CORE SET

Set size: 350 cards (110 common, 110 uncommon, 110 rare, 20 basic land)
57 White (17 rare, 18 uncommon, 22 common)
57 Blue (17 rare, 18 uncommon, 22 common)
57 Black (17 rare, 18 uncommon, 22 common)
57 Red (17 rare, 18 uncommon, 22 common)
57 Green (17 rare, 18 uncommon, 22 common)
30 Artifact (14 rare, 16 uncommon)
15 Lands (11 rare, 4 uncommon)

General Notes:
The list is yet under construction. This list is fictional and is designed to function with the Territory and Moonruling fan blocks. Each card choice is made according to (or against to) design hints found in articles and message boards from MTG.com.

*: Cards that may/must be replaced.


WHITE

1 - Angelic Protector (U)
2 - Armor of Faith (C)
3 - Aven Cloudchaser (C)
4 - Ballista Squad (U)
5 - Benalish Knight (U)
6 - Blessed Orator (U)
7 - Crossbow Infantry (C)
8 - Demystify (C)
9 - Diving Griffin (C)
10 - Final Judgment (R)
11 - Ghostly Prison (U)
12 - Ghost Warden (C)
13 - Ghostway (R)
14 - Gift of Estates (U)
15 - Glorious Anthem (R)
16 - Glory Seeker (C)
17 - Glowrider (R)
18 - Holy Day (C)
19 - Ivory Mask (R)
20 - Kami of Old Stone (U)
21 - Loxodon Gatekeeper (R)
22 - Master Decoy (C)
23 - Master Apothecary (R)
24 - Mitral Charger (U)
25 - Mobilization (R)
26 - Mother of Runes (R)
27 - Pacifism (C)
28 - Pious Warrior (C)
29 - Presence of the Wise (U)
30 - Razorfoot Griffin (C)
31 - Reciprocate (U)
32 - Reverse the Sands (R)
33 - Rule of Law (R)
34 - Samite Healer (C)
35 - Savannah Lions (R)
36 - Second Sunrise (R)
37 - Seraph (R)
38 - Serra Angel (R)
39 - Serra Zealot (C)
40 - Silver Knight (U)
41 - Soothing Balm (C)
42 - Soul Warden (C)
43 - Spirit Link (U)
44 - Standing Troops (C)
45 - Steelshaper's Gift (U)
46 - Story Circle (R)
47 - Sunscape Familiar (U)
48 - Suntail Hawk (C)
49 - Suppression Field (U)
50 - Tempest of Light (U)
51 - Test of Faith (U)
52 - Venerable Monk (C)
53 - Vigilance (C)
54 - Warrior's Honor (C)
55 - White Knight (U)
56 - Worship (R)
57 - Youthful Knight (C)


BLUE

58 - Air Elemental (U)
59 - Blatant Thievery (R)
60 - Cancel (C)
61 - Clone (R)
62 - Cloud Sprite (C)
63 - Compulsive Research (C)
64 - Concentrate (U)
65 - Confiscate (U)
66 - Curiosity (U)
67 - Deluge (U)
68 - Desertion (R)
69 - Dismiss (U)
70 - Early Frost (C)
71 - Escape Routes (U)
72 - Extract (R)
73 - Flashfreeze(U)
74 - Fleeting Image (R)
75 - Flight (C)
76 - Frozen Solid (C)
77 - Fugitive Wizard (C)
78 - Future Sight (R)
79 - Horseshoe Crab (C)
80 - Lumengrid Warden (C)
81 - Mahamoti Djinn (R)
82 - Merchant Scroll (U)
83 - Mind Bend (R)
84 - Omen (C)
85 - Patron Wizard (R)
86 - Puppeteer (U)
87 - Phantom Warrior (U)
88 - Regress (C)
89 - Reminisce (U)
90 - Remove Soul (C)
91 - Sage Aven (C)
92 - Sea Drake (U)
93 - Sea Monster (C)
94 - Sea's Claim (C)
95 - Snapping Drake (C)
96 - Stifle (R)
97 - Surveilling Sprite (C)
98 - Telepathy (U)
99 - Temporal Adept (R)
100 - Thieving Magpie (U)
101 - Tidal Kraken (R)
102 - Tidewater Minion (U)
103 - Time Warp (R)
104 - Trade Secrets (R)
105 - Treasure Trove (U)
106 - Tought Courier (C)
107 - Twidle (C)
108 - Twincast (R)
109 - Upheavel (R)
110 - Unsummon (C)
111 - Vedalken Entrancer (C)
112 - Wind Dancer (U)
113 - Wind Drake (C)
114 - Words of Wind (R)


