Spirit Mirror MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Spirit Mirror grants continuous board advantage with repeatable Reflection token creation every turn.
  2. Flexible instant-speed destruction of Reflection tokens disrupts opponents while preserving your strategy.
  3. Despite its benefits, Spirit Mirror’s high mana cost and color specificity may limit deck versatility.

Text of card

During your upkeep, if there are no Reflection tokens in play, put a Reflection token into play. Treat this token as a 2/2 white creature. : Destroy target Reflection.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spirit Mirror excels at providing consistent advantage over time. With the ability to produce Reflection tokens each turn, this enchantment ensures you steadily build up your board presence without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly increase your mana pool, Spirit Mirror’s token production can synergize with effects that count the number of creatures you control, effectively accelerating your strategy and unlocking powerful plays much quicker.

Instant Speed: The ability to destroy a target Reflection at instant speed not only offers tactical flexibility during your opponent’s turn but also weaves in surprise defense, allowing you to disrupt foes and protect your interests with perfect timing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging players with intense gameplay, Spirit Mirror requires the shedding of specific creature tokens to unleash its full potential. This binding condition can pin you down during crucial turns, especially when the battlefield lacks these required tokens, a definite downside in the tempo of your plays.

Specific Mana Cost: As a card woven from the specific strands of white mana, Spirit Mirror’s inflexibility in a multi-colored deck becomes evident. This inherent limitation constrains deck diversity, possibly stifling your strategic depth and responsiveness to the evolving board.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing the cost to benefit ratio in a game of MTG can be pivotal. With a mana value that stands on the higher ground, Spirit Mirror may stall your momentum, particularly when you consider the pace at which other cards could be played. Casting it demands a significant mana investment, which might otherwise be allocated to more immediately impactful cards.


Reasons to Include Spirit Mirror in Your Collection

Versatility: Spirit Mirror isn’t just another creature enchantment. It’s a unique card offering the ability to generate Reflection tokens repeatedly every turn, which can be a recurring advantage in both offensive and defensive strategies. This makes it a flexible addition to decks centered around token generation or those seeking consistent board presence.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Spirit Mirror can become a powerhouse. It synergizes well with cards that benefit from the sacrifice of creatures, and its token-creating ability pairs excellently with effects that amplify the benefits of creatures entering the battlefield or dying.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG landscape continuously evolves, cards that provide consistent value, such as Spirit Mirror, maintain relevance. In environments where creature presence is vital, it offers a reliable way to affect the board without expending multiple cards. This can be particularly effective against strategies that rely on valuable single target removal, as Spirit Mirror can demand answers every turn.


How to beat

Spirit Mirror, a rather unique artifact in the world of Magic the Gathering, presents both a challenge and an opportunity for strategic players. The card can be troublesome due to its ability to generate Reflection tokens, which can be sacrificed to destroy target non-Reflection creature. This capability alone makes it a formidable opponent. To effectively overcome Spirit Mirror, it’s necessary to utilize enchantment removal spells such as Disenchant or Naturalize. These spells allow players to directly target and remove Spirit Mirror from the battlefield before it can generate an overwhelming number of tokens.

Another successful strategy is to limit the mirror’s impact by controlling the board with sweepers like Wrath of God or Damnation that can clear all creatures, including any Reflection tokens already on the field. It’s also a savvy move to employ instant-speed interaction; having the ability to react in a timely manner when an opponent activates Spirit Mirror can be a game changer, especially if it means saving a crucial creature from destruction. Remember, disrupting an opponent’s strategy and maintaining board presence are key to outmaneuvering the reflective tricks of Spirit Mirror.


Cards like Spirit Mirror

Spirit Mirror stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique reflection-based enchantment. Its closest relatives might be found in cards that create token creatures, such as Luminarch Ascension, which spawns angel tokens under specific conditions. Spirit Mirror, by comparison, consistently churns out Reflection tokens each turn, provided you don’t have any. This regular token generation can offer a steady stream of offensive or defensive options without the need to meet a stringent criterion like the Ascension.

Another similar card is Bitterblossom, which is famed for its ability to produce 1/1 faerie tokens with flying at a low life cost on each of your upkeeps. Although it steadily drains your life, it’s considered a powerhouse for its evasive tokens. Spirit Mirror doesn’t demand a life toll for its token generation, making it a safer choice for a more sustained board presence. Additionally, Spirit Mirror’s ability to destroy a target Reflection at will paves the way for interaction with opposing strategies that would also utilize Reflections, a trait not commonly found in token-generating enchantments.

Delving into this comparison, Spirit Mirror proves its worth with an automatic and persistent token production mechanic and a unique control over Reflections, providing a blend of versatility and defense in MTG gameplay.

Luminarch Ascension - MTG Card versions
Bitterblossom - MTG Card versions
Luminarch Ascension - Zendikar (ZEN)
Bitterblossom - Morningtide (MOR)

Cards similar to Spirit Mirror by color, type and mana cost

Castle - MTG Card versions
Karma - MTG Card versions
Conversion - MTG Card versions
Angelic Voices - MTG Card versions
Seeker - MTG Card versions
Drought - MTG Card versions
Justice - MTG Card versions
Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions
Field of Souls - MTG Card versions
Opal Titan - MTG Card versions
Ivory Mask - MTG Card versions
Parallax Wave - MTG Card versions
Worship - MTG Card versions
Diversionary Tactics - MTG Card versions
Moat - MTG Card versions
Teleportation Circle - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Haunting - MTG Card versions
Proper Burial - MTG Card versions
Light from Within - MTG Card versions
Endless Horizons - MTG Card versions
Castle - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Karma - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Conversion - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Angelic Voices - Legends (LEG)
Seeker - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Drought - Ice Age (ICE)
Justice - Ice Age (ICE)
Divine Transformation - Renaissance (REN)
Field of Souls - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Opal Titan - Urza's Saga (USG)
Ivory Mask - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Parallax Wave - The List (PLST)
Worship - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Diversionary Tactics - Apocalypse (APC)
Moat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Teleportation Circle - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Hallowed Haunting - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Proper Burial - Dissension (DIS)
Light from Within - Eventide (EVE)
Endless Horizons - Eventide (EVE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spirit Mirror MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Vintage Masters, 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 Spirit Mirror and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Spirit Mirror Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by D. Alexander Gregory.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-10-14TempestTMP 481997normalblackD. Alexander Gregory
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 492015normalblackD. Alexander Gregory
32015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 352015normalblackD. Alexander Gregory

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spirit Mirror has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 It checks if there are any Reflection tokens on the battlefield at the beginning of upkeep, and if there are it will not trigger at all. It will check again on resolution and will do nothing if a Reflection is on the battlefield at that time.

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