Why is Mirror Image so good?

[Dr. Cliché]

This is a spell that always seems to be marked as one of the absolute best spells of its level for any class that can take it.

However, whilst I've taken it on a lot of casters, I don't think I've used it once.

My issues are:
- It takes an action to cast. So my first round of combat will be used on a defensive spell. Given that I'm usually going to be avoiding combat anyway, it seems that my turn would be better spent casting a more useful buff or debuff.
- It has a very short duration. So unless I know that combat will be starting in the next couple of rounds, I can't really use it in advance either (any delay, dialogue or whatever and it will expire before combat starts).

I know it's not concentration, but given the minuscule duration and the fact that it can stop - at most - 3 attacks, does that really matter?

So, what am I missing? What makes Mirror Image such a great spell? :smallconfused:

[Unoriginal]

What makes you think it's that great a spell when it "can stop - at most - 3 attacks", has Concentration (meaning you can't use another Concentration spell at the same time), and has all those other issues you brought up?

[Millstone85]

What makes you think it's that great a spell when it "can stop - at most - 3 attacks", has Concentration (meaning you can't use another Concentration spell at the same time), and has all those other issues you brought up?He is asking why other people call it a great spell. And he said it is not concentration.

[Emay Ecks]

I think a lot of it depends on the combat encounter. I play a coast druid in a campaign, and while the spell is nice and has seen some use, it's usually not my go to choice for the reasons you've described. However in certain scenarios, it has performed wonders.

When I've used mirror image to great effect:
-The enemy was intelligent and would just leave me alone because they knew I'd probably just absorb the first three hits
-The enemy had one attack per turn that dealt amazingly high amounts of damage, mirror image would take three 25+ damage hits, making it incredibly effective
-I've had a round before I knew combat would start and could get the spell off early

When mirror image is not effective:
-When an enemy primarily uses multi-attack to deliver it's damage
-When the enemy primarily uses spells/aoe and will just ignore the mirror images
-When your AC is so much higher than your illusory duplicates that the attacks they absorbed would have missed anyway (I've stacked AC with a cloak of protection, +2 shield, +1 studded leather, so my AC is around 8 higher than my duplicates)

[Sigreid]

I've been playing since the 70's, favoring wizards, and i don't think I've ever used it.

[Citan]

I think a lot of it depends on the combat encounter. I play a coast druid in a campaign, and while the spell is nice and has seen some use, it's usually not my go to choice for the reasons you've described. However in certain scenarios, it has performed wonders.

When I've used mirror image to great effect:
-The enemy was intelligent and would just leave me alone because they knew I'd probably just absorb the first three hits
-The enemy had one attack per turn that dealt amazingly high amounts of damage, mirror image would take three 25+ damage hits, making it incredibly effective
-I've had a round before I knew combat would start and could get the spell off early

When mirror image is not effective:
-When an enemy primarily uses multi-attack to deliver it's damage
-When the enemy primarily uses spells/aoe and will just ignore the mirror images
-When your AC is so much higher than your illusory duplicates that the attacks they absorbed would have missed anyway (I've stacked AC with a cloak of protection, +2 shield, +1 studded leather, so my AC is around 8 higher than my duplicates)
I think this post sums it up well. ;)

To try and add a bit with a different formulation, Mirror Image is great...
- If you have good to great DEX (because your duplicates have a decent chance of surviving a few hits before disappearing, so it's a long-lasting benefit). Or you have very low AC in the first place.
- And if you can expect the adverse party to act in a way that makes it useful. Or you have a very low HP in the first place.

For example, taking Emay's example of a powerful enemy, Mirror Image proved great because he managed to "keep" the duplicates just for his attacks. If however that enemy had been accompanied by a group of archers, and the enemy had a minimum of smarts, archers would have wasted the duplicates before the big powerful guy attacked. So, you did brush off an amount of damage, but it may not have been worth the use of the slot, because you end avoiding something like ~15 damage when you expected something closer to >30.

