Revised (Magic: The Gathering)
Encyclopedia
The Revised Edition of Magic: The Gathering
(also simply known as Revised) was the sixth set and third core set released for the game. Like previous core sets, it had no expansion symbol. Revised Edition cards are white-bordered and generally known for their washed-out look. The set was released in April 1994 and contained 306 cards. It was the first base set to contain cards from black-bordered sets other than Alpha
and Beta
.
was announced. It is estimated that about 500 million cards of the set were produced, which fully eliminated the distribution problems of earlier sets. The cards of Revised were still widely available even well into 1996.
The cards of Revised like the cards of the preceding Unlimited Edition
all had white borders, no expansion symbol, and the artist credit at the bottom left. However, the cards were far paler than their Unlimited counterparts, and the three-dimensional beveling of the cards was cropped out. This gave the cards an appearance that was widely criticized as "washed out" and even unprofessional. The beveling was returned in 4th Edition, and the colors were much more vibrant in that set. The large print run meant that Revised basic lands were so numerous and common that it was uncommon to find any other lands in decks until several years later.
The collation of the cards made it possible for a basic land card to appear in the common and uncommon slots of a pack. This was intentional; the land cards were printed on the common and uncommon print sheets. Basic lands would get their own full print sheets in 4th Edition, making Revised the last tournament-legal set until 7th Edition
in which basic lands could be found in booster packs. Basic lands returned as a card slot in the Shards of Alara block of 2008.
One card-printing error of note appeared on the card . This blue creature card was misprinted with a green border and a picture of another card, . The name, mana cost and rules text were all correct, though. The Revised version is now the most common due to the limited print run of the original, intended versions.
Revised was the first base edition of the game to be sold in multiple languages. Black bordered, limited editions were produced in French, German, and Italian. Unlimited, white bordered editions in the same languages were produced after the limited editions had sold out.
expansion, and another nineteen were originally in the Antiquities
expansion. Thirty-five cards that were in Unlimited were not in Revised, including the Power Nine
. A few of the cards that were removed from the base set reappeared in later sets. Most notably, would be reprinted in Ice Age
, and a few others would be reprinted in 8th Edition
to celebrate the game's 10th anniversary.
At this stage of development, cards were swapped out to alleviate problems. In later sets, cards were swapped in and out to change the feeling of the game, but the cards removed for the Revised edition were all cut for one of three reasons:
Interestingly enough, many of the cards removed from the base set for the 4th Edition were removed for same reasons as many cards were cut from Unlimited (although some were brought back in later sets). Such cards included , , and , cards which were either overpowered or offered strange rules interactions not suited for a base set.
and Unlimited Edition
rules had. Two changes had a large effect on game play. First, the rule that "multiple effects resolve simultaneously unless a conflict arises" was changed to "effects always resolve last-in-first-out". The concept was later refined and then named "stack". Second, the rule for Protection from was changed from "the creature ignores all effects" to the more precise "the creature cannot be blocked or targeted by sources, reduces damage to zero, and cannot be enchanted by enchantments."
The most visually obvious of Reviseds changes was the elimination of the Mono/Poly/Continuous qualifiers to artifacts. With the advent of the game's first tap symbol (a "T" turned forty-five degrees clockwise in a light gray circle), the qualifiers used to differentiate when and how often an artifact could be used were no longer needed. Artifacts that were previously classified as Mono artifacts were given the new tap symbol, while Poly and Continuous artifacts were simply re-templated without the tap symbol.
This print run is known primarily for its extremely scarce and valuable cards and packs. Cards are distinguished by dark coloring and a 1994 copyright date displayed at the bottom, along with the artist credit. Booster packs look identical to normal Revised Edition packs, and as such, telling them apart can often be troublesome. However, many of the Summer Magic booster packs have a large green "E" on the front for "Edgar". No starter decks were made.
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
(also simply known as Revised) was the sixth set and third core set released for the game. Like previous core sets, it had no expansion symbol. Revised Edition cards are white-bordered and generally known for their washed-out look. The set was released in April 1994 and contained 306 cards. It was the first base set to contain cards from black-bordered sets other than Alpha
Alpha (Magic: The Gathering)
The name Alpha refers to the first print run of the original Magic: The Gathering Limited Edition, the first Magic: The Gathering card set. It premiered in a limited release at Origins Game Fair in 1993, with a general release that August. Its print run of 2.6 million cards sold out very quickly...
and Beta
Beta (Magic: The Gathering)
Limited Edition Beta or just Beta for short was the second part, after revisions, of the first print run of the first Magic: The Gathering set. It was released only a few months after Limited Edition Alpha's publication to correct some minor problems in the rules and to make up for the fact that...
