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Exploiting Repeated Triggers: Mimeofacture and Board Control
Blue in MTG has always thrived on tempo, manipulation, and the art of bending a game state to your will. Mimeofacture, a rare from Guildpact printed in 2006, leans into that chaotic, inventive spirit with a single, explosive idea: duplicate the spell for every time you paid its replicate cost, then steal a line of play from under an opponent’s nose. It’s the kind of card that makes you grin and mutter, “Wait, what just happened?” 🧙♂️🔥 This is the flavor of Izzet mind-magicians getting paid in both control and cackling mischief—perfect for players who love the art of repeated triggers and the sweet sound of a plan coming together on a crowded board. 💎⚔️
What Mimeofacture does on the table
Mana cost and color set the stage for a blue spell with a twist. Mimeofacture costs {3}{U}, and it features the keyword Replicate. Replicate allows you to pay the replicate cost each time you cast the spell to copy it that many times. When you cast Mimeofacture, you create copies of the spell for every time you paid its replicate cost, and you may choose new targets for those copies. That alone is a procedural playground: more copies mean more opportunities to complicate the board in your favor. 🧙♂️
- Choose a target: For each copy, you choose a target permanent an opponent controls. This is where the control aspect sneaks in. You’re aiming at the very things that threaten your plan—threats, engines, or key permanents that would otherwise keep you from winning.
- Search and steal: For each copy, you search that opponent’s library for a card with the same name as the chosen permanent and put it onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles.
- Board impact: The stolen cards come into play under your control, not your opponent’s, creating an immediate swing in board presence and potential tempo. The more copies you create, the more targets you can snatch from your rival’s deck—think of it as a strategic version of tag-team hijinks with a splash of library rummaging. 🎲
- Tempo and risk: Each resolve of the copies is a potential board swing, but remember that you’re pulling cards from someone else’s library and giving them back to shuffle—that shuffle is a built-in disruption for the owner and a respite for you as the game continues.
Strategic applications: when Mimeofacture shines 🧙♂️🔥
Mimeofacture excels in decks built around clever planning and contingency plays. Here are some practical angles to explore on the table:
- Kinetic control with a twist: Use Mimeofacture to grab a glimmering threat from an opponent’s deck and plant it in your own battlefield. If that threat is a finisher or a problematic engine, you’ve not only removed a danger but gained a payoff—often a stronger position than you started with. The replication ensures you get multiple steals, multiplying your board authority as the copies resolve. ⚔️
- Target selection matters: Since you can target any permanent an opponent controls for each copy, you can pivot to the most threatening permanent or to multiple smaller threats that accumulate value when captured. Smart targeting compounds your advantage, and you can tailor your approach to the matchup and table dynamics. 🎯
- Interaction and timing: Mimeofacture asks you to balance spell economy and timing. Casting it during a simpler board state might result in a handful of stolen cards, while a chaotic scene with mass removal could wipe away your gains. The thrill is to leverage the number of copies you create—each additional copy is a new opportunity to apply pressure or to disrupt a looming victory condition. 🧙♂️🔥
- Commander-friendly potential: In multiplayer formats, Mimeofacture can become a centerpiece for a blue control shell that loves to tilt the balance through repeated triggers. Its legality in Commander adds a tactical flavor for games with more players, where the probability of hitting a powerful play increases as the table grows. The replicate engine can turn a single spell into a cascade of decisions that keep everyone guessing. 💎
Deck-building considerations
Mimeofacture sits comfortably in true-blue councils of control and tempo, especially in decks that can leverage mana efficiently and weather counterspells. It’s a Guildpact-era gem—blue through-and-through, with an Izzet-style proclivity for experiment and risk. The card’s rarity is rare, and while modern price bars aren’t towering, it’s an evocative splash for collectors who relish the nostalgia of 2006’s angular borders and bold illustrations by Dan Murayama Scott. The card’s oracle text emphasizes the replicated copies and the library-steal mechanic, which remains a striking reminder of how Blue can win by turning a rival’s tools against them. In terms of formats, it’s legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, and several other formats, offering flexible collision points with various strategies. Price-wise, it’s accessible for budget blue decks, and foil versions add a touch of shine that looks great in a glass case or a casual display. 💎🎨
“Sometimes the best disruption is a mirror shiny enough to reflect your own plan back at you—and then a few more copies.”
Beyond raw power, Mimeofacture invites you to think about how we value information and risk in a game that often feels like a high-stakes puzzle. The Replicate mechanic makes each cast a potential mini-game, a test of whether you’re willing to invest the mana to temp-control the flow of the table. The payoff is not just the stolen cards but the demonstration of mastery over timing, target selection, and the unpredictable nature of library luck. 🧙♂️⚡
Price of play and quirks of the multiverse
In manners of collector culture, Mimeofacture is a reminder that some of the most memorable cards aren’t the most expensive but the most intriguing. This Guildpact staple holds a modest price profile depending on condition and foil status, offering a budget-friendly entry point into replicating strategy and board-control play. For players who love the idea of turning the tides with a single spell and a cascade of copies, Mimeofacture is a compact fantasy of control and cunning—a spell that invites you to improvise while planning ahead, one replicate at a time. 🧙♂️🎲
As you build around it, consider other blue staples that reward careful play: counterspells, bounce, and permission to keep the board alive while you twist the outcome with each resolve. Mimeofacture thrives where the table’s attention is scattered, and your plan to turn their own threats against them becomes a chorus that grows louder with every copied cast.
Curious to see Mimeofacture in action or snag it for your next Commander night? The broader MTG community often praises the card’s ingenuity, and you’ll find a lively slice of the format’s history in these pages—plus a few modern twists that keep the blue flame burning. If you’re browsing for a neat cross-promotion, this is the moment to explore the product below while you consider where Mimeofacture fits in your next brew. 🧙♂️💎