Mirage
Mirage is the ninth Magic expansion and was released in 1996 as the first set in the Mirage block.
Set details
Magic Online
It was released on Magic Online on December 5, 2005. Release events began on December 7, 2005.
Mechanics
Mirage introduces the mechanics Flanking (a combat ability that gives blockers -1/-1 until end of turn) and Phasing (a confusing ability most often used as a drawback in this set).
Mirage included a large number of creatures with the Knight creature type, all with flanking and an activated ability, such as Cadaverous Knight and Teferi's Honor Guard. The set also included more multicolor cards than any set between Legends and Invasion.
Setting
Mirage stands apart from the rest of Magic for its tropical African-themed setting, outlining the three nations of Femeref, Zhalfir, and Suq'Ata. The storyline begins with the disappearance of the planeswalker Teferi (who would later play a crucial role in the Weatherlight Saga and the Time Spiral block) and the three powerful spellcasters - Mangara, Jolrael, and Kaervek - who come looking for him, setting off the events that would lead to the Mirage War.
Cycles
Mirage has seven cycles:
- Charms: Each of these common instants has a cost of C and let's you choose one of three possible effects — Ivory Charm, Sapphire Charm, Ebony Charm, Chaos Charm, Seedling Charm.
- Diamonds: Each of these uncommon artifacts costs
to play, comes into play tapped, and produces one mana of the appropriate color when tapped — Marble Diamond, Sky Diamond, Charcoal Diamond, Fire Diamond, Moss Diamond. This cycle was later reprinted in 6th and 7th Edition. - Dragons: Each of these rare 4/4 Dragon creatures has a mana cost of 4CC — Pearl Dragon, Mist Dragon, Catacomb Dragon, Volcanic Dragon, Canopy Dragon.
- Enemy-color hosers: Each of these uncommon spells hampers both of their enemy colors — Mangara's Equity, Mind Harness, Reign of Terror, Reign of Chaos, Roots of Life.
- Fetch lands: Each of these uncommon lands comes into play tapped and can be tapped and sacrificed to fetch a land with one of two basic land types from your library — Bad River, Flood Plain, Grasslands, Mountain Valley, Rocky Tar Pit.
- Guildmages: Each of these common 1/1 Wizard creatures costs C and has two activated abilities, each with the cost of
and an allied mana — Civic Guildmage, Shaper Guildmage, Shadow Guildmage, Armorer Guildmage, and Granger Guildmage. - Instantments: Each of these common Aura enchantments has a converted mana cost of 2 and flash, but is sacrificed at end of turn If it was played any time a sorcery couldn't have been played — Ward of Lights, Soar, Grave Servitude, Lightning Reflexes, Armor of Thorns.
Mirrored pair
Mirage has one mirrored pair:
- First-striking knights: These common 2/2 Knight creatures, one white and one red, both cost {C} and have flanking and "{C}{C}: [This] gains first strike until end of turn" — Burning Shield Askari, Zhalfirin Knight.
Notable cards
- Cadaverous Bloom
- Celestial Dawn — Nicknamed "bleach" by players, this enchantment made a muticolored deck into monochrome white. Counterspells, direct damage, and all the other color specialities are then available to the white player.
- Grinning Totem — Taking the Jester's Cap concept one step further, the Totem not only lets you look through your opponent's library and remove a card, but then, adding injury to insult, allows you to play that card as if it were in your own hand, possibly turning your opponent's most powerful spell against them.
- Hammer of Bogardan — Before the hammer, decks based on direct damage tended to run into late-game problems of plenty of mana but no spells to spend it on. Enter the hammer, an infinitely-reusable damage spell.
- Maro — This card was named for designer Mark Rosewater and quickly became a favorite for green creature-based decks. Once Maro is in play, each card you draw makes him more dangerous.
- Political Trickery — This card is a weapon for blue counter / control decks against specialized lands.
- Tombstone Stairwell — This card inspired new deck types, this Enchant World makes the 1/1 creatures typical of a weenie deck more valuable in the graveyard than out. Decks built around the Stairwell are designed to swarm the opponent: first with regular creatures, and then, once the graveyard is nicely stocked, with Tombstone Zombies.
Reprinted cards
The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Mirage.
- Boomerang — was last seen in Chronicles.
- Dark Ritual — was last seen in Ice Age.
- Disenchant — was last seen in Ice Age.
- Divine Offering — was last seen in Chronicles.
- Drain Life — was last seen in 4th edition.
- Fire Breathing — was last seen in 4th edition.
- Fog — was last seen in 4th edition.
- Healing Salve — was last seen in 4th edition.
- Incinerate — was last seen in Ice Age.
- Memory Lapse — was last seen in Homelands.
- Power Sink — was last seen in Ice Age.
- Regeneration — was last seen in Ice Age.
- Sandstorm — was last seen in 4th edition.
- Stone Rain — was last seen in Ice Age.
Functional reprints
- Bay Falcon is a functional reprint of Zephyr Falcon from 4th Edition.
- Dwarven Nomad is a functional reprint of Dwarven Warriors from 4th Edition.
- Femeref Healer is a functional reprint of Samite Healer from 4th Edition.
- Fetid Horror is a functional reprint of Hoar Shade from Ice Age.
- Giant Mantis is a functional reprint of Giant Spider from 4th Edition.
- Noble Elephant is a functional reprint of War Elephant from Arabian Nights.
- Restless Dead is a functional reprint of Drudge Skeletons from 4th Edition and Walking Dead from Legends.
- Wild Elephant is a functional reprint of War Mammoth from 4th Edition.
Theme decks
The Mirage block theme decks were designed for MTGO, as these expansion sets were printed before theme decks were first printed in the Tempest block.
The pre-constructed theme decks are: Template:Theme decks