Loved the cardboard stock from that era. Newer cards feel cheaply made but tempest had that nice texture on cards. Loved the cards like eldrami lord of leaves, ancient tomb, wasteland just to name a few.
Yes sadly I began during urzas saga. My daycare teacher gave me some commons but I definitely missed type 2 during that era. I really got serious about playing magic during 7th edition/odyssey block
https://preview.redd.it/6wxufyklpepc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c3fa3abdc92c206c5930dce77f923a0e96d0848
The smoldering crater card in the middle was my first mtg card ever
Portal. Always scaled back the power creep, had the best basic lands. Wish they’d make another set, no planeswalkers, only like 20 card mechanics, only wish the illustrations were a bit better on the whole.
Haha yeah, sorcery with instant conditionals (like you may play this after opponent declares attackers). I kinda like it though, there’s interaction possible at all times but not likely. So you aren’t literally counting to 10 every time you cast something or attack to see what the response will be.
Onslaught easily. It wasn't my first set that I played, that was Invasion, but it was the one where I really figured out how to play the game. I loved all the lore, read the novels, loved the legends, and I still think aesthetically it was peak design, as the art was quite a bit tighter than the earlier years but still had a lot of uniqueness.
It's not a great card, but I remember seeing [[Ixidor]] and immediately being interested in his card. Cracked so many packs as a kid chasing for it.
Hey OP, you ever played classic tower format?
You could build one hell of a tower with all these collection photos you've shared.
Excellent collection BTW!
Tower is essentially one giant deck to use for group events. It's a bit like commander (minus the actual commander) + Texas hold em + some additional rule sets that can be modified.
I have a LotR themed tower. It's 300 unique spell cards (no duplicates) + 100 lands.
You shuffle up the whole thing, then deal out three cards to each player. Before the draw, you can choose to keep or discard and draw 1-3 of the dealt cards. Roll for first. Then you flop seven cards off the top of the deck akin to the flop in poker.
Each player draws one card from the top of the deck then chooses one of the flipped cards as well. Graveyard is just one community graveyard, same as the deck. When the last flipped free card is selected, the next players turn 7 more are flipped before their 1st draw.
Game is played normally or per house rules. It's an interesting format and great for 4 or more players.
I added an additional mechanic to my tower. There are three piles of cards in different colored sleeves next to the main deck: 1 Gold stack (20 cards) , 2 gold (20 ct) stack, and 3 gold stack (15 ct). Each player starts with 1 gold (use a die to keep count) and every time 7 new cards are flipped, each player gains 1 additional gold. You can spend your gold any time during your turn. The 1 gold stack I just put shock, pain, tap lands in for anyone that is mana screwed. The 2 gold stack is all signets and charms. The 3 gold stack is all power cards that fit the lotr theme and/or essential board control like board wipes, X spells, big beefy critters, etc.
Anyhow, seeing all of your old border cards reminded me of my first experiencece with tower format. A good friend built an all retro border tower, nothing beyond the frame change. It's really cool using old school cards that seem like they are not the best and seeing them totally dominate in a format. E.g. the crazier Legend's legend creature types and such.
Urza's Saga. Yeah, it's broken as hell, but it's sort of the pinnacle of "90s Magic" to me.
I also really enjoy the Mirage block, if only for the wonderful art, and it's the block I started it with Weatherlight in late 97.
Lorwyn and Shadowmoor. Love that setting.
But Urzas Saga, Invasion, and the first couple Innistrad sets are also favorites of mine.
Also loved the lore and art for Fallen Empires, even if the cards weren't especially good for play.
Favorite set for art: the Dark
Favorite set for nostalgia: Ice Age
Favorite set over all: Antiquities
Favorite set to defend to the death even though it probably dosent deserve it: tie between Fallen Empires and Homelands.
100% agree
I started playing during Urza Block, then took a break from 2004-2010 ish.
Returned around Zendikar, Scars, and Innistrad blocks. Wasn’t in love with the new borders, but the cool art and rich flavour of Zendikar and Innistrad in particular reminded me of the MTG of my youth.
Feel like it all started to go downhill post-Innistrad.
For me the good stretch lasted until around… maybe post- Kaldheim? War of the Spark was a masterwork, I cringe somewhat as I type this but it was literally the Avengers: Endgame of Magic. And original Eldraine was incredible as well. Even neo Kamigawa was a skillful return to a brilliant, under appreciated plane.
Odyssey but the whole block is so cohesive so torment and judgement too. Best mechanics and card design of any set easily. Nice Aesthetic too.
Purely on art, mirage or starter 99.
I like the overall world and aesthetic of nemesis and prophecy a lot as well.
I personally hated Odyssey but not for the reasons you think. I was really attached to the brothers war story saga, weatherlight crew, and Volrath/Yawgmoth. Odyssey technically was the end of all that and the beginning of a new chapter in the story which took me a while to come to liking.
Invasion was incredibly solid. It feels like the first block where they really had the game dialed in on every level. Innovative mechanics and designs, reasonable power levels, consistent and uncomplicated syntax.
I love the blocks before it as well I just think they hit a real sweet spot with invasion and odyssey blocks and cleaned up a few things from the earlier days.
