Magic: The Gathering trading cards catalogue

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Magic: the Gathering is a collectible card game created by Richard Garfield and produced from 1993 to the present. More

Magic the Gathering is a collectible card game created by Richard Garfield at the request of Peter Adkison, CEO of the small role-playing game publisher Wizards of the Coast. The latter was looking for a smooth-playing game of short duration that could be played in queues at conventions. It has been made since August 1993 at Cartamundi in Turnhout. Magic the Gathering is played by millions of players worldwide.

Originally the maps were only published in English, but since 1995 also in Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Russian. A set released for the first time in another language was a black bordered set anyway. That is why there are black bordered versions of the Revised edition in Italian, French and German and of the Fourth edition in Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and traditional Chinese. The other language versions of Chronicles are also black bordered. The Italian version of Chronicles (Rinascimento) also contains fewer and different cards than the other versions. After all, both Legends (Legende) and The Dark (L'Oscurita) were released entirely in Italian. Rinascimento consists of the Chronicles reprints from the Arabian Nights and Antiquities expansions, supplemented by the reprints of these expansions found in the Fourth edition. The French and German versions of Chronicles (Renaissance) were supplemented with the reprints of Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends and The Dark that can be found in the Fourth edition.

Collectors who collect from a specific card one of each set in each language, both foil and non-foil, are called "global set collectors".

The sets can be divided into six categories.

1. The regular or core sets

These sets were initially created as a foundation for the game with easy to understand rules and cards for players.

The Limited edition Alpha consists of 295 cards. After all, there are only two versions of each basic land and Circle of Protection: Black and Volcanic Island were forgotten on their respective printsheet. This error was rectified in the Limited Edition Beta, with each basic country also getting a third version. In addition, in the Limited Edition Beta, the rounding of the four corners of the map has been changed so that there is a visible difference between an Alpha map and all other maps. This meant that in the early years Alpha cards were less desirable and often significantly cheaper than Beta cards.

From the Unlimited edition, the core sets can be recognized by their white border around the front of the card. Since most players prefer the cards with a black border, the core sets have also been released with a black border since the 2007 Tenth edition.

Since the Sixth edition from 1999, the core sets also have their own symbol that can be found on the map, to increase recognisability.

Since the Eighth edition from 2003, the cards have a different layout. Cards up to and including Scourge from the Onslaught block fall under the heading of “premodern”, from the Eighth edition they are considered “modern”. The expansions Planar Chaos and Future Sight from the Time Spiral block continued to experiment with the layout, but these changes were not well received by players. The layout was finally changed in 2014's Khans of Tarkir to maximize the readability of the maps.

Since Magic 2010, the core sets do not only consist of reprints of the initial core set, supplemented with reprints from expansion sets. From then on, a large number of new cards can be found in each core set, which have not appeared in previous sets.

There are about 1,100 of each of the Alpha rares per map worldwide, of the Beta rares about 3,000 and of the Unlimited rares about 16,000. This means that only around 20,000 players worldwide can have tournament worthy versions of the famed “Power Nine” (Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Timetwister, Black Lotus, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby and Mox Sapphire). This explains the excessive value of these cards.

A new version of the Revised edition would be released in the summer of 1994, as players felt the color saturation of the cards was too light compared to the Unlimited edition and to correct some mistakes - such as the green Serendib Efreet. However, new errors were found, such as a blue Hurricane, and so it was decided to destroy the entire print run. However, some boxes would have been distributed in Texas and Ireland anyway, so that this series is now known as "Edgar" (the code name Wizards of the Coast used) or "Summer Magic". The rares from this set are said to be rarer than Alpha rares and there would only be eight complete sets with collectors worldwide.

The regular or core sets consist of:

Limited Edition Alpha
Limited Edition Beta
Unlimited edition
Revised edition
Summer Magic ("Edgar")
Fourth edition
Fifth edition
Sixth edition (“Classic”)
Seventh edition
Eight edition
Ninth edition
Tenth edition
magic 2010
magic 2011
magic 2012
magic 2013
magic 2014
magic 2015
Magic Origins
Core set 2019
Core kit 2020
Core kit 2021

2. The expansion sets

In addition to the regular set, which started with the Limited edition Alpha, separate expansions were also released from December 1993, consisting of varying amounts of cards. The expansions are intended to expand the Magic the Gathering story and add new elements to it. The most significant change is the arrival of the planeswalkers in Lorwyn from 2008.

Each expansion has a recognizable expansion symbol on the front of the card. The exception to this is Reconstruction from Antiquities, where the expansion symbol was forgotten.

Since Exodus from 1998, the rarities got their own color: a gold expansion symbol for the rares, a silver for the uncommons and a black and white for the commons. The arrival of mythics in Shards of Alara in 2009 brought a new color, bronze.

The prerelease promo of Urza's Saga (Lightning Dragon) was the first card to be released in foil. From 1999 Urza's Legacy, each card in each set has both a non-foil and a foil version. The value of foils is significantly higher, especially for "old frame" foils, because the quality of the latter is much better than that of "modern frame" foils.

2019's Throne of Eldraine saw other versions of the cards released for the first time. In addition to the regular cards, "borderless", "extended art" and "showcase" versions of some of the cards in the set were released. This causes discussion among the “set collectors”. After all, does a complete set only consist of the regular versions or should the other versions be included? The addition of these versions have since become standard with every set.

2022's The Brothers' War saw serialized cards released for the first time, numbered cards in a limited edition. Since then, these cards have also become a permanent fixture in every set. A year later, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth released the very first unique card: a special version of The One Ring in Black Speech. This card was bought by the rapper Post Malone in August 2023 for $2,400,000.

The expansions have been released since 1995 in blocks of three with the exception of the Lorwyn block and the Shadowmoor block (two sets each). The blocks are generally named after the first set of the respective block. From Battle for Zendikar, the blocks were released in pairs and since Dominaria, the expansions are no longer released per block.

