The Dark (Magic: The Gathering)
Encyclopedia
The Dark was the eighth Magic: The Gathering
set and the fourth expansion to the game, released in August 1994. The set continued the story begun in Antiquities
and recounted the aftermath of the events of that set. The 119-card set had a dark, sacrificial theme, though unlike its predecessor Legends
it did not introduce any new keywords. Mechanically the set has no clear focus, experimenting in minor quantities with sacrifice and a tribal subtheme. The expansion symbol for the The Dark is an eclipsed moon.
and Homelands
, are widely considered by players to be the weakest Magic sets. Unlike all the previous sets, The Dark was created with an overall decrease in the power level and the speed of the game. Initial problems with the Power Nine
in Alpha
/Beta
/Unlimited
, the and in Arabian Nights
, as well as and in Legends had led Magic designers to more closely consider all the possibilities when creating an individual card. This led to an underpowered set, and this trend continued until the Tempest
expansion in 1997, with the exception of only a few cards.
The Dark is also the oldest set released to not have a card retail over $100 USD on the secondary market. The most sought after card is Maze of Ith, which retails for $40 USD. Only a few other cards sell for more than $5, and all of the rest can be bought for less than $1.
The Dark was the first Magic expansion that was released in a foreign language. It was published in English and in Italian under the name "L'Oscurita". Despite being the first set that was translated to Italian it is not the oldest set that was translated. After the release of the Italian The Dark Legends
was also published in Italian.
by Jeff Grubb
, was released. The book tells the story of Jodah
, one of the protagonists of the The Dark storyline.
In the aftermath of the Brothers' War
, a series of conflicts ends up causing most of the inhabitants of the continent of Terisiare to revert to a more primitive state. During this time, several leaders and notable heroes rise up, such as Vervamon the Elder (who was later burned at the stake), Maeveen O'Donahough, Barl the Artificer, Mairsil the Pretender, and Lord Ith (who was held captive by Mairsil).
After the destruction of large amounts of the continent Terisiare during the Brothers' War, most nations turn heavily to religion and magic to help them cope with the coming ice age
caused by the detonation of the , creating a climate change similar to that of a nuclear winter. Mairsil the Pretender, the advisor to an unnamed king, imprisons Lord Ith in the device called "" (a mage-prison built by his chief artificer, Barl) and wages war in the "Dark Lands", areas of Terisiare overcome with black mana influence. Lord Ith summons a rag man to find someone to free him. Mairsil is obsessed with finding a gateway to Phyrexia, and when a young mage named Jodah
arrives, he tries to manipulate the boy to take him there.
During these times, he employs Maveen O'Donahough and her troop of mercenaries, who go out to scout, search and destroy, and undertake other various missions. They are accompanied by Vervamon the Elder, an elderly sage who records parts of their travel and takes down bits of important lore. However, when he returns, he is branded a heretic and burned at the stake as a martyr. Eventually, Jodah frees Lord Ith as Mairsil begins to lose his power (caused by the weakening of the land by the coming ice age). After this, there is no continuation of the storyline until Ice Age
.
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...
set and the fourth expansion to the game, released in August 1994. The set continued the story begun in Antiquities
Antiquities (Magic: The Gathering)
Antiquities was the fifth Magic: The Gathering set and the second expansion set. It was the first set to have an original backstory that explores the mythos of the Magic universe . The story is primarily about the brothers Urza and Mishra who are inseparable at first, but become sworn enemies over...
and recounted the aftermath of the events of that set. The 119-card set had a dark, sacrificial theme, though unlike its predecessor Legends
Legends (Magic: The Gathering)
Legends was the seventh Magic: The Gathering set and the third expansion set, released in June 1994. It was the first expansion set to be sold in packs of 15 . The set was designed by Wizards of the Coast co-founder Steve Conard and friend Robin Herbert in Canada before the game was initially...
it did not introduce any new keywords. Mechanically the set has no clear focus, experimenting in minor quantities with sacrifice and a tribal subtheme. The expansion symbol for the The Dark is an eclipsed moon.
