Unlimited (Magic: The Gathering)
Encyclopedia
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. It contains exactly the same cards as Beta, though with white borders instead of black, setting the precedent for all successive printings of the basic set, until the 2007 release of Tenth Edition
, which returned to black borders.
The set contains the same set of cards as the previous set, Beta
, including the so-called "Power Nine
" cards. The cards are also identical in appearance to those of Beta with the distinction that those of Beta are black-bordered and those of Unlimited white-bordered. The succeeding Revised
edition is composed of a different set of cards than Unlimited. While some collectors can distinguish Unlimited cards from Revised cards by just looking at the text (wording and type set) the cards from both sets are more easily distinguished by comparing the borders of the cards. The picture frame of Unlimited cards has a beveled edge which Revised cards have not.
. Of the remaining 27 cards, 21 are on the reserved list, meaning that Wizards of the Coast
has announced they will never reprint these cards due to concern over antagonizing collectors. Among these 21 cards are all of the "Power Nine".
, Samuel Coleridge, and Marianne Moore
.
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. It was released on December 1, 1993, after 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...
had sold out as quickly as 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...
had; this time the run was 40 million cards, the largest yet. It contains exactly the same cards as Beta, though with white borders instead of black, setting the precedent for all successive printings of the basic set, until the 2007 release of Tenth Edition
10th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)
Tenth Edition is a "Core Set" for the collectible trading card game Magic: The Gathering. It was released on July 13, 2007, replacing Ninth Edition as the core set of cards for standard tournament play...
, which returned to black borders.
Set history
Unlimited was sold in Starter Packs of 60 cards and Booster packs of 15 cards. It was the first set to be officially titled as something other than just Magic: The Gathering. The "Unlimited Edition" label appears on the booster boxes, decks, and booster packs.The set contains the same set of cards as the previous set, 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...
, including the so-called "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...
" cards. The cards are also identical in appearance to those of Beta with the distinction that those of Beta are black-bordered and those of Unlimited white-bordered. The succeeding Revised
Revised (Magic: The Gathering)
The Revised Edition of Magic: The Gathering 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...
edition is composed of a different set of cards than Unlimited. While some collectors can distinguish Unlimited cards from Revised cards by just looking at the text (wording and type set) the cards from both sets are more easily distinguished by comparing the borders of the cards. The picture frame of Unlimited cards has a beveled edge which Revised cards have not.
Reprints
Of the 302 Unlimited cards 269 were reprinted in the next edition of the base set, Revised. 6 other cards were reprinted in subsequent expansions, and Berserk was reprinted in the limited edition boxed set From the Vault: ExiledFrom the Vault: Exiled
From the Vault: Exiled is a Magic: The Gathering limited edition boxed set released on August 28, 2009. It contains fifteen cards, eight with new alternate art, all of which had previously been banned or restricted.-Card List:...
. Of the remaining 27 cards, 21 are on the reserved list, meaning that Wizards of the Coast
Wizards 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...
has announced they will never reprint these cards due to concern over antagonizing collectors. Among these 21 cards are all of the "Power Nine".
Background story
Base sets in Magic: The Gathering have no coherent background story and Unlimited is not an exception to this. The flavor text on cards in Unlimited is usually meant to evoke a generic fantasy feeling, but several cards also include quotations from books and poems of Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, Samuel Coleridge, and Marianne Moore
Marianne Moore
Marianne Moore was an American Modernist poet and writer noted for her irony and wit.- Life :Moore was born in Kirkwood, Missouri, in the manse of the Presbyterian church where her maternal grandfather, John Riddle Warner, served as pastor. She was the daughter of mechanical engineer and inventor...
.
Notable cards
- 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...
": , , , , , , , , and . These are widely considered the most powerful cards in Unlimited Edition, and are among the most powerful in all of Magic. All of these cards are now restricted in tournament play; players may only include one copy of each in a deck. The color distribution of the Power Nine is heavily skewed; six of the cards are Artifacts, while the other three are Blue 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.
- The "Boons": , , , , and . This was the first and most famous cycle in Magic.. All of them provided an effect in the number three. The cards defined the core ability of each color, but they proved to be extremely disparate in power. Of the five, the blue and black boons were considered to be too powerful, while the white boon too weak. The green boon, Giant Growth, was considered most balanced and has appeared in every single core set as of Magic 2011Magic 2011Magic 2011 is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set that was released on July 16, 2010. It was the twelfth core set for Magic: the Gathering. As its predecessor, Magic 2010, the set has new cards in it, but to a lesser extent.-Set Details:...
. Healing Salve has been reprinted several times, and Lightning Bolt has recently been reprinted in Magic 2010Magic 2010Magic 2010 is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, that was released on July 17, 2009. It is the eleventh core set for Magic: the Gathering...
and Magic 2011. While the ability to produce mana as a one-shot effect has since been moved from black to red, modern versions of the other boons are part of most major expansions.