The Dark
- This page is about the expansion set. For the short story, see The Dark (story). For other uses, see The Dark (disambiguation).
| The Dark | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Set Information | |||||
| Set symbol | |||||
| Symbol description | Crescent Moon | ||||
| Design |
Jesper Myrfors Steve Bishop Glenn Elliott Beverly Marshall Saling | ||||
| Development |
Skaff Elias Jim Lin Chris Page Dave Pettey | ||||
| Art direction | Sandra Everingham | ||||
| Release date | August 8, 1994 | ||||
| Plane | Dominaria (Terisiare)[1] | ||||
| Themes and mechanics | Tribal, first mood-based theme, graveyard as resource, exile, poison counters | ||||
| Set size |
119 cards (40 commons, 44 uncommons, 35 rares) | ||||
| Expansion code | DRK[2] | ||||
| Early non-block expansions | |||||
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| Magic: The Gathering Chronology | |||||
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The Dark is the fourth Magic: The Gathering expansion, released on August 8, 1994. It is the first mood-based set, portraying a sinister tone across all five colors. It features no new keyword mechanics, but expands on mechanics from Alpha and other early sets. Its storyline follows the immediate aftermath of the Sylex Blast. Notable cards include Blood Moon. The Dark is not part of any block.
Set details
The Dark was printed on sheets of 121 cards and contains 119 unique cards. The set's rarity breakdown is: 41 commons (1@C1, 40@C3) and 78 uncommons (35@U1, 43@U2). The C1 card and U2 cards are together considered the uncommons of the set, and the U1 cards are considered the "rares".[3]
The set includes no new keyword mechanics. Its connective tissue is mostly creative. It explores the "dark underbelly" of all five colors—not just black, which is the color typically associated with this. It is the first mood-based set and the first set with a unified artistic sensibility.[3]
The Dark includes a goblin tribal theme, powerful abilities with intense colored mana and upkeep costs, and the return of Poison counters. The expansion symbol of the set is a thin crescent moon to evoke The Dark’s tone.[4] The Dark introduced the first multicolored noncreature card, the first common multicolored card, and the first enemy-pair multicolored card.
Each of the lands in The Dark has a unique dark grey-purple-colored text box, which was replicated on the Chronicles reprint of Safe Haven.
Marketing
The Dark was sold in eight-card booster packs which included six commons and two uncommons. Cards were available from mid-August 1994 through mid-November 1994. Wizards announced the print run to be 62 million cards.[5][6] The Dark was the first Magic expansion that was released in the Italian language (the Italian Legends was released later).
Flavor and storyline
The expansion was introduced with a short story describing the ominous and powerful nature of the dark magic from which the set took its name.[7]
In the flavor text of the set's cards, another story was told: The climax of the Brothers' War was the Sylex Blast, which lofted debris into the air blotting out the sun and creating The Dark. Without the sun the climate begins to cool, and an anti-magic religion comes to power, blaming the Sylex blast and its effects on all magic and its users. Persecution of these magic-using wizards led to the creation of the fabled City of Shadows in the east and the Conclave of Mages in the west, where they hid themselves during this time.
HarperPrism stories
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Inheritance" from Tapestries* | S. D. Perry | July 1995 | Dominaria | Leen, Scio, Mita, Seran, Katlya, Shaim, Rag Man, Keil |
| "A Monstrous Duty" from Distant Planes* | Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury | June 1996 | Dominaria | Torya Longshanks, Rogan, Jess, Delly, Lacjsi (mentioned), Mairsil (mentioned), Ith (mentioned) |
| Dark Legacy* | Robert E. Vardeman | November 1996 | Dominaria | Yunnie, Mytaru, Essa, Heryeon, Mehonvo, Usru, Noadia, Peemel, Offero, Apepei, Digody, Edara, Pioni, Dylees, Deguhe, Maeveen O'Donagh, Vervamon, Jenns, Boyzen, Quopomma, Iro, Isak Glen'Dard, Ihesia, Sacumon, Tiyint, Coernn, Ferantia, Aesor, Hoty, Oseltei, Slyfoot, Sten El-rohar, Lani Thesavert, Pardano, Otto, Felal, Nesha, Dalalego, Oji, Rontiquerio, Wesim, Adterlo, Tavora, Pardano, Feyne, Ehno |
Ice Age Cycle novel
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gathering Dark | Jeff Grubb | June 1999 | Dominaria | Arkol, Ith, Mairsil, Rag Man, Vervamon (mentioned), Jodah, Voska, Jarsyl (mentioned), Thargrin (mentioned), Tanar, Delphine, Michelle, Dobbs, Sima, Togath, Fendah, Tivadar, Barl, Lucan, Drusilla, Alex, Betje, Shannan, Ophenia, San-Lo, Dorine, Dervish, Jonko, Orm, Nedastophalites, Remarin, Ingles, Wode |
Short stories
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "A Song out of Darkness" from The Colors of Magic | Loren L. Coleman | February 1999 | Dominaria | Temken, Gwenna |
| "Bound in Shallows" from The Colors of Magic | Kevin T. Stein | February 1999 | Dominaria | Annise, Dumoss |
| "Loran's Smile" from The Colors of Magic | Jeff Grubb | February 1999 | Dominaria | Feldon, Loran, Drafna, Hurkyl (mentioned), the Archimandrite (mentioned) |
| "The Fog" from The Dragons of Magic | Tim Ryan | August 2001 | Dominaria | Agrippa, Lyssius, Pari |
The Duelist
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1994: The Dark* | Kathy Ice | Summer 1994 | Mirrankkar | Mindrel, Brand |
* These are early stories, and may be ignored or contradicted by later stories.
