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Weatherlight

Mirage
Mirage symbol
Released October 1996
5 December 2005 (MTGO)
Size 350 cards (110 commons, 110 uncommons, 110 rares, 20 basic lands)
Keywords Flanking, phasing
Mechanics Poison, Nightstalkers, Insta-Enchantments
Designers Bill Rose (lead), Joel Mick, Charlie Catino, Don Felice, Howard Kahlenberg, Elliot Segal
Development code Sosumi/Menagerie
Expansion code MIR
First set in the Mirage block
Mirage Visions Weatherlight
Alliances Visions
Ice Age Block Rath Block
Visions
Visions symbol
Zhalfirin Triangle of War or stylized letter "V"
Released February 1997
10 April 2006 (MTGO)
Size 167 cards (62 commons, 55 uncommons, 50 rares)
Keywords Flanking, Phasing, cumulative upkeep
Mechanics Come into play abilities, poison, insta-enchantments
Designers Bill Rose (lead), Joel Mick, Charlie Catino, Don Felice, Howard Kahlenberg, Elliot Segal
Development code Mirage, Jr.
Expansion code VIS
Second set in the Mirage block
Mirage Visions Weatherlight
Mirage 5th Edition
Ice Age Block Rath Block
Weatherlight
Weatherlight icon
Thran Tome
Released June 1997
12 December 2007 (MTGO)
Size 167 cards (62 commons, 55 uncommons, 50 rares)
Keywords Flanking, Phasing, Cumulative Upkeep
Mechanics Graveyard matters
Development code Mochalatte
Expansion code WTH
Third set in the Mirage block
Mirage Visions Weatherlight
Portal Tempest
Ice Age Block Rath Block

Mirage was the first official block structure in Magic: The Gathering. This new block structure consisted of three expansion sets and would continue for nearly two decades, finally ending with Khans of Tarkir in 2014. The new block structure also set up the precedent that the first set in the block also became the name for the entire block. Mirage block consisted of three sets: Mirage, Visions and Weatherlight.

The story concerns three of the most powerful nations of Jamuraa (a tropical continent modeled after Africa) — the militaristic kingdom of the Zhalfirins, the religious state of Femeref, and the trading province of the Suq'Ata empire. Zhalfir was the warrior nation, based mainly on red. Femeref was mainly white, and featured clerics and healers, while the seafaring traders of Suq'Ata were mostly blue. Mirage concerned these three nations and their struggle against the evil wizard Kaervek. Kaervek has imprisoned the powerful wizard and diplomat Mangara in an amber prison and the bulk of the story details the Jamuraans attempting to free Mangara. In addition to these events the planeswalker Teferi has caused his island to disappear from existence for almost 200 years. It is the phasing of the entire island that led Kaervek and Mangara to Jamuraa in the first place.

By the time of Visions, Femeref has been destroyed and Suq'Ata and Zhalfir begin to have internal problems as well. There is hope, however, when Kaervek's ally Jolrael betrays him at the urging of the planeswalker Teferi. Jamuraa's leaders, led by Jolrael's visions, free Mangara from the amber prison and begin to fight against Kaervek.

The storyline of Weatherlight is closely tied to the Weatherlight Saga. The story introduces the Weatherlight and her crew, who travel the planes of the multiverse in search of ancient artifacts known collectively as the Legacy. The captain of the ship, Sisay, is abducted to the shadowy world of Rath. Her old friend and crewmate, a former soldier named Gerrard, is pressed into taking command of the ship to rescue her. The story is continued in Magic's Tempest set.

The Weatherlight set was accompanied by a series of fictional works collectively known as the Weatherlight Saga. The saga was intended to be a "hero's journey"-style story, in which the characters were classic archetypes. Each was also assigned to represent a color in Magic's color wheel, so that the narrative and mechanical elements of the project would be more closely joined.


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