Mirrodin

Mirrodin is the first set in the Mirrodin block. It is the thirtieth Magic: The Gathering expansion and was released on October 2, 2003. The prerelease was September 20–21, 2003

Set details

Starting with the Mirrodin block, WotC took 44 cards out of the large expansion and added 22 cards to each of the two small expansions. Mirrodin therefore contained 306 black-bordered cards (88 rares, 88 uncommons, 110 commons, and 20 basic lands), which is 22 rares and 22 uncommons less than Onslaught. Mirrodin features a heavy artifact theme. Its expansion symbol is a small image of Sword of Kaldra, a card from the set. Mirrodin introduced a new artifact subtype in Equipment with the accompanying keyword equip, representing armor, swords, and other utensils which can be attached to a creature to enhance that creature. Unlike Auras, the equipment stays on the battlefield even if the creature it's attached to dies. The set is also noted for allusions to famous artifacts and related mechanics from previous blocks, such as Chrome Mox or Clockwork creatures. The set also featured Solemn Simulacrum, Jens Thoren's invitational card. Mirrodin was the first expansion set to feature the new card face which had debuted in Eighth Edition. The high number of artifacts revealed the inherent flaw of the new card frame: they were very hard to distinguish from white cards.

Marketing

Mirrodin was sold in 75-card tournament decks, 15-card boosters, four preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. The booster packs featured artwork from Mindslaver, Icy Manipulator, Clockwork Dragon, Pentavus, and Worldslayer. The Prerelease card was a foil Sword of Kaldra. This was the first Prerelease promo card to feature alternate art and the first that wasn't a creature. The set was accompanied by a novel by Will McDermott. A */* Demon token with flying for Promise of Power and a 1/1 Pentavite token with flying for Pentavus were offered as Magic Player Reward.

Flavor and storyline

The setting for Mirrodin is a plane by the same name, an artificial world created by the planeswalker Karn, and named after the Mirari by Memnarch. Mirrodin's environments and inhabitants mix organic and metallic. Mirrodin is orbited by four satellites, which are called suns and moons interchangeably, that correspond to red, black, white and blue magic. Green was notably absent. Glissa Sunseeker, the finest hunter and perhaps the most skilled warrior of the elves, begins her story to find out why the monstrous "levelers" seek to destroy her. This search for answers will begin to uncover the mysteries within Mirrodin.

Storyline sources

Tournament impact

Mirrodin is infamous for an imbalanced power level due to the set not restricting most of its cards to a certain color and the introduction of the affinity mechanic and artifact lands which synergized with each other. The set contained many cards that were banned or restricted in several competitive formats, such as Disciple of the Vault, the artifact land cycle, and Thirst for Knowledge.

Themes and mechanics

• Artifacts, including artifacts with colored activation costs, artifact lands, and Equipment.
• Affinity — Makes cards cheaper to cast by for each permanent controlled by its caster of a certain type specified (usually artifacts).
• Imprint — This ability found on artifacts like Chrome Mox allows you to exile a card and "imprint" attributes of that card onto the artifact, such as colors or abilities.
• Entwine — Appears on modal spells and represents an extra cost; paying that cost allows you to use both effects instead of only one, such as on Tooth and Nail.
• Equipment — An artifact subtype that has the equip keyword ability. By paying the equip cost, it becomes attached to a creature you control. If that creature leaves the battlefield, the Equipment becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield. Paying the equip cost also allows the Equipment to be moved from one creature to another.

The set was also initially handed off with the energy mechanic, however, it was shelved because lead designer Bill Rose felt that the set had too many mechanics. Several cards that interacted with it were changed to use charge counters instead. Energy was later tested but not chosen as the Esper mechanic in Shards of Alara before finally seeing print in Kaladesh.

Creature types

Mirrodin introduced the race/class model and the creature type Human. Other introduced types were Drone, Myr, Rogue, Shaman, Slith, and Vedalken in this expansion. The set featured all eight major tribes from the previous Onslaught block.