BLACK

115 - Bog Imp (C)
116 - Cabal Interrogator (U)
117 - Consume Spirit (U)
118 - Contaminated Bond (C)
119 - Contamination (R)
120 - Cruel Edict (U)
121 - Crypt Creeper (U)
122 - Damnation (R)
123 - Dark Banishing (C)
124 - Deathmark (U)
125 - Despoil (C)
126 - Distress (C)
127 - Diabolic Tutor (U)
128 - Doomed Necromancer (R)
129 - Dripping Dead (C)
130 - Dross Prowler (C)
131 - Drudge Skeletons (U)
132 - Ebon Drake (U)
133 - Fear (C)
134 - Fledging Imp (C)
135 - Gluttonous Zombie (U)
136 - Gravedigger (C)
137 - Grave Pact (R)
138 - Hate Weaver (U)
139 - Hypnotic Specter (R)
140 - Keening Banshee (U)
141 - Looming Shade (C)
142 - Lord of the Undead (R)
143 - Megrim (U)
144 - Mind Rot (C)
145 - Mindslicer (R)
146 - Mind Sludge (U)
147 - Nantuko Husk (U)
148 - Nightmare (R)
149 - Night's Whisper (U)
150 - Oversold Cemetery (R)
151 - Persecute (R)
152 - Phyrexian Arena (R)
153 - Plague Beetle (C)
154 - Planar Void (U)
155 - Raise Dead (C)
156 - Ravenous Rats (C)
157 - Reiver Demon (R)
158 - Royal Assassin (R)
159 - Scathe Zombies (C)
160 - Sengir Vampire (R)
161 - Serpent Warrior (C)
162 - Sewer Rats (C)
163 - Sinister Strenght (C)
164 - Spineless Thug (C)
165 - Subversion (R)
166 - Syphon Mind (U)
167 - Tar Pit Warrior (C)
168 - Thrashing Wumpus (R)
169 - Wretched Anurid (C)
170 - Yawgmoth's Agenda (R)
171 - Zombify (U)


RED

172 - Ambush Party (C)
173 - Arc Lightning (U)
174 - Balduvian Barbarians (C)
175 - Ball Lightning (R)
176 - Blaze (U)
177 - Blood Oath (R)
178 - Blood Rites (U)
179 - Bloodrock Cyclops (U)
180 - Burning Cloak (C)
181 - Burning Sands (R)
182 - Char (U)
183 - Cinder Giant/Flametongue Kavu (U)
184 - Cryoclasm (U)
185 - Dragon Tyrant (R)
186 - Dwarven Miner (U)
187 - Fervor (R)
188 - Fiery Gambit (R)
189 - Firebreathing (C)
190 - Fists of the Anvil (C)
191 - Flame Rift (C)
192 - Fling (U)
193 - Furnace of Rath (R)
194 - Goblin Brigand (C)
195 - Goblin Chariot (C)
196 - Goblin King (R)
197 - Hearth Kami (U)
198 - Lava Axe (C)
199 - Lightning Elemental (C)
200 - Living Inferno (R)
201 - Longhorn Firebeast (C)
202 - Minotaur Explorer (U)
203 - Mogg Fanatic (U)
204 - Mountain Goat (C)
205 - Obliterate (R)
206 - Orcish Artillery (U)
207 - Panic Attack (C)
208 - Pardic Miner (R)
209 - Pyroclasm (U)
210 - Raging Goblin (C)
211 - Reflexes (C)
212 - Relentless Assalt (R)
213 - Scarred Puma (U)
214 - Seething Song (C)
215 - Seismic Spike (U)
216 - Shard Phoenyx (R)
217 - Shatter (C)
218 - Shivan Dragon (R)
219 - Shock (C)
220 - Shunt (R)
221 - Spellshock (U)
222 - Stone Rain (C)
223 - Sulfuric Vortex (R)
224 - Tephraderm (R)
225 - Threaten (U)
226 - Tor Giant (C)
227 - Volcanic Hammer (C)
228 - Vulshok Sorcerer (C)


