The Lorwyn Eclipsed debut stream is finally here, and with it, we’ve learned a lot more about the upcoming set. There are tons of new designs and throwbacks to old multi-format staples, giving the set quite a nostalgic feel.
Beyond the cards in the main set, Lorwyn Eclipsed Special Guests also feature some potent reprints. This time around, there are 20 Special Guests for players to collect, giving us double the excitement. Many of these cards hold hefty price tags, making them prime candidates for reprints.
Heavy Hitters
Of all the Special Guest reprints this time around, Painter’s Servant is undoubtedly the chase mythic players will be on the lookout for. Outside of its appearance as a Judge Promo and an ultra-rare Kaladesh Invention, this card hasn’t seen a meaningful reprint since its debut in Shadowmoor. This has helped it maintain high value, as it currently sits at $64 in its cheapest form according to TCGplayer. Painter’s Servant has quite a unique effect on the game, and thanks to its combo with Grindstone, has been a Legacy staple for many years. With Painter’s Servant coming to MTG Arena, this combo will now be legal in Historic, barring a ban.
While Painter’s Servant has the highest price tag of the bunch, it’s far from the only valuable reprint you can open. Both Dolmen Gate and Goblin Sharpshooter, for example, are unique Commander options that exceed the $26 mark. Dolmen Gate excels in aggressive decks, especially those whose Commander relies on attacking unscathed to generate value. Meanwhile, Goblin Sharpshooter is an incredible tool versus token decks. Otherwise, any effect that grants Sharpshooter Deathtouch makes it trivial to mow down opposing boards in one go.
Keeping the trend of thematic EDH reprints going, it should come as no shock that Bitterblossom appeared in Lorwyn Eclipsed in some capacity. The $23 iconic Kindred enchantment may not have stood the test of time in more powerful environments, but any Faerie EDH shell can make great use of Bitterblossom.
The last two Special Guests that are worth over $10 are a bit situational, but can still be important inclusions in Commander. If you’re building around a legend with a potent activated ability, such as Krenko, Mob Boss, Thousand-Year Elixir is well worth the $13 price tag. Digging deeper, for Merfolk enthusiasts who want to go the combo route, Wanderwine Prophets is capable of netting you infinite turns in conjunction with Deeproot Pilgrimage. Notably, is the first time Wanderwine Prophets will be receiving a reprint. It being in a highly restrictive place like Special Guests is ironic, but it should still help bolster the card’s supply.
Intermediate Group
After that, a bunch of other cards fall in the $7-$10 range, all of which have at least some unique EDH potential. Of the group, Idyllic Tutor has the broadest uses, so long as you have some decent enchantments to search up. If you’re feeling up to the challenge, you could even go ahead and search up another Special Guest in Helix Pinnacle, which serves as a fun one-card win condition. You do need to invest a lot of mana, but there are a number of infinite mana combos that can get you to 100 tower counters in no time.
Speaking of combo kills, Heat Shimmer maintains a $10 price tag in large part because of how easy it is to pull off a win in conjunction with Dualcaster Mage. With any other creature in play under your control to start the chain, you can then use Dualcaster Mage to copy Heat Shimmer and proceed to generate infinite token copies of Dualcaster Mage.
The final three cards that reach the $7 mark all fit nicely into typal decks, which is a major focus in the Lorwyn world. No matter what typal archetype you choose to play, if you’re planning on going wide, there’s a good chance Door of Destinies will make the cut. This artifact should be a big boost to typal Brawl decks moving forward, too.
Faerie enjoyers should welcome the arrival of Mistbind Clique, which can provide a brutal tempo swing, especially in a one-versus-one environment. This card pairs particularly well with Bitterblossom, since you can either remove a token via Mistbind Clique’s Champion ability or get rid of Bitterblossom itself if you’re running low on life.
If you’re a bigger fan of attacking for tons of damage on the ground, Kinsbaile Cavalier delivers on that front quite well. Aryel, Knight of Windgrace Brawl decks will be happy to incorporate this new-to-Arena support element.
Notable Commons and Uncommons
Unsurprisingly, even though more than half of the Special Guests are premium rares and mythics, there are a handful of choices that don’t hold much in the way of reprint value. Fortunately, the remaining eight options all see play in Constructed or EDH.
Of these eight cards, four fall under the category of common or uncommon Constructed staples that are making their way to Arena for the first time. In the pack, Devoted Druid stands out given its combo history. Assuming Devoted Druid doesn’t earn a preban, it wouldn’t be shocking if Devoted Druid+Vizier of Remedies shells start popping up in Historic.
Similarly, Slippery Bogle could help give a Hexproof-style Auras deck in Historic the boost it needs to compete. In this sense, even though these cards are worth only $0.50 and $1, respectively, their receiving reprints could still have a big impact.
Despite being originally printed at common, Manamorphose and Faerie Macabre are actually worth a surprising amount, coming in just under $4 each. Faerie Macabre continues to appear in Legacy sideboards as anti-Reanimator tech, while Manamorphose is a Storm staple in Modern. Both cards could perform similar roles in Historic, Brawl, or even Timeless.
Remaining Commander-Focused Reprints
The final four cards, while also $4 or less and already on MTG Arena, at least show up in plenty of EDH decklists. We’ve already showcased some Faerie and Merfolk reprints, so it’s only fair that Elves, Goblins, and Elementals also get some gorgeous alternate art “upgrades.” Risen Reef and Leaf-Crowned Visionary are especially powerful, since they singlehandedly provide a huge flow of card advantage for their on-theme typal decks. Finally, while less typal focused, Regal Force is an Elemental that offers similar upside for creature decks. Options for card draw in mono-green in EDH isn’t plentiful, and Regal Force delivers.
All in all, these 20 choices seem strong for the most part from an overall reprint value perspective and a playability standpoint. You can find non-foil Special Guests in play boosters and traditional foils in collector boosters, so keep an eye out for them when you start cracking your sealed product.
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