The Powerful Words of the Most Popular Collectable Card Game
Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game that was first introduced by Wizards of the Coast in 1993. The Standard (Type II) format was created in 1995 as a competitive format where players build decks using only the most recent sets of cards released by the game's publisher.
So far, the game has seen 113 sets with over 21,000 unique cards rotating through the format. Adding or removing sets at any given time creates a new "Standard" with a unique pool of allowed cards.
Each new set introduces new game mechanics, often with the introduction of new "keyword abilities" and/or "keyword actions." These words are represented by a single word or phrase, such as Flying or Trample, and Sacrifice or Mill.
205 of these words have come through Standard, with some remaining throughout the history of the format, becoming "evergreen" and appearing in any set. Others have appeared less frequently or never returned, often because the word's mechanic was "game warping" or "overpowered."
Examine the history of the Standard format through this streamgraph of keywords.
Select any keyword stream to highlight it's usage.
Also put a pin into a Standard to learn additional information.
