Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Mirror Mockery: Rarity, Print Runs, and Set Presence
Blue has always loved a clever trick, but Mirror Mockery takes that cunning to a miniature theater—one where the stage is a single, shimmering combat step 🧙♂️. Released as part of Dragons of Tarkir in 2015, this rare enchantment—a humble {1}{U} aura—invites you to twist the attacking moment into something that looks suspiciously like mirror magic. The art, the flavor text, and the rhythm of the card all glow with a blue-flavored swagger: a creature enchanted, its attacker becomes a temporary double, and the echo of who you are becomes louder for a moment before the token vanishes into the ether 💎⚔️. It’s a clever snapshot of what blue can do when it leans into tempo without losing control of the battlefield.
What the card actually does on the battlefield
Mirror Mockery is an enchant creature card with a clean, but deceptively sharp, line of play: Enchant creature. Whenever the enchanted creature attacks, you may create a token that’s a copy of that creature, then exile that token at the end of combat. In practical terms, you’re paying 2 mana to briefly reproduce your attacker—an effect that can stretch your presence in combat a touch longer, add a layer of inevitability, or simply force your opponent to re-evaluate how they block. The token copy isn’t a long-term menace; it’s a fleeting echo, but that echo can tilt decisions in your favor if you time it just right 🧩🎲.
Because the token is a copy of the enchanted creature, it inherits the same power and toughness, and it can carry along any static or triggered text that would be active while it exists. If the original creature has a strong attack or a potent ability, you’re effectively duplicating that on the attack trigger—albeit for a single turn. The exile at end of combat keeps the effect from spiraling into a perpetual clone board, which is exactly the kind of elegant restraint blue often leans on to maintain balance while delivering a surprising punch 💥.
Rarity, print distribution, and Dragon-streak presence
As a rare in Dragons of Tarkir, Mirror Mockery sits in that sweet spot where a few copies of the card in a set can become recognizable but not ubiquitous. DTK itself was a set built around clans and color dynamics, weaving a Tarkir that rewarded multi-color and tempo-oriented strategies. Mirror Mockery’s rarity is complemented by its print realities: it was released as a regular foil and nonfoil card, with a collector-friendly presence in both foil and non-foil slots. The data shows that the card’s foil price hovers higher than its nonfoil counterpart (roughly a dollar difference in typical market snapshots), which reflects the broader demand for shiny, niche blue effects in Commander and high-skill tempo builds 🧙♂️🔥💎.
62 in the DTK set, signaling an early-mid set placement that often correlates with a decent draft presence across boosters. Both finishes exist; foil versions tend to command higher secondary-market prices due to scarcity and the desire for bling in Commander games. Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, and various other formats where blue control and tempo shine—even in casual settings. Its design supports decks that want a cheap aura to anchor tempo while threatening to clone a critical attacker for a temporary edge ⚔️. As a Dragons of Tarkir card, Mirror Mockery benefits from the set’s overall print runs and booster dynamics, not being a reprint, which keeps its presence tied to DTK’s lifecycle rather than a later reintroduction into new print runs.
From a market perspective, the card’s numbers on Scryfall show modest but meaningful liquidity: a non-foil around the low dollar range and foil nudging higher, with EDH/Commander circles often driving steady demand due to the flexible, flashy tempo plays it enables. Its EDHREC rank sits in a respectable niche—not a household staple, but a known quantity for players who love clever combat tricks and the meta-game of “what is this clone copy really doing for me?” 🧙♂️🎨.
Set presence, narrative, and the art of collectibility
Dragon accents are alive in Mirror Mockery’s flavor text—“Who you are constantly runs toward who you will be.” It’s a perfect blue sentiment, turning a moment of aggression into a reflective choice: do you press with the copy and risk a fragile tempo, or do you hold back and let the deck do the heavy lifting? The art by Ryan Alexander Lee captures the moment of reflection and quick alteration—the kind of piece that rewards revisiting with a fresh cup of nostalgia on each re-read ✨🎨.
In terms of collector value and long-term appeal, Mirror Mockery benefits from being a single-print DTK rare with a distinctive effect. Not every set features an aura that creates a copy of the attacker mid-commitment, and the mechanic remains a talking point for blue-centered lists across eras. The card’s ability to generate a “phantom version” of your own threat during combat is a signature of blue’s clever, tempo-forward strategy—one that invites players to weave protection, counterplay, and creative combat math into a single, elegant line of play 💎⚡.
Practical deckbuilding notes and playstyle tips
For players drafting or building casual/commander lists, here are a few practical takeaways to make Mirror Mockery sing:
- Target resilient and high-value attackers. Copying a legendary or a powerful attacker can create a temporary double threat that propaganda-style-pressure pushes through blockers in a tight game.
- Pair with cheap aura enablers or “ENCHANT creature” flickers that can maximize tempo; while the token exits at end of combat, the aura ensures you’re always reading the board with options in hand 🧭.
- Use on-demand protection or counterplay to protect the enchanted creature during combat. If you can keep the aura attached long enough to threaten a tricky mid-combat play, you’ll complicate your opponent’s decisions without overcommitting resources.
- In Commander, Mirror Mockery shines in tempo-heavy blue or Grixis-styled shells that want ephemeral answers to multi-creature boards. The token’s temporary nature encourages a cyclical approach—pressure, copy, exile, repeat—while you refill with your library and plan the next attack wave 💫.
For fans who enjoy mixing nostalgia with modern deck design, Mirror Mockery remains a delightful pick. It’s a reminder that a small, well-timed spell can complicate the map of a single combat and leave your opponent guessing what you’ll do next turn. The card’s presence in DTK, its rarity class, and its top-tier art all blend into a compact, cherry-picked memory of blue’s trickster spirit 🎲🧙♂️.