Magic 2010

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So if have not heard, Eleventh Core Edition, is to be named Magic 2010. With this new Core Set to be released 17th July, 2009 comes several new changes to core set releases for Magic the Gathering. Beginning with the Magic 2010 core set, each core set will be legal in Standard until October of the following year. This means the now annual release of each Magic core set will be legal in the Standard format for approximately 15 months with an overlap with the previous core set (with the exception of this new set) and will be named after the year they come out (kind of / sort of).

Here are the details

Magic: The Gathering 2010 Core Set
Prerelease date: July 11-12, 2009
Release date: July 17, 2009

Set size: 249 cards (Thhis includes 101 Commons, 60 Uncommons, 53 Rares, 15 Mythic Rares, and 20 Lands)

The Design Team for Magic 2010 was Aaron Forsythe, Bill Rose, Mark Rosewater, Devin Low, Brady Dommermuth, and Brian Tinsman
The Development Team included Erik Lauer, Mike Turian, Tom LaPille, and Greg Marques.

These will now have pre-releases and release parties just like expansions whereas previously core sets were limited to just release parties. The new Core Sets no longer bump the previous core set out of Standard. Now there is only one “rotation” day for the format, and that is with the release of the first set of a new block. So when ‘Lights’ comes out (the first set of the block) knocks out Live Long Prosper and Magic 2010 leaving only Magic 2011 legal. (Magic 2010 will bump 10th Edition immediately though.)

A great piece of news we did get was that the Lorwyn planeswalkers will be rotated into Magic 2010 but as Mythic rares. There will also be Dual Lands provided. Of the fifteen mythic rares in the set, nine are reprints and six are brand new. The new the core sets will consist of half reprints and half NEW cards of the 229 cards in the set that are not basic lands. No painlands or fetchlands apparently are expected.

Of the 16 cards which have appeared in every set, only 8 cards will remain due to the "influx of new designs". You might as well leave a comment here as to which ones you speculate will be in or out:

Air Elemental, Bog Wraith, Drudge Skeletons, Fear, Giant Growth, Giant Spider, Goblin King, Grizzly Bears, Howling Mine, Nightmare, Orcish Artillery, Regeneration, Rod of Ruin, Samite Healer, Scathe Zombies, and Wrath of God.

The only concern I have at the moment is the more rapid turnover rate for standard format as it stands now. This is an expensive hobby and now promises to just a bit more expensive.

Some of the visual spoilers have already been provided in Aaron Forsythe's (bless his soul) article today at Wizards. These included

Silence (W)
Instant, Rare
Your opponents can’t cast spells this turn. Your opponents can't cast spells this turn.

Wall of Frost (1)(U)(U)
Creature - Wall, Uncommon
Defender
Whenever Wall of Frost blocks a creature, that creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
0 / 7

Capricious Efreet (4)(R)(R)
Creature - Efreet, Rare
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target nonland permanent you control and up two target nonland premanents you don’t control. Destroy one of them at random.
6 / 4

Returning are the following . . .
Black Knight, Uncommon
Serra Angel, Uncommon
Birds of Paradise, Rare
Jace Beleren, Mythic Rare

Conflux Spoiler 6

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We have for some some more spoiler goodness, this time from the 2008 Magic: The Gathering World Championships held this past weekend in Memphis, Tennessee.

The ubiquitous Brian David-Marshall from WoTC in a post from Friday provided a sneak peak in the form of a 'match the art to the name' quiz. The revealed answers are as follows . . .

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

1) Apocalypse Hydra
2) Kederekt parasite
3) Paragon of Ameshia
3) Blood Tyrant
5) Vectis Agents

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

6) Banefire
7) Mirror-sigil Sergent
8) Suicidal Charge
9) Magister sphinx
10) Beacon Behemoth

It was noted that Mirror-sigil Sergent also has a new mechanic.

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Paladin21 from the boards attended the recent World Championships and had this to share with us with regards to what Aaron Forsythe and Matt Place had discussed with attendees about the future set and edition releases.

• Eleventh Edition Core Set will be black bordered, as will all core sets going forward.

• Unfortunately, Eleventh Edition Core Set selection / voting will not be open to players.

• Matt Place indicated to Paladin21 after the official show that Conflux had some cards in it to "fix" faeries and allow the metagame to grow. No additional details.

• Eleventh Edition Core Set is confirmed to have Mythic Rares with the possibility of incuding Planeswalkers.

• An alternate art foil Garruk Wildspeak may be made available to players who purchase the new XBox Live Arcade Duels of the Planeswalkers game. It is beleived that Wizards mail this puppy out to you after registration / proof of purchase.