The Evolution of Mirror Force

Mirror Force is one of Yu-Gi-Oh's most iconic trap cards and it's received many retrains throughout the last 20 years. Today we're going over the entire history of Mirror Force cards to see how they adapted it over time!
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[@mikawachholz-2249]

Everyone hates the moment, when your oponent activate Mirror Force in 2024 and actually destroy your board.

[@neo84401]

I remember the master saga episode, farfa losing his mind was great.

[@Byrdstar6423-un3me]

That's why you play skill drain

[@BigBuckies]

*laughs in traptrix*

[@mr.e6983]

Real

[@cybzer0560]

On EdoPro, I got destroyed by Quaking Mirror through Transaction Rollback in my opponent's GY. My opponent milled cards earlier and I said "ill just check it when he activates it". Since then, I always check if there's a Transaction Rollback lol.

[@MiyaoMeow588]

Dark Mirror Force is neat because it's a card that feels designed to counter the way people played around OG Mirror Force - switching their monsters to defense position so that some are spared. Dark Mirror Force punishes that If it also negated the initial attack, it might've actually been okay, but it still lets that attack go through which goes against the idea of battle traps to begin with. Plus it does nothing if your opponent only has 1 monster

[@dbt4869]

Even in old Yu-Gi-Oh it was very bad and almost never see play

[@grugthink]

@@dbt4869 I actually got hit by it once. Had four monsters in defense to play around Mirror Force.

[@ashuraahunter]

Dark Mirror Force, chain Book of Eclipse >:)

[@Icyko]

It'll fuck up superheavy samurais though lol

[@grugthink]

@@Icyko Inferno Tempest hits them even harder

[@doctorreed_]

the D in Dzeeff stands for Dougumentary

[@jaredg.sternrogers7681]

Genuinely love the way you say "qliphort". Makes me picture a rather abnormally large red dog.

[@christiancastillo1245]

Haha! I thought I was the only one!

[@thesnesgeek]

I think of Qliphort the big red dog.

[@Estradamente]

I’m sorry fang of WHOM?

[@diahleoygo4586]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@jetsrule07748]

Fang of creatine

[@Dzeeff]

How is it actually pronounced? Haha

[@brooklynjackson1984]

@@Dzeeff Crit-e-us, was how it was pronounced in the show

[@cerberos1]

Fang of criatas

[@dudebladeX]

And of course, when you take all of the different Mirror Forces, they all make one ball of mirrors. Though, it's fun to see that Mirror Force was so impactful that it spawned all of these other variants.

[@wardw3590]

Thank you for bringing this style of content back. You’re offer the best commentary on cards. I hope you can do more of these like you used to do.

[@stonalisa3729]

Duel Logs is solid too

[@justsightseeing1]

I love doug series but i kinda miss his "new card that changes everything" content

[@marroncito]

👍

[@rainbowdragon168]

Well nowadays Mirror Force can easily be negated or destroyed by card effects but sometimes there can be the slightest chance it doesn’t get negated or destroyed by the opponent

[@commentstealer4460]

Even if it doesn't get negated , the opponent will probably activate an effect from the graveyard that will protect his monsters

[@rainbowdragon168]

@@commentstealer4460 True

[@LordKefka]

Labyrinth

[@rainbowdragon168]

@@LordKefka Labyrinths would end up destroying Mirror Force one way or another

[@hessiankyojin]

Dat Critias pronunciation tho

[@diahleoygo4586]

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed.

[@shapular]

Brought to you by Mr. Lamplacian.

[@aaronarceneaux1564]

I like how youtube provides a translation for your comment lol

[@Hurricayne92]

@@aaronarceneaux1564 I actually think that what ever AI they use for that has started seeing colloqial terms as needing translation

[@bowtwins]

it'd be cool to get a "the evolution of trap hole" video

[@DeityofDestiny]

radiant mirror force's greatest accomplishment is it managing to trick me for over 17 years into believing that the original mirror force was banned during its time of release

[@petiteexplication6249]

I feel like the modern trap card to it is imperm their existence alone makes you think way more than normal

[@garfrockbreadtroll]

They gotta do a retrain for mirror force dragon thats actually useable, cause on the playground that card was unstoppable

[@kenpatchiramasama1076]

Playground mirror force Normal trap If attack: win duel

[@clarkside4493]

On Master Duel, I've started toying with a deck using Mirror Force, Manticore of Smashing, and Dark Hole Dragon. I like using Mirror Force Launcher, Snipe Hunter, and Raigeki Break to pitch Manticore of Smashing. It feels really good to Mirror Force your opponent and drop Dark Hole Dragon after that.