GREEN

229 - Bequeathal (C)
230 - Canopy Spider (C)
231 - Cave Tiger (C)
232 - Centaur Glade (U)
233 - Child of Gaea (R)
234 - Civic Wayfinder (C)
235 - Creeping Mold (U)
236 - Dirtcowl Wurm (R)
237 - Dryad Sophisticate (U)
238 - Elvish Champion (R)
239 - Elvish Piper (R)
240 - Elvish Warrior (C)
241 - Enchantress Presence (R)
242 - Exploration (R)
243 - Explosive Vegetation (U)
244 - Fangren Hunter (C)
245 - Fangren Pathcutter (U)
246 - Fertile Ground (C)
247 - Gaea's Embrace (U)
248 - Glimpse of Nature (R)
249 - Grizzly Bears (C)
250 - Heartbeat of Spring (R)
251 - Karplusan Strider (U)
252 - King Cheetah (U)
253 - Ley Druid (C)
254 - Llanowar Elves (C)
255 - Loaming Shaman (R)
256 - Lure (U)
257 - Might of Oaks (R)
258 - Molder Slug (R)
259 - Natural Affinity (R)
260 - Naturalize (C)
261 - Natural Order (R)
262 - New Frontiers (R)
263 - Nourish (C)
264 - One With Nature (U)
265 - Order of the Sacred Bell (C)
266 - Overrun (U)
267 - Plated Slagwurm (R)
268 - Predator's Strike (C)
269 - Rabid Elephant (C)
270 - Ravenous Baloth (R)
271 - Recollect (U)
272 - Rootbreaker Wurm (U)
273 - Sakura-Tribe Elder (C)
274 - Shanodin Dryads (C)
275 - Silklash Spider (R)
276 - Silk Net (C)
277 - Silverglade Elemental (C)
278 - Skyshooter (U)
279 - Skyshroud Troll (U)
280 - Stalking Tiger (C)
281 - Sylvan Scrying (U)
282 - Tangle Asp (C)
283 - *Thornscape Familiar (U)
284 - Trained Armodon (C)
285 - Viridian Shaman (U)



ARTIFACTS

289 - Alladin's Ring (R)
290 - Angel's Feather (U)
291 - Ark of Blight (U)
292 - Bonesplitter (U)
293 - Book of Rass (R)
294 - Bottle Gnomes (U)
295 - Dancing Scimitar (U)
296 - Defense Grid (R)
297 - Demon's Horn (U)
298 - Dingus Egg (R)
299 - Distorting Lens (R)
300 - Dragon's Claw (U)
301 - Empyrial Plate (R)
302 - Ensnaring Bridge (R)
303 - Geth's Grimoire (U)
304 - Icy Manipulator (U)
305 - Journeyer's Kite (R)
306 - Kraken's Eye (U)
307 - Limestone Golem (U)
308 - Mesmeric Orb (R)
309 - Phyrexian Colossus (R)
310 - Phyrexian Hulk (U)
311 - Psychogenic Probe (R)
312 - Rackling (R)
313 - Sensei's Divining Top (R)
314 - Slagwurm Armor (U)
315 - Spellbook (U)
316 - Star Compass (U)
317 - Viseling (R)
318 - Wurm's Tooth (U)


LANDS

316 - Blood Crypt (R)
317 - Breeding Pool (R)
318 - Cloudpost (U)
319 - Dust Bowl (R)
320 - Godless Shrine (R)
321 - Hallowed Fountain (R)
322 - Overgrown Tomb (R)
323 - Quicksand (U)
324 - Sacred Foundry (R)
325 - Stalking Stones (U)
326 - Steam Vents (R)
327 - Stomping Ground (R)
328 - Temple Garden (R)
329 - Terramorphic Expanse (U)
330 - Watery Grave (R)
331 - Plains
332 - Plains
333 - Plains
334 - Plains
335 - Island
336 - Island
337 - Island
338 - Island
339 - Swamp
340 - Swamp
341 - Swamp
342 - Swamp
343 - Mountain
344 - Mountain
345 - Mountain
346 - Mountain
347 - Forest
348 - Forest
349 - Forest
350 - Forest

