Zendikar
Encyclopedia
Zendikar is a Magic: The Gathering
expansion set, that was released on October 2, 2009. It consists of 249 cards.
Unlike the previous two blocks, there is no multicolored theme (in fact, every colored card in the set is monocolored). Instead, the set's themes revolve around lands. The first cards revealed from the set were a selection of basic lands, each printed with both a traditional frame and a full-art frame reminiscent of lands from Unglued
and Unhinged. Cards with the "Landfall" mechanic have effects that are triggered when a land enters the battlefield under the card's owner's control. Adding to the land theme, there are a number of non-basic lands, including lands with a variety of enters-the-battlefield effects that were formerly restricted to creatures.
Zendikar also contains three Planeswalker
s: Nissa Revane, who first appeared in the Xbox 360 game Duels of the Planeswalkers; Sorin Markov, an all-new vampire character; and a second version of Chandra Nalaar, Chandra Ablaze, as previously foreshadowed in the novel The Purifying Fire.
To promote the "priceless treasures" tagline of Zendikar, original, authentic vintage cards were inserted into a limited number of booster packs, replacing the basic land. These cards were for collector and incentive purposes only, and were largely not legal for sanctioned Zendikar block play.
Zendikar was the first "large" expansion since Legends where the only random packs were booster packs — 75-card tournament packs, introduced in Urza's Saga, were no longer sold.
Intimidate is a new keyword mechanic that makes a creature unable to be blocked except by artifact creatures and creatures that share a color with the creature. In Zendikar and future sets, this mechanic will replace "Fear," a similar ability that was restricted largely to black cards.
Landfall is a new ability word that causes a creature, enchantment, artifact, or land to gain an extra ability or become more powerful when a land enters the battlefield under its controller's control.
Quests are enchantments that each have two abilities. The first ability causes "quest counters" to be added when a specific event or game state takes place; once a certain number of quest counters is reached, the card's second ability can be used.
Trap is a new type of instant that can be cast for a reduced cost if certain events have taken place this turn.
Quests, Traps, and Allies were codenamed "Maps, Traps, and Chaps" in development respectively, and were designed to mechanically reinforce the "Adventure World" setting of Zendikar.
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
expansion set, that was released on October 2, 2009. It consists of 249 cards.
Set details
Zendikar is the first set in the Zendikar block. Its tagline is "Deadly perils, priceless treasures." The eponymous setting is a vast, untamed wilderness, whose few bastions of civilization exist primarily for outfitting treasure-seeking expeditions to distant locales. Colossal stones called "hedrons" float in the sky, and a phenomenon known as "the Roil" causes frequent geological upheaval as it sweeps across the land.Unlike the previous two blocks, there is no multicolored theme (in fact, every colored card in the set is monocolored). Instead, the set's themes revolve around lands. The first cards revealed from the set were a selection of basic lands, each printed with both a traditional frame and a full-art frame reminiscent of lands from Unglued
Unglued
For the Stone Temple Pilots song, please see Unglued .Unglued is the name of a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, the first silver-bordered, non-tournament-legal Magic: The Gathering expansion set released. It came out in August 1998. Its symbol is a cracked egg...
and Unhinged. Cards with the "Landfall" mechanic have effects that are triggered when a land enters the battlefield under the card's owner's control. Adding to the land theme, there are a number of non-basic lands, including lands with a variety of enters-the-battlefield effects that were formerly restricted to creatures.
Zendikar also contains three Planeswalker
Planeswalker
In the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, a planeswalker is a mage with the ability to travel to different planes of existence.-Magic: The Gathering:...
s: Nissa Revane, who first appeared in the Xbox 360 game Duels of the Planeswalkers; Sorin Markov, an all-new vampire character; and a second version of Chandra Nalaar, Chandra Ablaze, as previously foreshadowed in the novel The Purifying Fire.
To promote the "priceless treasures" tagline of Zendikar, original, authentic vintage cards were inserted into a limited number of booster packs, replacing the basic land. These cards were for collector and incentive purposes only, and were largely not legal for sanctioned Zendikar block play.
Zendikar was the first "large" expansion since Legends where the only random packs were booster packs — 75-card tournament packs, introduced in Urza's Saga, were no longer sold.
Mechanics
Ally is a new creature type. An Ally has an effect (getting larger, gaining life, making creature tokens, etc.) that triggers when itself or another Ally enters the battlefield.Intimidate is a new keyword mechanic that makes a creature unable to be blocked except by artifact creatures and creatures that share a color with the creature. In Zendikar and future sets, this mechanic will replace "Fear," a similar ability that was restricted largely to black cards.
Landfall is a new ability word that causes a creature, enchantment, artifact, or land to gain an extra ability or become more powerful when a land enters the battlefield under its controller's control.
Quests are enchantments that each have two abilities. The first ability causes "quest counters" to be added when a specific event or game state takes place; once a certain number of quest counters is reached, the card's second ability can be used.
Trap is a new type of instant that can be cast for a reduced cost if certain events have taken place this turn.
Quests, Traps, and Allies were codenamed "Maps, Traps, and Chaps" in development respectively, and were designed to mechanically reinforce the "Adventure World" setting of Zendikar.