner, or pennant, to reinforce the “alliance” concept.[7]

The Alliances lands have a unique violet-colored text box and Alliances is the last expansion set to have this feature. The Mirage and Visions sets share the same color scheme, and from Fifth Edition on, land text box color was standardized.

Marketing

Alliances was released eight months after the less-than-spectacular Homelands, which is the longest gap between expansion sets in the history of the game. Prior to the Coldsnap release it was the third and final set in the Ice Age block with Homelands being the second set.[8] It was sold in booster packs of twelve cards which included eight commons, three uncommons and one rare.[9] A booster box contained 45 booster packs. This was the last time that boosters contained twelve cards. All boosters feature the same artwork from Benthic Explorers.

This was the last expansion to feature regular multiple artworks on cards. The practice was discontinued to ease the identification of cards by their artwork, which was important to the global community as Magic was beginning to see print in languages other than English.

Alliances is also the last standard Magic expansion that was under-printed, as supply did not meet demand in many areas. Alliances was highly anticipated after the long wait from the release Homelands.

Storyline

After the planeswalker Freyalise cast her World Spell, thereby ending the Ice Age, a population long adapted to the cold had to re-adjust to warm weather. With the new climate came devastating floods and plagues, and the necromancer Lim-Dûl has built an army of undead bent on world domination. An alliance is formed between races to defeat Lim-Dûl and his army.

Mechanics and themes

Alliances didn't introduce any new keywords, but it did introduce the popular alternate cost mechanic, popularly referred to as "pitch cards", that allowed a player to discard cards of specific colors (and in the case of two cards, with an additional life payment) to cast a spell instead of paying its printed mana cost. In Magic: The Gathering history, this mechanic, or a derivative or variant thereof, appears on rare cycles in the Masques block, the Betrayers of Kamigawa expansion, and the Coldsnap expansion. There are also a number of cards that exile the top of the library as a cost.

Alliances builds on many of the themes of the Ice Age block. Cumulative upkeep and cantrips return, as does the allied color theme and a few new legendary creatures. The Snow mechanic appears on only a few cards.

Design & Development

Alliances was the second expansion by the quartet known as the "East Coast playtesters",[10] which also designed Ice Age. While it was sold as an Ice Age expansion, design diverged from it. For example, the Snow mechanic was considered a failure, and it was completely ignored. The vast majority of the mechanical tie-ins were added in Development, including a few Snow-matters cards because the mechanic rated highly on flavor.[11]

At some point, Continuity (the department responsible for the storyline) decided that Alliances would have a race of sentient gorillas. The design team thought this was a silly idea and protested by renaming all the cards in the set to have "Gorilla" in their names.[12][13][14]

Creature types

The following creature types are introduced in this expansion: Aesthir (later changed to Bird), Bird, Gorilla (later changed to Ape), Harlequin (later changed to Human), Heretic (later changed to Human Cleric), Mosquito (later changed to Insect), Pigeon (later changed to Bird), Spy (later changed to Human Rogue), Starfish, Swarm, Tactician (later changed to Human Advisor), War-Rider (later changed to Human Warrior).

The following creature types are used in this expansion but also appear in previous sets: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Elemental, Elf, Gargoyle, Goblin, Guardian, Homarid, Horror (later changed to Horror Spirit), Insect, Keeper (later changed to Avatar), Knight, Mercenary, Merfolk, Paladin (later changed to Human Knight), Phantasm (later changed to Illusion), Rat, Skeleton, Soldier, Spirit, Wall, Wizard and Zombie.

Cycles

Alliances has seven cycles:

Cycle name {W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Double hosers Royal Decree Tidal Control Dystopia Omen of Fire Nature's Wrath
Rare spells that have a negative effect on both of its enemy colors. This cycle was the first to attempt to hose both enemy colors at once and inspired the creation of similar cycles in the Mercadian Masques and Coldsnap expansions.
Pitch cards Scars of the Veteran Force of Will Contagion Pyrokinesis Bounty of the Hunt
Uncommon instants that have an alternate casting cost that includes exiling a card of its color.
Replacement lands Kjeldoran Outpost Soldevi Excavations Lake of the Dead Balduvian Trading Post Heart of Yavimaya
Rare lands that are sacrificed when it enters the battlefield unless you sacrifice a basic land of a given type and have a mana ability that produces mana of that land's type and another activated ability.
Common allied-color ability spells Kjeldoran Pride Soldevi Heretic Phantasmal Fiend Agent of Stromgald Undergrowth
Each of these common spells gives you a benefit for playing one of its allies. Except for Kjeldoran Pride, they all benefit the previous color in the color wheel.
Uncommon allied-color ability spells Juniper Order Advocate Viscerid Drone Balduvian Dead Primitive Justice Nature's Chosen
Each of these uncommon spells gives you a benefit for playing one of its allies. Except for Juniper Order Advocate, they all benefit the next color in the color wheel.
Cycle name {W}{U} {U}{B} {B}{R} {R}{G} {G}{W}
Uncommon gold spells Energy Arc Lim-Dûl's Vault Lim-Dûl's Paladin Surge of Strength Nature's Blessing
Uncommon multicolored spells that require two mana of allied colors to cast.
Cycle name {G}{W}{U} {W}{U}{B} {U}{B}{R} {B}{R}{G} {R}{G}{W}
Tricolor spells Phelddagrif Wandering Mage Lord of Tresserhorn Misfortune Winter's Night
Rare multicolored spells that have a shard mana cost.

Pairs

Alliances has three mirrored pairs.

Mirrored Pairs

Mirrored Pairs Description
Suffocation ({U}) Burnout ({R}) Each of these uncommon instants uses an out-of-color-pie effect from the other's color and draws you a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
Library of Lat-Nam ({U}) Fatal Lore ({B}) Each of these rare sorceries has your opponent choose between letting you draw three cards or another effect.
Reinforcements ({W}) Misinformation ({B}) Each of these one-mana instants puts three cards from a graveyard to the top of a library.

Strictly Better or Worse

Trivia

Main article: Alliances/Trivia
  • Only Alliances and the Chronicles set were sold in packs of 12 cards.
  • Alliances was the only set to feature different tiers within its rare cards, until the introduction of mythic rare cards. A few rares appeared six times on each rare sheet while most appeared twice, making a few rares three times as common as others.

Notable cards

Notes

  1. ↑ Coldsnap replaced Homelands.

References

  1. ↑ OCTGN Fansite
  2. ↑ Wizards of the Coast. "Dominian FAQ (archived)". wizards.com.
  3. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 02, 2004). "Ask Wizards - August, 2004". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Alliances Checklist
  5. ↑ Magic Arcana (July 23, 2002). "Two Adnates". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ Magic Arcana (March 28, 2007). "Double Boon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. ↑ Brady Dommermuth (October 31, 2006). "Ask Wizards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 29, 2013). "Third Time's the Charm". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 22, 2018). "How Trivial". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 6, 2003). "Of Ice and Men". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 07, 2009). "Playing With Blocks". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. ↑ Skaff Elias (May 28, 2002). "Ask Wizards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ Monty Ashley (July 30, 2012). "Know Your Gorillas". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 4, 2023). "How Trivial with Mark Rosewater (Video)". Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.

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