1993 Pink Playtest Cards
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:54 am
Info on Alpha Playtest cards can be found at this link.
http://www.magiclibrarities.net/955-rar ... index.html
Towards the end of Alpha playtesting, some playtesters began designing and developing their own card sets. These playtest cards are small and similar to the Alpha Playtest cards. Ice Age, Menagerie, and Spectral Chaos are sets that began playtesting during this time frame. (maybe other unknown sets also?)
Frequently, these Playtest cards reuse the names of Alpha Playtest cards, but the abilities have been changed to create a new card. (eventually, the playtest card would be given a new name before being printed as a real card)
In 1993, Ice Age contained many reprints from Alpha. The set was put on hold because it had too many reprints and players wanted new cards.
Menagerie eventually became the sets Mirage & Visions.
Spectral Chaos was never released, but many of its concepts were used in other sets, particularly Invasion.
Arabian Nights and Antiquities Playtest cards came later, and they are larger, about the size of real cards.
The picture below is a generalization of time frame that each style of playtest card was used.
Here are some Pink colored Playtest Cards from that mid 1993 timeframe between Alpha and Arabian Nights.
I've compared each card to all of the real Ice Age, Mirage, & Visions cards in an attempt to figure out what each of these Playtest cards eventually became (if anything).
Note: To make these playtest cards easier to read, I have sized these images so that they are similar to actual card size. In reality, they are small like the Alpha playtest cards.
Another Note: I realize that some of these playtest cards look like they're a different color in their picture, but I'm 100% sure that they are actually the same. These cards are all from a single playtester, were in the same deck together, and were made together of the same materials. These images are all grabbed from photos he shared of the cards, and some of the photos have different lighting and were better quality. I've seen some of them in person, and in real life, they all have the same pink color.
This Playtest card is not like any real cards. It seems to be based on Alpha Siren's Call. Ice Age does have a card named Battle Cry, but it is nothing like this card. The idea stuck around though, as Taunt in Portal sort of resembles this card (or maybe it resembles Siren's Call).
Brainstorm is a well known card that was printed in Ice Age, but a closer look at this playtest card reveals that it is much more similar to Dream Cache from Mirage.
Nothing compares to this. This was not made into a real card.
This is based on Alpha Cursed Land, but was not made in Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions.
Not a perfect match, but this playtest card resembles Dwarven Miner in Mirage more than any other real card.
Not a perfect match, but Red direct damage spells with an X casting cost were made in both Ice Age & Mirage. The Fireblast name was used on a Visions card, but that card is nothing like this playtest card.
This was based on Alpha Firebreathing, which was simply reprinted in Mirage. Ice Age had a card called Stonehands, but it's noticeably different from this playtest card.
This playtest card was good enough that it seems to have crossed over into another set. Though The Dark had not yet been conceived, Fire Drake was printed there before Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions were released. This playtest card seems to have eventually become Spitting Drake in Visions.
This playtest card seems to be based on Alpha Gloom, but was not made in Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well, but it's sort of similar to Avalanche in Ice Age. The Hail Storm name was later used in Alliances, but that card is nothing like this playtest card.
This seems to be based on Alpha Healing Salve. While Healing Salve was reprinted in Mirage, a closer look at this playtest card reveals that it is more similar to Remedy from Visions. There are also some similarities to Mangara's Blessing in Mirage.
This was based on Alpha Benalish Hero. It became Kjeldoran Warrior in Ice Age.
This was based on Alpha Plateau. Remember that this playtesting happened while the Alpha cards were being printed, so dual lands hadn't been removed from the core set yet, and could have been printed in Ice Age or Mirage if those sets had been released sooner. As it is, neither Ice Age, Mirage, nor Visions have lands that produce only Red & White mana.
Not a perfect match, but this playtest card has Flanking, which should be a Menagerie ability. There were several white 2/2 knights with Flanking printed in Mirage & Visions. It's also similar to Riftmarked Knight & Night of the Holy Nimbus, which both came much later.
This was based on Alpha Holy Strength. It's most similar to Armor of Faith in Ice Age.
Interestingly, the creature type on the playtest card is an Artifact Spirit. Though the real card was printed as only an Artifact, the Oracle text for this card shows it as an Artifact Spirit.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well, but it's sort of similar to Warping Wurm in Mirage.
This seems to be based on Alpha Phantasmal Terrain. Of the cards in Ice Age, Mirage, & Visions, it's most similar to Illusionary Terrain from Ice Age.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well at all. It's rules text is basically meaningless. I can only imagine that it would somehow provide mana or make spell casting easier. The closest match is probably Jeweled Amulet from Ice Age, for having Amulet in the card name. Ventifact Bottle in Mirage & Helm of Awakening in Visions also have sort of similar effects.
