<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shapesharer" href="#" target="_blank">Shapesharer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CAlan+Pollack%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alan Pollack</a></em></p>
<p>We're going back to Lorwyn! Finally! I'm so excited to revisit the beloved plane and I know I'm not alone.</p>
<p>The Human-less plane with a creature type focus is the home of some of the most beautiful art in <em>Magic</em> and has given us a lot to revisit over the years. The first planeswalkers were printed here and before there was a mythic rarity!</p>
<p>With the return happening in <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em> next January, I wanted to discuss the things I hope to see again and the things I hope we skip this time around. Given the infrequency with which we revisit Lorwyn and we're not going back to a block of sets, I'll cover the things I love (and don't) from <em>Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, and Eventide. </em></p>
<h2>Things I Love About <em>Lorwyn</em> and <em>Shadowmoor</em> Blocks</h2>
<h3>Hybrid Mana</h3>
<p>One of my favorite pieces of technology that I very strongly associate with <em>Lorwyn</em> is hybrid mana. I know that it's from OG <em>Ravnica: City of Guilds, </em>but I've always really loved how well hybrid mana works in the <em>Lorwyn/Shadowmoor</em> blocks.</p>
<p>There are so many iconic hybrid cards that I love, like:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swans of Bryn Argoll" href="#" target="_blank">Swans of Bryn Argoll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Batwing Brume" href="#" target="_blank">Batwing Brume</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dire Undercurrents" href="#" target="_blank">Dire Undercurrents</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Plunder" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Plunder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murderous Redcap" href="#" target="_blank">Murderous Redcap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kitchen Finks" href="#" target="_blank">Kitchen Finks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fulminator Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Fulminator Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhys the Redeemed" href="#" target="_blank">Rhys the Redeemed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dire Undercurrents"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murderous Redcap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhys the Redeemed"></div></div>
<p>My strong association of hybrid mana with this plane comes from all these cards, but more so from some incredible cycles featured across the blocks.</p>
<p>The Liege cycle in <em>Shadowmoor</em> is such an achievement. Interesting and powerful designs that reward you for leaning toward committing to multicolored creatures and spells. While some are much stronger than others, there's no doubt that there's a space for each of these in the right deck.</p>
<p>My personal favorite is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deathbringer Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Deathbringer Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - a wonderful control piece that turns your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felisa, Fang of Silverquill" href="#" target="_blank">Felisa, Fang of Silverquill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Inklings and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa, Opulent Oligarch" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa, Opulent Oligarch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Spirits into beefier flying threats that gum up the board or threaten to end things.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deathbringer Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balefire Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murkfiend Liege"></div></div>
<p>Next to the Lieges, the Demigods are phenomenal creatures that today's design team would pin the legendary supertype to without hesitation. A cycle of Avatars that demand payment in pips of two colors, no matter their combination, these creatures all have interesting abilities and need to be answered.</p>
<p>Finding a place for these is a little more difficult, but there are certainly <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of All" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks out there slamming the cycle in the 99 as a nostalgia pull.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Godhead of Awe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deus of Calamity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dominus of Fealty"></div></div>
<p>Not to mention their accompanying Auras. I always keep an eye on these when new commanders get printed in case there's some synergy to exploit.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Steel of the Godhead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helm of the Ghastlord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fists of the Demigod"></div></div>
<h3>Set Mechanics</h3>
<p>There are a number of mechanics that are quintessentially <em>Lorwyn</em> and <em>Shadowmoor. </em>With some of these mechanics making their way onto more modern cards - for instance, evoke on the <em>Modern Horizons 2 </em>Elementals that warped things in some formats - I expect them to make a return.</p>
<p>Similarly, changeling has been used a few times since. While in the past, it was used to be the glue between all the kindred strategies, I expect it to return as well, but be represented less. Also, shout out to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistform Ultimus" href="#" target="_blank">Mistform Ultimus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ingot Chewer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirror Entity"></div></div>
<p>So what mechanics do we need to touch on?</p>
<p>Clash is a mechanic I'm always excited to see pop up. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marvo, Deep Operative" href="#" target="_blank">Marvo, Deep Operative</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very cool commander and adds plenty to decks that can make good use of it. If Marvo is an indication of where <em>WotC</em> design is at with new clash cards, I'd be stoked to see more.</p>
