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. It is a 249 card expansion with randomly inserted premium cards. Booster packs and Tournament packs now contain land, commons, uncommons, and rares, with approximately one out of every 8 rares replaced with a new Mythic Rare card. There are 15 Mythic Rare cards in Shards of Alara.
The Shards of Alara Tournament Deck contains 75 random cards; 3 rare or mythic rare, 10 uncommon, 32 common, and 30 lands.
The Tournament Deck also includes a rulebook.