Color Guidelines

:

White

Blue

Black

Red

Green

Concepts and card choices explanations:

I see the Core Set as the basic structure of the entire game, providing the cards that will connect all the expansions, presenting the basic principles of the Color Wheel, and teaching the game and its several aspects to new players. I think it must be the most representative possible of the defining mechanics and philosophies of each color, being strictly oriented by the Color Wheel and leaving the "off-color" exceptions and the "top down" design to the more flexible expert-level expansions.

I consider that, as a teaching tool, the Core Set shall not avoid neither excessively expose some mechanics historically considered too complicated for new players, like trample, sacrifice and even double-strike. It must instead exposes the mechanics with the exact same regularity as they appear in the Color Pie, according to the color philosophies, their power levels, their impact in each tournament format, among others, but not for their rules complexity. Magic's already a complex game by nature, and some mechanics are so important to the game that they mustn't kept hide. I truly believe the better way to prevent any doubt is expose people to the causes behind it, never cover them up. I also consider that, if a mechanic is basic or recursive (i.e., if it isn't a block-related mechanic), it must be present in the Core Set.

Below is a list of some game mechanics that I feel are important to discuss, with their relative concepts and some of their representative cards. Many of the mechanics historically considered too complicated for a Core Set are presented in this fictional edition in higher card numbers and/or decreased card rarities than in previous real Core Set printings, due to its importance in the Color Pie and its capability in define the colors' aspects.


Ally and Enemy Colors:
Silver/White Knight and Sunscape Familiar; Flashfreeze and Escape Routes; Deathmark and Hate Weaver; Scarred Puma and Cryoclasm; Karplusan Strider and *Thornscape Familiar; Dual Lands.

The Color Pentagram was born together with the Magic game itself, long before the advent of the Color Wheel. Back in the time, cards like Tsunami and Flashfires, Lifeforce and Deathgrip, White Knight and Black Knight demonstrate that the world wasn't harmonic in Alpha. The hostility among colors opposed in the Pentagram where evident, and the affinity among the adjacent colors became clear because of that.

But even with all the rivalry among colors, the original Dual Lands existed in all color combinations, allowing strategies the most diverse possible. Even so, people knew that blue and red dislike a lot one another, and that white and black were mortal enemies. More than the Color Wheel (that was far from existence by the time), the game's flavor helped define the relationships of affection and enmity among colors.

Because of that, and of the amazing varied environments we see nowadays in Eternal and post-Ravnica Constructed formats, with their open and diversified manabases, I believe that would be healthy for the game preserve that diversification status, keeping the wide open manabases and using the tools the Color Wheel grant us to teach the concept of ally and enemy colors to the new players.

That said, the inclusion of enemy color hosers and allied color helpers is even more needed than it was in recent previous sets, since it'll be these cards that will ensure the learning of the concept to novice players. Under this aspect, I believe that cards that stress the concept alone are much more useful than cards that rely on other cards to do so. For exemple, read a Deathmark will give to the new player the perception that black doesn't like white and green with more ease than a single Execute or a single Slay, since it would be done at once. The exact opposite happens with Scarred Puma, that shows with clarity red's affinity for black and green. When opening a Flashfreeze and a Scape Routes in booster packs, a new player will have the exact feeling of which colors are blue's ally and which are its enemies. The same doesn't happen nowadays with Baleful Stare and Withering Gaze, for exemple.


Card Drawing:
Concentrate, Compulsive Research, Curiosity, Surveilling Sprite, Thieving Magpie, Trade Secrets, Treasure Trove, Thought Courrier, Night's Wisper, Phyrexian Arena, Syphom Mind, Fiery Gambit, Bequeathal, Enchantress Presence, Glimpse of Nature, Book of Rass, Geth's Grimoire, Limestone Golem, Sensei's Divining Top.

