After a new set has been released we usually go back and take a look at our predictions for that set and see how we did.  With core sets, it is difficult to really predict anything out of the ordinary.  You're going to have five planeswalkers, you're going to see a lot of the same cards that were in the previous core set and, of course, there is no story line.  With that in mind let's take a look at our predictions and see how we did.  In addition to the prediction review, I want reflect on these new core sets as a whole and take a look at how M11 stacks up against M10.

(WRONG) A Return to Dominaria (and a light story line) – This was more wishful thinking than anything.  If a core set were going to be given a storyline for the first time in 15 years we would have heard about it long before I made this prediction.  I still believe it could work and I hope wizards takes a chance on M12 (or M13) and gives us a light, Dominarian storyline in a core set.  It might be difficult to incorporate the 50% old cards into a set with a theme but the storyline doesn't have to be smothering.  It can be something as simple as coordinating the artists, flavor text and novels to transition our planeswalkers smoothly from one plane to the next.  Here's hoping for next time!

(WRONG) The Five Planeswalkers you’ll meet in M11 - This blogger's biggest disappointment in M11.  It's tough to get excited about buying multiple boxes of M11 when 5/15 mythics have already been circulating for the last three years.  This isn't just the second time the original five walkers have been available, it's the third! Urza help us if they try and cram them in to M12.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="265" caption="I'll always love you Liliana... even if you are cursed.."][/caption]

(CORRECT) Fewer “Reprints with New Names” - M10 takes the crown on this one, hands down.  Wizards had a lot of "correcting" to do when they decided to give magic a more generic fantasy flavor and they did most of the heavy lifting last time around.  In M11 we still see a handful of reprints with new names but certainly not as many as we did last time.  Some of you were bitter about "old cards with new names" being considered "new cards" in M10.  There is a lot less of this going on in M11 but I think we'll continue to see this in future core sets because Wizards will always rotate in some of the older favorites.

(CORRECT) The Game is Slowing Down… - Between the boost that Wizards has given to control (Mana Leak) and the 6 CMC Titans that constitute "the hook" for the entire set, M11 is looking to add at least one more turn to the average game with it's higher casting cost, uber-powerful bombs.  As if Rise of the Eldrazi didn't do enough in this respect, M11 takes it another step in the same direction.

(MOSTLY CORRECT) Day of Judgment /Path to Exile are in.. oh and Cancel too! - Day of Judgment and Cancel are in and Path is out.  I still think we might see Path to Exile even as soon as Scars of Mirrodin.  It just works too well with Landfall abilities which will be playable for another year +.

(CORRECT) Most of your M10 favorites are back! - It seems silly now but before we knew for sure, people were worried about Baneslayer Angel leaving only one year after her first printing.  Needless to say, this didn't happen and most of the other cards people were worried about came back as well including the much loved Lightning Bolt.  Wizards givith and Wizards taketh away!  Though, it looks like Wizards gave us a lot of the stuff we couldn't live without from M10.

(CORRECT) At least one new Evergreen mechanic - Scry me a river, baby!  It's almost as though I looked into my Crystal Ball and foresaw this one...

(WRONG) Bloodbraid Elf is reprinted with its originally intended Flying, Lifelink – How could you do this to us, Wizards?!  We trusted you!  What will Jund do now?!

Score: 5/7

Five out of seven isn't too bad, though I will say that a few of these were tee-ball predictions due to the nature of a core set.  I went out on a limb for a few and got bit but that won't stop me from doing it again next time!  Like I always say: if there were another site out there where I could go read a few Magic the Gathering predictions and it turned out that he or she were right most of the time I'd be all over that website.  In the end, speculation is just good old fashioned fun and we invite you to take part on twitter,  in the comments section of our articles as well as on the forums!

Thoughts on M11 and Modern Core Sets in General

M11 was never going to top M10.  Magic 2010 had the advantage of being the pioneer in this new era of Modern Core sets.  It was the first to feature new cards, the first to reprint five planeswalker cards, and the harbinger of arguably the most powerful card since Alpha: Baneslayer Angel.   Heck, people were buying packs just for the Lightning Bolts!  It sold out in several places and, along with Zendikar's success put Magic the Gathering back on the map again.  Surely you couldn't expect the same from poor little M11, could you?!

M11 is what Magic the Gathering core sets are going to look like from now on.  Start with most of the favorites from the previous core set, sprinkle in the newest, complete block of planeswalkers, throw in an evergreen mechanic and sprinkle in a cycle of mythic Titans or Dragons or what have you.  At first glance, M11 pales in comparison to the cavalcade of newness that was M10, but you have to remember how far we've come.  Take a look at ninth edition for a moment.  As a veteran Magic player could you imagine buying a booster box of a set that contained exclusively (white bordered?!) cards that you probably already owned?  If you thought the reprinting of the Lorwyn planeswalkers was a letdown I couldn't imagine having a core set that not only comes out every other year but doesn't have anything new in it!  Maybe it's just me but when I think of my favorite cards I almost always think of core cards like those found in M10 and M11.  I can't even describe how excited I am to see Wizards making new core cards for these yearly sets.  For what it's worth we are generally pleased with M11 and the state of modern core sets in Magic.  You won't see me hauling a wheelbarrow full of M11 booster boxes away from my local card shop, but you're kidding yourself if you can't find something that interests you in this set.  Magic the Gathering Core Sets have gotten a major upgrade, no doubt.

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Enough looking backwards it's time to peek into the future once again.  At this year's GenCon Wizards revealed a few pieces of art from the upcoming Scars of Mirrodin expansion.  Take a look!

Stay glued to the Scars of Mirrodin spoiler page for all the latest!