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'''Core sets''' (stylized as '''Core Set''') form the base [[set]] of cards for [[tournament]] play and rotations.<ref>{{DailyRef|savor-flavor/core-curriculum-2011-07-20|Core Curriculum|[[Doug Beyer]]|July 20, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|please-sir-i-want-some-core-2011-07-04|Please Sir, I Want Some Core|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 27, 2011}}</ref> After ''[[Limited Edition]]'' in 1993, all core sets through ''[[Tenth Edition]]'' consisted solely of [[reprint]]ed cards. | '''Core sets''' (stylized as '''Core Set''') form the base [[set]] of cards for [[tournament]] play and rotations.<ref>{{DailyRef|savor-flavor/core-curriculum-2011-07-20|Core Curriculum|[[Doug Beyer]]|July 20, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|please-sir-i-want-some-core-2011-07-04|Please Sir, I Want Some Core|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 27, 2011}}</ref> After ''[[Limited Edition]]'' in 1993, all core sets through ''[[Tenth Edition]]'' consisted solely of [[reprint]]ed cards. From ''[[Magic 2010]]'', they feature new cards alongside reprints. Core sets were discontinued in 2015, then returned for three years<ref name=MetTwo>{{DailyRef|making-magic/metamorphosis-2-0-2017-06-12|Metamorphosis 2.0|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 12, 2017}}</ref> before being discontinued again in 2021<ref>Mark Rosewater (November 1, 2021) [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/vow-part-1-2021-11-01 "From Vow On, Part 1"] ''[https://magic.wizards.com Magicthegathering.com]'' Wizards of the Coast.</ref>. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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===Discontinuation and reintroduction=== | ===Discontinuation and reintroduction=== | ||
Core sets were discontinued after ''Magic Origins'' in 2015, but were reintroduced in 2018. Like the sets from ''Magic 2010'' to ''[[Magic Origins]]'', these sets continue to contain a mix of new and reprinted cards, but differ in that they are geared primarily toward new players.<ref name=MetTwo /><ref>{{DailyRef|mm/metamorphosis|Metamorphosis|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 25, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Getting to the Core">{{DailyRef|making-magic/getting-core-2018-06-18|Getting to the Core|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 18, 2018}}</ref> They have a strong integration with the [[welcome deck]]s, [[planeswalker deck]]s and [[Deck Builder's Toolkit]], allowing for an easier transition between the products.<ref name=MetTwo/> These core sets | Core sets were discontinued after ''Magic Origins'' in 2015, but were reintroduced in 2018. Like the sets from ''Magic 2010'' to ''[[Magic Origins]]'', these sets continue to contain a mix of new and reprinted cards, but differ in that they are geared primarily toward new players.<ref name=MetTwo /><ref>{{DailyRef|mm/metamorphosis|Metamorphosis|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 25, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Getting to the Core">{{DailyRef|making-magic/getting-core-2018-06-18|Getting to the Core|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 18, 2018}}</ref> They have a strong integration with the [[welcome deck]]s, [[planeswalker deck]]s and [[Deck Builder's Toolkit]], allowing for an easier transition between the products.<ref name=MetTwo/> These core sets go through [[exploratory design|exploratory]] or [[vision design]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/172691094003/do-core-sets-still-go-through-all-of-the-new|title=Do core sets still go through all of the new vision design, set design, and play design steps? |April 07, 2018}}</ref> | ||
===Second discontinuation=== | ===Second discontinuation=== | ||
The product released the fourth quarter of rotation in 2021 was ''[[Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms]]'', which started out in design as core set but was later transformed in a more complicated [[expansion]] set.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/dd-esign-part-1-2021-07-05|D&D-esign, Part 1|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 5, 2021}}</ref> The 2022 cycle was intended to also be a Three-and-One year with "Innistrad 3", "Kamigawa 2", and ''[[Streets of New Capenna]]'', but instead Innistrad was expanded into [[Innistrad: Midnight Hunt|''Midnight Hunt'']] and [[Innistrad: Crimson Vow|''Crimson Vow'']] and Capenna moved to the unneeded Core Set slot<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/vow-part-1-2021-11-01|From Vow On, Part 1|[[Mark Rosewater]]|November 1, 2021}}</ref>. As such, 2022 changed the schedule to one where there was four [[premier]] sets without a Core Set analogue.<ref>{{EzTumblr|https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/660511211950145536/are-core-sets-gone-for-good-mark|title=Are Core sets gone for good?|August 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/660502632878702592/which-set-announced-yesterday-is-replacing-the|title=Which set announced yesterday is replacing the Core Set? |August 25, 2021}}</ref> ''[[Jumpstart]]'' has proven to be great jumping on product instead, and R&D is working on other things to offset having no core set.<ref>{{EzTumblr|https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/660543198850088961/since-core-sets-are-gone-for-now-does-that-mean|title=Since core sets are gone (for now) does that mean you found alternative solutions to the problems with no core sets brought up in Metamorphosis 2.0?|August 25, 2021}}</ref> | |||
