Rise of the Eldrazi

Rise of the Eldrazi is the fifty-third Magic expansion and will be released in April 2010 as the third set in the Zendikar block. Prerelease events will be held April 17-18, 2010. Launch parties will be held April 23-25, 2010.

Set Details

Rise of the Eldrazi is set like its predecessors Zendikar and Worldwake on the plane of Zendikar and continues the story line from those sets. However, ,Unlike other third sets in a block, Rise of the Eldrazi is a large expansion and contains 248 cards including Basic lands which also usually are not reprinted in the third expansion of a block. Also, unlike the two preceding sets it is not Land-themed but focuses on a race of colorless creatures called the Eldrazi. Other themes and mechanics from the preceding sets will also not return.

The colorless spells featured in the set have translucent boxes through which larger artwork can be seen.

Mechanics

The set features a number of large colorless creatures called Eldrazi which were previewed with Eye of Ugin from the previous set, Worldwake. The first creature to be shown was Kozilek, Butcher of Truth which also features the mechanic Annihilator which forces the defending player to sacrifice a number of permanents when the creature with Annihilator attacks. The set also contains the first Instant and Sorcery spells without colored mana in their casting cost. For this purpose the set also brings back Tribal cards.

Another subtheme of the set is the heavy use of defender and Walls.

Level up is a new mechanic which allows creatures to gain benefits permanently in exchange for a mana investment. The level up mechanic also symbolizes the growth theme of the set which is also featured on various other cards, for example the legendary Tuktuk the Explorer that grows from a puny 1/1 Goblin with haste into a 5/5 upon being put into the graveyard and some cards that can gain temporary or permanent power/toughness benefits such as Sphinx of Magosi, Bloodthrone Vampire, Nirkana Revenant.

Totem armor on the other hand is a mechanic on Auras which replaces the destruction of the enchanted permanent with the destruction of the aura. Rebound is another mechanic to get more use out of Instants and Sorceries. When an Instant or Sorcery with Rebound is cast from hand, the card is exiled as it resolves and its controller may cast it again at the beginning of his or her next upkeep.

The set features Gideon Jura as a card and Sarkhan Vol will make a return appearance as Sarkhan the Mad. Sarkhan the Mad is the first Planeswalker card to be printed without an ability that gains him loyalty counters. Both cards also mark a change in templating as they use pronouns such as "him" and "himself" which were previously exclusively used to refer to players but not to cards or characters.

The Eldrazi Theme is further enhanced by the use of a mechanic nicknamed "Brood lineage" which produces 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens that can be sacrificed to add to the mana pool. Some of these are produced with actually colored Eldrazi Drone creatures.

Eldrazi Spawn creature token rulings

• Sacrificing an Eldrazi Spawn token to add to your mana pool is a mana ability. No player may respond to it. You may activate the ability while you're casting a spell, you're activating an ability, or a resolving spell or ability requires a mana payment from you, for example.
• Some abilities affect Eldrazi Spawn. Such abilities affect these tokens, of course. Such abilities also affect Mistform Ultimus and creatures with changeling, since they have the creature types Eldrazi and Spawn.
• Not all creatures with creature types Eldrazi and Spawn have "Sacrifice this creature: Add to your mana pool." These tokens do only because the effects that create them say that they have that ability. Mistform Ultimus doesn't have that ability, for example. If an Eldrazi Spawn token loses its abilities, you'll no longer be able to sacrifice it for mana.
• Some of the instants and sorceries that create Eldrazi Spawn tokens have targets. If all the spell's targets are illegal by the time it resolves, the entire spell is countered. You won't get any Eldrazi Spawn tokens.

Flavor

“

And Carnage Shall Follow

”

Cycle

There are four cycles in Rise of the Eldrazi:

• Invokers — A cycle reminiscent of cards from Legions. All of these creatures have an activated ability that costs to activate — Bloodrite Invoker, Dawnglare Invoker, Frostwind Invoker, Lavafume Invoker, and Wildheart Invoker.
• Tribal Eldrazi — A vertical cycle from Common to Mythic Rare of noncreature spells — Not Of This World, Skittering Invasion, Eldrazi Conscription, All is Dust.
• Rare Levellers — A cycle of rare Levelling creatures, each with the Level Up cost of NC — Echo Mage, Gruul Draz Assassin, Lord of Shatterskull Pass, Kazandu Tuskcaller, Student of Warfare.
• Uncommon Levllers — A cycle of rare Levelling creatures, each with the Level Up cost of NC — Beastbreaker of Bala Ged, Kabira Vindicator, Hada Spy Patrol, Brimstone Mage, Nirkana Cutthroat.

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Rise of the Eldrazi:

• Battle Rampart was last seen in Mercadian Masques.
• Demystify was last seen in 10th Edition.
• Glory Seeker was last seen in Ninth Edition.
• Heat Ray was last seen in Urza's Saga.
• Naturalize was last seen in Magic 2010.
• Regress was last seen in Mirrodin.
• Smite was last seen in Stronghold.
• Vendetta was last seen in Mercadian Masques.

Functional reprints

Rise of the Eldrazi has 7 functional reprints:

• Gloomhunter is a functional reprint of Kelinore Bat from Magic 2010, Dusk Imp from 10th Edition, Feral Shadow from Starter 1999 and Moaning Spirit from Portal Second Age,save for creature type.
• Jwari Scuttler is a functional reprint of Blind Phantasm from Future Sight, save for creature type.
• Lagac Lizard is a functional reprint of Canyon Minotaur from Magic 2010, Hill Giant from 10th Edition, Wild Jhovall from Mercadian Masques, Tor Giant from Ice Age, Ogre Warrior from Starter 1999 and Barbarian Horde from Portal Three Kingdoms, save for creature type.
• Last Kiss is a functional reprint of Douse in Gloom from Guildpact.
• Nema Siltlurker is a functional reprint of Ironroot Treefolk from Fifth Edition, save for creature type.
• Shrivel is a functional reprint of Nausea from Eighth Edition.
• Evolving Wilds is a functional reprint of Terramorphic Expanse from Magic 2010.
• Soul's Attendant is almost a functional reprint of Soul Warden from Magic 2010, only the triggered ability is optional and not mandatory.

Colorshifted

• Wall of Omens is a colorshifted version of Wall of Blossoms from Stronghold.