Core Set 2021

Core Set 2021, also known as Core 2021, is the twentieth Magic core set. It was released on July 3, 2020.
==Set details==
Core 2021 features a mix of new and reprinted cards. The main set contains 274 cards and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. (#75) additionally features three alternate arts, numbered #275-277. The Buy-a-Box promotional card is #278. Cards with an alternate card frame have another card number than the original version. Borderless planeswalkers are numbered #279-284, showcase cards are numbered #285-313, alternate art borderless cards are numbered #314-319, cards found in the set's planeswalker decks are #320-339 and the extended artwork cards are numbered #340-391. The Bundle promo is numbered #392, and the dark-frame cards from the universal promo pack are numbered #393-397.
The featured planeswalker is Teferi. The set also features some of his family, friends and foes. A new planeswalker is Basri Ket.
The Showcase card frames are identical to the Signature Spellbook frames for the planeswalkers (cf. Chandra's frame). <c>Teferi, Master of Time</c> features four subtly different artworks. The monocolored planeswalkers each feature three signature spells and a basic land depicting their home plane. Ugin features no additional cards beyond his planeswalker card.
===Storyline===
Core Set 2021 has no storyline. There are no Story Spotlights, either.
===Marketing===
Core Set 2021 is sold in 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), five planeswalker decks, the Core 2021 bundle, and a Starter Kit. There are no Theme Boosters, but instead Core 2021 is the first core set to feature Collector Boosters. A Deck Builder's Toolkit is also absent. In addition, Welcome decks are replaced by a Welcome booster, a ten-card sampler showing off flashy aspects of the game like legendaries, planeswalkers, powerful rares and showcase cards. The draft boosters feature key art of three planeswalkers (Teferi, Liliana and Chandra). The Collector Booster features key art of Ugin.
====Events====
* Prerelease: June 26 - July 2, 2020
** Magic Online and Magic Arena release: June 25, 2020
* Launch party: July 4-5, 2020 
* Commander Nights: July 6 - September 17, 2020 
====Promotional cards====
* Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare of Core Set 2021.
* Other events: cards from the Core Set 2021 universal promo pack. 
** The seasonal dark-frame promos are: , , , , 
* Buy-a-Box: <c>Rin and Seri, Inseparable</c>, with extended artwork treatment.
** Each Buy-a-Box also comes with two Jumpstart boosters. 
* Core Set 2021 Bundle promo: 
====Jumpstart====
Core Set 2021 is closely tied to Jumpstart, a booster product that released two weeks later. Jumpstart is meant to provide an easy starting point for players who don't have the appetite or time for deckbuilding. Jumpstart shares 120 cards with Core set 2021.
====Tokens and emblems==== 
Core 2021 comes with 20 tokens and emblems. Token and emblems appear in the marketing card slot. The last two tokens are available from collector boosters only. 
==Themes and mechanics==
Core Set 2021 has a theme of Dogs vs. Cats. 
The mill mechanic now officially becomes a keyword action. For a player to mill N, they put the top N cards from their library into their graveyard.
With <c>Teferi, Master of Time</c> and <c>Teferi, Timeless Voyager</c>, phasing returns to Standard for the first time since Weatherlight, over 23 years ago. (It was last printed on <c>Teferi's Protection</c> as part of Commander 2017.)
Prowess, now a deciduous keyword, also returns.
===Card types===
The set introduces the Dog creature type, and erratas the Hound creature type to all become Dogs. This change was foreshadowed with the test card <c>Ruff, Underdog Champ</c>.
The set also introduces the Basri planeswalker type.
The set sees the return of the enchantment type Shrine, last seen in Standard with Champions of Kamigawa.
===Limited archetypes===
Core 2021 features the following limited archetypes:
*: Flying matters
*: Reanimator
*: Sacrifice
*: "Ferocious"
*: +1/+1 counters
*: Lifegain
*: Prowess
*: "Morbid"
*: Go wide and Dog tribal
*: Card draw
==Cycles==
Core Set 2021 has fifteen cycles, including two double cycles and five vertical cycles.
