Mirror Box is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
The "legend rule" doesn't apply to permanents you control. Each legendary creature you control gets +1/+1. Each nontoken creature you control gets +1/+1 for each other creature you control with the same name as that creature.
Complete guide
Mirror Box is a versatile artifact that breaks one of the fundamental laws of Magic: The Gathering—the legend rule. It allows you to duplicate your most powerful unique permanents while simultaneously buffing your board based on shared names and legendary status. This card is a powerhouse for decks focused on clones or decks that want to run multiple copies of legendary creatures.
What Mirror Box Does
Mirror Box provides three distinct benefits. First, it negates the legend rule for you, meaning you can control multiple legendary permanents with the same name without sacrificing any. Second, it gives all your legendary creatures a flat +1/+1 power and toughness boost. Finally, it rewards you for having multiple creatures with the same name; each nontoken creature you control gets +1/+1 for every other creature you control that shares its name.
How it Resolves Step by Step
When Mirror Box enters the battlefield, its static abilities immediately take effect. If you already have two legendary permanents with the same name, they will no longer be subject to the legend rule. As you cast additional creatures, the game checks their names and legendary status constantly. If Mirror Box leaves the battlefield while you control duplicates of a legend, the legend rule applies immediately as a state-based action, forcing you to choose one and put the others into the graveyard.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most important distinction is that the last ability only buffs nontoken creatures. While tokens do not receive the name-based bonus, they still count toward the bonus given to your nontoken creatures. For example, if you have one nontoken creature and two tokens all named the same thing, the nontoken version gets +2/+2. Also, remember that face-down creatures have no name and cannot benefit from or contribute to name-based bonuses.
When to Play It
Play Mirror Box when your strategy involves Clone effects, Mirror Gallery-style shenanigans, or simply playing a high density of legendary creatures. It is particularly effective in Commander or decks that utilize many copies of the same creature to overwhelm the opponent with stats.
Interaction examples
Swiftfoot BootsIf you control a legendary creature equipped with Swiftfoot Boots, Mirror Box ensures you can cast a second copy of that legend to double your board presence. The new copy will not be targetable if you move the Boots to it, and Mirror Box ensures neither copy is sacrificed to the legend rule.
Arcane SignetWhile Mirror Box is on the battlefield, it provides a +1/+1 buff to your Commander. Using the mana from Arcane Signet to cast Mirror Box early allows you to stabilize your board and prepares you to cast multiple copies of your key legendary pieces later in the game.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Mirror Box
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A face-down creature has no name, so it doesn't have the same name as anything else.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Although token creatures won't get a bonus from Mirror Box's last ability, tokens that are copies of nontoken creatures improve the bonus those creatures get.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The “legend rule” is the rule that states that if a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
While the “legend rule” doesn't apply to permanents you control, you can control any number of legendary permanents with the same name and none of them will be put into the graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you control more than one legendary permanent with the same name and the “legend rule” begins applying again (perhaps because Mirror Box leaves the battlefield), you'll immediately have to comply with the rule and put all but one of those permanents into the graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight + Blade of Selves + Mirror Box
- 1Attack with Gisela.
- 2Gisela's myriad ability triggers, creating a copy of itself for each other opponent that is tapped and attacking that opponent.
- 3Each Gisela deals at least forty-eight combat damage to each opponent.
Orvar, the All-Form + Throne of Eldraine + Mirror Box + Mind Games
- 1If able, activate Throne of Eldraine's first ability by tapping it, adding
that can only be spent to cast blue monocolored spells. - 2Cast Mind Games with buyback by paying
, targeting Throne of Eldraine. - 3Orvar's first ability triggers, creating a copy of Throne of Eldraine. Choose "Blue" as its color as it enters the battlefield.
- 4Resolve Mind Games, returning it to your hand.
- 5Repeat.
Orvar, the All-Form + Throne of Eldraine + Mirror Box + Whim of Volrath
- 1If able, activate Throne of Eldraine's first ability by tapping it, adding that can only be spent to cast blue monocolored spells.
- 2Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Throne of Eldraine.
- 3Orvar's first ability triggers, creating a copy of Throne of Eldraine. Choose "Blue" as its color as it enters the battlefield.
- 4Resolve Whim of Volrath, changing nothing and returning it to your hand.
- 5Repeat.
Dragonhawk, Fate's Tempest + Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink + Mirror Box
- 1Activate Orthion's second ability by paying
and tapping it, creating five token copies of Dragonhawk with haste. - 2When the Dragonhawk tokens enter the battlefield, they each trigger.
- 3Resolve the first trigger, exiling a number of cards from the top of your library with the ability to play them until your next end step.
- 4Repeat step 3 for each remaining trigger.
- 5At the beginning of your end step, each Dragonhawk token triggers, dealing 2 damage to each opponent for each card exiled by the Dragonhawk tokens that were not played.
Orvar, the All-Form + Throne of Eldraine + Clockspinning + Mirror Box
- 1If able, activate Throne of Eldraine's first ability by tapping it, adding that can only be spent to cast blue monocolored spells.
- 2Cast Clockspinning with buyback by paying
, targeting Throne of Eldraine. - 3Orvar's first ability triggers, creating a copy of Throne of Eldraine. Choose "Blue" as its color as it enters the battlefield.
- 4Resolve Clockspinning, returning it to your hand.
- 5Repeat.
Frodo, Sauron's Bane + Blade of Selves + Mirror Box
- 1Activate Frodo's first ability by paying
, causing it to become a 2/3 Halfling Scout. - 2Activate Frodo's second ability by paying
, causing it to become a 2/3 Halfling Rogue. - 3Declare Frodo as an attacker.
- 4Frodo's myriad ability triggers, creating a token copy of Frodo attacking each other opponent.
- 5Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each Frodo token.
- 6Deal combat damage using the Frodos.
- 7The Frodos trigger, causing each opponent to lose the game.
Ioreth of the Healing House + Mirror Box + Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore
- 1Activate Glasspool Mimic's second ability by tapping it, untapping Ioreth and another legendary creature you control.
- 2Activate Ioreth's second ability by tapping it, untapping Glasspool Mimic and another legendary creature you control.
- 3Repeat.
Ioreth of the Healing House + Mirror Box + Clone
- 1Activate Clone's second ability by tapping it, untapping Ioreth and another legendary creature you control.
- 2Activate Ioreth's second ability by tapping it, untapping Clone and another legendary creature you control.
- 3Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Mirror Box
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.