Turn to Slag

Turn to Slag was released in 2010 as part of the Scars of Mirrodin expansion, a set that revisited the plane of Mirrodin as it was being corrupted by the metallic contagion known as the Phyrexians. Within the game's lore, the card represents the destructive influence of this infection, which slowly transforms living tissue and steel into raw, molten waste. The set was designed to emphasize artifact interactions and the theme of inevitable decay, serving as a pivotal narrative chapter in the long-running storyline of the Magic: The Gathering multiverse.

The artwork was executed by the collaborative duo Zoltan Boros and Gabor Szikszai, who were prolific contributors to the game during this era. Their design focused on high-contrast, visceral imagery meant to convey the heat and transformation process of the Phyrexians’ influence. The card functions as a sorcery that deals damage to a creature based on its artifacts, reflecting the set’s mechanical preoccupation with metal and providing players with a common-rarity tool for board control.