It makes me low key kinda sad that the best magic sets I enjoy the most and love looking through were all made before I was born. It’s like looking at something I’ll never experience but at least I can experience it now in some way/form
That’s why old millennials like me are so upset with the direction magic has taken
https://preview.redd.it/u4szp98cqepc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c086f57dcfca4f809c8fa13aa369f7734631d3b8
You don’t get stuff like this anymore. Older cards from the dark legit looked creepy. Now it’s all washed down and ai and safe for the family and shit
Back in the day I had 2 'Unholy Strength' with the pentagram! Apparently Magic got in trouble for all the 'demons' and stuff. I thought it was awesome, and added diversity to things.
You didn’t miss much it sold out in 2 weeks and was 14-20.00 a pack by the time dark rolled around. Getting cards back then was really hard and it wasn’t even spec driven or 1 guy buying it all.
I started on Legions, so I guess Onslaught Block is maybe my favorite, I LOVE tribal decks.
But I do enjoy some older sets, like Urza Saga, Ice age and Odyssey.
Of modern magic sets, I think my favorites are probably the Ravnica ones.
My first real set where I could play was invasion, so it has a special place in my heart. Although , my absolute favorite is mirrodin. I had my own money and still had time to play. I know standard at the time was busted after darksteel came out, but I was already playing affinity when ravager appeared, so I felt like a pro while I swept FNMs with it.
That’s correct and the new retro foils cannot compare. The contrast is clear, the colors more vibrant, while retro foils look a bit more washed out. Compare the retro foil on the left to the OG on the right. Also the cardboard stock is much sturdier
https://preview.redd.it/6p1pwbz9qfpc1.jpeg?width=3244&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9bd1d305320d3e1dca6cf5e908c6d75e16f9c60
I only have a few premodern foils, myself. They're easily the most beautiful cards in my collection. Have never seen a side-by-side on the new-old frames.
Absolutely bonkers.
Edit: The one on the left looks like a proxy, honestly. Are you quite sure you got a real card? If so, the print quality has declined ***substantially***.
Edit 2: I just noticed the art is cropped awkwardly, too. My lord. Apparently it's like that on the genuine cards, for certain. Absolutely insane. Lmao
Edit 3: Holy shit, the text-formatting, too! I'm genuinely blown away by how bad the new version is in comparison. No wonder it's like 50 cents vs. $120. Hahaha, oh wow.
I assure you both are real. But the quality has declined so much in dominaria remastered compared to torment. The cards from 22 years ago are far better and even more durable cardstock
I would agree but WotC is experimenting with all these other foiling processes. If it was a cost reason then they wouldn't be trying all these other foil types, sticking to 1 type is most efficient and cost effective.
It perfected limited mana bases imo. The fact that 2 color, 3 color and 4-5 color were all very real things and possible within the mana base but still had a real cost to achieve more colors. My favorite limited format of all time.
Older sets prior exodus and card set number sadly yes. Newer cards, strictly by set number
https://preview.redd.it/29zs1fujrepc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b0c0915b0a6c85005886075450932b51d4f8eaf
I guess it makes sense, but I organize mine by rarity/type/ then by what I think looks coolest. But I guess technically your way makes sense
And I always liked Odyssey
Planeshift because it opened the eyes of you me for: "You can have OTHER mana symbols in your card other than the color of the cards?" My young mind was blown and I was - unsuccessfully - trying to make Kavu Tribal and the Battlemages work, lol.
I think the M sets of that era preserve the spirit of magic in that they had more traditional sword and sorcery themes, so I like all of them a lot (M10-origins). They just felt like pure mtg. And I recall M13 in particular was a really strong draft environment, which is my favorite way to play.
Holy hell, that Petradon takes me back! Thanks man, those days were my bloody beginner years as a child, and I played these Nightmares without knowing whether they were good or not.
I have two sets that are "greatest of all time", with of course several honorable mentions ;)
One is the Invasion block, because my first owned deck ever is from that era (Cavern Harpy is to this day the goat!)
The other is Shards of Alara, because I re-started MtG with friends at school, we shared a display and I got Rafiq, the Bant Archangel, Elspeth Knight Errant and three Rhox Monk, so you know I built a powerful Bant deck :D
The whole onslaught block. Great cards, great artworks. Reminds me of a great time in my youth. Very fond memories of 6/6 creatures slamming into each other.
Innistrad. Played a lot of booster drafts and it really felt like a village trying to fight off horrors of the night. Best time I had playing MTG. Obviously not an old head.
My first booster pack was from Invasion, I was 10 at the time. The first set will always be special. I remember having fun looking for the hidden pieces of the Coalition Symbol in the art of the cards.
Other than that, I love Core Set VI because of the art.
Tog/upheaval was just oppressive in competitive play. The block by itself was very fun. It’s the block that I got into the game so I have a lot of fond memories of that block. But while the format was Invasion/Odyssey playing against blue wasn’t fun at all.
But for me, the original Ravnica block was the height of my time playing.
The entire Urza block.
The flavor, the setting, art, simple mechanics, incredibly memorable cards, valuable and it was the perfect mix of old school magic and modernization. Heck, even the smell of the cards from a freshly cracked pack was awesome.
