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It's getting so, so close to the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed! This is my most anticipated set of the year by far, and I didn't even have to wait a full month for it.

The full spoilers for both the main set and the Commander set have been revealed, and that means it's set review time. In this one, I'm going to show off my picks for the best instants and sorceries from Lorwyn Eclipsed.

White

Morningtide's LightMorningtide's Light

Morningtide's LightMorningtide's Light is a very strange mix between a mass blink spell like Eerie InterludeEerie Interlude and a Teferi's ProtectionTeferi's Protection. It definitely loses points for being a sorcery, as a lot of the power of Teferi's Protection is lost when the call of "Am I likely to die this turn cycle?" has to be made at the point where the least information is available. The flicker effect attempts to make up for that, and it's pretty likely that this sorcery will be considered in the decks that are best positioned to take advantage of the flicker half of the spell, like Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal and Yorion, Sky NomadYorion, Sky Nomad.

It's worth noting that Morningtide's Light can target opposing creatures to permanently remove tokens or to reset counters. There are political applications as well! One might give an opponent an additional enters trigger for a couple of their best creatures in exchange for mercy or the promise of removing another player's most threatening permanent.

WinnowingWinnowing

WinnowingWinnowing is a powerful board wipe in the same vein as Tragic ArroganceTragic Arrogance with a typal twist added. In the most dedicated of typal decks, Winnowing could potentially be entirely one-sided! Add convoke, and this six-mana sorcery also becomes fairly easy to cast by the stage of a game where it would be necessary.

When choosing board wipes for a deck, this is precisely the kind of asymmetrical effect a deck builder should be on the lookout for. Typal decks like Minwu, White MageMinwu, White Mage, Choco, Seeker of ParadiseChoco, Seeker of Paradise, or even The Ur-DragonThe Ur-Dragon should consider this one!

Blue

Harmonized CrescendoHarmonized Crescendo

Blue typal decks received the biggest boost from Lorwyn Eclipsed by far. Harmonized CrescendoHarmonized Crescendo is a ridiculous card draw spell in any typal deck. Imagine if Distant MelodyDistant Melody was an instant with convoke! The obvious winner here is Alela, Cunning ConquerorAlela, Cunning Conqueror (a commander I'll be writing more about soon!). A deck that converts casting spells on opponents' turns receiving an instant that converts creatures into card draw? It's incredible.

Other blue typal decks will include Harmonized Crescendo as well, like Kykar, Wind's FuryKykar, Wind's Fury and my beloved Kastral, the WindcrestedKastral, the Windcrested that I wrote about last year.

Unexpected AssistanceUnexpected Assistance

Speaking of cards that slot nicely into Alela, Cunning ConquerorAlela, Cunning Conqueror, Unexpected AssistanceUnexpected Assistance is another fantastic card draw spell that plays well in decks that go wide.

Unlike Harmonized CrescendoHarmonized Crescendo, Unexpected Assistance isn't just for typal decks. Commanders that incentivize putting a lot of creatures into play without caring much about their type, like Adrix and Nev, TwincastersAdrix and Nev, Twincasters and Marneus CalgarMarneus Calgar, will be happy to see this upgraded version of Meeting of MindsMeeting of Minds.

Black

Aberrant ReturnAberrant Return

Aberrant ReturnAberrant Return is three copies of ReanimateReanimate stapled together, with a few -1/-1 counters sprinkled in. This sorcery is in the Blight Curse precon, which is built around -1/-1 counter synergies. However, I find this card to be most at home in a deck that's looking to play a high density of mass reanimation spells.

I would include Rise of the Dark RealmsRise of the Dark Realms and Breach the MultiverseBreach the Multiverse before I would put Aberrant Return in a deck, but there are certainly a number of Reanimator decks I could see going down to the third, fourth, or even fifth best mass reanimation spell for consistency's sake.

A few commanders I have in mind are Raffine, Scheming SeerRaffine, Scheming Seer, Kefka, Court MageKefka, Court Mage, Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight, and Teval, the Balanced ScaleTeval, the Balanced Scale, for their ability to easily fill the graveyard.

Bloodline BiddingBloodline Bidding

Bloodline BiddingBloodline Bidding is an asymmetrical Patriarch's BiddingPatriarch's Bidding with convoke. What's not to love? My only point of skepticism with this card is that I fail to imagine very many scenarios in which I'd have a board full of creatures to tap for convoke and simultaneously have a graveyard full of creatures that fit my typal theme. Unless, of course, you sacrifice all of the creatures you tapped to convoke it while the spell is still on the stack, leading to all kinds of death and enter-the-battlefield (ETB) triggers.

A couple commanders that are well positioned to use Bloodline Bidding are Varina, Lich QueenVarina, Lich Queen and Wilhelt, the RotcleaverWilhelt, the Rotcleaver, and any Rat ColonyRat Colony deck.

Eventide's ShadowEventide's Shadow

Eventide's ShadowEventide's Shadow is an absurd card draw spell in any deck that can produce a lot of counters. There are a lot of ways to use this sorcery to draw twenty or more cards. It comes from the Blight Curse precon, and provides a way to remove all the -1/-1 counters that deck puts on its own creatures.

The most interesting application of Eventide's Shadow in my mind is in planeswalker decks, like Carth the LionCarth the Lion or Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceAtraxa, Praetors' Voice. Of course, there are many other types of deck that are adept at flooding the board with counters, like The Wise MothmanThe Wise Mothman and Ygra, Eater of AllYgra, Eater of All.

