Planechase Anthology gets described casually as a reprint of Planechase, but it does not treat the format's two earlier products the same way at all.
One earlier product contributed only its Planar cards. The other contributed both its Planar cards and its full 60-card decks. Knowing which is which matters if you are trying to figure out what you are actually missing.
There is also a genuine, verified new addition: six promotional planes that exist nowhere except this 2016 release, not in either original product.
This guide breaks down exactly what carried over from each source product and what makes Planechase Anthology its own distinct release rather than a simple compilation.
The first Planechase, released in 2009, included four 60-card decks built almost entirely from existing reprints, along with 40 unique Plane cards and no Phenomenon cards at all, since that card type did not exist yet.
Planechase Anthology reprints those 40 original planes as part of its 78-plane total, but it does not reprint the 2009 product's four 60-card decks; those stayed exclusive to the original release.
Planechase 2012 introduced four entirely new 60-card decks, 32 new Plane cards, and the first-ever 8 Phenomenon cards, expanding what a planar deck could actually do.
Planechase Anthology reprints all of this directly: the same four decks (Chaos Reigns, Night of the Ninja, Primordial Hunger, and Savage Auras) and all 32 new planes plus all 8 phenomena, unchanged.
Beyond reprinting material from both earlier products, Planechase Anthology adds six brand-new promotional Plane cards that never appeared in either 2009's Planechase or Planechase 2012.
Celestine Reef, Horizon Boughs, Mirrored Depths, Stairs to Infinity, Tazeem, and Tember City are exclusive to this 2016 release, making them the only genuinely new cards in the entire box.
Wizards chose to reprint only the 2012 decks rather than also including the 2009 decks, likely because the 2012 decks introduced mechanical themes (cascade, ninjutsu, devour, totem armor) that gave each deck a sharper individual identity.
This means anyone specifically wanting the original 2009 preconstructed decks still needs to track those down separately; Planechase Anthology does not cover that gap.
Add it up and Planechase Anthology's 78 total planes break down as 40 from the original Planechase, 32 from Planechase 2012, and 6 new promotional planes exclusive to Anthology itself.
All 8 phenomenon cards carry over unchanged from Planechase 2012, since neither the original Planechase nor Anthology's own promotional planes ever included any phenomena of their own.
For nearly every collector, Planechase Anthology is the more practical purchase: it consolidates almost the entire history of the format's Planar cards into one box, plus four ready-to-play decks.
The only reason to still seek out the original 2009 product specifically is a genuine interest in owning its unique 60-card decks, since Anthology deliberately does not reprint those. A toploader is worth keeping on hand either way for any rare pulled from either source.
The original 2009 Planechase, now well over a decade old and never reprinted itself, tends to command a real premium for its unique decks compared to Anthology's more recently circulated stock.
Planechase 2012 singles and decks generally sit closer to Anthology's own pricing, since so much of that product's actual card pool was reprinted directly into the 2016 release.
Anthology's own sealed price has climbed steadily since it went out of print, but it still generally undercuts a complete original 2009 set, making it the more budget-friendly way to own most of the format's history in one purchase. For most collectors, that price gap alone settles the decision, especially once the promotional planes are factored into what a full original-set purchase would actually require piecing together.
No, only the four decks from Planechase 2012 are reprinted in Anthology.
40 from the 2009 Planechase, 32 from Planechase 2012, and 6 new promotional planes exclusive to Anthology.
Planechase 2012 introduced the Phenomenon card type for the first time.
Yes, six promotional Plane cards never appeared in either earlier product.
Before hunting down older Planechase products individually, confirm what Anthology already covers; for most collectors it is the single most efficient way to own the format's planar history. Organize whichever singles you pick up in a flex binder.
Only chase the original 2009 decks specifically if owning that exact product matters to you beyond the planes themselves.
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