Magical Thinking: Mirage

Welcome back to Magical Thinking, where I look at the art and history of Magic: the Gathering, set by set, from the beginning. Today we start on the Mirage block with the titular set of the block: Mirage.

Released in October of 1996, Mirage takes place on the continent of Jamuura, which is Dominaria’s Africa equivalent. It follows three spellcasters seeking out a missing planeswalker. This is a prelude to an invasion by an evil warlock from Urborg and the Mirage Wars. This set also introduces Teferi, the Blue/White aligned planeswalker who would go on to be a major player in the events of MTG. In fact Teferi is featured front and center in the most recent core expansion released a few weeks ago.

I have kind of a soft spot for this set. While I was not playing when it came out, I did have a Mirage themed calendar which featured alternative and unused card art.

So without further ado, let’s get in on it.

Once again, White proving they do not mess around. It’s not even ambiguous here. This card kills a creature, and then releases their soul as a 1/1 spirit. (Of course, considering some of the weak monsters in this era of magic, that might just be an improvement).

You ever see a person so beautiful it made you cry? Well that’s the whole point of this card. It makes your opponent see something so beautiful they can’t attack. Then you get to draw a card. In all seriousness the artwork for this card is very pretty, and all the art from this set is better than average.

Remember to clean your Fushigi regularly. Those things trap ghosts and evil spirits like crazy.

Ah Griffins, a White staple monster we haven’t really paid much attention to here at Magical Thinking. Pretty consistently 2/2 flyers, but this one can rescue another Griffin from your graveyard. So thoughtful. Also it’s part cheetah, which is neat (I was hoping it would also be part parrot but we can’t get everything in life).

Now this is an interesting card. Tt feels like one of those big brain cards that requires knowing the current meta, what decks are currently out there, what combo your opponent is running, and at the same time making sure your opponent doesn’t. Best case, you cripple an opponent’s combo. Worst case, you wasted four mana on blocking a card that your opponent may not even have in their deck.

Ah, Pacifism. The MVP of this set if ever there was one. This little card has gone to become one of the staples of White, and has been reprinted 31 times over multiple sets and other releases. And why wouldn’t it? It’s the iconic White removal, in that it doesn’t actually remove anything but renders a monster pretty much useless for combat. It even fits Whites flavor of happy good time sunshine (You know when they aren’t committing genocide against Goblins or setting angry mobs on people. Like I keep saying colors are complex).

Finger painting is serious business in Jamuura. This guy is going to paint the HELL out of that pastoral garden scene.

Rashida here is one of the major players of the stories connected to this set. She’s rather niche, but Dragons better be on notice. It’s a shame she wasn’t around for War of the Spark (Which happened centuries after this set) where she could have shanked Nicol Bolas (She still could. Come on, Teferi. You knew this person, and you can cast time magic, get her in on this). I also wanted to include her because she’s just beautiful.

AKA a card you will probably never see in EDH. More seriously, this is another one of those big brain cards where you have to plan carefully. Watch what spells you cast and what creatures you summon, because you only get one. I bet it goes well with Tormod’s Crypt because you can just erase your own graveyard when you want to play something new.

Picture five seconds before disaster. Once again I have to appreciate the efforts of the Foglios and their contributions to Magic.

Flash is another MVP of this set. Not only Flash the card (Which proved a little too good since it’s banned in everything except vintage), but Flash the mechanic, which would become a keyword to describe creatures that could be played like instants, which is what this card makes any creature into. Even weird multi eyed Mantis dragon…thing…what the Hell even is that? I mean even the guy in the foreground seems horrified at what he’s called forth.

Okay that may be the best flavor text ever. Also I’m not unconvinced that rabbit isn’t just tripping balls.

Of course we couldn’t have a talk about Mirage without talking about Phasing, the sets’ most confusing and infamous mechanic. See, this was Teferi’s thing back in the day. Things phase in, they phase out. While they are phased out they don’t technically exist. He can even phase out enemy creatures with his newest planeswalker card in core 2021.

I chose this particular phasing card because it seems like a pretty mean thing to do. You can basically force your opponent to only play every other turn if they are playing a different color from you.

I have a soft spot for this card because I used to run it. There’s just something appealing in destroying an opponent’s creature, then stealing it to work for you. It’s such an iconic Black type of effect. Plus the art is suitably creepy with the zombie….guy there.

I’m like 90% sure this is one of the guys from Beetlejuice. Very beautiful art piece though.

Just in case you forgot, Phyrexia is still kicking around, still lurking in the background and making trouble.

Not sure if Purraj here is a major player in the story of Mirage. I included her because it’s pretty weird to see a Black catfolk, since they are usually White and/or Green.

