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Magic 2015
M15 logo
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description "M15"
Design Aaron Forsythe (lead)
Max McCall
Shawn Main
Mike Gills
Jenna Helland
Development Billy Moreno (lead)
Shawn Main
Adam Lee
Tom LaPille
Sam Stoddard
Art direction Jeremy Jarvis
Release date July 18, 2014
Plane Multiverse
Keywords/​ability words Convoke
Set size 269 cards
(101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares, 20 basic lands)
+15 sample deck cards
(6 commons, 4 uncommons, 5 rares)
Expansion code M15[1]
Development codename None
Core sets
Magic 2014 Magic 2015 Magic Origins
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Vintage Masters Magic 2015 From the Vault: Annihilation

Magic: The Gathering 2015 Core Set, commonly referred to as Magic 2015 or M15 is the 16th Magic core set. It was released on July 18, 2014.[2]

Set details[ | ]

“  Hunt Bigger Game  ”

Magic 2015 contains 269 cards (101 Commons, 80 Uncommons, 53 Rares, 15 Mythic Rares, 20 Basic Land). WotC changed the default from 60 uncommons to 80 uncommons for large sets as it makes limited play better. The default of large sets moving forward would be 269.[3] An additional 15 cards appear in the sample decks. Magic 2015 is strongly integrated with its digital counterpart, Duels of the Planeswalkers.[4][5] The set features a black / green version of the planeswalker Garruk[6] and the "You Make The Card"-card Waste Not.[7][8] The set also features a new card face with a special Magic font ("Beleren"), a holofoil stamp, revamped collector info and a decreased border size. The Magic logo for this set is colored black. The returning mechanic is convoke.[9][10]

Magic 2015 introduced a templating change to cards that set a creature's power and toughness to a specific value. The term "base power and toughness" makes it clearer that other continuous effects that modify power and toughness, such as the ones created by Titanic Growth or a +1/+1 counter, apply after the creature's power and toughness are changed.[11]

Magic Story[ | ]

Main article: Magic Story
Title Author Release Date Setting (plane) Featuring
Beast Tom LaPille 2014-06-18 Innistrad Garruk
Nissa, Worldwaker Kelly Digges 2014-06-25 Zendikar Nissa Revane
Veil of Deceit James Wyatt 2014-07-02 Shandalar Liliana Vess, Kurkesh, Chain Veil
The Bard and the Biologist Matt Knicl 2014-07-09 Shandalar Jalira, Yisan, Sliver Hivelord
The Hunter Cannot Pity Jennifer Clarke Wilkes 2014-07-16 Innistrad, Esper Vronos, Avacyn, Garruk
Ajani's Vengeance Tom LaPille 2014-07-23 Theros Ajani
Comin' Through! Kelly Digges 2014-07-30 Unknown plane Hot Soup
Dreams of the Damned Nik Davidson 2014-08-06 Zendikar Ob Nixilis
The Lunarch's Journal Colin Kawakami 2014-08-13 Innistrad Dovid, Gryta, Avacyn
Monster Ken Troop 2014-08-20 Shandalar Garruk, Jace Beleren, 'Icy'

Designer credits[ | ]

Multiple game world VIPs were invited to create cards for Magic 2015. Their credits appear below the usual flavor text, in smaller type.[12][13]

Credited Known for Card
George Fan Designer of Plants vs. Zombies Genesis Hydra
Penny Arcade Penny Arcade webcomic, creators of PAX Avarice Amulet
Markus Persson Creator of Minecraft, founder of Mojang Aggressive Mining
Richard Garriot Creator of the Ultima series Shield of the Avatar
David Sirlin Designer on Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Yomi Master of Predicaments
Rob Pardo Chief Creative Officer at Blizzard, lead designer of World of Warcraft Xathrid Slyblade
Isaiah Cartwright Lead game designer for Guild Wars 2 Warden of the Beyond
Justin Gary Designer of Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer and Solforge
Winner of Pro Tour Houston 2002, National Team Championship in Worlds 2003
Spirit Bonds
Stone Librande Lead designer of Diablo 3, creative director of SimCity Goblin Kaboomist
Brian Fargo Founder of Interplay Entertainment and InXile Entertainment Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
Mike Neumann Gearbox Software, creative director on Borderlands Chasm Skulker
James Ernest Owner and lead designer for Cheapass Games Hot Soup
Edmund McMillen Indie designer of Super Meat Boy, featured in Indie Game: The Movie Cruel Sadist
Brad Muir Game designer at Double Fine Productions, project lead on Iron Brigade Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
The Magic community Playing Magic Waste Not

Marketing[ | ]

