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Magic: the Gathering is a Trading Card Game, the first of its kind, developed by Richard Garfield and his playtesters for the gaming company Wizards of the Coast in 1993. You and your opponents play the role of dueling planeswalkers, wizards able to travel between dimensions known as planes to gather unique magic. Using customized decks made up of your spells, the creatures you can summon, your mana bonds with lands, and even other planeswalkers you can call in to help out, you try to defeat your foes.
Magic constantly travels to different worlds with their own gimmicks, such as a focus on artifacts or multicolored cards, but Core Sets are for beginners to experience Magic at its, well, core. This is the perfect place to start the game, but for experienced players, it can also be enjoyable to play plain and simple Magic.
With this set, it takes a break from the ongoing story, but that doesn't mean there's no story. Instead, we have backstory for the villain of the upcoming Guilds of Ravnica story, Nicol Bolas.
Note that the majority of discussion happens on Discord now, but we'll be available for any questions here.
GETTING STARTED
Official guide to starting Magic
To see what a game is like, check out Geek and Sundry's Spellslinger series (new season now), where Day[9] battled various geek celebrities, often losing, using simple and easy to follow decks.
Though it's now discontinued in light of the upcoming Magic Arena, Magic Duels is still available to download for a single player Magic experience, and it can help a lot for figuring out the rules.
For the physical card game, there are many ways to get on board. If you go to a local game store (LGS), the owner will give you a simple Welcome Deck for free, after demonstrating how to play the game. Planeswalker Decks are pre-constructed decks with four brand new cards, including unique planeswalker cards, and starting from this set, one additional booster pack, going for an MSRP of $10.99. While not particularly strong, they will allow you to actually play casual games. If you want to build your own deck, a Deckbuilder's Toolkit will give you a decent starting collection of cards for an MSRP of $19.99, including 125 semi-random cards, basic lands, four booster packs, and perhaps most importantly, a good box for your cards. Challenger Decks will allow you to compete in Standard tournaments for an MSRP of $29.99, and the total card values (before release) are far beyond that.
Game stores will hold Magic Open House events specifically meant for new players, with people there to give you Welcome Decks and play teaching games. Experienced players are also encouraged to participate and help beginners, and everyone will get a promotional card for attending.
The big thing to look forward to, however, is the Prerelease event held for every set. You play in the Sealed format, where every player is given a box with six booster packs and a random additional rare card. From this pool of cards, all of which you keep, each player builds a deck of 40 cards and participates in a Swiss-system tournament. This is a fun and casual event, where everyone is still trying to figure out the set, so don't worry about messing up. In addition to normal duels, there are also Two-Headed Giant events, where you pair up with another player and face off against another team.
Magic Open House events will be on June 30–July 1, 2018. Prerelease events will be held on July 7–8, 2018. Call your local game store a few days ahead of time to register for the Prerelease, or they might just run out of room. Find local game stores here.
Number of Cards: 280
Magic Open House: June 30–July 1, 2018
Prerelease Weekend: July 7-8, 2018
Draft Weekend: July 14-15, 2018
Card image gallery
As part of the onboarding process for beginners, Core Set 2019 has not just one, not two, but five Planeswalker Decks, all focusing on a single color. Planeswalker Decks are great if you're just starting out and want a deck to practice with. Each deck comes with a booster pack, and they run for $10.99 MSRP. The 10 cards below are exclusive to these decks and won't appear in booster packs.
Ajani's deck cares about gaining life and supporting its flood of creatures.
Tezzeret's deck cares a lot about artifacts and turning them into big creatures.
Liliana's deck focuses on out-grinding your opponent with zombies that return from the graveyard and creature destruction.
Sarkhan's deck cares about dragons, dragons, and burning things.
Vivien's deck cares about big creatures and making them even bigger.