The expansion sets without block consist of:

Arabian nights
Antiquities
legends
The Dark
Fallen Empires
Homelands
Dominaria
Guilds of Ravnica
Ravnica Allegiance
War of the Spark
Throne of Eldraine
Theros Beyond Death
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Zendikar Rising
Kaldheim
Strixhaven: School of Mages
Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
Innistrad: Crimson Vow
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Streets of New Capena
Dominaria United
The Brothers' War
Phyrexia: All Will Be One
March of the Machine
March of the Machine: The Aftermath
Wilds of Eldraine
Lost Caverns of Ixalan

The expansion sets per block:

Ice Age block: Ice Age, Alliances, Coldsnap
Mirage block: Mirage, Visions, Weatherlight
Tempest block: Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus
Urza block: Urza's Saga, Urza's Legacy, Urza's Destiny
Masques block: Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, Prophecy
Invasion block: Invasion, Planeshift, Apocalypse
Odyssey block: Oddyssey, Torment, Judgment
Onslaught block: Onslaught, Legions, Scourge
Mirrodin block: Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn
Kamigawa block: Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa
Ravnica block: Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guidpact, Dissension
Time Spiral block: Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight
Lorwyn block: Lorwyn, Morningtide
Shadowmoor block: Shadowmoor, Eventide
Alara block: Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn
Zendikar block: Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi
Scars of Mirrodin block: Scars of Mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, New Phyrexia
Innistrad block: Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Avacyn Restored
Return to Ravnica block: Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, Dragon's Maze
Theros block: Theros, Born of the Gods, Journey into Nyx
Tarkir block: Khans of Tarkir, Fate Reforged, Dragons of Tarkir
Battle for Zendikar block: Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch
Shadows over Innistrad block: Shadows over Innistrad, Eldritch Moon
Kaladesh block: Kaladesh, Aether Revolt
Amonkhet block: Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation
Ixalan block: Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan

3. The introduction sets

Sets to introduce the game with simpler rules in terms of Portal and Starter and a less diverse number of card types.

Battle Royale, Beatdown, Deckmasters, the Duel Decks, the Premium Deck Series, the Modern Event Deck, the Welcome Decks, and Game Night were intended to be immediately playable decks out of the box.

Jumpstart was released in boosters.

Portal
Portal: Second Age
Portal: Three Kingdoms
Starting 1999
Starter 2000
battle royale
beatdown
Deckmasters: Garfield vs. Finkel
Duel Decks: Elves vs. goblins
Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra
Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic
Duel Decks: Garruk vs. Liliana
Premium Deck Series: Silvers
Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. The Coalition
Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret
Premium Deck Series: Fire and Lightning
Duel Decks: Knights vs. dragons
Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicholas Bolas
Premium Deck Series: Graveborn
Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth
Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari
Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt
Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Samples
Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska
Modern Event Deck
Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning
Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. Eldrazi
Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed
Welcome Deck 2016
Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis
Duel Decks: Mind vs. Might
Welcome Deck 2017
Explorers of Ixalan
Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. goblins
Duel Decks: Elves vs. inventors
Game Night 2018
Game Night 2019
Jump start 2020
Game Night: Free-for-All
Jump start 2022

4. The compilation/reprint sets

Compilation sets consist of cards around a theme or a collection of favorite playing cards. They can be released in regular sets or exclusive sets such as the From the Vault sets, the Masterpiece Sets, the Signature Spellbook sets, the Mythic Editions and the Secret Lair drops.

Modern Horizons and Modern Horizons 2 mainly feature new maps, with a limited number of reprints. These sets are mainly intended to enrich the Modern format.

The Chronicles release was poorly received by collectors. After all, they feared that their expensive, valuable maps would be reprinted, reducing their value. This led to the creation of the “Reserved list”, a list of cards that will never be reprinted. The Reserved list consists of rares from the Limited edition Alpha through Urza's Destiny. The limited availability of these cards ensures their increasing value. The most famous cards on this list are the famous "Power Nine" from the first three regular series.

