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The first expansion
What this set is
Arabian Nights is the first Magic expansion, a small set added to the core game rather than a game of its own. It has 78 different cards, and 14 of them were printed in two versions, which takes the count to 92. Its setting is drawn from the Thousand and One Nights rather than a Magic plane, so it has Djinns, Efreets, Aladdin's Lamp and Ali Baba instead of a world of its own.
It is a set of a few famous lands and a lot of curiosities. City of Brass is the one most Commander players have used, since it taps for any color. Bazaar of Baghdad (draw two, then discard three) became a Vintage engine for graveyard decks, and Library of Alexandria draws a card while your hand is exactly seven. 22 of the 78 cards are on the Reserved List.
It also gave the game the Desert land type and the single card with desertwalk, Desert Nomads. Four cards here are banned in every eternal format, which the legality section below lists.
Themes
Every mechanic in Arabian Nights
Desert
A land type, introduced on the land named Desert, which taps for colorless or deals 1 damage to an attacking creature at end of combat. Later sets built Desert decks on the type; here it is one land and one creature that cares about it.
Desertwalk
Desert Nomads can't be blocked while the defending player controls a Desert. It is a one-card mechanic, landwalk for the land type this set added.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Arabian Nights shipped as a single code. Its cards are legal in the eternal formats except the ones below, and this set has several that are banned everywhere.
Not Standard-legal, and not Modern-legal as a set: Modern starts at Eighth Edition (July 2003). A card from here that was reprinted in a later Modern-legal set is Modern-legal in this printing too, because legality follows the card, not the printing. Jihad, Stone-Throwing Devils, Shahrazad and the ante card Jeweled Bird are banned in Legacy, Vintage and Commander. Library of Alexandria is banned in Legacy and Commander and restricted in Vintage. Bazaar of Baghdad is banned in Legacy but legal in Vintage and Commander. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Boosters, precons and singles from Arabian Nights are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
Where can I play Arabian Nights cards?
In Legacy, Vintage and Commander, minus the cards each format bans. Arabian Nights is too old for Standard, Pioneer or Modern as a set, though any card that was later reprinted in a Modern-legal set is Modern-legal in every printing.
How many cards are in Arabian Nights?
78 different cards. 14 of them were printed in two versions, so the set has 92 cards in all.
Is Bazaar of Baghdad legal in Commander?
Yes. It is banned in Legacy but legal in Vintage and Commander. Library of Alexandria, from the same set, is banned in Commander and Legacy and restricted in Vintage.
Which Arabian Nights cards are banned everywhere?
Jihad and Stone-Throwing Devils, which Wizards banned in 2020 over their depictions, plus Shahrazad and the ante card Jeweled Bird.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Arabian Nights released on Dec 17, 1993; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
Playing Arabian Nights in Commander?
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