First appearing in 1998, silver-bordered MTG cards had a good long run in MTG. Largely reserved for unplayable Un-Set cards a silver border quickly denoted two very important points. Firstly, these cards weren’t legal in any competitive format and secondly, these cards were wonderfully weird.
Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in MTG, silver-bordered were beloved for their unique charm and mechanics. Despite being beloved by fans, silver-bordered MTG cards became practically extinct in 2022. For Unfinity, Magic’s latest Un-Set, Wizards replaced silver borders with a new Acorn security stamp.
To put it lightly, this change didn’t go well, even if it was made with good intentions. Unfinity went so wrong, in fact, that it may have killed the Un-Set product line for good. Should it ever return, however, Wizards seems keen to learn from their mistakes. According to MTG’s Head Designer, Mark Rosewater, silver-bordered MTG cards might just make a comeback.
Arduous Acorns
While it ultimately caused problems, the move to black-bordered Un-Set cards and the Acorn symbol were, in theory, fantastic. MTG players have long wished that many Un-Set cards were actually legal, and now Wizards could do exactly that. Since only some of the set’s cards had the Acorn security stamp, many of them were properly playable in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage.
In theory, this shouldn’t have been a problem, as any card that was too complex or too powerful could simply be Acorn. Unfortunately, Wizards of the Coast made a mistake. In Mark Rosewater’s own words, “We goofed on the cost of one card.” This card was _____ Goblin, also referred to as Name Sticker Goblin.
Utilizing stickers, Name Sticker Goblin could create a remarkable amount of mana, leading to them seeing play in Legacy. While this wouldn’t be inherently terrible, Stickers were undeniably a problematic mechanic. Not only were they a spike in logistical complexity, but they didn’t really work online. MTGO had to have a unique version of Name Sticker Goblin which was far from ideal.
Ultimately, every single Sticker, and Attraction, card would end up being banned in Legacy and Vintage. In the grand scheme of MTG, this was definitely for the better, since black-bordered Un-Set cards were only really meant for Commander anyhow. Sadly, that doesn’t mean that Acorn cards were perfect outside of that.
Compared to silver-bordered MTG cards, Acorn cards required a lot more scrutiny. While this isn’t an impossible hurdle to overcome, they’re also simply less fun and iconic. Part of the charm of Un-Sets was their silver-border which has become incredibly nostalgic over the years. Considering how Wizards has been leaning into Retro Frames throughout recent years, it’s surprising Wizards didn’t lean into this aspect.
B.O.B. (Bevy of Borders)
Thankfully, it seems Wizards of the Coast isn’t keen to repeat this mistake, in more ways than one. Speaking on Blogatog recently, Mark Rosewater revealed that, in hindsight, he wished Unfinity looked very different.
“I wish we could have made the acorn cards silver-bordered and the eternal-legal cards black-bordered. I have no regrets letting people play cards in eternal formats that would normally be black border in any other set.”
Mark Rosewater
Following on from this statement, Rosewater later revealed they’d “try to use different borders,” in any future Un-Set. If you ask us, this definitely seems like the best-of-both-worlds solution, even if it is a bit clunky. While every card in an Un-Set should feel like an Un-Set card, different borders would certainly catch some off guard.
As positive as a bevy of borders seems, not every MTG player was completely convinced by the idea. In the Blogatog post’s comments, some players argued that having any black-bordered cards dilutes the set’s overall purity. This may be somewhat true, but players have long wished for many Un-Set cards to be playable, especially once Dice Rolling became an actual black border mechanic.
Despite what some players may think, it’s clear that Mark Rosewater has already made up their mind. Since they’re the one making decisions we know what we can expect from another Un-Set in the future. The only question is when this future Un-Set will be made, or if it will exist at all.
An Un-Decided Future
Sadly, the future of Un-Sets in general is dubious at best. Looking ahead at the 2025 release calendar, there’s not really room for extra sets anymore. Outside of the early January spot that Remastered releases have occupied, the rest of the year is chockablock. Between all the premier sets and Universes Beyond releases, there’s just no room anymore.
Thanks to this, the future of all supplemental sets is somewhat in jeopardy, not just Un-Sets. Currently, it remains unclear where Wizards may try to cram in another set if that’s at all possible. Hopefully, we haven’t seen the last of Horizons, Masters, and Commander Legends sets, but that remains to be seen.
Even if Wizards can find space on the calendar to give players supplemental sets once more, Un-Sets may still struggle. Thanks to the sheer amount of money MTG makes nowadays, the bar a set has to clear is incredibly high. Historically, Un-Sets just haven’t performed that well financially, which makes making a new one seem unlikely at best.
Ultimately, while Wizards may know where they went wrong, this statement from Rosewater doesn’t confirm another Un-Set is being made. It seems like there’s a very long road ahead before we finally reach that juncture. Hopefully, we might get another Un-Set eventually, but that’s very much up in the air. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens and what the future brings.
