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Dominaria

Dominaria is the central plane in the of Magic: The Gathering, renowned as the original and most iconic setting for the game's expansive lore, where countless pivotal events have shaped the fate of planeswalkers and civilizations alike. This diverse world features a rich tapestry of landscapes, including towering cold mountains, vast open plains, dense jungles, arid deserts, and scattered islands, forming a that spans multiple continents and supports a wide array of ecosystems. Notable regions include the volcanic continent of Shiv, the time-ravaged island of Tolaria, and the cursed marshlands of Urborg, each contributing to the plane's storied and tumultuous history. Historically, Dominaria has endured cataclysmic conflicts that have reverberated across the , beginning with the ancient between the artificers Urza and , whose rivalry unleashed devastating technological horrors and plunged the plane into a prolonged . This era of strife escalated with the invasive Phyrexian threat, a biomechanical empire intent on conquering and corrupting Dominaria, ultimately thwarted through the heroic efforts of the airship Weatherlight crew and the activation of powerful artifacts. Subsequent crises, such as temporal fractures that destabilized time itself, further tested the plane's resilience, leading to rifts in the that required intervention by legendary planeswalkers to mend. The inhabitants of Dominaria form a vibrant of cultures and species, with thriving human societies in kingdoms like Benalia and New Argive, alongside scholarly enclaves at the Tolarian Academy and merchant hubs in Femeref. Non-human peoples, including the deep-sea Vodalian , the nature-attuned Llanowar elves, and the ancient treefolk of Yavimaya, coexist and often ally or clash amid the plane's ongoing struggles. Despite repeated invasions and apocalyptic events, Dominaria continues to rebuild, though shadows of emerging threats, such as the resurgent cult led by the demonlord Belzenlok, loom over its future. As the birthplace of many iconic planeswalkers and the nexus of Magic: The Gathering's narrative evolution, Dominaria remains a cornerstone of the game's identity, inspiring expansions like Dominaria United that revisit its enduring legacy and explore themes of unity and heritage.

Setting and Geography

Physical Features

Dominaria is a vast plane, approximately two and a half times larger than Earth, featuring expansive landmasses interspersed with large but relatively shallow seas that dominate much of its surface. These seas facilitate diverse aquatic ecosystems and influence global weather patterns, while the plane's overall structure supports a variety of continental formations, including the prominent Aerona continent and the subcontinent of Icehaven. The planet's rotational period results in 24-hour days, and its orbital year spans 420 days, divided into twelve 35-day months by most cultures. The climate and ecology of Dominaria exhibit remarkable diversity, shaped by its varied geography and the pervasive influence of natural . Temperate zones, such as the fertile plains and forests of Aerona and the ancient woodlands of Llanowar, support lush vegetation and abundant wildlife, while volcanic regions like Shiv feature active geothermal activity and rugged lava fields teeming with specialized flora and fauna adapted to extreme heat. Frozen tundras persist in areas like Icehaven and Sejiri, remnants of ancient glacial epochs, where harsh winds and permafrost sustain hardy, cold-resistant species amid perpetual ice storms. This ecological richness is fundamentally tied to Gaea, Dominaria's Worldsoul—a sentient spiritual entity embodying the plane's life force—that channels green to foster growth and maintain balance across biomes, influencing everything from forest regeneration in Llanowar to the vitality of jungle canopies in Turntimber. Temporal anomalies, particularly the pre-Mending time rifts, manifest physically as fractured landscapes and erratic environmental conditions across . These rifts, born from catastrophic magical disruptions, cause regions to phase in and out of existence, leading to unstable weather such as sudden temporal storms or localized time distortions that warp terrain into jagged, anachronistic formations. Examples include the phasing swathes of and unstable phenomena on , where the fabric of reality frays, altering local ecology and creating hazardous zones of accelerated or reversed decay.

