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Rath, and the first Slivers
What this set is
Tempest is a large expansion set on Rath, the artificial plane where the Weatherlight Saga continues, and the first of the Tempest block with Stronghold and Exodus. It has 335 different cards, 350 with its basic land arts.
It is where Slivers began. Its 11 Slivers each give their ability to every Sliver on the battlefield, so the more you have the stronger all of them get, and the tribe has returned in many sets since. Tempest also introduced shadow, buyback and the licids, creatures that can turn themselves into Auras.
Plenty of its cards are still played. Reanimate, Ancient Tomb and Lotus Petal are fixtures of older formats, and Propaganda and Ancient Tomb are both common in Commander. 16 cards are on the Reserved List, including Earthcraft.
Themes
Every mechanic in Tempest
Shadow
A creature with shadow can block or be blocked only by creatures with shadow. In practice it is near-unblockable, and it can't block your normal attackers either. 17 Tempest cards have it.
Buyback
An optional additional cost on an instant or sorcery. Pay it and the spell returns to your hand as it resolves instead of going to the graveyard, so you can cast it again every turn.
Licids
Five creatures that can pay a cost to stop being creatures and become Auras attached to another creature, granting it an ability. They can be moved back by paying the same cost.
Slivers
Not a keyword but a creature type with one rule: each Sliver gives its ability to every Sliver on the battlefield, including your opponents' Slivers.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Tempest is a single code. Its cards are eternal-format cards with very little banned.
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. Legacy bans Earthcraft and Vintage restricts Lotus Petal. Nothing is banned in Commander. It is also legal in Premodern, the community format built on Fourth Edition through Scourge. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Commanders
The most played commanders from Tempest
The legends this set is best known for. Tap one for its printings and what it costs.
Boosters, precons and singles from Tempest are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
Where can I play Tempest cards?
In Legacy, Vintage and Commander, minus the cards each format bans. Tempest 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. It is also legal in Premodern, a community format built on Fourth Edition through Scourge.
Did Slivers start in Tempest?
Yes. Tempest printed the first 11 Slivers, and every one gives its ability to all Slivers on the battlefield, including an opponent's.
What does buyback do?
It is an optional extra cost on an instant or sorcery. If you pay it, the spell goes back to your hand instead of the graveyard as it resolves.
What does shadow do?
A creature with shadow can block or be blocked only by creatures with shadow.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Tempest released on Oct 14, 1997; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
Playing Tempest in Commander?
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