Trade Secrets, Concentrate, Counsel of the Soratami - Trade Secrets was the first card drawing spell chosen for the set, replacing Tidings due to its massive effect of four cards for three mana with a strong combo-enabler, yet interactive, element. Concentrate was a follow-up choice, as a plain and simple card draw effect, and Compulsive Research was chosen over Councel of the Soratami (a card more shaped to a Core Set) due to its increased playability and its sinergy with Territory main theme.


Counters (Markers) and Tokens:
Mobilization, Test of Faith, Centaur Glade, Dirtcowl Wurm
Under the modern design policy, markers and tokens were kept out of the Core Set until the 8th Edition, and in 9th they're still present but restricted. They may be in fact difficult abilities to new players learn, due to their amount of implied rules, but they're also important and very recursive mechanics to white and green, so they must be shown in the Core Set, yet in small numbers. I think one of each effect in each of the two colors in uncommon and rare slots are enough to make them representative without being confusing.
Note: Remedy was replaced by Soothing Balm to avoid an overlap with Test of Faith.


Cycles:

Master Apothecary, Patron Wizard, Lord of the Undead, Goblin King, Elvish Champion - A circle of tribal "build around" cards.
Note: In the case of Master Apothecary and Patron Wizard, these cards are so specialized that their abilities rarelly will have an significant impact for the matter of "critical mass" control.

Vigilance, Flight, Fear, Reflexes, Regeneration - A cycle of auras that give to creatures basic and common combat abilities, reinforcing the learning of each color combat strengh.

Spirit Link, Curiosity, One With Nature - A three-card cycle of one-mana creature enhancing auras with iconic abilities of each color that trigger in combat. A "wishlist" to this incomplete cycle may include a "specter" aura and an aura with and effect close to Laccolith Rig.

Steelshaper's Gift, Merchant Scroll, Diabolic Tutor, Sylvan Scrying - An incomplete cycle of color-aligned tutors that helps reinforce color affinities (for example, white's affinity for equipments and green's affinity for lands).

Angel's Feather, Kraken's Eye, Demon's Horn, Dragon's Claw, Wurm's Tooth - Luck charms were always nice teaching tools in basic, monocolored decks, and may even see some Constructed play due to Territory's monocolored sub-theme.


Double Strike:

Double Strike is the best example of a non block-related ability that, even with its complexity level, I think should appear in the Core Set. And there's no other card now better to introduce Double Strike to the newer and probably Timmy players than Dragon Tyrant, as the only card of that type in the set. It's rare, it's a creature virtually invincible in combat by any other creature in the set, it's huge, powerful and eye-brightening, and it's a great way to make new players learn (or ask for) and assimilate the ability. The reminder text of the ability could be addapted to resemble the first strike one, for purpose of clarification (Something like "this creature deals its combat damage before creatures without first strike and double strike, and then deals its combat damage as normal".).

Damage Redirection:
Zealous Inquisitor

Damage redirection is a mechanic exclusive of the white color, originated from its damage prevention mechanic. Its appearing is rare in the game, given direct damage is considered a red, and in a lesses extent, black ability. As white is the color of revenge, divine retribuition and unconditional justice, this flavor aspect explains the existence of the mechanic.


Flash:


Flying:


Land Destruction:


Land Search:


Landwalk:


Library Manipulation:


Life Gaining:


Protection:


Regeneration:


Remove from game:
Final Judgment, Ghostway, Reciprocate, Extract, Crypt Creeper, Planar Void, Yawgmoth's Agenda.

The Removed from the Game zone deliberately isn't mentioned in the Core Set for its rules complexity and its wide variety of game interactions. But it's at the same time a core concept to modern Magic, it's related to crucial white and black mechanics ("flickering", Swords to Plowshares-like effects and graveyard control), and it needs more clarification with the advent of Moonruling, as the Removed from the Game zone is an important theme of it.

So, as with the Double Strike example, I think that some cards with interactions with the RfG zone must be included in the set in uncommon and rare slots, to familiarize new players with the concept.


