Prerelease card
Prerelease cards are cards given away for paying to play at prerelease tournaments.
History
They were first introduced at the Tempest prerelease in October, 1997. They are stamped or otherwise marked to identify them as the prerelease card. The design has changed over the years. Prerelease cards could have a mix of several of these qualities: foiled, the inclusion of a foiled shooting star symbol, alternate art from that which appears in the set, or a foiled watermark in the text box. Prerelease cards are often creatures that highlight some new aspect of the set. Since the creation of Prerelease Packs, many modern sets have had more than one possible prerelease card per set.
Beginning with Khans of Tarkir, prerelease cards had gone from being an advertised selling point to being mostly hidden information prior to the prerelease tournament. The number of possible prerelease cards per set also increased drastically. This was done for playability reasons, as the prerelease cards are now playable in one's card pool at prerelease tournaments. From Battle for Zendikar on, this was further increased to a stamped version of any rare or mythic rare card from the set. This was done because the earlier prerelease cards were skewing the availability of a single cards, and R&D wants all cards of the same rarity to be very close in number. [1]
List
The following table is a list of prerelease cards:
Card | Set | Date | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
Dirtcowl Wurm | Tempest | October 1997 | The card was not foil; it was a normal version of the card with the word "Prerelease" and the Magic "M" stamped in gold leaf on the type line. [2] |
Revenant | Stronghold | February 1998 | |
Monstrous Hound | Exodus | June 1998 | |
Lightning Dragon [3] | Urza's Saga | September 26, 1998 | The first foil card generally available. First prerelease with a shooting star. Highlighted echo |
Beast of Burden | Urza's Legacy | February 6, 1999 | |
Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms | Portal Three Kingdoms | April 29, 1999 | Prerelease card for Japan. Highlighted horsemanship |
False Prophet | Urza's Destiny | May 29, 1999 | |
Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms | Portal Three Kingdoms | July 4, 1999 | Prerelease card for Australia and Singapore. Highlighted horsemanship |
Overtaker | Mercadian Masques | September 25, 1999 | Highlighted spellshapers |
Rathi Assassin | Nemesis | Jan 29, 2000 | Last prerelease with a big shooting star. Highlighted mercenaries |
Avatar of Hope | Prophecy | May 27, 2000 | First prerelease with a small shooting star. Highlighted avatar cycle |
Kavu Furens (Raging Kavu) | Invasion | September 23, 2000 | Prerelease card printed in Latin text. |
Ό πλανώμενος Φελδδαγρίφος (Questing Phelddagrif) | Planeshift | January 27, 2001 | Prerelease card printed in classical Greek text. |
फंगल्शम्ब्लर् (Fungal Shambler) | Apocalypse | May 26, 2001 | Prerelease card printed in Sanskrit text. |
باسلْ ليسك - الحجر واللسان (Stone-Tongue Basilisk) | Odyssey | September 22, 2001 | Prerelease card printed in Arabic text. Highlighted threshold |
Воин Лакватуса (Laquatus's Champion) | Torment | Jan 26 2002 | Prerelease card printed in Russian text. Highlighted nightmares |
תהילה (Glory) | Judgment | May 18, 2002 | Prerelease card printed in Hebrew text. Last prerelease with a shooting star. Highlighted incarnations |
Silent Specter | Onslaught | September 28, 2002 | First prerelease with the expansion symbol watermark. Highlighted morph |
Feral Throwback [4] | Legions | January 25, 2003 | Highlighted amplify |
Soul Collector [5] | Scourge | May 17, 2003 | |