===Replacement=== | |||
In 2024, the role of Core sets was taken over by the "evergreen" ''[[Magic: The Gathering Foundations]]'' set. | |||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
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The core sets in Magic 2010 onward used the cycle of planeswalkers and sometimes legendary creatures as an anchor, alongside several referential cycles. A few went a little further: | The core sets in Magic 2010 onward used the cycle of planeswalkers and sometimes legendary creatures as an anchor, alongside several referential cycles. A few went a little further: | ||
*[[Magic 2013|''Magic 2013'']] reprinted {{Card|Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker}} as the first multicolored card in a core set, alongside several henchmen. | *[[Magic 2013|''Magic 2013'']] reprinted {{Card|Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker}} as the first multicolored card and first sixth planeswalker in a core set, alongside several henchmen and a greater influence in flavor text. | ||
*''[[Magic 2015]]'' introduced {{Card|Garruk, Apex Predator}}, at the climax of his story, alongside a special supplemental challenge card {{Card|Garruk the Slayer}}. | *''[[Magic 2014]]'' used {{Card|Chandra, Pyromaster}} as the face of the set, with a few more distinct references than her fellow planeswalkers. | ||
*''[[Magic 2015]]'' introduced {{Card|Garruk, Apex Predator}}, at the climax of his story, alongside a special supplemental challenge card {{Card|Garruk the Slayer}}, though with a smaller influence in the set itself. | |||
*''[[Magic Origins]]'' focuses on the backstories of [[Gideon Jura]], [[Jace Beleren]], [[Liliana Vess]], [[Chandra Nalaar]], and [[Nissa Revane]]. Unlike the previous two, the stories told were deeper, with Legendary creatures relevant and significant events depicted as instants and sorceries. | *''[[Magic Origins]]'' focuses on the backstories of [[Gideon Jura]], [[Jace Beleren]], [[Liliana Vess]], [[Chandra Nalaar]], and [[Nissa Revane]]. Unlike the previous two, the stories told were deeper, with Legendary creatures relevant and significant events depicted as instants and sorceries. | ||
Magic 2013, 2014 and 2015 all had [[Duels of the Planeswalkers|''Duels of the Planeswalkers'']] campaign modes designed around storylines of their respective planeswalker. | |||
With the reintroduction of core sets for [[Core Set 2019]], each set had a singular focal planeswalker that the storyline was designed around: | With the reintroduction of core sets for [[Core Set 2019]], each set had a singular focal planeswalker that the storyline was designed around: | ||
* ''[[Core Set 2019]]'': [[Nicol Bolas]], featuring the other [[Dragon#Elder Dragons|Elder Dragons]], with five planeswalkers that have worked for or against Bolas. | * ''[[Core Set 2019]]'': [[Nicol Bolas]], featuring the other [[Dragon#Elder Dragons|Elder Dragons]], with five planeswalkers that have worked for or against Bolas and a series of spells showing his pinnacle, fall, and return to power since the Mending. | ||
* ''[[Core Set 2020]]'': [[Chandra Nalaar]], featuring three planeswalkers versions of her in her youth, teenage and adult years, alongside a legendary artifact under her ownership. | * ''[[Core Set 2020]]'': [[Chandra Nalaar]], featuring three planeswalkers versions of her in her youth, teenage and adult years, alongside a legendary artifact under her ownership and some Elementals she conjured. | ||
* ''[[Core Set 2021]]'': [[Teferi]], featuring a series of Legendary Dominarian characters; his mentor [[Barrin]], his wife [[Subira]] and daughter [[Niambi]], his allies [[Radha]] and [[Jolrael]], and nemesis [[Kaervek]]. The third player of the [[Mirage War]], [[Mangara]], was also featured. | * ''[[Core Set 2021]]'': [[Teferi]], featuring a series of Legendary Dominarian characters; his mentor [[Barrin]], his wife [[Subira]] and daughter [[Niambi]], his allies [[Radha]] and [[Jolrael]], and nemesis [[Kaervek]]. The third player of the [[Mirage War]], [[Mangara]], was also featured. | ||
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==Theme decks== | ==Theme decks== | ||
{{Main|Core set/Preconstructed theme decks}} | {{Main|Core set/Preconstructed theme decks}}Starting with ''[[Seventh Edition/Theme decks|Seventh Edition]]'' core sets had 5 mono-colored theme decks. Since ''[[Magic 2010/Intro packs|Magic 2010]]'' core sets had 5 two colored intro packs. In ''[[Core Set 2019/Planeswalker decks|Core Set 2019]]'' and the following sets intro packs were replaced with 5 [[Planeswalker deck|Planeswalker decks]]. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 13:28, 29 June 2024
Core sets (stylized as Core Set) form the base set of cards for tournament play and rotations.[1][2] After Limited Edition in 1993, all core sets through Tenth Edition consisted solely of reprinted cards. From Magic 2010, they feature new cards alongside reprints. Core sets were discontinued in 2015, then returned for three years[3] before being discontinued again in 2021[4].