[@chuckydee2951]

I'm currently playing mirror force in Lair of Darkness, where I can essentially search out any normal trap using Lilith's effect to show my opponent 3 normal traps and set one random one. It also gives you a reason to use Fang of Critias since you're running Crush Card Virus as well, and the Critias dragons have some pretty good effects

[@arkadarkartist]

An old school Dzeeff video? On the year of our lord 20 24?! NO WAAAAAAAAAAAAY!! MORE!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@LordKefka]

As a Lab player who loves abusing my battle traps like MF, I'll single handedly keep these cards alive if I must.

[@timbitz079]

I’ve missed this type of content! 🔥

[@NidotheKing]

Bless me with your knowledge, Big D.

[@Febivian]

Come on, you can't make a mirror force video without showing how all artworks can be connected

[@robertjuarez2187]

I play traptrix and have played storming mirror force a couple times in a couple of my builds. The backrow protection with arachnocampa really makes it easier to keep traps on the field, and having a bunch of summon reactive traps helps keep combos at bay.

[@BLSoldier00]

I remember losing a duel because of a Radiant Mirror Force. That hurts more than the OG Mirror Force.

[@ytmndman]

Mirror Force Launcher was actually a great 'bait' card in my traditional format stall/burn deck. I almost never used the on-field effect.

[@YuriBo26]

Love the zeef video essays

[@SailorLoonie]

I dont really understand modern Yugioh, but Ive been playing a lot of Worldwide Edition on the GBA lately and Mirror Force is SUPER prevalent in that game loll Cool to know how things moved along!

[@MrSkullMerchant]

Awsome game 👊 i been playing yugioh nightmare troublador on ds

[@blahmaster6k]

@Dzeeff The reason Mirror Force Launcher was never going to be able to work with the newer Mirror Force cards is that all of them are "Mirror Force" cards in the same way that "Frog the Jam" was a "Frog" monster. That is to say, in the OCG none of the other mirror force cards actually have "Mirror Force" in the name and there isn't a "Mirror Force" archetype. The mirror force cards' translated Japanese names are: Holy Barrier - Mirror Force Wicked Barrier - Dark Force Flashing Barrier - Shining Force Divine Wind Barrier - Air Force Karma Flame Barrier - Fire Force Sandstorm Barrier - Dust Force Ripple Barrier - Wave Force. If anything, to catch all of the mirror force variants under one archetype it would have to be "Force" trap cards or "Barrier" trap cards, but there may be many other trap cards that include one of those words that makes it impractical. I wish Mirror Force Launcher could work with the newer ones too, but it is what it is.

[@jackblack3718]

There aren't "that" many barrier cards. It could probably work.

[@TheMapleTurtle]

I try out Drowning Mirror Force in my Melffy/Beast control deck. Because the melffy return to my hand, i do expect to be attacked directly..but it's also off people's radar. The mirrror force cards could see a resurgence under the tenpai meta too

[@itsfort2098]

I'm still getting Drowning Mirror Forced in Duel Links to this day

[@VixYW]

I still use them every now and them, even in Master Duel. Thing is, no one is expecting a battle trap, so more often than not, they don't even bother getting rid of set cards if they can just go for game. They all just assume it's a dead set if they do their combo and you didn't flip it.

[@chavezruben49]

I use Quaking Mirror Force in my Ancient Gear deck along with Magic Cylinder and they have been very helpful to me

[@panterelmateracker2887]

A mirror force that reflected how the opponent got rid of the card would be so cool If the effect doesn't resolve, negate the opponent's board If the card gets destroyed, destroyed the opponent's board If it gets banished, banish the opponent's board If it gets bounced or spun, you can imagine what happens

[@Billy_Wyatt]

The retrains or the so called nee versions of mirror force are actually slower than the original one. In fact, I'd say mirror force sees play in master duel and it's very funny when you see it blowing it up the opponent's field 😂

[@Merilirem]

This is why my chaos decks played mirage dragon and pitch black warwolf.

[@daveinthegrave2703]

I got into competitive yugioh in 2014 and I really like the concept of the Watt Monsters so I would use Quaking when it came out

[@mujigant]

The Fang of Kriatoss is so cool

[@Jacktherippa84]

The edison tryout duels was the last time I put a mirror force into my deck. That shit was at 2, and I couldn't believe it. Only got to resolve it once though... : (

[@N.G.H.]