Notable Locations

Dominaria's geography encompasses a diverse array of continents, islands, and distinctive sites that define its ecological and . These locations range from expansive forests and volcanic terrains to swampy lowlands and fortified urban centers, each contributing to the plane's multifaceted identity shaped by natural forces. The continent of Aerona in the east features mystical coastal regions along the Voda Sea, including the rugged Hurloon Mountains and the dense Whispering Woods, with elven forests such as Llanowar characterized by ancient, towering trees up to 1,000 feet high and interconnected natural groves. Dwarven strongholds dot the mountainous areas, reflecting a cultural emphasis on subterranean and resource extraction amid rocky highlands. To the north, the barren continent of Keld presents a frozen expanse of unforgiving and icy plains, its harsh terrain marked by perpetual cold and sparse vegetation. Terisiare, once a solid landmass in the north but now fragmented into an archipelago of large islands like Lat-Nam and smaller isles, includes the vast Yavimaya forest, where colossal trees reaching 3,000 feet create a living, shifting ecosystem with roots that move like tendrils across the landscape. Nearby, the island of Tolaria stands out for its time-distorted geography, featuring unstable temporal rifts amid coastal and inland terrains that alter local flora and rock formations unpredictably. The Tolarian Academy, situated on Lat-Nam off Terisiare's coast, comprises ruined spires and laboratories integrated into the island's cliffs and shores, embodying a site of arcane architectural remnants overlooking turbulent seas. Central Dominaria hosts the narrow continent of Otaria, defined by a large central bay and varied inland features including forested areas like Krosa, where dense jungles and elevated plateaus form a mosaic of green canopies and rocky outcrops. The nearby volcanic island continent of Shiv contrasts sharply with its jagged peaks, rivers of lava, and frequent geothermal eruptions that sustain a scorched, ash-covered environment. On Shiv, the Mana Rig emerges as a massive of metallic structures and conduits, harnessing the island's fiery in a post-cataclysmic feat. In the south, the continent of Sarpadia exhibits swampy lowlands and harsh, marsh-dominated expanses extending toward deep oceanic trenches, creating a humid, fog-shrouded riddled with waterways and decaying . The island of Urborg, further south, is a wretched swamp of blackened bogs, volcanic vents spewing toxic gases, and mounds of ashen debris, its foul waters and perpetual gloom underscoring a of desolation. The western continent of Jamuraa features open savannas dotted with ancient stone ruins, blending vast grassy plains with arid stretches that evoke a sense of timeless expanse. Other notable sites include Benalia, a fortified amid vast grain fields and winding rivers, its white limestone architecture and stained-glass spires rising from fertile plains in a display of ordered . Smaller regions like the swampy Madara, the forested Verdenth, the coastal Caliman, and the rugged Corondor add further variety, with their respective mires, woodlands, shorelines, and highlands contributing to Dominaria's societal divisions along ecological lines. Gaea's influence subtly manifests in ecosystems like Yavimaya, where the land pulses with vital, organic energy.

