Lorwyn has always been a plane where legends truly feel magical and in a game named Magic: The Gathering that makes all the difference for old heads like me. Part of the allure that drew me into Lorwyn Eclipsed was that I was a huge fan of 2007's Lorwyn. Immediately, I gravitated toward elves and faeries... and maybe that's why my list for this article is like this? I kid.

Lorwyn Eclipsed continues the tradition with commanders that open new color combinations, push underexplored mechanics, and reframe familiar typal strategies in ways that feel fresh.

All that said, here's the cream of the crop: the cards that are amazing to helm your 99.

Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight

Eirdu gives creature-heavy decks a massive boost by turning bodies into mana through convoke. You develop faster, wider, and with less reliance on traditional ramp. That alone would be enough to justify building around it.

Then you flip it.

Isilu's persist clause rewires how your deck functions. Board wipes stop being setbacks and I'm sure you can think of ways to combo with the persist it grants all your creatures. This elemental being in Orzhov colors makes it a strong option for aristocrat builds.

Key cards that pair well:

• Mikaeus, the Unhallowed - a notorious combo piece as it gives your non-Human creatures undying which cancels out the persist Isilu grants for infinite sacrifice fodder.
• Umbral Collar Zealot - a stellar uncommon from Edge of Eternities which is arguably better than Viscera Seer even if it costs 1 mana more.
• Rhys, the Evermore - flashes in to protect a creature or can even remove -1/-1 counters so that a creature can persist yet again.

Maralen, Fae Ascendant

Sultai Faeries is a genuinely new space, and Maralen, Fae Ascendant makes it all the sweeter by adding Elves into the mix.

Exiling cards off the top of libraries pressures opponents while giving you more options. The cost reduction clause based on the number of elves or faeries you have does great in encouraging you to commit to your kindred plan instead of holding back.

Theft has never looked so dang good in Sultai.

Key cards that pair well:

• Bitterblossom - The original Faerie engine. It fuels Maralen's triggers every turn without asking for further investment.
• Springleaf Parade - An enchantment that scales up your ETB triggers and even grants your other creatures the ability to tap for mana.
• Dream Harvest - Exile synergy at its peak. Maralen makes it easier to capitalize on the cards Dream Harvest removes.

Auntie Ool, Cursewretch

Auntie Ool plants a flag in entirely new territory: Jund Blight. Turning -1/-1 counters into card draw and life drain creates a steady engine that pressures boards and life totals simultaneously. Ward with a blight tax adds friction, making her harder to remove than she looks.

This deck plays a long game. Creatures shrink. Cards flow. Life totals erode. Nobody feels safe.

Key cards that pair well:

• Kulrath Knight - A Shadowmoor all-star that locks down creatures with counters on them. With blight in play, boards freeze fast.
• Sinister Gnarlbark - A new card advantage engine for blight decks.
• Everlasting Torment - Turning damage into wither effects compounds Auntie Ool's plan and shuts down lifegain.

Ashling, the Limitless

Ashling is the most powerful commander in the set, and it is not subtle about it.

Five colors gives you access to every Elemental worth playing. Evoke reduction turns expensive Incarnations into efficient tools. Copying Elementals on sacrifice scales rapidly and gets out of hand faster than expected.

Once cost reduction enters the picture, evoke costs hitting zero becomes very real. At that point, you are casting Elementals for free, triggering death effects, copying them, and doing it again.

Key cards that pair well:

• Animar, Soul of Elements - The most important card if you want to break Ashling open. Animar pushes evoke costs to zero and turns Ashling into an oppressive elemental churning machine.
• Mulldrifter - One of the best commons to come out from Lorwyn. It's so good that even in non-elemental shells, it still finds a way into the 99.
• Vibrance - Damage and ramp in a respectable 4/4 body. Flexible, efficient, and exactly the kind of Elemental Ashling wants to abuse.

High Perfect Morcant

Morcant takes Elves in a direction they rarely explore: control. Blighting creatures on entry gives Elf decks interaction that does not rely on racing. Proliferate adds reach, scaling both your disruption and your advantage. This deck still produces mana, but it uses that mana to dictate the pace of the game instead of ending it immediately like most Elfball style decks tend to do.

Key cards that pair well:

• Morcant's Loyalist - From the name alone this deserves a spot but this being a lord and recursion? Auto-include.
• Lathril, Blade of the Elves - Paired with High Perfect Morcant, the 1/1s that Lathril generates will trigger blighting something massive.
• Flourishing Defenses - A broken piece of synergy that wipes out your opponents creatures.

A Commanding Array

The commanders of Lorwyn Eclipsed succeed because they bring exciting things to the Commander table. Sultai Faeries and Elves doing theft? Check. Golgari Elf control? Yep.

This early into 2026, I think we can safely say that Lorywn's magic is back and the Magic: The Gathering community is completely in love with it.

What are you sleeving up as your next commander from Lorwyn Eclipsed?