The Rivals Quick Start Set was released in July 1996. Being the first box set in the history of Magic which featured preconstructed decks and extensive game guides, it was aimed to better explain the rules of Magic than any standard rule book could.

There are many versions of the Rivals Quickstart Set, the oldest one being the US edition. Aside from the US edition, there are European editions in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch languages, and a Japanese edition. With the exception of the Dutch version, all European editions and the Japanese edition also exist as Gift Box editions with additional content. The Dutch version differs from the other versions in that it contains Dutch instruction guides but English cards.

The contents of the Rivals Quick Start Sets differ according to their edition, the most notable difference being the cards themselves. While the US and Japanese editions feature standard 4th Edition cards, the European editions contain unique cards. These cards are similar to standard 4th Edition cards but feature a 1996 copyright date and in some cases use reformatted text.

The US edition contains:

• 112 standard 4th Edition cards divided into 4 decks (2 x 30 and 2 x 26)
• 8 decklist and instruction support cards
• 2 player guides which cover 2 demo games
• 1 enhanced rule book with 4th Edition rules
• 1 mini-issue of the Duelist magazine which introduces the Magic world
• 1 consumer response card to provide feedback

The European editions contain:

• 120 unique cards featuring a 1996 copyright divided into 4 decks (4 x 30)
• 10 advertisement and instruction support cards
• 2 player guides which cover 1 demo game
• 1 errata sheet to correct page 3 in both player guides (standard edition only)
• 1 enhanced rule book with 4th Edition rules (Gift Box edition only)
• 2 Homelands boosters of the appropriate language (Gift Box editions only)
• 1 cloth bag containing 30 glass beads for representation of counters and tokens (Gift Box editions only)

The Japanese edition contains:

• 120 standard white-bordered Japanese 4th Edition cards divided into 4 decks (4 x 30)
• 10 advertisement and instruction support cards
• 2 player guides which cover 1 demo game
• 1 standard 4th Edition rule book (Gift Box edition only)
• 2 white-bordered Japanese Fourth Edition boosters (Gift Box edition only)
• 1 cloth bag containing 30 glass beads for representation of counters and tokens (Gift Box editions only)

The Rivals Quick Start Set was supposed to be the first on a series of Quick Start Sets. The next box, called Conquest Quick Start Set, was already announced, but the production was cancelled shortly afterwards.

Information about the Rivals Quick Start Set support cards can be found here.

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