For these reasons, Mirror Image is of varying usefulness depending on each player's situation. Its big redeeming point are that it does not depend on casting stat and is non-concentration, making it naturally great for some characters (speaking of you, melee Arcane Tricksters / DEX EK and Bladesinger Wizards) and an always decent option for anyone having many slots to spare (Sorcerer, Wizard mainly, or that Land Druid) since it can be an added defense on top of the usual concentration buffs, or just used to help sustain a big, powerful concentration spell long enough to your taste.
Even on a plain Warlock, who usually has lowish AC but decent DEX, it's a good spell to keep and use until you get better defensive buff (Greater Invisibility, Fear ^^) or better AC (multiclass, feats).

But on a 17+ AC guy with dumped DEX (whether native proficiency, feats or multiclass)? It's usually a big waste of a slot, unless, again, you can manage to activate it (or keep it intact) until that big powerful guy targets you. Which is hard to do unless you have dedicated tool for that (Command, Compelled Duel for example) or a great party assisting you by covering you from ranged attacks/dispatching the small creatures. ;)
In any other case, you certainly had another 2nd level spell that would be more useful, whatever class you are.

Make no mistake though, in all cases, this spell will never save you from being stupid (like rushing into a horde of enemies, or expecting to face-tank a powerful guy just because you have 3 "spare hits"). This is a tool that requires finesse. :)

[SharkForce]

ideally, you shouldn't be getting attacked that frequently in the first place. it's a pretty handy buff that can actually be stacked on other buffs, and if you're not getting hit often, it can keep the few attacks that target you from doing anything.

it isn't something you should always use, and it isn't nearly as good when it's your highest level spell, but at some point level 2 spell slots become a fairly minor resource and let's face it, if you have a choice between improving your chance of concentrating on wall of force (because you're less likely to get hit) or casting a cantrip for 3d10 damage... well, i'm just gonna say it: your damage probably sucks big time anyways. cast the no-concentration defensive buff, protect the important contribution you're making to the fight, and don't focus on trying to catch up to the fighter in DPR.

[Sir cryosin]

When I have used it I have always be doing somethings with my bonus action so it doesn't feel like I was wasting a turn. Also some time you need to stall the enemy.

[90sMusic]

Try to look at it this way...

It takes an action and is a second level spell.

Cure Wounds, which no one disputes the usefulness of, is an action and when cast at 2nd level delivers 2d8+casting modifier in healing, an average of 9 on the roll with anywhere from +3 to +5 depending on level healing.

So that is 12-14 healing with average rolls.

If mirror image stops that much damage or more, it has already given you more value for that action and spell slot than cure wounds.

Now while it is true cure wounds can be used for other useful effects like reviving folks from unconsciousness and can be used out of battle and so on, it's also true that Mirror Image can also stop significantly more damage than cure wounds can restore.

Ancient red dragon bite attack for instance does, on average, more than double that. So if it blocks even ONE of those attacks, it's already given twice the benefit than Cure Wounds would have for the same cost of 1 action and 1 spell slot. If it stops multiple dragon attacks, that value increases dramatically. And by not getting hit by attacks, it also means you don't suffer their secondary effects either which could range anywhere from a grapple to a disease or poison effect or whatever else that particular creature does when it hits something.

It's not always the best spell to use in any situation, but there are ways to get tremendous value out of it to more than justify the cost of using it.

[Dr. Cliché]

Cure Wounds, which no one disputes the usefulness of

Er . . . what?

I thought it was widely-accepted that healing in combat (outside of healing-word to revive a dying character) is a waste of an action?

Hence, I fear I can't accept your premise, let alone the conclusions you draw from this.

[Sir cryosin]

Er . . . what?

I thought it was widely-accepted that healing in combat (outside of healing-word to revive a dying character) is a waste of an action?

Hence, I fear I can't accept your premise, let alone the conclusions you draw from this.

Reviving a Dying character is not a wasted action. A character at 1 hp is as effective as a character with 50 hp. Now healing someone who is not unconscious is a wasted action.

[90sMusic]

Er . . . what?

I thought it was widely-accepted that healing in combat (outside of healing-word to revive a dying character) is a waste of an action?

Hence, I fear I can't accept your premise, let alone the conclusions you draw from this.

If you think blocking potentially a hundred points or more of damage is a waste of an action and a second level spell slot, there is no argument I can imagine that would make you see any sense or reason.

I'd suggest learning to play card games to get a better grasp of how to maximize your action economy and spend finite resources to get more value. It would probably make you a better tactical player in things like D&D for sure when you become used to seeing the intrinsic value of every action and the potential gain from using them vs other actions.

