Mirrodin

The setting for Mirrodin is a plane by the same name. An artificial world created by the planeswalker Karn, originally named Argentum, and named after the Mirari by Memnarch, Mirrodin's environments and inhabitants mix organic and metallic. Mirrodin is orbited by four satellites, which are called suns and moons interchangeably, that correspond to red, black, white and blue magic. Green was notably absent until Glissa Sunseeker became a conduit for its birth.

The set focuses on five main regions on Mirrodin, each corresponding to a part of the Magic color pie:

• The Oxidda Chain, a range of mountains populated by goblins and the human Vulshok tribe.
• The Tangle, a dense jungle populated by elves, the human Sylvok tribe and beasts.
• The Mephidross, a mucky swamp, and a home of Nim (zombies) and the human Moriok tribe.
• Quicksilver Sea, a sea of mercury populated by Vedalken and the human Neurok tribe.
• Razor Grass Fields, the plains of Mirrodin, overgrown with sharp metallic grass and home to the Leonin, the human Auriok tribe and Loxodon.

The main character of the story is the elf Glissa Sunseeker, who visits all these places, guided by revenge against the machines that killed her family. The story is captured in the novel The Moons of Mirrodin by Will McDermott. Magic returned to the setting of Mirrodin with the Scars of Mirrodin block.

Mirrodin introduced a number of new mechanics, including Equipment, Affinity, Imprint and Entwine. The artifact subtype Equipment, which has become a staple of Magic, represented weapons, clothing and armor that could be wielded or worn by creatures. Equipment functions like the older "Enchant Creature" cards (now called Auras) in that they provide some effect while attached to the creature. Unlike Auras, however, Equipment can only be attached to creatures you control in most cases, and remain in play even if the creature they were attached to leaves play. Affinity reduces the total cost of the spell by the number of permanents in play of a certain type, which in the case of Mirrodin was always artifacts or basic land types. Entwine was an optional cost on modal instants and sorceries, which allows a player to choose all effects (rather than only one) if the Entwine cost was paid. The Imprint keyword allowed an artifact to gain additional effects if another card is exiled and imprinted on that artifact. Mirrodin also had an infamous cycle of artifact lands.

Darksteel continued the Equipment, Affinity, Imprint and Entwine mechanics, and introduced the indestructible and modular keywords. Something that is or has indestructible can't be destroyed by damage or "destroy effects". In Darksteel, indestructible cards (all of which were artifacts) are made of the titular metal, though other things have been deemed indestructible when it became a common mechanic in later sets (similar to Double Strike, introduced in the Onslaught). Modular was a keyworded ability of artifact creatures, these creatures would come into play with a set number of counters and, upon the destruction of that creature, could transfer them to another artifact creature. Modular was part of a larger theme of charge counters on artifacts throughout the set.

Fifth Dawn introduced the Sunburst and Scry mechanics. Artifacts with Sunburst get +1/+1 counters (if the card is a creature) or charge counters (if noncreature) for each color of mana used to pay the artifact's mana cost. "Scry X" means "Look at the top X cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order." X was always 2 in Fifth Dawn, but other numbers were introduced when Scry was reprised for subsequent sets.

One notable cycle in Mirrodin was the cycle of artifact lands (Ancient Den, Seat of the Synod, Vault of Whispers, Great Furnace and Tree of Tales). These enhanced the power of cards with the "Affinity" mechanic by increasing the number of artifacts in play while still being considered lands. Due to abuse, they are banned or restricted in some formats. Other notable cards include Chalice of the Void and Chrome Mox.

Notable cards in Darksteel include Æther Vial,[6] Arcbound Ravager, Darksteel Citadel, Darksteel Reactor, Death Cloud, Skullclamp, Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Light and Shadow and Trinisphere.

Notable cards in Fifth Dawn include Crucible of Worlds, Engineered Explosives, Serum Visions and Vedalken Shackles.

• Wizards' Official page for Mirrodin
• Official Mirrodin fact sheet
• Wizards' Official page for Darksteel
• Wizards' Official page Fifth Dawn