
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,761
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Shadows over Innistrad
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2016

Expansion for Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers
Rules assistance for Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar is an expansion for Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers released in 2015 for 2–5 players and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Craig Van Ness, James D'Aloisio, and Ethan Fleischer and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Dice Rolling.
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers – Battle for Zendikar Introduces 2 additional Planeswalkers, including the first multi-color Planeswalker, Kiora, who can field both green and blue colored creatures and spells. Includes the first 3 hero creatures, including the terrifying Eldrazi Ruiner. The Eldrazi are colorless creatures and can be summoned by a Planeswalker of any color. Includes 1 player vs. many battlefield scenario in which players fight against the massive Eldrazi Ruiner to save Zendikar. Includes 2 Planeswalker figures, 3 hero figures, 11 squad figures, 15 spell cards, 9 army cards, Battle for Zendikar Board Game Expansion Pack Guide.
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The catalogue lists Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Wargame, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar are: Craig Van Ness, James D'Aloisio, and Ethan Fleischer. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers: Battle for Zendikar as an expansion for Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers to use it. Check that your edition of Magic: The Gathering – Arena of the Planeswalkers is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.