Chronicles
Renaissance (only published in German and French)
Rinascimento (only published in Italian)
Anthologies (on the occasion of the fifth anniversary)
Time Spiral: Timeshifted
From the Vault: Dragons
From the Vault: Exiled
From the Vault: Relics
From the Vault: Legends
From the Vault: Realms
Modern Masters 2013
From the Vault: Twenty (in celebration of the twentieth anniversary)
From the Vault: Annihilation
Modern Masters 2015
From the Vault: Angels
Masterpiece Set: Zendikar Explorations
Eternal Masters
From the Vault: Lore
Masterpiece Set: Kaladesh Inventions
Modern Masters 2017
Masterpiece Set: Amonkhet Invocations
Iconic Masters
From the Vault: Transform
Masters 25 (on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary)
Signature Spellbook: Jace
Guilds of Ravnica: Mythical Edition
Guilds of Ravnica: Guild Kit
Ultimate Masters
Ravnica Allegiance: Mythical Edition
Ravnica Allegiance: Guild Kit
War of the Spark: Mythical Edition
Modern Horizons
Secret Lair: Bitterblossom Dreams
Secret Lair: Eldraine Wonderland
Secret Lair: Restless in Peace
Secret Lair: Seeing Visions
Secret Lair:
Secret Lair: Kaleidoscope Killers
Secret Lair: OMG Kitties
Secret Lair: Year of the Rat
Secret Lair: Theros Stargazing
Secret Lair: International Women's Day
Secret Lair: Thalia, Beyond the Helvault
Secret Lair: April Fools
Secret Lair: The Godzilla Lands
Secret Lair: Full Sleeves: The Tattoo Pack
Secret Lair: Can You Feel With a Heart of Steel?
Secret Lair: The Path Not Traveled
Secret Lair Ultimate Edition: The Enemy Fetchlands
Secret Lair: Mountain, Go
Secret Lair: Ornithological Studies
Double Masters 2020
Secret Lair: Prime Slime
Secret Lair: Every Dog Has Its Day
Secret Lair: Happy Yargle Day
Secret Lair: Showcase: Zendikar Revisited
Secret Lair x The Walking Dead
Secret Lair: Extra Life 2020
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Seb McKinnon
Secret Lair: Happy Little Gathering
Secret Lair: We Hope You Like Squirrels
Secret Lair: A Box of Rocks
Secret Lair: Party Hard, Shred Harder
Secret Lair: Black Is Magic
Secret Lair: Faerie, Faerie, Faerie Rad
Secret Lair: The Crushing Brutality of Basic Lands
Secret Lair Ultimate Edition: Pathways
Time Spiral Remastered
Secret Lair: Valentine's Day 2021
Secret Lair: Showcase: Kaldheim
Secret Lair: Culture Shocks
Secret Lair: Voracious Reader
Secret Lair: Showcase: Strixhaven
Secret Lair: Our Show Is on Friday, Can You Make It?
Secret Lair: Saturday Morning D&D
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Mark Poole
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Fiona Staples
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Jen Bartel
Secret Lair: Phyrexian Praetors: Compleat Edition
Secret Lair: Mother's Day 2021
Secret Lair: Dan Frazier's Allied Signets
Secret Lair: Dan Frazier's Enemy Signets
Secret Lair: Purrfection
Secret Lair: Kamigawa Ink
Secret Lair: Teferi's Time Trouble
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Johannes Voss
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Thomas M. Baxa
Secret Lair: Math Is For Blockers
Secret Lair: Mirrodinsanity
Secret Lair: Monster Anatomy 101
Secret Lair: Thrilling Tales of the Undead
Secret Lair: Read the Fine Print
Secret Lair: Showcase: Midnight Hunt
Secret Lair: Monster Movie Marathon
Secret Lair x Stranger Things
Secret Lair: Extra Life 2021
Secret Lair x MSCHF
Secret Lair: The Zodiac Lands
Secret Lair x Arcane
Secret Lair x Arcane: Lands
Secret Lair: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
Secret Lair: Pixel Snowlands
Secret Lair: Far Out, Man
Secret Lair: Monstrous Menagerie
Secret Lair: Fblthp: Totally Lost
Secret Lair: The Dracula Lands
Secret Lair: Welcome to Castle Dracula
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Yuko Shimizu
Secret Lair: Showcase: Neon Dynasty
Secret Lair: Shades Not Included
Secret Lair: Pictures of the Floating World
Secret Lair: Li'l Walkers
Secret Lair: Kamigawa: The Manga
Secret Lair: Introducing: Kaito Shizuki
Secret Lair x Street Fighter
Secret Lair: Just Some Totally Normal Guys
Secret Lair: Finally! Left Handed Magic Cards
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Wayne Reynolds
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Sidarth Chaturvedi
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Magali Villeneuve
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Matt Jukes
Secret Lair: Showcase: Streets of New Capenna
Secret Lair: Pride Across the Multiverse
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Kelog Loops
Secret Lair: Rule the Room
Secret Lair: The Tokyo Lands
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Livia Prima
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Chris Rahn
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Volkan Baga
Double Masters 2022
Secret Lair: Here Be Dragons
Secret Lair x Fortnite
Secret Lair x Fortnite: Locations
Secret Lair: Roadshow Edition: Li'l Giri Saves the Day
Secret Lair: 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit
Secret Lair: Dan Frazier's Allied Talismans
Secret Lair: Dan Frazier's Enemy Talismans
Secret Lair: Imaginary Friends
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Victor Adame Minguez
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Nils Hamm
Secret Lair: In Memoriam: Jaya Ballard
Secret Lair: Showcase: Dominaria United
Secret Lair: Li'l'er Walkers
Secret Lair x Blood Bowl
Secret Lair x Warhammer: Age of Sigmar
Secret Lair x Warhammer 40,000: Orcs
Secret Lair: The Space Beyond the Stars
Secret Lair: The Weirdest Pets in the Multiverse
Secret Lair: Totally Spaced Out
Secret Lair: If Looks Could Kill
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Yoji Shinkawa
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Junji Ito
Secret Lair x Post Malone: Backstage Pass
Secret Lair x Post Malone: Lands
Secret Lair: Extra Life 2022
Dominaria Remastered
Secret Lair: Roadshow Edition: Look at the Kitties
Secret Lair x Transformers: Optimus Prime vs. Megatron
Secret Lair x Transformers: Roll Out or Rise Up
Secret Lair x Transformers: One Shall Fall
Secret Lair: Just Add Milk!
Secret Lair: The Art of Frank Frazetta
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Aleksi Briclot
Secret Lair: Time Trouble Two
Secret Lair: Wizards of the Street
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Kozyndan: The Lands
Secret Lair: Special Guest: Kozyndan: Another Story
Secret Lair: Welcome to the Fungal
Secret Lair: The Meaning of Life, Maybe
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Sam Burley
Secret Lair: City Styles
Secret Lair: The '90s Binder Experience
Secret Lair: Ssssssnakessssss
Secret Lair: Draw Your Hand
Shadows over Innistrad Remastered
Secret Lair: Phyrexian Faves
Secret Lair: Showcase: All Will Be One
Secret Lair: WPN Exclusive: More Borderless Planeswalkers
Secret Lair: Roadshow Edition: Legendary Flyers (Not That Kind)
Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Secret Lair: Cool Ocean Breeze
Secret Lair: Nature Is Adorable
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Rebecca Guay
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Alayna Danner
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Randy Vargas
Secret Lair: Showcase: March of the Machine
Secret Lair: From Cute to Brute
Secret Lair: The Stars Gaze Back
Secret Lair: More Adventures in Middle Earth
Secret Lair: Death Is Temporary, Metal Is Forever
Secret Lair: Artist Series: Ryan Alexander Lee
Secret Lair: Goblin & Squablin'
Secret Lair: Featuring: The Mountain Goats
Secret Lair: Bad to the Bones

5. Sets intended for a variation of the standard game

A variation on the 1-on-1 game are the formats to play against each other with more than two players. Both older cards have been reprinted with a different symbol and new cards have been made for this.

New cards that were developed for this were the planes (Planechase), schemes (Archenemy) and conspiracies (Conspiracy).

Commander is derived from Elder Dragon Highlander or EDH, which was developed by a number of tournament judges. It consists of a deck of 99 cards, led by a commander. It is one of the most popular formats in the game today. A limited number of new cards can be found in each Commander set.