Drowning Mirrorforce and Quaking Mirrorforce are great in Ghostricks ❤

[@ponkor1]

The very first deck i made was a combination of lair of darkness structures and old random cards from a friend, it was a trap deck with darkest diabolos and all the fang of critias fusions

[@timaeus22222]

The last time I used a mirror force was Drowning Mirror Force in Fortune Ladies in Duel Links in like 2019, because I was on Synchro Barrier to empty my board, but take no damage. Six Samurai were still around so that was bait to resolve Drowning against Shi En.

[@nielsvanbogaert5462]

I think they should print a Fang of "Criatas" now just to mess with you 😂

[@Prismadoll]

smh Doug you forgot Shining Silver Force I can't believe it 😢

[@VooshSpokesman]

Love from a GoldenNovaYugioh and Vaush fan!

[@bluedemontr-whisperofwind-2296]

I hope one day we get more critias fusions, because GOD that card is so cool

[@zero1343]

Ever since the elemental mirror forces became a thing I always thought that an archetype based around mirror force would be cool. Like traptrix with the trap hole cards. You could use the extra deck dragon as a basis too with something like dragon rulers in the main deck, basing each off the different mirror forces.

[@Arkus]

I'm currently trying Blazing Mirror Force in my Red-Eyes burner deck.

[@sineupp]

I play drowning mirror force in a couple of my masterduel decks it's a must-negate that you can set in the battle phase using cards like Trap Tracks or Trap Trick. I usually do that when I have a Witch's Strike set (or in hand + Butler) to punish the negate And my Paleo deck can activate it from GY which is hilarious

[@pickyphysicsstudent201]

I think they could make an Archetypal Mirror Force which can be used from the GY. Kind of like how Volcanic Counter can cause a chilling effect. "If your opponent attacks your Monster, banish this card from you GY; destroy all Monsters your opponent controls."

[@cheryltunt6934]

I still run mirror force dragon in master duel for the lolz. Amount of people who don’t read the card or realize it’s not OPT is hilarious. Had someone get their board wiped, rebuilt it only to proct its effect a second time to get board wiped again.

[@justanotherviewer9643]

As someone who uses Apoqliphort towers(Has immunity) I too like when my opponent doesn’t read and loses to my niche.

[@locodesert2]

Mirror force one of the cards that will never age out.

[@cheryltunt6934]

The OG traps are still so good. Mirror force, Magical cylinder, compulsory evacuation device, always funny when you hit someone with them because they never expect it in modern yugioh

[@IC-23]

​@cheryltunt6934 Hard Disagree all the battle traps suck and you need a really good reason for playing cards like compulse. Labrynth plays compulse as a free way to dodge cards or get rid of a monster and trigger all their effects, Traptrix plays Torriential because all their ED monsters are immune to it etc. You can maybe catch someone out if you had something like Nibiru or Droll so they weren't able to full combo but suddenly they know you're on some garbage and can full combo under your battle traps knowing you weren't threatening with cards like called by/imperm.

[@pickyphysicsstudent201]

Battle Traps won't ever see play again, unless they create tonnes of "training wheel" cards like other bad mechanics such as Gemini Monsters. Either that or allow you to activate them from your side deck at Spell Speed 4 which immediately wins the duel and gives you a foot massage.

[@TheLetterJ0]

Konami: "Okay,, Labrynth, you can have an archetypal battle trap and a monster that can search any battle trap for free." Lab: "Ewww. Why would I want that?"

[@MeanderingSlacker]

The problem is that any trading card format was never built around the internet, and buying singles out right. Like the deck isn't supposed to have 3 copies of 1 secret rare and if it does you traded 2 other secret rares for copies 2 and 3. Then it also wasn't built around knowing all the best decks from online information being so prevalent. Realistically, the power level of the game should sit around a prog series/ limited deck or lower, but that's had to do without pissing everyone off.

[@MrSkullMerchant]

Its funny unleashing a battle trap though went your opponent doesnt see it coming because they assumed no one uses them anymore lol

[@MrCheeze]

"If mirror force destroys the attacking monster, of course the attack doesn't go through." ...and then there's MST.

[@shinxen8181]

0:09 so are we gonna talk about the full royal hand???

[@grugthink]

Jelly Cannon video when?

[@ricarlab.967]

Homing Mirror Force - When an opponents monster declares an attack, negate that attack, then target any number of cards your opponent controls and/or in their hand equal to the number of monsters your opponent controls in face up attack position and destroy the targeted cards.

[@PolishSasquatch]

Back in middle school, I had Dark Mirror Force, but not the original Mirror Force. The best I could do was chain Zero Gravity to my own Dark Mirror Force to switch my opponent's attackers to defense and then banish them. It's an extra step and an extra unsearchable card for the added perk of banishing your opponent's stuff, but it's what I had. That, and Sakuretsu Armor.

