The Magic Librarities

I've heard from several places that Ice Age was the first expansion to be released in French & German.

The non-English Ice Age cards all have a copyright date of 1996.

The Renaissance cards all have a copyright date of 1995, and research shows that they were released in August 1995.


Either the Ice Age cards were released in 1995 with a 1996 date, OR Ice Age is not the first expansion released in French & German.

Which is it?

Tav

There are some features on the cards that indicate Foreign Ice Age was printed in 1996 after Renaissance:

1. The copyright lines of foreign Ice Age cards are slightly smaller as normal and the C in the (C) symbol is serifless. Other sets with these were the Quick Starter/Introductory 2-Players Set, Japanese 4th Edition, and Foreign Alliances. As even English Alliances has the date 1996, I'd say foreign Ice Age was printed after that.

2. Foreign Ice Age shows the digitally overworked mana symbols and card frames.

3. Renaissance still has dark colors similar to FBB and old mana symbols (however round i dots).

Hi Tav

According to my sources here in France, Renaissance was released on the First of May 1995, I don't know if it was the same date for German and Italian Renaissance. It was not considered as an Extension but a Reprint set.
https://archive.wizards.com/magic/gener ... r_Ger.html
https://archive.wizards.com/magic/gener ... alian.html

English Ice Age was released in early June, 1995, I need to verify when the French version Ere Glaciaire was released.

Therefore Renaissance was released before Ice Age as a Reprint set, but Ice age was indeed the first extension

Hi Tav

According from Lotus Noir Magazine Issue 5, French Ice Age release announcement was set for March 1996. Hope this help

dragsamou wrote:Hi Tav

According from Lotus Noir Magazine Issue 5, French Ice Age release announcement was set for March 1996. Hope this help

That's interesting.
Homelands was released in October 1995. It is said to have been the first set which was simultaneously released in all languages.

If French Ice Age was not released until March of 1996, then Ice Age would not be the first expansion released in French.

Things don't match up.

cataclysm80 wrote:

dragsamou wrote:Hi Tav

According from Lotus Noir Magazine Issue 5, French Ice Age release announcement was set for March 1996. Hope this help

That's interesting.
Homelands was released in October 1995. It is said to have been the first set which was simultaneously released in all languages.

If French Ice Age was not released until March of 1996, then Ice Age would not be the first expansion released in French.

Things don't match up.

Hi Tav

For that specific topic, I rely on the help of others French contacts, as I don't collect French cards, except extremely few specific Edition, Extension or Promos. I do not own the Lotus Noir No5 where the info came from. I agree with you something is not right, I guess more hunting will be necessary as there's no info about it over the internet. I will let you know as soon as I get some news, please be patient.

For that specific topic, I rely on the help of others French contacts, as I don't collect French cards, except extremely few specific Edition, Extension or Promos.

As a Frenchman, here is my humble contribution to this topic : I can clearly remember buying my first "Ere Glaciaire" (French Ice Age) booster/starter packs from a shop in Geneva back in spring 1996. It was the first standalone for MTG and its release a big event for people around. It was also the golden age of the game and the boxes quickly sold out, with kids looking for some Necropotences and Jester's caps (do you remember this era when some days it was nearly impossible to enter the shops because of all the people blocking the entrance with their opened binders, involved in some intense transaction ?). In the meantime, the "Terres Natales" (French Homelands) booster packs were available for a while in the shops (with the incredible success that we know) so I can confirm without many doubts that Ice Age was not the first expansion for Magic translated in French. As far As I know, it should be Homelands (or Renaissance which is usually considered a reprint as it was said by dragsamou).

Alifromcairo wrote:

For that specific topic, I rely on the help of others French contacts, as I don't collect French cards, except extremely few specific Edition, Extension or Promos.

As a Frenchman, here is my humble contribution to this topic : I can clearly remember buying my first "Ere Glaciaire" (French Ice Age) booster/starter packs from a shop in Geneva back in spring 1996. It was the first standalone for MTG and its release a big event for people around. It was also the golden age of the game and the boxes quickly sold out, with kids looking for some Necropotences and Jester's caps (do you remember this era when some days it was nearly impossible to enter the shops because of all the people blocking the entrance with their opened binders, involved in some intense transaction ?). In the meantime, the "Terres Natales" (French Homelands) booster packs were available for a while in the shops (with the incredible success that we know) so I can confirm without many doubts that Ice Age was not the first expansion for Magic translated in French. As far As I know, it should be Homelands (or Renaissance which is usually considered a reprint as it was said by dragsamou).

Thanks for confirming, again WOTC provides wrong info as usual.
Ice Age was the first Magic expansion that was released in French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Thanks for the info!