Hexing SquelcherHexing Squelcher | Art by Matt Stewart | Glen Elendra's AnswerGlen Elendra's Answer | Art by Sam Guay

Lorwyn Eclipsed is a powerful set stuffed full of cards that are going to be impactful in cEDH. While the airwaves these days are dominated by talk of Hexing Squelcher, I can assure you that the set has much more in store for us than just one red staple.

Not all of Lorwyn Eclipsed's contributions were created equal, and that's honestly a good thing. Fringe picks, a new commander, some prominent playables - this set did not disappoint.

So, without further ado, let's get to it!

White

Ok, there's actually one spot where the set did disappoint: white. Lorwyn Eclipsed is a cool set full of cool cards. Unfortunately, those cool white cards don't exactly stand up to the power levels that cEDH requires. Hopefully we'll see Lorwyn again sometime soon, and when we do it'll have some white picks for cEDH.

For now, though, on to the next color.

Blue

Flitterwing NuisanceFlitterwing Nuisance

Following close behind white in terms of total set contribution is blue, as Lorwyn Eclipsed has given us just one card with a pretty limited range of applicability: Flitterwing Nuisance.

For , Flitterwing Nuisance is a 2/2 Faerie Rogue with flying that enters with a -1/-1 counter. Additionally, it has the activated ability ", Remove a counter from this creature: Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player or planeswalker this turn, draw a card."

All in all, Flitterwing Nuisance is more of a constructed playable card, but it does have some eyes testing it one particular cEDH deck: Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow. One-drop creature? Check. Evasive? Check. Card advantage stapled to it? Check again!

Black

Mornsong AriaMornsong Aria

Our next color, black, also only gave us one card this set, but it has a much wider applicability: Mornsong Aria.

For , Mornsong Aria is an enchantment that's a stax piece which completely prevents players from drawing cards and gaining life. Instead, each player get's a guaranteed tutor (and loss of three life) at the beginning of that player's draw step.

So, why the cEDH excitement? Another three-mana black card: Opposition AgentOpposition Agent.

With Opposition Agent in play, you control your opponents while they search their libraries and you get to keep whatever they search for. So, combine this with Mornsong Aria, and you lock your opponents out of drawing cards, gaining life, and tutoring for cards, all while effectively quadrupling the number of cards you tutor for in a turn cycle.

While this combo probably won't overtake every black cEDH deck any time soon, the high popularity of Opposition Agent as a standalone card is enough to get people in low-color decks excited for Mornsong Aria.

Red

Hexing SquelcherHexing Squelcher

Now on to the good stuff. Years from now, cEDH players will look back at Lorwyn Eclipsed and remember it for one card above all others. Hexing SquelcherHexing Squelcher, the uncounterable red Grand AbolisherGrand Abolisher.

For , Hexing Squelcher is a 2/2 Goblin Sorcerer that can't be countered and has ward-pay 2 life. Additionally, it grants both of those abilities to the rest of your creatures/spells.

Once Hexing Squelcher hits the battlefield, there's really only one way for your opponents to not lose: win the game before the rest of your spells can resolve. Countering the Squelcher isn't an option, and neither is countering the win condition that'll most certainly be coming shortly thereafter. Removal is in short supply in cEDH, and red blitzes so fast that it'll probably outspeed any attempts to tutor for the one copy of Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares in the pod.

Thank you, Hexing Squelcher, for continuing to push cEDH's speed.

Green

Formidable SpeakerFormidable Speaker

Coming up next is my pick for Lorwyn Eclipsed's second-most impactful card: Formidable Speaker.

For , Formidable Speaker is a 2/4 Elf Druid that brings with it two of green's favourite cEDH effects: a creature tutor and a way to untap Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle.

The latter comes from Formidable Speaker's activated ability, ", : Untap another target permanent," while the the former comes from Formidable Speaker's enters trigger, which allows you to discard a creature card in exchange for searching library for a creature card to put into your hand.

Formidable Speaker is going to do a lot of things in a lot of decks. Every green deck runs Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle, and essentially every good green deck has some payoff for tapping and untapping that card repeatedly in the same turn. As far as the enters trigger is concerned, every deck - green or not - plays tutors, so it's clear as day that Formidable Speaker is going to pull plenty of weight from that ability alone.

Plus, for decks that care about the graveyard (such as anything with a Hazel's BrewmasterHazel's Brewmaster combo), that discard cost can bring with it real upside.

If Hexing SquelcherHexing Squelcher is this set's broken good card, then Formidable Speaker is this set's fair good card.

Springleaf ParadeSpringleaf Parade

Speaking of things to do with a whole lot of mana, Lorwyn Eclipsed's Commander expansion has lent green another cEDH-playable green card: Springleaf Parade.

For , Springleaf Parade is an enchantment that, when it enters, causes you to create X 1/1 colorless Shapeshifter creature tokens with changeling. And, to top it all of, Springleaf Parade grants all of your creature tokens the ability ": Add one mana of any color."

cEDH's biggest green-mana decks are already happily putting excess mana into spells like ChatterstormChatterstorm and Song of TotentanzSong of Totentanz, both of which serve primarily to up the mana production of Gaea's Cradle while simultaneously adding even more mana in conjunction with cards like Enduring VitalityEnduring Vitality. Springleaf Parade wraps both of these into one while also synergizing with the ever-popular Valley FloodcallerValley Floodcaller, as the tokens created are Birds (and Rats, and Frogs, etc.) thanks to the changeling ability.

