Magic - The Gathering®
A word about these lists
These lists are all based on the lists published by Wizard's themselves in 1998. All I did to them was to rearrange and rewrite them in some ways I felt would improve them, mainly with respect to all those collectors out there.
For a complete list of editions you cen see Wizard's own page on editions, Wizard's Card Database or good ol' Wikipedia.
Limited Sets
Every year a few new limited sets are published. They are only available for a limited period of time - hence the name.
| Name | Published | Number of cards | Number of cards (including versions) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabian Nights | December 1993 | 80 | 92 | Cards reflecting the themes from "A thousand and one night". |
| Antiquities | March 1994 | 87 | 100 | More than halv of all cards are artifacts. |
| Legends | June 1994 | 310 | 310 | Introduces multi-colored cards as well as the concept of "legend" cards. |
| The Dark | August 1994 | 119 | 119 | A festical of sacrifice, self-inflictment and unexpected alliances. |
| Fallen Empires | November 1994 | 102 | 187 | As introduced in The Dark, many creatures belong to tribes, with spells affecting whole tribes. |
| Ice Age | June 1995 | 373 | 383 | Fancy "Snow" cards? Ice Age is for you - including lands. Also new: Cumulative upkeep. |
| Homelands | November 1995 | 115 | 140 | ... was later officially removed from the Ice Age block in favor of "Coldsnap". |
| Alliances | June 10th, 1996 | 144 | 199 | Discard other cards to pay casting costs. |
| Mirage | October 8th, 1996 | 335 | 350 | New block, new mechanics: charms, flanking, phasing, instant enchantments, |
| Visions | February 3rd 1997 | 167 | 167 | Poison counters are leaving Magic for a long time with this set. |
| Weatherlight | June 9th, 1997 | 167 | 167 | Like banding? Say goodbye to it. |
| Tempest | October 14th, 1997 | 335 | 350 | Buyback and Shadow are new. |
| Stronghold | March 2nd, 1998 | 143 | 143 | More from the like of Tempest |
| Exodus | June 15, 1998 | 143 | 143 | From now on, the card will tell you its rarity (and look generally different, too). |
| Urza's Saga | October 5th, 1998 | 335 | 350 | New: Cycling and Echo. |
Continuous Sets
Continuous sets gather cards, that are usually available for many years. However, there are still changes from time to time, may it be the artwork, the general card design or adding or removing some cards.
| Name | Published | Number of cards | Number of cards (including versions) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | August 1993 | 290 | 295 | Missing cards: Circle of Protection: Black, Forest (ver. 3), Island (ver. 3), Mountain (ver. 3), Plains (ver. 3), Swamp (ver. 3), Volcanic Island |
| Beta/Unlimited | October 1993, Unlimited released December 1993 | 292 | 302 | Text changes for Force of Nature, Island Sanctuary, Karma, Mana Short and Twiddle. Increased cost for Orcish Artillery and Orcish Oriflamme. Red Elemental Blast now interrupt. Elvish Archers with switched pwr/tgh. |
| Revised (3rd Edition) | April 1994 | 296 | 306 | From now on, effects resolve "last in, first out". Also, the "Tap"-symbol starts here. |
| 4th Edition | April 1995 | 368 | 378 | Reintroduces some cards from Legends and The Dark |
| 5th Edition | March 24th, 1997 | 434 | 449 | Reintroduces some cards from Fallen Empires, Ice Age and Homelands, but misses Lightning Bolt, Swords to Plowshares and Serra Angel. New artwork saves WotC some money on royalties. |
Other Sets
There are some extra sets that don't fit that scheme:
| Name | Published | Number of cards | Number of cards (including versions) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portal Spoiler | May 1st, 1997 | 222 | 222 | Magic for Beginners with simplified rules and concepts |
| Chronicles | September 1995 | 116 | 125 | Reprints of some cards from Arabian Nights, Legends, Antiquities and The Dark, with white borders |