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Pre-release tournaments for the next Magic: The Gathering expansion, Lorwyn Eclipsed, are set to start on Jan. 16. Although the complete spoiler season is scheduled to start on Jan. 5, head creator Maro Rosewater has again released a comprehensive rundown of mechanical details ahead of time.

A In-depth Dive into the Significant Teasers

Among the many teasers, several are particularly notable. The set will include a "permanent that tutors every round." This effect probably indicates a creature that allows a player to look through their library each upkeep for a certain type, possibly under specific restrictions.

This might be something as modest as finding a land card every turn, or a more dynamic like a tutor that scales based on a board state.

Rosewater also teased a new card that duplicates triggered abilities. This is possibly linked to Kirol, Attentive First-Year, a creature that, for the cost of a pair of ready creatures, can replicate a triggered ability once each round.

Another notable teaser concerns an ability that will "counter every instants and sorceries your opponents control." While the wording is slightly ambiguous, it implies an extremely powerful effect capable of handling multiple castings simultaneously.

Mechanics Centered Around Power and Toughness

The set will further feature effects that utilize "the gap between its power and toughness." For creatures having power/toughness splits like 1/3 or 3/1, this mechanic could become highly relevant.

• Furthermore, a creature will come into the battlefield with six -1/-1 counters on it, signaling a comeback of this signature counter mechanic from the original Lorwyn era.
• Another teaser mentions the phrase "if this is the third time this effect has triggered this turn," pointing to a card that rewards multiple activations.

Tribal Emphasis and Story Hints

A significant lore reveal is a legendary card with the type line: "Legendary Creature – Elf Faerie Noble." Given the historic conflict among the Elf race and the Faerie race on this plane, this hybrid type hints at a major narrative event.

Rosewater also confirmed the primary 8 tribes returning in the set: Elemental, Elf, Faerie, Giant, Goblin, Kithkin, Merfolk, and Treefolk. This reiterates a strong creature-type focus for the set.

Toward the end in the rundown, he names "Bark of Doran," probably a nod to the famous Treefolk, hinting at a continued emphasis on the relationship of power and toughness.

Other Interesting Details

Beyond these major mechanics, the expansion will include:

1. A number of returning "kindred" spells that interact with particular creature types.
2. A broad array of keyword counters, such as charge, dream, flying, first strike, indestructible, and lifelink.
3. The reappearance of a ability first introduced in 2025.
4. Various token producers, ranging from 1/1 Faerie tokens to a 3/4 green Treefolk.

Card Name Title Teasers and Final Thoughts

Finally, Rosewater teased a few titles, including Mirrorform, Moonshadow, Gilt-Leaf’s Embrace, and Chaos Spewer. These provide preliminary glimpses into the set's narrative directions and serve as references to established concepts from the world's history.

In summary, Lorwyn Eclipsed is not only a return to a fan-favorite plane but also a challenge to see if modern Magic: The Gathering can handle the distinctive complexities that defined the original Lorwyn sets so special.