 | |||
| Released | September 25, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 280 cards | ||
| Development code | Diving | ||
| Expansion code | ZNR | ||
| |||
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. [1] [2] The sets development codename is "Diving", [3] and its expansion code is ZNR.
The Battle forZendikar (2015) set featured the battle between the denizens of Zendikar and the cosmic horror entities known as the Eldrazi. While the Eldrazi were defeated, it left the plane of Zendikar scarred. [4] [5] The Zendikar Rising set marks the return to a wilderness adventure storyline; [6] the plane is "a place of danger and excitement. It contains hidden shrines and trapped eldritch creatures deep beneath the surface. It also has a thing called the Roil, a magical force that shapes and reshapes the world at will. When the Roil gets going, anything could happen. This river could become a mountain. This cliff could become a seaside paradise. That pile of rocks could become the murderous creature from the previous paragraph. It’s unpredictable". [7]
While "most of Magic: the Gathering's main characters have been missing in action" since the War of the Spark (2019), a few Planeswalkers mark their return in Zendikar Rising. [8] This includes Nissa Revane and Nahiri, both natives of Zendikar, [8] [9] and Jace, who is from Vryn [10] and who once was the Living Guildpact of Ravnica. [8]
Zendikar Rising introduces the new Party mechanic which is themed around the idea of classic adventuring parties. [11] This mechanic "can appear on creatures, instants, sorceries and more. A full party consists of a Cleric, a Rogue, a Warrior and a Wizard, which provides a little bit of everything a balanced adventuring squad needs". [6]
The returning mechanics from previous Zendikar sets are Kicker and Landfall. [11] When the Kicker cost is paid, "a spell can become stronger". [6] Landfall generates a bonus for the player when they put "lands onto the battlefield from anywhere. [...] And for the first time, landfall appears on a planeswalker: Nissa of Shadowed Boughs". [6]
The Zendikar Rising set also "introduced modal double-faced cards". [12] Louis Kemner, for CBR , explained that modal means "either side can be used from the hand, but once a side is chosen, the player is committed to that side. So far, every single modal double-faced card has a spell on one side and a simple land on the other [...]. The idea is that, while in the hand or deck, these cards can be either a much-needed land or a spell at the right time". [6]
Louis Kemner, for CBR, highlighted the new party mechanic where "cards with the party mechanic either scale up in effect or become cheaper as the party's numbers grow. [...] Double-faced cards also make their return, but they do not have the transform mechanic from the Innistrad sets or Magic Origins . Instead, these cards are modal". Kemner also wrote that "by now, Wizards of the Coast has figured out which mechanics were popular and effective during their time and which weren't. This means it can elegantly bring back fan-favorites in just the right sets for nostalgia and flavorful gameplay alike". [13] In a separate article comparing it to the Battle forZendikar (2015) set, Kemner highlighted that the Zendikar Rising set had memorable mechanics such as the returning Landfall mechanic, "along with the innovative Party concept, creating in-game groups of Wizards, Clerics, Rogues and Warriors in all five colors for various benefits; it was almost like a built-in Dungeons & Dragons game. Adding modal double-faced cards with lands on the back sides was yet another remarkable innovation, not to mention the return of kicker and cheap, colored Equipment cards". Kemner commented that "the Zendikar Rising set is truly a return to the wild world of adventure and peril, and that's how it was marketed from the very start. Magic fans were thrilled, and sure enough, this standalone set's mechanical identity and lore perfectly fit what made the original Zendikar block so special. [...] All this compares favorably to the Battle for Zendikar block, which was only about fighting the Eldrazi". [4]
Alexander Sowa, also for CBR, highlighted the return of corresponding fiction with the Zendikar Rising set. Sowa wrote that many Magic novels "were widely panned, with Greg Weissman's War of the Spark: Ravnica being infamous among fans for its misrepresentation of existing characters. It seems Wizards of the Coast listened to the protestations of their fans, as Zendikar Rising's story is once again being published, this time as short stories on the Magic website. [...] In the Heart of the Skyclave sets up a clear conflict between Nahiri and Nissa, each a representative of a different philosophy when it comes to Zendikar's Roil. Nahiri believes it's essential to preserve the lives of Zendikari above all else, regardless of any damage that might be inflicted on the natural world around them. Nissa stands in contrast as a representative of a new-world idea that would see the citizens of the plane act in harmony with the world around them. Neither side is a one-dimensional villain". [9]
Charlie Hall, for Polygon, highlighted that a new type booster pack was released for this set. Hall commented that Set Boosters "boast a tremendous collection of full-card art and the chance to get up to four Rare cards — including one or more Mythic Rares — inside each pack. [...] The most important thing to know about Set Boosters is that they’re not intended for use in drafting. [...] Set Booster packs are aimed squarely at collectors, and command a premium price tag to match. [...] The first third of the pack is designed as an introduction. [...] Next comes six Common and Uncommon cards that are connected via a similar theme. [...] After those six cards comes what [senior designer Gavin] Verhey refers to as 'the fireworks.' First is a 'head turner' card, curated by the team at Wizards to show off especially good art from the given set of cards. [...] After the head turner is a 'wildcard,' which has a chance of being a Rare. After that is a guaranteed Rare or Mythic Rare and a guaranteed foil card. [...] In 30 packs we came across a grand total of 42 Rares and three Mythic Rares, including a foil planeswalker and a borderless, alternate art planeswalker. There were 35 foils (including four foil lands) in all. Finally, we encountered two gold foil signed pieces of art". [14]
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. 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.
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.
The Alara block is a Magic: The Gathering expert-level expansion block, consisting of the expansion sets Shards of Alara, Conflux and Alara Reborn. The Alara block focuses on multicolored cards, in particular cards with three or more colors.
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.
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. It is also the first block in Magic to use the new Two-Block Paradigm, wherein each block has two sets instead of the three that were previously used.
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.
Theros Beyond Death is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set. It is not part of a block. It was released on January 24, 2020. The set's development codename is "Baseball", and its expansion code is THB.
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.
Strixhaven: School of Mages is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set. It is not part of a block. The set was released in April 2021.
Kaldheim is the 86th Magic: The Gathering expansion and is not part of a block. It is set on the plane of the same name. It was released on February 5, 2021. It also became available in MTG Arena on January 28, 2021.
Guilds of Ravnica is the 79th Magic: The Gathering expansion; while it is not part of a block, this set is functionally the first part of a Ravnica focused storyline set on the plane of Ravnica. It was released on October 5, 2018.
Ravnica Allegiance is the 80th Magic: The Gathering expansion; while it is not part of a block, this set is functionally the second part of a Ravnica focused storyline set on the plane of Ravnica. It was released on January 25, 2019.
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.
Ravnica [...] Role in Origins: Jace Beleren's destination plane [...] Vryn [...] Role in Origins: Jace Beleren's home plane