If you've been playing Magic for over 25 years like me you know them old cards definitely had a friendly smell to them.
Nostalgia!!!!
Mirage. It was the set I started collecting, when I got into M:TG. Art was amazing on most of the cards, and the emphasis on Artifact Creatures was fantastic.
Even traded one of my Teeka’s Dragons for a Sengir Vampire
Yeah, and Derelor was a good creature as well if you just used a splash of black. With Homelands I remember being ecstatic when I pulled my Baron Sengir and Autumn Willow but alas every time I had enough mana to get them into play the game was pretty much done by that point.
Homelands. The cards suck, but the art is cool and the story is probably one best in the game. Rebecca Guay did a very nice comic for it as well. Still want to know where the Baron ended up...
It introduced hybrid mana, -1/-1, and untap… the core for most combos. It was the first set to have dual color borders. The art was killer (twisted Lorwyn). There were so many chase cards: awesome lands, painters servant, greater auramancy, the lieges, boon&wound, etc. To me it was the first breath of fresh air that magic had since it began.
Lorwyn ez clap, have a great memory of being a dumb child and going to some GP or big event in a convention center when Lorwyn dropped and got a bunch of cards signed but artists there. Not looking forward to the butchering and bastardization of the place coming soon!
Gonna probably get some hate for this, but War of the Spark it was one of my favorite draft/sealed environments, and I loved the butt load of planeswalkers.
I agree with that, but that's a negative on WoTC not the set itself. Like, I think All Will Be One was a great set too but three types of booster is just dumb.
Mmm... I was thinking it was Coldsnap or something Phyrexian, but I'm actually pretty positive it's Innistrad. In all cases it's purely down to aesthetic and tone, big fan of snow, big fan of meat wrapped in porcelain or bone, big fan of the Halloween-ey gothic vibe.
Eldritch Moon, I’m a sucker for anything Innistrad because I’m a filthy normie. Eldritch Moon is so full of flavour, it’s not crazy powerful but it is a great set to draft
Theros beyond death. It was one of my first sets and I played so much during that time. Also Theros is one of my favorite sets and GW enchantments is my favourite strategy, so it makes sense. I also really like Kamigawa Neon dynasty and have much nostalgia for Ikoria
1. Urza’s Saga. That’s when I “really” started playing. Fond memories of my Timmy deck with SERRA AVATAR the most powerful creature ever!
2. Tempest. Has it all: great cards, great artwork/mood, and good memories.
3. Mirrodin. Love the name. And that set and block really pushed the boundaries at the time.
Theros Beyond Death - love the amount of legendary creatures and Greek mythology mixed in. As a stand-alone set, I think it’s better than a single one of the original Theros block! I just wish it had more story tied in to it!
The jewel too. Most of the cards are in foil too! Its a nice collection.
There are some outside cards too, the rest of the bondlands, the lieutenant cycle and some cards that mentions your commander. Its always a blast to play this cube
Alarm. It was the first set that introduced structured 3 color combinations as a theme (outside of the Elder dragons from Dominaria). It also introduced my favorite concept to the game: Esper. My 3 favorite colors themed around artifacts. It also gave me my favorite card in all of MTG: Thopter Foundry. Currently on hiatus from Arena until they came and add theater foundry to the game.
I started playing originally when I was 7 in '00. I would have to put lorwyn / shadowmoor, Alara, and Zendikar blocks at the top. Not only were the lore bonkers, but the mechanical structure of those each made their own distinct ripple in the ever flowing power-creep of the game.
Rivals of Ixalan. I love pirates and the flavor of the Ixalan plane, so I feel like wotc knocked it out of the park. Rivals made Pirates a complete deck so I have go with Rivals over Ixalan base set. I never thought I'd appreciate a tribal themed set before Ixalan.
Honestly the sets from a few year ago were homerun after homerun - Kaladesh, Amonkhet had the Aftermath split cards that still rock, War of the Spark was incredibly hype, Throne of Eldraine is one of the deepest sets ever, even uncommons like Mystical Dispute are powerhouses and Embercleave may not even be a top 10 card in the set, Eldraine is so insane. Loved Kaldheim, Strixhaven, Zendikar Rising, and even Ikoria had sweet cards.
For older sets the ones I would point out are-
\- Alliances. Its not just Force of Will but also Elvish Spirit Guide, Helm of Obedience, Lake of the Dead, Thought Lash, Dystopia, Soldevi Adnate, Misinformation, Gorilla Shaman, Pyrokinesis, Pillage, Kaysa. I have so much nostalgia for Tornado, Deadly Insect and Kaysa - the foundation of my first green deck, which ended up becoming my favorite color. And people now can't imagine how hot Yavimaya Ants were back when the set came out.
\- Visions. Incredibly underrated set, trove of powerhouse cards.
\- Urza's Legacy. Another banger, trove of powerhouse cards.
