Battle for Zendikar

Last updated

Battle for Zendikar
Battle for Zendikar emblem.png
A fracturing hedron
ReleasedOctober 2, 2015
Size274 cards
MechanicsRally, Landfall, Awaken, Devoid, Converge, Ingest [1]
Designers Mark Rosewater (lead), Ian Duke, Dan Emmons, Ethan Fleischer, Dave Guskin, Ari Levitch
DevelopersErik Lauer (lead), Tim Aten, Kelley Digges, Ian Duke, Ben Hayes, Shawn Main, Yoni Skolnik, Matt Tabak
Development codeBlood
Expansion codeBFZ
First set in the Battle for Zendikar block
Battle for ZendikarOath of the Gatewatch [2]
← Magic Origins Oath of the Gatewatch →
← Khans of Tarkir block Shadows over Innistrad block [3] →
Oath of the Gatewatch
Oath of the Gatewatch Icon.png
Kozilek blade projections
ReleasedJanuary 22, 2016
Size184 Cards
MechanicsCohort, Support, Surge
DesignersEthan Fleischer (lead), Graeme Hopkins, Ari Levitch, Ken Nagle, Adam Prosak, Mark Rosewater
DevelopersIan Duke (lead), Dave Humpherys, Jackie Lee, Adam Prosak, Gavin Verhey
Development codeSweat
Expansion codeOGW
Second set in the Battle for Zendikar block
Battle for ZendikarOath of the Gatewatch [2]
← Battle for Zendikar Shadows over Innistrad →
← Khans of Tarkir block Shadows over Innistrad block [3] →

Battle for Zendikar is a Magic: The Gathering expansion block consisting of the sets Battle for Zendikar and Oath of the Gatewatch. It sees the return of full-art basic lands, last seen in the Zendikar block. [4] It is also the first block in Magic (since the Shadowmoor block) to use the new Two-Block Paradigm, wherein each block has two sets instead of the three that were previously used (the last block having three sets being the Khans of Tarkir block). [5]

Contents

Story

Battle for Zendikar

Battle for Zendikar revolves around the Eldrazi, ancient monstrosities that are bent on destroying the entire plane of Zendikar, within which they were once imprisoned, and their fight against the Allies defending their home plane. The creature cards are split along these lines, with most being either on the Eldrazi side or the Ally side. Eldrazi cards are generally very powerful or aid in playing them, while Ally cards give bonuses to each other whenever one comes into play. [1]

As the Eldrazi are decimating the plane, six Planeswalkers each have their own role in the resistance. Jace Beleren, a logical mage, and Ugin, an ancient dragon, are working together to find a way to defeat the Eldrazi; Gideon, a human who fights for justice and honor, is rounding up the survivors; Ob Nixilis, a demon who lost his powers as a Planeswalker, is trying to regain his abilities; Kiora, a merfolk native to Zendikar, is eager to use her new discoveries on other planes to help her home plane, and Nissa Revane, an elf from Zendikar, who lost her connection to the land and regains it in a surprisingly powerful manner. In the original Zendikar block, there were three chief Eldrazi, but most now are of Ulamog's lineage. [4]

As the block's story line proceeds, Jace disagrees with Ugin on how to handle the rampage of Ulamog and his brood: Ugin advises against destroying the titan, Ulamog, as the ineffable nature of the Eldrazi means it is unclear if killing their physical form will destroy them entirely, or merely free them to roam across the Blind Eternities, devouring planes unchecked. [6] Jace, Gideon and Nissa settle on a plan with the survivors of the army that retook Sea Gate to channel the natural leylines on Zendikar in tandem with the Hedrons to encircle Ulamog, trapping the Eldrazi again. As the battle rages around the ruined city, the plan appears to initially succeed. [7]

However, the demon Ob Nixilis, having survived an apparently fatal encounter with Nissa earlier, returns to face the Planeswalkers again, interrupting the hedron alignment and subverting the power involved for his own purpose - regenerating his "spark", the essential power that resides within all Planeswalkers. As the hedron circle crumbles, Ob Nixilis uses his newly refound powers to raise the second of the three Eldrazi Titans - Kozilek. [8]

