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Unglued
Unglued logo
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description Broken Egg
Design Mark Rosewater
Development Mark Rosewater
Art direction Jesper Myrfors
Release date August 11, 1998
Plane Un-iverse
Themes and mechanics Dice rolling, Chickens
Set size 94 cards
(33 commons, 22 uncommons, 28 rares, 5 basic lands, 6 tokens)
Expansion code UGL[1]
Development codename The Wacky Expansion
Un-sets
Unglued Unhinged Unstable
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Portal Second Age Unglued Urza's Saga

Unglued was the first Magic: The Gathering supplemental set to be used outside of normal Magic expansions.[2] It was released on August 11, 1998 as a standalone, fun set.[3][4][5][6]

Set details[ | ]

UGL Booster pack

The set included 83 silver-bordered cards, five black-bordered cards (basic lands) and six tokens. The lands are special full-art lands which have extended artwork inside an oval frame stretching from the top to bottom of the card.[7] On top of that oval frame is a round gem of the appropriate color with the (at the time current) tap symbol. At the bottom is a slightly larger gem featuring the appropriate mana symbol. The top left corner has the name of the basic land while the bottom left corner simply reads "Land" with Artist and copyright information as well as collector number running along the bottom. Unlike other sets that feature up to four distinct arts per basic land, Unglued only has one art per basic land.

The rest of Unglued are silver-bordered joke cards which are still functional. Names, flavor texts, types and mechanics as well as the art featured on the card[8] parody the game, individual cards, concepts, the history or players of the game. Unglued and its followup Unhinged are also the only sets in which the artwork of non-Planeswalker cards extend outside the art frame. The card B.F.M. (Big Furry Monster) even extends over two cards. Some cards have specialized frames allowing for other jokes. Unglued also makes special mention of Chickens and Clamfolks as creature types. Chickens were a minor theme.[9]

Mechanics[ | ]

While Unglued dabbles in all sorts of mechanics including physical actions by the players, specifically noted should be the usage of six-sided die on cards for random effects.

Many graphic design elements that first appeared in this "joke set" have crossed over into tournament-legal Magic releases. These include full-art basic lands, art extending beyond the frame (as seen later on many planeswalker cards), watermarks in the text box, and sideways printing (first seen in Burning Cinder Fury of Crimson Chaos Fire and later on split cards).

Cycles[ | ]

Cycle name {W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Chickens Mesa Chicken Fowl Play Poultrygeist Chicken Egg Free-Range Chicken
Five common cards that deal with chickens in some sort of fashion by either being chickens, producing chicken Tokens or turning creatures into chickens. These cards are supplemented by the rare chicken Lord, Chicken à la King.[10]
Double spells Double Dip Double Take Double Cross Double Deal Double Play
Five common spells (two instants and three sorceries), each with a converted mana cost of 5. Each spell takes effect twice: once when cast and once at the beginning of the next game played with a given player. The flavor text on those five cards can be rearranged to form a limerick.
Teammates Get a Life Checks and Balances Organ Harvest Ricochet Team Spirit
Five cards that acknowledged gameplay with more than two players.[11]

Rock-Paper-Scissors[ | ]

Rock-Paper-Scissors Cycle
Rock Lobster Paper Tiger Scissors Lizard
Three 4/3 common artifact creatures costing {4} and illustrated by Heather Hudson, each corresponding to the game Rock, Paper, Scissors; when any was in play, it prevented the other appropriate creature from attacking or blocking. For instance, as long as Rock Lobster is in play, cards named Scissors Lizard cannot attack or block.