Set history
This set, as well as the next sets, Fallen EmpiresFallen Empires
Fallen Empires was the ninth Magic: The Gathering set and the fifth expansion set, released in November 1994. Out of the set of 187 cards, 102 were functionally unique, with the remainder being variant illustrations of other cards in the set. The mechanics of Fallen Empires include a tribal...
and Homelands
Homelands (Magic: The Gathering)
Homelands was the thirteenth Magic: The Gathering set and seventh expert level set, released in October 1995. It was considered to be part of the Ice Age block until the announcement of Coldsnap in October 2005.- Storyline :...
, are widely considered by players to be the weakest Magic sets. Unlike all the previous sets, The Dark was created with an overall decrease in the power level and the speed of the game. Initial problems with the Power Nine
Power Nine
The term Power Nine refers to a set of nine specific cards in the game of Magic: The Gathering. These cards were only printed early in the game's history and consist of Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Mox Sapphire, Mox Jet, Mox Ruby, Mox Emerald, Mox Pearl, and Timetwister.The Power Nine...
in Alpha
Alpha (Magic: The Gathering)
The name Alpha refers to the first print run of the original Magic: The Gathering Limited Edition, the first Magic: The Gathering card set. It premiered in a limited release at Origins Game Fair in 1993, with a general release that August. Its print run of 2.6 million cards sold out very quickly...
/Beta
Beta (Magic: The Gathering)
Limited Edition Beta or just Beta for short was the second part, after revisions, of the first print run of the first Magic: The Gathering set. It was released only a few months after Limited Edition Alpha's publication to correct some minor problems in the rules and to make up for the fact that...
/Unlimited
Unlimited (Magic: The Gathering)
Unlimited Edition was the second Magic: The Gathering set. It was released on December 1, 1993, after Beta had sold out as quickly as Alpha had; this time the run was 40 million cards, the largest yet...
, the and in Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights (Magic: The Gathering)
Arabian Nights was the fourth Magic: The Gathering set and the first expansion set. The set is composed entirely of new cards. The setting of Arabian Nights is inspired by the themes and characters of the Thousand and One Arabian Nights with some of the characters and places coming directly from...
, as well as and in Legends had led Magic designers to more closely consider all the possibilities when creating an individual card. This led to an underpowered set, and this trend continued until the Tempest
Tempest (Magic: The Gathering)
Tempest was the 20th Magic: The Gathering set and twelfth expert level set, and the first set in the Rath Block, released in October 1997. The release of Tempest represented a large jump in the power level of the card set, compared to the previous Mirage block. Many cards from Tempest instantly...
expansion in 1997, with the exception of only a few cards.
The Dark is also the oldest set released to not have a card retail over $100 USD on the secondary market. The most sought after card is Maze of Ith, which retails for $40 USD. Only a few other cards sell for more than $5, and all of the rest can be bought for less than $1.
The Dark was the first Magic expansion that was released in a foreign language. It was published in English and in Italian under the name "L'Oscurita". Despite being the first set that was translated to Italian it is not the oldest set that was translated. After the release of the Italian The Dark Legends
Legends (Magic: The Gathering)
Legends was the seventh Magic: The Gathering set and the third expansion set, released in June 1994. It was the first expansion set to be sold in packs of 15 . The set was designed by Wizards of the Coast co-founder Steve Conard and friend Robin Herbert in Canada before the game was initially...
was also published in Italian.
Storyline
The storyline of The Dark was initially only told through the flavor texts of the cards. However in 1999 the first novel in the Ice Age cycle, The Gathering DarkThe Gathering Dark
The Gathering Dark is a fantasy novel in the Ice Age Cycle series. This book was included in the Coldsnap Fat Pack.The book tells the story of Jodah of Giva province and his quest to become a powerful mage as the world becomes a colder, darker place...
by Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb is an author and game designer. He has worked on a number of computer and role-playing games and has written a number of successful novels, short stories and comics...
, was released. The book tells the story of Jodah
Jodah
Jodah is a fictional character created by Jeff Grubb in 1999 for Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering franchise. He first appeared in the Ice Age Cycle novels by Jeff Grubb; The Gathering Dark, The Eternal Ice, and The Shattered Alliance, based on the card sets The Dark, Ice Age, and...
, one of the protagonists of the The Dark storyline.
