There is no official or widely recognized “4th print run” of the Magic: The Gathering Base Set. The original Base Set, released in 1993, had three main print runs commonly referred to as Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited editions. These three print runs are well documented and distinct in terms of card borders, print quality, and rarity. After these, Wizards of the Coast moved on to subsequent core sets and expansions rather than continuing with additional print runs of the Base Set itself.
The Alpha print run was the very first, limited in quantity and highly collectible. Beta followed shortly after with some corrections and a larger print run, and then Unlimited was released with white borders and a much larger print run to meet growing demand. These three are the canonical print runs of the Base Set. There is no official record or credible source indicating a fourth print run of the Base Set exists.
Wizards of the Coast did release later core sets such as Revised Edition (1994), Fourth Edition (1995), and so forth, but these are distinct sets with different card lists and are not considered additional print runs of the original Base Set. The Fourth Edition, for example, was a reprint set that included cards from the Base Set and some other early expansions, but it is not a “4th print run” of the Base Set itself.
The confusion sometimes arises because Wizards has reprinted many cards from the Base Set in later sets or special products, but these are reprints, not additional print runs of the original Base Set. The concept of print runs applies specifically to the original release of a set, and the Base Set’s print runs are limited to Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited.
Regarding medical or authoritative sources, since this is a topic about collectible card game print history rather than medical information, authoritative sources include Wizards of the Coast official communications, Magic: The Gathering card databases, and well-established collector resources. For example, the Magic: The Gathering official website and reputable collector sites like MTGStocks, Draftsim, and Wargamer provide detailed histories of the sets and their print runs. None of these sources mention a 4th print run of the Base Set.
In summary, the Base Set has three recognized print runs: Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited. There is no 4th print run of the Base Set. Subsequent core sets and reprints exist but are separate from the original Base Set print runs. This is well documented by Wizards of the Coast and collector communities.
