Invasion (Magic: The Gathering)
Encyclopedia
Invasion is the 21st expert level set, and the first set in the Invasion block of cards of Magic: The Gathering
. The rest of the block is Planeshift
and Apocalypse
. It contains 350 cards.
" cards, absent since the Stronghold
expansion. Its major themes revolved around multicolor decks and strategies. The popularity and appeal of "gold" cards along with high but balanced power level culminated into making Invasion one of the most popular Magic sets in the game's history.
The multi-color nature of the set had been decided by late in 1998 The set was designed by Bill Rose, Mike Elliot and Mark Rosewater
, the crux of the design occurred late in 2000 over the course of five days at Rosewater's fathers cabin on Lake Tahoe
.
the Planeswalker
must now help Gerrard Capashen
and the crew of Weatherlight to repel the invading Phyrexians from Dominaria. However, it will not be easy, as Yawgmoth
will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
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...
. The rest of the block is Planeshift
Planeshift (Magic: The Gathering)
Planeshift is the name of the second set in the Invasion block of cards of Magic: The Gathering, along with the expansions Invasion and Apocalypse. It contained 143 cards.-Set history:Planeshift continued Invasion's theme of multi-colored "gold" cards...
and Apocalypse
Apocalypse (Magic: The Gathering)
Apocalypse is the name of a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, released in June 2001. It is the third set of the Invasion Block.-Storyline:...
. It contains 350 cards.
Set History
Invasion saw the return of multi-colored "goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
" cards, absent since the Stronghold
Stronghold (Magic: The Gathering)
Stronghold was the 21st Magic: The Gathering set and thirteenth expert level set, and the second set in the Rath Block, released in March 1998. The block includes Tempest and Exodus. Stronghold contains 143 cards...
expansion. Its major themes revolved around multicolor decks and strategies. The popularity and appeal of "gold" cards along with high but balanced power level culminated into making Invasion one of the most popular Magic sets in the game's history.
The multi-color nature of the set had been decided by late in 1998 The set was designed by Bill Rose, Mike Elliot and Mark Rosewater
Mark Rosewater
Mark Rosewater is a Magic: The Gathering card designer. He is currently Magics head designer.-Biography:Rosewater grew up in Pepper Pike, Ohio, where he attended the Orange High School. Rosewater has a Jewish background. Rosewater has described himself in his youth as a "social outcast", who did...
, the crux of the design occurred late in 2000 over the course of five days at Rosewater's fathers cabin on Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
.
Storyline
The time has come. UrzaUrza
Urza Planeswalker is a fictional character from the universe of Magic: The Gathering, best known for his millennia-long struggle with Yawgmoth and the plane of Phyrexia...
the 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:...
must now help Gerrard Capashen
Gerrard Capashen
Gerrard Capashen is a fictional warrior who commands the crew of the flying ship Weatherlight in the fantasy collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. He was the main character of the Weatherlight saga, a storyline that connected expansions to the Magic card game for five years...
and the crew of Weatherlight to repel the invading Phyrexians from Dominaria. However, it will not be easy, as Yawgmoth
Yawgmoth
Yawgmoth, known as the "Father of Machines" and called the Ineffable by his underlings, is a fictional being from Magic, The Gathering, and is the unabated god of the plane of Phyrexia, a universe of untold corruption and mechanical monstrosity. He wields nearly unlimited magical might and...
will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Mechanics
The following mechanics first appeared in Invasion:- Kicker - Cards with kicker had an optional cost in addition to the card's casting cost. Paying this additional cost would activate an additional ability or effect on the card.
- Domain - An ability word. Cards that have an effect based on the number of basic land types the casting player controlled. When printed this effect had no keyword; only when it was revived in ConfluxConfluxConflux is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, released on February 6, 2009. It is the 48th limited-edition expansion set for Magic and includes 145 cards.- Set Details :...
was it named. Cards from the Invasion block would later have their rules text errataed with Domain. - Split cards - Literally two cards printed on one, Split cards had two different effects for different costs. As they were played, their controller chose which half to use. They were almost killed in development as almost all of Wizard's R&D disliked them.