Battle for Zendikar

Battle for Zendikar is the 68th Magic expansion, and the first in the Battle for Zendikar block. It was released October 2, 2015. Battle for Zendikar is a large expansion, and the Battle for Zendikar block is the first block of the Two-Block Paradigm.

Set details
The set contains 274 cards (25 basic lands, 101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards in the set. There are 25 basic lands, instead of the usual 20, and the set also features special full art versions similar to those that appeared in Zendikar. The full-art versions appear in booster packs and fat packs, but not in intro packs. The expansion symbol of the set is a broken hedron. While allies represented adventuring parties in the last Zendikar block, they now represent the united army against the Eldrazi. This is also a battle between the colored against the colorless faction. The Eldrazi interact with the exile zone.

Because of the demise of the core sets, R&D experimented with same art reprints in expansion sets (e.g. Felidar Sovereign). As a promotion to further the theme of the set, WotC randomly inserted Expedition cards into Battle for Zendikar boosters.

Storyline
Battle for Zendikar returns the storyline to Zendikar, a plane of adventure, many treasures, and potent mana supplies. The plane is littered with large, floating polyhedron-shaped stones called hedrons, that were created by Nahiri, the Kor Lithomancer. Together with Ugin and Sorin Markov she used them to trap the horrendous Eldrazi on the plane. Thousands of years later, the meeting of Sarkhan Vol, Chandra Nalaar and Jace Beleren in the Eye of Ugin chamber unintentionally loosened the bonds that kept the Eldrazi in torpor. The Eldrazi were finally released by the elf Nissa Revane, thinking that they would leave Zendikar far behind them. She was wrong. Two years after the initial destruction, at least Ulamog is still around.

Now, Gideon Jura takes the lead of a group of planeswalkers in facing the Eldrazi alongside the residents of Zendikar. Meanwhile, the trapped planeswalker-turned-demon Ob Nixilis is desperate for a way off of the plane. The five cards that represent the pivotal moments in the storyline are Gruesome Slaughter, Nissa's Renewal, Ugin's Insight, Outnumber and Aligned Hedron Network.

Magic Story
Prologue

Main story

Marketing


Battle for Zendikar is sold in 16-card boosters (one card being a marketing card), five intro packs, one event deck and a fat pack. The boosters feature art from Ob Nixilis Reignited, Kiora, Master of the Depths, Ulamog's Despoiler</c>, Veteran Warleader</c> and Gideon, Ally of Zendikar</c>.

Zendikar Expeditions
Zendikar Expeditions are all premium foil cards with a special Zendikari frame and a separate expansion symbol. Thus, they are not part of the set. Zendikar Expeditions include all new art set on Zendikar and appear slightly more often than premium mythic rares. These cards are playable in limited and formats where they're already legal. There are 25 Expedition cards appearing with Battle for Zendikar (the 5 new dual lands, 10 shock lands and 10 fetch lands ) and 20 more cards in Oath of the Gatewatch.

Prerelease
At the prerelease (September 26–27, 2015) each player received a special hedron-themed Prerelease pack that they could use after the event as a take-home deck box. Inside each Prerelease box, there were six regular Battle for Zendikar Booster packs along with a randomized, date-stamped premium promo card, a spindown life counter, a deckbuilding guide and a story insert. Starting with this prerelease, seeded booster packs were no longer used. This prerelease was the first to use the "Vancouver" mulligan rule.

Instead of getting a specific set Prerelease card or one of a small subset of Prerelease cards, starting with Battle for Zendikar players receive a random Prerelease card in their boxes that can be one of any rare or mythic rare in the set.

Promotional cards

 * Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare from the set.
 * Launch promo: Blight Herder</c>
 * Game Day: full-art Stasis Snare</c>
 * Game Day (Top 8): full-art Radiant Flames</c>
 * Buy-a-Box: Ruinous Path</c>

Tokens and emblems
For this set, the ratio between token cards and other marketing cards was shifted heavily in favor of tokens. The new ratio is approximately 9:10 for tokens. Tokens’ rarity is based upon the rarity of the cards that make them.
 * 1)  10/10 Eldrazi for Desolation Twin</c>
 * 2)  1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." for Adverse Conditions</c>, Blight Herder</c>, Blisterpod</c>, Brood Butcher</c>, Brood Monitor</c>, Call the Scions</c>, Carrier Thrall</c>, Catacomb Sifter</c>, <c>Drowner of Hope</c>, <c>Eldrazi Skyspawner</c>, <c>Eyeless Watcher</c>, <c>From Beyond</c>, <c>Grave Birthing</c>, <c>Incubator Drone</c>, <c>Spawning Bed</c> and <c>Void Attendant</c>
 * 3)  1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ."
 * 4)  1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ."
 * 5)  2/2 Knight Ally for <c>Gideon, Ally of Zendikar</c>
 * 6)  1/1 Kor Ally for <c>Retreat to Emeria</c> and <c>Unified Front</c>
 * 7)  8/8 Octopus for <c>Kiora, Master of the Depths</c>
 * 8)  5/5 Dragon with flying for <c>Dragonmaster Outcast</c>
 * 9)  3/1 Elemental with trample and haste for <c>Akoum Stonewaker</c>
 * 10)  1/1 Plant for <c>Grovetender Druids</c>
 * 11)  5/5 Elemental for <c>Omnath, Locus of Rage</c>

Themes and mechanics
Eldrazi, Colorless matters, colorless instants, allies and landfall make a return from the Zendikar block. Landfall now sometimes is land specific.