[@nickolasberrian9565]

Alright mirror force video done. So is the next one going to be trap hole? There's a lot of retrains of that card would love a video on it

[@bluedemontr-whisperofwind-2296]

You can't really talk about that trap holes without talking about the entire traptrix archetype tho which imo is too much effort

[@nickolasberrian9565]

@bluedemontr-whisperofwind-2296 but that's how popular trap hole was they made a whole archetype being unaffected by it and being able to set them. I think a trap hole video would be awesome honestly. you can't talk about old school yugioh without mentioning trap hole

[@Epsilon514]

RIP to Holy Barrier - Mirror Force that couldn't hold back Obelisk's God Hand Crusher in Battle City

[@tarikkash4282]

Holy Barrier eh? Not so holy now!

[@Epzilon12]

1:40 Wow, this counters Big Benkei really hard for no reason lol

[@preytorthemantis]

The obvious answer to that end question is when preparing a time wizard deck. A lot of the good time wizard formats have mirror force as a relevant card.

[@pedrohdalla]

The amount of games I won by setting a random spell card and bluffing mirror force is beautiful

[@absolutionveil8632]

Mans said Critias like he was saying creatine

[@mateusrp1994]

Kind of sad they can't make Mirror Force an archetype in a straightforward manner because of the way they're named in the OCG, "adjective" Barrier - "element" Force. OG is Holy Barrier - Mirror Force, Quaking is Sandstorm Barrier - Dust Force, and so on. There's no common uninterrupted word string to become the archetype name, you'd have to reference them in awkward and unintuitive manners.

[@mikehawk8984]

I actually run into Storming and Drowning quite a bit on ladder, but the only way that I know that is because I pop them. I play Memento and their field spell gives them an Ancient Gear effect so even if I didn't pop them they'd be totally useless against me 😅

[@esrohm6460]

i think the idea behind dark mirro rforce was that if

[@dankicks]

I’ve always thought Dark Mirror Force should’ve been turn to defence and banish face downs, and then someone got hold of it and said “Well actually 🤓 “

[@Ryoku25]

I still play Storming to this day. No one ever really expects it these days, and it's especially funny when people invest all their resources into 2 or 3 extra deck monsters, only for me to flip Storming.

[@ryanjohnson3392]

Would some version of mirror force that couldn’t be responded to with monster effects, you think it would be any good?

[@timsuu8991]

To this day i still get people to scoop to my traptrix deck when i resolve storming. it's so funny

[@FireSwordOfMagic]

what a nice young man

[@ObeliskTGS]

Iirc Radiant Mirror Force was also printed because for a short period, Mirror Force was forbidden.

[@yuricahere]

a modern mirror force would have to activate from the hand then if it activates on the field, it gets a bonus effect even then it might only see fringe play since most of the time you'd prefer a main phase handtrap instead

[@TheDAKING549]

I know mirror force launcher has it faults, but considering the reset effect is not once per turn and you set the cards at the same time (meaning you are allowed to shuffle the positions of the set cards) it can actually be REALLY annoying to deal with mirror force launcher if you can deal with set traps well but not losing your whole board. Had an issue with this card and trying not to lose half of my board but kept hitting the launcher instead of the mirror force. Had to wait like 2-3 turns to finally hit the mirror force left the launcher on the field to win.

[@MrSkullMerchant]

Mirror force is in every one of my casual decks. Yall always forget the other half of the fanbase who dont do meta

[@drnktxtromeo2416]

I actually was in the middle of making a mirror force deck just to troll a friend. Then I got caught up in stall and made a kuriboh deck

[@MrSkullMerchant]

@@drnktxtromeo2416 awsome 👊

[@Cody_L._Brock]

There’s also the new Dark Magic Mirror Force over in the OCG which can basically counter a mirror force

[@leonheart7]

Personally, we just need a Mirror force that stops cards leaving the field except by battle that turn, Make it useable only if a card that turn has left the field by card effect. Call it Inverted or Dimension Mirror Force. Maybe include the player who activated the trap must attack on next BP or banish all monsters they control facedown. So stall decks cant abuse it.

[@KevinTangYT]

Make next Mirror Force a Counter Trap like Negate Attack that ends the Battle Phase, or unable to be responded to like Super Poly, but also an alternative trigger condition outside Attack declaration and monsters destroyed this way cannot activate their effects until the end of the opponent's next turn. So basically the same consequence as the original before everything floated and had quick effects. I don't think people are wre actually respecting backrow these days as much as they just brute force it through floating effects.

