As if last week’s unexpected quartet of Lorwyn Eclipsed spoilers wasn’t enough, it seems Wizards is keen to keep the hype train rolling deeper into December. As has become a bit of an MTG tradition at this point, Mark Rosewater just published a Blogatog post featuring some teasers for Lorwyn Eclipsed. While many of these hint at things most would expect from a return to the plane, there are some fun surprises in there, too. In particular, fans of Planeswalkers and typal strategies should make sure they’re seated for this one.
A New Tutor Engine?
Perhaps the most exciting of Rosewater’s MTG Lorwyn Eclipsed teasers came in the “things you can expect” section. Here, the Head Designer noted that we’d be seeing “a card that tutors every turn.” Even if you’re a relatively new player, that should be enough to get some alarm bells going.
That said, past precedent suggests it may not be as worrisome as it sounds. During our last visit to Lorwyn, we saw Maralen of the Mornsong, a legend that offers the ability to, you guessed it, tutor every turn. This was a symmetrical effect back then, so it ended up being pretty unplayable as a result. It’s great in Commander now, with cards like Opposition Agent, but hardly oppressive.
Given how prominent Maralen is in the story for Lorwyn Eclipsed so far, it seems likely that the card Rosewater refers to here is a new take on her character. How powerful this new take will be remains to be seen, but hopefully it’ll retain the original’s playfulness. Pushed tutor effects are one thing modern Magic really doesn’t need.
Potential Planeswalkers
Another interesting element of today’s teasers was the mention of a new Planeswalker. According to Rosewater, the set contains “a Planeswalker that makes Kithkin creature tokens.” This is interesting right out of the gate, since Magic hasn’t had a Kithkin Planeswalker before.
What Rosewater is hinting at here, then, could be a newly-sparked version of a Legendary Kithkin from our previous visit to Lorwyn. Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaille and Gaddock Teeg are both valid options here, though Brigid would probably make more sense as a token-producing ‘walker.
Alternatively, this function could be part of a new Oko Planeswalker instead. A leaked keyring hinted at his presence in Lorwyn Eclipsed back in November, after all. On top of that, Rosewater’s teaser article also mentions a 3/3 Elk token, which is Oko’s signature creation. With Planeswalkers largely being one-per-set these days, an Oko that produces both kinds of tokens is probably the best bet at the moment.
Interestingly, this could also confirm early theories that Oko would get a double-sided card in Lorwyn Eclipsed. If Oko had two sides, one representing his Lorwyn self and one his classic Eldraine self, the former could make Kithkin and the latter Elk. That would make total sense, as well as offer a welcome new spin on a notorious Planeswalker.
Quenching A Thirst
One of the more direct Lorwyn Eclipsed teasers we got today was the mention of a new entry in a long-running MTG cycle. Rosewater noted that we’ll be getting “another card in the Thirst for ___ series.” This refers to the trio of Thirst for Knowledge, Thirst for Meaning, and Thirst for Discovery.
All three of these are three-mana blue instants that draw three cards, then make you discard two unless you discard a card of a specific type. We can assume, then, that the new Lorwyn Eclipsed entry will follow the same formula. While creature being the specific type here would make sense for Lorwyn, that seems unlikely due to Winternight Stories already being in Standard. Instead, instant and sorcery seem like the two prime candidates.
In any case, the addition of a card like this to Standard is well worth noting. Both Izzet Looting and Izzet Lessons are prominent decks in the format right now. Both would appreciate an effect like this very much, too. Factor in Unexpected Assistance from last week’s early spoilers, and both decks are eating very well indeed. On top of that, a new Thirst card could even see some use in surprise Standard contender Sultai Reanimator, to boot.
Top-Tier Typal Times
Finally, while it isn’t hugely surprising, Rosewater’s teasers also confirmed that MTG typal cards will play a big role in Lorwyn Eclipsed. This came across in a number of ways, the most interesting of which was his reveal that we’ll be seeing “Kindred reprints” in the set.
A lot of past Kindred cards are Eldrazi-related, and therefore unlikely to appear in Lorwyn. That said, there’s still a solid pool for Wizards to pull from here. Bitterblossom is obviously the biggest hitter, though with Bitterbloom Bearer already confirmed, that seems like a long shot. Other possible value reprints here include Merrow Commerce and Thornbite Staff, at $16 and $14, respectively. There are also plenty of solid lower-value Kindred pieces, too, like Aquitect’s Will and Tarfire.
On top of the Kindred reprints, Rosewater also notes that we’ll be getting an artifact that lets you choose between “Elemental, Elf, Faerie, Giant, Goblin, Kithkin, Merfolk, or Treefolk,” as well as “another card that makes something a Coward.” These teasers represent increased typal support, as well as a way to combat typal strategies. The latter is also great news for all the Gornog, the Red Reaper players out there.
While those are our highlights, there’s plenty more to explore in Rosewater’s teaser article. A new creature with a multi-colored Gaea’s Cradle, effect, for instance, and a Counterspell that hits everything on the stack has also been teased. Make sure to check it all out, and join us in our impatient wait for January 5th to arrive.
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