Shadowmoor

Shadowmoor is the forty-fifth Magic expansion and was released in May 2008 as the first set in the Shadowmoor block. Prerelease tournaments were held April 19–20, 2008. Release events were held May 2–4, 2008.

Set details
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. It is also a large expansion released in May, when usually a small expansion is released. Together with the previous Lorwyn block, they formed a four set mega-block.

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.

Flavor and storyline
Shadowmoor was once the world of Lorwyn — in fact, in a sense, it still is. But thanks to the Great Aurora, everything's changed. Where it was once constantly sunny, now it is always night, steeped in gloom and fog, with only cold moonlight to light the skies. Once-clear waters have turned brackish and chill. The howling wind creaks the brittle branches of rotting trees. Life, once abundant, either struggles to survive or is twisted into something vicious and cruel. This is not a world of despair, but of oppressive terror and constant death.

Except for Faeries, each of the major races has its main colors changed:
 * Flamekins: Mono- → / (Cinders)
 * Elves: / → /
 * Giants: / → /
 * Goblins: / → /
 * Kithkin: / → /
 * Merfolk: / → /
 * Treefolk: // → /

Marketing
Shadowmoor was sold in 75-card tournament decks, 16-card booster packs, five preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. All products except the boosters contained a random Pro Tour Player Card. The booster packs featured artwork from Murderous Redcap, Grief Tyrant, Ashenmoor Gouger, Reaper King and Faerie Macabre. Starting with Shadowmoor, the fat pack was redesigned to include one storage box rather than two, and eight boosters rather than six. The panorama art piece that wraps the contents is 2¼" shorter as a result. The promotional prerelease cards for Shadowmoor was Demigod of Revenge with alternate art. The promotional release card for Shadowmoor was Vexing Shusher. The set was accompanied by the anthology of the same name, consisting of stories written by Cory J. Herndon, Scott McGough and others.

Like Morningtide boosters before them, boosters of Shadowmoor come with a bonus sixteenth card that is either a "rules card" or a creature token. One face of the Shadowmoor bonus card has one of six different rules tips or one of twelve different creature tokens. The other face has one of six advertisements for organized play programs, Gleemax, fat packs and Eventide.

Tips & Tricks
The tips & tricks cards are
 * Rules Tip: is the Untap Symbol
 * Rules Tip: +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters
 * Rules Tip: and  Are Hybrid Mana Symbols
 * Rules Tip: Conspire
 * Rules Tip: Persist
 * Rules Tip: Wither

Tokens
The Shadowmoor tokens are:
 * 1/1 Kithkin Soldier produced by Repel Intruders</c>
 * 1/1 Spirit with flying produced by Spectral Procession</c>
 * 1/1 Rat produced by Plague of Vermin</c>
 * 1/1 Elemental produced by Elemental Mastery</c>
 * 1/1 Elf Warrior produced by Flourishing Defenses</c> and Presence of Gond</c>
 * 1/2 Spider with reach produced by Gloomwidow's Feast</c>
 * 2/2 Wolf produced by Howl of the Night Pack</c>
 * 1/1 Faerie Rogue with flying produced by Oona, Queen of the Fae</c>
 * 5/5 Elemental produced by Din of the Fireherd</c>
 * 4/4 Giant Warrior with haste produced by Giantbaiting</c>
 * 1/1 Goblin Warrior produced by Wort, the Raidmother</c>
 * 1/1 Elf Warrior produced by Mercy Killing</c> and Rhys the Redeemed</c>

Misprints

 * Reflecting Pool</c> the white mana symbol was mistakenly inserted into the foil treatment of the text box of the premium version of the card, as it was carried over from the premium Mistveil Plains</c>.

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 undefined must be untapped. This ability appeared primarily in white and blue.

Further, the set includes a cycle of lands which 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.