Sword of Kaldra [6] | Mirrodin | September 20, 2003 | First prerelease card to feature alternate art and the first that isn't a creature. All subsequent prerelease cards feature alternate artwork. Highlighted equipment |
Shield of Kaldra | Darksteel | January 24, 2004 | First prerelease card to mention a card that had yet to be printed. Highlighted indestructible. Second non-creature |
Helm of Kaldra | Fifth Dawn | May 22, 2004 | Third non-creature |
Ryusei, the Falling Star | Champions of Kamigawa | September 18, 2004 | Card from legendary dragon cycle |
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni | Betrayers of Kamigawa | January 22, 2005 | Highlighted ninjutsu |
Kiyomaro, First to Stand | Saviors of Kamigawa | May 21, 2005 | Highlighted wisdom theme |
Gleancrawler [7] | Ravnica: City of Guilds | September 24, 2005 | Highlighted hybrid mana |
Djinn Illuminatus [8] | Guildpact | January 21, 2006 | Highlighted replicate |
Avatar of Discord [9] | Dissension | April 22, 2006 | |
Allosaurus Rider [10] | Coldsnap | July 8, 2006 | Highlighted super pitch cards |
Lotus Bloom [11] | Time Spiral | September 23, 2006 | Highlighted suspend, fourth non-creature |
Oros, the Avenger [12] | Planar Chaos | January 20, 2007 | Card from legendary dragon cycle |
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade [13] | Future Sight | April 21, 2007 | Highlighted grandeur and futureshifted frame |
Wren's Run Packmaster [14] | Lorwyn | September 29, 2007 | Highlighted champion and deathtouch |
Door of Destinies [15] | Morningtide | January 19, 2008 | Emphasizes creature types, fifth non-creature |
Demigod of Revenge [16] | Shadowmoor | April 19, 2008 | Re-emphasizes hybrid mana first introduced in Ravnica |
Overbeing of Myth [17] | Eventide | July 12, 2008 | Another card from the "Demigod" mega cycle |
Ajani Vengeant [18] | Shards of Alara | October 3, 2008 | First prerelease mythic rare, first planeswalker and sixth non-creature. Also used as release card. Available in six languages. |
Malfegor [19] | Conflux | January 31, 2009 | |
Dragon Broodmother [20] | Alara Reborn | April 25, 2009 | |
Vampire Nocturnus [21] | Magic 2010 | July 11, 2009 | Highlights injection of vampires back into the Core Set. |
Rampaging Baloths & Celestine Reef [22] |
Zendikar | September 26, 2009 | First time two promos are given out, the second being the first plane as well as the seventh non-creature. Highlights Landfall. |
Comet Storm [23] | Worldwake | January 30, 2010 | Highlights Multikicker. Eighth non-creature. |
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn [24] | Rise of the Eldrazi | April 17, 2010 | Highlights colorless Eldrazi creatures |
Sun Titan [25] | Magic 2011 | July 10, 2010 | Highlights cycle of titans |
Wurmcoil Engine | Scars of Mirrodin | September 25, 2010 | |
Glissa, the Traitor | Mirrodin Besieged | January 29-30, 2011 | Highlights the Phyrexian faction. |
Hero of Bladehold | Mirrodin Besieged | January 29-30, 2011 | Highlights the Mirran faction and Battle cry mechanic. |
Sheoldred, Whispering One [26] | New Phyrexia | May 7-8, 2011 | Highlights cycle of Praetors |
Bloodlord of Vaasgoth [27] | Magic 2012 | July 9-10, 2011 | Highlights Bloodthirst |
Mayor of Avabruck / Howlpack Alpha [28] | Innistrad | September 24-25, 2011 | Highlights Transform |
Ravenous Demon / Archdemon of Greed [29] | Dark Ascension | January 28-29, 2012 | |
Moonsilver Spear [30] | Avacyn Restored | April 28-29, 2012 | Ninth non-creature |
Xathrid Gorgon [31] | Magic 2013 | July 7-8, 2012 | |
Archon of the Triumvirate [32] | Return to Ravnica | September 29-30, 2012 | Azorius guild promo, highlights Detain |
Hypersonic Dragon | Return to Ravnica | September 29-30, 2012 | Izzet guild promo |
Carnival Hellsteed | Return to Ravnica | September 29-30, 2012 | Rakdos guild promo, highlights Unleash |