Vanguard
Planechase (2009)
Commander (2011)
Archenemy
Planechase (2012)
Commander's Arsenal
Commander (2013)
Conspiracy
Commander (2014)
Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Commander (2015)
Commander (2016)
Commander (2017)
Archenemy: Nicol Bolas
Commander (2018)
Battlebond
Commander (2019)
Commander (2020)
Commander Legends
Commander Collection: Green
Zendikar Rising Commander
Kaldheim Commander
Commander (2021)
Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Commander
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Commander
Innistrad: Crimson Vow Commander
Commander Collection: Black
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Commander
Streets of New Capenna Commander
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
Dominaria United Commander
The Brothers' War Commander
Starter Commander Decks
Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander
March of the Machine Commander
Commander Masters
Wilds of Eldraine Commander
Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander

6. Sets outside the setting of Magic the Gathering

This category includes the Universes Beyond series. The collaborations in some Secret Lairs indicated that there is a market for this, and so some such collaborations have been released each year since the end of 2022, either as Commander decks or as a set (including Commander decks).

Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 Commander
Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth
Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth Commander
Universes Beyond: Doctor Who Commander

7. Sets not legal to play in tournaments

This category is divided into three parts. The Collector's edition, International edition and Magic 30, the World Championship Decks and the un-sets.

The Collector's Edition and International Edition were released in December 1993 and contain the entire Limited Edition Beta, bundled according to the various print sheets. That is why several copies of each basic country can be found in the box. These cards can be recognized by their square corners and the fact that the back of the cards has a gold border. In addition, either Collector's edition or International edition is printed in gold on the back.

About 10,000 copies of the Collector's edition were made for distribution in the United States and about 5,000 copies of the International edition were made for distribution in the rest of the world. Today, the Collector's edition and International edition are accepted into tournaments in the Old school format, which has greatly increased their value in recent years.

Magic 30 was released in Fall 2022 to celebrate Magic the Gathering's 30th anniversary and is a re-release of the Limited Edition Beta. However, it is not a complete re-release, because some cards are no longer accepted by (part of) the Magic community and have therefore been removed from the set. The cards consist of both an “old frame” and “modern frame” version and have their own back, specific to this set.

Magic 30 was poorly received by the Magic community, as it was released in boxes containing four booster packs for the price of $999, making the set out of reach for the majority of the community. Nevertheless, part of the print run was reserved as price support for events, so that every player still has a chance to win a booster that might contain a Black Lotus.

The World Championship Decks were made to play with reprints of mostly rare cards used in world championships. These can be recognized by a gold border on the front of the card and its own back, which differs greatly from the normal back. These cards have also increased in value in recent years, since they have also been admitted to pre-modern tournaments.

The un-sets are sets with a comical character and are often parodies of the game and the game community. They can be recognized by the silver border on the front of the cards. For Unfinity from 2022, the layout was changed to a normal layout because the cards from this set are considered Commander legal.

1998's Unglued brought the first full art basic lands, which was repeated in the other Un sets. Because these lands were so popular, full art basic lands also came in Zendikar, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation, Modern Horizons, Zendikar Rising, and since Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty in every set.

Collectors edition
international edition
Unglued
World Championship Decks (1999)
World Championship Decks (2000)
World Championship Decks (2001)
World Championship Decks (2002)
World Championship Decks (2003)
World Championship Decks (2004)
Unhinged
Unstable
Unsanctioned
infinity
Magic 30

8. Loose cards

In addition to these cards, individual cards have also been available in many ways in the form of a reward/prize at a tournament, to promote a product, special box editions, etc. These include:

dragon con promo
Harper Prism book promos
DCI Legend Membership promos
The Duelist promos
Oversized promos
Arena League promos
Prerelease promos
Judge Gift promos
Guru lands
Junior Super Series promos
APAC countries
European country
Magic Player Rewards promos
Friday Night Magic promos
Release promos
Champs and States promos
Happy Holidays promos
Gateway promos
Resale promos
Pro Tour promos
Grand Prix promos
Wizards Play Network promos
Buy-a-Box promos
Game Day promos
Duels of the Planeswalkers promos
IDW promos
World Magic Cup Qualifiers promos
San Diego Comic Con promos
Clash Pack promos
MagicFest promos
Store Championship promos

etc...

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Magic the Gathering is een verzamelkaartspel, bedacht door Richard Garfield, op vraag van Peter Adkison, CEO van de kleine uitgeverij van rollenspellen Wizards of the Coast. Deze laatste was op zoek naar een vlot spelend spel van korte duur dat in wachtrijen op conventies kon gespeeld worden. Het wordt gemaakt sinds augustus 1993 bij Cartamundi in Turnhout. Magic the Gathering wordt wereldwijd gespeeld door miljoenen spelers.

Oorspronkelijk werden de kaarten enkel in het Engels uitgebracht, maar sinds 1995 ook in het Italiaans, Duits, Frans, Spaans, Portugees, Japans, Koreaans, traditioneel Chinees, versimpeld Chinees en Russisch. Een set die voor het eerst in een andere taal werd uitgebracht, was sowieso een black bordered set. Daarom zijn er black bordered versies van de Revised edition in het Italiaans, Frans en Duits en van de Fourth edition in het Spaans, Portugees, Japans, Koreaans en traditioneel Chinees. Ook de anderstalige versies van Chronicles zijn black bordered. De Italiaanse versie van Chronicles (Rinascimento) bevat daarenboven minder en andere kaarten dan de andere versies. Immers, zowel Legends (Leggende) als The Dark (L’Oscurita) zijn volledig in het Italiaans uitgebracht. Rinascimento bestaat uit de reprints van Chronicles van de expansies Arabian Nights en Antiquities, aangevuld met de reprints van deze expansies die te vinden zijn in de Fourth edition. De Franse en Duitse versies van Chronicles (Renaissance) werden aangevuld met de reprints van Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends en The Dark die terug te vinden zijn in de Fourth edition.

Verzamelaars die van een welbepaalde kaart één van elke reeks in elke taal, zowel foil als non-foil verzamelen, noemt men “global set collectors”.

De sets zijn onder te verdelen in zes categorieën.

1. De reguliere of core sets

Deze sets zijn in eerste instantie gemaakt als basis voor het spel met makkelijk te begrijpen regels en kaarten voor spelers.