[@THEGRUMPTRUCK]

I pulled off a Dark mirror force against a Superheavy Samurai deck and the guy just scooped, left the table, and automatically forfeited both game 2 and potential 3.

[@calumdowse864]

Anyone else used to think it would be cool to get a card which is all the arts combined into a big sphere? Every time one came out I’d think ah yes, this goes here to fill up the picture.

[@CodestarProductions]

I doubt it would see play so I don't know why they can't give us a D.D. Mirror Force. When you're attacked, banish all attack position monsters your opponent controls

[@Da_Willuminati21]

I think to make mirror force viable today you would have to make it a hand trap like inperm that could only be used during battle if you have no spell or traps in your spell and trap zone and it would shuffle all attack position monsters into the deck or return them to hand

[@benjystrauss2524]

I still use Mirror Force, Launcher, and Storming. Yes, it has a high chance of getting hit, but it has won me some games in Master Duel - and I don't think it's cost me any. (If it got hit, I was probably going to lose regardless). Most people can build a board pretty quick, but it clears out monster effect negates like Apollusa.

[@jetnova16]

Mirror Force proper is a MAJOR STAPLE in everyone of my Decks! Literally no deck I make is complete without a Mirror Force or two. Mirror Force has constantly gotten me out of major jams in Yu-Gi-Oh and in Master Duel as well. Because of Mirror Force I’ve turned major defeats into a win. People that want to say Mirror Force isn’t good or say it’s worth being a staple are actually pretty stupid. I’ve slaughtered many duelists who have said Mirror Force isn’t good and that it shouldn’t be treated as a staple and my victories against them all started via activating Mirror Force and obliterating their monsters at just the right time. Players truly need to learn when to really activate Mirror Force and then they’ll see how it truly is a true staple card for any deck.

[@TheHorrorking]

I use almost all of the mirror forces in my alien deck the only one I don't have at the moment is dark mirror force.

[@zurielbrito4764]

What if there's a mirror force you can activate from the hand as long as you don't control cards. with either destruction effect or shuffle or send all monsters to the graveyard.

[@blackwolfphantom6464]

Drowning mirror force storming mirror force and blazing mirror force are good for tournaments

[@MandalorianRaider]

How about "Rapid Mirror Force: destroy all attack position monsters your opponent controls."

[@Blizz3112]

Mirror Force in Rush format is absolutely good...

[@Zthewise]

I heard the name Mirror Force so many times it stopped feeling real by the end.

[@ThunderDragonRandy]

13:19 I am just now realizing there is a new monster type...

[@TheRedRobin96]

I haven't played Yu-Gi-Oh in a long time but when I did I never played Mirror Force or Magic Cylinder.

[@scottrichardson8367]

Mirror force is still a staple in my deck

[@Justme-rt4gj]

5:25 Well but then the effect become your oponent can't declare an attack or target your monsters with card effects. Seems like a good effect.

[@Ironcorgi2]

You would think drowning mirror force would be more of a meta threat. Since it would prevent graveyard effects

[@breezeistlime96]

I have blazing in my toons deck. A few weeks ago was in ranked I went first and I totally bricked all I had was blazing mirror force. I set it with literally no hope whatsoever. My oppenent opens full combo Kasthira. He did something that made him lose 6000 life points and had his sunrise direct attack me. I activated it and the world just paused 😂😂😂 all his monsters to the grave I took damage than his boared went up in flames.

[@imwhatthekidscallcringy3858]

Still waiting onna new mirror force that faces directly Right to complete the whole mirror force circle

[@Duelerama90]

Are we starting to get a corresponding MF for every type now? All the retrains, except Mirage, were attribute based; Dark, light, wind, fire, earth and water, respectively. Every attribute except divine.

[@kingether4486]

I feel they should give us a divine mirror force that is like Imperm but is Mirror force so having that swiss army utility

[@alex_zetsu]

14:56 And now I bring my rant of good generic link monsters again. At least with Synchros you had to carefully watch your levels and archetypical locked extra deck monsters were not splashable.

[@Ragnarok540]

I have used Drowning Mirror Force in a few gimmick decks in low powered events in MD with great success, but using them in the ladder is pointless, almost every deck is able to deal with battle traps before getting to the battle phase, specially now with S:P in the game.

[@torrentarrow9097]

You forgot the new "Dark Magic Mirror Force" for that new yugi deck

[@Dzeeff]

This is a TCG channel :)