Invasion

Invasion

 

Card comparisons

 

Theme decks

 

Invasion
[[File:{{#setmainimage:INV logo.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	Coalition symbol
Design	Bill Rose (lead) Mike Elliott Mark Rosewater with contributions from: Barry Reich
Development	Henry Stern (lead) Randy Buehler Robert Gutschera William Jockusch Mark Rosewater with contributions from: Brady Dommermuth Beth Moursund
Art direction	Dana Knutson & Ron Spears
Release date	October 2, 2000
Plane	Dominaria
Themes and mechanics	Split cards, Domain, Divvy
Keywords/​ability words	Kicker
Set size	350 cards (110 commons, 110 uncommons, 110 rares, 20 basic lands)
Expansion code	INV (formerly IN)
Development codename	Beijing
Invasion block
Invasion Planeshift Apocalypse
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Beatdown Invasion Planeshift

For other uses, see Invasion (disambiguation).

Invasion is the twenty-first Magic expansion and was released in October 2000 as the first set in the Invasion block.

Set details

Invasion contains 350 black-bordered cards (110 rare, 110 uncommon, 110 common, and 20 basic lands). Invasion's expansion symbol is the symbol of the coalition, a cooperative effort of Dominarian forces from all five colors banded together to oppose Yawgmoth and the Phyrexians. The designers used parts of the unpublished Spectral Chaos set, that was designed by Barry Reich. The set introduced split cards and saw the return of multicolored "gold" cards, absent since the Stronghold expansion. In fact, its major themes revolved around multicolor decks and strategies. The popularity and appeal of gold cards along with high but balanced power level culminated into making Invasion one of the most popular Magic sets in the game's history. The set featured some legendary cards of the Weatherlight's crew: Captain Sisay and Hanna, Ship's Navigator. It also introduced the kavu. The set was accompanied by the novel of the same name.

In keeping with the focus on multicolored cards, Invasion also introduced the gradient dual-colored land text boxes for lands producing mana of two different colors, such as Coastal Tower (Invasion) and Elfhame Palace (Invasion), which would be used in all subsequent expansions and editions of Magic.

Storyline

As the hordes of Phyrexia begin pouring into Dominaria, the world looks to Urza, planeswalker and master artificer, for defense against the onslaught. As entire cultures fall under the Phyrexian hell, Urza gathers heroes, renegades, common folk, and powerful artifacts to fight the invasion.

Marketing

Invasion was sold in 75-card tournament decks, 15-card boosters, four preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. The booster packs featured artwork from Captain Sisay, Dromar, the Banisher and Kavu Titan. At Invasion prerelease events on September 23, 2000, a foil Kavu Furens was handed out as a novelty. This was a Raging Kavu printed with Latin text. The set was accompanied by the novel of the same name.

Tokens

Several tokens for Invasion cards were offered as Magic Player Reward.

• 1/1 Saproling creature (for Verdeloth, the Ancient, Rith, the Awakener, Aura Mutation, Artifact Mutation, Saproling Symbiosis, Saproling Infestation)
• 3/3 Elephant creature (for Assault//Battery)
• 1/1 Bird creature with Flying (for Ordered Migration)

Mechanics

Invasion introduced the following mechanics:

• Domain — cards which increase in power depending on the number of different basic lands you have in play.
• Divvy — Phyrexian Portal from Alliances was the inspiration for this mechanic which a player separates a number of cards into two piles and the other player chooses what to do with them.
• Kicker — pay an extra cost for a bonus effect. Invasion's five-colored Coalition Symbol, or at least part of it, is buried in the art of most cards with the kicker ability.
• Split cards — cards with two sides, each with different costs and effects respectively, effectively serving as modal spells.

Creature types

The following creature types are introduced in this expansion: Kavu, Plant.

The following creature types are used in this expansion but also appear in previous sets: Angel, Assassin, Barbarian, Bird, Cat, Cleric, Crab, Djinn, Dragon, Drake, Dryad, Elemental, Elephant, Elf, Faerie, Giant, Goblin, Golem, Guardian (later changed to Soldier), Griffin, Horror, Knight, Leech, Lord (later changed to Elf), Merfolk, Minion, Mongoose, Rat, Serpent, Shade, Ship (later changed to Metathran), Skeleton, Soldier, Specter, Spider, Treefolk, Troll, Unicorn, Wall, Wizard, Wurm, Zombie.