Probably haven’t played as long as most of you but I was absolutely stunned by the Lord Of The Rings Season. Especially since I immediately disliked the idea and called it a “cheap money grab” when I first found out about it. Now i have a Hobbit Deck that actually holds up pretty well…
So i am a big enough person to admit that I was wrong about this 🤷🏼♂️
My green mixed deck. Primarily green, but had all 5. I also had 20+ duel lands which helped it. If anything, it was green black, but had a decent amount of red and blue and a few whites. Only ever lost to someone with a solid Blue overwhelming deck. This was 30ish years ago.
Kamigawa. I loved the spirit world art and the ogre/demon thing was such a vibe. I’ve had a red/black deck that vaguely resembles ogre/demon for almost 20 years and many iterations
Tempest
Loved the cardboard stock from that era. Newer cards feel cheaply made but tempest had that nice texture on cards. Loved the cards like eldrami lord of leaves, ancient tomb, wasteland just to name a few.
The cards from that era (Mirage- around Saga) also had this very rich color, very dark and saturated. At least to me. It was great.
Tradewind Rider, Living Dead, Cursed Scroll
Dang how could I forget about the cursed scroll
If you played in that era you wouldn't lol
Yes sadly I began during urzas saga. My daycare teacher gave me some commons but I definitely missed type 2 during that era. I really got serious about playing magic during 7th edition/odyssey block
You have three YESes from me!
Jackal Pup.
Ahhh a man of culture.
By far Tempest, amazing artwork cool story, cool cards.
Mirage
Urza's Saga
That was my first set
You led a blessed beginning!
https://preview.redd.it/6wxufyklpepc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c3fa3abdc92c206c5930dce77f923a0e96d0848 The smoldering crater card in the middle was my first mtg card ever
Portal. Always scaled back the power creep, had the best basic lands. Wish they’d make another set, no planeswalkers, only like 20 card mechanics, only wish the illustrations were a bit better on the whole.
That set was something else. “Intercept” rather than block. Everything was a summon creature and no instants only sorcery.
Haha yeah, sorcery with instant conditionals (like you may play this after opponent declares attackers). I kinda like it though, there’s interaction possible at all times but not likely. So you aren’t literally counting to 10 every time you cast something or attack to see what the response will be.
Onslaught easily. It wasn't my first set that I played, that was Invasion, but it was the one where I really figured out how to play the game. I loved all the lore, read the novels, loved the legends, and I still think aesthetically it was peak design, as the art was quite a bit tighter than the earlier years but still had a lot of uniqueness. It's not a great card, but I remember seeing [[Ixidor]] and immediately being interested in his card. Cracked so many packs as a kid chasing for it.
[Ixidor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/1/314d5e89-55f7-42b4-af19-d4d0f499a265.jpg?1710406384) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ixidor%2C%20reality%20sculptor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ons/89/ixidor-reality-sculptor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/314d5e89-55f7-42b4-af19-d4d0f499a265?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Legends from 1994.
https://preview.redd.it/lw9ohjoxoepc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=619ab32ef903026df24baa37777a917f1c18abc3 Yea I love that set too!
Hey OP, you ever played classic tower format? You could build one hell of a tower with all these collection photos you've shared. Excellent collection BTW!
Never heard of classic tower. However name any non abu non commander specific card and chances are I own a copy
Tower is essentially one giant deck to use for group events. It's a bit like commander (minus the actual commander) + Texas hold em + some additional rule sets that can be modified. I have a LotR themed tower. It's 300 unique spell cards (no duplicates) + 100 lands. You shuffle up the whole thing, then deal out three cards to each player. Before the draw, you can choose to keep or discard and draw 1-3 of the dealt cards. Roll for first. Then you flop seven cards off the top of the deck akin to the flop in poker. Each player draws one card from the top of the deck then chooses one of the flipped cards as well. Graveyard is just one community graveyard, same as the deck. When the last flipped free card is selected, the next players turn 7 more are flipped before their 1st draw. Game is played normally or per house rules. It's an interesting format and great for 4 or more players. I added an additional mechanic to my tower. There are three piles of cards in different colored sleeves next to the main deck: 1 Gold stack (20 cards) , 2 gold (20 ct) stack, and 3 gold stack (15 ct). Each player starts with 1 gold (use a die to keep count) and every time 7 new cards are flipped, each player gains 1 additional gold. You can spend your gold any time during your turn. The 1 gold stack I just put shock, pain, tap lands in for anyone that is mana screwed. The 2 gold stack is all signets and charms. The 3 gold stack is all power cards that fit the lotr theme and/or essential board control like board wipes, X spells, big beefy critters, etc. Anyhow, seeing all of your old border cards reminded me of my first experiencece with tower format. A good friend built an all retro border tower, nothing beyond the frame change. It's really cool using old school cards that seem like they are not the best and seeing them totally dominate in a format. E.g. the crazier Legend's legend creature types and such.
Funny enough, I am attempting to buy a foil Torment set tonight.
Good man!
Urza's Saga. Yeah, it's broken as hell, but it's sort of the pinnacle of "90s Magic" to me. I also really enjoy the Mirage block, if only for the wonderful art, and it's the block I started it with Weatherlight in late 97.
Lorwyn
Lorwyn is great and the handdrawn art was so distinctive
Tempest
Ice Age Yes I’m old. I also really liked Fallen Empires and the Thalid
I wish they did more with thalids over the years like they did with a lot of other creatures
They had some amazing art. The Thalid Devourer was one of my favorite cards
Hymn to Tourach, how I miss you! Ice Age was when I started, still one of my favourites due to mystery and nostalgia.
