When the first Magic Core Set, affectionately nick-named Alpha hit the market sixteen years ago, it practically oozed fantasy flavor, capturing perfectly the feel of being a wizard slinging powerful spells in a duel with another wizard. Since then, the Core Set has been the base level for Magic, retiring cards deemed too powerful, and replacing them with reprints from the expansion sets.
A New Way of Looking at the Core Set
With Magic 2010, Wizards of the Coast has looked back to Alpha for inspiration, and designed a new Core Set that seeks to recapture the fantasy flavor that made the original Magic Core Set such a success. Building a Core Set to capture a broad and resonant fantasy flavor meant that simply reprinting existing cards was not going to be enough. When a fantasy concept they were looking to evoke did not yet have a card associated with it, they created a new card to match the flavor they were looking to evoke. Yes, that means Magic 2010 is the first Core Set since Alpha to have new cards. Not just a few new cards either. Nearly half the new Core Set is brand new cards that have never appeared in any other Magic set.
Old Favorites Return to the Core Set
In addition to printing many new and exciting cards, a number of old favorites are reprinted in M10, returning to the core set after a long hiatus, or making their first appearances in a core set. These reprints include cards that pack a lot of raw power, in flavorful and evocative packages. Cards like Lightning Bolt, arguably the best direct damage spell ever, Ball Lightning, Darksteel Colossus, Time Warp, and others.
Magic 2010 Rules Changes
Possibly the biggest shakeup of M10 is dramatic changes to the rules of the game. This includes a bit of flavor gloss in renaming zones of the game, and reverting back to earlier wordings for how spells are Cast. That's right, Cast. Trying to bring the flavor back into the mechanical aspects of the game, spells are now Cast instead of played. Several zones in the game have been renamed to give them fantasy flavor in tune with the zones that already carry it like the Library (deck), and Graveyard (discard pile). In that spirit, The In-Play Zone and the Removed From Game Zone have been renamed the Battlefield and Exile respectively.
Big Rules Shakeups in Magic 2010
The real shakeups in the rules are not simply flavor changes, but mechanical changes to the game itself. Mana Burn is no more. Combat damage no longer uses the stack, rules regarding timing for "at end of turn" effects have been streamlined, and lifelink and deathtouch are no longer triggered abilities. Of all these rules changes, combat damage no longer using the stack is by far the most radical change to the game since the Sixth Edition rules changes a decade ago. For details on how combat works under the new rules, and details on all the other rules changes, check out the official Magic 2010 Rules Changes page.
An Overview of What's Good in Magic 2010
Overall, M10 is a hit. Here are some of the highlights:
- Cool New Cards (Baneslayer Angel, Silence, Elvish Arch Druid, etc.)
- Awesome Reprints of Classic cards (Lightning Bolt, Time Warp, Darksteel Colossus, etc.)
- Renamed Play Zones
- No more Mana Burn
- Streamlined timing rules for "at end of turn" effects
Magic 2010 Not Without It's Downsides
While Magic 2010 is one of the best Core Sets ever, it does have some downsides. Here are a few:
- Cards so powerful they warp formats ( Great Sable Stag)
- Historically powerful cards effectively 'blanked' by the current metagame (Ball Lightning)
- Rare Dual Lands
M10 Cards So Powerful They Warp Formats
This is not a tongue-in-cheek reference regarding Time Warp being reprinted in M10. Instead, it's about cards like Great Sable Stag that warp formats on their own. The existence of the Stag virtually nullifes the possibility of Blue/Black control decks, despite cards printed in the set (Duress, Haunting Echoes, Traumatize, and the new Tome Scour) that scream to be combined in such a decklist.
Historically Powerful Magic Cards 'Blanked' By Current Metagame
A few historically powerful cards are effectively 'blanked' by the current metagame. Ball Lightning is notably weak in the face of instant speed spot removal like Path to Exile and Celestial Purge, and the "protection from red" weenie Burrenton Forge-Tender. Giant indestructible monster Darksteel Colossus is not a significant threat without sufficient supporting cards to efficiently "cheat" him into play early. This makes these and other cards in M10 hardly playable in the current Standard format, where the Core Set should be most relevant. The power and relevance of these cards will no doubt change in the coming months when the new Zendikar block rotates into Standard and Lorwyn/Shadowmoor departs.
Rare Dual Lands Are Bad For Magic
Mana producing lands are to Magic what dice and rule books are to Dungeons & Dragons. The game can't be played competitively without good mana, and rare dual lands take away from both new players and those on financial budgets the ability to fully enjoy the experience of playing competitive constructed Magic. If one of the stated goals of the Core Set is to be a gateway to new players, it does not make logical sense to have quality mana producing lands exist at rare, as this becomes an obstacle that is difficult to overcome. Wizards of the Coast began inserting basic lands into booster packs starting in the 7th Edition Core Set partly to ensure that players had access to lands to be able to play their spells, the next logical step to keep Magic accessible is to stop printing dual lands as rares. A more thorough treatment of this argument can be found here.
The Last Word on Magic 2010
Even with it's downsides, Magic 2010 is clearly an indicator of the shape of Magic to come, and that future looks pretty good.
