

These cards have received errata in the Oracle card reference to say they affect cards “with a name originally printed” in a particular set. Previously, a spell or ability that affected cards from a particular set checked for that set’s expansion symbol. Also, prior to the Sixth Edition core set, with the exception of the Simplified Chinese Fifth Edition core set, Magic core sets didn’t have expansion symbols at all.)

(Prior to the Exodus™ set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. A purple symbol signifies a special rarity to date, only the Time Spiral® “timeshifted” cards, which were rarer than that set’s rare cards, have had purple expansion symbols. A black or white symbol indicates the card is common or is a basic land. A silver symbol indicates the card is uncommon. A gold symbol indicates the card is rare. A red-orange symbol indicates the card is mythic rare. The color of the expansion symbol indicates the rarity of the card within its set. It’s a small icon normally printed below the right edge of the illustration. The expansion symbol indicates which Magic set a card is from. Rules įrom the Comprehensive Rules (September 8, 2022- Dominaria United) It is unusual because it does not have its own expansion symbol and instead uses the expansion symbols of the cards' home expansions.Īlthough the Mirrodin Pure set never came into being, its expansion symbol has the same status as the other expansion symbols.

The Chronicles expansion consists entirely of white-bordered reprints. This color scheme was reused in Time Spiral Remastered (2020) for their modern-to-old frame timeshifted sheet. Time Spiral (2006) had a unique purple symbol to represent the 121 bonus timeshifted cards in the set. The fourth rarity, mythic rare, was added with Shards of Alara (2008), its color being a red-orange gradient. Since the Exodus (1998) expansion, expansion symbols have incorporated colors to identify the rarity of each card: common cards have black symbols, uncommon cards have silver or black-to-white fade symbols, and rare cards have gold symbols. Starting with Sixth Edition (1999), every Core Set also used an expansion symbol.Įxpansion symbols were black-and-white through the Stronghold (1998) expansion. Description Īn expansion symbol indicates what expansion a card belongs to. Įvolution of the Core Set Expansion symbol. If a card is copied, the copy will keep its original expansion symbol. The expansion symbol is a small icon found on the right side of the middle line or type line on a Magic: The Gathering card and is a characteristic of that card.
