There are some powerful rares in Lorwyn Eclipsed, but which ones should you be first picking over removal and top-tier uncommons in your next draft? Let's dig into the set and highlight some powerful, first-pickable bombs!

Grub's Command

We're starting our list with a bit of a surprise. Rakdos goblins aren't doing so hot in Lorwyn Eclipsed Limited. In fact, they're performing the worst out of the five main creature types in the set. It makes you wonder how many wins this card is solely responsible for, since its in-hand win rate (63.7%) is significantly higher than Rakdos' overall win rate (53.9%).

It's obvious this card is, on its own, very good. Unlike the other cards in the command cycle (Ashling's Command, Brigid's Command, Sygg's Command, and Trystan's Comman), Grub's Command has no weak modes. The first two options are somewhat situational, but not really. If you can't at least use the Clone mode, you're probably way too far behind for any card to pull you back to parity. If you somehow don't have Goblins to copy and/or pump, this can find you some. There is almost no fail state for this card that doesn't involve your opponent doing something to it. Maybe you get super unlucky and whiff on the mill mode, but even that is unlikely if you built your deck properly.

Figure of Fable

Surely this is the winner of Limited Resources' "Groan Test" award for this set. Figure of Fable might not have the highest win rate, but it feels the worst to play against. If this gets to reach its final form, it's nigh unbeatable. There are, by my reckoning, two answers to a fully levelled-up Figure, but they're both rare and one of them might not even work, due to how Winnowing is worded and Figure being a very relevant creature type. The only thing holding this creature back is that it does take quite a while to get to that unbeatable state, so opponents do have time to deal with it. Even in the late game, it takes 10 mana to go from freshly-played to giant threat. Each level-up can be responded to, as well so there are opportunities to deal with Figure, but they are sparse.

Kinbinding

I've been on both sides of this card several times now, and it is oppressive. It looks like an overpriced, temporary Glorious Anthem effect, but it actually plays out closer to an Overrun that you get to use every turn. If you have a Thoughtweft Lieutenant in play at the same time as this, it's pretty much lights out. You don't even need a good board, because Kindbinding makes one for you (albeit slowly). It immediately provides a body and +1/+1 to your team and if you get to untap and play a creature or two next turn, the situation is very quickly going to become untenable for your opponent. This is exactly the top end finisher that Kithkin decks want to push through mid-game board stalls. It's great in Merfolk, too, but it shines brightest in a Kithkin deck.

Gloom Ripper

It's interesting that although Golgari is the strongest color pair in the format, it doesn't have that many great Rares. Gloom Ripper makes up for the quantity by packing a whole lot of quality. It kills almost anything then threatens a ton of damage or a forced block. Pumping a Dawnhand Eulogist with this is nasty. If this only checked elves in play or in graveyard, it would still be very good. Since it does both, it's no surprise that it's one of the best cards in the set. It asks very little of you and gives an absurd amount back - and the set readily provides all the set-up you might need, anyway.

Ashling's Command

The Commands are all superb, ranging from B- to literal best card in the format, but what makes this one so good? Well, it just fits so nicely into the format. Everything it does is relevant, even if the four modes aren't quite equal. Cloning your best elemental is perhaps the best mode, if you have a good target for it - think Eclipsed Flamekin or Twinflame Travelers. Instant-speed Pyroclasm can be great, too, though it requires a little more set-up. In a format full of aggressive typal synergies, this might be the best sweeper available. Obviously, drawing two cards is always nice, especially when you're getting to do something else relevant at the same time. Finally, the treasure mode is the weakest, but it does fix your mana in one of the colour pairs that wants that the most. Essentially, everything this card does is good, and when you add them all together the sum total is great.