History and Lore

Timeline of Major Eras

Dominaria's history spans millennia, chronicled primarily through the Argivian Reckoning (AR) calendar, which sets year 0 at the birth of the planeswalkers Urza and . This timeline delineates the plane's major eras, each defined by profound shifts in mana flow, societal development, and existential threats. These periods provide the foundational chronology for the plane's , from ancient mythical conflicts to modern recoveries. The prehistoric eras, beginning around -20,000 AR, are dominated by the Time of Dragons, when the Ur-Dragon emerged as the ancestral progenitor of draconic life on Dominaria. This period saw the rise of elder dragons, powerful beings who wielded immense and shaped the plane's early ecosystems. The Elder Dragon War, spanning roughly -20,000 to -15,000 AR, erupted among these ancient entities, a cataclysmic conflict that devastated landscapes and reduced the elder dragon population to survivors like Ugin and Nicol Bolas. Following the war's conclusion, primeval dragons proliferated, but humans gradually overthrew draconic rule through cunning alliances and burgeoning magic, establishing early civilizations amid the ruins. By -5,000 AR, the Thran Empire marked a technological golden age, characterized by innovations in powerstones—crystalline artifacts that harnessed and amplified mana for constructs, weaponry, and infrastructure. The Thran achieved unparalleled advancements in artificing and healing, fostering a society that blended magic and machinery seamlessly. However, internal strife, exacerbated by the physician Yawgmoth's controversial experiments on immortality and plague resistance, led to civil war and the empire's collapse. Yawgmoth's banishment to the artificial plane of Phyrexia around -5,000 AR ended the Thran dominance, leaving behind artifacts that influenced later eras. The era, commencing around 0 AR, unfolded as a 36-year conflict between the brothers Urza and , fueled by their rivalry over ancient Thran artifacts discovered in the Caves of Koilos. This war introduced hybrid Argivian and Phyrexian technologies, including massive and -powered engines that scarred the continent of Terisiare. The conflict escalated with 's corruption by Phyrexian influences, culminating in the catastrophic detonation of the Golgothian Sylex in 64 AR, which unleashed a explosion that initiated . The , spanning approximately 450 to 2,934 AR, resulted from the Sylex Blast's disruption of Dominaria's mana balance, causing widespread glaciation that buried civilizations under ice sheets and stifled magical proliferation. Societies adapted through survivalist cultures, with elves and humans forming isolated enclaves amid endless winters and undead threats. The era concluded around 2,934 AR when the planeswalker Freyalise cast a World Spell to melt the ice, triggering the Thaw but also floods, plagues, and ecological upheaval. From 2,934 to 4,205 AR, the post-Ice Age period focused on rebuilding, with the rise of scholarly academies such as the Tolarian Academy, which advanced magical research and planeswalker training. This era saw cultural renaissance, intercontinental trade, and preparations against resurgent threats, including early Phyrexian incursions. It peaked with the full-scale Phyrexian Invasion in 4,205 AR, where Yawgmoth's forces sought to compleat the , only to be repelled by a multinational coalition wielding Urza's legacy weapons. The Rift Era, beginning post-4,205 , arose from the invasion's temporal backlash, opening countless rifts in space-time that warped history, geography, and flows across Dominaria. These anomalies caused paradoxical events, planar instability, and near-collapse of the plane's fabric, exacerbating environmental decay like acidic wastelands. The era transitioned into the Great Mending around 4,500 , when planeswalkers including Teferi sealed the rifts, stabilizing the at great personal cost. The Age of Renewal, from post-Mending to 4,562 AR, brought mana stabilization and ecological rejuvenation, allowing societies to flourish with renewed vitality in agriculture, , and alliances. This period emphasized healing from past traumas, with the Coalition's legacy fostering unity against lingering threats. However, it culminated in a second Phyrexian Invasion around 4,562 AR, as compleated forces infiltrated the , testing Dominaria's resilience once more.

Key Events and Conflicts

The Elder Dragon War, occurring around -20,000 AR, was a cataclysmic conflict among the ancient elder dragons who vied for supremacy over the nascent of Dominaria. This brutal struggle, driven by territorial ambitions and raw power, resulted in widespread devastation, scorching vast landscapes and nearly eradicating the elder dragon species, with only a handful surviving to influence later eras. The war's aftermath left enduring scars on the plane's and , establishing a legacy of draconic tyranny and fear that echoed through Dominaria's cultural myths and ruins. Approximately 15,000 years later, around -5,000 AR, the Thran Empire faced internal schism that birthed the Phyrexian threat. The advanced Thran civilization, reliant on powerstones for energy, grappled with a degenerative afflicting its people; the ambitious healer Yawgmoth proposed radical solutions involving the artificial plane of Phyrexia, leading to his by Thran leaders who viewed his methods as heretical. Yawgmoth conquered Phyrexia, transforming it into a biomechanical horror and severing ties with Dominaria by destroying the portal linking the planes, which ultimately doomed the Thran through and knowledge , such as of Argivian libraries. This schism's outcome entrenched Phyrexia as an existential foe, with Yawgmoth's innovations in compleation laying the groundwork for future invasions. The (0 AR) pitted the artificer brothers Urza and against each other in a devastating contest over Thran artifacts unearthed from the Caves of Koilos. Fueled by personal betrayal and escalating arms races involving golems, ornithopters, and massive war machines, the conflict ravaged continents like Terisiare, culminating in Urza's detonation of the Golgothian Sylex—a catastrophic blast that obliterated and much of the region. The war's end triggered the by disrupting global mana flows and climate, plunging Dominaria into millennia of frozen desolation and , while accelerating artifact invention but at the cost of exposing the to Phyrexian infiltration. In 4,205 AR, Yawgmoth launched the full-scale Phyrexian Invasion, overlaying the artificial plane of Rath onto Dominaria to unleash hordes of compleated soldiers and horrors. Motivated by millennia of resentment and a quest for conquest, the assault targeted key strongholds like Benalia and Shiv, employing the —a soul-trapping device—as a weapon; the multinational Coalition, led by figures like Gerrard aboard the skyship Weatherlight, countered with planeswalker aid and artifact weaponry. Urza's final act teleported a of Phyrexian oil back to its core, defeating Yawgmoth and shattering the invasion, though at immense cost: vast swaths of Dominaria lay in ruins, including the total destruction of Argivia, fostering a fragile peace amid reconstruction. Following the , the Rift Crisis erupted as multiversal rifts—torn by overzealous planeswalker meddling and the invasion's fallout—destabilized time and reality across Dominaria and beyond. These temporal fractures warped regions like Shiv and Tolaria, spawning anomalies and threatening planar collapse; planeswalkers including Urza, Karn, and Jeska sacrificed their sparks to seal the rifts, initiating the Mending. This event, occurring shortly after 4,205 AR, healed Dominaria's wounds rapidly, restoring ecosystems and balance within decades, but it fundamentally altered planeswalking, weakening new sparks and averting a multiversal . The Second Phyrexian Invasion struck in 4,562 AR, with Praetor Sheoldred establishing sleeper agents and staging grounds in the Caves of Koilos to compleat Dominaria's populace covertly. Driven by New Phyrexia's expansionist zeal post-Mirrodin conquest, the assault sowed paranoia through oil-based corruption, infiltrating negotiations and strongholds like New Argive; a reformed , bolstered by planeswalkers such as Karn, Ajani Goldmane, Jaya Ballard, and Teferi, uncovered the plot amid battles like the siege of the Mana Rig. Key victories, including the destruction of Phyrexian outposts and the activation of ancient artifacts, culminated in New Phyrexia's defeat across the multiverse, though compleation lingered as a threat, unifying Dominaria's factions but leaving psychological and territorial scars.