Creature types[ | ]

BFM

B.F.M. (Big Furry Monster)

Unglued creature types were eliminated from the Comprehensive Rules list during the Grand Creature Type Update. They included:

Trivia[ | ]

Here are some cards that didn't make it to print: Socks of Garfield, Hot Monkey Love, Colonel's Secret Recipe, Squee's Play, Banned in France, Spoon, Disrobing Scepter, Butt Wolf, Lotus Roach, Sesame Efreet, Needless Reminder Text, Chicken Choker, Clockwork Doppelganger, Henway, HELP I'M TRAPPED IN CARTA MUNDI, Mad Cow, Poke, Lord of Wombats, Gratuitous Babe Art, Brothers' War Bonds, Dwarven Kickboxer, Mickey's Drunk, Pact with the Wastes, CoP:BO, Urza's Chia Pet, Thallid Shooter, Shoelace, When Chihuahuas Attack, Wall of Cookies, Kobold Ninja, Mucusaur, Kjeldoran Outhouse, Bear in the Woods, Dental Thrull, Flavatog, Cereal Killer."[29]

Inspirations[ | ]

The following list is every Unglued card that inspired a black-bordered card or mechanic.[30]

Unglued 2[ | ]

A follow up set, tentatively called Wacky II: This Time it's Personal or Unglued 2: The Obligatory Sequel, was announced for Summer 1999 but never got made. This was an entirely different set from Unhinged and featured animated vegetables, punny Djinni, Santawar Elves, and an alternate take on Serra Angel.

Gatherer update[ | ]

After the release of Unstable in December 2017, the other Un-sets received a Gatherer update.

References[ | ]

  1. Wizards of the Coast (August 02, 2004). "Ask Wizards - August, 2004". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (July 27, 2017). "How did 'Un' begin?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  3. Mark Rosewater (August 16, 2004). "Get It?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Mark Rosewater (August 16, 2004). "Putting the Un in Fun". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Aaron Forsythe (August 20, 2004). "Un-Believable". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Mark Rosewater (November 6, 2017). "The Un-Ending Saga, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Magic Arcana (May 15, 2003). "Unglued lands". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. Magic Arcana (August 16, 2004). "Unglued Art Parodies". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Mark Rosewater (February 16, 2015). "Kings & Things". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Magic Arcana (August 17, 2004). "Unglued's Chicken Motif". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. Mark Rosewater (October 13, 2014). "Team Building". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. Eli Shiffrin (April 10, 2020). "Ikoria Oracle Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. Mark Rosewater (October 1998), Drawing Conclusions, The Duelist #30
  14. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Ma "Mark Rosewater" Ro (October 1998), Chickens and Cows and Clams, Oh My, The Duelist #30
  15. Mark Rosewater (July 18, 2022). "Magic Design from A to Z, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. Magic Arcana (December 1, 2004). "Mark Rosewater Makes an Ass of Himself". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. Michael G. Ryan (August 1998) Exodus Files Exposed, The Duelist #28
  18. Salmiakki_Aficionado (July 4, 2019). "Ever wondered what Censorship (Unglued) is censoring?". Reddit.
  19. Mark Rosewater (July 20, 2009). "The Silver Lining". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  20. Mark Rosewater (February 04, 2016). "Any trivia on Stone Calendar or Bronze Calendar?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  21. Mark Rosewater (August 06, 2017). "How many of you realize that Spark was Kraps backwards?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  22. Mark Rosewater (January 9, 2023). "Trivial Pursuit: What's in a Name?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  23. Mark Rosewater (June 09, 2018). "Any facts on Cows in Magic?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  24. Wizards of the Coast (October, 2005). "Ask Wizards - October 2005". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  25. Brian Kibler (May 20, 2021). "An in-joke about a female player dating multiple pros literally became a Magic card.". Twitter.
  26. cathy_n (October 1, 2021). "Brian Kibler on the meaning behind Ghazban Ogress". Reddit.
  27. EdiesDaddy (October 1, 2021). "Brian Kibler on the meaning behind Ghazban Ogress". Reddit.
  28. Mark Rosewater (August 4, 2023). "How Trivial with Mark Rosewater (Video)". Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.
  29. Mark Rosewater (December 1998), Insider Trading. Betcha Didn't Know, The Duelist #32
  30. Wizards of the Coast (August, 2006). "Ask Wizards - August 2006". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links[ | ]

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