Limited Guide to Lorwyn: Eclipsed

Lorwyn was the Magic set that made me fall in love with Limited. The strong typal themes made it easy to put a draft deck together, and once the cards were in place I started discovering intricate synergies and wondrous combos. Now we’re returning to Lorwyn - and Shadowmoor! - with Lorwyn Eclipsed (ECL), and Limited design has only gotten better in the (nearly) two decades since we’ve pranced with kithkin and elementals while dodging the dirty tricks of the goblins and fairies. Let’s see what’s in store!

Mechanics and Themes

Typal

The original Lorwyn set is well-known for its strong typal themes, so it should come as no surprise that those typal themes have returned in ECL. Cards like Thoughtweft Imbuer care about how many creatures of a given type you control; others like Boldwyr Aggressor simply buff all creatures of a specific type. 

But wait! There are additional mechanics that tie into the typal theme:

Changeling

A card with the Changeling is every creature type. That means Omni-Changeling fits into both Merfolk and Elemental decks, while Chomping Changeling slots in nicely into both Kithkin and Elf decks. It’s a very simple mechanic that’s key to enabling ECL’s typal themes; expect to have a bunch in your decks.

Kindred

There are also a few non-creature spells with the Kindred type. These spells will also specify a creature type; that means Kindle the Inner Flame is an Elemental spell, and Clachan Festival is a Kithkin spell. This means an effect that allows you to search for an Elemental can find Kindle the Inner Flame; an effect that cares when you cast a Kithkin will trigger when you cast Clachan Festival. Just make sure that these effects specify a creature type, and not a creature of a creature type.

Behold

Behold is an added or alternate cost stapled onto certain spells. Both Mudbottom Cursetosser and Kinsbaile Aspirant can be played for the very appealing cost of one mana - as long as you Behold the right creature type in your hand or on your side of the battlefield. Don’t forget that both Changelings and Kindred spells can be used to pay a Behold cost!

-1/-1 Counters

It’s been a while, but -1/-1 counters make their triumphant return in ECL. Some -1/-1 counters are used offensively - as with Bile-Vial Boggart’s death trigger - but the vast majority are placed on your own creatures. These creatures often use them as a resource (as we’ll see below) or can remove them through some sort of challenge (as with Encumbered Reejery). And then there’s an entire mechanic based around placing fresh -1/-1 counters on your own creatures…

Blight

Blight X is a cost you can pay by placing X -1/-1 counters on one of your creatures (and note that it’s fine if X is greater than your poor creature’s toughness). Sometimes this cost might be part of an activated ability (as with Sting-Slinger); sometimes it might be an additional or alternate cost of a spell (as with Bogslither’s Embrace). And although placing -1/-1 counters on your creatures might seem like an unfortunate outcome, we’ll see that there are times when it’s actually beneficial.

Convoke

Convoke is back, and it’s back because it’s a fun mechanic. Spells with Convoke allow you to pay some or all of the cost by tapping creatures instead of lands. As a result Convoke spells tend to be a little over-costed for their effect - Lofty Dreams would be highly mediocre if you always had to pay five mana - but the benefit of being able to help pay with creatures cannot be overstated, especially if your deck makes a lot of token creatures.

Note that Convoke spells that can be cast on your opponent’s turn are especially good, since your creatures can be used to both block and for Convoke; sketch out the situation and you’ll see that Appeal to Eirdu is easier to cast on defense (with untapped blockers) than on offense (with tapped attackers).

Vivid

Some Magic players like to taste the rainbow, and Vivid is a nice reward for playing an excessive number of colors in your deck. Luminollusk is maybe not great if you have two colors in play - but it’s pretty okay if you’re gaining four or five life.

There are two key points to remember about Vivid. The first - and this is a point that I’ll reiterate again and again - is that some Vivid cards are good even at a low Vivid count. Rime Chill is perfectly respectable if you have two colors in play, and I would not feel bad counting it as a five mana instant that occasionally costs a little less. The second point deserves a subsection to itself:

Hybrid Mana

Hybrid mana is a cost that can be paid by either of the two specified colors. That means Gangly Stompling can be cast with one generic mana and one of either Red or Green mana, and Voracious Tome-Skimmer can be cast with any combination of three Blue and/or Black mana. Note that these spells are considered to be multi-colored; that means I can play Gangly Stompling in a strict Blue/Green deck and incidentally “splash” Red for purposes of Vivid. That same Blue/Green deck would be less likely to Voracious Tome-Skimmer, as the triple hybrid mana cost makes it far more difficult to cast.

Archetypes

Okay, this is a little weird. ECL has ten two-color archetypes - except they’re not all created equal. There are five primary two-color typal archetypes - Merfolk, Elementals, Goblins, Elves, and Kithkin - each with a dual-color signpost uncommon, and a hybrid color “Eclipsed” uncommon that helps find a related land or creature. There are also five secondary two-color archetypes; these only offer a single hybrid uncommon.

