By Twinblaze

There have been a lot of discussions about whether “Action” should be New Phyrexia or Mirrodin Pure.  Many of these have centered around love or hate towards the infect mechanic.  Today. I'm going to look at things from a different angle.  What would happen in the story if Phyrexia wins?  What if Mirrodin does?  What would each outcome mean for future sets?

I aim to find out.

Phyrexia.  This horde of bio-mechanical monstrosities has plagued Magic from nearly the beginning.  While the rest of the multiverse thought them destroyed, Phyrexia took hold deep inside the core of Mirrodin.  There they slowly built up an army.  A force so large and so deadly that Mirrodin could not hope to prevail against them.  The invasion has commenced, and many of the denizens of Mirrodin have already been converted to the Great Work.  Those who remain will join Phyrexia eventually.  They have no choice.  The war is raging on the surface, but there is only one possible outcome:  All will be one.

The major upside to a Phyrexian victory is that Magic has its big baddies back, and they're stronger than ever.  A lot of veteran players remember the days of Urza and the Weatherlight saga, and would be very happy to have the old villains back again.  Even many newer players who haven't seen Phyrexia before would love an opportunity to experience one of Magic's greatest villains.  And of course, some people just want to see the bad guys win.

[caption id="attachment_13452" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Karn's heart glows with Charlie Sheen Tigerblood"][/caption]

If the Phyrexians succeed in taking over Mirrodin, it may be because Karn has been fully converted and has embraced his role as the new Father of Machines.  No longer plagued with fits of incoherence caused by a torn and broken mind, Karn would be a force to be reckoned with in Phyrexia's invasion of the multiverse.  Many players would love to see the silver golem whole again, even as the twisted lord of Phyrexia.

On the other hand, a Phyrexian victory would mean the destruction of Mirrodin, one of Magic's most unique and iconic planes.  This shining world of metal, Karn's “perfect” plane, would be lost forever.  Along with the plane itself, we would lose all the unique beings of Mirrodin.  The various races that inhabit the plane have been changed by this world, becoming almost entirely different from the members of their race on other planes.  All of that culture and history would be lost.

Mirrodin.  A plane of metal that plays home to creatures and races from across the mutiverse.  Mirrodin has had a dramatic effect on its inhabitants, infusing metal into their skin and courage into their hearts.  Mirrodin is filled with powerful warriors, and they will need every last one of them to defeat Phyrexia.  The Phyrexians are soulless machines, with no will of their own.  That is why they will lose.  The Mirrans fight for survival, for their very right to exist, and they fight with all their heart in defense of their loved ones and their home.  Even when things look grim, and the entire weight of Phyrexia seems intent on crushing them out of existence, the Mirrans will fight on.  They must fight on.  They charge through the armies of Phyrexia, leaving the abominations slain and broken in their wake, shouting their battle cry: We will endure!

One of the greatest advantages to a Mirran victory is that Mirrodin will stick around, and could be revisited again in another few years.  As one of the most creative planes in Magic, Mirrodin would be a great option for the setting of future blocks.  Many players have fond memories of the original Mirrodin block, and would hate to see the plane destroyed forever.

[caption id="attachment_13453" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Billy thinks he could exterminate Phyrexia"][/caption]

Although Phyrexia would be destroyed on Mirrodin, it could still come back somewhere else.  There's a good chance that the Phyrexian oil was transported to other planes besides Mirrodin, and they might already be staging a takeover there.  Although another block with such a similar story to this one seems somewhat bland, perhaps we would discover that an unknown plane has already been taken over, and New Phyrexia was born through the death of a plane we have no history with.  Many fantasy stories show the heroes triumphant, only to discover that the evil they thought had been destroyed is much greater they could ever have imagined.  It's a tried and true technique, and it can make for some very exciting stories.

The destruction of the Phyrexians could come about through the purification of Karn.  Many veteran players would love seeing Karn restored to his former glory, and his return to sanity could enable him to become a recurring character in future storylines.  Another character we might see again is Koth.  Once the Phyrexians have been eliminated, he would no longer be bound to his home, and would be free to roam the multiverse, possibly showing up in a new form during some future block.

Unfortunately, a Mirran victory could also have some unpleasant consequences.  The Mirrans may be forced to kill Karn, as the new Father of Machines, to throw the Phyrexians into chaos long enough to defeat them.  It's also possible that Mirrodin could never truly return to its purified state, and would remain a wasteland, scarred by the ravages of war and nearly devoid of life.

Whichever side emerges victorious, some players will be happy, and some will not be.  In the end, all we can do is have faith that Wizards has plotted out a magnificent ending to this epic story, and enjoy the benefits of their hard work.