<p>I love a little gamble off the top of people's decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keen Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Keen Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feels like an honorary clash card. While there aren't many great clash cards out there, a new batch of them would definitely mean eyes on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Echoes" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Echoes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Could we see a clash legend? Potentially! I'm just hoping for more stuff like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spring Cleaning" href="#" target="_blank">Spring Cleaning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can turn a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disenchant" href="#" target="_blank">Disenchant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into an asymmetrical enchantment wipe. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Woodland Guidance" href="#" target="_blank">Woodland Guidance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can be a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Regrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a little cheeky untap to it. Clash is fun! You're rewarded for playing cards with high mana values and the trend lately is that mana values have been going down. It's the perfect time to bring this mechanic back.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spring Cleaning"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Recross the Paths"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pollen Lullaby"></div></div>
<p>My wish list is getting a little long, but it would bring me so much joy to see more wither and persist in <em>Magic. </em>My world for a Jund commander that would make running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons" href="#" target="_blank">Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Scorpion God" href="#" target="_blank">The Scorpion God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the same deck worth it!</p>
<p>The polar opposite to the ever-present +1/+1 counters, -1/-1 counters might mean you need a different set of dice to track things, but they are so fun. As an Aristocrats lover, persist is definitely something I'd love to see come back.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Everlasting Torment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cauldron of Souls"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cauldron Haze"></div></div>
<p>There are only 13 cards in <em>Magic</em> with conspire. Only two of those are recent; the rest all come from these sets.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wort, the Raidmother" href="#" target="_blank">Wort, the Raidmother</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't as popular as she once was, but you haven't lived until you've conspired <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Battle Hymn" href="#" target="_blank">Battle Hymn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinning Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Twinning Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> out to get a conspired <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banefire" href="#" target="_blank">Banefire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, ending the game.</p>
<p>I've got a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rassilon, the War President" href="#" target="_blank">Rassilon, the War President</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck that has been really fun. I believe a new conspire legend in a different set of colors would go hard. Would putting conspire on new spells be any fun? Probably! But at this point, I think we're at the point where a legend granting conspire is likely where things are headed.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gleeful Sabotage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Memory Sluice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wort, the Raidmother"></div></div>
<h3>Reprint the Filter Lands</h3>
<p>Look, I'm not going to spend much time here. Bring back the filter lands, <em>WotC</em>! Get 'em in Standard, why not!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Gate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Graven Cairns"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cascade Bluffs"></div></div>
<h3>Can't Forget About the Art</h3>
<p>Some of the coolest art in the game comes from these blocks. The beautifully painted pieces that flesh out the environment and the world, the flowing fantasy, the use of color, shadows and light - ugh! I missed this period of <em>Magic</em> and the thought of opening a box of these cards would make me weep from the art alone. I mean, just singling out Rebecca Guay's 15 cards from these sets would get me there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enchanted Evening"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peppersmoke"></div></div>
<p>The world is so rich and evocative and even the teaser images for the upcoming return to <em>Lorwyn </em>assure me that the art department is ready to revisit just as much as we are.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloom Tender"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Augury Adept"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Painter&#039;s Servant"></div></div>
<h2>Things I Could Leave Behind</h2>
<p>While this plane has given us many cool mechanics and important firsts, it's also given us some mechanics I'd rather let go. Not to mention, the kindred/typal focus isn't my favorite way to go. I think prowl might be the exception for me, but otherwise, I don't really feel a pull from kindred strategies.</p>
<h3>Kinship</h3>
<p>With that in mind, kinship is a mechanic that feels like it's been reworked on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald&#039;s Horn" href="#" target="_blank">Herald&#039;s Horn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It feels like a little bit too much of a box, and while I appreciate some restrictions on cards to see how I can make them work, the coolest cards require you to jam them only in the typal decks they belong to and that doesn't scratch an itch for me.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leaf-Crowned Elder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Squeaking Pie Grubfellows"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sensation Gorger"></div></div>
<p>I like Faeries plenty, but I don't feel the urge to put together a Faerie deck. I know that's what people like about this set, and <em>Bloomburrow</em> was popular thanks to its focus on critters' creature types, but...eh.</p>
<h3>Champion</h3>