Sacrifice:
Cruel Edict, Crypt Creeper, Grave Pact, Nantuko Husk, Ball Lightning, Blood Rites, Burning Sands, Fling, Mogg Fanatic, Hearth Kami, Longhorn Firebeast, Minotaur Explorer, Pardic Miner, Dragon Tyrant, Shard Phoenix, Child of Gaea, Molder Slug, Natural Order, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Bottle Gnomes, Limestone Golem.

As one of the most basic game's concepts is the trade and transformation of resources, I think the sacrifice mechanic is a great way to apply that concept, functional and flavorwise. The majority of sacrifice effects is found respectively on Red, Black, Green, White, and Blue.

Red is the color of short-term thinking, and that philosophy explains its higher count of sacrificing effects compared to other Magic colors. Red throws away its resources for immediate effects. As this philosophy is so defining to Red's portion of the Color Wheel, it couldn't be difficult understand the high count of sacrificing effects even at common slots.

Black's the second color at sacrificing effects, due to its amorality and its continuous quest for power themes. Black believes that the ends justify the odds, and is confortable at trade its resources for powerful effects. This theme of unconditional quest for power may help to teach many of Black's streights and weaknesses.

Green and White share a philosophy of community and collective thinking. Yet both are defined as colors that celebrate and preserve life, they have a strong sense of unity, and both belive the greater good comes before the individual needings. Because of it, they don't hesitate in sacrifice the individual for the collective. White is more creature/player oriented, representing its social-driven aspect. Green cares about nature as a whole, commonly sacrificing resources for more resources. So, there may be some sacrifice effects among the two colors, yet in a few number.

Blue is the lesser inclined to sacrifice resources among colors, due to its philosophy of accumulate them. Blue cares about progress and planning, and tends to not spend any kind of resource unless it's totally necessary. So, no sacrifice effects are needed in Blue in the Core Set.


Counters (Spell Cancelling):
Cancel, Desertion, Dismiss, Flashfreeze, Patron Wizard, Remove Soul, Stifle.


Taxing:


Trample:

When we think about a green ability, which ability comes quickly to mind? I guess trample is one of the first, if not the first, ability that come. Trample is an ability so firmly tied to green as are fear to black or haste to red. Furthermore, trample is the only kind of evasive combat ability green owns, as opposed to all other four colors. With that in mind, I totally disagree with the restriction of trample to the Core Set's common slots. There's many creatures that could fit nice in these slots, plain and simple trampling creatures like Wild Elephant/Argothian Swine, Fangren Hunter or Giant Warthog. I also think it's necessary introduce some guidelines for trampling creatures' inclusion in the Core Set:

-The trample ability implies that the creature is big, strong and able to pass over weaker and smaller creatures, so the trampling creature needs a power ratio of at least 3 or greater;
-Flavorful common trampling creature types may include wurms, beasts, elephants, elementals and other types of mighty, huge creatures;
-Wurms, and Elementals in a lesser extent, would be the iconic types of green big creatures, occupying the same role in green than Angels in White or Dragons in Red, so they're kept at the uncommon and rare slots;
-Creatures with power greater than 5 have a significant impact in the game once they're in play, along with a strong Timmy appeal, so its un-recommended use these creatures as commons. Impacting cards only remain impacting if they aren't frequent and trivial.

***

Angelic Protector
I always felt the protective ability of this card looks very white, and should even be a defining white mechanic in the color pie. It also works well with the card Abnegation, from Territory, wich makes possible the appereance of a Life.dec-style standard deck. Plus, the card is an angel and has flying.

Armor of Faith
Chosen over Holy Streigth for its protective flavor and colored mana intensive activation cost, a nice fit with Territory block's "play as many lands you can" theme. It's also supplies the need for some simple good +0+1 pumping effect in white.

Aven Cloudchaser
Was the winner in a clash with Kami of Anciente Law. Kami seens much more playable, but a common creature with an enchantment removal ability was needed at common, and the Kami coudn't be a common 'cause sacrifice appears just a few in white's part of the color pie. Plus, it would impracticate the inclusion of the staple vanilla Glory Seeker in the set. The aven also increases white's spectrum of available creature types, fits better in tribal strategies and makes a kind of mirror with Viridian Shaman.

