The Battle for Zendikar
- For the expansion of the same name, see Battle for Zendikar.
| The Battle for Zendikar | |||||
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| The Battle | |||||
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| Information | |||||
| Era | Mending Era | ||||
| Date | 4557–4559 AR | ||||
| Location | Zendikar | ||||
| Sets | Rise of the Eldrazi, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch | ||||
| Characters | Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren, Nissa Revane, Kiora, Ob Nixilis, Ulamog, Kozilek, Tazri, Jori En, Noyan Dar and many others | ||||
| Outcome | |||||
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| Timeline | |||||
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The Battle for Zendikar, sometimes called simply "the Battle"[1], was a major conflict on the plane of Zendikar in 4557–4559 AR, marking the plane’s desperate stand against the Eldrazi titans Ulamog and Kozilek. It culminated in the retaking of Sea Gate, the temporary entrapment of Ulamog, and the unexpected awakening of Kozilek due to the demon planeswalker Ob Nixilis’s schemes.
Description
Thousands of years prior, the Eldrazi titans nearly destroyed Zendikar when they first awoke. The imprisonment of the Eldrazi by the planeswalkers Ugin, Sorin Markov, and Nahiri led to a long dormant period until Nicol Bolas manipulated events leading to the release of the Eldrazi in 4557 AR.[2] As Ulamog and Kozilek rampaged, Zendikar's Roil became worse than ever, used as a defense mechanism against the intruders, infusing some humanoid defenders with increased mana potential to stand against the drones.[3]
Within two years of the Eldrazi’s reawakening, entire regions — Sejiri, Bala Ged, Oran-Rief, and the city of Sea Gate on Tazeem — fell to the titans and their spawn.[4] Refusing to surrender, Zendikar’s survivors rallied under Gideon Jura, who gathered allies to retake Sea Gate.[5] His ranks grew with vampires of Malakir,[6] Roilmages under Noyan Dar,[7] and Kiora with her merfolk and sea monsters. Together, they recaptured Sea Gate with the help of the Worldwaker Nissa Revane.[8]
To stop Ulamog’s advance, the Planeswalkers devised a risky trap: Nissa raised massive sunken hedrons, which Jace Beleren magically aligned to bind the titan. For a moment, Ulamog was contained—until Ob Nixilis, following the Planeswalkers from Bala Ged, intervened. Seeking to reignite his lost spark and caring little for the fate of the plane, Ob Nixilis betrayed the defenders by absorbing the hedron power, killing the kor guards, and destroying the hedron ring — then unleashed Kozilek from his ancient slumber.[9][10]
The catastrophic turn set the stage for the formation of the Gatewatch and Zendikar's Last Stand.
In-game references
- Represented in:
References
- ↑ Miguel Lopez (September 4, 2020). "Red Route". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (June 16, 2014). "Checking in on the Planeswalkers". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20.
- ↑ Ari Levitch (July 15, 2015). "Limits". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-07-18.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (May 12, 2010). "Rising to the Occasion". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22.
- ↑ Kimberly J. Kreines (September 9, 2015). "The Survivors of Sky Rock". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23.
- ↑ Ken Troop (September 16, 2015). "Memories of Blood". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-09-17.
- ↑ Ken Troop (October 21, 2015). "Shaping an Army". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-10-24.
- ↑ James Wyatt (October 28, 2015). "The Liberation of Sea Gate". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-10-30.
- ↑ Kimberly J. Kreines (November 18, 2015). "Hedron Alignment". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-11-20.
- ↑ Nik Davidson (November 25, 2015). "At Any Cost". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-11-27.