Magus of the Mirror MTG Card


Leverage Magus of the Mirror for surprise life total switches that can dramatically shift the game’s flow. Plan around its sorcery-speed activation to optimize its impact on your strategy and board presence. Balance its utility against its high mana cost and color-specific needs when building your deck.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 4
Toughness 2

Text of card

, Sacrifice Magus of the Mirror: Exchange life totals with target opponent. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

"Behold! The image of the enemy and all that she has. Trust your envy, and take it."


Cards like Magus of the Mirror

Magus of the Mirror is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering with a unique ability to swap life totals with an opponent. When compared to similar life exchange cards such as Axis of Mortality, Magus of the Mirror requires a sacrifice to activate its ability, while Axis is a more passive option with its ongoing effect at the beginning of your upkeep.

Another card to consider is Soul Conduit, which also exchanges life totals, yet demands a high activation cost without the need to sacrifice the card itself. Reflections of the prefix Lich show a more complex form of life total manipulation, offering a life link effect alongside card draw but at a risk: losing this aura means game over.

Each of these cards offers a different approach to the life total switching mechanic, with Magus of the Mirror providing a dramatic, one-time event that could swing the game in your favor under the right conditions. Determining the best choice often depends on the specific strategy and synergies within your deck.

Axis of Mortality - MTG Card versions
Soul Conduit - MTG Card versions
Axis of Mortality - MTG Card versions
Soul Conduit - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Magus of the Mirror by color, type and mana cost

Nightmare - MTG Card versions
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Helldozer - MTG Card versions
Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions
Toxic Nim - MTG Card versions
Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Ihsan's Shade - MTG Card versions
Necrosavant - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Lancer - MTG Card versions
Face of Fear - MTG Card versions
Wire Surgeons - MTG Card versions
Grave Titan - MTG Card versions
Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions
Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions
Anurid Murkdiver - MTG Card versions
Gempalm Polluter - MTG Card versions
Nefashu - MTG Card versions
Twisted Abomination - MTG Card versions
Iname, Death Aspect - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth Demon - MTG Card versions
Ascendant Evincar - MTG Card versions
Bog Hoodlums - MTG Card versions
Helldozer - MTG Card versions
Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions
Toxic Nim - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Magus of the Mirror offers a unique form of card advantage by potentially swapping your life total with an opponent’s. This can be an unexpected maneuver to turn the tables when you’re at a life disadvantage, often leading to a strategic edge in the game.

Resource Acceleration: While this card does not directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it acts as a form of indirect acceleration by allowing a strategic shift in life totals. This shift can enable less conservative play with cards or abilities that cost life, thus potentially accelerating your board state or strategy.

Instant Speed: Although Magus of the Mirror operates on sorcery speed, its impact is equivalent to an instant-speed blow when activated at the correct moment. It’s the nature of its ability that can instantly alter the game state dramatically, forcing opponents to play around it once it’s on the table.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Magus of the Mirror requires players to plan ahead since it necessitates sacrificing the creature itself to activate its ability. This can pose a major strategic disadvantage, especially when resources on the board are limited and the need to maintain a creature presence is high.

Specific Mana Cost: With a precise casting requirement that necessitates both black and generic mana, integrating Magus of the Mirror into a deck can be complex. This particular cost demands a commitment to the color, potentially restricting its adoption in more diverse or color-flexible MTG strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at six mana to summon, Magus of the Mirror has a hefty price tag when compared to other creatures or spells that offer similar or even more impactful game-changing abilities. The cost-to-benefit ratio may not align favorably in fast-paced games where lower-cost cards could provide similar or greater advantages.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Magus of the Mirror offers an array of strategic options within various deck styles. Its ability allows for unexpected comebacks and dynamic shifts in life totals, which can be pivotal in games where your life is a resource you’re willing to use.

Combo Potential: This card is a catalyst for numerous combos, particularly in decks that manipulate life totals or benefit from life exchanges. Its presence on the board opens up possibilities for turning the tide in your favor at critical moments.

Meta-Relevance: Facing decks that tend to gain a significant life advantage? Magus of the Mirror levels the playing field and can be integral in strategies that challenge the current life-gain archetypes that hover around the meta.


How to Beat

Magus of the Mirror is a unique card from the world of Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tides of a game by swapping life totals with an opponent. To effectively counteract this card’s powerful ability, strategic play is required. Firstly, maintaining control over the board is crucial. Removal spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile serve as immediate solutions to eliminate the Magus before its ability can be activated. Control decks with counterspells can also preemptively deal with the Magus, ensuring it never poses a threat in the first place.

Another approach is to reduce your own life total, making the swap less beneficial for the Magus controller. This tactic, although risky, can discourage opponents from activating Magus of the Mirror. In addition, life gain strategies can quickly offset any disadvantages post-swap, regaining a stable and commanding life total. Lastly, instant speed interaction is key. By waiting until the opponent attempts to activate Magus’s ability, you can respond with removal or other disruptive spells, effectively nullifying the threat and potentially wasting your opponent’s key resources.

Overall, being prepared and adaptable is the best strategy to outmaneuver the potential reversal of fortunes that Magus of the Mirror presents in a game of Magic: The Gathering. Keep removal handy, manage life totals wisely, and maintain the ability to respond swiftly to maintain the upper hand.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances and strategies surrounding Magus of the Mirror can significantly improve your MTG gameplay. By considering its pros and cons along with potential synergies and counters, you elevate your approach to deck building and in-game tactics. Whether it’s creating unexpected comebacks or mastering the art of life total manipulation, this card can be a game-changer. We encourage MTG enthusiasts to further explore the strategic depth Magus of the Mirror introduces. Dive deeper into its mechanics, interactions, and place in the current meta by joining our community where we share insights, strategies, and the passion for Magic the Gathering. Let’s enhance your deck together to reflect your true playing style and competitive edge.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Magus of the Mirror MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Conspiracy, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Magus of the Mirror and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Magus of the Mirror Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2014-06-06. Illustrated by Christopher Moeller.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 1162003NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
22014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 1172003NormalBlackChristopher Moeller

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Magus of the Mirror has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Magus of the Mirror card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2006-09-25 When the life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player’s previous life total. For example, if player A has 5 life and player B has 3 life before the exchange, player A will lose 2 life and player B will gain 2 life. Replacement effects may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them.
2011-01-01 If an effect says that a player can’t lose life, that player can’t exchange life totals with a player who has a lower life total; in that case, the exchange won’t happen.