The Magic Mirror MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost9
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Artifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants increasing card draw, key for control decks and those focused on spell-casting strategies.
  2. Creates potential combos with cards that activate upon drawing or casting, enabling dominant plays.
  3. Essential for long-game metas, providing persistent card advantage and maintaining resource superiority.

Text of card

This spell costs less to cast for each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard. You have no maximum hand size. At the beginning of your upkeep, put a knowledge counter on The Magic Mirror, then draw a card for each knowledge counter on The Magic Mirror.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Magic Mirror excels at offering a continuous flow of card drawing, letting players dig deeper into their library with each passing turn.

Resource Acceleration: While The Magic Mirror itself doesn’t produce additional mana or tokens, its ability reduces the cost of casting spells, thereby indirectly accelerating your resources.

Instant Speed: With an emphasis on instant and sorcery spells in your graveyard to decrease its casting cost, this artifact synergizes with instant speed spells, allowing strategic plays while The Magic Mirror is on the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Magic Mirror has a unique downside in that it requires a commitment to self-mill, potentially discarding cards you may later need. Each upkeep demands that you put a number of cards equal to the number of knowledge counters from your library into your graveyard, which can deplete your resources over time, restricting your options and flexibility during crucial game moments.

Specific Mana Cost: This atmospheric artifact carries a steep casting cost that is specific to blue mana, demanding three blue mana symbols in addition to generic mana. This limits the card’s integration primarily to decks that heavily invest in blue, potentially excluding it from a variety of deck types where it could be a fit, were it not for the stringent mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While The Magic Mirror can be a powerful source of card advantage, the initial investment of six mana may be too steep, particularly in faster-paced games or against more aggressive opponents. This can make the card less versatile, as there are alternative draw engines available that have a lower mana cost and provide immediate card advantage without the potential downside of milling important cards.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Magic Mirror offers an ever-increasing flow of card draw, making it a superb addition to control and spell-slinging decks alike. Its adaptability allows it to serve as a crucial engine in any deck looking to capitalize on casting numerous spells.

Combo Potential: Alongside cards that trigger upon drawing or casting spells, The Magic Mirror can become part of an unstoppable combo, leading to potentially game-winning turns. Its synergy with spells that have “draw a card” effects is not to be underestimated.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to go long, The Magic Mirror’s consistent card draw becomes a formidable tool, outvaluing opponents and maintaining resource superiority. In current metas that focus on incremental advantages, having The Magic Mirror can be a key factor in staying ahead.


How to beat

The Magic Mirror is a unique artifact card in Magic: The Gathering, offering significant card advantage as the game progresses. When facing The Magic Mirror, overcoming its continuous card draw engine is key. One of the main strategies is to apply pressure early on. Since The Magic Mirror has a hefty mana cost, deploying aggressive creatures or strategies can put an opponent on the back foot before they have a chance to stabilize with The Magic Mirror’s card advantage.

Another approach is to use direct answers to artifacts. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant allow players to efficiently remove The Magic Mirror from the battlefield. Additionally, countering the spell as it’s cast prevents its effect altogether; employing counter spells like Cancel or Negate can ensure The Magic Mirror never impacts the board. Lastly, hand disruption techniques are effective in preemptively dealing with The Magic Mirror by forcing the player to discard it from their hand before they can cast it.

Remember, disrupting your opponent’s game plan is as important as advancing your own. Successfully managing to remove or negate The Magic Mirror can be a pivotal moment, often leading to a path of victory as the advantage it confers is shut down.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deep into your strategy with The Magic Mirror, an artifact that promises an endless stream of knowledge for your MTG deck. If you enjoy controlling the pace of the game and outmaneuvering your opponents with a consistent flow of options, this card deserves a spot in your collection. While it demands a blue-centric approach, the rewards scale with your spell-casting prowess. Do your decks thrive on high-stake plays and long-term value? Harness The Magic Mirror’s potential for unlimited hand size and reduced spell costs that can turn the tide of battle. Enhance your gameplay—learn how to optimize and integrate The Magic Mirror today.


Cards like The Magic Mirror

The Magic Mirror stands out in the realm of card advantage engines in Magic: The Gathering. With its reflection on other spells, we can look to compare it with Alhammarret’s Archive, which doubles the effect of card draw and life gain, but doesn’t offer the same potential for unlimited hand size or a decreasing casting cost based on the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard.

Moving to another parallel, Consecrated Sphinx provides a powerful draw effect by granting two cards for every card your opponents draw. While it doesn’t lower its casting cost or provide a no maximum hand size benefit like The Magic Mirror, the Sphinx can offer an overwhelming advantage in games where opponents are drawing numerous cards. Another counterpart is Rhystic Study, an enchantment that offers a card draw every time an opponent casts a spell unless they pay extra. While not directly similar in its effects, it is an enchantment that can accumulate significant card advantage over time but lacks the ramping benefit of The Magic Mirror.

In evaluating these similar cards, The Magic Mirror’s unique cost reduction and hand size mechanics enrich MTG strategies that primarily revolve around casting numerous instants and sorceries, setting it apart from its counterparts in card advantage.

Alhammarret's Archive - MTG Card versions
Consecrated Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Study - MTG Card versions
Alhammarret's Archive - MTG Card versions
Consecrated Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Study - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to The Magic Mirror by color, type and mana cost

Inkwell Leviathan - MTG Card versions
Depth Charge Colossus - MTG Card versions
Hulking Metamorph - MTG Card versions
Inkwell Leviathan - MTG Card versions
Depth Charge Colossus - MTG Card versions
Hulking Metamorph - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Magic Mirror MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and Throne of Eldraine, 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 The Magic Mirror and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Magic Mirror Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2019-10-04. Illustrated by Anastasia Ovchinnikova.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 3452015NormalBlackAnastasia Ovchinnikova
22019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 512015NormalBlackAnastasia Ovchinnikova

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Magic Mirror has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-10-04 Adventurer cards aren't instant or sorcery cards while they're in your graveyard.
2019-10-04 If The Magic Mirror leaves the battlefield while its last ability is on the stack, the ability will use the number of knowledge counters The Magic Mirror had before leaving the battlefield to determine how many cards you'll draw.
2019-10-04 If a split card is both an instant card and a sorcery card, it's only counted once for The Magic Mirror's cost reduction ability.
2019-10-04 Once you announce that you're casting a spell, no player may take actions until the spell has been paid for. Notably, opponents can't try to change by how much a relic's cost is reduced.
2019-10-04 The cost reduction ability reduces only the generic mana in the relic's cost. The colored mana must still be paid.
2019-10-04 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

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