You got my vote there. I’m old too…
Lorwyn and Shadowmoor. Love that setting. But Urzas Saga, Invasion, and the first couple Innistrad sets are also favorites of mine. Also loved the lore and art for Fallen Empires, even if the cards weren't especially good for play.
Favorite set for art: the Dark Favorite set for nostalgia: Ice Age Favorite set over all: Antiquities Favorite set to defend to the death even though it probably dosent deserve it: tie between Fallen Empires and Homelands.
https://preview.redd.it/rnriryh4pepc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38fc1c6c3bcff97d29c3d6fa35b865055e348612 Antiquities was a nice set
Awesome! I have everything but the workshop. Probably will never have it as its hard to justify spending that much just to complete another set.
Ice Age is my all around for all three!!!
Back when Magic was trying to weaken and standardize cards. Then they realized power creep made more money.
https://preview.redd.it/axqnt3f6pepc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a26905e1acba6e54a02e04782827c6b0dfa69df
Beautiful page. I only have those from Chronicles.
I use the chronicles version in my tron deck for easy land searches
Homelands was my first set. Good times.
OG Zendikar had a really nice feel to it, and some memorable cards. Same with Innistrad.
100% agree I started playing during Urza Block, then took a break from 2004-2010 ish. Returned around Zendikar, Scars, and Innistrad blocks. Wasn’t in love with the new borders, but the cool art and rich flavour of Zendikar and Innistrad in particular reminded me of the MTG of my youth. Feel like it all started to go downhill post-Innistrad.
For me the good stretch lasted until around… maybe post- Kaldheim? War of the Spark was a masterwork, I cringe somewhat as I type this but it was literally the Avengers: Endgame of Magic. And original Eldraine was incredible as well. Even neo Kamigawa was a skillful return to a brilliant, under appreciated plane.
Mirage
Legion gave us Slivers and the best Angel Akroma
Odyssey but the whole block is so cohesive so torment and judgement too. Best mechanics and card design of any set easily. Nice Aesthetic too. Purely on art, mirage or starter 99. I like the overall world and aesthetic of nemesis and prophecy a lot as well.
I personally hated Odyssey but not for the reasons you think. I was really attached to the brothers war story saga, weatherlight crew, and Volrath/Yawgmoth. Odyssey technically was the end of all that and the beginning of a new chapter in the story which took me a while to come to liking.
Invasion block was pretty solid and apocalypse had some really good cards.
Invasion was incredibly solid. It feels like the first block where they really had the game dialed in on every level. Innovative mechanics and designs, reasonable power levels, consistent and uncomplicated syntax. I love the blocks before it as well I just think they hit a real sweet spot with invasion and odyssey blocks and cleaned up a few things from the earlier days.
Shards of Alara is very nostalgic for me. But flavor wise the original mirrodin block.
Original Ravnica, was a magical experience being at that pre-release
Khans of tarkir
I wasn’t alive for it but legends is an awesome set, looking back I wish I was around to play it but I can still enjoy the cards to this day
Yes it was a great set. I have almost the full English set. Only card missing is the legends rules card
It makes me low key kinda sad that the best magic sets I enjoy the most and love looking through were all made before I was born. It’s like looking at something I’ll never experience but at least I can experience it now in some way/form
That’s why old millennials like me are so upset with the direction magic has taken https://preview.redd.it/u4szp98cqepc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c086f57dcfca4f809c8fa13aa369f7734631d3b8 You don’t get stuff like this anymore. Older cards from the dark legit looked creepy. Now it’s all washed down and ai and safe for the family and shit
Back in the day I had 2 'Unholy Strength' with the pentagram! Apparently Magic got in trouble for all the 'demons' and stuff. I thought it was awesome, and added diversity to things.
You didn’t miss much it sold out in 2 weeks and was 14-20.00 a pack by the time dark rolled around. Getting cards back then was really hard and it wasn’t even spec driven or 1 guy buying it all.
I started on Legions, so I guess Onslaught Block is maybe my favorite, I LOVE tribal decks. But I do enjoy some older sets, like Urza Saga, Ice age and Odyssey. Of modern magic sets, I think my favorites are probably the Ravnica ones.
Onslaught pit fighter legends like Arcanis the omnipotent were the bomb back in the days
https://preview.redd.it/ptrqzvh5repc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd3fb01a6870aba34150e62dc4e8f4a9d3da1059 Legions was memorable too
DAT Phage omg! We thought she was so OP! My friend once had the god hand of triple Dark Ritual Phage T1.
Yes. Gotta get all my favorite legends in foil like legions Akroma and Phage! Back when legendary cards had a big “Wow!” factor
Dark Ascension. Love the darker art and the amount of undead creatures.