History
Up to Eighth Edition core sets were referred to as base sets or basic sets.[5] However, a base set was broader defined, because the Fourth Edition base set included the Chronicles extension. The name change came into being because there were concerns that older base sets confused newer players—their primary audience—by making them feel like they "missed out" on five or six previous editions and were hopelessly behind.[6]
Fifth Edition was the first core set to implement expansion symbols on its cards (though only on the Simplified Chinese printing), implementing a Roman numeral style logo, which appeared in all languages with Sixth Edition. Seventh Edition used a stylized numeral 7, while Eighth Edition and Ninth Edition used a fan of cards with the numeral 8 or 9, respectively, on them, and Tenth Edition went back to using a Roman numeral. Starting with Magic 2010, the core set expansion symbol became the stylized 'M' from the Magic logo and an abbreviation of the set year number, with the exception of Magic Origins, which had its own unique symbol.
Core sets were printed with white borders from Unlimited Edition through Ninth Edition, but a Tenth Edition poll resulted in that set's cards being printed with black borders, a trend that continued with all subsequent sets. Foil cards were black-bordered beginning from their core-set introduction in Seventh Edition.
Core sets were released at varying intervals. Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Editions were scheduled erratically, followed by biannual releases through Magic 2010. From Magic 2011 until Magic Origins, they occupied an annual summer product slot.[7][8]
Discontinuation and reintroduction
Core sets were discontinued after Magic Origins in 2015, but were reintroduced in 2018. Like the sets from Magic 2010 to Magic Origins, these sets continue to contain a mix of new and reprinted cards, but differ in that they are geared primarily toward new players.[3][9][10] They have a strong integration with the welcome decks, planeswalker decks and Deck Builder's Toolkit, allowing for an easier transition between the products.[3] These core sets go through exploratory or vision design.[11]
Second discontinuation
The product released the fourth quarter of rotation in 2021 was Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, which started out in design as core set but was later transformed in a more complicated expansion set.[12] The 2022 cycle was intended to also be a Three-and-One year with "Innistrad 3", "Kamigawa 2", and Streets of New Capenna, but instead Innistrad was expanded into Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow and Capenna moved to the unneeded Core Set slot[13]. As such, 2022 changed the schedule to one where there was four premier sets without a Core Set analogue.[14][15] Jumpstart has proven to be great jumping on product instead, and R&D is working on other things to offset having no core set.[16]
Replacement
In 2024, the role of Core sets was taken over by the "evergreen" Magic: The Gathering Foundations set.
Description
Core sets formerly contained more cards than expansion sets and ranged from 249 cards (Magic 2010) to 449 cards (Fifth Edition).
Core sets may be distinguished from expansion sets by the addition of reminder text on cards, so as to elucidate abilities and mechanics that are unfamiliar or initially incomprehensible to newer players, such as first strike, flying, haste, protection, regeneration, and trample.[17] While core sets tended not to re-use expert level keywords unless they were slated for promotion to evergreen, from Magic 2012 to Magic 2015 a single keyword was reused, often a factional keyword expanded to new colors:
- Magic 2012: Bloodthirst, from Gruul (
) to 
, and - Magic 2013: Exalted, from Bant (
) to and - Magic 2014: Slivers, from all five colors evenly to mostly , , and
- Magic 2015: Convoke, from Selesnya (), to all colors (but still mostly )
Magic Origins was the first to introduce its own new keyword, Renown.
Most core sets do not have a unified storyline among cards. Cards' flavor text may nevertheless refer to expansion sets and their settings or even real-world people, texts, or things (e.g., the Fifth Edition Boomerang and the Seventh Edition Boomerang). Seventh Edition was an exception, where it narrated the story of a war among the paladins—Eastern Paladin, Northern Paladin, Southern Paladin, and Western Paladin— through the flavor text of cards from the set.
The core sets in Magic 2010 onward used the cycle of planeswalkers and sometimes legendary creatures as an anchor, alongside several referential cycles. A few went a little further:
- Magic 2013 reprinted Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker as the first multicolored card and first sixth planeswalker in a core set, alongside several henchmen and a greater influence in flavor text.
- Magic 2014 used Chandra, Pyromaster as the face of the set, with a few more distinct references than her fellow planeswalkers.
- Magic 2015 introduced Garruk, Apex Predator, at the climax of his story, alongside a special supplemental challenge card Garruk the Slayer, though with a smaller influence in the set itself.