Cycles

Invasion has 25 cycles:

Cycle name
Djinn	Ruham Djinn	Zanam Djinn	Goham Djinn	Halam Djinn	Sulam Djinn
	Each of these uncommon djinn get weaker if their color is the most common or tied for the most common color among all permanents.
Leeches	Alabaster Leech	Sapphire Leech	Andradite Leech	Ruby Leech	Jade Leech
	Each of these rare leech is aggressively costed but with the drawback that all colored spells of its color that you play cost an additional mana of that color.
Forward-Allied-color activated ability creatures	Glimmering Angel	Metathran Zombie	Firescreamer	Viashino Grappler	Llanowar Cavalry
	Each of these common creatures has an activated ability that requires a colored-mana from the next color in the color wheel ( requires , requires , etc.).
Backward-Allied-color activated ability creatures	Rampant Elephant	Tower Drake	Urborg Phantom	Hooded Kavu	Serpentine Kavu
	Each of these common creatures has an activated ability that requires a colored-mana from the previous color in the color wheel ( requires , requires , etc.).
Allied-color plus Tapping activated ability creatures	Benalish Heralds	Vodalian Hypnotist	Trench Wurm	Firebrand Ranger	Treefolk Healer
	Each of these uncommon creatures has an activated ability that requires a colored-mana from the next color in the color wheel ( requires , requires , etc.) plus .
Colorless-Kicked Creatures	Ardent Soldier	Vodalian Serpent	Urborg Skeleton	Kavu Aggressor	Pincer Spider or Llanowar Elite
	Each of these common creatures had one ability plus it could come into play with extra +1/+1 counters if you paid its colorless kicker cost.
Same-Color-Kicked Creatures	Benalish Lancer or Prison Barricade	Faerie Squadron	Duskwalker	Pouncing Kavu	Kavu Titan
	Each of these common creatures could come into play with extra +1/+1 counters plus a color-appropriate ability if you paid its same-color kicker cost. Green stands out by having its creature be rare.
Emissaries	Benalish Emissary (Benalia)	Tolarian Emissary (Tolaria)	Urborg Emissary (Urborg)	Shivan Emissary (Shiv)	Verduran Emissary (Verdura)
	Representing one of Dominaria's signature locations, each of these uncommon human wizards has a converted mana cost of and an allied-color kicker cost that provides an enter-the-battlefield ability that either destroys one of an opponent's permanents or returns it to its owner's hand. The kicker costs go backward in the color wheel ( gets a kicker cost, gets a kicker cost, etc.).
Domain Spells	Strength of Unity	Worldly Counsel	Exotic Curse	Tribal Flames	Wandering Stream
	Each of these common spells has the Domain ability, making them scale in effectiveness with the number of different basic land types the player controls.
Auras with Self-Bounce	Shackles	Shimmering Wings	Mourning	Crown of Flames	Whip Silk
	Each of these common enchant creatures includes the following activated ability: "M: Return [cardname] to its owner's hand".
Kicked Spells	Orim's Touch	Prohibit	Hypnotic Cloud	Overload	Explosive Growth
	Each of these common spells (instants or sorceries) did something traditionally associated with its color and did more of it if you paid its colorless kicker cost.
Allied kicker costs Spells	Dismantling Blow	Probe	Agonizing Demise	Savage Offensive	Vigorous Charge
	Each of these common spells (either instants or sorceries) had a kicker cost requiring a colored-mana from the next color in the color wheel ( requires , requires , etc.).
Instant sorceries	Rout	Breaking Wave	Twilight's Call	Ghitu Fire	Saproling Symbiosis
