Eighth Edition (now called "The Core Set") marks the tenth anniversary of the world's most popular trading card game, and the set definitely makes this an anniversary to remember. For starters, Eighth Edition pays homage to the rich history of the game by featuring at least one new card from that has never been printed in a Core Set from every Magic expansion ever produced! Then there's the card face redesign...

Some players hate it, some players love it, but everybody agrees that the new card faces introduced in Eighth Edition are a major change from what we're used to. The colors are bolder, the art is larger, the power and toughness stand our more, the text is no longer in a fantasy font, and mana symbols in the rules text box are now black-and-white instead of colored. Wizards of the Coast insists that this change is long overdue and is necessary to improve the playability and aesthetics of the cards. Many players disagree with this, but perhaps they will warm up to the idea with time.

Many players were shocked to see that many long-time staples failed to make an appearance in Eighth Edition. Some notable exception include Counterspell Buy, Disenchant Buy, and the Pain Lands (Adarkar Wastes Buy, Brushland Buy, etc.).

Notable Cards: Although, Eighth Edition takes away several good cards, it also adds some great cards to take their places. Old favorites like Savannah Lions Buy and Underworld Dreams Buy are back in, as well as many popular combo engines like Skull of Orm Buy, Furnace of Rath Buy, and Fecundity Buy. And what does Eighth Edition offer to replace Counterspell Buy? Well... not much. Rewind Buy and Mana Leak Buy are about the best options, but neither of them stands too much of a chance against Defense Grid Buy. Oh well... there's always Ninth Edition.