MTG SHADOWMOOR REGULAR MOL FACTORY SET

Shadowmoor contains 301 cards (80 rare, 80 uncommon, 121 common, and 20 basic lands). It is the first set of a so-called mini-block, the second being Eventide. Shadowmoor takes place on the plane of the same name, which is a reflection of Lorwyn, the setting of the previous block. Shadowmoor does not continue any mechanics or themes from Lorwyn and often inverts them. For example, while Lorwyn had a sub-theme involving +1/+1 counters, Shadowmoor uses -1/-1 counters instead. While Lorwyn contained only a few multicolored cards and Morningtide none, Shadowmoor contains many multicolored cards. The races native to Lorwyn also appear in Shadowmoor, but some switch color alignment. Additionally, a race of artifact creatures called Scarecrows is introduced.

The strongest theme of Shadowmoor is the usage of Hybrid mana which can be paid with mana of either of two colors. This mechanic was first introduced in the Ravnica block but is heavily expanded in this and the following set, Eventide. Shadowmoor focuses on Allied pairs. Every basic land in Shadowmoor is part of a two-card diptych. The expansion symbol of Shadowmoor is alternately interpreted as a bat wing, a dead leaf or the Jack-o'-lantern lid from the Reaper King, the King of the scarecrows. The latter is the official reading.

Mechanics

Shadowmoor expands on its hybrid theme with the introduction of mono-colored hybrid mana. This mana cost can be paid by either one mana of a specified color, or by two mana of any color. The converted mana cost of these cards is the highest possible.

Another new feature was the untap symbol which is used as a cost allowing a permanent to be untapped to produce some effect as listed on the card. The card must be tapped to use that ability, just as cards with the tap symbol must be untapped. This ability appeared primarily in white and blue.

Further, the set includes a cycle of lands that have basic land types, despite not being basic lands. To prevent them from being strictly better than basic lands, these enter the battlefield tapped. However, they can also be used for a specific, somewhat weak effect, if its controller also controls at least two permanents of the appropriate color.

Shadowmoor introduced the following keyword mechanics:

• Conspire — As you play this spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with it. When you do, copy it.
• Persist — When this creature is put into the graveyard from play if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to play under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.
• Wither — This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters. Primarily in red, black, and green.

Notable cards

• Fossil Find is the last card to refer to graveyard order; it only does so as other forms of randomly taken from the graveyard are less practical than shuffling face-down.
• Kitchen Finks was a key midrange card, with Persist and lifegain, it stifled burn-based aggressive decks.
• Painter's Servant is infamous for being part of a two-card combo with Grindstone.
• Reflecting Pool, a famous reprint, enabled five-color mana bases in combination with the Vivid Lands from Lorwyn.
• Runed Halo is the first card to grant Protection to a player rather than a creature.
• Safewright Quest is the first land tutor with a casting cost of 1 mana and searches for either a Forest or Plains specifically.
• Savor the Moment has the cheapest casting cost "take an extra turn" spell since Alpha's Time Walk, at 3 mana but has the drawback of skipping the untap step of that turn.
• Swans of Bryn Argoll was used in a few combo decks which would deal a large amount of damage to the Swans to draw a lot of cards and turn those cards into damage to the opponent, such as with Seismic Assault or Chain of Plasma.
• Wheel of Sun and Moon can be used to combat an opponent who is reliant on their graveyard by enchanting them or combatting an opponent with a mill strategy by enchanting oneself.
• Vexing Shusher and Guttural Response have seen play as an annoyance to blue control decks.
• Devoted Druid has proven to be a consistent combo enabler when combined with any way to prevent -1/-1 counters from being placed on it
• Fulminator Mage was a common answer in the early age of Modern sideboards for problematic nonbasic lands
• Smash to Smithereens is a sideboard favorite in burn decks in multiple formats
• Manamorphose is an important part of spell-based combo decks like Storm and Arclight Phoenix in Modern, Legacy, and Pauper, as an essentially "free spell" that refunds both mana and cards, especially when combined with cost reduction to turn it into a ritual
• Savor the Moment is a notably cheap extra turn spell for the Modern era, balanced by turning off the extra turn's untap step