[3] The eponymous setting is a vast, untamed wilderness, whose few bastions of civilization exist primarily for outfitting treasure-seeking expeditions to distant locales.

Unlike the previous two blocks, there is no multicolored theme[4] (in fact, every colored card in the set is monocolored).

[5] Rise of the Eldrazi, while part of the Zendikar block creatively and for the sake of constructed tournament rules, is unique mechanically and is designed to be drafted on its own.

To promote the "priceless treasures" tagline of Zendikar, original, authentic vintage cards were inserted into a limited number of booster packs, replacing the basic land.

Trap is a new type of instant that can be cast for a reduced cost if a certain event have taken place this turn.

This set marked the debut of multikicker, a variant of kicker from Invasion, which allows a player to pay an optional, extra cost when casting a spell to create an additional effect.

Rise of the Eldrazi is themed around "battlecruiser magic": slow games in which players gradually accumulate resources until they can win with enormous creatures.

The set's storyline revolves around the awakening of the Eldrazi: ancient, powerful beings who travel the multiverse and gain sustenance by consuming entire planes for mana.

Their home realm is the "Blind Eternities," a space between planes where they transcended the colors of mana as known to the planeswalkers of the Multiverse.

According to Mark Rosewater, the concept of the Eldrazi is inspired by both the Cthulhu mythos and the Marvel Comics character Galactus.

Abandoning his mission to find Chandra, Gideon fights the powerful Eldrazi to protect the inhabitants of Zendikar.

Rise of the Eldrazi introduced a number of new mechanics, including annihilator, level up, rebound and totem armor.

Notable cards in Rise of the Eldrazi include Inquisition of Kozilek and Emrakul, the Aeons Torn.