Corpsejack Menace | Return to Ravnica | September 29-30, 2012 | Golgari guild promo |
Grove of the Guardian | Return to Ravnica | September 29-30, 2012 | Selesnya guild promo |
Treasury Thrull [33] | Gatecrash | January 26-27, 2013 | Orzhov guild promo, highlights Extort |
Consuming Aberration | Gatecrash | January 26-27, 2013 | Dimir guild promo |
Rubblehulk | Gatecrash | January 26-27, 2013 | Gruul guild promo, highlights Bloodrush |
Foundry Champion | Gatecrash | January 26-27, 2013 | Boros guild promo |
Fathom Mage | Gatecrash | January 26-27, 2013 | Simic guild promo, highlights Evolve |
Maze's End & Plains [34] | Dragon's Maze | April 27-28, 2013 | |
Megantic Sliver [35] | Magic 2014 | July 13-14, 2013 | |
Celestial Archon [36] | Theros | September 27-28, 2013 | White promo, highlights Bestow |
Shipbreaker Kraken | Theros | September 27-28, 2013 | Blue promo, highlights Monstrosity |
Abhorrent Overlord | Theros | September 27-28, 2013 | Black promo, highlights Devotion |
Ember Swallower | Theros | September 27-28, 2013 | Red promo, highlights Monstrosity |
Anthousa, Setessan Hero | Theros | September 27-28, 2013 | Green promo, highlights Heroic |
Silent Sentinel | Born of the Gods | February 1-2, 2014 | White promo |
Arbiter of the Ideal | Born of the Gods | February 1-2, 2014 | Blue promo, highlights Inspired |
Eater of Hope | Born of the Gods | February 1-2, 2014 | Black promo |
Forgestoker Dragon | Born of the Gods | February 1-2, 2014 | Red promo |
Nessian Wilds Ravager | Born of the Gods | February 1-2, 2014 | Green promo, highlights Tribute |
Dawnbringer Charioteers | Journey into Nyx | April 26-27, 2014 | White promo, highlights Heroic |
Scourge of Fleets | Journey into Nyx | April 26-27, 2014 | Blue promo |
Doomwake Giant | Journey into Nyx | April 26-27, 2014 | Black promo, highlights Constellation |
Spawn of Thraxes | Journey into Nyx | April 26-27, 2014 | Red promo |
Heroes' Bane | Journey into Nyx | April 26-27, 2014 | Green promo |
Resolute Archangel | Magic 2015 | July 12-13, 2014 | White promo |
Mercurial Pretender | Magic 2015 | July 12-13, 2014 | Blue promo |
Indulgent Tormentor | Magic 2015 | July 12-13, 2014 | Black promo |
Siege Dragon | Magic 2015 | July 12-13, 2014 | Red promo |
Phytotitan | Magic 2015 | July 12-13, 2014 | Green promo |
Change to random prerelease cards
Khans of Tarkir
Players at the prerelease chose one of the five clans featured in Khans of Tarkir. Within their Prerelease Pack, players randomly received one of eight possible prerelease cards associated with that clan. The forty possible prerelease cards were:
Fate Reforged
Players at the Fate Reforged prerelease chose one of the five featured clans featured. Within their Prerelease Pack, players randomly received one of six possible prerelease cards associated with that clan. The thirty possible prerelease cards were:
Dragons of Tarkir
Players at the prerelease chose one of the five dragon broods featured in Dragons of Tarkir. Within their Prerelease Pack, players randomly received one of eight possible prerelease cards associated with that brood. The forty possible prerelease cards were:
Magic Origins
Players at the Magic Origins prerelease chose one of the five featured planeswalkers. Within their Prerelease Pack, players randomly received one of eight possible prerelease cards associated with the color of that planeswalker. The forty possible prerelease cards were:
Battle for Zendikar, and further sets
Players at the prerelease got one stamped version of any rare or mythic rare card from the set as their promo card. For Dominaria only, an additional stamped card is also selected from all legendary cards.
See also
References
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (January 17, 2016). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef