The Best Commander Cards From... Mirrodin
Welcome back to The Best Commander Cards From..., a series looking at the most powerful Commander cards from across Magic: The Gathering's rich thirty-year-long history. Today's focus is Mirrodin, the thirtieth expansion set, which was released in October of 2003 and is the first set in the Mirrodin block.
Mirrodin Lore
The four moons/suns of Mirrodin, a plane created by Karn, are at the forefront of Mirrodin's story. Each of these moons/suns represent a color within Magic, with green notably being absent. Glissa Sunseeker, a character whose fate may not be the best in the franchise, seeks to discover some of the secrets of her plane.
Mirrodin Mechanics
It's no secret that Mirrodin was one of the most influential artifact sets across Magic history. Affinity for artifacts made its first appearance here, and the mechanic has proven to be incredibly powerful. Equipment as an artifact subtype also made their appearance in this set, alongside entwine and Imprint. There are truly an absurd number of cards ahead of us, so let's get into it.
Auriok Steelshaper
Cost reduction on Equipment is somewhat easy to come by these days, but equip costs themselves have always been a bit clunky when they aren't made free by cards like Puresteel Paladin. Auriok Steelshaper might seem a big meager by those standards, but an extra piece of redundancy in your Equipment-themed decks can go a long way.
Leonin Abunas
Admittedly, Leonin Abunas solves a problem that's not really that big. In my Equipment decks, I'm usually afraid of mass artifact removal, not single-target removal. That said, having protection for key artifacts, like Aetherflux Reservoir or Bolas's Citadel, can be pretty useful.
Rule of Law
Some players look at Rule of Law and just shrug, but most players groan. There's usually at least one deck at the table that's really hamstrung by this effect, and like most other symmetrical effects, it's easy to build around if you're the one playing it.
Fabricate
Whether it's Blightsteel Colossus, The One Ring, Bolas's Citadel, or just Sol Ring, you can be sure that an artifact tutor is strong. At first glance, three mana might seem like a rough bullet to bite, but its popularity and relatively high price tells you all you need to know.
Fatespinner
There's something about spending three mana on a 1/2 that doesn't feel good, but I can promise that if it sticks around, it'll do great work. Some decks will occasionally feel fine skipping their combat step, but nobody wants to skip drawing a card or getting to cast spells.
March of the Machines
In addition to being a fine way to animate your mana rocks and utility artifacts for a surprise attack, March of the Machines also deletes Treasures, Food, and Clue tokens. Save this one for your decks full of artifacts unless you're in a token-heavy meta.
Shared Fate
To be clear, what this card does is force each player to draw from an opponent's deck. If you're feeling especially mean, you can convince two other players to all gang up on the last player. The more card draw you've got, the faster that player's deck disappears. Of course, they can all gang up on you, too.
Thirst for Knowledge
Looking at three cards for just three mana is a pretty decent deal. Discarding might seem like a penalty at first, but putting reanimation targets in the bin is a useful ability. All of this together has kept Thirst for Knowledge a popular option for a ton of artifact decks.
Thoughtcast
Divination is not a very good card in Commander these days. If you could pay just one mana for Divination, though, it would be a lot more appealing. Enter Thoughtcast, the card that is basically never five mana. Affinity for artifacts is a silly mechanic, and you'll be seeing a lot of it today.
Vedalken Archmage
Artifacts, by their very nature, have a tendency to snowball. Combining the card draw of Vedalken Archmage with any kind of mana generation is a great way to make your turns explosive, especially with cards like Krark-Clan Ironworks.
Disciple of the Vault
Targeting individual opponents makes the pings of Disciple of the Vault stack up rather slowly in a four-player, 40-life format. Thankfully, we've been handed tons of ways to produce tokens over the last few years, and this also triggers from every player's artifacts, not just yours.
Necrogen Mists
Symmetrical effects that never hit me very hard are some of my favorite cards in Magic. "Whoops, I guess I'll just discard this Sheoldred, Whispering One." As an added bonus, it triggers on upkeep, so you'll always be the last player to discard if you play it.
Promise of Power
I expect that you'll be drawing five cards most of the times that you play Promise of Power. Five mana is a big cost, but five cards is a big effect. Sign in Blood-style effects have fallen from favor over the last few years, but I still think this is worth considering.
Confusion in the Ranks
Things get really chaotic after you play Confusion in the Ranks, and I love chaos. As you might expect, making tokens is a great way to get extra value out of this, and I've pieced together all kinds of weird combo victories by trading cards around.
Mass Hysteria
Unlike a lot of enchantments with symmetrical effects, Mass Hysteria feels a lot more fair for your opponents. Giving haste to everything makes life totals move faster, and any deck running Mass Hysteria probably wants exactly that.
Seething Song
For years, Seething Song has been giving players outs to do incredibly broken things. My personal favorite line is turn-two Seething Song (using any turn-one mana dork) to play Sneak Attack putting Worldspine Wurm into play.