<p>There's a good reason we haven't seen champion come back. It's narrow, it's confusing, and the payoffs are either awful or abusable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistbind Clique" href="#" target="_blank">Mistbind Clique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wanderwine Prophets" href="#" target="_blank">Wanderwine Prophets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are infamous for infinites in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist" href="#" target="_blank">Inalla, Archmage Ritualist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boggart Mob"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nova Chaser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Changeling Titan"></div></div>
<p>It would take a really cool design for me to be happy to see this mechanic again and even then, please don't be a cycle, dear lord, please.</p>
<h3>Hideaway</h3>
<p>Probably my most controversial inclusion on the list. I think hideaway just isn't it. We've seen it return already; it's a mini game that's interesting to some players, which is why some of these hideaway lands are included in precons, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mosswort Bridge" href="#" target="_blank">Mosswort Bridge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spinerock Knoll" href="#" target="_blank">Spinerock Knoll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howltooth Hollow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shelldock Isle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windbrisk Heights"></div></div>
<p>I don't need it back in the set so desperately. Maybe it'd be nice to have playable blue and black lands out of the cycle, but truly, it's not something I'm particularly interested in. I know people like it plenty and we've even seen <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Collector&#039;s Cage" href="#" target="_blank">Collector&#039;s Cage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> do work in 60-card formats, but to me, it's not a marker of what makes <em>Lorwyn</em> feel like the beloved plane it is.</p>
<h2><em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em></h2>
<p><em>Lorwyn Eclipsed </em>is the first set slated for 2026, and I am thrilled to be back. What stuff from the Lorwyn/Shadowmoor plane are you most excited to see again? Are there any particular characters you hope to see reimagined? Let us know in the comments.</p>


What I Hope To See in Lorwyn Eclipsed

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arachnogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Arachnogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/algenpfleger">Johannes Voss</a>)</h6>
<h1>Prologue</h1>
<p>Hello and welcome to another installment of <em>Lore Seeker, </em>an article series devoted to the legendary creatures to whom <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> forgot to give a story. I’ll guide you through each fragment that makes up a legendary creature and finally give them a little extra background love. This time around we’ll be highlighting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thantis, the Warweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Thantis, the Warweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thantis, the Warweaver"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1>Story Circle</h1>
<p>A giant and malevolent spider who spins a monstrous web of burning mana across a vast forest, inciting rage in every creature that stumbles into its tangle. The fury of her prey feeds her own ferocity before she feasts on their corpses.</p>
<p>What is the influence of this spider on the forest where she spins her burning web? What is life like for the denizens of that very same forest? Tainted.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tainted Peak"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tainted Wood"></div></div>
<p>The monstrous web of mana creates an energy source for creatures and plants to feed off of, inciting rage and filling their hearts with hate. Beasts grow larger, humans grow sour, and the land grows lush with rot. Thantis sits atop the food chain of nasty critters and bog dwellers in her dank, humid swamp. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haze Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Haze Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, hags, and horrors fight for control of areas most saturated with the web's mana. There is an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overabundance" href="#" target="_blank">Overabundance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of mana in these locations, but it comes at a cost. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabarbs" href="#" target="_blank">Manabarbs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning Earth" href="#" target="_blank">Burning Earth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are additional great representations of the Thantis's influence on the world.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haze Frog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hag Hedge-Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overabundance"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Card Analysis</h1>
<h2>Name:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-34739 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/thantis_name2.jpg" alt="" width="389" height="105" /></p>
<p><strong>Weave: </strong>interlace; contrive - to plan with ingenuity or form designs.</p>
<p>Her name implies a rather large intelligence. Was this creature born with that intelligence? Is it something she harnessed from the world around her? Was she herself tainted from the start? Or was she created by someone or something to serve a malicious purpose?</p>
<p>Thantis was once the familiar of a witch that lived in this forest, an intelligent hag that made deals and took what she wanted. The hag has died, but Thantis has carried on her master's work. Continually growing in size from constant feasting, her power has reached new heights and expanded her area of influence, whipping more creatures into a frenzy, drawing them to her, feasting on them, and growing more powerful, etc., etc.</p>
<p>For this reason,our final deck will include a Witch/Hag subtheme, and I've even given them their own familiars. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderscape Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderscape Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works quite well as ramp (and is part of a familiar cycle you should probably take a look at). Additionally, boggy Frogs are <em>excellent </em>familiars, especially ones as deadly and powerful as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog Monster" href="#" target="_blank">The Gitrog Monster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderscape Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desecrator Hag"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Gitrog Monster"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Mana Cost//Color Identity:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-34740 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/thantis_cost.jpg" alt="" width="171" height="83" /></p>
