Core Set 2021

Core Set 2021

 

Card comparisons

 

Changes

 

Arena Starter Kit

 

Planeswalker decks

 

Trivia

 

Welcome booster

 

Core Set 2021
[[File:{{#setmainimage:M21 logo.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Design	Aaron Forsythe (lead) Doug Beyer Mark Heggen
Development	Adam Prosak (lead) Sam Stoddard Yoni Skolnik Corey Bowen Donald Smith, Jr Andrew Brown Ari Nieh
Art direction	Cynthia Sheppard
Release date	July 3, 2020
Themes and mechanics	Teferi, Dogs vs. Cats, shrines
Keywords/​ability words	Mill, phasing, prowess
Set size	274 + 123
Expansion code	M21
Core sets
[[Core Set 2020]] '''Core Set 2021''' N/A
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
[[Signature Spellbook: Chandra]] Core Set 2021 [[Jumpstart]]

Core Set 2021, also known as Core 2021, is the 20th Magic core set. It will be released on July 3, 2020.

Set details

expansion symbol

“

It’s Magic time

”

Core 2021 features a mix of new and reprinted cards. The main set contains 274 cards (15 basic lands, 111 common, 80 uncommon, 53 rare, and 15 mythic rare) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. Teferi, Master of Time (#75) additionally features three alternate arts, numbered #275-277. The Buy-a-Box promotional card is #278. Cards with an alternate card frame have another card number than the original version. Borderless planeswalkers are numbered #279-284, showcase cards are numbered #285-313, alternate art borderless cards are numbered #314-319, cards found in the set's planeswalker decks are #320-339 and the extended artwork cards are numbered #340-391. The Bundle promo is numbered #392, and the dark-frame cards from the universal promo pack are numbered #393-397.

The featured planeswalker is Teferi. The set also features some of his family, friends and foes. A new planeswalker is Basri Ket.

The Showcase card frames are identical to the Signature Spellbook frames for the planeswalkers (cf. Chandra's frame). Teferi, Master of Time features four subtly different artworks. The monocolored planeswalkers each feature three signature spells and a basic land depicting their home plane. Ugin features no additional cards beyond his planeswalker card.

Storyline

Core Set 2021 has no storyline. There are no Story Spotlights, either.

Marketing

Core Set 2021 is sold in 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), five planeswalker decks, the Core 2021 bundle, and a Starter Kit. There are no Theme Boosters, but instead Core 2021 is the first core set to feature Collector Boosters. A Deck Builder's Toolkit is also absent. In addition, Welcome decks are replaced by a Welcome booster, a ten-card sampler showing of flashy aspects of the game like legendaries, planeswalkers, powerful rares and showcase cards. The draft boosters feature key art of three planeswalkers (Teferi, Liliana and Chandra). The Collector Booster features key art of Ugin.

Events

• Prerelease: June 26 - July 2, 2020
  • Magic Online and Magic Arena release: June 25, 2020
• Launch party: July 4-5, 2020
• Commander Nights: July 6 - September 17, 2020

Promotional cards

• Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare of Core Set 2021.
• Other events: cards from the Core Set 2021 universal promo pack.
  • The seasonal dark-frame promos are: Selfless Savior, Frantic Inventory, Eliminate, Heartfire Immolator, Llanowar Visionary
• Buy-a-Box: Rin and Seri, Inseparable, with extended artwork treatment.
  • Each Buy-a-Box also comes with two Jumpstart boosters.
• Core Set 2021 Bundle promo: Pack Leader

Jumpstart

Core Set 2021 is closely tied to Jumpstart, a booster product that releases two weeks later. Jumpstart is meant to provide an easy starting point for players who don't have the appetite or time for deckbuilding. Jumpstart shares 120 cards with Core set 2021.

Tokens and emblems

Core 2021 comes with 20 tokens and emblems. Token and emblems appear in the marketing card slot. The last two tokens are available from collector boosters only.

1. 4/4 Angel creature with flying for Angelic Ascension and Speaker of the Heavens.
2. 1/1 Bird creature with flying for Falconer Adept.
3. 2/2 Griffin creature with flying for Griffin Aerie.
4. 2/2 Knight creature with vigilance for Basri's Lieutenant and Valorous Steed.
5. 1/1 Soldier creature for Basri Ket and Secure the Scene.
6. 5/5 Demon creature with flying for Archfiend's Vessel.
7. 2/2 Zombie creature for Liliana's Devotee and Necromentia.
8. 1/1 Goblin Wizard creature with prowess for Goblin Wizardry.
9. 1/1 Pirate creature with "This creature cannot block," and "Creatures you control must attack each combat if able," for Pursued Whale.
10. 3/3 Beast creature for Elder Gargaroth and Garruk, Unleashed.
11. 2/2 Cat creature for Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse.
12. 1/1 Saproling creature for Deathbloom Thallid, Fungal Rebirth and Sporeweb Weaver.
13. */* Weird creature for Experimental Overload.
14. 4/4 Construct creature for Chrome Replicator
15. Treasure for Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge.
16. Emblem for Basri Ket.
17. Emblem for Garruk, Unleashed.
18. Emblem for Liliana, Waker of the Dead.
19. 1/1 Dog creature for Rin and Seri, Inseparable.
20. 1/1 Cat creature for Rin and Seri, Inseparable.

Themes and mechanics

Core Set 2021 has a theme of Dogs vs. Cats.

The mill mechanic now officially becomes a keyword action. For a player to mill N, they put the top N cards from their library into their graveyard.