Trash for Treasure
A one-shot Goblin Welder effect is sometimes exactly what you need to win the game. Unlike Goblin Welder, Trash for Treasure doesn't need a turn cycle to pop off, and that surprise factor makes the mana cost more palatable.
Copperhoof Vorrac
I'm expecting Copperhoof Vorrac to be at least an 8/8 by the time it reaches the battlefield, and it will quickly grow the later the game goes. Sure, it's vulnerable to removal, doesn't have haste, and doesn't have evasion; I don't care. Artifact tokens alone can turn this into a one-hit killer at many tables.
Sylvan Scrying
I've personally seen Sylvan Scrying do a ton of work in multiple formats, including the Arena-exclusive Timeless. Fetching out a specific land is strong, and every cool new nonbasic adds to that utility.
Tooth and Nail
This used to be one of the big names in Commander, costing as much as $30 up until the last few years. Folks, Tooth and Nail is still strong as ever, permitting all manner of broken creature-based combos.
Aether Spellbomb
It might look meek, but Aether Spellbomb is actually quite versatile and the cornerstone of several powerful combos. You'll find Aether Spellbomb most often alongside combo commanders, like Emry, Lurker of the Loch, and value commanders, like Urza, Lord High Artificer.
Blinkmoth Urn
Giving your opponents the first crack at extra mana is risky, but if you're playing Blinkmoth Urn, it's because it'll net you a ton more mana down the line. If you can get five or more mana back from this on your next turn, it'll make casting huge spells a breeze.
Bonesplitter
Equipment decks have a ton of flashy and wild cards, but I've always considered Bonesplitter a very reliable and cheap option for those decks. It's not fancy, it doesn't grant any crazy abilities, but it still fits nicely in almost any deck looking to turn equipped creatures sideways.
Chalice of the Void
You'll get the most juice out of this squeeze at more competitive tables. At casual tables, the best number to choose is probably 2 or 3, but don't be surprised if everyone else at the table hates you for it.
Chrome Mox
This competitive Commander staple has been expensive for as long as I can remember. Fact is, it's hard to beat free, and Chrome Mox enables incredibly strong starts in decks that quickly snowball out of control.
Crystal Shard
Counter to what you may expect, the primary utility of Crystal Shard is bouncing your own creatures to your hand for a very cheap and repeatable cost. Cascade and 'enters' abilities are foremost among the reasons you may want to bounce a creature, but you can also save a creature from removal.
Duplicant
I've never paid full price for Duplicant, but since it is an artifact, I've routinely brought it back from the graveyard at low/no cost. There are no shortage of ways to abuse this ability, so get to work!
Extraplanar Lens
While this does affect other players, you can remove some of that utility by running snow-covered basics. Regardless, you can generate a ton of extra mana with Extraplanar Lens.
Fireshrieker
Double strike is incredibly powerful on a wide variety of combat-damage-themed commanders. While the five-mana investment before your first attack might seem like a lot, I'm expecting Fireshrieker to show up most often in decks where Equipment cost reduction is a common theme.
Gilded Lotus
Ramping from 5 to 9 (with a land drop) is a pretty big deal, and Gilded Lotus has been a Commander staple for ages. Although it's a bit weaker these days due to the format getting faster, it's still undeniably powerful.
Goblin Charbelcher
The number of double-faced cards with lands on the back has made this slightly more viable than it usually would be. Even so, good luck making this work against a table of three opponents!
Golem-Skin Gauntlets
Equipment decks usually need a critical mass of Equipment to really get things off the ground, but Golem-Skin Gauntlets gives you a way to go over the top with just a few key pieces. This, Embercleave, and Bonesplitter together will make a 2/2 hit for 8. Twice.
Isochron Scepter
This combo-tastic artifact has been the bane of my existence for years. Dramatic Reversal is only one of the many problem cards that you can loop with Isochron Scepter for massive value. In spite of the power level, I don't like this design, but that's just me.
Krark's Thumb
Coin flips cards are admittedly fun to use, and Krark's Thumb is one of the few ways to ensure the deck is stacked in your favor. You can probably guess which commander uses this card the most. (Hint: he has no thumbs.)
Leveler
No, I'm not about to try and sell you on making this into a combo win with Thassa's Oracle or Laboratory Maniac. I'm about to try and sell you on making this into a combo with The Beamtown Bullies! This will serve both purposes quite well, but I particularly enjoy donating bad cards to my opponents.
Lightning Greaves
It's no wonder that Lightning Greaves is a staple in a format where you're usually trying to play and protect a specific legendary creature. Although it has recently taken a backseat to Swiftfoot Boots, it's hard to argue that these sweet shoes are anything but iconic.
Loxodon Warhammer
Another iconic Equipment, Loxodon Warhammer is perfect for slapping onto your huge beater. Trample ensures that no chump blocker will stop the onslaught, and life gain is underrated in Commander, so get to equipping.