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	
Legendary spellcasters	<c>Mangara, the Diplomat</c> 	<c>Barrin, Tolarian Archmage</c> 	<c>Kaervek, the Spiteful</c> 	<c>Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner</c> 	<c>Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse</c>
Legendary spellcasters	Five rare or mythic rare legendary Human spellcasters. All of them have a connection to Teferi, and/or the continent of Jamuraa. 	Five rare or mythic rare legendary Human spellcasters. All of them have a connection to Teferi, and/or the continent of Jamuraa. 	Five rare or mythic rare legendary Human spellcasters. All of them have a connection to Teferi, and/or the continent of Jamuraa. 	Five rare or mythic rare legendary Human spellcasters. All of them have a connection to Teferi, and/or the continent of Jamuraa. 	Five rare or mythic rare legendary Human spellcasters. All of them have a connection to Teferi, and/or the continent of Jamuraa.
Tribal lords 	<c>Pack Leader</c> (Dogs) 	<c>Shacklegeist</c> (Spirits) 	<c>Thieves' Guild Enforcer</c> (Rogues) 	<c>Conspicuous Snoop</c> (Goblins) 	<c>Feline Sovereign</c> (Cats)
Tribal lords 	Five rare lords that each support a different tribe. 	Five rare lords that each support a different tribe. 	Five rare lords that each support a different tribe. 	Five rare lords that each support a different tribe. 	Five rare lords that each support a different tribe.
Sanctums 	<c>Sanctum of Tranquil Light</c> 	<c>Sanctum of Calm Waters</c> 	<c>Sanctum of Stone Fangs</c> 	<c>Sanctum of Shattered Heights</c> 	<c>Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest</c>
Sanctums 	Five uncommon legendary Shrine enchantments, each of which has an effect that scales with the number of Shrines you control. There is a sixth five-color Shrine printed at rare, <c>Sanctum of All</c>. All of them are illustrated by Johannes Voss.	Five uncommon legendary Shrine enchantments, each of which has an effect that scales with the number of Shrines you control. There is a sixth five-color Shrine printed at rare, <c>Sanctum of All</c>. All of them are illustrated by Johannes Voss.	Five uncommon legendary Shrine enchantments, each of which has an effect that scales with the number of Shrines you control. There is a sixth five-color Shrine printed at rare, <c>Sanctum of All</c>. All of them are illustrated by Johannes Voss.	Five uncommon legendary Shrine enchantments, each of which has an effect that scales with the number of Shrines you control. There is a sixth five-color Shrine printed at rare, <c>Sanctum of All</c>. All of them are illustrated by Johannes Voss.	Five uncommon legendary Shrine enchantments, each of which has an effect that scales with the number of Shrines you control. There is a sixth five-color Shrine printed at rare, <c>Sanctum of All</c>. All of them are illustrated by Johannes Voss.
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	
Temples 	 	 	 	 	
Temples 	Five rare enemy colored scry lands, reprinted from the Theros block. 	Five rare enemy colored scry lands, reprinted from the Theros block. 	Five rare enemy colored scry lands, reprinted from the Theros block. 	Five rare enemy colored scry lands, reprinted from the Theros block. 	Five rare enemy colored scry lands, reprinted from the Theros block.
===Vertical cycles===
Five mythic rare planeswalkers each head a vertical cycle of cards referring to them. Each of these cards is also printed in a Signature Spellbook-esque alternate card frame, themed to that respective planeswalker. Chandra's cards match her Signature Spellbook frame exactly.
Color	Planeswalker	Signature spells	Signature spells	Signature spells
Color	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	
===Dual cycles===
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Draft signposts 	<c>Watcher of the Spheres</c> 	<c>Obsessive Stitcher</c> 	<c>Dire Fleet Warmonger</c> 	<c>Leafkin Avenger</c> 	<c>Conclave Mentor</c> 	<c>Indulging Patrician</c> 	<c>Experimental Overload</c> 	<c>Twinblade Assassins</c> 	<c>Alpine Houndmaster</c> 	<c>Lorescale Coatl</c>
Draft signposts 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited. 	Ten uncommon spells that support a draft archetype for Limited.
Life-gain taplands	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Life-gain taplands	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .	Ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life, and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprinted from Khans of Tarkir .
