The Plane of Dominaria isMagic: The Gathering’s most well-known, well-trodden setting. The bulk of the game’s earliest expansions were set here, and many have circled back around to it in the years since, layering new characters and stories on top of the Plane’s already-rich tapestry of lore.
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Dominaria’s history is rich with famous heroes and villains, iconic cards, and Storm-scale breaking mechanics. In fact, it’s so intertwined with the identity of the game as we know it that it would be fair to say that Dominaria is Magic: The Gathering, in a way. That said, not every trip to this foundational Plane has been worth the entry fee; some inevitably shine more than others. Here, we present the best expansions set on Magic’s best Plane, in order of release.
1Alpha
The set that started it all, both the Plane of Dominaria and the game of Magic itself, the creation of Alpha could easily be argued as one of the most important acts of game design in the last 30 years. Nearly every card in the set is iconic in one way or another, and, owing to the experimental nature of card design at the game’s inception, many are tremendously powerful as well.
From the obvious highlights of the Power Nine, to staple creatures like Serra Angel and Shivan Dragon, to evergreen interaction pieces like Lightning Bolt and Counterspell, Alpha probably has the best overall lineup of any set in the game’s history. That so much of it is still known and relevant in the modern game is a testament to just how well-considered the first foray into Dominaria was.
2Legends
As Magic’s third-ever expansion, Legends brought a lot to the table in terms of ideas and mechanics. As the name implies, Legendary cards made their debut here, representing powerful one-of-a-kind characters and locations. Less well-known is the introduction of multicolored cards and the poison mechanic, both of which also appeared for the first time here.
Beyond being an overall innovative set, Legends was also rich with powerful, iconic cards. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Moat, Mana Drain; these staple cards, along with popular Legendary creatures like Gwendlyn Di Corci and Angus Mackenzie, cemented Legends as an expansion that was as impactful as it was interesting.
3The Dark
While not particularly well-known for its powerful cards, Blood Moon and Maze of Ith being two notable exceptions, The Dark stands out instead due to being the earliest Magic set to be designed around a strong central theme. Set in the aftermath of the Brothers’ War and the Sylex Blast that ended it, the set leaned hard into the darker side of Magic’s art and flavor.
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Cards like Elves of Deep Shadow and Dark Heart of the Wood showcased the corruption of Dominaria’s natural elements by the titular Dark, while a generally darker, more mature art direction hammered this narrative point home nicely. Aproto-Innistrad in a sense, The Dark paved the way for the many top-down, flavor-rich expansions that would come to define the best of Magic.
4Mirage
Set on the Dominarian continent of Jamuraa, an African-inspired setting that marked a big departure for Magic in the early days, Mirage stood out due to its unique feel and flavor. Bright colors and vivid depictions of new cultures in the Magic universe made the set feel fresh and positively buzzing with energy and life.
Beyond the excellent vibes, Mirage also featured some excellent cards to back them up. The Tutor cycle was expanded to include Worldly, Enlightened, and Mystical here, three cards that remain powerful and popular to this day. And, of course, the literal jewel in Mirage’s crown is Lion’s Eye Diamond, a ‘fixed’ Black Lotus that ended up being just as broken as the original, proving the sheer power of fast mana once and for all.
5Urza’s Saga
Someone clearly misplaced the Magic Card Design Handbook during the development of Urza block, since all three sets feature some of the most obscenely overpowered cards the game has ever seen. Saga may just be the most egregious offender here, with a lineup that reads like a Magic’s Most Wanted list.
Gaea’s Cradle, Serra’s Sanctum, and Tolarian Academy provided huge mana boosts on single lands with no downside. Meanwhile, the ‘free spell’ cycle, featuring Peregrine Drake and Time Spiral, caused problems across multiple formats. Yawgmoth’s Will was another obvious-in-retrospective design mistake, while both Sneak Attack and Show and Tell debuted in this set, creating an eternal archetype that endures to this day.
6Onslaught
The first set of the Onslaught block, which focused on creature types and synergies between them, this set laid the foundations for future type-based expansions like Lorwyn and Ixalan. Creature types like Cleric, Goblin, and Soldier saw many new cards spread across multiple colors, creating a rich pool to draw from when building a deck.
In terms of notable cards, the big hitters here are the original allied-color fetchlands: five lands that would go on to shape every format in the game, particularly once the cycle was completed in Zendikar. Onslaught also introduced the morph mechanic, which wasn’t particularly powerful but did open up some interesting design space that would be revisited, along with the fetchlands, in Khans of Tarkir block.
7Coldsnap
Initially billed as a “lost design file” originally supposed to be the final set in the Ice Age block, Coldsnap was released in 2006, a full decade after that block had seemingly concluded. While this story was later revealed to be a marketing trick, Coldsnap did an excellent job of evolving the themes present in that block, particularlythe snow mechanicand cumulative upkeep.
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Iconic snow cards like Dark Depths and Scrying Sheets appeared here, while powerful eternal staples like Counterbalance and Zur the Enchanter also made their debuts. It was a (literal) cool throwback to an earlier era of Magic and one that really gave the snow mechanic room to come into its own.
8Future Sight
The closest thing to a legal Un-set we’ll likely ever see, Future Sight was a rare look forward for Magic, featuring cards and mechanics that would appear in sets later down the line. This freed up the designers to create a wide range of unique cards, including single entries in land cycles like Horizon Canopy, and bizarre experiments like Dryad Arbor.
As is often the case in Magic, many of these boundary-pushing cards also became powerful multi-format staples, with Bridge from Below and the Pact cycle being notable examples. The most important card from Future Sight, however, was also one of the most innocuous. Initially lost in a sea of more interesting cards, the mighty Tarmogoyf would go on to define the Modern format for years until the Modern Horizons series pushed it out of relevance.
9Dominaria
A modern take on Magic’s oldest Plane, Dominaria had the unenviable task of convincing a generation of players raised on the likes of Innistrad and Ravnica that this classic setting was still worth caring about. Thankfully, it achieved this goal with finesse, presenting one of the most varied, balanced card selections in recent memory.
The new historic supertype created a ‘Legendary matters’ theme that made perfect sense for the storied Plane. The huge range of Legendary creaturesgave Commander playersplenty to be excited about. Other than Mox Amber, there aren’t any particular power standouts here, but the overall quality is so good that it doesn’t matter.
10The Brothers' War
A set that undoubtedly had many long-time players screaming “Finally!” when it was announced, The Brothers’ War took a deep dive into Magic’s most famous conflict, letting us see the characters and events that unfolded in detail rather than as passing references in art or flavor text.
With legendary characters like Ashnod and Gix finally receiving cards of their own, and the title characters of Urza and Mishra receiving several, to showcase their full story arcs, The Brothers’ War fleshed out Dominaria like never before. For this reason, it stands as one of the best Vorthos expansions ever.
