This rating system was put out to pasture in 2007 with the release of Lorwyn, though I can’t find any announcements from Wizards as to why. Every expansion set was also traditionally an expert-level set. Expert-Level SetsĮxpert-level was the height of the rating system and were the most complex mechanics and thematic cards available. Advanced-Level SetsĪdvanced-level is the “baseline” for the game, exclusively belonging to core sets. These products were quietly discontinued, but you can find similar products with starter decks from your local game store or boxed sets like the 2021 Arena starter kit. Starting with products like the Portal trilogy and Starter 99/00, these were marketed to bring new players into the game. Starter-level was the lowest level of complexity and offered a great starting point for new players. These were introduced to better inform new players how complex a set or product would be. What Were Starter, Advanced, and Expert-Level Sets?īecause Magic has such a wide variety of complexity, Wizards implemented a rating system for products with the release of Fifth Edition in 1997. Wizards hasn’t yet released any details about the next core set for summer 2022, so it may happen again where we just get another less complex set in exchange for a core set. 2021 sets took a bit of a deviation from this as Forgotten Realms was originally designed as a core set but evolved into its current incarnation as development continued. Despite a brief pause from 2015 to 2018 WotC released one every year. The card themselves didn’t feature keywords or mechanics that were exclusive to expansion sets, instead featuring “evergreen” mechanics that were more common and less complex.Ĭore sets have been a part of Magic since its inception.

These sets were mostly reprints of cards from other sets and featured reminder text on cards to help new players. Core sets made up a large portion of the common cards that players used regardless of format and age. Magic initially used to refer to these as “basic sets” or “base sets,” and they weren’t wrong. Into the Core | Illustration by Whit Brachna These are “everything else” that exists in the physical world: Set Nameĭungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Revoke Existence | Illustration by Adam Paquette

Mtg card sets with numbers