More than meets the eye
As a core set, there isn't much to it, but there is one mechanic worth showcasing. Transform (or put on the battlefield transformed in this case) is a mechanic used on double-sided cards, to transition from the front side to the back side. Here the mechanic is used to demonstrate a transformation from a normal creature to a planeswalker.
SCHEDULE
Premier events schedule
Core Set 2019
Start of reveals: June 18, 2018
Magic Open House: June 30–July 1, 2018
Prerelease Weekend: July 7-8, 2018
Release Date: July 13, 2018
Draft Weekend: July 14-15, 2018
Store Championship: September 15-16, 2018
Magic Online Launch: July 16, 2018
On Sale in Magic Online: July 20, 2018
Commander 2018
Release Date: August 10, 2018
Guilds of Ravnica
Release Date: October 5, 2018
HIGHLIGHTS
Previous thread
Week of April 30, 2018 - Core Set 2019 cards in Dominaria boxes
Week of May 7, 2018 - more Core Set 2019 cards
Week of May 28, 2018 - M19 cards from Spellslingers introduction
Week of June 11, 2018 - M19 - Promos, Welcome and Planeswalker Deck cards; M19 - Vivien Reid; M19 - Vivien's Invocation; Storm Scale: Mirrodin and Scars of Mirrodin blocks; M19 - Infernal Judgment; M19 - Tezzeret, Cruel Machinist; M19 - Liliana, the Necromancer; Blogatog - prowess not doing well as evergreen, changing the power/toughness switching rules; Magic Story - Chronicles of Bolas: The Twins; M19 - Death Baron; M19 - Sarkhan, Dragonsoul; M19 - Sarkhan's Whelp; M19 - Ajani, Wise Counselor; M19 - Court Cleric; M19 - Tezzeret's Strider; M19 - Vivien of the Arkbow; M19 - Vivien's Jaguar; M19 - Planeswalker Deck cards; M19 - Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants; M19 - Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen; Spellslingers - vs. Clare Grant; M19 - Vaevictus Asmadi, the Dire; M19 - Lathliss, Dragon Queen
Core Set 2019
Monday, June 18 - Scapeshift; Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner; Elvish Clancaller; Volley Veteran; Crucible of Worlds; Resplendent Angel; Making Magic - Getting to the Core; Satyr Enchanter; Mirror Image; Dark-Dweller Oracle; Magistrate's Scepter; Brawl-Bash Ogre; Aerial Engineer; Draconic Disciple; Psychic Symbiont; Ajani's Last Stand; Nicol Bolas is the only double-faced card; Alpine Moon; Metamorphic Alteration; Hungering Hydra
Tuesday, June 19 - Mistcaller; Sarkhan's Unsealing; Prodigious Growth; Nightmare's Thirst; Omniscience; Chromium, the Mutable; Mare cycle; Preview Article - Creating Core Set 2019; Diamond Mare; Isareth the Awakener; Bone Dragon; Open the Graves; Remorseful Cleric; Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma; original art for Psychic Symbiont; Amulet of Safekeeping; Cleansing Nova; Fell Specter; Ajani's Welcome; Dryad Greenseeker
Wednesday, June 20 - Graveyard Marshall; Runic Armasaur; Departed Deckhand; One with the Machine; Sai, Master Thopterist; Stitcher's Supplier; Magic Story - Chronicles of Bolas: The First Lesson; Lena, Selfless Champion; Valiant Knight; Sigiled Sword of Valeron; Sarkhan, Fireblood; Dragon token; Goblin Trashmaster; Spit Flame; Chaos Wand; Phylactery Lich; Skyrider Patrol; Poison-Tip Archer; Regal Bloodlord; Arcades, the Strategist; Suspicious Bookcase; Demanding Dragon; Enigma Drake; Heroic Reinforcements; collage of planeswalker art; Dismissive Pyromancer; Supreme Phantom; Liliana, Untouched by Death; Liliana's Contract
Thursday, June 21 - Thorn Lieutenant; Siegebreaker Giant; Hieromancer's Cage; Rise from the Grave; Vigilant Baloth; Switcheroo; Isolate; Mystic Archeologist; Detection Tower; Novice Knight; Preview Article - Single-Card Strategies; Preview Article - Cats Rule; Suncleanser; Leonin Warleader; Aethershield Artificer; Supreme Phantom was drawn six years ago by Robbie Trevino; Tezzeret, Artifice Master; details from stream; Pelakka Wurm; Transmogrifying Wand
