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Lands are the adventure
What this set is
Zendikar is an adventure-world set built around lands. The plane is wild and dangerous, the people are explorers and treasure hunters, and the design puts the land you play each turn at the center of the game rather than in the background.
Landfall is how it does that. A landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters under your control, so Steppe Lynx gets +2/+2 and Hedron Crab mills three. It is the mechanic Zendikar is remembered for, and every later trip to the plane brought it back.
The set is also where the enemy-colored fetchlands come from: Arid Mesa, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Scalding Tarn and Verdant Catacombs. They remain among the most played lands in Modern, Legacy and Commander.
Themes
Every mechanic in Zendikar
Landfall
An ability word for triggers that fire whenever a land enters under your control. Every land drop does something, and fetchlands, which put a second land onto the battlefield, double it.
Kicker
An optional additional cost that makes the spell stronger if you pay it. Back from Invasion, and here it gives Zendikar's spells a cheap mode and an expensive one.
Quests
Enchantments that collect quest counters when you do something specific, then pay off once you have enough. Luminarch Ascension and Beastmaster Ascension are the best known.
Traps
Instants with an alternative, much cheaper cost you can pay if an opponent did a particular thing this turn. Mindbreak Trap is free if an opponent cast three or more spells.
Allies
A creature type with triggers that fire whenever an Ally enters under your control, so each one makes the others better. Spread across all five colors.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Zendikar shipped under a single code. It predates Pioneer, so the set is legal in Modern and the eternal formats, with one Commander ban to know about.
Not Standard-legal; Standard only ever holds the last few years of sets. Zendikar cards are playable in Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander, with two exceptions: Iona, Shield of Emeria is banned in Commander, and Punishing Fire is banned in Modern. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Limited
The draft format
One of the fastest Limited formats of its era. Landfall rewards playing a land every turn and attacking, so aggressive two-color decks did most of the winning.
Landfall aggro
Fast
Cheap creatures that grow on land drops, such as Steppe Lynx, plus kicker spells to use extra mana late. Defense was hard to come by, which made attacking the default.
Allies
Synergy
Allies in any colors reward drafting as many as you can, since each one that enters triggers the rest. Strong when it came together, and hard to force.
Commanders
The most played commanders from Zendikar
The legends this set is best known for. Tap one for its printings and what it costs.
Boosters, precons and singles from Zendikar are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
What set introduced landfall?
Zendikar, in October 2009. Landfall triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, and it returned in Worldwake, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch and Zendikar Rising.
Which fetchlands are in Zendikar?
The five enemy-colored fetchlands: Arid Mesa, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Scalding Tarn and Verdant Catacombs. The allied ones came from Onslaught and were reprinted in Khans of Tarkir.
Is Zendikar legal in Pioneer?
No. Pioneer starts at Return to Ravnica in October 2012, so Zendikar's cards are not Pioneer-legal. They are legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander.
Is Iona, Shield of Emeria legal in Commander?
No. Iona is on the Commander banned list. The rest of Zendikar is Commander-legal.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Zendikar released on Oct 2, 2009; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
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