Shards of Alara is the first set in the Shards of Alara block, and is a return to the traditional fantasy setting of classic Magic. This is a large set of 249 cards, which will be followed by two small expansions. Shards of Alara will introduce a new rarity for Magic. Booster packs and Tournament packs will now contain land, commons, uncommons, and rares, with approximately one out of every 8 rares replaced with a Mythic Rare card. There are 15 Mythic Rare cards in Shards of Alara.

Returning in Shards of Alara, Planeswalkers are the most powerful beings in the multiverse, and planeswalker cards first appeared in the Lorwyn expansion.

Intro Packs will be released for the first time with Shards of Alara and are the perfect way to introduce new players to Magic: the Gathering. Each Intro Pack contains a ready-to-play 41 card deck, 1 Shards of Alara Booster Pack, a Shards of Alara strategy insert, and a Magic: the Gathering rules insert for new players. Each deck comes with two rare cards, one of which is a premium foil rare card that is visible through the front of the box.