The Dark (Magic: The Gathering)
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| Released | December 1993 | ||
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| Size | 92 cards (78 unique: 27 commons and 51 uncommons) | ||
| Print run | 5,000,000 | ||
| Keywords | None new | ||
| Mechanics | Lands with abilities, djinns and efreets, metagame effects, coin-flip effects | ||
| Designers | Richard Garfield | ||
| Developers | Jim Lin, Chris Page, Dave Pettey, Skaff Elias | ||
| Development code | Arabian Nights | ||
| Expansion code | ARN (AN) | ||
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| Released | March 1994 | ||
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| Size | 100 cards (41 commons and 59 uncommons) | ||
| Print run | 15,000,000 | ||
| Keywords | None new | ||
| Mechanics | Artifacts, artifact effects |
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| Designers | Skaff Elias, Jim Lin, Dave Petty, Joe Mick, and Chris Page | ||
| Development code | Antiquities | ||
| Expansion code | ATQ (AQ) | ||
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| Released | June 1994 | ||
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| Size | 310 cards | ||
| Print run | 35,000,000 | ||
| Keywords | Bands with other, Rampage |
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| Mechanics | Legendary permanents, Enchant Worlds, Multicolor cards |
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| Designers | Steve Conard and Robin Herbert | ||
| Developers | Skaff Elias, Jim Lin, Chris Page, Dave Pettey | ||
| Development code | Legends | ||
| Expansion code | LEG (LE) | ||
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Eclipsed Moon
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| Released | August 1994 |
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| Size | 119 cards |
| Print run | 63,000,000 or 75,000,000 |
| Mechanics | Sacrifice, Tribal, Poison |
| Designers | Previous Set = Legends |
| Development code | The Dark |
| Expansion code | DRK (DK) |
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| Released | November 1994 | ||
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| Size | 102 cards (functionally different) / 187 cards (counting distinct artwork) |
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| Print run | 350–375 million | ||
| Keywords | None new | ||
| Mechanics | Creature tokens, "Tribal" creature types, Counters |
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| Designers | Skaff Elias, Jim Lin, Dave Petty and Chris Page | ||
| Development code | Fallen Empires | ||
| Expansion code | FEM (FE) | ||
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| Released | July 1995 | ||
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| Size | 116 cards/ 125 cards (counting diff. artwork) |
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| Expansion code | CHR | ||
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Globe of Ulgrotha
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| Released | October 1995 | ||
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| Size | 115 cards, 140 including different artwork | ||
| Keywords | None new | ||
| Mechanics | None new | ||
| Designers | Scott Hungerford and Kyle Namvar | ||
| Developers | Jim Lin, Chris Page, Dave Pettey, Skaff Elias | ||
| Expansion code | HML (HL) | ||
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The collectible card game Magic: The Gathering published seven expansion sets from 1993–1995, and one compilation set. These sets contained new cards that "expanded" on the base sets of Magic with their own mechanical theme and setting; these new cards could be played on their own, or mixed in with decks created from cards in the base sets. With Magic's runaway success, many of the printings of these early sets were too small to satisfy the rapidly growing fanbase. Cards from them became rare, hard to find, and expensive. It was not until Fallen Empires and Homelands that Wizards of the Coast was able to print enough cards to meet demand; additionally, Wizards of the Coast published Chronicles, a reprint set that helped fix many of the scarcity issues with the earliest sets.
In 1995, Magic would adopt a new paradigm: "blocks" of expansion sets. Multiple expansions would all take place in the same setting, and progress a storyline. This was first seen with Ice Age into Alliances, and evolved into a form that would last for many years in 1996–1997 with Mirage, Visions, and Weatherlight.
Arabian Nights was the first Magic: The Gathering expansion set, published in 1993. The set is composed entirely of new cards. The expansion symbol of Arabian Nights is a scimitar.
The setting of Arabian Nights is inspired by the themes and characters of the Thousand and One Arabian Nights with some of the characters and places coming directly from these tales. The Arabian Nights also provides the flavor text for most of the cards in the set. Arabian Nights stands out as being one of the only two card sets primarily based on public domain real-world fiction (the other being Portal Three Kingdoms), as opposed to other card sets based on settings created exclusively for Magic.
Richard Garfield, Magic creator, acted as the sole designer for the set, and developed it in parallel with other teams working on what would become Ice Age and Mirage. The Ice Age design team, composed of Jim Lin, Chris Page, Dave Pettey, and Skaff Elias, was called upon to become the development team for Arabian Nights as well, but instead of playtesting the set they managed only to submit some comments because their schedule was so tight. At that point in Magic's development, the role of expansions was relatively undefined, and Garfield intended for Arabian Nights cards to bear a purple and gold back that would allow players to exclude Arabian Nights from their games. In his article, "The Making of Arabian Nights", Garfield cites this as his inspiration to "be more adventurous in creating mechanics and themes".
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Wikipedia