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Lorwyn's dark mirror, in hybrid
What this set is
Shadowmoor is Lorwyn after the Great Aurora turned it into a plane of perpetual night, and it is built on hybrid mana: 110 of its 286 different cards have hybrid symbols, and every two-color hybrid symbol uses an allied pair. It also introduced a second kind of hybrid symbol, paid with one colored mana or two generic, on Reaper King and a cycle that includes Spectral Procession.
Its mechanics are about -1/-1 counters. Wither deals damage to creatures as -1/-1 counters, persist returns a creature with a -1/-1 counter when it dies without one, and conspire copies a spell when you tap two creatures that share a color with it.
Commander players use its five allied filter lands, such as Mystic Gate and Graven Cairns, and Reflecting Pool, reprinted here from Tempest. Rhys the Redeemed, Sygg, River Cutthroat and Oona, Queen of the Fae are its most played legends.
Themes
Every mechanic in Shadowmoor
Hybrid mana
Back from Ravnica on far more cards. A hybrid symbol can be paid with either of its colors, and the card counts as both for Commander color identity.
Wither
This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters, which don't go away at end of turn.
Persist
When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. A second life, once.
Conspire
As you cast the spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with it. If you do, copy it.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Shadowmoor is a single code with nothing banned anywhere.
Not Standard-legal, and never Pioneer-legal: Pioneer starts at Return to Ravnica (October 2012). Everything here is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander unless a ban list says otherwise. None of its cards is banned or restricted in any of those formats. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Commanders
The most played commanders from Shadowmoor
The legends this set is best known for. Tap one for its printings and what it costs.
Boosters, precons and singles from Shadowmoor are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
Where can I play Shadowmoor cards?
In Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander, minus the cards each format bans. Shadowmoor left Standard long ago and was never in Pioneer, which starts in 2012.
Which filter lands are in Shadowmoor?
The allied five: Mystic Gate, Sunken Ruins, Graven Cairns, Fire-Lit Thicket and Wooded Bastion. Eventide printed the enemy five.
What does persist do?
When the creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, it returns to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Shadowmoor released on May 2, 2008; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
Playing Shadowmoor in Commander?
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