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Pre-release events for this next Magic: The Gathering set, Lorwyn Eclipsed, are set to commence on Jan. 16. Although the complete spoiler period is scheduled to start on January 5, head creator Maro Rosewater has once again released a long rundown of gameplay hints ahead of schedule.

A Deep Look into the Significant Reveals

Among the numerous teasers, a few are particularly notable. Lorwyn Eclipsed will include a "card that tutors each round." This effect probably refers to a creature that enables a you to look through their deck every upkeep for a certain card, potentially under certain restrictions.

This might be something as modest as searching for a land card each round, or something more powerful like a tutor that scales based on a creature's power.

Rosewater also mentioned a new piece that copies abilities that trigger. This card could be linked to a revealed character, a planeswalker that, for the cost of two untapped creatures, can copy a triggered ability once each round.

Another notable reveal concerns an ability that will "counter every spells your opponents have on the stack." While the wording is somewhat ambiguous, it suggests an incredibly potent effect capable of addressing numerous spells simultaneously.

Mechanics Centered Around Stats

This expansion will further include cards that utilize "the gap in its power and toughness." With creatures having power/toughness splits like 1/3 or 3/1, this mechanic could become very meaningful.

• Additionally, a creature is set to come into the battlefield with six -1/-1 counters on it, signaling a return of this hallmark debuff mechanic from the first Lorwyn era.
• One more teaser mentions the phrase "if this is the third time this ability has triggered this turn," suggesting a card that tracks repeated triggers.

Creature Type Focus and Lore Hints

An intriguing story teaser is a creature with the creature types: "Legendary Creature – Elf Faerie Noble." Considering the established conflict between the Elf race and the Faerie race on this world, this combined identity suggests a major narrative development.

The lead designer also stated the core 8 tribes featured in the set: Elemental, Elf, Faerie, Giant, Goblin, Kithkin, Merfolk, and Treefolk. This confirms a strong tribal focus for the set.

Late in the rundown, Rosewater names "Bark of Doran," likely a nod to Doran, the Siege Tower, suggesting a renewed focus on the relationship between attack and defense.

Additional Interesting Details

In addition to these headline mechanics, the set will include:

1. A number of returning "kindred" spells that support particular tribes.
2. A wide variety of counters, such as charge, dream, flying, first strike, indestructible, and lifelink.
3. The reappearance of a keyword first debuted in 2025.
4. Multiple creature token producers, including 1/1 Faerie tokens to a 3/4 Treefolk token.

Card Name Title Hints and Conclusion

Lastly, Rosewater teased several titles, including Mirrorform, Moonshadow, Gilt-Leaf’s Embrace, and Chaos Spewer. These offer early clues into the set's narrative themes and are references to familiar elements from the world's past.

All told, Lorwyn Eclipsed is not only a return to a beloved plane but also a challenge to determine whether modern Magic: The Gathering is able to embrace the distinctive weirdness that defined the first Lorwyn sets so memorable.