<p><strong>Black: </strong>"Do what you want until someone more powerful stops you."</p>
<p><strong>Red: </strong>"Live life how you want, rules be damned!"</p>
<p><strong>Green: </strong>"Life is a cycle - what lives must die."</p>
<p>Jund is the color combination that embodies the most raw and brutal aspects of nature. Green makes creatures large, red makes them act with minimal foresight, and black makes them take power for power's sake. A high instinct to survive must be instilled in order to exist in Thantis's forest. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Survival of the Fittest" href="#" target="_blank">Survival of the Fittest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in its fiercest form. To embrace the feel of natural selection the majority of our removal is in the form of fight cards; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulvenwald Tracker" href="#" target="_blank">Ulvenwald Tracker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Way" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Way</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a couple versions of the effect we are looking for. And after the beasts fight, they <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feast on the Fallen" href="#" target="_blank">Feast on the Fallen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Survival of the Fittest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulvenwald Tracker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feast on the Fallen"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Art:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-34734 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/thantis_art.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="316" /></p>
<p>Thantis is a creature that I do not want to mess with; she has all the warning signs of being horrifically dangerous, and her design is reminiscent of a Red Widow, also called the <em>Latrodectus Bishopi</em>, one of the most dangerous spiders on the planet. It boasts a neurotoxin in its venom that can cause permanent muscle spasms in its victims. Yippee!!</p>
<p>Luckily this spider is only located in central and southern parts of Florida, living primarily in Palmetto bushes.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-34972 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/palmetto.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></p>
<p>You know, these things that are everywhere in Florida? Yeah, they hang out in these... I'm never going to Florida. A bite from a Red Widow is rarely fatal, as they are too small to deliver more than 1/5th of a lethal dose to a human, but still.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Also, is something crawling on me...? Let's move on.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Type Line:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-34738 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/thantis_type.jpg" alt="" width="594" height="55" /></p>
<p>Tribal is a huge theme on EDHREC, and not only for Thantis: a large majority of the creatures I have written about have many tribe-related cards in their top cards. Thantis being the first legendary Spider with the colors to run all previous Spiders (minus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Spider" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Spider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pale Recluse" href="#" target="_blank">Pale Recluse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), it makes sense that nearly every playable Spider makes an appearance on her <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/thantis-the-warweaver">EDHREC page</a>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Spider tribal doesn't have enough support yet to make a dedicated Spider deck. The best Spider-related card (and the only one we are running) is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arachnogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Arachnogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It fits really well in this deck; combat is going to be a huge component of these games, and there are going to be plenty of times where we will be unable to block. This spell is perfect for Thantis and belongs in every one of her decks, which means that the 59% of Thantis players who aren't running it need to step their game up!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arachnogenesis"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Rules Text:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-34737 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/thantis_rules.jpg" alt="" width="446" height="174" /></p>
<p>I love the flavor in her abilities. Vigilance allows Thantis to block and attack with impunity, while reach ensures the she can block almost anything coming at you. She feeds off of the energy from attacking creatures, increasing her power and toughness. She also puts a definite clock on the game; forcing attacks will draw a lot of hate towards us, which is good for Thantis, but bad for our supple, soft bodies, so defense is going to be just as important as offense.</p>
<p>We're going to come at this from two angles: preventing combat damage, and encouraging combat between other players. As mentioned before, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arachnogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Arachnogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fantastic Spider card, but it also helps with our plan of preventing damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Constant Mists" href="#" target="_blank">Constant Mists</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lull" href="#" target="_blank">Lull</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moment&#039;s Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Moment&#039;s Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fill out our protection package. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crown of Doom" href="#" target="_blank">Crown of Doom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="No Mercy" href="#" target="_blank">No Mercy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are going to have our opponents looking elsewhere for attacks, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disrupt Decorum" href="#" target="_blank">Disrupt Decorum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> leaves them with no other choice.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Constant Mists"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="No Mercy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disrupt Decorum"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Flavor Text:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-34735 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/thantis_flavor.jpg" alt="" width="491" height="64" /></p>