In the aftermath of the Brothers' War
The Brothers' War
The Brothers' War is a Magic: The Gathering novel written by Jeff Grubb, and published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. It takes place on the fictional world of Dominaria, within the 'multiverse'. It tells the story of the origins of Urza, who plays a significant role in other Magic: The Gathering...
, a series of conflicts ends up causing most of the inhabitants of the continent of Terisiare to revert to a more primitive state. During this time, several leaders and notable heroes rise up, such as Vervamon the Elder (who was later burned at the stake), Maeveen O'Donahough, Barl the Artificer, Mairsil the Pretender, and Lord Ith (who was held captive by Mairsil).
After the destruction of large amounts of the continent Terisiare during the Brothers' War, most nations turn heavily to religion and magic to help them cope with the coming ice age
Ice Age (Magic: The Gathering)
Ice Age is the eleventh Magic: The Gathering set and the sixth expansion set, released in June 1995. Set in the years from 450 to 2934 AR, the set describes a world set in perpetual winter due to the events in Antiquities...
caused by the detonation of the , creating a climate change similar to that of a nuclear winter. Mairsil the Pretender, the advisor to an unnamed king, imprisons Lord Ith in the device called "" (a mage-prison built by his chief artificer, Barl) and wages war in the "Dark Lands", areas of Terisiare overcome with black mana influence. Lord Ith summons a rag man to find someone to free him. Mairsil is obsessed with finding a gateway to Phyrexia, and when a young mage named Jodah
Jodah
Jodah is a fictional character created by Jeff Grubb in 1999 for Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering franchise. He first appeared in the Ice Age Cycle novels by Jeff Grubb; The Gathering Dark, The Eternal Ice, and The Shattered Alliance, based on the card sets The Dark, Ice Age, and...
arrives, he tries to manipulate the boy to take him there.
During these times, he employs Maveen O'Donahough and her troop of mercenaries, who go out to scout, search and destroy, and undertake other various missions. They are accompanied by Vervamon the Elder, an elderly sage who records parts of their travel and takes down bits of important lore. However, when he returns, he is branded a heretic and burned at the stake as a martyr. Eventually, Jodah frees Lord Ith as Mairsil begins to lose his power (caused by the weakening of the land by the coming ice age). After this, there is no continuation of the storyline until Ice Age
Ice Age (Magic: The Gathering)
Ice Age is the eleventh Magic: The Gathering set and the sixth expansion set, released in June 1995. Set in the years from 450 to 2934 AR, the set describes a world set in perpetual winter due to the events in Antiquities...
.
Mechanics
The Dark introduced no new mechanics. However, it did utilize several themes that would be used later on in Magic sets.- "Sacrifice", where a player has to sacrifice something to gain the upper hand against an opponent, usually life or creatures. A good example of this is .
- "Tribal", a theme which would later be more prominent in Magic, established its roots here. Specifically, Goblins received boosts such as and .
Notable cards
- — One of the most iconic red creatures in Magic, this card was reprinted in 4th Edition4th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)The Fourth Edition of Magic: The Gathering was the tenth set released for the game, and the fourth base set . The set was released in April 1995 and contained 378 cards. It was the first set to reprint cards from the expansions Legends and The Dark. Fourth Edition cards have white borders...
, 5th Edition5th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)The Fifth Edition was the seventeenth Magic: The Gathering set and fifth core set, a revision of the base set released in March 1997. It contained 449 cards, counting multiple illustrations of basic lands, making it the largest card set in the game's history...
, and Magic 2010Magic 2010Magic 2010 is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, that was released on July 17, 2009. It is the eleventh core set for Magic: the Gathering...
. It spawned multiple imitator cards in later sets, such as and . - — This was the first card that penalized players for using non-basic lands.
- — Although The Dark generally has a rather low power level, Maze of Ith quickly made it to the lists of restricted cards. Unlike today even Standard had a restricted list back then, but Maze of Ith was on the Vintage restricted list for some time as well. Despite being in rarity in between the other commons and uncommons of The Dark Maze of Ith is the most valuable card of the set, far more valuable than any of the rare cards.
- — This card is widely regarded as being one of the worst land cards ever printed, along with the Legends "banding lands"