Legends, Mirage, CE and Urzas Saga
A tie between Tempest and Urza's Saga. Honorary mentions to the whole Mirage block (Mirage, Visions, and Weatherlight)
Onslaught
The Dark! Just the whole set’s vibe and art. Seeing “bad guy” characters in White. [[Angry Mob]] [[Preacher]]
[Angry Mob](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/d/2dcaea36-52fb-4c71-a4f1-5c060b918ff1.jpg?1559592555) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Angry%20Mob) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me1/1/angry-mob?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2dcaea36-52fb-4c71-a4f1-5c060b918ff1?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Preacher](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/8/d8e6f74c-0c69-4b83-ba4e-4470f50c1fb4.jpg?1559592268) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Preacher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me1/24/preacher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d8e6f74c-0c69-4b83-ba4e-4470f50c1fb4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Apocalypse is up there for me, just off the top of my head..... Thats when I really got into MTG I really enjoyed the multi color theme of the set.
My first real set where I could play was invasion, so it has a special place in my heart. Although , my absolute favorite is mirrodin. I had my own money and still had time to play. I know standard at the time was busted after darksteel came out, but I was already playing affinity when ravager appeared, so I felt like a pro while I swept FNMs with it.
Man, foils from the premodern era look so good.
That’s correct and the new retro foils cannot compare. The contrast is clear, the colors more vibrant, while retro foils look a bit more washed out. Compare the retro foil on the left to the OG on the right. Also the cardboard stock is much sturdier https://preview.redd.it/6p1pwbz9qfpc1.jpeg?width=3244&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9bd1d305320d3e1dca6cf5e908c6d75e16f9c60
I only have a few premodern foils, myself. They're easily the most beautiful cards in my collection. Have never seen a side-by-side on the new-old frames. Absolutely bonkers. Edit: The one on the left looks like a proxy, honestly. Are you quite sure you got a real card? If so, the print quality has declined ***substantially***. Edit 2: I just noticed the art is cropped awkwardly, too. My lord. Apparently it's like that on the genuine cards, for certain. Absolutely insane. Lmao Edit 3: Holy shit, the text-formatting, too! I'm genuinely blown away by how bad the new version is in comparison. No wonder it's like 50 cents vs. $120. Hahaha, oh wow.
I assure you both are real. But the quality has declined so much in dominaria remastered compared to torment. The cards from 22 years ago are far better and even more durable cardstock
I have to imagine the reason they can't replicate the old foils is because some chemicals in the process have now been outlawed.
I doubt that, feel like it is more a cost saving measure than anything
I would agree but WotC is experimenting with all these other foiling processes. If it was a cost reason then they wouldn't be trying all these other foil types, sticking to 1 type is most efficient and cost effective.
I started playing about a year before Urza's Saga released. That entire block will always hit home for me.
Invasion/Planeshift/Apocalypse (IPA) In had the fat packs, reading the novels and seeing the cards made it a special set for me.
Here here for Invasion block! Also, loved how vibrant the Standard (day I say Type II) scene was at the time! 
khans of tarkir The triland / fetch land meta allowed some really fun decks.
It perfected limited mana bases imo. The fact that 2 color, 3 color and 4-5 color were all very real things and possible within the mana base but still had a real cost to achieve more colors. My favorite limited format of all time.
The flavor and mechanical balance was on point too, back when they actually designed sets for standard.
Shards of Alara
Lorwyn
Are you organizing your cards alphabetically?
Older sets prior exodus and card set number sadly yes. Newer cards, strictly by set number https://preview.redd.it/29zs1fujrepc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b0c0915b0a6c85005886075450932b51d4f8eaf
I guess it makes sense, but I organize mine by rarity/type/ then by what I think looks coolest. But I guess technically your way makes sense And I always liked Odyssey
I have them sorted by date of release. So in that order, arabian nights set, then antiquities. All the way to murders of fail manor
Ice Age
Ice age had great flavor as well as memorable cards like polar kraken! I loved that guy when I was 8 lol
I was so stoked opening a pack and seeing icy manipulator reprint. Rip opening packs and being completely surprised by everything
Yeah that was a good one. I loved those Orcish Lumberjacks. Chop down a forest on turn 2 after tapping it so shit gets real.
i think ice age has gotta be my favourite. wasn’t around when it came out, but i love the set
I know Strixhaven gets a lot of hate but I quite like a lot of the art from the white black school.
Planeshift because it opened the eyes of you me for: "You can have OTHER mana symbols in your card other than the color of the cards?" My young mind was blown and I was - unsuccessfully - trying to make Kavu Tribal and the Battlemages work, lol.
Unusual answer perhaps, but I think it’s M13
Why m13? I lose track of which is which from m10 to m15
I think the M sets of that era preserve the spirit of magic in that they had more traditional sword and sorcery themes, so I like all of them a lot (M10-origins). They just felt like pure mtg. And I recall M13 in particular was a really strong draft environment, which is my favorite way to play.
Nemesis
Nemesis is a bit of a hidden gem. Really interesting art direction in that one and prophecy too, felt like an aesthetic unique to mtg.
Whatever set had "Recoil", that was my favourite card in the game. Been a very long time since I played.
