Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria
| Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria | |||||
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| Information | |||||
| Era | Mending Era | ||||
| Date | 4562 AR | ||||
| Location | Dominaria | ||||
| Sets | Dominaria United, The Brothers' War, March of the Machine | ||||
| Storyline Sources | [1][2][3][4][5] | ||||
| Characters | Ajani Goldmane, Arvad, Danitha Capashen, Elspeth Tirel, Ertai, Jaya Ballard, Jhoira, Jodah, Karn, Radha, Raff Capashen, Rona, Shanna Sisay, Sheoldred, Slimefoot, Stenn, Teferi Akosa, Tezzeret, Tiana, and others | ||||
| Outcome | |||||
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| Timeline | |||||
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The Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria was a renewed campaign in 4562 AR by New Phyrexia to subjugate and compleat the peoples of Dominaria. Led by Sheoldred and her sleeper agents, the invasion began with a targeted strike on Shiv's Mana Rig but soon escalated into a plane-wide war involving every major power on Dominaria. Major battles cost the Coalition several key leaders, devastated strategic strongholds, and left cities in ruin. Though the invaders were ultimately driven back, the campaign served as the prelude to the New Phyrexian Invasion, and many of its deadliest consequences — including the loss of Jaya Ballard, the abduction of Karn, and the spread of sleeper agents — would echo in the greater war to come.
Description
The invasion began when Sheoldred, the Whispering One, allied with the Society of Mishra, the ambitious Rona, and a resurrected Ertai, creating an army of compleated Argivians, sleeper agents, and monstrosities salvaged from the ruins of the old Phyrexian War Machines.
In addition to several planeswalkers - Teferi Akosa, Jaya Ballard, Karn, Ajani Goldmane, and other powerful figures like Jodah the archmage and Jhoira of the Ghitu, the New Coalition included various leaders and fighters from across the plane: Radha of Keld, Aron Capashen, the scholar Stenn of New Argive, Shanna Sisay and the rest of the Skyship Weatherlight's crew, the elemental Multani, the living nightmare Braids, the giant frog spirit Yargle, and Shiv's dragons, viashino, goblins, and Ghitu.[1]
One of the Phyrexians' earliest and most demoralizing strikes was an ambush in Benalia, where sleeper agents abducted the respected nobleman Aron Capashen during the peace summit at Oyster Bay.[6] Aron's compleation was personally overseen by Ertai as a symbolic blow to Dominaria's morale.[7] The compleated Aron later fought against the defenders of Aerona, where he was confronted and ultimately slain by his grieving daughter, Danitha Capashen — an early and bitter loss for Dominaria's forces.[8]This tragedy forced Danitha to assume leadership of House Capashen during the war, a role in which she quickly proved herself both a capable commander and a skilled tactical soldier on the front lines.
The Phyrexian vanguard later struck at the Mana Rig in Shiv, the New Coalition's main base and Jhoira's workshop. The Battle of the Mana Rig was the largest engagement of the war thus far, ending in a pyrrhic Coalition victory. Jhoira triggered the Rig's self-destruction to prevent its capture, though Phyrexia succeeded in destroying the Golgothian Sylex and eliminating four of the Coalition's leaders. The first loss came when Stenn, revealed to be a sleeper agent, was killed by Karn and Jaya Ballard;[9] next, Ajani Goldmane was unmasked mid-battle as a Phyrexian sleeper agent and killed Jaya before securing Karn for the enemy; Jaya herself fell to the compleated Ajani.[1] Finally, Karn — though immune to compleation due to his nature as a silver golem carrying Venser's spark — was incapacitated, disassembled, and taken to New Phyrexia, leaving him unable to participate in most of the war. Despite these devastating setbacks, the Coalition escaped with most of its forces intact, and dozens of small powerstones were recovered from the wreckage.[10]
A month later, Sheoldred returned with the full might of New Phyrexia. Hundreds of battles erupted across Dominaria's continents.[2] Tezzeret rejoined the Phyrexian cause and aided Rona's assault on Urza's Tower, where Teferi Akosa, Jodah, and other planeswalkers were building the Temporal Anchor from Urza's blueprints. During the battle, Rona severely wounded Jodah with her glaive before being struck down by Elspeth Tirel; Tezzeret extracted her before capture.[3] The Phyrexians were repelled again, but the fighting left much of Dominaria in ruins.
Despite these victories, the Second Phyrexian Invasion proved to be only the opening act of the New Phyrexian Invasion, when Sheoldred's work on Dominaria would be joined by the efforts of the other Praetors on countless planes.
References
- ↑ a b c Langley Hyde (August 18, 2022). "A Whisper in the Wind". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Seanan McGuire (October 26, 2022). "The Brother's War - Chapter 5: Exodus". Magicthegathering.com.
- ↑ a b Seanan McGuire (October 26, 2022). "The Brother's War - Chapter 4: The Dark". Magicthegathering.com.
- ↑ Reinhardt Suarez (January 17, 2023). "A Man of Parts". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ First Look at March of the Machine (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (February 19, 2023).
- ↑ Langley Hyde (August 11, 2022). "Sand in the Hourglass". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Roy Graham (September 1, 2022). "The Legends You'll Find in Dominaria United". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Langley Hyde (August 15, 2022). "A Brutal Blow". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Langley Hyde (August 12, 2022). "Episode 3: The Locked Tower". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Reinhardt Suarez (October 21, 2022). "The Brothers' War - Chapter 1: Stronghold". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.