Magic 2015 is sold in booster packs, Intro packs, a fat pack, the new clash pack (which is a 2-Player Starter Set)[14] and the M15 Deck Builder's Toolkit.[15] The boosters featured art work from Ajani Steadfast, Jace, the Living Guildpact, Nightfire Giant, Soul of Shandalar and Nissa, Worldwaker. The prerelease was July 12–13, 2014, the magic online release was on July 28, 2014 and the Game Day was August 9–10, 2014. The set was promoted at the website www.huntbiggergame.com

Prerelease[ | ]

Garruk the Slayer

There are five prerelease packs, one for each color. Each comes with a seeded booster pack that corresponds with that color.[16] When registering for the Prerelease tournament, each player chooses one. The seeded booster pack will assist players in building a deck by providing a starting point in their chosen color. Each seeded booster pack contains a premium promo card, which players may include in their tournament decks. Each prerelease pack comes with a oversized challenge card, Garruk the Slayer, which is a key component of Magic 2015's experience design (designed by Ethan Fleischer and Gavin Verhey). The prerelease pack further contains 5 regular booster packs, 1 activity insert, 1 Spindown life counter, and 3 Wolf tokens. One player plays their Prerelease deck as normal. This player always goes first. The other player plays as Garruk. Garruk starts at 20 loyalty and can activate one loyalty ability each turn. Garruk can be attacked and if his loyalty reaches 0, he loses. But if Garruk's horde of Wolves drops the player to 0, then Garruk wins. The oversized Garruk Planeswalker card can't be returned to its owner's hand or otherwise removed.[17]


Promotional cards[ | ]

Tokens/Emblems[ | ]

"Token" now appears on the type line as a pseudo-supertype. Emblems have also received a type line, which includes the Planeswalker subtype.[19]

  1. {C} 1/1 Sliver creature for Sliver Hive
  2. {W} 1/1 Soldier creature for First Response and Raise the Alarm
  3. {W} 1/1 Spirit creature with flying for Spirit Bonds and Triplicate Spirits
  4. {U} 1/1 Squid creature with islandwalk for Chasm Skulker and Coral Barrier
  5. {B} 3/3 Beast creature with deathtouch for Garruk, Apex Predator
  6. {B} 2/2 Zombie creature for Necromancer's Stockpile and Waste Not
  7. {R} 2/2 Dragon creature with flying and “{R}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn” for Brood Keeper
  8. {R} 1/1 Goblin creature for Goblin Rabblemaster
  9. {G} 3/3 Beast creature for Feral Incarnation and Soul of Zendikar
  10. {G} 1/1 Insect creature with flying and deathtouch for Hornet Nest and Hornet Queen
  11. {G} */* Treefolk Warrior creature with “This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of Forests you control” for Kalonian Twingrove
  12. {C} Artifact named Land Mine with “{R}, Sacrifice this artifact: This artifact deals 2 damage to target attacking creature without flying” for Goblin Kaboomist
  13. Emblem for Ajani Steadfast
  14. Emblem for Garruk, Apex Predator

Sample decks[ | ]

The Magic 2015 Core Set comes with five thirty-card sample decks. Each sample deck has several cards numbered 270 and higher that do not appear in Magic 2015 booster packs. They include classics like Serra Angel, Sengir Vampire, and Mahamoti Djinn. These 15 cards are legal for tournament play in any format that includes the Magic 2015 core set.[20] The Deck Builder's Toolkit 2015 contains a single copy of card numbers 270 and 272–284 and two copies of card number 271 Divine Verdict.

Cycles[ | ]

Magic 2015 has ten cycles:

Cycle name {W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Planeswalkers Ajani Steadfast Jace, the Living Guildpact Liliana Vess Chandra, Pyromaster Nissa, Worldwaker
Six mythic rare Planeswalkers including Garruk, Apex Predator.
Plane souls Soul of Theros Soul of Ravnica Soul of Innistrad Soul of Shandalar Soul of Zendikar
Six mythic rare 6/6 Avatar cards including Soul of New Phyrexia.
Legendaries Avacyn, Guardian Angel Jalira, Master Polymorphist Ob Nixilis, Unshackled Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
Five rare legendary creatures
Paragons Paragon of New Dawns Paragon of Gathering Mists Paragon of Open Graves Paragon of Fierce Defiance Paragon of Eternal Wilds
Five uncommon 2/2 color Lords.[21]
Slivers Constricting Sliver Diffusion Sliver Leeching Sliver Belligerent Sliver Venom Sliver
Five uncommon slivers.[22]
Sedge creatures Dauntless River Marshal Jorubai Murk Lurker Nightfire Giant Kird Chieftain Sunblade Elf
Five uncommon creatures that get +1/+1 if you control a basic land of the appropriate allied color and can activate an ability for payment in that allied color. This cycle uses the other allied color than the cycle from Magic 2013, and the activated abilities have greater utility.
Wizard Staves Staff of the Sun Magus Staff of the Mind Magus Staff of the Death Magus Staff of the Flame Magus Staff of the Wild Magus
Five uncommon artifacts that cost {3} and have an ability that allows its controller to gain one life whenever a spell or land of the appropriate color is played. Reprinted from Magic 2014
Walls Wall of Essence Wall of Frost Wall of Limbs Wall of Fire Wall of Mulch
Five cross-rarity Walls with 0 power and an ability.
Same-color enhancers Sanctified Charge Statute of Denial Festergloom Foundry Street Denizen Hunter's Ambush
A loose cycle of five common cards that are more effective when played in conjunction with cards of the same color.
Cycle name {W}{B} {U}{R} {B}{G} {R}{W} {G}{U}
Enemy colored painlands Caves of Koilos Shivan Reef Llanowar Wastes Battlefield Forge Yavimaya Coast
Five rare dual lands with "{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add M or N. [This] deals 1 damage to you." Here, M and N are enemy colors of mana. Reprinted from 10th Edition [23]

Notable cards[ | ]

  • Ensoul Artifact has given its name to a Pioneer deck built around turning artifacts into creatures aggressively
  • The Chain Veil is a flavorful artifact that lets your planeswalkers play two loyalty abilities in a turn.
  • Reclamation Sage is an anti-artifact/enchantment creature used in sideboard in several formats.
  • Goblin Rabblemaster had a substantial impact in Standard and has been played in Legacy Goblins as well as prison decks in Modern
  • Radiant Fountain was played in various control decks in Standard and is also a toolbox land included in Modern Amulet Titan decks.
  • Waste Not is an eponymous card in a Pioneer deck built around abusing it as a value engine.
  • Heliod's Pilgrim is used in Pauper in Aura-based aggro decks to find the perfect piece for a situation.
  • Triplicate Spirits was a notoriously strong card in the set's Limited environment, particularly for a common.
  • Act on Impulse lent its name to an almost new type of red card advantage that would grow more in popularity over the coming years

Preconstructed decks[ | ]

Intro packs[ | ]

The intro packs are:[24]

Intro pack name Colors Included Foil rare
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Price of Glory W B Resolute Archangel
Hit the Ground Running U G Mercurial Pretender
Infernal Intervention B R Indulgent Tormentor
Flames of the Dragon U R Siege Dragon
Will of the Masses W G Phytotitan

Clash pack[ | ]

Main article: Magic 2015/Clash pack

Magic 2015 comes with a clash pack which contains two bicolored decks.[25]

Clash pack
deck name
Colors Included
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Fate U G
Fury R G

Core set changes[ | ]

Main article: Magic 2015/Changes

References[ | ]

  1. Information below the text box
  2. Wizards of the Coast (January 6, 2014). "Announcing Magic 2015". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Mark Rosewater (January 06, 2014). "Why does Magic 2015 have 269 cards instead of the usual 249?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  4. Aaron Forsythe (June 23, 2014). "Magic 2015 — It's In There". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Mark Rosewater (date). "Days of Core, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Blake Rasmussen (June 30, 2014). "The Hunter". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Ethan Fleischer (September 30, 2013). "You Made the Card!". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. Aaron Forsythe (January 06, 2014). "From the Director's Chair: 2013". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Mark Rosewater (June 23, 2014). "Days of Core, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Sam Stoddard (July 25, 2014). "Developing Convoking". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. Matt Tabak (July 7, 2014). "Magic 2015 Core Set release notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. Trick Jarrett (April 16, 2014). "Designer Cards in Magic 2015". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. Shawn Main (June 30, 2014). "Working with Some of the Best Minds in Gaming". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. Trick Jarrett (March 05, 2014). "Introducing M15's Clash Pack". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. Blake Rasmussen (June 24, 2014). "Magic 2015 Packaging". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. Gavin Verhey (July 7, 2014). "Magic 2015 Prerelease Primer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. Blake Rasmussen (June 22, 2014). "Win the Ultimate Trophy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  18. Blake Rasmussen (July 1, 2014). "Promos, Packaging, and Promos Some More". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  19. Blake Rasmussen (July 2, 2014). "Magic 2015 tokens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  20. Blake Rasmussen (June 13, 2014). "Magic 2015 Sample Decks". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  21. Marshall Sutcliffe (July 2, 2014). "Setting Up the Paragons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  22. Sam Stoddard (July 4, 2014). "Magic 2015 Wrap-Up". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  23. Sam Stoddard (June 27, 2014). "Making Mana". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  24. Blake Rasmussen (July 9, 2014). "Magic 2015 Intro Pack Decklists". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  25. Blake Rasmussen (July 7, 2014). "Magic 2015 Clash Pack". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links[ | ]

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