Or even playing brutal campaigns where the DM tells you straight up at the start that you will all die at some point and TPK is likely because this is going to be filled with difficult fights.

Value, Value, Value. That is the key. Get more than you give.

[Dr. Cliché]

Reviving a Dying character is not a wasted action.

Hence why I specifically said that healing word to revive a dying character isn't a wasted action (in fact, it isn't even an Action).


If you think blocking potentially a hundred points or more of damage is a waste of an action and a second level spell slot, there is no argument I can imagine that would make you see any sense or reason.

Yes, because the best way to evaluate any spell is to take the most ludicrous scenario possible and use that as the baseline.

If you can't understand why that's a terrible idea, then there's no argument I can imagine that would make you see any sense or reason.

[Chugger]

It's also an EK, AT, and Sorcadin/gish type spell - probably makes a lot more sense for them to use.

And yeah, they won't need it every fight.

I've mostly had lowish lvl fights so far in 5e, and fights tend to be over really fast. But if you're the tank and you have mirror image, and you've got top initiative and are inclined to be the first player to step towards the badguys - and you can't close to combat (you can get w/in 20' of them and have an action) - and then all four badguys come at you - walking up and MI'ing might have made more sense than walking up and tossing a jav at them.

Or ... with Shield in your hip pocket, would it make more sense to walk up and toss the jav or cast a control spell or damage them? It is a good point that all defensive spells come at the cost of the "most" defensive action possible (arguably), which is causing as much damage as fast as possible (or controlling) and shutting down the enemy by death or control.

[Naanomi]

I find it a good spell to have at the ready but that I rarely use. I don't regret using it this way though

[Lord Vukodlak]

This is a spell that always seems to be marked as one of the absolute best spells of its level for any class that can take it.

However, whilst I've taken it on a lot of casters, I don't think I've used it once.

My issues are:
- It takes an action to cast. So my first round of combat will be used on a defensive spell. Given that I'm usually going to be avoiding combat anyway, it seems that my turn would be better spent casting a more useful buff or debuff.
- It has a very short duration. So unless I know that combat will be starting in the next couple of rounds, I can't really use it in advance either (any delay, dialogue or whatever and it will expire before combat starts).

I know it's not concentration, but given the minuscule duration and the fact that it can stop - at most - 3 attacks, does that really matter?

So, what am I missing? What makes Mirror Image such a great spell? :smallconfused:

The duration is one minute which is ten rounds. If you listen at doors, send your familiar to scout ahead etc etc. You can know combat is going to happen ahead of time. Blur has a duration of only one minute, same goes for blink. For protection from physical attacks the only defense spell with long duration I can think of is mage armor.

My wizard generally doesn't cast mirror image before combat even when I know combat is coming unless I know whats waiting for us. Usually its used when the enemy bypasses the party and gets directly to him. (which is is semi-offten because the enemy isn't stupid, and if the enemy is capable of using weapons at least one will be packing a ranged weapon).
Invisibility will only protect me until I decide to so something offensive. And aside from nasty big hitters
You do have creatures that just do non-damaging nasty things when they hit like a Shadow.

[EvilAnagram]

The duration is one minute which is ten rounds. If you listen at doors, send your familiar to scout ahead etc etc. You can know combat is going to happen ahead of time. Blur has a duration of only one minute, same goes for blink. For protection from physical attacks the only defense spell with long duration I can think of is mage armor.

My wizard generally doesn't cast mirror image before combat even when I know combat is coming unless I know whats waiting for us. Usually its used when the enemy bypasses the party and gets directly to him. (which is is semi-offten because the enemy isn't stupid, and if the enemy is capable of using weapons at least one will be packing a ranged weapon).
Invisibility will only protect me until I decide to so something offensive. And aside from nasty big hitters
You do have creatures that just do non-damaging nasty things when they hit like a Shadow.
These are pretty solid, but I would add that it's very useful when a sorcerer gets swarmed because he can reliably cast it and quicken a cantrip to stay on his feet when he gets swarmed.

[Blas_de_Lezo]

Because Blink is better

[FreddyNoNose]

This is a spell that always seems to be marked as one of the absolute best spells of its level for any class that can take it.

However, whilst I've taken it on a lot of casters, I don't think I've used it once.