There are at five new named mechanics:
 * Devoid (This card has no color)
 * Ingest (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top card of his or her library)
 * Awaken N (cost) (If you cast this card for (cost), also put N +1/+1 counters on target land you control and it becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land)
 * Rally, an ability word that gives an advantageous effect whenever an ally enters the battlefield. This is a tweak of the unnamed ally mechanic of the Zendikar block.
 * Converge, an ability word that gives an advantageous effect for each color of mana used to cast the spell.

A remarkable mechanic is featured on <c>Void Winnower</c>, which cares about "even converted mana cost".

Card types
Battle for Zendikar introduces the creature types Scion and Processor.
 * Eldrazi Scions are very similar to Eldrazi Spawn, but are 1/1 instead of 0/1. They're created by Eldrazi-themed spells in a variety of ways and all have the ability "Sacrifice this creature: Add ."
 * Processor is an additional creature type for some Eldrazi. Each one has an ability that requires you to put your opponent's exiled cards into their graveyard for some effect.

Cycles
Battle for Zendikar has seven cycles:

Pairs
Battle for Zendikar has a mirrored pair.

Reprinted cards

 * <c>Altar's Reap</c>, first printed in Innistrad
 * <c>Anticipate</c>, first printed in Dragons of Tarkir
 * <c>Bone Splinters</c>, first printed in Shards of Alara
 * <c>Dispel</c>, first printed in Worldwake (last seen in Return to Ravnica).
 * <c>Dragonmaster Outcast</c>, first printed in Worldwake
 * <c>Dutiful Return</c>, first printed in Khans of Tarkir.
 * <c>Evolving Wilds</c>, first printed in Rise of the Eldrazi (last seen in Magic Origins).
 * <c>Felidar Sovereign</c>, first printed in Zendikar
 * <c>Giant Mantis</c>, first printed in Mirage
 * <c>Goblin War Paint</c>, first printed in Zendikar
 * <c>Inspired Charge</c>, first printed in Magic 2011 (last seen in Magic 2015), for the first time in an expert-level expansion.
 * <c>Pilgrim's Eye</c>, first printed in Worldwake (last seen in Commander 2014).
 * <c>Plummet</c>, first printed in Magic 2011
 * <c>Rolling Thunder</c>, first printed in Tempest (last seen in Planechase).
 * <c>Smite the Monstrous</c>, first printed in Innistrad (last seen in Khans of Tarkir)
 * <c>Sylvan Scrying</c>, first printed in Mirrodin (last seen in Tenth Edition).
 * <c>Territorial Baloth</c>, first printed in Zendikar

Common to Uncommon

 * <c>Rolling Thunder</c>, first printed in Tempest (last seen in Planechase).
 * <c>Pilgrim's Eye</c>, first printed in Worldwake (last seen in Commander 2014).

Functional reprints

 * <c>Broodhunter Wurm</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Golden Bear</c> from Portal Second Age, <c>Nettle Swine</c> from Avacyn Restored and <c>Order of the Sacred Bell</c> from Champions of Kamigawa, save for the creature type.
 * <c>Cloud Manta</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Moon Heron</c> from Innistrad, <c>Snapping Drake</c> from Portal and <c>Talas Air Ship</c> from Portal Second Age, save for creature type.
 * <c>Dampening Pulse</c> is an almost functional reprint of <c>Cumber Stone</c> from Conflux, it's an Enchantment instead of an Artifact.
 * <c>Expedition Envoy</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Elite Vanguard</c> from Magic 2010 and <c>Savannah Lions</c> from Alpha, save for creature type.
 * <c>Felidar Cub</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Kami of Ancient Law</c> from Champions of Kamigawa, <c>Ronom Unicorn</c> from Coldsnap and <c>Keening Apparition</c> from Return to Ravnica, save for creature type.
 * <c>Ghostly Sentinel</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Angel of Light</c> from Starter 1999, save for creature type.
 * <c>Kitesail Scout</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Aven Skirmisher</c> from Fate Reforged, <c>Lantern Kami</c> from Champions of Kamigawa and <c>Suntail Hawk</c> from Judgment, save for creature type.
 * <c>Reclaiming Vines</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Creeping Mold</c> from Visions.
 * <c>Shadow Glider</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Wild Griffin</c> from Portal Second Age, save for creature type.

Card comparisons
Many Battle for Zendikar cards are strictly better, and a handful are strictly worse, than previous cards. Of particular note, <c>Endless One</c> is the simplest and most cost-efficient example of a design previously seen on more than 100 other cards.

Intro packs
Battle for Zendikar has five intro packs (three bicolored and two colorless):

Event deck
Battle for Zendikar has one event deck.