Characters and Factions

Prominent Planeswalkers

Urza, a brilliant inventor and artificer from Argive on Dominaria, became one of the plane's most pivotal figures in its defense against external threats. His planeswalker spark ignited during the cataclysmic , a between his and that of his brother Mishra, which was exacerbated by Phyrexian manipulations. As an anti-Phyrexian crusader, Urza dedicated centuries to amassing power through artifacts and alliances, forging a millennia-long vendetta against the invasive forces led by Yawgmoth. His mastery of artifice granted him near-godlike abilities in creation and strategy, enabling long-term plans spanning eras. Ultimately, Urza sacrificed himself during the Mending, a reality-altering event that shattered his legacy artifact and helped seal the Phyrexian invasion, perishing alongside Yawgmoth to safeguard Dominaria. Teferi, a renowned time mage hailing from the nation of Zhalfir in Jamuraa, emerged as a guardian of Dominaria's temporal stability. Trained at the Tolarian Academy, he honed his exceptional talents in chronomancy, innovating spells that manipulated time's flow. Unintentionally, his experiments and defensive actions during the Phyrexian invasions caused massive time rifts across the plane, including phasing entire regions like Zhalfir out of existence to protect them. In a bid to repair the damage, Teferi sacrificed his planeswalker spark to seal these rifts, wandering as a mortal for decades. Post-Mending, he regained his spark and assumed a protective role, joining alliances like the Gatewatch to defend Dominaria from recurring threats, leveraging his phasing and temporal powers to avert disasters. Freyalise, a half-elven and planeswalker from Llanowar, led elven clans in safeguarding Dominaria's natural realms during its tumultuous eras. Her deep affinity for nature magic allowed her to wield immense green mana, communing with and commanding flora and fauna on a grand scale. To end the devastating that had gripped the plane, Freyalise cast the World Spell, a that thawed the frozen continents and restored ecological balance, though it demanded great personal cost. In her later years, she faded into the heart of Yavimaya, a living forest entity, where her essence merged with the land to protect it from further exploitation. Jaya Ballard, originally known as Jaya Byron, was a fiery-tempered mage born over 1,500 years ago on Dominaria, whose prowess in red magic defined her as a sarcastic yet heroic figure in the plane's ancient conflicts. Specializing in , she hurled devastating flames and bolstered allies with her unyielding spirit, participating in early invasions that shaped Dominaria's history. After centuries of absence, she resurfaced as a mentor to younger fire mages, notably guiding Nalaar during critical battles against demonic and Phyrexian foes. Her role evolved from frontline warrior to wise counselor, emphasizing control over raw power in her teachings. Liliana Vess, a master necromancer originating from the misty Caligo on Dominaria, rose to prominence through her command of and the forces of death. Seeking to cure her dying brother , she delved into forbidden arts, forging pacts with four demons—brokered initially by Nicol Bolas—that granted her immortality, enhanced necromantic abilities, and the power to raise armies of the undead. These deals bound her to servitude, fueling centuries of conflict as she navigated betrayal and power struggles across the . Later, Liliana allied against the Phyrexians invading Dominaria, using her dark expertise to combat their corruption during events like the return to her home plane. Among other notable planeswalkers tied to Dominaria, Karn stands out as a unique creation: a silver golem forged by Urza over 1,200 years ago to withstand time travel and serve in the anti-Phyrexian Legacy. Endowed with an artificial planeswalker spark, Karn possesses unparalleled mastery over artifacts, able to comprehend and fabricate complex machinery instantaneously. He played crucial roles in multiple invasions, captaining the Weatherlight crew against Phyrexia and later confronting the corruption of his own created plane, Argentum (Mirrodin), which fell to Phyrexian oil. Visitors like Elspeth Tirel, a warrior from Capenna, briefly arrived during the second Phyrexian invasion, lending her divine-inspired combat skills to Dominaria's defense before pursuing her own path.