My issues are:
- It takes an action to cast. So my first round of combat will be used on a defensive spell. Given that I'm usually going to be avoiding combat anyway, it seems that my turn would be better spent casting a more useful buff or debuff.
- It has a very short duration. So unless I know that combat will be starting in the next couple of rounds, I can't really use it in advance either (any delay, dialogue or whatever and it will expire before combat starts).

I know it's not concentration, but given the minuscule duration and the fact that it can stop - at most - 3 attacks, does that really matter?

So, what am I missing? What makes Mirror Image such a great spell? :smallconfused:

There is the "good dms don't kill characters" sentiment. In a game like that, MI is not useful as you got the DM saving already which is much more powerful than MI. In a game where you can die in those encounters and doesn't have the "good dms don't kill characters" sentiment, MI can be a life saver.

Why it is powerful is essentially damage avoidance.

[sithlordnergal]

As stated before, Mirror Image really is dependent on the situation. Going against a wizard who can cast Fireball? Or are you a Paladin/Sorcerer that dumped Dex? Then Mirror Image is probably not for you. But, if you have a high dex character, like a Rogue, then it can be a life saver. So, let's look at your arguments:




- It takes an action to cast. So my first round of combat will be used on a defensive spell. Given that I'm usually going to be avoiding combat anyway, it seems that my turn would be better spent casting a more useful buff or debuff.


Pretty much all spells take an action to cast. Yes, you are going to try to avoid combat...our wizard tried to avoid combat too. She was eaten by an Ooze and no-one could save her in time. And our second Wizard, a.k.a. me, died to a Giant critting on a ranged boulder attack. 8d10+6, and the DM rolled nearly max damage for a grand total of 84 from a single crit...against a wizard with a max of 44hp and a current hp of 40. I died instantly. You're going to be in combat sometimes, either due the enemy getting behind your front line or a ranged attacker deciding they want to kill off the pesky spell caster. This spell helps you survive just a bit longer when those times occur. And since it isn't concentration, it stacks with spells like Blink and Blur. Or you can cast it and cast your debuff/buff without worrying about losing concentration on either.



- It has a very short duration. So unless I know that combat will be starting in the next couple of rounds, I can't really use it in advance either (any delay, dialogue or whatever and it will expire before combat starts).


It has a standard 10 round duration. Hold Monster, Bane, and Tasha's Hideous Laughter all have the same duration, yet they're generally seen as good spells too. Again, Mirror Image isn't concentration, so you can have it and have another concentration. It's there to help keep you alive.

Let me ask you this, do you consider Shield to be a good spell? Shield is a reaction that buffs your AC by 5 if you get hit. Mirror Image is essentially doing the same thing as a Shield Spell. Only instead of having to constantly use spell slots and reactions, you cast Mirror Image once and you're safe for 3 attacks. Yes, there is a chance that the attack will get through the Mirror Image and hit you, but there's also a chance the enemy will roll above your AC even with the +5.

[imanidiot]

I used it on my wild magic sorcerer. WM surges work better if you play as a squishy, front line character and keep away from your allies. But, you absolutely must have something up your sleeve for defense. Tides of Chaos on your initiative and run into a group of enemies and cast MI to trigger a surge.

It bears repeating that you should only ever play a WMS if your DM has agreed to force WM rolls on every spell and to always use Tides of Chaos when available. If not, don't play one.

Edit: Imean every applicable spell, no reason to tell me that cantrips don't trigger surges. I know.

[lperkins2]

There's a bit of a design issue with 5e with the concentration mechanic and buff spells. If the caster drops a buff on an ally, who is already doing cool things, the ally can do cool things better. If he drops the buff on himself, even if it is a powerful defensive buff, he'll lose it within a round or so of engaging in close combat. For game balance, it's perfectly reasonable, and I wouldn't propose changing it, but it is why crowd control and direct damage spells tend to win out over healing and buffs. Nobody likes being relegated to the role of healbot.

Mirror Image is notable simple because it is a self-targeting non-concentration buff. This automatically makes it one of the more notable/better buff spells, especially ones on the arcane caster list.