Oath of the Gatewatch

Whilst Kiora leads a one-woman sea assault on Kozilek, Gideon, Jace and Nissa find themselves outflanked by Ob Nixilis. The demon attempts to trap them on Zendikar to be destroyed by the Eldrazi, much as he himself was, but is stopped by the unexpected arrival of Chandra Nalaar, who frees them to continue the fight. Ob Nixilis decides to planeswalk away and leave his revenge for later. However, the battle on Zendikar is going poorly. Kiora, the only planeswalker left to represent the Zendikari, is defeated by Kozilek and almost loses her prized possession, the Bident of Thassa which she obtained on Theros. The Zendikari army has been devastated, and Tazri steps up to reorganize it in Gideon's absence.

The four planeswalkers emerge from Ob Nixilis' erstwhile prison to discover the Sea Gate destroyed and the Zendikari in disarray. They will not be able to trap both Eldrazi using the Hedrons, and none of them are powerful enough to fight alone. Jace suggests simply planeswalking away, but Gideon suggests they swear an oath as they overlook the Sea Gate—the Oath of the Gatewatch, in which they promise to cooperate to defend the Multiverse against extraplanar threats. And since the Eldrazi are extraplanar threats and cannot be contained, the newly formed Gatewatch have only one option: kill them outright.

Jace lays out their battle plan: the corporeal forms of the Eldrazi, monstrous though they are, are only part of their existence; the rest of them reside in the Blind Eternities, the whirling chaos between planes. This is why Ugin has always counseled against destroying the Eldrazi's corporeal forms. Jace's solution is to draw Ulamog and Kozilek entirely into Zendikar so that they can be fully slain. Whilst Gideon, Kiora, Chandra, Tazri and the Zendikari army distract the Eldrazi with battle, Jace and Nissa are to use the remaining Hedrons to anchor them in corporeal form. The plane of Zendikar itself, which has been trying to consume the titans ever since they were imprisoned there, will do the rest. Or, at least, that's the plan. Zendikar quickly begins to struggle over the mouthful it has bitten off, and Nissa and Kiora, both Zendikari natives, almost come to blows over the fate of their home. It's Chandra who has the answer: Nissa redirects the last of Zendikar's mana to her, and Chandra employs a purifying fire that annihilates both Ulamog and Kozilek.

In the aftermath, Zendikar begins to rebuild. Gideon cedes his role as Commander-General to Tazri. Jace still has his own concerns: of the three Planeswalkers who originally imprisoned the Eldrazi here on Zendikar—Ugin, Sorin Markov, and Nahiri the Lithomancer—the latter two have failed to help; and when Ugin himself arrives, he has only criticism for Jace's impetuousness at destroying two lifeforms that are older than worlds, their purposes in the Multiverse unknown. Jace decides to hunt down Sorin Markov, who was last seen on the plane of Innistrad.

Mechanics

Battle for Zendikar features a number of new mechanics as well as a returning mechanic in Landfall: [9]

Zendikar Expeditions

Zendikar Expeditions is a set of 45 (25 in Battle for Zendikar, 20 in Oath of the Gatewatch) premium cards printed as part of the Battle for Zendikar block, consisting of rare land cards that were previously printed in other sets. The majority of these cards were highly sought-after when they were new, and now have a foil, full-art face, with new art and a special hedron-themed frame, which led to Battle for Zendikar being one of the most highly anticipated sets in recent memory. [10] While the majority of the cards' original printings were at Rare, the Expeditions were distributed at roughly the same level as foil Mythic Rares. [11]