Other Significant Figures

Yawgmoth, a tyrannical figure originating from Dominaria's ancient Thran civilization, began as a obsessed with merging flesh and machine to achieve perfection. Exiled to the plane of Phyrexia, he ascended to absolute rule as the Father of Machines, transforming the realm into a biomechanical empire and launching devastating invasions against Dominaria to impose his vision of compleation. Mishra, the inventive brother of the planeswalker Urza, rose as a master artificer during Dominaria's era of technological rivalry. Seduced by Phyrexian promises of power, he allied with the invaders, constructing war machines that fueled the catastrophic , only to meet his end in a with Urza amid the conflict's ruins. Gerrard Capashen, a noble warrior from Benalia's prestigious House Capashen, inherited Urza's —a metaphysical power designed to counter Phyrexian corruption. As captain of the legendary skyship Weatherlight, he rallied diverse allies against Yawgmoth's apocalyptic invasion of Dominaria, ultimately perishing in direct confrontation with the Phyrexian overlord to secure victory for the plane. Multani, the maro-sorcerer and primordial elemental spirit of Yavimaya's vast jungle, serves as an eternal guardian of Dominaria's natural wilds. Manifesting as a colossal tree-like being, he lent his immense druidic powers to the Weatherlight crew, combating Phyrexian deforestation and corruption during the invasions while fiercely protecting the plane's ecosystems. Sheoldred, the cunning praetor of Phyrexia's black-aligned faction, embodies calculated cruelty and espionage as one of the realm's ruling Steel Thanes. During the renewed Phyrexian assault on Dominaria, she directed compleation operations, deploying hordes of infected minions to undermine the plane's defenses and harvest its power for the glistening oil's spread. Dominaria's factions boast influential leaders who have shaped its defenses and aggressions, such as the chivalric knights of Benalia, whose orders emphasize honor and strategic fortification against existential threats like the Phyrexians. On the rugged plains of Keld, warlords like —granddaughter of legendary heroes—and Astor command barbarian legions, their battle-hardened tactics proving vital in repelling invasions through raw ferocity and tribal unity.

