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{{Infobox set
 
{{Infobox set
 
|logo = [[Image:ARB logo.png|250px]]
 
|logo = [[Image:ARB logo.png|250px]]
  +
|symbol description = 5 shards united
 
|design team = [[Aaron Forsythe]] (lead)<br/>[[Mark Gottlieb]]<br/>[[Alexis Janson]]<br/>[[Brian Tinsman]]
 
|design team = [[Aaron Forsythe]] (lead)<br/>[[Mark Gottlieb]]<br/>[[Alexis Janson]]<br/>[[Brian Tinsman]]
 
|development team = [[Matt Place]] (lead)<br/>[[Dave Guskin]]<br/>Alexis Janson<br/>[[Erik Lauer]]<br/>[[Mike Turian]]
 
|development team = [[Matt Place]] (lead)<br/>[[Dave Guskin]]<br/>Alexis Janson<br/>[[Erik Lauer]]<br/>[[Mike Turian]]

Revision as of 14:03, 29 May 2016

Alara Reborn
Set Information
Set symbol
Themes and mechanics All multi-colored set,
Hybrid mana
Keywords/​ability words Cascade,
Cycling,
Devour,
Exalted,
Unearth
Set size 145
(60 common, 40 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares)
Expansion code ARB
Development codename Scissors

Alara Reborn is the third set in the Alara block and is the forty-ninth Magic expansion. [1] Prerelease events took place on April 25-26, 2009 [2], launch parties on April 30-May 3, 2009. The set went on sale April 30, 2009 which was a day earlier than anticipated due to the May Day (May 1) holiday.

Set details

Alara Reborn contains 145 black-bordered cards (10 mythic rares, 35 rare, 40 uncommon, and 60 commons). It is the first and so far only set in the history of Magic that consists entirely of multicolored cards (much like Legions consisting entirely of creatures). [3] [4] [5] As such the numbering of the cards is vastly different. Usually a set has all single colored cards alphabetically sorted and grouped together and in {W}{U}{B}{R}{G} order followed by multicolored cards in alphabetical order followed by colorless artifacts, followed by non-basic lands, followed by basic lands. In Alara Reborn instead cards are ordered alphabetically grouped by their multicolored mana cost as such:

  • {W}{U} #1-16
  • {U}{B} #17-32
  • {B}{R} #33-48
  • {R}{G} #49-64
  • {G}{W} #65-80
  • {W}{B} #81-85
  • {U}{R} #86-90
  • {B}{G} #91-95
  • {R}{W} #96-100
  • {G}{U} #101-105
  • {W}{U}{B} #106-110
  • {U}{B}{R} #111-114
  • {B}{R}{G} #115-119
  • {R}{G}{W} #120-124
  • {G}{W}{U} #125-129
  • {W}{U}{B}{R}{G} #130
  • Template:Wb{U} #131-133
  • Template:Ur{B} #134-136
  • Template:Bg{R} #137-139
  • Template:Rw{G} #140-142
  • Template:Gu{W} #143-145

There are no lands or colorless artifacts in the set. So far this is the latest expansion or core set which doesn't include any planeswalker cards. The expansion symbol of the set is a representation of the five converged shards.

Flavor

Main articles: Alara and Alara Unbroken
“  The birth of one world. The death of five.  ”

The violent plans orchestrated by Nicol Bolas have reached their cataclysmic zenith, as the five shards of Alara are now merged, with untold power and unspeakable chaos at every turn. In this unpredictable environment, where mythic beings can greatly affect the outcome, mere survival isn’t enough. To live another day, one must battle with unflinching intensity to rise above the madness and master this now grotesquely unified plane. Amidst this overwhelming carnage, can Alara truly said to be reborn? [6]

Marketing

ARB 6 card booster

6-card boosters from Alara Reborn

Alara all foil booster

The All-Foil Booster

Alara Reborn was sold in 16-card boosters, 6-card boosters, five intro packs and a fat pack. [7] [8] The promotional card for the prerelease was Dragon Broodmother, which makes multicolored tokens [9]; whilst the launch party card was Knight of New Alara, which makes multicolored creatures more powerful. [10]

The 16-card boosters featured artwork from Slave of Bolas, Vedalken Heretic and Knotvine Paladin, the small booster featured artwork from the fat pack packaging. An all-foil booster pack containing cards from Alara Reborn and the other two sets of the block was released on January 8th, 2010. [11] This featured artwork from Slave of Bolas.

Regular boosters of Alara Reborn come with a bonus sixteenth card that is either a "tips & tricks card" or a creature token from Alara Reborn. One face of the Alara Reborn bonus card has one of three different rules tips or is one of four different creature tokens. The other face has one of 13 advertisements for organized play programs, Alara Reborn, Duels of the Planeswalkers for Xbox Live, Magic Online, fat packs, A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara and Ultra Pro products for Magic.

Tips & Tricks

The tips & tricks cards are

Tokens

The Alara Reborn tokens are: [12]

From Shards of Alara:

Mechanics

Alara Reborn is the first set in which Hybrid mana appears alongside conventional mana symbols in costs, in this case cards that have one centered color with a hybrid mana symbol of its two allied colors. [13] Though only two colors are required to play these cards, they are always of three colors.

The Cascade mechanic is introduced. [14] [15] [16] When a spell with Cascade is cast, the player who cast it reveals the top card of his or her library until he finds a non-land card that costs less than the card with Cascade and may play it. If that card has cascade again, this process repeats itself. This mechanic has been regarded as highly powerful and very popular.

Cycling also returned with a twist in the Sojourner cycle: Five creatures that do the same when put into a graveyard from play or when cycled. Some other cards have a cycling cost consisting of Hybrid mana. Landcycling, Exalted, Devour, Unearth, all used previously within the block, return as well.

Cycles

Most of Alara Reborn's cycles have cards of two or even three different types - sorceries, enchantments and creatures, for example.

Alara Reborn has 14 cycles:

Reprinted cards

Notable cards

Intro packs

The intro packs are:[18][19]

Intro pack name Colors Included Foil rare
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Legion Aloft W U Filigree Angel
Unnatural Schemes U B Lich Lord of Unx
Dead Ahead B R Deathbringer Thoctar
Rumbler R G Spellbreaker Behemoth
Eternal Siege W G Dauntless Escort

References

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External links