.
Printing and distribution
Printing of Revised began in early April 1994 and continued until April 1995, when 4th Edition4th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)
The Fourth Edition of Magic: The Gathering was the tenth set released for the game, and the fourth base set . The set was released in April 1995 and contained 378 cards. It was the first set to reprint cards from the expansions Legends and The Dark. Fourth Edition cards have white borders...
was announced. It is estimated that about 500 million cards of the set were produced, which fully eliminated the distribution problems of earlier sets. The cards of Revised were still widely available even well into 1996.
The cards of Revised like the cards of the preceding Unlimited Edition
Unlimited (Magic: The Gathering)
Unlimited Edition was the second Magic: The Gathering set. It was released on December 1, 1993, after Beta had sold out as quickly as Alpha had; this time the run was 40 million cards, the largest yet...
all had white borders, no expansion symbol, and the artist credit at the bottom left. However, the cards were far paler than their Unlimited counterparts, and the three-dimensional beveling of the cards was cropped out. This gave the cards an appearance that was widely criticized as "washed out" and even unprofessional. The beveling was returned in 4th Edition, and the colors were much more vibrant in that set. The large print run meant that Revised basic lands were so numerous and common that it was uncommon to find any other lands in decks until several years later.
The collation of the cards made it possible for a basic land card to appear in the common and uncommon slots of a pack. This was intentional; the land cards were printed on the common and uncommon print sheets. Basic lands would get their own full print sheets in 4th Edition, making Revised the last tournament-legal set until 7th Edition
7th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)
7th Edition was a Magic: The Gathering set printed in 2001. It is the only core set since Alpha to have introduced all-new art for every card. A white-bordered set, it was first available on April 2, 2001. The set contained 350 cards...
in which basic lands could be found in booster packs. Basic lands returned as a card slot in the Shards of Alara block of 2008.
One card-printing error of note appeared on the card . This blue creature card was misprinted with a green border and a picture of another card, . The name, mana cost and rules text were all correct, though. The Revised version is now the most common due to the limited print run of the original, intended versions.
Revised was the first base edition of the game to be sold in multiple languages. Black bordered, limited editions were produced in French, German, and Italian. Unlimited, white bordered editions in the same languages were produced after the limited editions had sold out.
Card exchanges from Unlimited
Twenty Revised cards were originally in the Arabian NightsArabian Nights (Magic: The Gathering)
Arabian Nights was the fourth Magic: The Gathering set and the first expansion set. The set is composed entirely of new cards. The setting of Arabian Nights is inspired by the themes and characters of the Thousand and One Arabian Nights with some of the characters and places coming directly from...
expansion, and another nineteen were originally in the Antiquities
Antiquities (Magic: The Gathering)
Antiquities was the fifth Magic: The Gathering set and the second expansion set. It was the first set to have an original backstory that explores the mythos of the Magic universe . The story is primarily about the brothers Urza and Mishra who are inseparable at first, but become sworn enemies over...
expansion. Thirty-five cards that were in Unlimited were not in Revised, including the Power Nine
Power Nine
The term Power Nine refers to a set of nine specific cards in the game of Magic: The Gathering. These cards were only printed early in the game's history and consist of Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Mox Sapphire, Mox Jet, Mox Ruby, Mox Emerald, Mox Pearl, and Timetwister.The Power Nine...
. A few of the cards that were removed from the base set reappeared in later sets. Most notably, would be reprinted in Ice Age
Ice Age (Magic: The Gathering)
Ice Age is the eleventh Magic: The Gathering set and the sixth expansion set, released in June 1995. Set in the years from 450 to 2934 AR, the set describes a world set in perpetual winter due to the events in Antiquities...
, and a few others would be reprinted in 8th Edition
8th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)
Eighth Edition or Core Set was the standard base set for the collectible trading card game, Magic: The Gathering from its release in 2003 until 9th Edition's release in 2005...
to celebrate the game's 10th anniversary.