Role in the Card Game

Associated Expansions

Dominaria serves as the primary setting for numerous Magic: The Gathering expansions, beginning with the game's foundational sets and spanning various blocks that explore its history, conflicts, and regions. These sets not only introduce cards tied to the plane's lore but also advance its narrative through themes of war, cataclysm, and renewal. The earliest expansions laid the groundwork for Dominaria as Magic's central world. Limited Edition Alpha, released on August 5, 1993, established the plane's core elements through its initial cards depicting soldiers, knights, and diverse terrains, serving as the foundational set for the game's universe. , released in October 1993, reprinted and refined Alpha's content without significant changes to the setting. , released on March 1, 1994, delved into the ancient between Urza and , emphasizing artifacts and the technological ruins of the Thran empire on Dominaria. Legends, released on June 1, 1994, expanded on legendary figures and powerful artifacts scattered across Dominaria's continents, tying into the aftermath of ancient conflicts. The block, released between 1995 and 1997 with a supplemental set in 2006, portrayed a frozen, post-apocalyptic Dominaria following the Sylex Blast's devastation. , released in October 1995, introduced a glacial theme where endless winters gripped the plane, forcing survivors into harsh survival narratives amid warring factions like the Kjeldorans and Balduvians. Alliances, released on June 10, 1996, shifted focus to fragile coalitions against the undead forces of Lim-Dûl, exploring themes of uneasy truces in the icy wastelands. Coldsnap, released on July 21, 2006, acted as the long-delayed third set, revisiting the block's snow-covered mechanics and stories of thawing conflicts and ancient evils resurfacing on Dominaria. The block (2000–2001) centered on the Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria, uniting planeswalkers and natives against the mechanical horde. , released on October 2, 2000, highlighted multicolor alliances across continents like Benalia and Shiv, depicting the initial assault and desperate defenses. , released on February 5, 2001, escalated the war with planar rifts and the fall of key strongholds, emphasizing the invaders' foothold on the plane. , released on June 4, 2001, concluded the conflict with the defeat of the Phyrexians, focusing on the cataclysmic battles and the plane's scarred recovery. Subsequent blocks explored specific regions of Dominaria. The block (2001–2003), set on the of Otaria, followed the quest for the Mirari artifact amid political intrigue and monstrous threats. , released on October 1, 2001, introduced graveyard themes tied to the 's necromantic empire rising in Otaria's shadowed lands. The narrative continued through Torment (February 2002) and (May 2002), culminating in the Mirari's corruption and the continent's turmoil. Onslaught, released on October 7, 2002, shifted to Shiv's volcanic terrains and Otaria's borders, portraying the rebellion against the Cabal through tribal armies and the dragon awakening. Scourge, released on May 26, 2003, wrapped the block with fiery apocalypses on Shiv, featuring dragon-led upheavals that echoed the broader invasion's lingering scars. Later expansions returned to Dominaria's global scale. The Time Spiral block (2006–2007) addressed the time rifts tearing at the plane's fabric post-invasion and Mending. , released on October 6, 2006, evoked past eras with echoes of old mechanics, centering on the rifts' chaos and heroes like Jhoira sealing temporal anomalies. Planar Chaos (February 2007) and Future Sight (June 2007) explored alternate timelines and prophetic visions amid Dominaria's unraveling. Dominaria, released on April 27, 2018, marked a return to the plane's roots, weaving tales of the Gatewatch's alliance with Dominaria's inhabitants against the looming threat of Nicol Bolas, rooted in the plane's storied history. Dominaria United, released on September 9, 2022, depicted post-Mending renewal with the restoration of the Sursi people and battles against the Phyrexians' resurgence across the plane's diverse biomes. Finally, Dominaria Remastered, released on January 13, 2023, compiled reprints from 27 prior sets spanning 30 years, celebrating the plane's enduring legacy through curated cards from its expansive history. As of 2025, Dominaria remains integral to the game's lore, with elements appearing in subsequent sets, though no dedicated expansion has followed Dominaria Remastered.

Introduced Mechanics

Dominaria sets have emphasized permanents since the plane's early representations in , introducing the supertype in the Legends expansion to represent iconic figures and objects from its lore. This theme promotes decks built around powerful singular entities, with rules initially restricting players to one copy of any specific permanent in play to reflect their uniqueness. Over time, the legend rule evolved; in Champions of Kamigawa, it changed to a state-based where controlling two or more permanents sharing a name results in all being placed into their owners' graveyards, enhancing gameplay flexibility and allowing legends to serve as interactive answers. Later Dominaria sets, such as the 2018 expansion, extended this to sorceries, which can only be cast if the player controls a or planeswalker, tying powerful spells to the presence of heroic figures. Early Dominaria-associated sets also introduced influential artifacts, including the Power Nine—Black Lotus, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, and Timetwister—which originated in Alpha and early expansions like Legends and Antiquities, embodying the plane's ancient Thran technology and enabling accelerated mana and card advantage strategies central to artifact-themed play. The Invasion block, set on Dominaria, brought the domain mechanic, an ability word that scales effects based on the number of basic land types (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest) controlled, rewarding multicolor mana bases to evoke the plane's diverse alliances against invading forces. The 2018 Dominaria expansion formalized the historic mechanic, where permanents and spells with the historic subtype—encompassing all artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas—trigger bonuses like vigilance or card draw when entering the battlefield or being cast, designed to honor the plane's storied past by synergizing with enduring elements of its history. For instance, Walking Ballista, an artifact creature with modular-like abilities allowing it to enter with +1/+1 counters and remove them to deal damage, gains enhanced utility in historic contexts, such as proliferating counters or interacting with cards that buff historic permanents, representing Dominaria's inventive artifact constructs. Complementing this, Saga enchantments were introduced as a new enchantment subtype that enters with a lore counter and gains one each of your first main phases, triggering sequential chapter abilities (typically three) before sacrificing itself, mechanically mirroring Dominaria's epic narratives through progressive, lore-infused effects.