Creature types
The Dark greatly expanded the concept of a tribe, or a specific creature type (briefly touched upon in Legends with the kobold creature type). It contains six goblins, a card named Goblin Rock Sled, two creatures with abilities that reference goblins, two Auras that can give a bonus to goblins, and a sorcery to destroy all goblins — Tivadar's Crusade. Despite this creature-type theme, most of the rest of the set used unusual, creature-specific creature types like other early expansions.
The following creature types are introduced in this expansion:
| Original summon type | Later creature type |
|---|---|
| Bandit | Human Rogue |
| Brother | Human Shaman |
| Cave People | Human |
| Exorcist | Human Cleric |
| Hunter | Human Cleric |
| Miracle Worker | Human Cleric |
| Mob | Human |
| People of the Woods | Human |
| Pikemen | Human Soldier |
| Preacher | Human Cleric |
| Robber | Human Rogue |
| Scavenger Folk | Scavenger, then Human |
| Sister | Human Shaman |
| Squire | Human Soldier |
| Tracker | Human |
| Uncle Istvan | Human |
| Leech | (Unchanged) |
| Lurker | Beast |
| Nameless-Race | (No creature type) |
| Whippoorwill | Bird |
| Ball Lightning | Elemental |
| Eel | Fish |
| Shark | Fish, then back to Shark |
| Rock Sled | Goblin |
| Eater | Horror |
| Rag Man | Minion |
| General | Orc Warrior |
| Niall Silvain | Ouphe |
| Viper | Snake |
| Banshee | Spirit |
| Fallen | Zombie |
| Murk Dwellers | Zombie |
The following creature types are used in this expansion but also appear in previous sets: Drake, Elf, Goblin, Hag, Imp, Knight, Leviathan, Merfolk, Monster, Rat, Ship (later changed to Spirit), Slug, Treefolk, Wall, Wizard, Wurm and Zombie.
Cycles
The Dark has no cycles.
The recurring cycle of color hosers is broken. Some green and blue cards support black and red, instead of hosing them. Metaphorically, in the Dark, White was abandoned by its allies Green and Blue.
| White | Black |
|---|---|
| Angry Mob (P/T depend on opponent's black) | Nameless Race (P/T depend on opponent's white) |
| Exorcist (destroy black creatures) | Inquisition (damage depending on opponent's white) |
| White | Red |
| Tivadar's Crusade (destroy Goblins) Knights of Thorn (protection from red) |
Goblin Wizard (put Goblins onto the battlefield, give protection from white) |
| Green for Black | Blue for Red |
|---|---|
| Elves of Deep Shadow (black mana source) Wormwood Treefolk (ability activated by black mana) Dark Heart of the Wood (polychrome black/green card) |
Electric Eel (ability activated by red mana) |
In later expansions, there will be cycles of allied color cards. In the Dark, this cycle is broken. As stated above, White is betrayed by its Green and Blue allies.
| Green & Red | Red & Black | Black & Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Scarwood Goblins (polychrome green/red card) | Marsh Goblins (polychrome red/black card) | Drowned (blue card, ability activated by black mana) |
Pairs
The Dark has one mirrored pair.
| Mirrored Pairs | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Ashes to Ashes (  )
|
Dust to Dust (  )
|
Both have names related to the Book of Common Prayer, and are both uncommon sorceries with a mana cost of 1MM that exile two permanents of a certain type. |
Notable cards
- Ball Lightning is a favorite red creature. It inspired many hasty disposable creatures, including Skizzik, Blistering Firecat, Spark Elemental, and Lightning Serpent. Before receiving errata, Ball Lightning only had to be sacrificed at the beginning of the end step of the turn it enters the battlefield instead of at the end step of any turn, allowing some loopholes around its intended impermanence before errata was issued to fix it.
- Maze of Ith is a powerful land with a reusable single-creature Fog effect that slowed many games down significantly.
- Tormod's Crypt is one of the best sideboard cards against decks that use the graveyard as a resource.
- Blood Moon is a Modern staple first printed in The Dark.
Functional reprints
The Dark has one functional reprint:
- Goblin Hero is a functional reprint of Gray Ogre from Revised and Raging Bull from Legends, save for creature type.
Trivia
- Many cards in this set blatantly conflict with today's ideas of a color pie. Erosion is blue land destruction. Fire and Brimstone is white direct damage. Fissure is red targeted creature destruction. Holy Light is white toughness reduction. Mana Vortex is blue mass land destruction. Merfolk Assassin offers blue repeatable creature destruction. Mind Bomb is blue direct damage or discard. Preacher offers white repeatable creature control. Witch Hunter is both white direct damage and repeatable bounce. Word of Binding is black creature tapping.
- Although the multicolored cards in the Legends expansion did not, the three multicolored cards in The Dark have reminder text to remind the player that the card counts as two colors.[8]
- Only one of the four lands printed in The Dark produces mana.
Misprints
The artist Dennis Detwiller is incorrectly credited as Denise Detwiler on the following cards:
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast. "Dominian FAQ (archived)". wizards.com.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 02, 2004). "Ask Wizards - August, 2004". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
- ↑ a b Mark Rosewater. "#1099 - The Dark". Drive to Work.
- ↑ Brady Dommermuth (October 31, 2006). "Ask Wizards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ John Tynes (April 1995). ""An Expansion Timeline"". The Duelist: A Special Preview Edition. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Beth Moursund (2002). The Complete Encyclopedia of Magic: The Gathering, Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN-10 1-56025-443-2.
- ↑ Ice, Kathy, Beverly Marshall Saling, & Rick Saling Marshall. (1994). "The Dark". The Duelist. Issue 2, Summer 1994.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (October 11, 2002). "Dark Goblins". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.