Battle for Zendikar
 | This article or section is under construction. |
| Battle for Zendikar | |
|---|---|
| Set Information | |
| Set symbol | |
| Themes and mechanics | Allies, Colorless matters |
| Keywords/ability words | Awaken, Converge, Devoid, Ingest, Landfall, Rally |
| Set size | 274 |
| Expansion code | BFZ |
| Development codename | Blood |
Battle for Zendikar will be the 68th Magic expansion, and the first in the Battle for Zendikar block. It will be released October 2, 2015. [1] [2] [3] Battle for Zendikar is a large expansion, and the Battle for Zendikar block will be the first block of the Two-Block Paradigm.
Set details
The set contains 274 cards, which is 5 more than the current default for large sets, and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards in the set. The expansion symbol of the set is a broken hedron. The set features special full art basic lands similar to those that appeared in Zendikar. [4] These special lands appear in booster packs and fat packs, but not in intro packs. Battle for Zendikar introduces the creature types Scion and Processor.
Storyline
Battle for Zendikar returns the storyline to Zendikar which previously has been featured in the Zendikar block. It is a plane of adventure, many treasures, and potent mana supplies. The plane is littered with large, floating polyhedron-shaped stones called Hedrons, that were created by Nahiri, the Kor Lithomancer. Together with Ugin and Sorin Markov she used them to trap the horrendous Eldrazi on the plane. Thousands of years later, the meeting of Sarkhan Vol, Chandra Nalaar and Jace Beleren in the Eye of Ugin chamber unintentionally loosened the bonds that kept the Eldrazi in torpor. The Eldrazi were finally released by the elf Nissa Revane, thinking that they would leave Zendikar far behind them. She was wrong. Two years after the initial destruction, at least Ulamog is still around.[5]
Now, Gideon Jura takes the lead of a group of planeswalkers in facing the Eldrazi alongside the residents of Zendikar. Meanwhile, the trapped planeswalker-turned-demon Ob Nixilis is desperate for a way off of the plane. A pivotal moment in the storyline is the Slaughter at Sea Gate.
Marketing
Battle for Zendikar is sold in 16-card boosters (one card being a marketing card), five intro packs, one event deck and a fat pack.
Expeditions
As a promotion to further the theme of the set, Wizards randomly inserts Expedition cards into Battle for Zendikar boosters, replacing the Basic land slot. Zendikar Expeditions are all premium foil cards with a special Zendikari frame and a seperate expansion symbol. Thus, yhey are not part of the set, Zendikar Expeditions include all new art set on Zendikar and will appear slightly more often than premium mythic rares. These cards are playable in limited and formats where they're already legal. There are 25 Expedtion cards in Battle for Zendikar (the 5 new dual lands, 10 shock lands and 10 fetch lands) and 20 more cards coming in "Sweat".
Prerelease
At the prerelease (September 26–27, 2015) each player will receive a special hedron-themed Prerelease pack that they can use after the event as a take-home deck box. Inside each Prerelease box, there will be six Battle for Zendikar Booster packs along with a randomized, date-stamped premium promo card, a spindown life counter and a deckbuilding advice insert.[6] Starting with this prerelease, seeded booster packs will no longer be used. [7] This prerelease is the first to use the "Vancouver" mulligan rule. [8]
Promotional cards
- Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare from the set.
- Launch promo: TBA
- Game Day: full-art TBA
- Game Day (Top 8): full-art TBA
- Buy-a-Box: TBA
Tokens and emblems
Themes and mechanics
Colorless matters, allies and landfall make a return from the Zendikar block. Landfall now sometimes is land specific.
There are at least four new mechanics:
- Devoid (This card has no color)
- Ingest (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top card of his or her library)
- Awaken N — (cost) (If you cast this card for (cost), also put N +1/+1 counters on target land you control and it becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land)
- Rally, an ability word that gives an advantageous effect whenever an ally enters the battlefield.
- Converge, an ability word that gives an advantageous effect for each color of mana used to cast the spell.
Cycles
Battle for Zendikar has at least one cycle:
- Dual lands [4]
Mirrored pairs
Reprinted cards
- Rolling Thunder, first printed in Tempest (last seen in Planechase).
Card comparisons
Functional reprints
Strictly better
- Hedron Archive is strictly better than Sisay's Ring and Ur-Golem's Eye.
Preconstructed decks
Intro packs
Event deck
References
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- ↑ a b Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (August 31, 2012). "". Tumblr.
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- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (July 28, 2015). "". Tumblr.
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