How many unique Magic cards are there in 2024?
As a long-time Magic player and self-proclaimed card connoisseur, I get asked this question a lot by new players just getting into the game – "How many unique Magic cards are there in 2024?".
The answer might surprise you: over 50,000 unique Magic cards and counting! That‘s a lot of cardboard to collect my friends!
In this in-depth guide, I‘ll break down exactly how this number is calculated, analyze factors causing it to grow so rapidly, and predict where it might be heading in the years to come. Strap in – we‘re going on a journey across the entire MTG multiverse!
Defining "Unique": Oracle Text, Languages and Alternate Versions
First, what counts as a "unique" Magic card? For collectors and players, it comes down to 3 key attributes:
1. The Oracle Text: This is the rules text that defines a card‘s function. Cards with identical Oracle text are considered functionally the same.
2. Language: Printings in English, Japanese, Russian etc. are considered unique.
3. Alternate Versions: Foils, alternate art, promos etc. Count too!
So if we look just at Standard English cards, there are around 20,000 truly unique cards. But that number balloons when we factor in other languages and versions!
Current Count of Unique Cards
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| Standard English Cards | ~20,000 |
| + Foreign Language Printings | ~25,000 |
| + Alternate Art Reprints | ~30,000 |
| + Foil Versions | Over 50,000! |
As you can see, including all aspects that make printings distinct, the estimated number of unique Magic cards has now easily surpassed 50,000!
Hundreds More Added Every Year: Understanding Reprints and New Sets
So how did we get over 50 grand in the first place? Two words – new sets!
Wizards of the Coast (WotC) constantly releases new MTG card sets to keep the game fresh. Typically 3 main Standard sets plus supplementary products get added every year.
Just days ago, the new Phyrexia: All Will Be One set launched with over 300 shiny new cards for players to enjoy. And hundreds more will come in 2024‘s March of the Machine, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and other upcoming sets!
Plus, reprint sets add existing cards, like old favorites from Dominaria or famous lands from Unhinged, back into circulation with new art.
Bottom line: Hundreds of new-to-MTG cards enter the fray every single year!
Magic Card Releases Per Year
| Set Type | Average Per Year |
|---|---|
| Standard Expansions | 3 |
| Supplementary (Masters, etc.) | 2+ |
| Total New Cards | 500+ |
So by my back of the envelope math, we‘re looking at the unique card count rising by around 5-10% every single year! No wonder the number is so staggeringly high.
Alternate Art and Languages: Factoring in Collectibility
Now I‘ve been focusing mostly on Oracle text so far. But as any real Magic enthusiast knows, we LOVE our blinged out alternate art cards! After all,moxen aren‘t moxen if they don‘t have the gorgeously bizarre art that captures Magic‘s essence.
These specialty printings are hugely important for collectibility, trade value and visual appeal. And Wizards has gone into overdrive printing amazing exclusives in recent years.
Lair drops, Secretversary editions, Japan alt-arts…so many types that it‘ll make the veteran Vorthos squeal with joy!
And though rules-wise they may be identical cards, collectors consider each distinct piece of art as its own unique entity.
Same for the multitude of languages Magic gets printed in. My Spanish, Russian and Japanese printings occupy a special spot in the old collection. Technically redundant, but they add an intangible charm that arouses the hoarder spirit!
So if we purely talk collectible appeal rather than strict functionality, these alternate arts and foreign tongues easily double or triple the count of "unique" MTG cards out there waiting to be snapped up!
Notable Recent Reprints and Alternate Versions
- Phyrexia: All Will Be One Variants – Alt-art cards, Etched foils
- Secret Lair Drops – Featuring fan-favorites with new art
- Double Masters 2022 – Foils and borderless treatments
- Foreign Language Printings – Zendikar Rising, Streets of New Capenna
Projecting the Future: Where Is MTG‘s Card Count Headed?
If I had to gaze into my crystal ball and make some predictions…
I foresee the unique Magic card count steadily continuing its climb upwards over 50k.
Wizards has demonstrated no signs of slowing down set releases, so hundreds of oracle-unique cards will keep entering the fold each year.
Simultaneously, they‘ve mastered the art of reprinting staples with exotic alternate art to send collectors into a frenzy. Based on player reactions and sales momentum, they‘ll be incentivized produce more special versions than ever before!
So whether we tally using collectability or strict functionality as criteria, all arrows point towards the total unique Magic card count soaring well past the current 50k over the next 5 years.
I‘d expect 58-60k unique cards to exist by late 2028 – an absolutely staggering plethora of cardboard!
Of course, this glut presents challenges too. More reprints means declining long term value on non-reserved cards. And it exacerbates confusion for new players struggling to decipher an already byzantine game.
But for the true blue Vorthos collector like myself, our life goal is to collect it all – so bring it on Wizards! My storage lockers and credit card can handle anything you throw our way. We live eternal…one card at a time!
