Mirror of Life Trapping MTG Card

Generates card advantage by potentially exiling multiple creatures, altering the game’s momentum. Its instant-speed activation offers strategic flexibility, disrupting opponents’ plays in crucial game moments. Demands careful resource management due to its activation cost and specific mana requirements.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Text of card

Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, if it was cast, exile it, then return all other permanent cards exiled with Mirror of Life Trapping to the battlefield under their owners' control.

Quenton barely had a second to admire his exquisite handsomeness before reality collapsed around him.

Cards like Mirror of Life Trapping

As players explore the myriad of artifacts within Magic the Gathering, the Mirror of Life Trapping provides a unique twist on creature control. It parallels with Tawnos’s Coffin, which also offers a way to exile creatures temporarily. However, the Mirror requires specific targeting parameters and can potentially house multiple threats, unlike the Coffin that can only hold one creature at a time.

Looking at Icy Prison, another comparable card, we observe its ability to exile creatures under certain conditions. Yet, Icy Prison impacts the board for a shorter term and can allow for the creature’s return much more easily, which is quite divergent from the permanence of exile offered by the Mirror of Life Trapping if conditions are met. Then we have Detention Sphere, an enchantment that can whisk away any number of target nonland permanents sharing a name. While it can affect multiple creatures, unlike the conditional singularity of the Mirror of Life Trapping, its effect is static.

Assessing these comparisons reveals that Mirror of Life Trapping occupies a strategic niche in the realm of MTG artifacts that manage opposing forces, striking a balance between conditional exile and the potential for impacting multiple adversaries.

Tawnos's Coffin - MTG Card versions
Icy Prison - MTG Card versions
Detention Sphere - MTG Card versions
Tawnos's Coffin - MTG Card versions
Icy Prison - MTG Card versions
Detention Sphere - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Mirror of Life Trapping by color, type and mana cost

Conservator - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Scrapbasket - MTG Card versions
Magnetic Mine - MTG Card versions
Eye of Doom - MTG Card versions
Well of Lost Dreams - MTG Card versions
Coercive Portal - MTG Card versions
Aetherworks Marvel - MTG Card versions
Nevinyrral's Disk - MTG Card versions
Sword of the Paruns - MTG Card versions
Grappling Hook - MTG Card versions
Trading Post - MTG Card versions
Conservator - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Scrapbasket - MTG Card versions
Magnetic Mine - MTG Card versions
Eye of Doom - MTG Card versions
Well of Lost Dreams - MTG Card versions
Coercive Portal - MTG Card versions
Aetherworks Marvel - MTG Card versions
Nevinyrral's Disk - MTG Card versions
Sword of the Paruns - MTG Card versions
Grappling Hook - MTG Card versions
Trading Post - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Mirror of Life Trapping adds strategic depth to your gameplay by enabling you to potentially exile multiple creatures from the battlefield. Unlike single-target removals, this artifact can provide a continued advantage, keeping those threats at bay and effectively diminishing your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: By removing key creatures from your opponent’s side, you’re directly impacting the pace at which they can build their board presence. This indirectly accelerates your resources by giving you more time to develop your strategy and use your mana elsewhere.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate the Mirror of Life Trapping at instant speed is a subtle but powerful tool. It allows you the flexibility to respond to threats mid-combat or disrupt your opponent’s end-of-turn plans without having to commit to a less optimal play during your own turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To activate Mirror of Life Trapping, one must sacrifice another nonland permanent, which can be detrimental if your in-game assets are already limited or if the sacrificed permanent is of higher value than the potential benefits gained from the card.

Specific Mana Cost: Mirror of Life Trapping demands a specific mana arrangement to cast—two colorless and two white. This requirement can restrict its inclusion to decks that are heavily white or have a reliable mana base to accommodate the white mana cost without disrupting the overall mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring a total of four mana, Mirror of Life Trapping’s cost is on the higher side for its effect, which traps a single creature until the artifact is destroyed. Considering the resources spent, players might find other creature control options more cost-effective.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Mirror of Life Trapping card seamlessly integrates into a variety of deck builds, due to its ability to disrupt opponents’ strategies by exiling creatures. It’s an asset in both controlling and midrange decks that aim to stabilize the board and maintain an advantage.

Combo Potential: As a unique artifact, Mirror of Life Trapping opens up several combo avenues, particularly in decks that manipulate exile zones or that capitalize on artifact synergies. Its role in such combos can often be a game-changer.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-based strategies are prevalent, having Mirror of Life Trapping in your toolkit assures you have a response to such strategies. It fields a meta-relevant solution to various threats and remains a potent wildcard in your collection.

How to beat

The Mirror of Life Trapping requires a focused strategy to overcome. This unique artifact has the power to both imprison creatures and possibly turn them against their previous controller. Understanding this card is the first step—recognize that it relies on creature abilities to get activated, which happens when a creature’s ability is aimed at you. Disabling creatures with abilities or using removal spells before your opponents can target you with them is key.

Another effective method is direct destruction of artifacts to remove the Mirror from play before it becomes a significant threat. Green and red decks often have spells like Naturalize or Shatter to deal with troublesome artifacts efficiently. Alternatively, countering the spell when it’s cast through blue spells like Counterspell ensures it never becomes a hindrance.

Negating the Mirror’s ability to trap creatures can significantly decrease its impact, allowing you to maintain the upper hand in the game. Through prompt response with removal, countering, or even redirecting abilities, you can ensure the Mirror of Life Trapping does not disrupt your path to victory in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mirror of Life Trapping MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Battle for Baldur's Gate Promos, 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 Mirror of Life Trapping and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Mirror of Life Trapping Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Dallas Williams.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 3262015NormalBlackDallas Williams
22022-06-10Battle for Baldur's Gate PromosPCLB 326s2015NormalBlackDallas Williams
32022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 5992015NormalBlackDallas Williams
42022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 2612015NormalBlackDallas Williams

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mirror of Life Trapping has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal