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For other uses, see Mirrodin (disambiguation).

Mirrodin
MRD logo
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description The Sword of Kaldra
Design Mark Rosewater (lead),
Bill Rose,
Brian Tinsman,
Mike Elliott,
Tyler Bielman
Development Randy Buehler (lead),
Brian Schneider,
Henry Stern,
Elaine Chase,
Brandon Bozzi,
Brian Tinsman
Art direction Jeremy Cranford
Release date October 2, 2003
Plane Mirrodin
Themes and mechanics Artifacts, Artifact lands and Equipment
Keywords/​ability words Affinity (for artifacts),
Imprint,
Entwine[1]
Set size 306
(20 basic lands, 110 commons, 88 uncommons, 88 rares)
Expansion code MRD[3]
Development codename Bacon[4]
Mirrodin block
[[Mirrodin]] [[Darksteel]] [[Fifth Dawn]]
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
[[Eighth Edition]] Mirrodin [[Darksteel]]

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 [5] [6]

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 rare, 88 uncommon, 110 common, and 20 basic lands), which is 22 rares and 22 commons less than Onslaught. [7]. Mirrodin features a heavy artifact theme. Its expansion symbol is a small image of Sword of Kaldra, a card from the set. [8] Mirrodin set introduced a new artifact subtype in Equipment with the accompanying keyword Equip, 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 is put in the graveyard. The set and block 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. [9] 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. [10]

Marketing

Mirrodin was sold in 75-card tournament decks, 15-card boosters, four preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. [11] 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 card to feature alternate art and the first that wasn't a creature. [12] The set was accompanied by a novel by Will McDermott. A Demon Token with Flying for Promise of Power [13] and an 1/1 Pentavite Token with Flying for Pentavus [14] were offered as Magic Player Rewards.

Flavor and storyline

Main article: The Moons of Mirrodin

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. [15] 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 enhanced each other. The set contained many cards which were banned or restricted in all major tournament formats such as Disciple of the Vault, the Artifact lands or Thirst for Knowledge.

Themes and mechanics

  • Artifacts, including artifacts with colored activation costs, Artifact lands and Equipment. [16] [17] [18]
  • Affinity — A card becomes cheaper by {1} for each permanent of a certain type specified (usually artifacts).
  • Imprint — This ability found on artifacts allows you to remove a card from the game and "imprint" attributes of the removed card onto your artifact such as Chrome Mox. [19]
  • Entwine — Appears on modal spells and presents an extra cost; pay that cost to use both effects instead of only one, as on Tooth and Nail.
  • Equipment: an artifact subtype that has the "equip" keyword ability. By paying the equip cost, it attaches to a creature you control. If that creature leaves play, the Equipment becomes unattached and remains in play. Paying the equip cost also allows the Equipment to be moved from one creature to another. [20] [21]

Creature types

Mirrodin introduced the race/class model and the creature type Human. [22] 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. [23]

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

Cycles

Mirrodin has 11 Cycles:

Reprinted cards

Mirrodin reprinted 17 cards from previous sets. [27]

Functional reprints

Mirrodin has 4 functional reprints:

Card comparison

Colorshifted

Strictly better

Notable cards

Preconstructed decks

Main article: Mirrodin/Theme decks

Mirrodin has two monocolored and two bicolored theme decks.

Theme
deck name
Colors Included
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Bait and Bludgeon U B
Little Bashers W
Sacrificial Bam B R
Wicked Big G

References

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External links

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