De Limited edition Alpha bestaat uit 295 kaarten. Er zijn immers maar twee versies van elk basic land en Circle of Protection: Black en Volcanic Island werden vergeten op hun respectieve printsheet. Deze fout werd rechtgezet in de Limited edition Beta, waarbij bovendien elk basic land een derde versie kreeg. Daarenboven werd in de Limited edition Beta de afronding van de vier hoeken van de kaart gewijzigd, zodat er een zichtbaar verschil is tussen een Alpha-kaart en alle andere kaarten. Dit heeft ervoor gezorgd dat in de beginjaren Alpha-kaarten minder gewenst en vaak beduidend goedkoper waren dan Beta-kaarten.

Vanaf de Unlimited edition zijn de core sets herkenbaar aan hun witte rand rond de voorzijde van de kaart. Aangezien de meeste spelers de kaarten met zwarte rand verkiezen, worden de core sets sinds de Tenth edition uit 2007 ook met een zwarte rand uitgebracht.

Sinds de Sixth edition uit 1999 kennen ook de core sets een eigen symbool dat terug te vinden is op de kaart, dit om de herkenbaarheid te verhogen.

Sinds de Eighth edition uit 2003 kennen de kaarten een andere lay-out. Kaarten tot en met Scourge uit het Onslaught blok vallen onder de noemer “premodern”, vanaf de Eighth edition worden ze beschouwd als “modern”. In de expansies Planar Chaos en Future Sight uit het Time Spiral blok werd verder geëxperimenteerd met de lay-out, maar deze veranderingen werden niet goed onthaald door de spelers. De lay-out werd definitief aangepast in Khans of Tarkir uit 2014, dit om de leesbaarheid van de kaarten te maximaliseren.

Sinds Magic 2010 bestaan de core sets niet enkel uit reprints van de initiële core set, aangevuld met reprints uit expansion sets. Er zijn vanaf dan ook een groot deel nieuwe kaarten te vinden in elke core set, die niet eerder zijn verschenen in eerdere sets.

Van elk van de Alpha rares zijn er zo’n 1.100 per kaart wereldwijd, van de Beta rares ongeveer 3.000 en van de Unlimited rares zo’n 16.000. Dit betekent dat er wereldwijd slechts rond de 20.000 spelers toernooiwaardige versies van de befaamde “Power Nine” (Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Timetwister, Black Lotus, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby en Mox Sapphire) kunnen hebben. Dit verklaart de buitensporige waarde van deze kaarten.

In de zomer van 1994 zou er een nieuwe versie van de Revised edition worden uitgebracht, omdat de spelers de kleursaturatie van de kaarten te licht vonden in vergelijking met de Unlimited edition en om enkele fouten - zoals de groene Serendib Efreet - recht te zetten. Er werden echter nieuwe fouten vastgesteld, zoals een blauwe Hurricane, en dus werd er beslist de hele print run te vernietigen. Sommige dozen zouden echter toch verdeeld zijn in Texas en Ierland, zodat deze reeks nu bekend staat als “Edgar” (de codenaam die Wizards of the Coast gebruikte) of “Summer Magic”. De rares van deze set zouden zeldzamer zijn dan Alpha rares en wereldwijd zouden er maar acht volledige sets zijn bij verzamelaars.

De reguliere of core sets bestaan uit:

Limited edition Alpha

Limited edition Beta

Unlimited edition

Revised edition

Summer Magic (“Edgar”)

Fourth edition

Fifth edition

Sixth edition (“Classic”)

Seventh edition

Eight edition

Ninth edition

Tenth edition

Magic 2010

Magic 2011

Magic 2012

Magic 2013

Magic 2014

Magic 2015

Magic Origins

Core set 2019

Core set 2020

Core set 2021

2. De expansie sets

Naast de reguliere set, die begon met de Limited edition Alpha, werden vanaf december 1993 ook aparte uitbreidingen uitgebracht die uit wisselende hoeveelheden kaarten bestonden. De uitbreidingen zijn bedoeld om het verhaal van Magic the Gathering uit te breiden en er nieuwe elementen aan toe te voegen. De belangrijkste verandering zijn de komst van de planeswalkers in Lorwyn uit 2008.

Elke uitbreiding heeft een herkenbaar expansion symbol op de voorzijde van de kaart. De uitzondering hierop is Reconstruction uit Antiquities, waar het expansion symbol werd vergeten.

Sinds Exodus uit 1998 kregen de rarities een eigen kleur: een gouden expansion symbol voor de rares, een zilveren voor de uncommons en een zwart-wit voor de commons. De komst van mythics in Shards of Alara in 2009 bracht een nieuwe kleur, nl. brons.

De prerelease promo van Urza’s Saga (Lightning Dragon) was de eerste kaart die in foil werd uitgebracht. Vanaf Urza’s Legacy uit 1999 bestaat er van elke kaart uit elke set zowel een non foil- als een foil-versie. De waarde van foils ligt gevoelig hoger, zeker voor “old frame”-foils, omdat de kwaliteit van deze laatste veel beter is dan die van “modern frame”-foils.

Bij Throne of Eldraine uit 2019 werden er voor het eerst andere versies van de kaarten uitgebracht. Naast de reguliere kaarten werden er “borderless”, “extended art” en “showcase”-versies van sommige kaarten uit de set uitgebracht. Dit zorgt bij de “set collectors” voor discussie. Immers, bestaat een volledige set uit enkel de reguliere versies of dienen de andere versies meegerekend te worden? De toevoeging van deze versies zijn sindsdien standaard geworden bij elke set.

In The Brothers’ War uit 2022 werden er voor het eerst serialized kaarten uitgebracht, genummerde kaarten in een beperkte oplage. Sindsdien zijn ook deze kaarten een vaste waarde geworden in elke set. Een jaar later bracht The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth de allereerste unieke kaart: een speciale versie van The One Ring in Black Speech. Deze kaart werd in augustus 2023 door de rapper Post Malone gekocht voor $2,400,000.

De uitbreidingen werden sinds 1995 uitgebracht in blokken van drie met uitzondering van het Lorwyn-blok en het Shadowmoor-blok (telkens twee sets). De blokken hebben over het algemeen de naam van de eerste set van het respectievelijke blok. Vanaf Battle for Zendikar werden de blokken per twee uitgebracht en sinds Dominaria worden de uitbreidingen niet meer per blok uitgebracht.

De expansie sets zonder blok bestaan uit:

Arabian Nights

Antiquities

Legends

The Dark

Fallen Empires

Homelands

Dominaria

Guilds of Ravnica

Ravnica Allegiance

War of the Spark

Throne of Eldraine

Theros Beyond Death

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

Zendikar Rising

Kaldheim

Strixhaven: School of Mages

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt

Innistrad: Crimson Vow

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

Streets of New Capenna

Dominaria United

The Brothers’ War

Phyrexia: All Will Be One

March of the Machine

March of the Machine: The Aftermath

Wilds of Eldraine

Lost Caverns of Ixalan

De expansie sets per blok:

Ice Age blok: Ice Age, Alliances, Coldsnap

Mirage blok: Mirage, Visions, Weatherlight

Tempest blok: Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus

Urza blok: Urza’s Saga, Urza’s Legacy, Urza’s Destiny

Masques blok: Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, Prophecy

Invasion blok: Invasion, Planeshift, Apocalypse

Odyssey blok: Oddyssey, Torment, Judgment

Onslaught blok: Onslaught, Legions, Scourge

Mirrodin blok: Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn

Kamigawa blok: Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa

Ravnica blok: Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guidpact, Dissension

Time Spiral blok: Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight

Lorwyn blok: Lorwyn, Morningtide

Shadowmoor blok: Shadowmoor, Eventide

Alara blok: Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn

Zendikar blok: Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi

Scars of Mirrodin blok: Scars of Mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, New Phyrexia

Innistrad blok: Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Avacyn Restored

Return to Ravnica blok: Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, Dragon’s Maze

Theros blok: Theros, Born of the Gods, Journey into Nyx

Tarkir blok: Khans of Tarkir, Fate Reforged, Dragons of Tarkir

Battle for Zendikar blok: Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch

Shadows over Innistrad blok: Shadows over Innistrad, Eldritch Moon

Kaladesh blok: Kaladesh, Aether Revolt

Amonkhet blok: Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation

Ixalan blok: Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan

3. De introductie sets

Sets ter introductie van het spel met wat betreft Portal en Starter een simpelere regelgeving en een minder divers aantal kaarttypes.

Battle Royale, Beatdown, Deckmasters, de Duel Decks, de Premium Deck Series, het Modern Event Deck, de Welcome Decks en Game Night waren bedoeld als out of the box onmiddellijk speelbare decks.

Jumpstart werd uitgebracht in boosters.

Portal

Portal: Second Age

Portal: Three Kingdoms

Starter 1999

Starter 2000

Battle Royale

Beatdown

Deckmasters: Garfield vs. Finkel

Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins

Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra

Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic

Duel Decks: Garruk vs. Liliana

Premium Deck Series: Slivers

Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. The Coalition

Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret

Premium Deck Series: Fire and Lightning

Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons

Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas

Premium Deck Series: Graveborn

Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth

Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari

Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt

Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters

Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska

Modern Event Deck

Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning

Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. Eldrazi

Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed

Welcome Deck 2016

Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis

Duel Decks: Mind vs. Might

Welcome Deck 2017

Explorers of Ixalan

Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins

Duel Decks: Elves vs. Inventors

Game Night 2018

Game Night 2019

Jumpstart 2020

Game Night: Free-for-All

Jumpstart 2022

4. De compilatie/reprint sets

Compilatie sets bestaan uit kaarten rondom een thema of een verzameling van favoriete speelkaarten. Ze kunnen uitgebracht worden in reguliere sets of exclusieve sets zoals de From the Vault sets, de Masterpiece Sets, de Signature Spellbook sets, de Mythic Editions en de Secret Lair drops.

In Modern Horizons en Modern Horizons 2 zijn vooral nieuwe kaarten te vinden, met een beperkt aantal reprints. Deze sets zijn vooral bedoeld ter verrijking van het Modern format.

De uitgave van Chronicles werd slecht onthaald door verzamelaars. Zij vreesden immers dat hun dure, waardevolle kaarten herdrukt zouden worden, waardoor de waarde zou verminderen. Dit heeft gezorgd voor de creatie van de “Reserved list”, een lijst van kaarten die nooit herdrukt zullen worden. De Reserved list bestaat uit rares vanaf de Limited edition Alpha tot en met Urza’s Destiny. De beperkte beschikbaarheid van deze kaarten verzekert de stijgende waarde. De bekendste kaarten op deze lijst zijn de befaamde “Power Nine” uit de eerste drie reguliere reeksen.

Chronicles

Renaissance (enkel uitgegeven in het Duits en Frans)

Rinascimento (enkel uitgegeven in het Italiaans)

Anthologies (ter gelegenheid van het vijfjarige bestaan)

Time Spiral: Timeshifted

From the Vault: Dragons

From the Vault: Exiled

From the Vault: Relics

From the Vault: Legends

From the Vault: Realms

Modern Masters 2013

From the Vault: Twenty (ter gelegenheid van het twintigjarige bestaan)

From the Vault: Annihilation

Modern Masters 2015

From the Vault: Angels

Masterpiece Set: Zendikar Explorations

Eternal Masters

From the Vault: Lore

Masterpiece Set: Kaladesh Inventions

Modern Masters 2017

Masterpiece Set: Amonkhet Invocations

Iconic Masters

From the Vault: Transform

Masters 25 (ter gelegenheid van het vijfentwintigjarige bestaan)

Signature Spellbook: Jace

Guilds of Ravnica: Mythic Edition

Guilds of Ravnica: Guild Kit

Ultimate Masters

Ravnica Allegiance: Mythic Edition

Ravnica Allegiance: Guild Kit

War of the Spark: Mythic Edition

Modern Horizons

Secret Lair: Bitterblossom Dreams

Secret Lair: Eldraine Wonderland

Secret Lair: Restless in Peace

Secret Lair: Seeing Visions

Secret Lair: < explosion sounds >

Secret Lair: Kaleidoscope Killers

Secret Lair: OMG Kitties

Secret Lair: Year of the Rat

Secret Lair: Theros Stargazing

Secret Lair: International Women’s Day

Secret Lair: Thalia, Beyond the Helvault

Secret Lair: April Fools

Secret Lair: The Godzilla Lands

Secret Lair: Full Sleeves: The Tattoo Pack

Secret Lair: Can You Feel With a Heart of Steel?

