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This set actually consisted of two separate print runs. The first print
run was called the Alpha printing. This print run consisted
of 2.6 million cards. It was first released at GenCon in August 1993 and
sold out by late September 1993. This print run had 295 cards in the set.
The second print run was called the Beta printing. It
consisted of 7.8 million cards. It was released in October 1993 and sold
out by December 1993. Seven new cards were added to the set, bringing the
total set size to 302 cards. These cards were: Circle of Protection: Black,
Volcanic Island, and one new piece of art for each of the 5 basic lands.
Both print runs were done with black borders.
You can tell the print runs apart because the Alpha print run was
cut so that the corners of the card had a wide, circular shape (about a
2mm radius arc). The Beta print run was cut like the rest of the
Magic expansion cards have been cut since, with a much smaller cut.
The 302 card set's breakdown by rarity looks like this:
| Alpha | Beta |
| 116 Rares | 117 Rares |
| 95 Uncommons | 95 Uncommons |
| 74 Commons | 75 Commons |
| 10 Land | 15 Land |
Note: Due to the printing process, it is possible to get land cards in a
rare, uncommon, or common card slot. The chance is approximately 3.31%
for rares, 21.5% for uncommons and 38.02% for commons. This is because
they put lands on all three printed sheets.
In the Alpha printing, 23 cards had errors which were corrected in the
Beta printing. These cards are:
| Basalt Monolith | Card text changed |
| Birds of Paradise | Card text changed |
| Channel | Card text changed |
| Circle of Prot.: Red | Artist name corrected |
| Cyclopean Tomb | Casting cost added |
| Death Ward | Artist name corrected |
| Demonic Hordes | 'B's changed to black mana symbols |
| Drain Life | 'B' changed to black mana symbol |
| Elvish Archers | Combat values changed |
| Force of Nature | 'G's changed to green mana symbols |
| Icy Manipulator | Card text changed |
| Island Sanctuary | Card text changed |
| Karma | Card text changed |
| Mana Short | Card text changed |
| Orcish Artillery | Casting cost changed |
| Orcish Oriflamme | Casting cost changed |
| Phantasmal Forces | 'U' changed to blue mana symbol |
| Red Elemental Blast | Changed from Instant to Interrupt |
| Rock Hydra | Card text changed |
| Sedge Troll | Artist name corrected |
| Tropical Island | Artist name corrected |
| Twiddle | Card text changed |
| Unsummon | Card text changed |
The print run was announced by Wizards to be 10.4 million cards.
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