Also keep in mind that you can remove counters from any permanents on the battlefield, not just ones you control. And it doesn't target the permanents you remove counters from, so you can steal counters from a creature with hexproof or shroud.

Red

Burning CuriosityBurning Curiosity

For the low, low price of placing a single -1/-1 counter on a creature, Burning CuriosityBurning Curiosity is essentially a red Ancestral RecallAncestral Recall for three mana. This kind of impulse draw is very common and easy to take advantage of in red decks.

There is an uncountable number of commanders that will be incredibly happy to add this impulse draw spell to their arsenal. Spider-Man 2099Spider-Man 2099 is the one I'm most excited about, as he's been one of my signature decks for a little while now. Faldorn, Dread Wolf HeraldFaldorn, Dread Wolf Herald and Prosper, Tome-BoundProsper, Tome-Bound are other, more common exile-matters decks that will benefit.

Soul ImmolationSoul Immolation

Soul ImmolationSoul Immolation is a fascinating asymmetrical board wipe. Rather than simply blow up everything, like Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act, Soul Immolation sacrifices the power and toughness of one creature to deal that much damage to all opposing creatures and players.

The commanders I'm most excited to put this board wipe into are ones that have a high toughness or incentivize playing big creatures. Rhino, Barreling BruteRhino, Barreling Brute, Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed, Kynaios and Tiro of MeletisKynaios and Tiro of Meletis, and Ureni, the Song UnendingUreni, the Song Unending are a few examples of decks that fit the bill.

Green

Celestial ReunionCelestial Reunion

Celestial Reunion is effectively an additional copy of creature tutors like Green Sun's ZenithGreen Sun's Zenith or Chord of CallingChord of Calling that fits into green typal decks. Unsurprisingly, the best application for this card is Elves decks, which have many commander options, like Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves, Voja, Jaws of the ConclaveVoja, Jaws of the Conclave, or Marwyn, the NurturerMarwyn, the Nurturer.

Outside of Elves, commanders for other creature types, like Hakbal of the Surging SoulHakbal of the Surging Soul for Merfolk, will be thrilled to include this tutor.

Spry and MightySpry and Mighty

Spry and MightySpry and Mighty might just get my vote for the most bizarre card listed in this article. At first, I read it and really struggled to conceive of an application that this pump spell would be good in. Then, I though a little harder and remembered that mana dorks exist! Casting Spry and Mighty targeting a huge BooBoo token and a Sylvan CaryatidSylvan Caryatid or Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise, drawing a bunch of cards and getting a huge burst of damage is actually quite enticing.

I would consider this card a near auto-include in green decks that play mana dorks alongside huge creatures. Minsc & Boo, Timeless HeroesMinsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes and Halana and Alena, PartnersHalana and Alena, Partners are the two commanders that jumped out at me, but there are many, many more that could put this one to good use. I tremble at the thought of watching an opposing Voja, Jaws of the ConclaveVoja, Jaws of the Conclave player resolve this spell against me.

Multicolor

Ashling's CommandAshling's Command

Ashling's Command is the only spell in the Kindred Command cycle from Lorwyn Eclipsed that is an instant rather than a sorcery. That alone bumps it up several notches in my estimation.

In any Elementals deck, drawing two cards and copying an Elemental in play is likely good enough to warrant inclusion, with the other two modes being niche bonuses that will come up from time to time. Ashling's Command's high mana cost gives me some pause, but nevertheless I will be happy to include it in decks like Omnath, Locus of CreationOmnath, Locus of Creation or Horde of NotionsHorde of Notions.

Dream HarvestDream Harvest

Dream HarvestDream Harvest is the spell I am most skeptical about including, but I firmly believe that the proposition of casting 15 mana's worth of random spells for just seven mana is going to be worthwhile a good portion of the time.

This sorcery will be most at home in decks that are focused on theft, like Don Andres, the RenegadeDon Andres, the Renegade, Tasha, the Witch QueenTasha, the Witch Queen, and The Beast, Deathless PrinceThe Beast, Deathless Prince.

Honorable Mentions

Sygg's CommandSygg's Command and Grub's CommandGrub's Command are two very promising Kindred Commands that are held back mostly on the basis of being sorceries rather than instants. Both of them are also held back by being in color pairings that exclude them from seeing play in the most common commanders of their type, those being Hakbal of the Surging SoulHakbal of the Surging Soul and Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss, respectively.

I'm curious to see if the new typal commanders in these two Kindred Command's color pairings will redeem them, or if they'll end up rarely seeing play outside of Limited.

Spell SnareSpell Snare is not a new card, and was thus ineligible for this list. However, it is without question the card I am most excited to see from Lorwyn Eclipsed. Spell Snare is a fantastic counterspell that hits one of the most common mana values in every format and always uptrades in mana. I've run it in several Commander decks that wanted a high density of efficient counter magic, like Malcolm, the EyesMalcolm, the Eyes.

What excites me most about this reprint is that Spell Snare's price should come down quite a bit as a result. Believe it or not, it was a $5 card several months ago!

Conclusion

Most of the instants and sorceries from Lorwyn Eclipsed are pretty niche, which is in line with the plane's typal themes. However, there's a lot to love here and I'm looking forward to finding a home for each of these spells in my collection of decks. Let me know what spells you're most excited for or which sleeper picks I've missed in the comments!

More Lorwyn Eclipsed: