Starter 1999

Template:Infobox expansion Starter, now known as Starter 1999, is a starter-level Magic set that came out in July 1999. It was legalized for Legacy and Vintage on October 20, 2005.

Starter booster

Starter demogame

Set details

Starter was the next attempt, after the Portal series, to ease new players into the game. Rules text were also written in bold type and separated from the flavor text with a thick line. Unlike the previous starter-level sets, Starter didn't have its own set of rules. The terminology was now for the first time consistant throughout the range of Magic products. It was just simpler than advanced-level Magic because certain cards (such as artifacts, enchantments, most Instants and cards with complicated abilities) weren't in the set.

Unlike the Portal sets, Starter did contain some instants (Counterspell, Extinguish and Remove Soul). On the other hand, Starter left out any creatures with a ability.

The Starter set is slightly larger than a standard smaller expansion and most of its cards are reprints of cards already available. The Starter set does contain twenty-six new cards created just for this release.

Marketing

Starter was sold in 15-card booster packs (containing 1 rare, 3 uncommon, 9 common and 2 basic lands), five different 40 card theme decks and a 2 Player Starter Set. The booster pack featured the art from Denizen of the Deep. The 2-Player Starter Set came with two decks, two playmats, a step-by-step play guide, and a simplified version of the rulebook. It contained eight cards not available in boosters, two of which haven't been printed anywhere else (Royal Falcon and Willow Elf). The Starter set was accompanied by The Official Starter Game Strategy Guide and the Guru teaching program. Starter Demogame boosters contained 24 cards, a tip card, a rebate card, and an instruction sheet. Everything two players needed to play their first Magic game.

Storyline

No specific storyline was developed for Starter.

Cycles

Starter has two cycles:

• Super Tramplers: A vertical cycle of creatures that deal their combat damage to the defending player as though they weren't blocked — Lone Wolf, Pride of Lions, Thorn Elemental. It is said that this ability was created because Wizards thought trample was too confusing, yet this new ability wasn't taken too well in its place. This cycle is represented in the Impaler theme deck.
• Vanilla one-drops: Each of these 1/1 creatures costs C and has no abilities — Eager Cadet, Merfolk of the Pearl Trident, Muck Rats, Mons's Goblin Raiders and Willow Elf.

Mirrored pairs

Starter has one mirrored pair:

• Vizzerdrix and Trained Orgg are both 6/6 creatures with no abilities and a cost of 6C.

New cards

Angel of Light Champion Lancer Devout Monk Eager Cadet # Loyal Sentry Royal Falcon # Royal Trooper Veteran Cavalier Sea Eagle # Tidings Vizzerdrix Dakmor Ghoul Dakmor Lancer

Grim Tutor Shrieking Specter Stream of Acid Cinder Storm Goblin Chariot Goblin Commando Goblin Settler Thunder Dragon Trained Orgg Pride of Lions Silverback Ape Squall Willow Elf

# Not available in regular boosters

Functional reprints

Starter has three functional reprints:

• Goblin Chariot is a functional reprint of Raging Cougar from Portal and Wild Colos from Urza's Destiny.
• Loyal Sentry is a functional reprint of Alaborn Zealot from Portal Second Age.
• Veteran Cavalier is a functional reprint of Alaborn Grenadier from Portal Second Age.

Notable Cards

• Grim Tutor — one of the few notable cards this set has introduced, it is still one of the best black Tutors.

Theme decks

The preconstructed theme decks are: Template:Theme decks

For the content of the decks in the 2 Player Starter Set see Starter 1999 2 Player Starter Set.

Misprints

• Goblin Hero was printed with a gold expansion symbol, the card is common - not rare.
• Mons's Goblin Raiders was printed with a gold expansion symbol, the card is common - not rare.
• Squall had a mana cost of . When that card was reprinted later that year in the Mercadian Masques expert-level expansion, it had a mana cost of . The latter was ruled the correct one.

External links

• Starter 1999 Product Page (old)
• Starter 1999 product information page — Wizards of the Coast (new)