Magic: The Gathering Sets - Expansion Sets

Expansion Sets

Expansion sets beginning with Mirage have come in groups (usually three) which form a block (the preferred term in actual gameplay) or cycle (the preferred term when describing the associated storyline) consisting of one large "stand-alone" expansion set of more than 300 cards, followed by one or two small expansion sets of less than 200 cards, which continue the themes introduced in the large set. In recent years the large stand-alone expansion sets have had about 250 cards. Like the base set, stand-alone expansion sets contain basic land cards; other expansion sets do not. Beginning with Alliances, expansion sets were given codenames while in development; the code names of the three expansions of a cycle usually fit together to form a phrase or common theme.

Ice Age and Alliances were the first two sets to have a well-defined relationship, but were not created as a canonical block at the time of printing. Also beginning with Alliances in June 1996, expansion sets were released in a regular pattern: the base sets were released in October with the small expansion sets being released in February and June (Alliances was originally the third set of the block; it was retroactively made a second set with the release of Coldsnap in 2006). With the exceptions of Stronghold, a 1998 set released in March rather than February, and Scourge, a 2003 set which was released in May rather than June, this pattern of months was never broken, over a 10-year period, until 2006, when Dissension was also released a month early in May instead of June, because of the July release of Coldsnap. The third set in a block has since been released in late April or early May. Since 2005 there has been a fourth release date each year in mid-July. Since Magic 2010 this has been reserved for Core Sets, since they are now released on an annual basis; before that, core sets would occupy this slot every other year, alternating with special releases such as Coldsnap and Eventide. In recent years Wizards has experimented with other block models, with Lorwyn and Shadowmoor comprising two, connected mini-blocks of a large expansion followed by a single small expansion and the Zendikar block with Rise of the Eldrazi replacing the second small set with a stand alone large set.

Most early expansion sets did not have exact release dates; they were just shipped out within the space of a week, and retailers could start selling them as soon as the sets were received. By the time of Alliances in 1996, however, release dates were set as Mondays (the earliest set with an exact Monday release date might possibly have preceded Alliances, but Alliances is the earliest set with a cited and confirmed Monday release date). Beginning with Mirrodin in 2003, the release dates were changed from Monday to Friday.

All sets beginning with Homelands also have a pre-release date, on which cards are sold in limited quantities in pre-release tournaments. These tournaments were formerly always held two weeks before the release date, but since Shards of Alara they are now held one week before the release date.

Premium foil cards have been inserted into booster packs since Urza's Legacy. Originally 1 foil card was inserted for every 100 cards. The ratio was changed to 1 in 70 cards with the Torment expansion. Beginning with Tenth Edition the percentage was raised to 1 in 56 cards.