Shadowmoor Minisite

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I did want to generate a post on Lorwyn and Morningtide changelings today but Wizards decided to put up the much-anticipated Shadowmoor mini-Site. So I have decided a change in course and will devote one more post to discuss what we may expect for this set's release on May 2nd, 2008.

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First off however, let us have a look at what the 'Orb of Insight' has been generating for curious.

The Orb application, hosted on the Wizards site, allows the user to type in a word (or number). The Orb then informs you how many times that word appears on (each of the 301) Shadowmoor set of cards. Although you are able to enter numbers and mana abbreviations to try and figure out mana costs and activation costs (including hybrid mana), the Orb does not does not count flavor text.

To this end, the spoiler nutters over at MTG Salvation and other sites have generated some interesting numbers. Please note that if a keyed-in word appears twice on a card, the Orb will of course provide a count on both those words.

There are a possibility of 115 creature spells and 186 non-creature spells. From this, the spoiler fanatics have 'crunched the numbers' as it were and provided the anticipated break down as such;


TRIBES / RACES
SCARECROW: 38 / ELEMENTAL: 27 / ELF: 23 / KITHKIN: 21 / GOBLIN: 19 / FAERIE: 17 / GIANT: 16 / MERFOLK: 15
There is also a handful of of other critters including Dragons, Wurms, Trolls, including a Demon and an Angel.

CLASSES
WARRIOR: 33 / SHAMAN: 22 / WIZARD: 14 / ROGUE: 14 / SOLDIER: 13 / KNIGHT: 10 / CLERIC: 6 / DRUID: 5
There also appears to be allowances for mages and even an assassin in this mix.

ABILITIES
Flying: 41 ( OMG ! ) / Haste: 14 / Trample: 10 / Vigilance: 6
There is an anticipated return of first and perhaps double strike.

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Some notes . . .

It appears that Shapeshifters were not invited to the Shadowmoor party - or at least all of them except one.

It also appears that since the Shadow of the Aurora has now blocked out the sun, the Lorwyn and Morningtide Treefolk are going the way of the Dodo bird. In their place however are 'Scarecrows'.
From the artwork, I will guess that these new entities are the magical constructs of goblins . . . who would have guess - - Treefolk and Boggarts in cahoots !