Ballista Squad
This card fits two major roles in the set: fits a "ballista" ability creature uncommon slot, and an uncommon "X cost" slot. The "X cost" slot would be Alabaster Potion, but that will overlap with Soothing Balm and Remedy. The Squad was chosen over Heavy Ballista and Rain of Blades.

Blessed Orator
A Castle effect is always needed in white, and that card turned in a staple in that role: it fits in white's community theme, in the clerics tribal theme, and in the high thougness defensive creature role.

Crossbow Infantry
Basic one.

Demystify
A defining card, fitting in white's enchantment removal theme.

Diving Griffin
That and Razorfoot Griffin were chosen to stress white's goodness at small, eficient creatures, showing a plethora of white combat abilities at a relative low cost. It also helps define griffins as a white creature type at their majority.

Final Judgment
It's replacing Wrath of God. That one is an historical format-defining card whith an undescosted and much powered board-cleaner effect. WoG is the king of white's sweeper spells, and it drives the manner the color plays for years. The absence of WoG may do a shift in white's playability, opening space for more cards to play in constructed decks, like the life gaining and taxing ones.

Final Judgment is less aggressively costed, but has a huger game effect, and fits well mechanically and flavorfully in white's color pie. It also works fine with Moonruling block's "removing from the game" theme and is an answer to indestructible creatures in Territory and Moonruling.

Ghostly Prison
Propaganda seens to be the major game's taxing effect to me. Prison was chosen over Windborn Muse to make possible a kind of white lockdown strategy, slowing down fast opponents while prepare for the board cleaning. Prison over Muse also makes possible to include Glowrider in the set, allowing a higher variety of taxing strategies in it.

Ghost Warden
The earlier lists made white tied with blue in the number of flying creatures, so Ghost Warden was added replacing Angelic Page, to help decrease that number. The Page/Warden fits the "+1+1 pump" white role.

Ghostway
Since "flickering" was defined as a white ability, the color demands a card that makes it in a defining and basic way, and Ghostway is the first card printed to do so. The first attempt to put flickering in the set was with Otherwordly Journey, but that seemed too similar to Test of Faith and would increase so much the number of "+1+1 counter" spells in white and in the set.

Gift of Estates
Tithe effects are counterbalance to Armageddon effects in white's equilibrium theme, and Gift of Estates is the current replacement to Tithe. It also helps defend against land destruction strategies, and has great sinergy with Territory block's both main and sub themes, play many lands ands library manipulation.

Glorious Anthem

Glory Seeker

Glowrider
Together with Ghostly Prison and Suppression Field it makes the white's taxing spells contingent of the set. It also powers up white's weenie strategy and the clerics tribal theme.

Holy Day
Basic one.

Ivory Mask
Fits white's rules enforcement theme, along with Loxodon Gatekeeper and Rule of Law.

Kami of Old Stone


Loxodon Gatekeeper
See Ivory Mask.

Master Decoy


Master Apothecary
Fits the set's "buid around" cycle of tribal lord creatures, together with Patron Wizard, Lord of the Undead, Goblin King and Elvish Champion.

Mitral Charger
Replacing Leonin Skyhunter as the two mana, two power white creature of the set to open space for other two-white-mana knights, White and Silver Knights.

Mobilization
The removal of Verdant Force from the set opened space for another creature token producer at rare, and Mobilization was chosen due to its constructed and limited playability potential, along with other white flavors: weenie creatures, soldiers, and vigilance.

Mother of Runes]
Since protection from colors is an exclusive and iconic white ability, Mother of Runes was chosen for being the most iconic of all creatures with protection abilities, besides Paladin en-Vec. It was raised in rarity due to its hosing potential in limited games and, in a lesser extent, for the possibility to constantly give protection to nonwhite creatures with relatively ease.

Pacifism
Basic one.

Pious Warrior
Spirit Link is another white staple mechanic, but in lower power levels than protection. A common creature with the ability was needed, and yet the abitily on the Warrior doesn't read the full spirit link ability, the flavor on it looks fine.