Reception

Louis Kemner, for CBR , commented that players were "a little disappointed" by Battle for Zendikar due to the "slog against the Eldrazi". Kemner wrote, "Landfall returned, but otherwise, Battle for Zendikar focused on the fight, from the converge ability to cohort and surge. In hindsight, none of those abilities were memorable or particularly interesting, while the original Zendikar's landfall, kicker, Traps, expedition enchantments and Ally tribal themes are all much more memorable and thematic. Battle for Zendikar's mechanical identity is little more than 'five colors fighting together against weird colorless creatures.' This completely ignored what players loved about the original Zendikar block: the adventure. Additionally, there have been several 'war' blocks before and after Battle for Zendikar [...]. Zendikar gave up its thrilling adventure theme for yet another war, and players were getting tired of so many Eldrazi". [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Magic: The Gathering</i> Collectible card game

Magic: The Gathering is a tabletop and digital collectible card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast, Magic was the first trading card game and had approximately fifty million players as of February 2023, and over twenty billion Magic cards were produced in the period from 2008 to 2016, during which time it grew in popularity. As of the 2022 fiscal year, Magic generates over $1 billion in revenue annually.

The Multiverse is the shared fictional universe depicted on Magic: The Gathering cards, novels, comics, and other supplemental products. Though Magic is a strategy game, an intricate storyline underlies the cards released in each expansion. On the cards, elements of this multiverse are shown in the card art and through quotations and descriptions on the bottom of most cards. Novels and anthologies published by HarperPrism and Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), and the comic books published by Armada Comics expand upon the settings and characters hinted at on the cards. WOTC also publishes a weekly story in the Magic Fiction column, previously known as Official Magic Fiction and Uncharted Realms.

Onslaught is a Magic: The Gathering expert-level block. It consists of the expansion sets Onslaught, Legions and Scourge. The block's main theme is creature types, and much of the game play concerns interactions between these "tribes". The story continues the saga of the Mirari from the previous block of expansion sets. Onslaught was the last block printed before the "modern" card face style was introduced.

Dominaria is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set. It is not part of a block. In celebration of Magic: The Gathering's 25th anniversary, the story returned to the plane of Dominaria. The expansion was released on April 27, 2018. Martha Wells was the head writer for the expansion.

Time Spiral is a Magic: The Gathering expert-level block consisting of the expansion sets Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, and Future Sight. It is set on the plane of Dominaria, the first time that that plane had been visited since 8th Edition.

The collectible card game Magic: The Gathering has released compilation sets, reprint sets, and box sets over its history. These are distinct from core sets and expansion sets, the most heavily marketed sources of new cards. With the exception of Chronicles, reprint sets generally do not affect tournament legality in supported formats; for example, cards reprinted in the Modern Masters reprint set, while legal for tournament play, did not necessarily cause the card to be included in the "Standard" environment.

The Zendikar block is a Magic: The Gathering block consisting of the sets Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi. The eponymous setting is a vast, untamed wilderness, whose few bastions of civilization exist primarily for outfitting treasure-seeking expeditions to distant locales. Colossal ancient octahedral stones called "hedrons" float in the sky. A phenomenon known as "the Roil" causes frequent geological upheaval as it sweeps across the land. Unlike the previous two blocks, there is no multicolored theme. Instead, the themes Zendikar and Worldwake revolve around lands, and a theme of an adventure or quest. Rise of the Eldrazi, while part of the Zendikar block creatively and for the sake of constructed tournament rules, is unique mechanically and is designed to be drafted on its own. Drafts in the Zendikar block are either ZEN-ZEN-WWK or ROE-ROE-ROE.

The rules of Magic: The Gathering were originally developed by the game's creator, Richard Garfield, and accompanied the first version of the game in 1993. The rules of Magic have been changed frequently over the years by the manufacturer, Wizards of the Coast, mostly in minor ways. However, major rules overhauls have also been done a few times.

Archenemy is a variant of Magic: The Gathering with an emphasis on one vs. many multiplayer games. The set utilizes new oversized Scheme cards. Four game packs were released on June 18, 2010: Assemble the Doomsday Machine, Bring About the Undead Apocalypse, Scorch the World with Dragonfire, Trample Civilization Underfoot. The cards within each preconstructed deck have all been reprinted from various Magic sets, with the exception of one card per deck, that is a new card from Magic 2011. All of the cards are black bordered and tournament legal in their original formats. A sequel, Archenemy: Nicol Bolas, was released in 2017.