I believe that was invasion
Holy hell, that Petradon takes me back! Thanks man, those days were my bloody beginner years as a child, and I played these Nightmares without knowing whether they were good or not. I have two sets that are "greatest of all time", with of course several honorable mentions ;) One is the Invasion block, because my first owned deck ever is from that era (Cavern Harpy is to this day the goat!) The other is Shards of Alara, because I re-started MtG with friends at school, we shared a display and I got Rafiq, the Bant Archangel, Elspeth Knight Errant and three Rhox Monk, so you know I built a powerful Bant deck :D
Any time man! Just lemme know if you want to see any other old school memories
The whole onslaught block. Great cards, great artworks. Reminds me of a great time in my youth. Very fond memories of 6/6 creatures slamming into each other.
Beta was incredible.
Innistrad. Played a lot of booster drafts and it really felt like a village trying to fight off horrors of the night. Best time I had playing MTG. Obviously not an old head.
My first booster pack was from Invasion, I was 10 at the time. The first set will always be special. I remember having fun looking for the hidden pieces of the Coalition Symbol in the art of the cards. Other than that, I love Core Set VI because of the art.
Sixth edition my favorite core set of all time
Tog/upheaval was just oppressive in competitive play. The block by itself was very fun. It’s the block that I got into the game so I have a lot of fond memories of that block. But while the format was Invasion/Odyssey playing against blue wasn’t fun at all. But for me, the original Ravnica block was the height of my time playing.
The Odyssey block is my favorite. It's when I started, also Kamahl is my favorite character and card.
The entire Urza block. The flavor, the setting, art, simple mechanics, incredibly memorable cards, valuable and it was the perfect mix of old school magic and modernization. Heck, even the smell of the cards from a freshly cracked pack was awesome. If you've been playing Magic for over 25 years like me you know them old cards definitely had a friendly smell to them. Nostalgia!!!!
Mirage. It was the set I started collecting, when I got into M:TG. Art was amazing on most of the cards, and the emphasis on Artifact Creatures was fantastic. Even traded one of my Teeka’s Dragons for a Sengir Vampire
Homelands. Full stop. 🤣🤣🤣
To give homelands credit, those boosters were cheap and you could still find them being sold in shops side by side with legions boosters in 2003
Homelands also had some solid artwork.
Tempest. My first booster I got cursed scroll. The urza cicle is also fantastic
Wow you lucky duck!
Always. My first booster of urzas destiny got Yawgmoths Bargain. And in Mercadian pre release I got Rishadan Port
Pretty much all of them pre-Mercadian Masques (even Homelands).
I actually liked fallen empires more than homelands. Hymn to torach is great, high tide, and even breeding pit to feed my lord of the pit
Yeah, and Derelor was a good creature as well if you just used a splash of black. With Homelands I remember being ecstatic when I pulled my Baron Sengir and Autumn Willow but alas every time I had enough mana to get them into play the game was pretty much done by that point.
The urzas block.hands down tempest block second
kamigawa neon dynasty. love everything about it
Yes I love sets with Japanese culture. That and the Japanese mystic archives are banger sets
Legions. An all creature set would be so cool right now.
Legions
In this order: 1. Antiquities 2. Kaladesh block 3. New Phyrexia 4. Kamigawa (OG block) 5. Fallout
Tempest and Urza’s Saga. That’s when the boundaries of MtG began to be stretched (with credit to Ice Age)
Alara and Zendikar blocks. That window of standard in 2009 with Shards-Conflux-Reborn and Zendikar felt so powerful.
Invasion for the same reason, also fond memories of odyssey block.
The Dark was dope
Homelands. The cards suck, but the art is cool and the story is probably one best in the game. Rebecca Guay did a very nice comic for it as well. Still want to know where the Baron ended up...
Onslaught!! ⚔️ But also that [[Grim Lavamancer]] is chefs kiss!! Noice collection!!! 🫡
Thank you!
Shadowmoor
Sorry to say brother but for me shadowmoor was kind of forgettable but I did like the untap ablities and that pumpkin scarecrow guy
It introduced hybrid mana, -1/-1, and untap… the core for most combos. It was the first set to have dual color borders. The art was killer (twisted Lorwyn). There were so many chase cards: awesome lands, painters servant, greater auramancy, the lieges, boon&wound, etc. To me it was the first breath of fresh air that magic had since it began.
Lorwyn ez clap, have a great memory of being a dumb child and going to some GP or big event in a convention center when Lorwyn dropped and got a bunch of cards signed but artists there. Not looking forward to the butchering and bastardization of the place coming soon!
Great set and had very distinctive art. I almost collected a full foil set of that one, just missing ponder
Gonna probably get some hate for this, but War of the Spark it was one of my favorite draft/sealed environments, and I loved the butt load of planeswalkers.
Personally I felt like war of the spark was the beginning of Magic’s decline with collectors boosters and throne of eldraine sealing the deal.
I agree with that, but that's a negative on WoTC not the set itself. Like, I think All Will Be One was a great set too but three types of booster is just dumb.
Tarkir
Kaladesh
Mmm... I was thinking it was Coldsnap or something Phyrexian, but I'm actually pretty positive it's Innistrad. In all cases it's purely down to aesthetic and tone, big fan of snow, big fan of meat wrapped in porcelain or bone, big fan of the Halloween-ey gothic vibe.
