Lorwyn Eclipsed: First Impressions

Lorwyn Eclipsed is just around the corner, and this set is more special to me than usual. I'm not someone who's particularly fond of the original Lorwyn. In my opinion, it's merely adequate. However, I find it special, specifically in Standard, because it's the focus of my first big tournament in a long time.

I'm beginning prep as soon as the set is released. Until then, I'm keeping an eye out for some standout cards, particularly those that create new archetypes rather than just improve old archetypes, but of course, both types are important.

Let's dive in.

Ajani, Outland Chaperone

Ajani is interesting because I like the play pattern it sets up. Unfortunately, I think the ultimate is too much loyalty to be notably strong.

You can play Ajani early and create a 1/1. If your opponent has a creature in play that can attack Ajani, then you can block, take your turn, and -2 to kill the creature. Of course, that means they've probably developed another creature and now you're down to 2 loyalty and no creature to block, but you have turn four to react and protect the Ajani or to further develop.

While a cool play pattern, Ajani has to sit in play untouched for quite a few turns to get the ultimate off. This digs deep into your deck and dumps a bunch of permanents costing 3 or fewer into play.

There's no doubt Ajani is a solid turn-three play, especially on the play, but the faster the games are, the worse sitting on Ajani will be. However, I like how Ajani can find cards, such as various Banishing Light effects, by using its ultimate to be reactive when dumping several threats onto the battlefield.

Ajani could be insanely strong in a metagame or very bad depending on the format. If decks like Izzet Lessons are left untouched, then they can mostly ignore this card. If there's a series of bannings that remove the fastest and best decks, then maybe Ajani has a shot. Despite how sweet the card is, I'd be against Ajani seeing much play.

Bitterbloom Bearer

Bitterbloom Bearer is an obvious callback to the original second-best card from Lorwyn, Bitterblossom. In some ways, this card is better than Bitterblossom because it can self-destruct if necessary by blocking. In contrast, Bitterblossom was an uncastable card if your life total was too low. By having flash, Bitterbloom allows you to play it on a tapped-out opponent's end step, guaranteeing the first trigger and then forcing your opponent to answer, but you leave behind a flying token.

While Bitterblossom has not stood the test of time, Bitterbloom Bearer looks awesome. Some of the strongest cards in Standard end up being two-drops that snowball in some way and/or provide value immediately. This card checks both of those boxes. If unchecked, the Bearer can solo the game if backed up with a bit of interaction. If they kill it after it's created a token, then it's created some value while also forcing your opponent to use mana in a reactive way, providing you some tempo.

Lorwyn has tons of typal synergies, so this could be better than it looks if there's a decent Faerie deck or synergy that comes into play.

This is the kind of card that Zoomers will compare to Bitterblossom and undervalue, and Boomers will compare to Bitterblossom and overvalue. It falls in between the two, but it's a playable card if you can consistently cast it on turn two, leverage its flash, and have enough interaction to prolong the game so that it triggers a few times and allows you to close the game.

Glen Elendra Guardian

Glen Elendra Guardian looks absolutely sick. We were just talking about Faeries that could make an impact, and this card is every bit of that. A flash 2/3 flier for three mana isn't amazing, but what is amazing is the ability to play a flash deck and hold up this negate while using your unspent mana to cast other cards like a Bitterbloom Bearer.

Maybe I'm too excited about this card, but current Magic isn't all about card advantage. Giving a card back when you decide to counter a spell is less of an issue than it would have been years ago in slower games. This is a disruptive threat, and you can maintain negate permanently by finding more ways to feed it counters, for example, a card like Luminarch Aspirant. We also have the blight mechanic in this set that continues to feed this creature -1-1 counters.

Bear in mind that you won't have any counters if you put a +1+1 counter on this before you use the -1-1 counter.

Regardless, this is a cheap, powerful, and disruptive threat that can be a self-contained game plan when combined with other threats and disruptors. I'm excited to test Glen Elendra.

Sapling Nursery

Sapling Nursery is a cool card that could have interesting applications, perhaps in a budget deck alongside cards like Rockalanche. Incentives to be Mono Green Stompy are cool and all, but it's unlikely this sees play. Ideally, we can play this on turn four off of a mana creature or a ramp spell like Shared Roots and play our land for the turn to provide value immediately. It'd be even better if it's a fetch type land like Evolving Wilds.

While I think it's awesome to have cards like this, I don't think it's strong enough to see play, even with some overlapping reasons like Rockalanche.

This is a cool card that I love conceptually, but Magic has become too fast-paced for a card like this to see competitive Standard play.

Scuzzback Scounger

Scuzzback Scrounger is an interesting two-drop because it can be explosive. Some may compare it to a two-mana red mana dork, but creating a treasure is more powerful than tapping for mana. For one, it can attack and also leave the treasure in play for later use. Additionally, adding a counter every turn with the blight mechanic can be utilized in various ways with cards like Glen Elendra.

Scuzzback doesn't look terrific in a vacuum in conjunction with these powerful creatures that can unload counters for various effects. However, it could be a solid role player alongside these cards. I'm excited to try and see how it plays out with Glen Elendra because it will create treasures to provide the mana. As such, I can always leave up a negate while progressing my board.

Scuzzback isn't the set's most powerful card, but it plays a solid role because it can give you a mana advantage and provide counters to remove for other effects.

I'm not sure this one will make it past just testing, but if it does, it's because of its synergies.

Deceit

I like the concept of this cycle of mythics. In early turns, Deceit can be used to catch up on Tempo for UU, or it can be hand disruption for BB. Regardless, when you get deeper into the game, it becomes more powerful, allowing you to kill a creature like a Noxious Gearhulk. It can also bounce a token and get a card from hand, or bounce an enchantment and steal it from hand.

Deceit is a powerful six-mana card. Generally, the big downside is that six-mana cards rot in your hand. Fortunately, this cycle of evoke mythics provides utility on early turns and power in the late game, so you can play five- and six-mana cards without the downsides.

This card is awesome and will likely see play because of its ability to interact with any non-land permanent in colors that generally struggle in interactions with enchantments and artifacts. Public enemy number one right now is Lessons, a deck that relies on both artifacts and enchantments and cards in hand.

My first impression of Lorwyn is that it's fairly powerful. I have a lot to go over and learn, but I'm impressed so far with the power level and how much it feels like original Lorwyn. I'll be back next week with more previews.