It's been almost twenty years, but we are finally returning to Lorwyn! Lorwyn Eclipsed has a lot to live up to, as the original set has grown into one of the more beloved sets of all time between the Kindred focus, the introduction or Planeswalkers, and things like Changelings becoming fan favorites in the years since it was released. There's a lot to love in Lorwyn Eclipsed, so let's take a look at the cards I think are most likely to make an impact.

Honorable Mention: The Shock Lands.

The most impactful cads from the set are obviously the shock lands, especially any ally-colored shocks lands, because those colors didn't have the Outlaws of Thunder Junction Fast Lands to fall back on. New decks will emerge just from the increased consistency these lands offer to mana bases, and you can't really evaluate the set's impact without mentioning them. These are staples in multiple formats, and if you don't already have your playset, you should definitely use this opportunity to pick them up. Boring, but obviously the most important cards in the set.

10. Mutable Explorer

I was disappointed by the number of changelings printed in Lorwyn Eclipsed. It's a creature type unique to the setting, and many players have been hoping for more for years, and this is the only one we received at Rare and there were none at Mythic. It almost feels like they were an afterthought for the set. Fortunately, Mutable Explorer is going to see a lot of play. Mutavault is powerful enough to see play in Eternal formats, and it looks like the only way they could sneak it into the set is by gatekeeping it behind a three-mana 1/1. That's quite the nerf, but I don't think it's enough to keep a card that generates Mutavault from seeing play. I mean, have you ever played with the card?

9. Hexing Squelcher

I feel compelled to include this one, but I'm not 100% sold on it being amazing in Standard (let alone being the most expensive card in the set). The uncounterability is cute, but not worth the investment. The ward for every creature is the real draw here. This will end up being a sideboard staple, I think.

8. Maralen, Fae Ascendant

This should be good enough to see play in both Elf decks and Faerie decks (or some heretofore unknown abomination of the two combined). There was a time when a 4/5 flyer for five mana would have been looked at as a viable creature on its own. Now, it's just gravy, able to block most of the premier threats or get in for damage. The exile ability is great, and the text, "Without paying its mana cost" should be sending up warning alarms throughout the format. Sure, there are hoops you have to jump through, but over a couple of turns, this ability is game winning on its own. I have this low on the list because I'm not sure how viable elves or faeries are as archetypes, but it's possible this is the best card in the set.

7. Aurora Awakener

As long as Leyline of the Guildpact is in Standard, this will exist as part of a deck with Bloom Tender. It may not be the best deck, but the proposition of dropping the top 5 cards, or chaining this with Clone creatures, will be too much for some people to resist. Yes, I am one of them. I don't think you have to play this in a strictly 5-color deck for it to see play, but I think that's going to be the default. This is the biggest roulette card in the set, and I'm excited to spin that wheel.

6. Brigid, Clachan's Heart

As a 3/2 that creates a 1/1 (repeatedly) for 3 mana, this MIGHT have seen play (look at the Collector's Cage decks if nothing else). But, when you staple the most broken land of all-time on it's backside, you get a card that has the potential to be very special. This may be a, "Kithkin" card, but it's going to be viable in any go-wide deck.

5. Deceit

All of the evoke elementals may end up seeing play, but I feel like Deceit is the best of them. Both of the evoke abilities are ubiquitous enough that they could be relevant in any matchup and see play in any deck that focuses on one of these colors. It's interesting that the Evoke abilities are "cast" abilities and not "Enters" abilities, but with the Scam deck dominating so recently, I'm sure they didn't want that play pattern to repeat itself in Standard. That said, I foresee a common Standard series as: Evoke Deceit on turn two or 3 for either of the abilities, get this back on turn four via Superior Spider-Man with both of the abilities triggering.

4. Sear

This is about as pushed a Red removal spell as we'll get. Four damage at instant speed is great for 2 mana, and when you factor in that this can also hit a planeswalker, you get the best Red removal in the format. Even the name is simple enough to allow this to be reprinted in any set, so I see this as a potential evergreen reprint for Red decks.

3. Spell Snare

I've been pretty vocal about my distaste for the speed of current Standard decks. So, while I'm normally not a fan of countermagic, I'm actually excited for this reprint. Spell Snare is a very niche spell, but it has the ability to help shape a format. Countering both Badgermole Cub and Artist's Talent is a big deal, and I expect to see this card at the top tables as soon as it's released.

2. Requiting Hex

Like Spell Snare, this card will shape the format in a variety of ways. It's not just that this will slow some games down, giving Black a way to battle the fastest creature draws. It has the potential to force players to raise their overall mana curve, focusing on 3 drops as the primary early game play. This will affect what creatures see play. Moonshadow, for example, was going to make my list, until I realized jumping through the hoops to make it good felt awful when your opponent could just Hex it. "Dies to Doom Blade" is a bad argument when you're evaluating cards on a 1-to-1 basis, but when you're looking at cards that are only good under certain circumstances, or once you put a lot of work into them, then the "Dies to Doom Blade" argument starts to fall on Doom Blade's side.

1. Formidable Speaker

This card has the highest floor of any card in the set. At worst, it slots right into the Sultai Reanimator deck and any deck built around Yuna, Hope of Spira. Both decks will have to be rebuilt, and reconsidered in the metagame, now that they have access to Formidable Speaker. But, this card also has the highest ceiling in the format, as it's entirely possible that this is just a base card for any deck that uses Green mana and has creatures. It will provide consistency in a way we very rarely see in Standard. Any set with a graveyard mechanic in the next 3 years will reinvigorate this card, so it will only get stronger. If that's not enough, it pairs extremely will with the other best Green card in Standard, as Badgermole Cub can provide even more mana with Formidable Speaker.

Only fitting for a World Champion's card!

You can find more of my Magic musings on Twitter/X @travishall456 and on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/anakinsdad.bsky.social