Portal (Magic: The Gathering)
Encyclopedia
Portal is the eighteenth Magic: The Gathering
set and first starter level set, released on May 1, 1997. Depending on the language, the set contains between 221 and 228 cards.
's first major attempt at a set that new players could come into the game and understand. Back before the major rules changes brought forth by 6th Edition
, Magic
rules were more complicated; today, they are simplified with the addition of the stack.
, all cards in the Portal block are legal in Vintage and Legacy tournaments.
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...
set and first starter level set, released on May 1, 1997. Depending on the language, the set contains between 221 and 228 cards.
Set history
Portal was Wizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
's first major attempt at a set that new players could come into the game and understand. Back before the major rules changes brought forth by 6th Edition
6th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)
The Sixth Edition core set of Magic: The Gathering, also known as Classic, was released on April 27, 1999. It contains 350 cards, with reprints of cards from previous core sets, as well as some new reprints from expansion sets through the Weatherlight expansion.-Rule changes:The release of Sixth...
, Magic
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...
rules were more complicated; today, they are simplified with the addition of the stack.
, all cards in the Portal block are legal in Vintage and Legacy tournaments.
Mechanics
No new mechanics were introduced with Portal, but there were several "simplifications" made to the game through things left out of the set.Instants
Instants did not exist within the set (instead, every "one-shot" spell was a sorcery; however, some sorceries could be played at particular times uncommon to sorceries but normal for instants). Most of these cards have since received errata making them Instants. For example, the card Assassin's Blade has the following text: Play Assassin's Blade only during the declare attackers step and only if you are the defending player.Rules Text
All rules text was in boldface. All flavor text and reminder (italicized) text was not boldface. To separate rules text and flavor text, the cards utilized a line with a slight bulge on both top and bottom; this makes the line look like a very elongated diamond.Creature Types
Although they do now via errata text, in their original printings Portal cards had no creature type.| Replaced | Replacer | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intercept | block | Cloud Dragon can intercept only creatures with flying. |
| Discard Pile | graveyard | |
| Deck | library |