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Pre-release tournaments for this upcoming MTG expansion, Lorwyn Eclipsed, are set to begin on January 16. While the complete preview season is scheduled to begin on January 5, lead designer Mark Rosewater has once again disclosed a long rundown of gameplay hints before schedule.

An In-depth Dive into the Key Teasers

Within the many teasers, a few are particularly notable. The set will include a "permanent that tutors every round." This effect probably indicates a creature that allows a player to search their library every turn for a specific type, possibly with specific restrictions.

It could be something as modest as searching for a land card every turn, or a more powerful such as a search effect that scales depending on a creature's power.

He also teased a fresh piece that duplicates abilities that trigger. This card is possibly linked to a revealed character, a planeswalker that, for the cost of a pair of untapped creatures, can copy a ability one time per turn.

Another notable reveal concerns rules text that will "counter all spells your opponents have on the stack." While the wording is somewhat unclear, it suggests an extremely powerful effect capable of handling multiple spells simultaneously.

Gameplay Centered Around Power and Toughness

This expansion will also include effects that reference "the difference in its strength and toughness." With creatures having stat lines like 1/3 or 3/1, this mechanic could prove very meaningful.

• Additionally, a creature will come into the play with six -1/-1 counters on it, signaling a comeback of this signature counter type from the original Lorwyn-Shadowmoor era.
• One more hint includes the wording "if this is the third time this effect has triggered this round," suggesting a design that tracks multiple activations.

Creature Type Focus and Story Implications

A significant story teaser is a legendary card with the type line: "Legendary Creature – Elf Faerie Noble." Considering the historic tension between Elves and the Faerie race on this world, this combined type hints at a major narrative event.

Rosewater also confirmed the core 8 creature types featured in the set: Elemental, Elf, Faerie, Giant, Goblin, Kithkin, Merfolk, and Treefolk. This reiterates a strong creature-type focus for Lorwyn Eclipsed.

Late in the rundown, Rosewater mentions "Bark of Doran," likely a nod to the famous Treefolk, suggesting a renewed focus on the relationship between attack and toughness.

Other Interesting Details

In addition to these headline mechanics, the expansion will include:

1. A number of reprinted "kindred" spells that interact with specific creature types.
2. A wide variety of keyword counters, such as charge, dream, flying, first strike, indestructible, and lifelink.
3. The return of a ability first debuted in 2025.
4. Various token producers, ranging from 1/1 Faerie tokens to a 3/4 green token.

Card Name Teasers and Conclusion

Lastly, the designer teased several card names, like Mirrorform, Moonshadow, Gilt-Leaf’s Embrace, and Chaos Spewer. These names offer preliminary glimpses into the set's narrative directions and serve as nods to familiar elements from the plane's history.

All told, this new set is not only a homecoming to a fan-favorite plane but also a challenge to see if contemporary Magic is able to handle the unique complexities that defined the original Lorwyn sets so special.