This was based on Alpha Prodigal Sorcerer. A closer look at this playtest card reveals the 0/1 power/toughness, making this card most similar to Suq'Ata Firewalker from Mirage. It's also similar to Zuran Spellcaster in Ice Age, but that card is 1/1 like Prodigal Sorcerer.
This seems to be based on Alpha Natural Selection, but a closer look at this playtest card reveals that it is much more similar to Preferred Selection from Mirage. It's also sort of similar to Sylvan Library in Legends.
This seems to be based on Alpha War Mammoth. Not a perfect match, but this playtest card resembles Wild Elephant in Mirage more than any other real card. Woolly Mammoths in Ice Age is also sort of similar, but doesn't match as well as Wild Elephant.
This card is most similar to Seizures in Ice Age. It's also similar to Mind Whip in Ice Age.
This was based on Alpha Power Sink, which was simply reprinted in both Ice Age and Mirage.
This playtest card is not like any real cards. The most similar card is Stampede from Ice Age.
This was based on Alpha Regeneration, which was simply reprinted in both Ice Age and Mirage.
This card was not made. It's most similar to Phyrexian Vault in Mirage.
This was based on Alpha Frozen Shade. It's most similar to Hoar Shade in Ice Age and Fetid Horror in Mirage.
This was based on Alpha Soul Net, but was not made in Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions.
This card was not made. It's most similar to Mundungu in Visions.
I'm pretty sure the playtest card name was intended to be Spellblaster, but there's a typo. Spellbaster is funny. I can just imagine Phil & Kaja Foglio artwork for a card named Spellbaster.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well, but it's sort of similar to Wall of Pine Needles in Ice Age.
Not a perfect match, but this playtest card has Flanking, which should be a Menagerie ability. It's most similar to Cadaverous Knight in Mirage.
This card is similar to Dire Wolves in Ice Age, and also reminds me of Master of the Hunt in Legends.
This was based on Alpha Unsummon. It's similar to Word of Undoing in Ice Age, and also Boomerang in Legends & Mirage. It's also sort of similar to Undo in Visions.
http://www.magiclibrarities.net/955-rar ... index.html
Towards the end of Alpha playtesting, some playtesters began designing and developing their own card sets. These playtest cards are small and similar to the Alpha Playtest cards. Ice Age, Menagerie, and Spectral Chaos are sets that began playtesting during this time frame. (maybe other unknown sets also?)
Frequently, these Playtest cards reuse the names of Alpha Playtest cards, but the abilities have been changed to create a new card. (eventually, the playtest card would be given a new name before being printed as a real card)
In 1993, Ice Age contained many reprints from Alpha. The set was put on hold because it had too many reprints and players wanted new cards.
Menagerie eventually became the sets Mirage & Visions.
Spectral Chaos was never released, but many of its concepts were used in other sets, particularly Invasion.
Arabian Nights and Antiquities Playtest cards came later, and they are larger, about the size of real cards.
The picture below is a generalization of time frame that each style of playtest card was used.
Here are some Pink colored Playtest Cards from that mid 1993 timeframe between Alpha and Arabian Nights.
I've compared each card to all of the real Ice Age, Mirage, & Visions cards in an attempt to figure out what each of these Playtest cards eventually became (if anything).
Note: To make these playtest cards easier to read, I have sized these images so that they are similar to actual card size. In reality, they are small like the Alpha playtest cards.
Another Note: I realize that some of these playtest cards look like they're a different color in their picture, but I'm 100% sure that they are actually the same. These cards are all from a single playtester, were in the same deck together, and were made together of the same materials. These images are all grabbed from photos he shared of the cards, and some of the photos have different lighting and were better quality. I've seen some of them in person, and in real life, they all have the same pink color.
This Playtest card is not like any real cards. It seems to be based on Alpha Siren's Call. Ice Age does have a card named Battle Cry, but it is nothing like this card. The idea stuck around though, as Taunt in Portal sort of resembles this card (or maybe it resembles Siren's Call).
Brainstorm is a well known card that was printed in Ice Age, but a closer look at this playtest card reveals that it is much more similar to Dream Cache from Mirage.
Nothing compares to this. This was not made into a real card.
This is based on Alpha Cursed Land, but was not made in Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions.
Not a perfect match, but this playtest card resembles Dwarven Miner in Mirage more than any other real card.
