Fourth Edition

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Template:Infobox expansion

Fourth Edition booster

Fourth Edition (4th Edition) is a Core Set that was released in May, 1995.

Set details

Fifty-one cards were removed from the Revised Edition and 122 cards from previous expansions (Legends and The Dark) were added. Fourth Edition was the first set to have its basic lands printed on a seperate print sheet. This freed up room on the other card sheets to include more spells. Fourth Edition cards have white borders in the American printing while foreign printings have black borders when no prior edition was released on that market. The set has no expansion symbol.

File:Tap symbol nr.2.jpg
The second tap symbol.
  • A copyright notice '©' now appeared on the bottom of the cards (copyright date 1995). The copyright was now attributed to Wizards of the Coast, and not to the artist anymore.
  • The beveled border missing from Revised was restored. The colors were also much brighter.
  • A new white mana symbol ({W}) was introduced. [1]
  • The tap symbol changed to a curved arrow symbol, with a black rectangle representing the tapping card behind it. [2]
  • A parallel print run was printed by the United States Playing Card Corporation in Cincinnati. Due to a dispute between the two companies, the cards were never officially published. [3]

Marketing

Cards were available from May 3, 1995 well past the end of the run in April 1997. The print run is estimated at 500 million cards. The cards were sold in 60-card starter decks and 15-card boosters. Fourth Edition was the first set with booster packs made of foil wrappers and the first with artwork on the wrappers (Brass Man, Hurloon Minotaur, Mana Vault, Mesa Pegasus and Spirit Link). The boosters didn't contain basic lands anymore. Starters included an extra rare card, up from 2 to 3 from previous releases and uncommons were reduced to 9 from the previous 13. The package of the starter decks now displayed the five mana symbols, instead of the five colored stones. The set was supplemented with a special Gift Box. The 4th Edition Gift Box included two starter decks, 30 glass counters, a flannel bag for storing the counters, an illustrated rulebook and a card collectors' checklist.

Fourth Edition was published in English, French, German, Italian, and as a first for a Magic set in Japanese, traditional Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese (primarily for the Brazilian market).

Rules changes

Cycles

4th Edition has 5 cycles.

Mirrored pairs

4th Edition has 22 mirrored pairs.

  • Blue Elemental Blast and Red Elemental Blast are both common instants (formerly interrupts) with a mana cost of C and with a modal ability to either destroy a permanent of the other's color or counter a spell of the other's color.
  • Deathgrip and Lifeforce are each uncommon enchantments with an activated ability to counter a spell of the other's color for CC.
  • Earthquake and Hurricane are both sorceries that have a mana cost of {X}C and deal {X} damage to all non-flying or flying creatures and each player.
  • Feedback and Wanderlust are both uncommon Auras that deal 1 damage to the controller of the enchanted permanent during each of their upkeeps.
  • Holy Strength and Unholy Strength are both common Auras with enchant creature that give a mirrored bonus to the enchanted creature's power/toughness.
  • Manabarbs and Power Surge are both rare red enchantments that deal damage to a player based on the number of lands he or she does or does not tap.
  • Smoke and Winter Orb both allow players to only untap one of a type of permanent each turn.
  • Tsunami and Flashfires are both uncommon sorceries that have a mana cost of {3}C and destroy lands of a particular enemy type.

Cards added to 4th Edition

Changes in rarity

Cards removed from Revised Edition

Misprints

References

  1. "Magic Arcana" (Thursday, February 6, 2003). "White mana symbol". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. "Magic Arcana" (Monday, July 12, 2004). "The Changing Tap Symbol". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. The Wizards Cupboard: 4th Edition alternate starter deck
  4. Adam Conus, Tom Wylie, Jim Lin, and Rich Redman (August 17, 2009). "Fourth Edition FAQ and General Rulings Summary". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links