This difference means the primary typal archetypes will be easier to draft. However, expert drafters may find powerful incentives to dive into a secondary archetype. Let’s start with the typal archetypes!

White/Blue: Merfolk (Self-Tap)

Tapping your own creatures is a natural part of the game, since most creatures need to do so in order to attack. In ECL, the Merfolk give you additional incentives to tap your creatures - such as Tributary Vaulter’s buff effect - as well as additional ways to tap them down - such as the Convoke mechanic present on cards like Wanderwine Farewell. Deepchannel Duelist buffs all your Merfolk while also giving you the chance to tap a lucky Merfolk twice. Play the fish correctly, and you’ll find a complex chain of interlocking effects that turn minor gains into big victories.

Blue/Red: Elemental (Triggered Abilities)

Twinflame Travelers makes it easy to define this archetype as “Elemental Triggered Abilties”, but what we’re really talking about here is simple value. Make two treasures instead of one with Flamekin Gildweaver; grow Kulrath Mystic from a 4/4 into a 6/4 (and note that this archetype also has a minor “CMC 4 or greater” theme). Naturally you won’t always have Twinflame Travelers on the board. But even if you don’t, a careful player can wield the minor value provided by the Elementals and turn all that into a big advantage.

Black/Red: Goblin (Aggro)

One fact remains true across all times and across all planes: Goblins have no sense of self-preservation. Boggart Cursecrafter takes advantage of this truth by pinging the opponent every time one of your Goblins dies. This strategy only works if you have a lot of Goblins, which makes Elder Auntie great in this archetype. Boggart Mischief is even better: it’ll kill one of your own Goblins while creating two more while also draining your opponent when your Goblins inevitably bite the dust. Remember: it’s okay if your creatures die as long as they take your opponent with them.

Black/Green: Elf (Self-Mill)

As I’ve often said, self-mill strategies require both enablers and payoffs. In ECL you’ll often find both in a single card. Dawnhand Eulogist is a nicely aggressive body on top of some self-mill and a potential drain effect; Morcant’s Eyes… well, with some reasonable play that card will simply win you the game. Add in Morcant’s Loyalist buff ability and value, and what you have is an archetype with a frightfully ponderous inevitability.

Green/White: Kithkin (Creatures Enter the Battlefield)

Thoughtweft Lieutenant ensures that your creatures are always just a little above rate. Use that creature or Crossroads Watcher, and your opponent will collapse beneath the pressure of trample and power buffs - as long as you continually throw a stream of rabid creatures onto the battlefield. That’s what makes Goldmeadow Nomad so good in this archetype: it’s a one mana creature that is somehow actually two one mana creatures. There’s nothing all that complicated about Kithkin; just don’t confuse simplicity with an inability to win.

Now, let’s take a peek at the five secondary archetypes. Again, these only feature a single hybrid uncommon. Many of them also have key cards that share a creature type; however these typal themes are far less supported than those above. As a result, I’d expect decks for these archetypes to include many and varied creature types.

White/Black: -1/-1 Counter Value

-1/-1 counters can be a blessing in disguise. Both Moonlit Lamenter and Reaping Willow enter with -1/-1 counters; both have abilities that remove them in return for some nice value. The unique (and fun) part of this archetype comes from finding ways to re-add -1/-1 counters to those creatures so you can take advantage of their abilities again and again and again and again. The answer, of course, is Blight - and remember that most Blight effects come with additional value (such as the card draw on Blighted Blackthorn). It’ll take some time to get the value train rolling, but once it does it’ll be hard for your opponent to keep up.

Blue/Black: Cast on Opponent’s Turn

Voradious Tome-Skimmer is practically the platonic ideal of a Blue/Black creature, combining evasion, card advantage, and an incentive to cast spells on your opponent’s turn. Unwelcome Sprite and Nightmare Sower provide additional incentives; just fill your deck with instants and Flash permanents to confuse and annoy your opponent before pecking them to death in the air. It’s not a new strategy, but the classics are classics for a reason.

Red/White: -1/-1 Counter Aggro

What’s the difference between -1/-1 counter aggro and -1/-1 counter value? The first is that the abilities on the creatures are more aggressive: Hovel Hurler, Brambleback Brute, and Burdened Stoneback all give you an easier avenue to attack. The second is that once you remove their -1/-1 counters, you’re less likely to want to put them back on and more likely to simply want to bash your opponent in the face. Just remember that removing -1/-1 counters does have a cost; you’ll have less mana to stick additional attackers onto the board. Make your decisions wisely!

Red/Green: Mid-Range Aggro

Red/Green is the least defined archetype in ECL. Noggle Robber is a creature reasonably costed body that makes a Treasure as it comes in (and as it goes out); that temporary mana is great for playing creatures that come in just a little bit above the curve. You’ll want to maintain pressure on your opponent through constant attacks - and combat tricks (with upside) such as Reckless Ransacking (and its extra Treasure) or Gilt-Leaf’s Embrace (and its temporary trample and indestructibility) are a great way to preserve your board while whittling down your opponent’s.