Not a perfect match, but Red direct damage spells with an X casting cost were made in both Ice Age & Mirage. The Fireblast name was used on a Visions card, but that card is nothing like this playtest card.
This was based on Alpha Firebreathing, which was simply reprinted in Mirage. Ice Age had a card called Stonehands, but it's noticeably different from this playtest card.
This playtest card was good enough that it seems to have crossed over into another set. Though The Dark had not yet been conceived, Fire Drake was printed there before Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions were released. This playtest card seems to have eventually become Spitting Drake in Visions.
This playtest card seems to be based on Alpha Gloom, but was not made in Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well, but it's sort of similar to Avalanche in Ice Age. The Hail Storm name was later used in Alliances, but that card is nothing like this playtest card.
This seems to be based on Alpha Healing Salve. While Healing Salve was reprinted in Mirage, a closer look at this playtest card reveals that it is more similar to Remedy from Visions. There are also some similarities to Mangara's Blessing in Mirage.
This was based on Alpha Benalish Hero. It became Kjeldoran Warrior in Ice Age.
This was based on Alpha Plateau. Remember that this playtesting happened while the Alpha cards were being printed, so dual lands hadn't been removed from the core set yet, and could have been printed in Ice Age or Mirage if those sets had been released sooner. As it is, neither Ice Age, Mirage, nor Visions have lands that produce only Red & White mana.
Not a perfect match, but this playtest card has Flanking, which should be a Menagerie ability. There were several white 2/2 knights with Flanking printed in Mirage & Visions. It's also similar to Riftmarked Knight & Night of the Holy Nimbus, which both came much later.
This was based on Alpha Holy Strength. It's most similar to Armor of Faith in Ice Age.
Interestingly, the creature type on the playtest card is an Artifact Spirit. Though the real card was printed as only an Artifact, the Oracle text for this card shows it as an Artifact Spirit.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well, but it's sort of similar to Warping Wurm in Mirage.
This seems to be based on Alpha Phantasmal Terrain. Of the cards in Ice Age, Mirage, & Visions, it's most similar to Illusionary Terrain from Ice Age.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well at all. It's rules text is basically meaningless. I can only imagine that it would somehow provide mana or make spell casting easier. The closest match is probably Jeweled Amulet from Ice Age, for having Amulet in the card name. Ventifact Bottle in Mirage & Helm of Awakening in Visions also have sort of similar effects.
This was based on Alpha Prodigal Sorcerer. A closer look at this playtest card reveals the 0/1 power/toughness, making this card most similar to Suq'Ata Firewalker from Mirage. It's also similar to Zuran Spellcaster in Ice Age, but that card is 1/1 like Prodigal Sorcerer.
This seems to be based on Alpha Natural Selection, but a closer look at this playtest card reveals that it is much more similar to Preferred Selection from Mirage. It's also sort of similar to Sylvan Library in Legends.
This seems to be based on Alpha War Mammoth. Not a perfect match, but this playtest card resembles Wild Elephant in Mirage more than any other real card. Woolly Mammoths in Ice Age is also sort of similar, but doesn't match as well as Wild Elephant.
This card is most similar to Seizures in Ice Age. It's also similar to Mind Whip in Ice Age.
This was based on Alpha Power Sink, which was simply reprinted in both Ice Age and Mirage.
This playtest card is not like any real cards. The most similar card is Stampede from Ice Age.
This was based on Alpha Regeneration, which was simply reprinted in both Ice Age and Mirage.
This card was not made. It's most similar to Phyrexian Vault in Mirage.
This was based on Alpha Frozen Shade. It's most similar to Hoar Shade in Ice Age and Fetid Horror in Mirage.
This was based on Alpha Soul Net, but was not made in Ice Age, Mirage, or Visions.
This card was not made. It's most similar to Mundungu in Visions.
I'm pretty sure the playtest card name was intended to be Spellblaster, but there's a typo. Spellbaster is funny. I can just imagine Phil & Kaja Foglio artwork for a card named Spellbaster.
This playtest card doesn't match any real card very well, but it's sort of similar to Wall of Pine Needles in Ice Age.
Not a perfect match, but this playtest card has Flanking, which should be a Menagerie ability. It's most similar to Cadaverous Knight in Mirage.
This card is similar to Dire Wolves in Ice Age, and also reminds me of Master of the Hunt in Legends.
This was based on Alpha Unsummon. It's similar to Word of Undoing in Ice Age, and also Boomerang in Legends & Mirage. It's also sort of similar to Undo in Visions.