Mask of Memory
It shouldn't be a surprise that Mask of Memory is one of my favorite pieces of Equipment. While it doesn't grant any evasion or stats, you see a ton of cards if you put this on any evasive creature, and I'm always eager to get some extra value out of my graveyard.
Mesmeric Orb
It's hard to imagine a world where mill is an especially viable strategy in Commander, but if that world exists, Mesmeric Orb is a big piece of the puzzle. A turn-two Mesmeric Orb will go a long way towards ensuring libraries start emptying quickly.
Mindslaver
While you often have three opponents in Commander, Mindslaver is still incredibly potent. That potency only increases if you have ways to loop it, essentially doubling the number of turns you take while rendering a different player obsolete.
Mindstorm Crown
Drawing extra cards is always something I'm interested in doing. As you might imagine, you need to have a lot of ways to discard excess lands to keep your hand empty. Or, you can use a commander like Eruth, Tormented Prophet.
Myr Retriever
Artifact decks looking to loop casts, sacrifices, and 'enters' triggers rejoice! With Myr Retriever, you're only one bit of artifact cost reduction and a Krark-Clan Ironworks away from getting the party started. Combo aside, this is still a fantastic value play for quite a few decks.
Oblivion Stone
There was a time when this card would send fear into the hearts of players at the table. While that time is far behind us, Oblivion Stone is still a fine way to selectively board wipe over a few turns. Pair it with an Unwinding Clock and you've got a recipe for a Ruinous Ultimatum.
Platinum Angel
The text kind of says it all on this one. Platinum Angel has been iconic for a very long time, and I've always enjoyed the look of awe on an opponent's face when they read it for the first time. Find a way to protect this from board wipes, and you're all but invincible.
Power Conduit
As someone that's played and experimented extensively with Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, I know the value of Power Conduit. Free activation is absolutely powerful, and I've used that to take age counters away from cards like Mystic Remora while putting counters on things like Magistrate's Scepter.
Proteus Staff
You'll find Proteus Staff alongside Fblthp, the Lost quite often. Why? Because you get to draw two cards and stack your deck whenever you activate the staff, so long as you have no other creatures in your deck. Of course, you can also Polymorph your way into a gigantic beater, like Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, if you so desire.
Quicksilver Fountain
It might not look like much, but Quicksilver Fountain can really screw over players that need their colored mana. Keep in mind that this won't hit dual lands, like Volcanic Island, or shocklands, like Breeding Pool, so watch out!
Sculpting Steel
Don't let the artifacts players have all the fun! If you spot an Aetherflux Reservoir on the other side of the table, don't just blow it up: make your own first. Alternatively, you can play Sculpting Steel as your little buddy there to double up all your most powerful artifacts.
Skeleton Shard
Cheap, repeatable ways to get your stuff back from the graveyard are few and far between. Skeleton Shard is among the most efficient of them, even if it can usually only be used once each turn. Rebuying your Burglar Rat effects or ignoring commander tax are both great ways to use this.
Solemn Simulacrum
The original sad robot, in all its glory. A mana-fixer, a value play, a reanimation loop piece, Solemn Simulacrum is different things to different players. Whatever it is to you, though, it has proven itself an iconic part of the format.
Sun Droplet
Dina, Soul Steeper and Trelasarra, Moon Dancer are just two of the commanders that can benefit immensely from Sun Droplet. Just remember that you do need to take damage if you want the counters and life to keep flowing.
Welding Jar
If you need definitive proof that Urza, Lord High Artificer will play almost any zero-cost artifact, Welding Jar is that proof. Aside from Urza, almost any artifact-themed commander would love a free way to save their key combo pieces.
Worldslayer
Most commonly seen alongside Zurgo Helmsmasher, Worldslayer is a very goofy card. It requires combat damage to a player, does not grant trample, and doesn't even permit its wielder to live under normal circumstances. In spite of all this, that's one hell of a powerful ability.
The Myr Rock Cycle
These handy little folks serve as creatures and ramp both in any deck looking for mana ramp. While they may not be as powerful as Ornithopter of Paradise, they still do just fine in most decks. Their fragility and color identity has kept them from being as ubiquitous as they otherwise would be.
The Ally-Colored Talisman Cycle
Few cycles have ever fit the Commander format in such a clean and cohesive way. Mana ramp is and likely always will be at a premium in this format, and any Talisman that can fit in is almost an auto-include in most multicolor decks.
The Artifact Land Cycle
These lands were banned in Modern before they could even see play in sanctioned online tournaments, while they were banned in Standard after turning the format into an absolute nightmare. In Commander, they're just as strong as ever, but much less consistently available since most decks can only run a couple.
That's All, Folks
Mirrodin was and is one of the most influential sets in Magic history. We've eclipsed the 3,000-word mark on this retrospective, and I still cut a few cards from the final list, so that should let you know about how powerful this set truly was. As usual, I'm sure you'll let me know if I missed your favorite card. In the meantime though, I've been Luka Sharaska, and I hope you'll join us next time when we look at Darksteel.