Presence of the Wise
Gerrard's Wisdom and Presence of the Wise are both among white's most massive life gaining spells, and both have a strong potential of playability and history. They also have great sinergy with white ally's card drawer color, blue, and with Moonruling hand size theme. White's life gaining theme is also being explicited in the set.

Razorfoot Griffin
See Diving Griffin.

Reciprocate
As the third color at spot creature removal, white needed one or two flavorful removal spells, and options include Chastise, Reprisal, Condemn and Reciprocate. My personal choose felt over Condemn and Reciprocate, which more resembles the iconic Swords to Plowshares, in a more balanced way. But put a creature on a players' library doesn't looks a white ability to put in a Core Set for me, even with the retaliation flavor, so I chose Reciprocate. It also helps support the flavor of Final Judgment and the concept of "holy vengeance" in white's color pie.

Remedy(needs replacement with the adition of Test of Faith): That's replacing Meddling Hands due to its greater playability potential. I fear a bit of overlap between Remedy and Soothing Balm, but the two may be faced as sides of the same coin: life gaining and damage prevention. Since Alabastar Potion wasn't included in the set, the vacant is free.

Reverse the Sands
That's an interesting fix to another historical and iconic card, Mirror Universe. It fits white's multiplayer-aligned rare slot.

Rule of Law

Samite Healer: Staple.

Savannah Lions: Staple.


Second Sunrise: Replacing Sacred Ground to able Territory's "land hosing" subtheme.

Seraph: Fits white's iconic creature role (Angels) and white's rebirthing theme.

Serra Angel: Staple.

Serra Zealot: One or more 1/1's for 1 with relevant combat abilities are much needed in white, given it's the color of eficient weenie creatures. That's the major reason I chose Suntail Hawk and Serra Zealot to fit that role, alongside with some subtler issues. For the Zealot they are: raise the count of first striker creatures in white, as well as the number of common soldiers; and add a throwback element to the set, introducing the historical character Serra, and reinforcing the fact that Serra isn't the name of Serra Angel in the process. I consider the addition of some game's history elements in the set very important, given it may lend many players to research to get deeper in the game's flavor.

Silver Knight: White's the best color at protection and first striker creatures; fits white's weenie and soldiers/knights/clerics tribal themes; fits enemy colors hoser role.

Soul Warden:

Spirit Link: A conceptual card, fits white's life gaining theme.

Standing Troops: Replacing Leonin Prowler due to its lack of flying, keeping white in second at number of flyers; fits white's soldiers/knights/clerics tribal theme.

Steelshaper's Gift: It may help define white's militar theme and its equipment affinity. Additionally, it gives white an specific type of library manipulation, helping to allow more white Constructed decks with this important Territory subtheme. It also take part in a four-card cycle of tutoring effects, alongside with Merchant Scroll, Diabolic Tutor and Sylvan Scrying.

Story Circle: The coexistence of Story Circle and Circles of Protection in the Core Set always seem an odd issue to me, given all of them assume a very similar function, and many times were excludent one with anothers. As all CoPs are been included in Moonruling, Story Circle is assuming the entire role. Additionally, White's gaining several other ways to slow down fast opponents in the form of a higher number of taxing, life gaining and damage prevention spells, so a bunch of CoPs aren't needed at that time. The enemy color hosers are also been changed from two defensive to two most offensive ones, creating a strategy shift in the color. Aditionally, the Circle has a colored mana intensive activation cost, wich fits nice with Territory block.

Suntail Hawk: See Serra Zealot. Suntail Hawk was chosen over Lantern Kami to expand the creature type spectrum of the color, and bird is a creature type equally found in white and blue. And introduce another history element in the same slot in the set looks like overkill.

Suppression Field: Fits white's taxing theme.

Tempest of Light: Fits white's enchantment removal theme.

Test of Faith

Venerable Monk

Vigilance

Warrior's Honor: Fits white's collective creature enhancing theme.

White Knight: White's the best color at protection and first striker creatures; fits white's weenie and soldiers/knights/clerics tribal themes; fits enemy colors hoser role.

Worship

Youthful Knight: Plain and simple creature to fit in white's first striker weenie creatures niche. It also fits in the color's tribal theme.