The following creature types that are not new to Magic are used in this expansion:

Cycles

Mirrodin has eleven cycles:

Mega cycle

Mega-mega cycles

There are two mega-mega cycles introduced in Mirrodin. One is a cycle of Spellbomb cycles, as listed above, which later will be completed in Scars of Mirrodin and Phyrexia: All Will Be One. The Spellbombs here would either draw a card or create a small colored effect. Scars Spellbombs would have a color-aligned effect that would also draw a card if the color was paid, while the Phyrexia Skullbombs would draw on both modes but cost more to do a color-aligned effect.

Reprinted cards

Mirrodin reprinted seventeen cards from previous sets.

• Annul was first printed in Urza's Saga. In Mirrodin its focus reversed, with countering artifacts becoming the primary value, with countering enchantments as a side benefit.
• Arrest was last seen in Mercadian Masques. It changed rarity from uncommon to common. It's the only reprint not to mention artifacts.
• Atog was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in 5th Edition.
• Bottle Gnomes was first printed in Tempest.
• Brown Ouphe was first printed in Ice Age. Its reprinting was because of "interesting interactions in a set full of artifacts."
• Cathodion was first printed in Urza's Saga.
• Chromatic Sphere was first printed in Invasion.
• Creeping Mold was first printed in Visions and last seen in Eighth Edition.
• Detonate was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in 5th Edition. Detonate had a new role in Mirrodin block: destroying artifact lands for just .
• Dragon Blood was first printed in Urza's Saga.
• Icy Manipulator was first printed in Alpha and last seen in Ice Age. Along with Chrome Mox and Gilded Lotus, Icy Manipulator provided a "Greatest Artifact Hits of Magic" feel.
• Ornithopter was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in Aether Revolt
• Shatter was first printed in Alpha and last seen in Eighth Edition.
• Stalking Stones was first printed in Tempest.
• Terror was first printed in Alpha and last seen in Beatdown.
• Triskelion was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in Fourth Edition.
• Yotian Soldier was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in Fourth Edition.

Functional reprints

Mirrodin has four functional reprints:

• Dross Prowler is a functional reprint of Razortooth Rats from Weatherlight, save for creature type.
• Lumengrid Warden is a functional reprint of Straw Soldiers from Portal Three Kingdoms and Talas Merchant from Portal Second Age, save for creature types.
• Neurok Spy is a functional reprint of Bouncing Beebles from Urza's Saga, save for creature type.
• Viridian Shaman is a functional reprint of Uktabi Orangutan from Visions, save for creature type.

Card comparison

Colorshifted

• Mass Hysteria is the colorshifted version of Concordant Crossroads- except that Concordant Crossroads is a World Enchantment - from Legends.
• Rule of Law is the colorshifted version of Arcane Laboratory last seen in Seventh Edition.

Strictly better

• Lumengrid Warden is an upgrade of Vodalian Soldiers, with an additional point of toughness.
• Predator's Strike is an upgrade of Fanatical Fever, granting an additional toughness boost at half the cost.
• Tel-Jilad Chosen is an upgrade of Argothian Pixies from Antiquities. The former specifically says it has "Protection from Artifacts", the latter has almost full protection but not quite.

Notable cards

• Chimney Imp — Arguably one of the worst creatures ever printed.
• Glissa Sunseeker — One of two cards that refer to unspent mana outside of the context of losing mana at the end of phases. The other is the unusual mana rock Doubling Cube.
• Fatespinner — While skipping draw steps turns up as a downside for draw engines, and skipping combat has happened a few times as a pre-emptive Fog, Fatespinner is the only card to skip a main phase.
• Grim Reminder — A curious card that punishes the opponent for playing the same cards as the controller. The only card that reveals a searched card without putting it anywhere else.
• Liar's Pendulum — The first black-bordered card to feature Guess.
• Mindslaver — Rules had to be added to the Comprehensive Rules for controlling another player's turn due to this card's effect.
• Chalice of the Void — A staple of Legacy prison decks.
• Disciple of the Vault — A staple of Standard and Legacy affinity decks; this card rapidly decreases the opponent's life total when used correctly.
• Platinum Angel — It had good synergies with cards like Shield of Kaldra.
• Reiver Demon — Great for mass removal and as a finisher, even if the meta was full of artifacts.
• Sword of Kaldra — The first card of the unusual Kaldra mega cycle spanning Mirrodin block, and the set symbol for Mirrodin.

Preconstructed decks

Mirrodin has two monocolored and two bicolored theme decks.

References