With Teferi, Master of Time and Teferi, Timeless Voyager, phasing returns to Standard for the first time since Weatherlight, over 23 years ago. (It was last printed on Teferi's Protection as part of Commander 2017.)

Prowess, now a deciduous keyword, also returns.

Card types

The set introduces the Dog creature type, and erratas the Hound creature type to all become Dogs. This change was foreshadowed with the test card Ruff, Underdog Champ.

The set also introduces the Basri planeswalker type.

The set sees the return of the enchantment type Shrine, only seen before in Champions of Kamigawa.

Limited archetypes

Core 2021 features the following limited archetypes:

• : Flying matters
• : Reanimator
• : Sacrifice
• : "Ferocious"
• : +1/+1 counters
• : Lifegain
• : Prowess
• : "Morbid"
• : Go wide and Dog tribal
• : Card draw

Cycles

Core Set 2021 has fifteen cycles, including two double cycles and five vertical cycles.

Cycle name
Legendary spellcasters	Mangara, the Diplomat	Barrin, Tolarian Archmage	Kaervek, the Spiteful	Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner	Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse
	Five rare or mythic rare legendary Human spellcasters. All of them have a connection to Teferi, and/or the continent of Jamuraa.
Tribal lords	Pack Leader (Dogs)	Shacklegeist (Spirits)	Thieves' Guild Enforcer (Rogues)	Conspicuous Snoop (Goblins)	Feline Sovereign (Cats)
	Five rare lords that each support a different tribe.
Sanctums	Sanctum of Tranquil Light	Sanctum of Calm Waters	Sanctum of Stone Fangs	Sanctum of Shattered Heights	Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest
	Five uncommon legendary Shrine enchantments, each of which has an effect that scales with the number of Shrines you control. (There is a sixth five-color Shrine printed at rare, Sanctum of All.)
Cycle name
Temples	Temple of Silence	Temple of Epiphany	Temple of Malady	Temple of Triumph	Temple of Mystery
	Five rare enemy colored scry lands, reprinted from the Theros block.

Vertical cycles

Five mythic rare planeswalkers each head a vertical cycle of cards referring to them. Each of these cards is also printed in a Signature Spellbook-esque alternate card frame, themed to that respective planeswalker. (Chandra's cards match her Signature Spellbook frame exactly.)

Color	Planeswalker	Signature spells
	Basri Ket	Basri's Lieutenant	Basri's Solidarity	Basri's Acolyte
	Teferi, Master of Time	Teferi's Ageless Insight	Teferi's Tutelage	Teferi's Protege
	Liliana, Waker of the Dead	Liliana's Standard Bearer	Liliana's Devotee	Liliana's Steward
	Chandra, Heart of Fire	Chandra's Incinerator	Chandra's Pyreling	Chandra's Magmutt
	Garruk, Unleashed	Garruk's Harbinger	Garruk's Uprising	Garruk's Gorehorn

Dual cycles

Cycle name
Draft signposts	Watcher of the Spheres	Obsessive Stitcher	Dire Fleet Warmonger	Leafkin Avenger	Conclave Mentor	Indulging Patrician	Experimental Overload	Twinblade Assassins	Alpine Houndmaster	Lorescale Coatl
	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited.
Life-gain taplands	Tranquil Cove	Dismal Backwater	Bloodfell Caves	Rugged Highlands	Blossoming Sands	Scoured Barrens	Swiftwater Cliffs	Jungle Hollow	Wind-Scarred Crag	Thornwood Falls
	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .

Precon only

Cycle name
Planeswalkers	Basri, Devoted Paladin	Teferi, Timeless Voyager	Liliana, Death Mage	Chandra, Flame's Catalyst	Garruk, Savage Herald
	Five mythic rare planeswalker variants with simpler abilities, each of which cost MM.
Planeswalker tutors	Basri's Aegis	Teferi's Wavecaster	Liliana's Scorn	Chandra's Fire Maw	Garruk's Warsteed
	Five rare spells, each of which costs MM or MM and tutors for a specific planeswalker.
3-of creatures	Sigiled Contender	Historian of Zhalfir	Liliana's Scrounger	Keral Keep Disciples	Predatory Wurm
	Five uncommon creatures, included as three-ofs in their respective decks. Each interacts directly, or – in one case – supports the theme of their respective planeswalker.
4-of creatures	Adherent of Hope	Mystic Skyfish	Spirit of Malevolence	Storm Caller	Wildwood Patrol
	Five common creatures, included as four-ofs in their respective decks. Each supports the theme, or – in one case – interacts directly with their respective planeswalker.

Notable cards

• Sparkhunter Masticore is the first creature to have protection from planeswalkers.
• Nine Lives is an alternate loss card.

Preconstructed decks

Arena Starter Kit

The Arena Starter Kit (in previous editions known as the Spellslinger Starter Kit) comes with two Standard-legal 60-card decks, designed to create an interactive learning experience for two.

Planeswalker decks

Unlike with expansions, planeswalker decks are still a part of the product line-up for the Core Set. Core 2021 features five planeswalker decks, that come with one booster and a foil planeswalker card.

Planeswalker deck name	Colors Included					Planeswalker
Basri	W					Basri, Devoted Paladin
Teferi		U				Teferi, Timeless Voyager
Liliana			B			Liliana, Death Mage
Chandra				R		Chandra, Flame's Catalyst
Garruk					G	Garruk, Savage Herald

External links

• Mark Rosewater (June 29, 2020). "Odds & Ends: Core Set 2021". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.