Mirrodin

Mirrodin is the first set in the Mirrodin block. It is the 30th 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 commons 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 many 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 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</c> 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. It is this search for answers that will begin to uncover the mysteries within Mirrodin.

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 which were banned or restricted in several competitive formats, such as Disciple of the Vault</c>, the artifact land cycle, and Thirst for Knowledge</c>.

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</c> 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</c>.
 * 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.

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: • Angel

• Archer

• Atog

• Beast

• Berserker

• Bird

• Cat

• Cleric

• Demon

• Dragon

• Druid

• Elemental

• Elephant

• Elf

• Gnome

• Goblin

• Golem

• Horror

• Imp

• Insect

• Knight

• Ogre

• Ouphe

• Scout

• Shapeshifter

• Skeleton

• Soldier

• Troll

• Wall

• Warrior

• Wizard

• Wurm

• Zombie

Cycles
Mirrodin has 11 cycles:

Reprinted cards
Mirrodin reprinted 17 cards from previous sets.


 * Annul</c> 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</c> was last seen in Mercadian Masques. It changed rarity from uncommon to common. It's the only reprint not to mention artifacts.
 * Atog</c> was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in 5th Edition.
 * Bottle Gnomes</c> was first printed in Tempest.
 * Brown Ouphe</c> was first printed in Ice Age. The reason for its reprinting was because of "interesting interactions in a set full of artifacts."
 * Cathodion</c> was first printed in Urza's Saga.
 * Chromatic Sphere</c> was first printed in Invasion.
 * Creeping Mold</c> was first printed in Visions and last seen in Kaladesh.
 * Detonate</c> 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</c> was first printed in Urza's Saga.
 * Icy Manipulator</c> was first printed in Alpha and last seen in Ice Age. Along with <c>Chrome Mox</c> and <c>Gilded Lotus</c>, Icy Manipulator provided a "Greatest Artifact Hits of Magic" feel.
 * <c>Ornithopter</c> was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in Aether Revolt
 * <c>Shatter</c> was first printed in Alpha and last seen in Eighth Edition.
 * <c>Stalking Stones</c> was first printed in Tempest.
 * <c>Terror</c> was first printed in Alpha and last seen in Beatdown.
 * <c>Triskelion</c> was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in Fourth Edition.
 * <c>Yotian Soldier</c> was first printed in Antiquities and last seen in Fourth Edition.

Functional reprints
Mirrodin has four functional reprints:


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

Colorshifted

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

Strictly better

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

Notable cards

 * <c>Chimney Imp</c> — Arguably one of the worst creatures ever printed.
 * <c>Mindslaver</c> — Rules had to be added to the Comprehensive Rules for controlling another player's turn due to this card's effect.
 * <c>Chalice of the Void</c> — A staple of Legacy prison decks.
 * <c>Disciple of the Vault</c> — A staple of Standard and Legacy affinity decks; this card rapidly decreases the opponent's life total when used correctly.
 * <c>Platinum Angel</c> — It had good synergies with cards like <c>Shield of Kaldra</c>.
 * <c>Reiver Demon</c> — Great for mass removal and as a finisher, even if the meta was full of artifacts
 * <c>Helm of Kaldra</c> — First instance of a card referring to a card that had not been released yet (the other two parts of the Kaldra mega-cycle).

Preconstructed decks
Mirrodin has two monocolored and two bicolored theme decks.