Faction set

A faction set is a Magic: The Gathering set characterized by groups of mechanically and flavorfully distinct cards that interact with other groups within that set.

The factions within a set each have a mechanical and creative identity. The cards of each faction may be identified with watermarks. Cycles have a stronger presence in faction sets, especially ones with distinct color distributions.

Most prominent faction sets

Set	Plane	Factions
Fallen Empires	Dominaria	The Order of Leitbur / The Farrelites The Vodalian Merfolk / Homarids The Order of the Ebon Hand / Thrulls Dwarven Stronghold / Orcs and Goblins Havenwood elves / Thallids
Invasion Planeshift Apocalypse	Dominaria	The Coalition The Phyrexians
Champions of Kamigawa Betrayers of Kamigawa Champions of Kamigawa	Kamigawa	The Mortals The Kami
Ravnica: City of Guilds Guildpact Dissension Return to Ravnica Gatecrash Dragon's Maze Guilds of Ravnica Ravnica Allegiance	Ravnica	Azorius Senate House Dimir Cult of Rakdos Gruul Clans Selesnya Conclave Orzhov Syndicate Izzet League Golgari Swarm Boros Legion Simic Combine
Shards of Alara Conflux Alara Reborn	Alara	Bant Esper Grixis Jund Naya
Scars of Mirrodin Mirrodin Besieged New Phyrexia	Mirrodin / New Phyrexia	The Mirrans The Phyrexians
Khans of Tarkir Fate Reforged Tarkir: Dragonstorm	Tarkir	Abzan Houses Jeskai Way Sultai Brood Mardu Horde Temur Frontier
Dragons of Tarkir	Tarkir	Ojutai Brood Silumgar Brood Kolaghan Brood Atarka Brood Dromoka Brood
Rise of the Eldrazi Battle for Zendikar Oath of the Gatewatch	Zendikar	The Zendikari / the Gatewatch The Eldrazi
Ixalan Rivals of Ixalan	Ixalan	The Brazen Coalition The Sun Empire The Legion of Dusk The River Heralds
Strixhaven: School of Mages	Arcavios	Silverquill Prismari Witherbloom Lorehold Quandrix
Streets of New Capenna	Capenna	Brokers Obscura Maestros Riveteers Cabaretti

Not faction sets

As R&D often develops ten-archetype draft formats and often matches that creatively, it can often seem that many sets are factional.

• Although set on Ravnica, War of the Spark and Murders at Karlov Manor are backdrop sets rather than faction sets.
• Similarly, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is a backdrop set on Ixalan.
• The core mechanics of Innistrad block are morbid, flashback, and double-faced cards. None of those mechanics are isolated to the five typal groups (Humans, Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies). Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow had more of a factional feel, as both had five mechanics largely siloed to the five subtypes, but the thematic weighting of each set gave each some off-color cards.
• While there were ten race groups and ten realms for Kaldheim, it was not built as a faction set.
• Each two-color archetype of Aetherdrift is flavored to a different racing team but is not mechanically a faction set.
• Valiant, Expend and Forage are isolated to certain archetypes in Bloomburrow, as are seven other distinct gameplay styles. However, offspring is spread across all the animal groups and gift is largely noncreature based.

Test cards

The prize card for the 2025 Las Vegas Unknown Event was a test card called The Faction Dragon which allows the player to choose a faction if it is used as the commander of a deck. The chosen faction's mana symbols becomes the mana cost of the card. For example, if you choose Abzan, it costs . It then reduces the mana cost of spells by if they have that faction's watermark and also gives creatures with the watermark +1/+1.