Multicolor

Brigid, Clachan's HeartBrigid, Clachan's Heart

Starting off our parade of multicolor cards is Brigid, Clachan's Heart, a card that, despite only costing white mana, counts as green-white for our purposes thanks to its text box and reverse side.

For , Brigid is a legendary 3/2 Kithkin Warrior that, when it enters or transforms into the front half, causes you to create a 1/1 green and white Kithkin creature token. Additionally, at the beginning of your first main phase, you may pay to transform Brigid.

On the reverse side, Brigid becomes Brigid, Doun's Mind, a 3/2 green legendary Kithkin Soldier creature with ": Add X or X , where X is the number of other creatures you control." Additionally, at the beginning of your first main phase, you may pay to transform Brigid.

At the end of the day, Brigid is another copy of Gaea's Cradle that costs mana and an extra turn to use. Probably not enough to make its way into high-color cEDH piles, but certainly enough to be considerable for the format's slower green decks.

VibranceVibrance

Next up is Vibrance, a card that flexibly combines removal and a tutor effect in a way that just might also unlock some game-ending, albeit convoluted, loops down the line.

For , Vibrance is a 4/4 Elemental Incarnation with an evoke cost of . When it enters, it deals four damage to any target if was spent to cast it, and you can tutor for a land to put into your hand if was spent to cast it.

While I don't expect Vibrance to be dominating top-tier cEDH deck lists any time soon, the combined ability to kill a threat or tutor up a Gaea's Cradle in the early game and to be used as a source of lethal damage if recurred later on (such as via an Eternal WitnessEternal Witness and/or EnduranceEndurance loop) is just enough of a value package that I'm sure it'll find a home somewhere.

Tam, Mindful First-YearTam, Mindful First-Year

Tam is on here for one reason and one reason only: Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain.

For , Tam is a legendary 2/2 Gorgon Wizard that grants creatures you control hexproof from each of that creature's colors. Additionally, you can tap Tam to make a creature you control all colors until end of turn.

Thanks to its low mana value, Tam is immediately tutorable off of Sisay, and - once you do have Tam - you can then skip through the hoops of gradually collecting colors via repeat tutors by simply tapping Tam and making something every color until end of turn. From there, Sisay becomes big enough to tutor for any relevant card in the deck, and winning becomes only a matter of mana.

Kirol, Attentive First-YearKirol, Attentive First-Year

Speaking of cards that could unlock some weird combos, up next is Kirol, Attentive First-Year.

For , Kirol is a 3/3 legendary Vampire Cleric with "Tap two untapped creatures you control: Copy target triggered ability you control. You may choose new targets for the copy. Activate this ability only once each turn."

At face value, Kirol is a promising include for the tutor-light decks which can run it. Boros (), for example, is famously bad when it comes to finding cards in cEDH. Now, with Kirol out, each creature-based tutor (Imperial RecruiterImperial Recruiter, Recruiter of the GuardRecruiter of the Guard, etc.) is effectively doubled, as Kirol can tap itself and the tutor as it enters in order to double the enters trigger.

On the more experimental side of things, Kirol also has promise for infinitely copying an ability, provided that whatever stack-contraption is assembled allows for Kirol and another creature to be blinked an arbitrarily large number of times. Difficult? Yes. An exciting, open question for Boros? Absolutely.

Voracious Tome-SkimmerVoracious Tome-Skimmer

Moving away from the world of experimental value engines and towards something decidedly more simple is Voracious Tome-Skimmer, another potential pickup for low-color decks, especially those with a grindy, controlling game plan.

For , Voracious Tome-Skimmer is a 2/3 Faerie Rogue with flying and "Whenever you cast a spell during an opponent's turn, you may pay 1 life. If you do, draw a card."

Voracious Tome-Skimmer rewards three things: sandbagging resources, winning with a flash enabler, and casting counterspells. All three of these combine together to lay out the principle game plan of just about any midrange deck currently in cEDH, making the only bar to Voracious Tome-Skimmer's popularity its unfortunately high mana cost.

If you're playing Talion, the Kindly LordTalion, the Kindly Lord, this card might just be the pick for you.

The Reaper, King No MoreThe Reaper, King No More

Lastly, a callback to the original Lorwyn block that has just enough going for it to serve as the commander of its own cEDH deck: The Reaper, King No MoreThe Reaper, King No More.

For , The Reaper, King No more is a 3/3 legendary Scarecrow artifact creature with "When The Reaper enters, put a -1/-1 counter on each of up to two target creatures," and "Whenever a creature an opponent controls with a -1/-1 counter on it dies, you may put that card onto the battlefield under you control. Do this only once each turn."

As far as The Reaper's triggered abilities are concern, they basically boil down to this: when it enters, steal a value creature. Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise, Orcish BowmastersOrcish Bowmasters, Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel - many of cEDH's best early-game creatures have one toughness. With The Reaper in the command zone, your opponents are forced to try and either outspeed your ability to steal their best value play or simply wait you out. Either way, that's pressure created just by The Reaper existing.

Secondly, The Reaper also benefits massively from having a deceptively high mana value - six, thanks to the way those hybrid mana symbols work. This means it can be turned into massive creatures via Birthing PodBirthing Pod-effects and rituals like Burnt OfferingBurnt Offering really early on.

Wrap Up

All in all, Lorwyn Eclipsed looks like it will certainly make its way to cEDH strategies across the format's many tiers. Hexing Squelcher is absolutely this format's super staple, but the set also brought with it some cards with strong odds of diverse play (Formidable Speaker) and, of course, more fringe picks for individual decks.

It may not completely shake up cEDH, but it will certainly leave its mark.

More Lorwyn Eclipsed: