Core Set 2019 Primer

The Core Sets are back! For you recent starters to Magic you might not know about the Core Sets,
once every year Wizards would put out a set that was a nice mix of old and news cards, this gave
them the design space to print silver bullet cards that could help tame a certain deck in standard or
modern. The key part of the Core Sets were to give newer players a good experience getting into the
game without being intimidated by super swingy, complicated cards.

With the resurgence of Core Sets Wizards have done the norm with a bunch of reprints and functional
reprints but they have made some of the newer cards more interesting this time around. There aren’t
any new mechanics in Core 2019 - obviously First Strike, Deathtouch, Lifelink etc make an
appearance - to keep the learning curve down for newer players but out of the returning mechanics
Double Face Cards are back. Well one Double Faced Card is in the set but its a spicy one.

Nicol Bolas is the only card in Core 2019 that is Double Faced but another printing of the Elder
Dragon has ushered in the return of the Elder Dragon Cycle. This cycle consists of five three-colour
dragons that are said to be among the most powerful beings in the multiverse and they are making
their triumphant return to Magic in Core 2019.

There are a handful of other cycles to mention, the five mono coloured planeswalkers for one.
For the first time in a while Core 2019 will have five planeswalker decks run alongside the set.
This gives players a lot more variance on what colours they can experience when buying into
the game, along with a planeswalker of course. These decks will feature cards from Core 2019
along with cards from Amonkhet and Kaladesh with an additional planeswalker deck specific card,
different for each colour.

The Mare cycle is another good one to mention. There will be a Mare in each colour and each
Mare will have evasion specific to a certain colour stating that they can’t be blocked by that colour.
For example: Shield Mare cannot be blocked by Red creatures. Each of the Mares will also come
with an ability relating to their colour.

The last cycle I wanted to mention was Bolas’ Reign. There are three cards in Core 2019 that depict
Nicol Bolas’ reign over Amonkhet, his fall from power after The Mending and his return to strength.

I like these cards because it gives a nice look into those worlds and situations as they happened.
The stories are useful in that respect but they don’t always give you an image to attribute them too.

All in all I like the Core Sets. As I said, they give newer players a nice jumping off point and intro to
the game, the cards aren’t stellar but they are by no means terrible and it’s a nice basis to go from.

I hope you’re all heading down to your local games store this weekend to get in on the Core 2019
action at the prerelease. I’m sure it’s going to be great laugh and a great couple of days of Magic.

Remember to keep checking back to Game Changers for more gaming news and updates along
with the Core 2019 set reviews starting next week. Follow us on Twitter at @gcgamingtank and let
us know what you got up to, maybe you found a super sweet combo? Tweet at us and show us.
Also if you're after any Core 2019 singles make sure to check out https://arcanecardshop.co.uk/.

Happy gaming guys!