This is a summary of the rules changes planned to come to Magic with the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed. The official rules can be found on our rules page. If there should be a discrepancy between this summary and the official rules, the official rules take precedence.
New Rules
For detailed descriptions of each of the new mechanics, check out Matt Tabak’s excellent mechanics article.
610.5
0004_MTGBLB_CmdrFace: Zinnia, Valley’s Voice
This rule defines the function for the new template on Zinnia, Valley’s Voice, which now also appears on Ashling, the Limitless. Both of those cards have received Oracle updates, so take a look further down this article for more information on their function.
701.68
0158_MTGECL_Main: Sourbread Auntie
This rule defines the blight keyword action. To blight N, put N -1/-1 counters on a creature you control. While blight is usually used as a cost, I’m sure you can find something nefarious to do with those counters.
Other Rules Changes
205.3m
0241_MTGECL_Main: Sanar, Innovative First-Year
We’ve added the Sorcerer subtype to the list of creature types. This subtype appears on several creatures in Lorwyn Eclipsed and has been added to quite a few existing creatures as well; see the Oracle changes section below for a full accounting of those creatures.
207.2c
0120_MTGECL_Main: Shimmercreep
The list of ability words now includes vivid, which coincidentally is not a word anyone has ever used to describe the comprehensive rules.
601.2a
0001_MTGECL_CommBord: Ashling, the Limitless
We’ve added some language to this rule to define the point at which one-shot effects that cause spells to gain abilities as they’re cast apply (which is the function described in the new 610.5). See the Oracle update entries for Zinnia, Valley’s Voice and Ashling, the Limitless for more information.
702.124
We’ve issued errata to cards that have the friends forever ability to align their templates with the new cards that have partner—Father & son and partner—Survivors. With that in mind, we’ve added partner—Friends forever to the list of “partner—[text]” abilities in 702.124i, deleted 702.124k (the old rule describing the friends forever ability), and cleaned up numbering and related glossary entries.
Oracle Changes
In addition to the following more substantial rules text updates, we made a few minor changes to reminder text as well as some minor nonfunctional templating adjustments that aren’t worth mentioning here.
Sorcerer Updates at Instant Speed
The Sorcerers of Lorwyn Eclipsed are plenty powerful on their own merits, but everyone could use some friends, right? We’ve added the Sorcerer creature type to nearly two dozen creatures from Magic’s history. None of these creatures lost any types they previously had.
- Aberrant Mind Sorcerer
- Apprentice Sorcerer
- Bloodboil Sorcerer
- Capricious Sorcerer
- Dakmor Sorceress
- Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
- Gempalm Sorcerer
- Greensleeves, Maro-Sorcerer
- Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer
- Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer
- Krovikan Sorcerer
- Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer
- Multani, Maro-Sorcerer
- Prodigal Sorcerer
- Rockslide Sorcerer
- Serendib Sorcerer
- Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
- Silumgar Sorcerer
- Simon, Wild Magic Sorcerer (and its SLX counterpart, Mathise, Surge Channeler)
- Sorcerer of the Fang
- Sorceress Queen
- Vulshok Sorcerer
- Wild-Magic Sorcerer
Partners: Permanent Pals
With the release of a recent Secret Lair drop, we debuted legendary creatures with a new template for partner abilities. Since these abilities have the same function as friends forever, we’ve issued errata to the seven legendary creature cards from the Secret Lair x Stranger Things drop that use friends forever and their SLX counterparts. This errata changes that ability to “Partner—Friends forever.” As an example, here’s Hargilde, Kindly Runechanter.
Old text:
{T}: Add {C}{C}. Spend this mana only to cast artifact spells or activate abilities of artifacts.
Friends forever (You can have two commanders if both have friends forever.)
New text:
{T}: Add {C}{C}. Spend this mana only to cast artifact spells or activate abilities of artifacts.
Partner—Friends forever (You can have two commanders if both have this ability.)
Zinnia and Ashling’s Excellent Templating Adventure
0004_MTGBLB_CmdrFace: Zinnia, Valley’s Voice
0001_MTGECL_CommBord: Ashling, the Limitless
Zinnia, Valley’s Voice is a bit of an oddball. By adding offspring to creature spells, Zinnia gives those spells both an optional additional cost and an ability that functions from the battlefield that cares whether that cost was paid. This can get a bit confusing in some cases. For example, say you cast a creature spell while you control Zinnia and you pay the offspring cost, and then Zinnia leaves the battlefield before that spell resolves. Even though you paid the offspring cost, you don’t get a 1/1 when that creature enters because the creature spell lost offspring when Zinnia left the battlefield. If you’re surprised to hear that, I guarantee you’re not alone!
With that in mind, we’ve created a new template for the last ability of Zinnia, Valley’s Voice as well as rules support for that template. We’ve also applied this template to Ashling, the Limitless from Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander since that ability is quite similar and the intent behind its ability is the same. This is a functional change; both Zinnia and Ashling will grant abilities to appropriate spells as you cast them, and the permanents those spells become will have those abilities regardless of whether Zinnia or Ashling are still on the battlefield when those spells resolve.
Zinnia, Valley’s Voice
Old text:
Flying
Zinnia gets +X/+0, where X is the number of other creatures you control with base power 1.
Creature spells you cast have offspring {2}. (You may pay an additional {2} as you cast a creature spell. If you do, when that creature enters, create a 1/1 token copy of it.)
New text:
Flying
Zinnia gets +X/+0, where X is the number of other creatures you control with base power 1.
Creature spells you cast gain offspring {2} as you cast them. (You may pay an additional {2} as you cast a creature spell. If you do, when that creature enters, create a 1/1 token copy of it.)
Ashling, the Limitless
Old text:
Elemental spells you cast from your hand have evoke {4}. (If you cast a spell for its evoke cost, it’s sacrificed when it enters.)
Whenever you sacrifice a nontoken Elemental, create a token that’s a copy of it. The token gains haste until end of turn. At the beginning of your next end step, sacrifice it unless you pay {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}.
New text:
Elemental permanent spells you cast from your hand gain evoke {4} as you cast them. (If you cast a spell for its evoke cost, it’s sacrificed when it enters.)
Whenever you sacrifice a nontoken Elemental, create a token that’s a copy of it. The token gains haste until end of turn. At the beginning of your next end step, sacrifice it unless you pay {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}.
Lorwyn Eclipsed releases on January 23, 2026, and is available for preorder now from your local game store, Amazon, TCGplayer, and elsewhere Magic is sold.