<p>"Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble."<br />
<em> - Shakespeare's Macbeth; The Weird Sisters</em></p>
<p>Thantis's flavor text reminds me of a witch's brew, or the witch from Hansel and Gretel, luring unsuspecting victims and modifying their minds with one concoction or another. This line of thinking is what brought me to the sub-theme of Witches in the first place. It reminded me of the "combo" of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Festering Newt" href="#" target="_blank">Festering Newt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bogbrew Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bogbrew Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bubbling Cauldron" href="#" target="_blank">Bubbling Cauldron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Without much tutor support, these three cards would be really hard to find, and even when they are together, the effects are pretty underwhelming. So unfortunately, these cards did not make the cut. Instead, I decided to go the route of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Accursed Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Accursed Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterheart Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterheart Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, using curses to hinder our opponents. I also found a gem of a removal spell for this deck in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Witch&#039;s Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Witch&#039;s Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which repeatedly destroys any creature that tries to block.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Accursed Witch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Bloodletting"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Witch&#039;s Mist"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Deck</h1>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-34961 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TBasics.jpg" alt="" width="687" height="317" /></p>
<p><em>Shadowmoor</em> has the perfect scenery for this deck. It's dark, misty, and overgrown. I can visualize Witches and Spiders living all over this place. *shivers*</p>
<p>The most expensive card in the deck by a long shot is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Survival of the Fittest" href="#" target="_blank">Survival of the Fittest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It is incredibly powerful and cannot be printed again. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fauna Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Fauna Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fine approximation of the effect and will do the job in a deck like this if you're looking to trim the budget. She also fits well flavorfuly as another forest-dwelling sorcerer.</p>
<p>This is a very slow deck. Take your time to set up and wait for a good handful of creatures to hit the battlefield before Thantis arrives. This is some true "battlecruiser" <em>Magic</em>, waiting until late in the game to throw down haymakers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Companion for a Witch" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Thantis, the Warweaver
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Spore Frog
*1 Ulvenwald Tracker
*1 Hunted Horror
*1 Instigator
*1 Spiteflame Witch
*1 Tattermunge Witch
*1 Thunderscape Familiar
*1 Bog Witch
*1 Hag Hedge-Mage
*1 Maddening Imp
*1 Rhonas the Indomitable
*1 Accursed Witch
*1 Desecrator Hag
*1 Hunted Troll
*1 Bitterheart Witch
*1 Garna, the Bloodflame
*1 Haze Frog
*1 Hunted Dragon
*1 The Gitrog Monster
*1 Pathbreaker Ibex
*1 Sower of Discord
*1 Tsabo Tavoc
*1 Archfiend of Despair
*1 Stonehoof Chieftain
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Dolmen Gate
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Gruul Signet
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Coalition Relic
*1 Crown of Doom
*1 Jar of Eyeballs
*1 Cauldron of Souls
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Sylvan Offering
*1 Domri&#039;s Ambush
*1 Flesh // Blood
*1 Nature&#039;s Way
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Cultivate
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Disrupt Decorum
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Constant Mists
*1 Fall of the Hammer
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Lull
*1 Moment&#039;s Peace
*1 Arachnogenesis
*1 Sudden Spoiling
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Survival of the Fittest
*1 Feast on the Fallen
*1 Overabundance
*1 Witch&#039;s Mist
*1 Burning Earth
*1 Defense of the Heart
*1 Endless Whispers
*1 Manabarbs
*1 No Mercy
*1 Curse of Bloodletting
*1 Curse of Death&#039;s Hold
*1 Lost in the Woods
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Canyon Slough
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Forbidden Orchard
*10 Forest
*1 Mana Confluence
*6 Mountain
*1 Mountain Valley
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Rocky Tar Pit
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*6 Swamp
*1 Swarmyard
*1 Tainted Peak
*1 Tainted Wood
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h1>Epilogue</h1>
<p>This deck went through more iterations than I usually do for <em>Lore Seeker</em>. I have been fascinated by the idea of a combat-focused deck, but making it five colors with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami" href="#" target="_blank">O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the general. You get access to more tools, and I think by adding colors you are able to hone in on the very specific disadvantage that Thantis forces upon you. There are also a larger number of defensive cards available to you in blue and white that prevent people from attacking you. I think a deck like that is what will more likely be seen from Thantis, as attack and combat triggers are all over her page. Even so, I think this version of Thantis would be a lot of fun to pilot. I can't imagine it will win many games, but it will make a serious impact on those games by spinning a sinister web.</p>
<p>Thank you for reading! As always, let me know which legendary characters you’d like to see get the story spotlight in the future!</p>


shadowmoor

What I Hope To See in Lorwyn Eclipsed

Lore Seeker - Fevered Forest Fervor

Dig Through Time — Shadowmoor/Eventide