Note that this doesn't make it *good*. Buff spells in 5e are kinda lackluster in general, outside of specific combos, so being one of the best level 2 buffs isn't all that impressive. If it scaled with spell slot (more images or higher AC), it would be amazing, instead of just beating out Blur if you have low AC (Blur is better if your AC is more than a point or so above the AC of your images). Unfortunately, it also doesn't stack with Darkness, since the images are ignore by creatures which cannot see you.

So the question is, how important is it that the spell is non concentration? For one thing, it can stack with other spells (including Blur). This can significantly improve the odds of not losing your concentration. It isn't about the fact that it prevents a bit of damage, so much as that it soaks the attack (and any riders from the attack), including the need to make concentration checks. Even if the illusions don't stop the first attack, there isn't a chance that the spell will fail, thereby wasting the remaining illusions. It also means that, if you are going to intentionally be going into front-line combat, it will be on your short list.

How well it works out in play will depend on a bunch of things, including party composition, the DM, and the nature of the monsters you're fighting. If it is possible to demoralize and break the enemy, stacking all the non concentration buffs on a sorlock with booming blade can be rather devastating.

[rbstr]

Mirror Image is a situational spell and probably not the best go-to defensive. But in situations it works well it doesn't need to scale itself, it scales with the enemy's power.

The place where it's best is against stuff that is highly likely to hit you: Your big bads with +12 to hit attack rolls that will take a chunk out of you every time. It can reduce a ton of damage/bad stuff that way. It's not very good against lower to-hit enemies. In particular when there are a lot of attacks coming your way and with low-dex yet decent AC characters. (High dex characters might find it decent in more situations).

One thing is excels at is if you want to simply be as sure as possible that you don't get hit: The first attack after your cast is a 25% chance or less. Hardly anything else can do that.

[UrielAwakened]

If my players never healed in combat or used defensive spells they'd be so screwed.

[Strangways]

Mirror Image deserves its reputation as one of the best defensive spells in the game. As a wizard or sorcerer you have a relatively low AC and a mere d6 for hit points. That makes you a very fragile target. If your party's opponent is content to hammer away at your plate-armored fighter, you'll never need mirror image. But what if your opponent is smart and targets you instead of the fighter? What if your opponent is an archer 200' away? What if there are multiple opponents? What happens when that big, bad, evil fighter steps up to you and takes the first of his three swings at you? What if it's a monk who's about to make you make 4 CON saves in a row to avoid being stunned? At that point it's too late to cast Mirror Image and you're at serious risk of going down just from the attacks in that fighter or monk's turn. In any combat in which you're at risk of being in melee range of multi-attacking opponents, Mirror Image will save your life, repeatedly.

[Mitth'raw'nuruo]

There is the "good dms don't kill characters" sentiment. In a game like that, MI is not useful as you got the DM saving already which is much more powerful than MI. In a game where you can die in those encounters and doesn't have the "good dms don't kill characters" sentiment, MI can be a life saver.

Why it is powerful is essentially damage avoidance.

That is a bad DM, because the adventure is in the danger. Sometimes people do stupid things. Sometimes bad things happen when you do the right stuff.

My fav PC last campaign died because the party expected to be ambushed going into a large open room with a vampire. The ceiling was dark. There was a set of stairs down to a lower area. Being a monk, with slow fall & good speed, as well as other good options of escape I stayed back to overwatch the party.

I got nailed. Failed my saves. Got drained. Died.

IRL I new a kid that got turned into pink mist. IED in a trash pile in a market place. Wasn't met for him, wasn't even intended per se for a soldier. Could have been Iraqi army, a local cop, a random lady shopping or a kid. Rolled bad on the random encounter that day and failed the perception check. :roy:

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Note that this doesn't make it *good*. Buff spells in 5e are kinda lackluster in general, outside of specific combos, so being one of the best level 2 buffs isn't all that impressive. If it scaled with spell slot (more images or higher AC), it would be amazing, instead of just beating out Blur if you have low AC (Blur is better if your AC is more than a point or so above the AC of your images). .

Not necessarily. It doesn't matter if your AC is several points above that of your images if you are fighting a monster that can easily hit your AC with the majority of its attacks.

Mirror Image works on a flat percentage no matter how good your enemy's to hit or damage is, which makes it useful at higher levels without upcasting (if situationally, since some foes will have multiple lighter attacks or area of effect powers) in a way that flat AC or hit point boosts aren't.