After three sets in the Portal block, Starter was Wizards of the Coast's fourth major attempt at a "Starter Level" set that new players could come into the game and understand. Most of its cards were reprints of cards already available (many of them from the Portal block sets). But it also contained 26 new cards, created just for the release.
After three Portal block sets, Starter was Wizards of the Coast's fourth "Starter Level" set designed to help new players. Most of its cards were reprints from earlier sets (many from the Portal series), but it also included 26 brand-new cards specifically created for this release.