	Each of these rare sorceries could be played any time you could play an instant for an extra cost of .
Cycle name
Allied-color two-mana 2/2 creatures	Galina's Knight (Knight/Merfolk)	Vodalian Zombie (Merfolk/Zombie)	Shivan Zombie (Zombie/Barbarian)	Yavimaya Barbarian (Barbarian/Elf)	Llanowar Knight (Elf/Knight)
	Each of these 2/2 common multicolored creatures has a mana cost comprised of two allied colors, a converted mana cost and protection from their enemy color. Each shares one creature type with two other cards in the cycle based on its colors. This cycles forms a ten-cards mega-cycle with the corresponding enemy-color two drop cycle from Apocalypse. This cycle is sometimes nicknamed the "Invasion bears" after Grizzly Bears, the archetypal 2/2 2-drop.
Allied-color gold Spells	Wings of Hope	Recoil	Plague Spores	Frenzied Tilling	Armadillo Cloak
	Each of these common spell has a mana cost with two allied colors of mana.
Allied-color gold Enchantments	Angelic Shield	Seer's Vision	Smoldering Tar	Fires of Yavimaya	Sterling Grove
	Each of these uncommon enchantments has a static or triggered ability and an activated sacrifice effect.
Allied-color Split cards	Stand // Deliver	Spite // Malice	Pain // Suffering	Assault // Battery	Wax // Wane
	Each of these split cards is made up of two spells, each of which is an allied color to the other.
Cameos	Seashell Cameo	Drake-Skull Cameo	Bloodstone Cameo	Troll-Horn Cameo	Tigereye Cameo
	Each of these uncommon artifacts costs and can be tapped for one mana of any two allied colors.
Taplands	Coastal Tower	Salt Marsh	Urborg Volcano	Shivan Oasis	Elfhame Palace
	Each of these dual lands comes into play tapped and can be tapped for one mana of any two allied colors.
Cycle name
Apprentices	Sunscape Apprentice	Stormscape Apprentice	Nightscape Apprentice	Thunderscape Apprentice	Thornscape Apprentice
	Each of these common 1/1 wizards has two minor activated abilities with allied-color costs. This cycles forms a ten-cards mega-cycle with the Disciples from Apocalypse.
Masters	Sunscape Master	Stormscape Master	Nightscape Master	Thunderscape Master	Thornscape Master
	Each of these rare 2/2 wizards has two powerful activated abilities with allied-color costs.
Weavers	Spirit Weaver	Sky Weaver	Hate Weaver	Rage Weaver	Might Weaver
	Each of these uncommon 2/1 wizards has an activated ability that cost and can only target creatures of its allied colors to give them a bonus. This cycle was reprinted in Tenth Edition.
Attendants	Treva's Attendant	Dromar's Attendant	Crosis's Attendant	Darigaaz's Attendant	Rith's Attendant
	Each of these uncommon 3/3 Golem artifact creatures costs and has ", Sacrifice this creature: Add MNO", where M, N, and O are mana of colors that help to cast one of the legendary dragons.
Legendary Dragons	Treva, the Renewer	Dromar, the Banisher	Crosis, the Purger	Darigaaz, the Igniter	Rith, the Awakener
	Each of these rare 6/6 legendary dragons has converted mana cost that include 3 allied colors, flying, and a triggered ability with a cost of M (M being the middle color of the casting cost) that triggers on dealing combat damage to a player. These are the primeval dragons of the Invasion storyline (introduced in Planeshift (novel)).
Sac lands	Irrigation Ditch	Ancient Spring	Sulfur Vent	Geothermal Crevice	Tinder Farm
	Each of these common triple lands comes into play tapped, can be tapped for one mana of a given color, or tapped and sacrificed for one of each of that color's allied colors.

