Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria
The Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria may refer to two separate events taking place on Dominaria.
The Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria may refer to two separate events taking place on Dominaria.
First invasion
The first invasion, known by some on Dominaria as the Phyrexian War began in 4205 AR after millennia of planning by the dark god Yawgmoth, as the culmination of the Weatherlight Saga.
First stage
The first stage of the invasion began with advance strikes by Phyrexian forces led by Tsabo Tavoc, aimed to secure crucial locations and to destroy key sources of resistance. The first attack was staged in Benalia, quickly overrunning the Coalition's defenses and establishing a foothold on Dominaria.
All of Dominaria was besieged, but the struggle revolved around three key battles: the metathran trying to destroy the portal at Koilos and the defense of the two sentient forests, Yavimaya and Llanowar. Despite tremendous losses, the Coalition, Dominaria's defenders, drove the Phyrexians back, and at Koilos, they managed to destroy the portal to Phyrexia. This stage met with mixed success for Phyrexia, destroying Benalia, Tolaria and New Argive, gaining Urborg, but losing the battles for Koilos, Llanowar, Yavimaya, and the oceans.
Second stage
The second stage began with the intersection of the planes of Rath and Dominaria. Rath overlaid on top of Dominaria, bringing the massed legions of Phyrexians that occupied Rath into existence across the world. In the area of the Stronghold alone, there were over one thousand portal ships and well over one hundred thousand Phyrexian shock troops, with many hundreds of thousands across the plane. This instantly retook Koilos and sparked major battles across the globe. The main battle of the invasion began at this point as the various armies of the Coalition tried to liberate Urborg by destroying the Stronghold. This took many days of fighting, but eventually the various parts of the Coalition were able to fight towards the Stronghold and besiege it. During this stage, the Nine Titans also launched a counterattack against Phyrexia itself.
Final stage
The final stage of the invasion saw Yawgmoth arrive to take Dominaria personally. He appeared as a black cloud of death and reanimated every dead thing on the plane (including the soil) to serve as his army. Yawgmoth seemed to have an easy victory at hand, but he was stopped when the Legacy was completed through the sacrifice of Urza, Gerrard Capashen, and Karn. The Legacy released a massive burst of white mana that sought out Yawgmoth's essence and seemingly destroyed it. His devoted minions lost all hope of victory upon his apparent death and did not resist their enemies' attacks.
Alternate Timeline
During the Temporal crisis of Dominaria in 4500 AR, Teferi Akosa, Jhoira, and Venser teleported to an alternate timeline in which the Ice Age had never ended and Lord Windgrace was battling a new Phyrexian Invasion.
Second invasion
A Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria took place in 4562 AR and was initiated by New Phyrexia. The Praetor Sheoldred traveled to Dominaria through the Planar Bridge. With the help of the Society of Mishra, Rona, and a resurrected Ertai, she created an army of compleated Argivians, sleeper agents, monstrosities, and resurrected Phyrexian war machines. The Coalition was renewed, and the two armies clashed at the Battle of the Mana Rig on Shiv. The Coalition suffered the loss of a critical armament, the Sylex, and three strategic commanders (the Compleated Ajani killing Jaya Ballard and kidnapping Karn), but managed to destroy the Mana Rig and a large portion of the Phyrexian ground forces with minimal losses of their own. With the sleeper agent infiltration still widespread, they quickly began preparations for the Phyrexians' inevitable return.
While their main forces were still recuperating, the Phyrexian forces launched a successful assault on the Temporal Anchor, functionally putting Teferi in a coma, though unbeknownst to them Kaya had also learned the critical information they were seeking.
As part of New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse, Realmbreaker brought New Phyrexia's main forces to Dominaria to once again continue their invasion, with some of the Phyrexian invaders performing iconoclasm at temples of Serra.