Magic: The Gathering's 'Lorwyn Eclipsed' Design Document Details Mechanics, Structure, and Evolution

"Lorwyn Eclipsed" Magic: The Gathering Set Design Document Overview

The design document for "Lorwyn Eclipsed," a Magic: The Gathering set codenamed "Wrestling," details the set's mechanical and structural elements, weaving together themes from the Lorwyn and Shadowmoor planes. This overview outlines the evolution of core mechanics, card cycles, and archetype development, alongside specific mechanical callbacks and design adaptations from previous sets.

Core Mechanics and Set Design

The set's design intentionally fused elements from Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, significantly influencing several core mechanics:

• Double-Faced Cards (DFCs): These cards feature a Lorwyn identity on the front side and a Shadowmoor identity on the back. Initial proposals explored various flipping mechanisms and color/ability combinations.

  The final set includes seven rare or mythic rare DFCs, among them legendary creatures, an Elemental God, and an Oko planeswalker, all with consistent power and toughness across both sides.
  A dedicated DFC slot per booster was initially considered but not implemented.

• Rainbow (later Vivid): This mechanic counts permanents of different colors controlled by a player, similar to the domain mechanic. It leverages hybrid mana and was intended to appear in blue, red, and green. Initial archetypes for this mechanic focused on green-blue and blue-red, later shifting to red-green and green-blue.

• Mashups: This design approach combines mechanics previously distinct to Lorwyn (e.g., Changelings, Typal) and Shadowmoor (e.g., -1/-1 counters, Hybrid mana). Examples include changelings with -1/-1 counters and hybrid typal cards.

Proposed and Removed Mechanics

During development, several mechanics were proposed but ultimately not included in the final set:

• Cavort: A red and white mechanic designed to reward players for dealing four or more total damage during their turn.
• Hunt: A black and green Elf mechanic that created a "Hunted Aura" token. This token, when attached to an opponent's creature, would cause the player to draw a card upon that creature's death.
• Transcendents (Quints): A five-card cycle with XXXXX hybrid costs, featuring colorwashing with blighting and mimicking Shadowmoor keywords.
• Rare Land MDFCs: A five-card cycle of lands that could transform into creatures, reminiscent of the Spinerock Knoll cycle, was cut due to a reduction in DFC numbers.

Reimagined and Returning Mechanics

"Lorwyn Eclipsed" incorporates several mechanical callbacks with design evolutions:

• Champion Mechanic (Reimagined with 'Behold'): The original 'Champion' mechanic required exiling a controlled creature upon a champion's entry. For "Lorwyn Eclipsed," Set Design re-examined this concept using the 'behold' keyword action.

  This new approach allows cards to provide benefits (e.g., cost reduction, triggered abilities) if a specific creature type is revealed from the hand or present on the battlefield, without requiring the exile of a permanent.

  • A rare cycle of monocolor creatures aligns with the set's five core creature types (Kithkin, Merfolk, Goblin, Elemental, Elf). Each card features a distinct ability type—static, activated, or triggered—aligned with its typal archetype's mechanical theme.
  • An uncommon creature cycle also utilizes 'behold' to offer a discount if the proper creature type is present.
  • Initial designs included a common instant removal cycle and an uncommon creature cycle utilizing 'behold.' The final set features two 'behold' cycles at uncommon and rare, with an additional green 'behold' card at mythic rare.

• Commands Cycle Redesigned: The 'Commands' cycle returns, originally offering four choices with two effects selected per spell. In "Lorwyn Eclipsed," Commands are two-color cards aligned with the set's five two-color typal archetypes: Green-White for Kithkin, White-Blue for Merfolk, Black-Red for Goblins, Blue-Red for Elementals, and Black-Green for Elves.

  • At least one of the four effects on each Command is a typal effect, reinforcing their archetypal focus.
  • These Commands are designated as 'kindred' cards, a card type from the Lorwyn-Shadowmoor block designed to extend typal themes to non-creature spells.
  • A shared typal effect across this cycle allows players to create a token copy of a creature they control of the relevant creature type. The remaining three effects combine elements from both colors and generally interact with creatures.

• Hybrid Creatures with Counter Mechanics: The set features cards that combine -1/-1 counters with trigger mechanics, drawing inspiration from previous designs in Shadowmoor and Eventide, such as the 'Hatchlings' cycle.

  • New triggers are adapted, such as Encumbered Reejerey (Merfolk) interacting with becoming tapped, Moonshadow (Black) triggering when permanents move to the graveyard, and Reluctant Dounguard and Bristlebane Battler (Green/White) reacting to other creatures entering the battlefield.
  • Bristlebane Battler is a 6/6 creature with trample and ward.

Set Structure and Card Cycles

The set structure detailed specific creature allocations and card cycles:

• Monocolor Creatures: Each color was allocated two creatures of its primary type, two of a supporting primary type, one Shapeshifter with changeling, and one secondary creature type.
• Hybrid Creatures: Common hybrid pairs included one "signpost-like" creature (primary archetype type) and one more general creature. Uncommon hybrid pairs included one "HHH signpost" creature (primary archetype type, caring about type) and one "reuniter" creature (searching for type or basic land).
• Mana Fixing: The set avoided common dual lands, instead incorporating mana fixing through the mana costs of hybrid cards. Evolving Wilds was included at common.

Several card cycles were outlined and implemented:

• Reuniters: Uncommon creatures for hybrid typal archetypes that search the top four cards of a library for a creature of the primary type or one of the two basic land types.
• HHH Signposts: Uncommon creatures for each color pair that indicate the archetype. Not all implemented signposts retained the HHH mana cost.
• Changelings: Common and uncommon Shapeshifters with changeling. The uncommon cycle was implemented.
• Elemental Incarnations: A five-card rare creature cycle in enemy colors with hybrid costs, the Elemental Incarnation subtype, and evoke. Each card featured two enter-the-battlefield abilities, one for each color spent to cast it.
• Shocklands: Five shock lands were included, corresponding to the primary typal color pairs.

Archetypes and Design Goals

The design team outlined various archetypes, with some undergoing adjustments during development:

• White-blue: Merfolk typal (tap creatures) – remained consistent.
• Blue-black: Control, light Faerie typal – remained consistent.
• Black-red: Goblin typal (blight, death triggers) – remained consistent.
• Red-green: Initially Ramp (Giants, Treefolk), finalized as a vivid archetype.
• Green-white: Kithkin typal (go wide) – remained consistent.
• White-black: Initially focused on removing -1/-1 counters, finalized as a controlling blight archetype.
• Blue-red: Elemental typal (rainbow) – remained consistent as Elemental typal.
• Black-green: Initially Elf typal (Hunted Aura tokens), finalized as Elf typal without the Hunted Auras.
• Red-white: Initially Cavort (aggro), finalized as a blight archetype focusing on large creatures with -1/-1 counters.
• Green-blue: Rainbow – remained consistent.

Design goals for the set included incorporating returning and new legendary characters from Lorwyn/Shadowmoor blocks, a specific version of the legendary character Oona, five visiting Strixhaven students, Sun and Moon Elementals, and desirable reprints and other callbacks to Lorwyn and Shadowmoor. Most of these elements were incorporated into the final set.