Friday, June 22 and weekend - MTG crossover in Puzzle & Dragons (Japanese mobile game); full reveal; LoadingReadyRun pre-prerelease
Week of June 25, 2018 - whether Stoneforge Mystic should be unbanned; Magic Story - Chronicle of Bolas: Things Unseen; Silver Showcase draft; new MTGO promo art; controversy with Hearthstone streamers getting special invites and being able to make a living as a Magic pro; Commander streams; Shalai cosplay; planeswalker discussion
Week of July 2, 2018 - Banned and Restricted List update; Arena - core set coming, other updates; Lord Windgrace art; Core Set 2019 Limited Set Review: White; Boogie pulling more shit; SDCC planeswalker promo cards; Limited Set Review: Blue; SPBKASO loses by cracking fetch land; Judge Promo - Vampiric Tutor; Limited Set Review: Black; Limited Set Review: Red; Core Set 2019 drafting with dual lands in land slot; Update Bulletin; Shivan Dragon price surge; Core Set 2019 prerelease; Alli Medwin being harassed
Week of July 9, 2018 - Checking in on Brawl; Brian Kibler giving his winnings to charity; fake Commander 2018 cards; Magic Story - Chronicle of Bolas: Whispers of Treachery; Arena - free best of three ladder and other updates; Elder Dragon Race stream; Arena - exclusive tutorial cards; Commander 2018 - art and deck themes; M-Files: M19 Edition – White, Blue, and Black; Arena economy discussion
Week of July 16, 2018 - Magic Story - Chronicles of Bolas: Blood and Fire; Arena beta codes; M-Files: M19 Edition – Red, Green, Gold, and Artifacts; MTGO 1v1 Commander ban list update, no partner; Guilds of Ravnica prerelease will bring back guild packs; Wizards ending direct distribution system; Commander 2018 - Geode Golem
Commander 2018
Monday, July 23 - Face Commanders leaked; Monday reveals; Enchanter's Bane discussion
Tuesday, July 24 - Tuesday reveals; Designing Commander (2018 Edition)
Wednesday, July 25 - Wednesday reveals; Arixmethes discussion
Thursday, July 26 - Thursday reveals; Yuriko discussion; Aminatou information; art from Ravnica DnD book; Saheeli art information
Friday, July 27 and weekend - Full reveal and decklists; new Wizards writer has problematic writing; Guilds of Ravnica leak - Macabre Crib (rough translation)
RESOURCES
Official articles - Nicknamed the Mothership, these articles are the primary source of news. Recommended columns are Making Magic, written by the head designer, Mark Rosewater (aka MaRo); Magic Story, which tells the story, written by various authors; and Play Design, written by various Magic developers. The other articles generally discuss deck building.
Card image gallery - Best way to see all of the spoiled cards together, but only updates once a day.
Blogatog - Tumblr ran by Mark Rosewater where he answers questions, updates very frequently.
Drive to Work - Mark Rosewater's weekly podcast about Magic that he literally records as he drives to work. Two episodes are released every Friday.
MTG Reddit - The best place to get new card information. The community sucks, though.
Mythic Spoiler - A good way to see what cards have been spoiled, updates throughout the day.
Gatherer - The official method of searching through released cards. Has autocomplete.
Scryfall - The better search method, with bigger cards, but it doesn't have autocomplete.
Game store locator
OTHER THREADS
Dominaria
Arena Closed Beta on Gaming side
Rivals of Ixalan
Great Designer Search 3
Hangouts OT
Last GAF thread - Ixalan
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