At this stage of development, cards were swapped out to alleviate problems. In later sets, cards were swapped in and out to change the feeling of the game, but the cards removed for the Revised edition were all cut for one of three reasons:
- Being too powerful (or perceived as such). In particular, the Power NinePower NineThe term Power Nine refers to a set of nine specific cards in the game of Magic: The Gathering. These cards were only printed early in the game's history and consist of Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Mox Sapphire, Mox Jet, Mox Ruby, Mox Emerald, Mox Pearl, and Timetwister.The Power Nine...
were removed, but also such cards as , , and . - Mystifiers. Cards that were too confusing by the contemporary ruleset. Mystifiers included , , , , and . Note that the effects of many of these cards were used in later sets, and several of the cards were even reprinted later in their entirety.
- Too weak. Some very few cards were dropped for being too weak, in particular , , and .
Interestingly enough, many of the cards removed from the base set for the 4th Edition were removed for same reasons as many cards were cut from Unlimited (although some were brought back in later sets). Such cards included , , and , cards which were either overpowered or offered strange rules interactions not suited for a base set.
Rules changes
The printing of Revised cleared up a number of rules problems that the Limited EditionBeta (Magic: The Gathering)
Limited Edition Beta or just Beta for short was the second part, after revisions, of the first print run of the first Magic: The Gathering set. It was released only a few months after Limited Edition Alpha's publication to correct some minor problems in the rules and to make up for the fact that...
and Unlimited Edition
Unlimited (Magic: The Gathering)
Unlimited Edition was the second Magic: The Gathering set. It was released on December 1, 1993, after Beta had sold out as quickly as Alpha had; this time the run was 40 million cards, the largest yet...
rules had. Two changes had a large effect on game play. First, the rule that "multiple effects resolve simultaneously unless a conflict arises" was changed to "effects always resolve last-in-first-out". The concept was later refined and then named "stack". Second, the rule for Protection from was changed from "the creature ignores all effects" to the more precise "the creature cannot be blocked or targeted by sources, reduces damage to zero, and cannot be enchanted by enchantments."
The most visually obvious of Reviseds changes was the elimination of the Mono/Poly/Continuous qualifiers to artifacts. With the advent of the game's first tap symbol (a "T" turned forty-five degrees clockwise in a light gray circle), the qualifiers used to differentiate when and how often an artifact could be used were no longer needed. Artifacts that were previously classified as Mono artifacts were given the new tap symbol, while Poly and Continuous artifacts were simply re-templated without the tap symbol.
Summer Magic (Edgar)
The Summer Magic (Also known as "Edgar" for a green "E" on the front of the boosters) print run of Revised Edition were printed in the summer of 1994. This print run intended to fix some of the errors with Revised, including the washed out color. As it turned out, the Summer Magic run had problems of its own. The colors were considered too dark and the artist credited for stayed uncorrected as well as the artist credited for Serendib Efreet, although the Efreet had received its original color and art again. Also a famous new misprint occurred with the card ; the so-called "blue Hurricane" is one of the rarest and most sought after cards in the entirety of Magic because of its misprint with a blue border. On the secondary market it sells for thousands of dollars. The print run was recalled and destroyed; however, about 40 booster boxes that were shipped to England and Tennessee survived. No more than 11 or 12 of each rare exists.This print run is known primarily for its extremely scarce and valuable cards and packs. Cards are distinguished by dark coloring and a 1994 copyright date displayed at the bottom, along with the artist credit. Booster packs look identical to normal Revised Edition packs, and as such, telling them apart can often be troublesome. However, many of the Summer Magic booster packs have a large green "E" on the front for "Edgar". No starter decks were made.
Notable cards
- The Dual Lands: , , , , , , , , and . These lands provide two colors of mana with the benefit of possessing two basic land types, an uncommon trait on non-basic lands. All future dual lands would be printed with restrictions. They are now a defining part of the Legacy and Vintage formats, due in particular to their ability to be searched for by the various Fetchlands released many years later. While many cards were removed from Revised for power reasons, the original dual lands were retained.
- — The original and most powerful "tutor" card ever printed. This card is restricted in Vintage and banned in Legacy. All future tutors were printed with restrictions or made more expensive like OdysseyOdyssey (Magic: The Gathering)Odyssey is the 24th Magic: The Gathering expert-level expansion set. Released in September, 2001, Odyssey is the first set in the Odyssey Block. Its expansion symbol is a small image of the Mirari .-Storyline:...
's . - — While all of the zero-casting cost mana artifacts were removed from Revised, Sol Ring remained. Its mana acceleration has caused it to be restricted in Vintage and banned in Legacy.