The look on your face when you step on a Lego. I like the flavor on this one, where it seems like you are channeling the spirits of the dead to power up your attack, but at the same time it destroys your body.

…I have no idea what I am looking at. What is that giant mouth? Is it a gate or something? Forget that, what the Hell is that thing in the lava? I was making jokes about Magic artists being fans of Tool before, but are we gonna add Aphex Twin to that? Is that the guy from Rubber Johnny on his day off?

Once again, WHAT? That art is just…. it’s a mess. I kind of love it. Also I love the flavor where it’s warping reality and changing the most basic aspect of the game (Now the flyers are non flyers and the non flyers are flyers), very neat.

Spider-Cyclops, Spider-Cylops, does whatever a Cyclops can. Gotta say that rope is pulling its weight (and its his) holding that big guy up like that.

I’m not sure how I feel about Robert Bliss’ art. In every art he makes everything looks weird and melty. It works for some pieces (like Polymorph), and maybe this, but others it’s just… whuh.

This is another card that fits well in Red’s “risk it all” style of play. You get one extra turn to win. Make it count ‘cause one way or another it’s your last. While this card has not been reprinted too often, effects similar to it have shown up from time to time.

This set also introduced the Viashino, which are MTG’s answer to lizard men. Not much to say on them except lizard people are awesome.

Okay, I take it back, THIS is the best flavor text on a magic card. I actually bring up this weird little guy because a Brushwagg card showed up in Ikoria recently, the second Brushwagg in over 24 years. Is the all-powerful Brushwagg tribal deck just around the corner? Could we soon see the coming of the Brushwagg-dominated meta? Probably not but still, FEAR THE BRUSHWAGG.

I’ve been kind of ignoring the dragons this set, but this one is pretty good. I love the weird design and multiple arms. This looks like what you’d expect a dragon hanging out in a jungle canopy to look like.

And here we have the first of the new Atogs, one that eats forests instead of artifacts. Not the best Atog, but they are a prelude to what will eventually come. Maybe one day I will do an expose on the Atog tribe like I did for Thrulls.

I think Harry from Harry and the Hendersons needs to schedule a dental appointment. Those can’t be normal. Also, fun fact: I’m pretty sure the Maro is named for MTG designer Mark Rosewater. (AKA Ma-Ro).

Now see that right there is how you sell regeneration. I just love how chuffed that guy looks. Also it occurs to me this is probably a riff on the Arthurian myth of the Green Knight. (Get it? Green? And he survived decapitation? Nobody gets me).

OH GOD NOT THE BEES! NOT THE BEES! THEY’RE IN MY EYES!

Yeah, this card is a major color break for green. It deals direct damage, which is something green isn’t supposed to do, so it’s pretty weird.

This is the first set to experiment with multicolor cards of “opposing” colors, so here we have one of the very first Izzet cards. And apparently it’s a genie with an inner ear infection that my be affecting their equilibrium. Also an effect that lets you save a creature by phasing it out, or having it die. Honestly I would just save the coin for a vending machine.

I was gonna make a joke, but the flavor text beat me to it. This also feels like a worthy Golgari card (Although Golgari usually cares about your graveyard not your opponent, but whatever).

Hey, now you have a monster that can regenerate in stereo. You know, when one regeneration isn’t enough.

And here we have one of the first Orzhov cards. Again, very fitting with Orzhov’s flavor. Your creatures aren’t dead, they’re just on standby until you call them back out. For a price of course.

I get the feeling from here on out they are beginning to nail how color synergies work and what they should do. No more seven mana Dimir mana dorks.

I absolutely love the flavor of this card. It’s a golem that turns anything it touches into a basalt statue. I also love its design and the design of its victims. This is peak magic flavor.

POWER RANGERS!

I am actually kind of mad because this art is so cool but it’s for a 1/1 that just makes stuff colorless. Useful, I guess, but the Gnome rangers deserve a better card, dammit.

Wow, now that is a whole mess of trouble. It looks like something from the Wizard of Oz, or they are chasing Little Nemo. I have a soft spot for weird creatures like this in Magic, so this is my jam. But I am not sold on the actual stats. Ah well.

Yep, Phyrexians are still around. Not sure about the drawback, but a 12/12 is nothing to sneeze at in any case.

And we end on Teferi’s personal pad. His island, which also phases, and comes into play tapped. So I think that means like two turns before you can use it? I think Teferi may have gone overboard with the phasing.

That’s it for Mirage. A very interesting set to be sure. It feels like the guys in R&D were really starting to hit their stride with the flavor, mechanics, and tonal consistency. It’s a great set. Next time we continue out look at the Mirage block with the next set in the block: Visions. Until then, stay magical.