After three sets in the
Portal block,
Starter was
Wizards of the Coast's fourth major attempt at a "Starter Level" set that new players could come into the game and understand. Most of its cards were reprints of cards already available (many of them from the Portal block sets). But it also contained 26 new cards, created just for the release.
Starter cards were available in a fixed-deck game, randomized boosters and 5 preconstructed decks (one for each color). The starter game came with two decks, two playmats, a step-by-step play guide, and a simplified version of the
Magic: The Gathering rule-book. The starter-game contained eight cards which weren't available in the boosters.
Starter had a short print run, and has become very difficult to find. It was replaced with
Starter 2000 less than a year later.
Starter 2000' was very unusual in that it contained identical reprints of
6th Edition cards, while other cards in the set were essentially reprints of
Starter 1999 cards, without an expansion symbol. Like other
Starter level products, the set contained bare vanilla creatures, simple sorceries, and basic lands.
Starter 2000 was only released in a series of theme decks, and has become very hard to find due to its limited print run and sales. Also adding to its appeal for experienced players and making it harder to find, each pack contained a rare
5th Edition City of Brass, which was, and in many formats still is, essential to many tournament decks. Each theme deck shipped with a CD-ROM that gave new players step by step instruction to learn the game of
Magic, using the cards that they unpacked as a guide. The theme decks also contained limited edition promo foil cards from
Nemesis, Rhox, with alternate art that would be later used in
10th Edition. The next release of the
Starter product line was included under the
7th Edition banner, known as
7th Edition Starter, and would contain similar theme decks. ==Mechanics==