Secret Lair: The Path Not Traveled

Secret Lair Ultimate Edition: The Enemy Fetchlands

Secret Lair: Mountain, Go

Secret Lair: Ornithological Studies

Double Masters 2020

Secret Lair: Prime Slime

Secret Lair: Every Dog Has Its Day

Secret Lair: Happy Yargle Day

Secret Lair: Showcase: Zendikar Revisited

Secret Lair x The Walking Dead

Secret Lair: Extra Life 2020

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Seb McKinnon

Secret Lair: Happy Little Gathering

Secret Lair: We Hope You Like Squirrels

Secret Lair: A Box of Rocks

Secret Lair: Party Hard, Shred Harder

Secret Lair: Black Is Magic

Secret Lair: Faerie, Faerie, Faerie Rad

Secret Lair: The Crushing Brutality of Basic Lands

Secret Lair Ultimate Edition: Pathways

Time Spiral Remastered

Secret Lair: Valentine’s Day 2021

Secret Lair: Showcase: Kaldheim

Secret Lair: Culture Shocks

Secret Lair: Voracious Reader

Secret Lair: Showcase: Strixhaven

Secret Lair: Our Show Is on Friday, Can You Make It?

Secret Lair: Saturday Morning D&D

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Mark Poole

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Fiona Staples

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Jen Bartel

Secret Lair: Phyrexian Praetors: Compleat Edition

Secret Lair: Mother’s Day 2021

Secret Lair: Dan Frazier’s Allied Signets

Secret Lair: Dan Frazier’s Enemy Signets

Secret Lair: Purrfection

Secret Lair: Kamigawa Ink

Secret Lair: Teferi’s Time Trouble

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Johannes Voss

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Thomas M. Baxa

Secret Lair: Math Is For Blockers

Secret Lair: Mirrodinsanity

Secret Lair: Monster Anatomy 101

Secret Lair: Thrilling Tales of the Undead

Secret Lair: Read the Fine Print

Secret Lair: Showcase: Midnight Hunt

Secret Lair: Monster Movie Marathon

Secret Lair x Stranger Things

Secret Lair: Extra Life 2021

Secret Lair x MSCHF

Secret Lair: The Zodiac Lands

Secret Lair x Arcane

Secret Lair x Arcane: Lands

Secret Lair: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

Secret Lair: Pixelsnowlands

Secret Lair: Far Out, Man

Secret Lair: Monstrous Menagerie

Secret Lair: Fblthp: Totally Lost

Secret Lair: The Dracula Lands

Secret Lair: Welcome to Castle Dracula

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Yuko Shimizu

Secret Lair: Showcase: Neon Dynasty

Secret Lair: Shades Not Included

Secret Lair: Pictures of the Floating World

Secret Lair: Li’l Walkers

Secret Lair: Kamigawa: The Manga

Secret Lair: Introducing: Kaito Shizuki

Secret Lair x Street Fighter

Secret Lair: Just Some Totally Normal Guys

Secret Lair: Finally! Left-Handed Magic Cards

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Wayne Reynolds

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Sidarth Chaturvedi

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Magali Villeneuve

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Matt Jukes

Secret Lair: Showcase: Streets of New Capenna

Secret Lair: Pride Across the Multiverse

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Kelogsloops

Secret Lair: Rule the Room

Secret Lair: The Tokyo Lands

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Livia Prima

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Chris Rahn

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Volkan Baga

Double Masters 2022

Secret Lair: Here Be Dragons

Secret Lair x Fortnite

Secret Lair x Fortnite: Locations

Secret Lair: Roadshow Edition: Li’l Giri Saves the Day

Secret Lair: 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit

Secret Lair: Dan Frazier’s Allied Talismans

Secret Lair: Dan Frazier’s Enemy Talismans

Secret Lair: Imaginary Friends

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Victor Adame Minguez

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Nils Hamm

Secret Lair: In Memoriam: Jaya Ballard

Secret Lair: Showcase: Dominaria United

Secret Lair: Li’l’er Walkers

Secret Lair x Blood Bowl

Secret Lair x Warhammer: Age of Sigmar

Secret Lair x Warhammer 40,000: Orcs

Secret Lair: The Space Beyond the Stars

Secret Lair: The Weirdest Pets in the Multiverse

Secret Lair: Totally Spaced Out

Secret Lair: If Looks Could Kill

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Yoji Shinkawa

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Junji Ito

Secret Lair x Post Malone: Backstage Pass

Secret Lair x Post Malone: Lands

Secret Lair: Extra Life 2022

Dominaria Remastered

Secret Lair: Roadshow Edition: Look at the Kitties

Secret Lair x Transformers: Optimus Prime vs. Megatron

Secret Lair x Transformers: Roll Out or Rise Up

Secret Lair x Transformers: One Shall Fall

Secret Lair: Just Add Milk!

Secret Lair: The Art of Frank Frazetta

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Aleksi Briclot

Secret Lair: Time Trouble Two

Secret Lair: Wizards of the Street

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Kozyndan: The Lands

Secret Lair: Special Guest: Kozyndan: Another Story

Secret Lair: Welcome to the Fungal

Secret Lair: The Meaning of Life, Maybe

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Sam Burley

Secret Lair: City Styles

Secret Lair: The ‘90s Binder Experience

Secret Lair: Ssssssnakessssss

Secret Lair: Draw Your Hand

Shadows over Innistrad Remastered

Secret Lair: Phyrexian Faves

Secret Lair: Showcase: All Will Be One

Secret Lair: WPN Exclusive: More Borderless Planeswalkers

Secret Lair: Roadshow Edition: Legendary Flyers (Not That Kind)

Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Secret Lair: Cool Ocean Breeze

Secret Lair: Nature Is Adorable

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Rebecca Guay

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Alayna Danner

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Randy Vargas

Secret Lair: Showcase: March of the Machine

Secret Lair: From Cute to Brute

Secret Lair: The Stars Gaze Back

Secret Lair: More Adventures in Middle Earth

Secret Lair: Death Is Temporary, Metal Is Forever

Secret Lair: Artist Series: Ryan Alexander Lee

Secret Lair: Goblin & Squabblin’

Secret Lair: Featuring: The Mountain Goats

Secret Lair: Bad to the Bones

5. Sets bedoeld voor een variatie op het standaard spel

Een variatie op het 1-tegen-1-spel zijn de formats om met meer dan twee spelers tegen elkaar te spelen. Hier zijn zowel oudere kaarten opnieuw voor gedrukt met een ander symbool als nieuwe kaarten voor gemaakt.