Development and Impact

Creation and Evolution

Dominaria originated as the central setting for Magic: The Gathering's inaugural sets in 1993, designed by as a serving as the default for early and . Initially conceptualized under the name Dominia, it encompassed an infinite of interconnected planes, with the core world later specified as Dominaria to resolve naming ambiguities and emphasize its role as the nexus of magical conflicts. This foundation allowed for diverse environments and artifacts, drawing from Garfield's vision of a flexible fantasy realm inspired by traditional European medieval tropes, including knights, enchanted forests, and ancient wars. The evolved significantly through subsequent blocks, incorporating varied thematic elements while maintaining its centrality in the game's until the early 2000s. The set (1994) introduced steampunk-inspired artifacts and the , expanding Dominaria's industrial and technological facets. Later, the Ice Age block (1995) emphasized environmental cataclysms and survival themes, with frozen tundras and warring factions highlighting the plane's adaptability to narrative shifts. Pre-2000s sets like Legends and the Mirage block further developed its geography and cultures, establishing Dominaria as the hub for over a dozen expansions and solidifying its role in building the game's expansive world. Following the in-game Mending event in 2008, which concluded the block, Dominaria's prominence waned as Magic: The Gathering shifted toward exploring a broader with sets on diverse like Innistrad and . This period marked a reduced focus on Dominaria, allowing other worlds to take narrative precedence while the plane recovered from depicted cataclysms. The 2018 Dominaria set marked a deliberate return, timed to celebrate the game's 25th anniversary, with vision design led by emphasizing " matters" themes through mechanics like Sagas and historic cards that revisited iconic elements from the plane's past. Recent developments continued this renewal trajectory, with Dominaria United in 2022 focusing on unity and legacy through enhanced support and updated Sagas, reflecting ongoing refinements for balance and player inclusivity. The 2023 Dominaria Remastered set curated cards from 27 prior Dominaria-based expansions, prioritizing modern draft experiences over new content to honor the plane's historical depth without introducing lore alterations. No major narrative updates to Dominaria have occurred since the Phyrexian in March of the Machine (2023), preserving its established framework. Design influences have persistently drawn from Tolkien's epic fantasy structures and Arthurian legends of heroic quests and magical lineages, adapted over time to promote diverse representations and integrate with the evolving .

Reception and Legacy

The 2018 Dominaria set received widespread critical acclaim within the Magic: The Gathering community for its nostalgic return to the game's central plane, innovative mechanics like historic and sagas, and strong environment, with reviewers often rating it among the best sets in years. A StarCityGames poll indicated that 86% of respondents viewed it as better than average or the best in years, praising its balance of power and thematic depth. Similarly, Dominaria United in 2022 was lauded for providing narrative closure to ongoing storylines involving the Phyrexian , with its mechanics such as and receiving praise for enhancing multicolor play while honoring the plane's . Commercially, the 2018 Dominaria set marked a high point for , described as an all-time best-seller based on local game store demand and overall product movement. Dominaria United had strong initial sales of approximately $1.18 million in early tracked revenue from TCGplayer, driven by collector boosters and anniversary-themed products. The 2023 Dominaria Remastered release further boosted commercial performance, particularly in limited formats like , by reprinting over 450 cards with new art and border treatments that appealed to both new and veteran players. As Magic's foundational "home plane," Dominaria holds enduring fan legacy, serving as the backdrop for 33 expansions and countless iconic story arcs that define the game's . Its influence extends to spin-offs, including the 2022 novel The Brothers' War by Bryan Young, which retold the pivotal conflict between Urza and , tying into the set of the same name and reinforcing Dominaria's role in lore. Culturally, Dominaria's themes of , , and have resonated in gaming communities, symbolizing the of the while addressing past narrative shortcomings through updated representations. Post-2018 sets like Dominaria United incorporated greater diversity, featuring characters from varied races such as humans, , and kor alongside inclusive storytelling elements that reflect ' broader inclusion initiatives. As of November 2025, Dominaria United rotated out of the format, concluding its competitive lifecycle in that format.

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