Green/Blue: Vivid

The color pair of slow ramp finally gets a payoff for wildly splashing all the colors - and ironically, you don’t actually have to splash. Thanks to hybrid mana, you can draw five cards off of Shinestriker or get the full +5/+5 buff with Glister Bairn while only producing two (or one!) colors of mana. You can also use Shimmerwilds Growth to increase your Vivid count (while also ramping and enabling a splash). Grab off-color bombs and Vivid payoffs that other two color decks pass along, and you’ll have a great path towards winning the game.

Key Commons and Uncommons

ECL has a ton of creatures that are great in the right typal deck, and… not so great in the wrong one. This list emphasizes creatures that are strong in any deck.

White

Creatures

Flock Impostor: Three mana for a 2/2 is not good, but Flash, Flying, Changeling, and the opportunity to bounce another creature - well, those are all good things.

Sun-Dappled Celebrant: It’s not unreasonable to cast this on turn 4, and good luck to your opponent if you do.

Wanderbrine Trapper: Long-time Magic players may shake their heads, but this is the cheapest tapper we’ve seen in Limited in a while.

Non-Creatures

Evershrike’s Gift: This is a game winner, and Blight 2 may even be an upside in the right deck.

Personify: Think of this as a protection spell that also re-triggers “enters the battlefield” effects while also throwing an extra 1/1 Changeling onto the field.

Spiral into Solitude: Pacifism-plus is a good card.

Blue

Creatures

Glamer Gifter: Flash means that this creature is effectively a combat trick that includes a 1/2 evasive creature.

Glamermite: This creature will spoil a lot of your opponent’s plans.

Rimekin Recluse: So will this one.

Non-Creatures

Blossombind: This isn’t just a cheaper Claustrophobia; it also specifies that the targeted creature can’t become untapped.

Noggle the Mind: Use it during combat as a (probable) removal spell, or outside of combat to effectively neuter a creature’s usefulness.

Swat Away: I’d consider this a two mana “removal” spell against an opponent’s attacking creature that also has some additional optional utility.

Black

Creatures

Graveshifter: 2-for-1s are great.

Gutsplitter Gang: There are downsides to this four mana 6/6; I’m sure you’ll be able to pick the best one for you.

Shimmercreep: This isn’t the first time I’ll say this: you don’t need a high color count to make a Vivid spell good. 

Non-Creatures

Blight Rot: There are a few creatures you won’t want to stick -1/-1 counters on. Just don’t cast this spell on them.

Nameless Inversion: You can remove an opponent’s creature, you can buff your own, and Kindred Shapeshifter gives this spell additional fun utility.

Unbury: Creatures have a lot of utility in this set, and this will almost always get back two of them.

Red

Creatures

Explosive Prodigy: I thiiiiink you’ll usually be able to snipe a small creature (or finish one off post combat). And if your Vivid count grows, well…

Sizzling Changeling: This effect is usually okay; stapling it to a Changeling and a 3/2 body makes it far better.

Warren Torchmaster: You’re gonna get a lot of haste out of this.

Non-Creatures

Burning Curiosity: Just pay the Blight 1.

Cinder Strike: You won’t always want to pay the Blight cost, but you know you’ll be happy to pay it if you have to.

Sear: Oh my god that poor tree.

Green

Creatures

Prismabasher: I’d play this in Limited even if I was mono-Green.

Safewright Cavalry: This seems like pure hell to block.

Wildvine Pummeler: Realistically speaking, this will usually be a 6/5 with trample and reach for the sweet price of five mana (and the benefits only go up from there).

Non-Creatures

Assert Perfection: This is actually far from the best Green removal spell, but it’s the best one in the set.

Blossoming Defense: Keeping one mana up is a small price to pay for this effect.

Thoughtweft Charge: Cast a creature spell pre-combat, and you have a nice combat trick that replaces itself.

Other Cards to Know

Mana Fixing

ECL does not have the common dual lands that are a staple of many recent Limited sets. There are four colorless mana fixers:

Weirdly, Blue and Red - and only Blue and Red - have common creatures with basic landcycling. Note that you can find any basic land with these cards!

And of course, Green has a few additional options:

Creatures with Reach

Summation

So what should you keep in mind when playing Lorwyn Eclipsed?

• ECL is a heavily creature-dependent set. Every mechanic - even Vivid - relies on having creatures in play; many of them also look at a specific creature type.

• As a result, you’ll often want to snipe an otherwise-unassuming creature with a removal spell simply to deny your opponent something like an extra color for Vivid. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to do this proactively against decks that rely on Blight or Convoke.

• The set’s unbalanced archetypes present an interesting challenge to drafters. Realistically speaking, I expect most of the non-typal decks to be 3+ colors - Mardu counter control, Temur Vivid, or UBx control. 

Good luck!