 A hexplate beginning to corrode | |||
| Size | 249 cards (101 Common, 60 Uncommon, 53 Rare, 15 Mythic Rare, and 20 Basic Land) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Keywords | Metalcraft, Imprint, Infect, Proliferate | ||
| Mechanics | Metalcraft, infect, proliferate[1] | ||
| Designers | Mark Rosewater (lead), Mark Gottlieb, Alexis Janson, Erik Lauer, Matt Place, Mark Globus, Nate Heiss | ||
| Developers | Mike Turian (lead), Aaron Forsythe, Erik Lauer, Mark Purvis, Matt Place | ||
| First set in the block | |||
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 Mirran/Phyrexian symbols combined | |||
| Size | 155 cards (10 Mythic Rare, 35 Rare, 40 Uncommon, 60 Common, 10 Basic Land) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Keywords | Battle Cry, Infect, Proliferate | ||
| Mechanics | Living Weapon | ||
| Designers | Mark Gottlieb (lead), Gregory Marques, Ken Nagle,Mark Rosewater, Mike Turian | ||
| Developers | Erik Lauer (lead), Ryan Dhuse,Tom LaPille, Zac Hill,Mike Turian | ||
| Second set in the block | |||
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 Phyrexian Symbol | |||
| Size | 175 cards (10 Mythic Rare, 35 Rare, 60 Uncommon, 60 Common, 10 Basic Land) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Keywords | Infect, Metalcraft, Proliferate, Imprint | ||
| Mechanics | Phyrexian Mana, Living Weapon | ||
| Designers | Ken Nagle (lead), Dave Guskin, Joe Huber, Matt Place,Mark Rosewater[2] | ||
| Developers | Aaron Forsythe (lead), Dave Guskin, Zac Hill, Tom LaPille, Erik Lauer[2] | ||
| Third set in the block | |||
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Scars of Mirrodin is aMagic: The Gathering block, consisting of the expansion setsScars of Mirrodin (October 1, 2010),Mirrodin Besieged (February 4, 2011) andNew Phyrexia.[3][4] This block marked the return to the plane ofMirrodin. This plane was last visited in theMirrodin block that concluded in 2004.[5] The interim tagline for the set was "The Corrosion Begins October 1, 2010." The plans for this set were first made public bymananation.com when it was discovered that "Scars of Mirrodin", as well as "Mirrodin Pure" and "New Phyrexia" had been registered as trademarks with the US Patent and Trademark Office by Wizards of the Coast.[6] As with the originalMirrodin block, artifacts make up the overarching theme ofScars of Mirrodin; Nearly half of all cards in the set are artifacts. In his May 24 column, Mark Rosewater confirmed that the "Infect" game mechanic inScars of Mirrodin would bring poison counters back to Magic. All cards (other than basic lands) in the Scars of Mirrodin block carried a watermark, either Mirran or Phyrexian.[7][8]
The origins ofNew Phyrexia date back to the early design stages of the originalMirrodin set. The idea of Phyrexian oil influencing Mirrodin's evolution was included in the storyline for future use.[9]
New Phyrexia was originally planned to be the first set of the "Lights" block, with the storyline being set after the Phyrexians had already conquered Mirrodin. Eventually, designerMark Rosewater made the decision to build the block around the war between the Mirrans and the Phyrexians, leading up toNew Phyrexia afterScars of Mirrodin andMirrodin Besieged.[10]
In the original announcement from December 9, 2010 it was left open whether this set would be namedNew Phyrexia orMirrodin Pure. On March 29, 2011Wizards of the Coast announced thatNew Phyrexia was going to be the name of the set.[11] The tagline forMirrodin Pure would have been "The Sharpest Steel is Tempered in Fire".[2]
Scars of Mirrodin introduced the Phyrexian mechanicsInfect andProliferate, and the Mirran mechanicsMetalcraft andImprint. A creature with infect deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters (much likeWither) and to players in the form of poison counters. A player with 10 or more poison counters loses the game.[12] Proliferate allows players to give additional counters to any number of permanents and/or players they so choose who already have them.[13] Imprint was a returning keyword from the originalMirrodin block, and allowed an artifact to gain additional effects if another card is exiled and imprinted on that artifact. Metalcraft rewards a player for having three or more artifacts in play.[14] As with the original Mirrodin block, artifacts that were Equipment and/or were indestructible were printed.
Besides expanding on mechanics fromScars,Mirrodin Besieged introduced the Mirran mechanicBattle Cry, and the Phyrexian mechanicLiving Weapon. Whenever a creature with battle cry attacks, all other attacking creatures that player or team controls get +1/+0 until the end of the turn. Living weapon is found only on Equipment. When a piece of Equipment with "Living weapon" enters the battlefield, it creates a 0/0 Black Germ creature token and the Equipment is immediately attached to that token. It expanded on the poison counters mechanic by making certain things happen if players were poisoned.
The four mechanics fromScars and living weapon returned forNew Phyrexia. New Phyrexia introduced alsoPhyrexian Mana Symbols. Mana costs containing Phyrexian mana symbols can be paid with either the given color or two life per Phyrexian Mana symbol. InNew Phyrexia, all permanent cards with Phyrexian Mana in their costs are colored artifacts.
Notable cards fromScars of Mirrodin includeMox Opal,Memnite andSword of Body and Mind.
Notable cards fromMirrodin Besieged includeBlightsteel Colossus,Sword of Feast and Famine andGreen Sun's Zenith.
Notable cards fromNew Phyrexia includeElesh Norn, Grand Cenobite,Birthing Pod,[15]Dismember,[16][17]Mental Misstep,[18]Gitaxian Probe,Karn Liberated andSword of War and Peace, which completed the Swords cycle begun in the Mirrodin block.