Nieuwe kaarten die hiervoor ontwikkeld werden, waren de planes (Planechase), schemes (Archenemy) en conspiracies (Conspiracy).

Commander is afgeleid van Elder Dragon Highlander of EDH, wat ontwikkeld werd door een aantal tournament judges. Het bestaat uit een deck van 99 kaarten, aangevoerd door een commander. Het is tegenwoordig één van de populairste formats binnen het spel. In elke Commander set zijn telkens een beperkt aantal nieuwe kaarten te vinden.

Vanguard

Planechase (2009)

Commander (2011)

Archenemy

Planechase (2012)

Commander’s Arsenal

Commander (2013)

Conspiracy

Commander (2014)

Conspiracy: Take the Crown

Commander (2015)

Commander (2016)

Commander (2017)

Archenemy: Nicol Bolas

Commander (2018)

Battlebond

Commander (2019)

Commander (2020)

Commander Legends

Commander Collection: Green

Zendikar Rising Commander

Kaldheim Commander

Commander (2021)

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Commander

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Commander

Innistrad: Crimson Vow Commander

Commander Collection: Black

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Commander

Streets of New Capenna Commander

Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate

Dominaria United Commander

The Brothers’ War Commander

Starter Commander Decks

Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander

March of the Machine Commander

Commander Masters

Wilds of Eldraine Commander

Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander

6. Sets buiten de setting van Magic the Gathering

Deze categorie behelst de Universes Beyond-reeksen. De samenwerkingen in sommige Secret Lairs gaven aan dat hier een markt voor is en dus worden er sinds eind 2022 elk jaar enkele van zo’n samenwerkingen uitgebracht, ofwel als Commander decks, ofwel als set (inclusief Commander decks).

Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 Commander

Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth

Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth Commander

Universes Beyond: Doctor Who Commander

7. Sets die niet legaal zijn om op toernooien mee te spelen

Deze categorie is te verdelen in drie delen. De Collector’s edition, International edition en Magic 30, de World Championship Decks en de un-sets.

De Collector’s Edition en International Edition werden in december 1993 uitgegeven en bevatten de gehele Limited edition Beta, gebundeld volgens de verschillende print sheets. Daarom zijn er van elk basic land verschillende exemplaren terug te vinden in de doos. Deze kaarten zijn te herkennen aan hun vierkante hoeken en het feit dat de achterkant van de kaarten een gouden rand heeft. Daarenboven staat er op de achterkant ofwel Collector’s edition ofwel International edition in het goud gedrukt.

Van de Collector’s edition waren er zo’n 10.000 gemaakt voor verdeling in de Verenigde Staten en van de International edition zo’n 5.000 exemplaren voor verdeling in de rest van de wereld. Tegenwoordig worden de Collector’s edition en International edition toegelaten op toernooien in het Old school-format, wat de waarde ervan in de laatste jaren sterk heeft doen toenemen.

Magic 30 werd in de herfst van 2022 speciaal uitgebracht ter gelegenheid van het dertigjarige bestaan van Magic the Gathering en is een heruitgave van de Limited edition Beta. Het is echter geen volledige heruitgave, omdat sommige kaarten ondertussen niet meer aanvaard worden door (een deel van) de Magic community en dus geschrapt zijn uit de set. De kaarten bestaan zowel uit een “old frame”- als “modern frame”-versie en hebben een eigen achterkant, specifiek voor deze set.

Magic 30 werd slecht onthaald door de Magic community, omdat ze uitgebracht werd in doosjes met vier booster packs voor de prijs van $999, wat de set onbereikbaar maakt voor het merendeel van de community. Desondanks werd een deel van de print run gereserveerd als price support voor events, zodat toch elke speler een kans maakt om een booster te winnen waar misschien een Black Lotus in zit.

De World Championship Decks werden gemaakt om te spelen met reprints van voornamelijk zeldzame kaarten die gebruikt werden bij wereldkampioenschappen. Deze zijn te herkennen aan een gouden rand aan de voorzijde van de kaart en de eigen achterzijde, die sterk verschilt van de normale achterzijde. Ook deze kaarten zijn de laatste jaren sterk in waarde gestegen, sinds ook zij op premodern toernooien worden toegelaten.

De un-sets zijn sets met een komisch karakter en zijn vaak parodieën op het spel en de game community. Ze zijn te herkennen aan de zilveren rand op de voorkant van de kaarten. Voor Unfinity uit 2022 werd de lay-out veranderd in een normale lay-out en dit omdat men de kaarten uit deze set als Commander legal beschouwt.

Unglued uit 1998 bracht de eerste full art basic lands, wat herhaald werd in de andere Un-sets. Omdat deze landen zo populair waren, kwamen er ook full art basic lands in Zendikar, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation, Modern Horizons, Zendikar Rising, en sinds Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty in elke set.

Collector’s edition

International edition

Unglued

World Championship Decks (1999)

World Championship Decks (2000)

World Championship Decks (2001)

World Championship Decks (2002)

World Championship Decks (2003)

World Championship Decks (2004)

Unhinged

Unstable

Unsanctioned

Unfinity

Magic 30

8. Losse kaarten

Naast deze kaarten zijn er ook nog losse kaarten op velerlei wijze verkrijgbaar geweest in de vorm van beloning/prijs op een toernooi, ter promotie van een produkt, speciale box uitgaves, etc. Hieronder behoren o.a.: