If you thought the artwork for Darksteel Angel from the new MTG Reality Fracture Commander deck seemed eerily familiar, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on why, you’re not alone. Darksteel Angel’s art actually comes from a year 15 year old advert for an MTG set that was marketed but then deliberately never saw the light of day: Mirrodin Pure.
Let’s jump back in time 15 years to 2011. In those days, every MTG set was released as part of a block, a series of three interconnected expansions occurring on the same plane, bound together by an overarching storyline. Scars of Mirrodin was the latest block, with a storyline about an ongoing war between the Mirrans and the invasive forces of Phyrexia.
The first two sets in Scars of Mirrodin block, Scars of Mirrodin and Mirrodin Besieged told the story of this war. The third set would reveal its winner and show a world forever changed by the outcome of the conflict. We all know now, looking back, that the Phyrexians cleaned house. Scars of Mirrodin block concluded with the release of the set ‘New Phyrexia’, depicting the five Phyrexian Praetors reigning supreme over a subjugated Mirrodin. But prior to the release of New Phyrexia, players weren’t sure which side would emerge triumphant.
Not wishing to spoil the outcome of their big war storyline, Wizards of the Coast made a unique marketing decision when promoting the set. They advertised two parallel expansions: New Phyrexia and Mirrodin Pure. While they never had any intention of releasing Mirrodin Pure, they still made art assets for it, showing off a world where the Mirrans won. If you take a look at this promotional material, you’ll see Darksteel Angel right there, 15 years prior to its actual release.
Reality Fracture is about the planeswalker Jace rewriting history to suit his desires. Since he was traumatized by his fight against the Phyrexians, he altered the timeline, allowing Mirrodin to triumph over their attackers in-universe and allowing Darksteel Angel to finally release in real life.
Do you think the Phyrexians are ever coming back, or are they gone for good? Let us know your views on MTG’s lore in the Wargamer Discord server.
Source: Wargamer
