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| Art by Karla Ortiz |
The set was originally announced to have 277 cards, but it actually has 272 cards. Five cards. Five planeswalkers. Speculation on reddit is stating that these extra five is probably due to the fact that each of the planeswalkers are probably double-faced cards, one side legendary creature, the other side planeswalker. This theory goes hand-in-hand with the theme of the set - the origins of each planeswalker, before their spark ignited, before they were planeswalkers.
Fork
Working on this Core Set, I knew that since this was the final core set to exist for now that all the rules that had been established for Core Sets before can be thrown out.
Chandra was the face of Magic 2014. Garruk was the face of Magic 2015. Liliana had a reprint as a planeswalker card in Magic 2015 leaving her due for another new version of her. Nissa, Jace, and Ajani had room to be reprints for another year for this year's Core Set. So, I thought we would get a black planeswalker as the face, either Liliana or Sorin.
Each core set starting from Magic 2011 had a returning keyword mechanic. Undying was an eligible choice for this year's core set. But the final core set being a final core set changes the rules. Thus, Magic Origins.
I've got a few paths I could take, two of which being obvious choices: 1) Attempt to emulate what Magic Origins will eventually reveal itself to be with my designs from now on; 2) Continue making an undying core set and pay no mind to what Magic Origins will turn out to be. I've chosen path #2.
It's more important to me to design a set I can call my own than for those moments where I can say, "called it!" Even though the latter is satisfying when you arrive to that answer through Magic design-minded conclusions. So, I'm going to branch off into the Core Set: Undying path.
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| Fork by Amy Weber |
Christmas Time
Let's get back to it, then. Last time, I established what basic card effects were present in the colors white, blue, and black - and chose which effects and in what number they will show up in this core set. Let's finish this for red and green.
| Undying | M15 | M14 | M13 | M12 | M11 | M10 | |
| RED | |||||||
| Direct damage to creature or player | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Power buff | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Destroy artifact | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Grant first strike | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Direct damage to player | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Direct damage to creature and player | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Land destruction | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Looting | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Creature(s) can't block this turn | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Small buff | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Direct damage to creature | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grant haste | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Temporary creature steal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Grant firebreathing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Grant "can't be blocked" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Grant mountainwalk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Add mana to mana pool | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Destroy Equipment | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Creature token(s) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Creature attacks this turn if able | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Destroy creature with defender | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GREEN | |||||||
| Small pump | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Life gain | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Prevent combat damage | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Mana acceleration | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Destroy artifact/enchantment | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Destroy flying creature | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Give +1/+1 counter | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Search for land, put onto battlefield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Search for land, put into hand | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Big pump | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fight a creature | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant regeneration | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Card draw | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pacifism | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Grant hexproof | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recover card from graveyard | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant forestwalk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Direct damage to creature or player | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Grant deathtouch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Get a creature token | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
And here's the results expressed in card slots form:
| CR01 | creature, small, vanilla | |
| CR02 | creature, small, intimidate | |
| CR03 | creature, small, first strike | |
| CR04 | creature, small, haste | |
| CR05 | creature, small, firebreathing | |
| CR06 | creature, medium, vanilla | |
| CR07 | creature, medium, haste | |
| CR08 | creature, medium | |
| CR09 | creature, medium | |
| CR10 | creature, medium | |
| CR11 | sorcery | |
| CR12 | sorcery | |
| CR13 | sorcery | |
| CR14 | sorcery/instant | |
| CR15 | instant | |
| CR16 | instant | |
| CR17 | instant | |
| CR18 | instant | |
| CR19 | instant | |
| CR20 | enchantment, Aura | |
| CG01 | creature, small, undying, defender | Wall of Bamboo. G. Plant Wall. 0/2. Undying. Defender. |
| CG02 | creature, small, deathtouch | |
| CG03 | creature, small, hexproof | |
| CG04 | creature, small, reach | |
| CG05 | creature, small, mana acceleration | Elvish Mystic reprint |
| CG06 | creature, medium, vanilla | |
| CG07 | creature, medium, undying | |
| CG08 | creature, medium, reach | |
| CG09 | creature, medium, card draw | |
| CG10 | creature, large, vanilla | |
| CG11 | creature, large, trample | |
| CG12 | sorcery, life gain | |
| CG13 | sorcery, fight | |
| CG14 | sorcery, small pump | |
| CG15 | sorcery, token-making | |
| CG16 | sorcery | |
| CG17 | instant, destroy flying creature | Plummet reprint |
| CG18 | instant, +1/+1 counter | Battlegrowth reprint |
| CG19 | instant, destroy artifact/enchantment | Naturalize reprint |
| CG20 | enchantment, Aura, grant hexproof and small pump |
There's not much written here, but I've, sadly, run out of time once again. So, enjoy the reasoning for some of these choices, and I'll see you next week!