The Innistrad block is a block of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, consisting of the expansion sets Innistrad, Dark Ascension and Avacyn Restored. Innistrad is a "top-down" designed block based on Gothic horror. The set's mechanics and effects take mainly graveyard themes, with a minor focus on tribal themes. The tagline for the set is "Horror Lurks Within". It has 264 cards.

Return to Ravnica is a Magic: The Gathering block, consisting of Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, and Dragon's Maze. It is the second block set on the plane of Ravnica, after the Ravnica block, and again focuses on the multicolor cards and ten guilds of Ravnica. Return to Ravnica focuses on five guilds: the Izzet League, Cult of Rakdos, Golgari Swarm, Azorius Senate, and Selesnya Conclave. Gatecrash focuses on the other five guilds: the Boros Legion, House Dimir, The Orzhov Syndicate, The Gruul Clans, and The Simic Combine. All ten guilds appear in Dragon's Maze.

Theros is a set of three expansions to the Magic: The Gathering game, consisting of the sets Theros, Born of the Gods and Journey into Nyx. The setting was later used for a Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook, Mythic Odysseys of Theros (2020). The lore and aesthetics of the game setting was based on Greek mythology.

<i>Magic Duels</i> 2015 video game

Magic Duels is a video game based on the popular collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Magic Duels is a successor to Stainless Games' Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers and its annual sequels, released from 2009 through 2014. The free-to-play title was released on July 29, 2015, shortly following the physical release of the Magic Origins core set.

Shadows over Innistrad is a Magic: The Gathering expansion block consisting of the sets Shadows over Innistrad and Eldritch Moon.

Kaladesh is a Magic: The Gathering expansion block consisting of the sets Kaladesh and Aether Revolt. The block debuted with the release of Kaladesh on September 30, 2016. The block is set on the plane of Kaladesh, the original home of planeswalker Chandra Nalaar, and features an emphasis on artifacts, their creators and the magical aether which powers them.

Amonkhet is a Magic: The Gathering expansion block consisting of the sets Amonkhet and Hour of Devastation. Amonkhet was released on April 28, 2017, and Hour of Devastation was released on July 14, 2017. The eponymous new plane has an ancient Egyptian theme, and features concepts like mummies and embalming.

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set. It is not part of block. The sets development codename is "Cricket", and its expansion code is IKO. The set was released on April 17, 2020 in Asia and on May 15, 2020 in the rest of the world. The release date of the set was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zendikar Rising is the 85th Magic: The Gathering expansion and is not part of a block. It is set on the plane of Zendikar. It was released on September 25, 2020. The sets development codename is "Diving", and its expansion code is ZNR.

War of the Spark is the 81st Magic: The Gathering expansion; while it is not part of a block, this set is functionally the third part of a Ravnica-focused storyline set on the plane of Ravnica. It was released on May 3, 2019. It also became available in MTG Arena on April 25, 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 Chapman, Kyle (October 3, 2015). "Battle for Zendikar review: Lovecraftian horror comes to Magic: The Gathering". Ars Technica . Condé Nast . Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Announcing Oath of the Gatewatch". Wizards of the Coast LLC. September 1, 2015. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Announcing Shadows over Innistrad". Wizards of the Coast LLC. November 2, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Beety, John Dale (September 23, 2015). "Battle For Zendikar Flavor Review". StarCityGames.com. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Metamorphosis". MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Revelation at the Eye". MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Hedron Alignment". MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  8. ↑ "At Any Cost". MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Battle for Zendikar Mechanics". MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  10. ↑ Mitchell, Ferguson (September 16, 2015). "A sneak peek at Battle for Zendikar with Mark Rosewater". The Daily Dot . Daily Dot Media. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Battle For Zendikar Cards". MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Magic: The Gathering - What Went Wrong With the Battle for Zendikar Block?". CBR. April 24, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.