- Magic Origins focuses on the backstories of Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren, Liliana Vess, Chandra Nalaar, and Nissa Revane. Unlike the previous two, the stories told were deeper, with Legendary creatures relevant and significant events depicted as instants and sorceries.
Magic 2013, 2014 and 2015 all had Duels of the Planeswalkers campaign modes designed around storylines of their respective planeswalker.
With the reintroduction of core sets for Core Set 2019, each set had a singular focal planeswalker that the storyline was designed around:
- Core Set 2019: Nicol Bolas, featuring the other Elder Dragons, with five planeswalkers that have worked for or against Bolas and a series of spells showing his pinnacle, fall, and return to power since the Mending.
- Core Set 2020: Chandra Nalaar, featuring three planeswalkers versions of her in her youth, teenage and adult years, alongside a legendary artifact under her ownership and some Elementals she conjured.
- Core Set 2021: Teferi, featuring a series of Legendary Dominarian characters; his mentor Barrin, his wife Subira and daughter Niambi, his allies Radha and Jolrael, and nemesis Kaervek. The third player of the Mirage War, Mangara, was also featured.
Core sets were often seeded with cards that reinforced the themes of upcoming blocks, or used to provide answers to cards that were more powerful than was anticipated in the year preceding it. The last goal of core sets was to play well with the block that was leaving Standard, while not relying so heavily on it that the cards would not work after rotation.[18]
List of core sets
| № | Edition | Set size | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01a | Limited Edition Alpha | 295 | 1993-08 |
| 01b | Limited Edition Beta | 302 | 1993-10 |
| 02 | Unlimited Edition | 302 | 1993-12 |
| 03 | Revised Edition | 306 | 1994-04 |
| 04 | Fourth Edition | 378 | 1995-05 |
| 05 | Fifth Edition | 449 | 1997-03 |
| 06 | Sixth Edition | 350 | 1999-04 |
| 07 | Seventh Edition | 350 | 2001-04 |
| 08 | Eighth Edition | 357 | 2003-07 |
| 09 | Ninth Edition | 359 | 2005-07 |
| 10 | Tenth Edition | 383 | 2007-07 |
| 11 | Magic 2010 | 249[19] | 2009-07 |
| 12 | Magic 2011 | 249[20] | 2010-07 |
| 13 | Magic 2012 | 249[21] | 2011-07 |
| 14 | Magic 2013 | 249[22] | 2012-07 |
| 15 | Magic 2014 | 249[23] | 2013-07 |
| 16 | Magic 2015 | 269 (+15)[24] | 2014-07 |
| 17 | Magic Origins | 272 (+16)[25] | 2015-07 |
| 18 | Core Set 2019 | 280 (+34) | 2018-07 |
| 19 | Core Set 2020 | 280 (+64) | 2019-07 |
| 20 | Core Set 2021 | 274 (+123) | 2020-07 |
Theme decks
Starting with Seventh Edition core sets had 5 mono-colored theme decks. Since Magic 2010 core sets had 5 two colored intro packs. In Core Set 2019 and the following sets intro packs were replaced with 5 Planeswalker decks.
References
- ↑ Doug Beyer (July 20, 2011). "Core Curriculum". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 27, 2011). "Please Sir, I Want Some Core". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c Mark Rosewater (June 12, 2017). "Metamorphosis 2.0". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 1, 2021) "From Vow On, Part 1" Magicthegathering.com Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (October 31, 2002). ""Revising" the base set". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (March 31, 2003). "Core Set". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Aaron Forsythe (June 28, 2010). "Magic 2011 Has Big Shoes to Fill". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Diego Fumagalli (June 13, 2017). "(Nearly) 25 Years of Magic in Graphics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 25, 2014). "Metamorphosis". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 18, 2018). "Getting to the Core". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 07, 2018). "Do core sets still go through all of the new vision design, set design, and play design steps?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 5, 2021). "D&D-esign, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 1, 2021). "From Vow On, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 25, 2021). "Are Core sets gone for good?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 25, 2021). "Which set announced yesterday is replacing the Core Set?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 25, 2021). "Since core sets are gone (for now) does that mean you found alternative solutions to the problems with no core sets brought up in Metamorphosis 2.0?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 14, 2003). "Let's Start at the Very Beginning". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Sam Stoddard (July 12, 2013). "Core Developments for Standard". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic 2010 — Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (January 6, 2010). "Announcing Magic 2011". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (January 3, 2011). "Announcing Magic 2012". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (January 3, 2012). "Announcing Magic 2013 Core Set". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (January 7, 2013). "Announcing the Magic 2014 Core Set". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (January 6, 2014). "Announcing Magic 2015". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (February 8, 2015). "Announcing Magic Origins". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.