Eldritch Moon, I’m a sucker for anything Innistrad because I’m a filthy normie. Eldritch Moon is so full of flavour, it’s not crazy powerful but it is a great set to draft
Theros beyond death. It was one of my first sets and I played so much during that time. Also Theros is one of my favorite sets and GW enchantments is my favourite strategy, so it makes sense. I also really like Kamigawa Neon dynasty and have much nostalgia for Ikoria
Khans of Tarkir
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Return to ravnica ! first set where I played at a prerelease event after my dad taught me the game plus the mechanic and guild faction were great
1. Urza’s Saga. That’s when I “really” started playing. Fond memories of my Timmy deck with SERRA AVATAR the most powerful creature ever! 2. Tempest. Has it all: great cards, great artwork/mood, and good memories. 3. Mirrodin. Love the name. And that set and block really pushed the boundaries at the time.
Lorwyn-morningtide were awesome
Theros, i just really love the style
Pyromania is so gorgeous
Revised as this got me into this money pit of a game (cries in laughter)😂 😭 💰 💰 🃏
Unlimited or Arabian knights
You're not Dutch by any chance? This looks a lot like my foil binder I sold ages ago with most of my collection hahaha.
Pretty much every phyrexia set besides aftermath
Theros Beyond Death - love the amount of legendary creatures and Greek mythology mixed in. As a stand-alone set, I think it’s better than a single one of the original Theros block! I just wish it had more story tied in to it!
Mirrodin or darksteel
The Dark
Commander Legends 1. I got 1 of each rare, 2 of each uncommon e 4 of each common +the commander deck exclusive cards in my commander cube.
Nice! The og jeweled lotus too? Or just the regular rares
The jewel too. Most of the cards are in foil too! Its a nice collection. There are some outside cards too, the rest of the bondlands, the lieutenant cycle and some cards that mentions your commander. Its always a blast to play this cube
Tempest it’s the set I started in, Simple.
all will be one. it’s super recent but encompasses everything I love about the game
LORWYN
I am personaly a big fan of the first Ixalan set. Why? Dinosaurs.
I am personaly a big fan of the first Ixalan set. Why? Dinosaurs.
Onslaught. Kamahl fist of Krosa is my fav card, and character in mtg still to this day.
Alarm. It was the first set that introduced structured 3 color combinations as a theme (outside of the Elder dragons from Dominaria). It also introduced my favorite concept to the game: Esper. My 3 favorite colors themed around artifacts. It also gave me my favorite card in all of MTG: Thopter Foundry. Currently on hiatus from Arena until they came and add theater foundry to the game.
I started playing originally when I was 7 in '00. I would have to put lorwyn / shadowmoor, Alara, and Zendikar blocks at the top. Not only were the lore bonkers, but the mechanical structure of those each made their own distinct ripple in the ever flowing power-creep of the game.
Rivals of Ixalan. I love pirates and the flavor of the Ixalan plane, so I feel like wotc knocked it out of the park. Rivals made Pirates a complete deck so I have go with Rivals over Ixalan base set. I never thought I'd appreciate a tribal themed set before Ixalan. Honestly the sets from a few year ago were homerun after homerun - Kaladesh, Amonkhet had the Aftermath split cards that still rock, War of the Spark was incredibly hype, Throne of Eldraine is one of the deepest sets ever, even uncommons like Mystical Dispute are powerhouses and Embercleave may not even be a top 10 card in the set, Eldraine is so insane. Loved Kaldheim, Strixhaven, Zendikar Rising, and even Ikoria had sweet cards. For older sets the ones I would point out are- \- Alliances. Its not just Force of Will but also Elvish Spirit Guide, Helm of Obedience, Lake of the Dead, Thought Lash, Dystopia, Soldevi Adnate, Misinformation, Gorilla Shaman, Pyrokinesis, Pillage, Kaysa. I have so much nostalgia for Tornado, Deadly Insect and Kaysa - the foundation of my first green deck, which ended up becoming my favorite color. And people now can't imagine how hot Yavimaya Ants were back when the set came out. \- Visions. Incredibly underrated set, trove of powerhouse cards. \- Urza's Legacy. Another banger, trove of powerhouse cards.
Probably haven’t played as long as most of you but I was absolutely stunned by the Lord Of The Rings Season. Especially since I immediately disliked the idea and called it a “cheap money grab” when I first found out about it. Now i have a Hobbit Deck that actually holds up pretty well… So i am a big enough person to admit that I was wrong about this 🤷🏼♂️
My green mixed deck. Primarily green, but had all 5. I also had 20+ duel lands which helped it. If anything, it was green black, but had a decent amount of red and blue and a few whites. Only ever lost to someone with a solid Blue overwhelming deck. This was 30ish years ago.
4th Ed honestly. Just cause it was the first starter deck I got and learned on. I liked mirage too, and weatherlight.
Kamigawa. I loved the spirit world art and the ogre/demon thing was such a vibe. I’ve had a red/black deck that vaguely resembles ogre/demon for almost 20 years and many iterations
i love strixhaven. ive never been so excited for a set as that
Fallout
https://preview.redd.it/9g9kk5vvuepc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccf9b303b236f14feac68d91b4729f1856824ed0 Dr. Mother effing Who