Mega Vertical cycles

Cycle name
Sunscape Wizards	Sunscape Apprentice	Sunscape Battlemage	Sunscape Master
	White Wizards with two allied-color costs abilities.
Stormscape Wizards	Stormscape Apprentice	Stormscape Battlemage	Stormscape Master
	Blue Wizards with two allied-color costs abilities.
Nightscape Wizards	Nightscape Apprentice	Nightscape Battlemage	Nightscape Master
	Black Wizards with two allied-color costs abilities.
Thunderscape Wizards	Thunderscape Apprentice	Thunderscape Battlemage	Thunderscape Master
	Red Wizards with two allied-color costs abilities.
Thornscape Wizards	Thornscape Apprentice	Thornscape Battlemage	Thornscape Master
	Green Wizards with two allied-color costs abilities.

Mega-mega cycles

Cycle name
Legendary lands	Kor Haven (Nemesis)	Teferi's Isle (Mirage)	Volrath's Stronghold (Stronghold)	Keldon Necropolis (Invasion)	Yavimaya Hollow (Urza's Destiny)
	Keldon Necropolis is the final card in this mega-mega cycle of lands representing notable locations from the Weatherlight Saga storyline.

Pairs

Invasion has four mirrored pairs and two matched pairs.

Mirrored Pairs

Mirrored Pairs		Description
Crusading Knight ()	Marauding Knight ()	Each of these rare 2/2 knight creatures costs MM, has protection from the other's color, and gets +1/+1 for each land of a certain type (Swamps or Plains respectively) your opponents control.
Canopy Surge ()	Breath of Darigaaz ()	These two mana sorceries deal 1 damage to each creature (either with or without flying) and player, or 4 damage if the kicker cost of was paid.
Absorb ()	Undermine ()	Each of these rare counterspells costs UUM and has the additional effect of causing a change in 3 life.
Artifact Mutation ()	Aura Mutation ()	Each of these rare instants sharing a cost destroy an artifact or enchantment (respectively) and then put X Saproling tokens into play equal to the converted mana cost of the destroyed artifact or enchantment. Their flavor texts are by the two maro-sorcerers (Molimo and Multani).

Matched Pairs

Matched Pairs		Description
Crimson Acolyte ()	Obsidian Acolyte ()	Each of these common 1/1 Cleric creatures costs , has protection from one of white's enemy colors (Red or Black, respectively), and has an activated ability for that allows it to grant any target creature protection from the same enemy color. Even the flavor text is parallel.
Phyrexian Slayer ()	Phyrexian Reaper ()	Each of these common black creatures has an ability that says whenever this creature is blocked by a creature of one of black's enemy colors (White or Green, respectively), that creature is destroyed and can't be regenerated.

Coalition Victory from Invasion is an example of an alternate-win card.

Reprinted cards

The following 20 cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Invasion.

• Angel of Mercy — was last seen in Starter 1999.
• Blinding Light — was last seen in Starter 1999.
• Crown of Flames — was last seen in Tempest.
• Cursed Flesh — was last seen in Exodus.
• Disrupt — was last seen in Weatherlight.
• Fertile Ground — was last seen in Battle Royale.
• Harrow — was last seen in Tempest.
• Holy Day — was last seen in Legends.
• Lobotomy — was last seen in Tempest.
• Maniacal Rage — was last seen in Battle Royale.
• Phantasmal Terrain — was last seen in 6th Edition.
• Quirion Elves — was last seen in Mirage.
• Ravenous Rats — was last seen in Starter 1999.
• Reckless Spite — was last seen in Tempest.
• Shackles — was last seen in Exodus.
• Shimmering Wings — was last seen in Tempest.
• Simoon — was last seen in Visions.
• Soul Burn — was last seen in Ice Age.
• Stun — was last seen in Tempest.
• Tranquility — was last seen in Battle Royale.

Functional reprints

Invasion has eleven functional reprints:

• Ancient Kavu is a functional reprint of Raging Spirit from Mirage, save for creature type.
• Benalish Trapper is a functional reprint of Master Decoy from Tempest.
• Horned Cheetah is a functional reprint of Zebra Unicorn from Mirage, save for creature type.
• Hunting Kavu is a functional reprint of Giant Trap Door Spider from Ice Age, save for creature type.
• Metathran Transport is a functional reprint of Fylamarid from Tempest, save for creature type.
• Metathran Zombie is a functional reprint of Drowned from The Dark.
• Phyrexian Battleflies is a functional reprint of Pit Imp from Tempest and Vampire Bats from Legends, save for creature type.
• Razorfoot Griffin is a functional reprint of Ekundu Griffin from Mirage.
• Teferi's Care is a functional reprint of Arenson's Aura from Ice Age.
• Urborg Shambler is a functional reprint of Stronghold Taskmaster from Stronghold, save for creature type.
• Vodalian Merchant is a functional reprint of Merfolk Traders from Weatherlight.

Misprint

• The prerelease version of Raging Kavu shows a copyright line of 1993–1999, and is the only Invasion card to have these dates; Invasion was released in late 2000.

Notable cards

• Absorb - Legacy Blue/White Control
• Artifact Mutation - Vintage anti-artifact
• Assault//Battery - The first split card ever created by R&D. Originally made as a one-off for the cancelled Unglued 2 set, where it was called Hit//Run.
• Dueling Grounds
• Fact or Fiction — still one of the more broken draw-cards blue has to offer.
• Fires of Yavimaya
• Sabertooth Nishoba
• Urza's Rage
• Tribal Flames - Legacy 5C zoo

Preconstructed decks

Invasion has four theme decks.

Theme deck name	Colors Included
Dismissal		U	B
Blowout			B	R
Heavy Duty	W				G
Spectrum	W	U	B	R	G

External links

• Invasion product information page — Wizards of the Coast