Darksteel metal
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Darksteel metal is a magical indestructible material found on Mirrodin. It ranges in color from gunmetal grey to jet-black and has characteristic golden streaks of energy surrounding it.[1][2][3][4]
Description
Darksteel is a tough and durable metal that can only be shaped by the magic of powerful artificers.[2] It is so durable that it never degrades and traditional weapons have no effect against it.
Creation
Forging darksteel metal to create tools or constructs is a complicated art, as the same properties that make the material indestructible make it impossible to forge by traditional means.[2] Darksteel can only be forged and shaped by magic.[5] Memnarch was proficient in forging darksteel, considering it his greatest achievement as an artificer.[5] He also restricted access to the material to himself and a favored few.
Jin-Gitaxias believed that the metal must be shaped immediately upon forging.[4] In contrast, Tezzeret surmised that forging the metal required non-traditional techniques, with the key lying in forging the reality around where the metal would be. Despite his apparent insight into the metal, all his attempts at replicating it had failed.
Phyrexian corruption
Darksteel is generally resistant to the corrupting effects of glistening oil, but it is not immune to them. If left for weeks or months in direct contact with the oil, it will convert into blightsteel.[4] The extreme time needed to convert darksteel means only a few blightsteel constructs have been made, with only one confirmed (Blightsteel Colossus).
Tezzeret's body
Tezzeret's involvement in the War of the Spark left the Planar Bridge in his chest damaged and leaking energy that slowly seared the surrounding flesh.[6] Realizing that he needed a way to be free of his degrading etherium body, Tezzeret struck a deal with Phyrexian praetor Elesh Norn.[7] In exchange for Karn, Norn would grant Tezzeret a darksteel body. On completion of his tasks, just before the New Phyrexian Invasion, Norn ordered Jin-Gitaxias to grant the reward. Tezzeret's etherium arm was melted down to provide an interface medium between Tezzeret's flesh and the darksteel.[4]
Despite being a master at manipulating metals, Tezzeret initially found reshaping his darksteel body extremely difficult.[4] While on board the Seriema in the Edge, he displayed a greater range of control over his appendages.[8]
When initially brought in by Jin-Gitaxias's skitterlings, the darksteel body had the standard streaks of gold swirling around it and a jet-black surface.[4] For Tezzeret's depiction in Edge of Eternities, the energy motes are now colored purple.[9] No explanation for this color change is given, nor is it addressed within the story.
Design
During the initial creative concepting for the set Darksteel, darksteel metal was named "impervium".[1]
"Impervium" is a magical, indestructible metal. It always appears as a dark black metal surrounded by yellow/gold orbiting streaks of magical energy.
— Darksteel style guide.[1]
The energy motes were added as a visual cue to make darksteel elements obvious and stand out against the background of a metal world full of metal artifacts.[2]
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Darksteel Axe
- Darksteel Brute
- Darksteel Citadel
- Darksteel Colossus
- Darksteel Forge
- Darksteel Gargoyle
- Darksteel Garrison
- Darksteel Hydra
- Darksteel Ingot
- Darksteel Juggernaut
- Darksteel Monolith
- Darksteel Mutation
- Darksteel Myr
- Darksteel Pendant
- Darksteel Plate
- Darksteel Reactor
- Darksteel Relic
- Darksteel Sentinel
- Darksteel Splicer
- Depicted in:
- Referred to:
- Blightsteel:
- ^† Scryfall does not record flavor text for digital cards. See Alchemy: Phyrexia/Flavor text
References
- ↑ a b c d Wizards of the Coast (February 25, 2004). "Indestructible "Impervium"". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008.
- ↑ a b c d Doug Beyer (December 15, 2010). "Everything* Dies". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (January 05, 2011). "Mail Bonding". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021.
- ↑ a b c d e f Reinhardt Suarez (January 17, 2023). "A Man of Parts". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Rei Nakazawa (January 13, 2004). "Shedding Light on Darksteel". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021.
- ↑ Greg Weisman (November 2019). "War of the Spark: Forsaken". Del Rey.
- ↑ Reinhardt Suarez (October 25, 2022). "The Brothers' War - Chapter 3: Nemesis". Magicthegathering.com.
- ↑ Seth Dickinson (July 3, 2025). "Edge of Eternities | Episode 9". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ As depicted in Tezzeret, Cruel Captain (Edge of Eternities).
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