Card Review: Mirror Force

Oh boy! It's another STAPLE....CARD! This card's like a legend. I mean, seriously. I don't even feel the need to sing it's praises but whatever. It's got a defensive effect, a destructive effect, and it's on the Limited List; before Late 2010, upon the release of Structure Deck: Marik, this card was so powerful and so scarce in quantity that only few people had it. Nonetheless, it was always an awesome card. Sure it may not be as powerful or even as versatile as it is in the anime (it is OP, overpowered, in the anime. Not to mention, exploited like a Deus Ex Machina.) but this card is also a grand staple. It is forceful. It is famous. It is Mirror Force.

So let's examine this seemingly omnipotent trap card. Mirror force is a Normal Trap card... Very Simple. All it really boils down it is just when to use it. First line of text just informs you when you must use it. (When your opponent declares an attack.) The second sentence informs you, and your opponent, on what it does. It destroys all Attack Position Monsters that your opponent controls. So imagine this scenario. You are completely defenseless and your opponent has 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons in Face-up Attack Position and 1 other monster in Defense Position. One dragon launches an attack; you activate this card. It doesn't matter which Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacked, all three of them would be destroyed. (This is one of those cards that can kill them, I mean, "destroy" them.) But what about that Defense Position monster? Well, since that Monster is NOT in Attack Position it is unaffected by this cards effect. Even despite this minor setback, this card is incredibly powerful and can be a real game changer. (Besides, the next card you drew is your Monster Reborn, so have fun with a revived Reshiram.) Now that I have pointed out the card's only minor set back, besides being vulnerable to cards like Dust Tornado, which destroy Spell and Trap cards on the field, your opponent still has the option of teasing with you and switching a monster they would like to keep safe from Mirror Force into Defense Position, if they manage to correctly guess that your suspicious Face-down card happens to be Mirror Force. Besides, in most cases, this card will probably save your Life Points and/or your Monsters from getting beat down by a larger, scarier army.

Previously I mentioned Structure Deck: Marik. Ever since that deck came around the supply of Mirror Force Cards have risen over the past year. This is because, Structure Deck: Marik re-introduced Mirror Force to many duelists as a common card. Originally, Mirror Force was once an Ultra Rare Card, but now it is easier to obtain one because of Structure Deck: Marik and Starter Deck 2011: Dawn of the Xyz.