===Precon only===
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	
Planeswalkers 	<c>Basri, Devoted Paladin</c> 	<c>Teferi, Timeless Voyager</c> 	<c>Liliana, Death Mage </c> 	<c>Chandra, Flame's Catalyst</c> 	<c>Garruk, Savage Herald</c>
Planeswalkers 	Five mythic rare planeswalker variants with simpler abilities, each of which cost MM. 	Five mythic rare planeswalker variants with simpler abilities, each of which cost MM. 	Five mythic rare planeswalker variants with simpler abilities, each of which cost MM. 	Five mythic rare planeswalker variants with simpler abilities, each of which cost MM. 	Five mythic rare planeswalker variants with simpler abilities, each of which cost MM.
Planeswalker tutors	<c>Basri's Aegis</c> 	<c>Teferi's Wavecaster</c> 	<c>Liliana's Scorn</c> 	<c>Chandra's Fire Maw</c> 	<c>Garruk's Warsteed</c>
Planeswalker tutors	Five rare spells, each of which costs MM or MM and tutors for a specific planeswalker. 	Five rare spells, each of which costs MM or MM and tutors for a specific planeswalker. 	Five rare spells, each of which costs MM or MM and tutors for a specific planeswalker. 	Five rare spells, each of which costs MM or MM and tutors for a specific planeswalker. 	Five rare spells, each of which costs MM or MM and tutors for a specific planeswalker.
3-of creatures 	<c>Sigiled Contender</c> 	<c>Historian of Zhalfir</c> 	<c>Liliana's Scrounger</c> 	<c>Keral Keep Disciples </c> 	<c>Predatory Wurm</c>
3-of creatures 	Five uncommon creatures, included as three-ofs in their respective decks. Each interacts directly, or – in one case – supports the theme of their respective planeswalker.	Five uncommon creatures, included as three-ofs in their respective decks. Each interacts directly, or – in one case – supports the theme of their respective planeswalker.	Five uncommon creatures, included as three-ofs in their respective decks. Each interacts directly, or – in one case – supports the theme of their respective planeswalker.	Five uncommon creatures, included as three-ofs in their respective decks. Each interacts directly, or – in one case – supports the theme of their respective planeswalker.	Five uncommon creatures, included as three-ofs in their respective decks. Each interacts directly, or – in one case – supports the theme of their respective planeswalker.
4-of creatures 	<c>Adherent of Hope</c> 	<c>Mystic Skyfish</c> 	<c>Spirit of Malevolence</c> 	<c>Storm Caller</c> 	<c>Wildwood Patrol</c>
4-of creatures 	Five common creatures, included as four-ofs in their respective decks. Each supports the theme, or – in one case – interacts directly with their respective planeswalker. 	Five common creatures, included as four-ofs in their respective decks. Each supports the theme, or – in one case – interacts directly with their respective planeswalker. 	Five common creatures, included as four-ofs in their respective decks. Each supports the theme, or – in one case – interacts directly with their respective planeswalker. 	Five common creatures, included as four-ofs in their respective decks. Each supports the theme, or – in one case – interacts directly with their respective planeswalker. 	Five common creatures, included as four-ofs in their respective decks. Each supports the theme, or – in one case – interacts directly with their respective planeswalker.
==Notable cards==
* <c>Sparkhunter Masticore</c> is the first creature to have protection from planeswalkers.
* <c>Nine Lives</c> is an alternate-loss card.
*Showcase is the first card ever to feature a completely empty text box.
===Banned and restricted cards===
* <c>Ugin, the Spirit Dragon</c> was introduced to Arena for the first time in Core Set 2021. It gained a reputation in Standard and Historic as a "get out of jail free" card that would annihilate opponents' boards and linger as a growing threat, but such effects are generally balanced as an eight mana spell. It was not its effects, however, but its colorless identity that led to its ban in Historic Brawl, a format where decks are defined by their color restrictions. This ban occurred concurrent to the bans of <c>Agent of Treachery</c> and <c>Field of the Dead</c>, which were already banned in several other formats, for Wizards stated that "each one either exploits or pushes against one of the primary elements of the format".
==Preconstructed decks==
===Arena Starter Kit===
The Arena Starter Kit (in previous editions known as the Spellslinger Starter Kit) comes with two Standard-legal 60-card decks, designed to create an interactive learning experience for two.
===Planeswalker decks===
Unlike with expansions, planeswalker decks are still a part of the product line-up for the Core Set.
Core 2021 features five planeswalker decks, that come with one booster and a foil planeswalker card. 
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Magic core sets