Dies to Removal

In the interest of starting a more-generalized Magical card game topic in this generalized Magical card game subforum, I'd like to know what your favorite Magic set is. Also why. Hard mode: exclude Ravnica sets.

I actually really liked Innistrad because of how gross with flavor it was and that it printed my favorite card (Snapcaster Mage) and a love letter for Jeff Goldblum. I think Wizards did the best job they've done in recent memory capturing the horror themes and small European countryside aesthetic for their set about horror themes and European countryside aesthetic. 10/10

I'm very partial to flavored sets, and I'm starting to become fucking ancient, so suffice to say that I loved the Ice/fire combo when I started Magic: Ice Age/Alliances, followed by Mirage/Visions was a all-time high for me since these where generally themed sets, where the setting developped over months of years instead of the more recent ones with their linear structure of initial setting, drama and explosions, resolution with improvements over the initial situation.

I'll concede that the card design was way poorer then.

This said I'm very onboard with you when it comes to Innistrad. Best flavor since the old times, IMO it tops Kamigawa flavor-wise.

Innistrad is up there for me as well. It brought back one of my favorite mechanics, flashback. It finished the m10 dual cycle, which was nice because I think that those lands are incredibly well designed and balanced. It had some great pieces of art (Snapcaster Mage, Garruk). DFC was an interesting idea. Garruk is my favorite planeswalker and the flavor just oozed from the packs.

I was introduced to the game during Urza's Saga, and for many years most of the cards I played with were from that set. I didn't even know my now favorite card Tolarian Academy which only came to consolidate the set as my all-time favorite.

Beta.

Legions, because you will never need anything besides creatures.

drafting was never better than tpf

i'm partial to onslaught block since it was the first block when i was competitive at magic. it was also the first block i drafted

Apocalypse - Vindicate, painlands, Deed, Death Grasp, Cromat, Desolation Angel, Fire//Ice, Goblin Legionnaire, Phyrexian Arena, Penumbra creatures, Spiritmonger

sooo many innovative cards

Onslaught for me, too, mainly because that block's the most fun I've ever had playing standard. =)

Ravnica because it was the ultimate Tier 2 set. Plus it was lot's of fun (especially Ghazi Glare).