Cycles
Shadowmoor has 26 cycles. Seven of them are part of the Shadowmoor block mega cycles. The remaining 19 cycles are:

Mega Cycles
Shadowmoor has seven mega cycles as part of the Shadowmoor block mega cycles. The allied colored set in Shadowmoor are:

Reprinted cards

 * <c>Corrupt</c>, first printed in Urza's Saga, last seen in Seventh Edition
 * <c>Flow of Ideas</c>, first printed in Ravnica: City of Guilds
 * <c>Graven Cairns</c>, first printed in Future Sight
 * <c>Last Breath</c>, first printed in Mercadian Masques
 * <c>Mistmeadow Skulk</c>, first printed in Future Sight
 * <c>Reflecting Pool</c>, first printed in Tempest
 * <c>Torture</c>, first printed in Homelands, last seen in 5th Edition

Colorshifted

 * <c>Power of Fire</c>, red colorshifted version of <c>Hermetic Study</c> (Urza's Saga)

Reflections
Several cards from Shadowmoor were designed to reflect cards printed in Lorwyn and Morningtide, playing up the set's theme as a dark reflection of the world of Lorwyn:

Mechanical Reflections:
 * <c>Boggart Arsonists</c> is a reflection of <c>Boggart Loggers</c>.
 * <c>Torture</c> is a reflection of <c>Daily Regimen</c>.
 * <c>Hollowsage</c> is a reflection of <c>Fallowsage</c>.
 * <c>Incremental Blight</c> is a reflection of <c>Incremental Growth</c>.
 * <c>Kithkin Shielddare</c> is a reflection of <c>Kithkin Daggerdare</c>.
 * <c>Kinscaer Harpoonist</c> is a reflection of <c>Kinsbaile Balloonist</c>. Magicthegathering.com's Wallpaper of the Week featured a wallpaper of the two artworks together on May 30, 2008.

Flavor Reflections:
 * <c>Mistmeadow Skulk</c> is a reflection of <c>Goldmeadow Dodger</c>.
 * <c>Rhys the Redeemed</c> is a reflection of <c>Rhys the Exiled</c>.
 * <c>Sygg, River Cutthroat</c> is a reflection of <c>Sygg, River Guide</c>.
 * <c>Wort, the Raidmother</c> is a reflection of <c>Wort, Boggart Auntie</c>.
 * <c>Graven Cairns</c> is a reflection of <c>Ancient Amphitheater</c>.
 * <c>Fire-Lit Thicket</c> is a reflection of <c>Auntie's Hovel</c>.
 * <c>Sunken Ruins</c> is a reflection of both <c>Wanderwine Hub</c> and <c>Rustic Clachan</c>.
 * <c>Wooded Bastion</c> is a reflection of <c>Gilt-Leaf Palace</c>.

Notable cards

 * <c>Firespout</c> A hybrid sorcery with a casting cost of . This casting cost is cheaper than a 3-point <c>Earthquake</c> or <c>Hurricane</c>. If  is spent to cast Firesprout then it deals 3 damage to each non-flying creature, if  is spent to cast Firesprout then it deals 3 damage to each flying creature. Also, if  is spent in the casting cost it deals 3 damage to all creatures - a very good bargain.
 * <c>Kitchen Finks</c> Hard to kill due to Persist and gaining life, this card would often simply shut down very aggressive decks.
 * <c>Murderous Redcap</c> May be characterized as the Finks evil twin, this card also has Persist and deals damage equal to its power when it enters the battlefield.
 * <c>Painter's Servant</c> Infamous for being part of a two-card combo with <c>Grindstone</c>.
 * <c>Reflecting Pool</c> As a reprint already famous, this card enabled some very strong and diverse mana bases in combination with the Vivid Lands from Lorwyn.
 * <c>Runed Halo</c> The first card to grant Protection to a player rather than a creature.
 * <c>Safewright Quest</c> A land tutor with a casting cost of . It is also the first land tutor that can search for either a Forest or Plains specifically.
 * <c>Savor the Moment</c> This is the cheapest casting cost "take an extra turn" spell since Alpha's <c>Time Walk</c>, at just  but has the drawback of skipping the untap step of that turn.
 * <c>Smash to Smithereens</c> An improved version of the card <c>Shatter</c>, Smash to Smithereens also deals 3 damage to the artifact's controller.
 * <c>Spectral Procession</c> A card which was initially dismissed later shaped Standard significantly as it provided three cheap, flying creatures who all individually would be able to take advantage of power/toughness boosting effects like <c>Glorious Anthem</c> or <c>Ajani Goldmane</c>.
 * <c>Strip Bare</c> At just, this instant destroys all auras and equipment attached to a target creature.
 * <c>Swans of Bryn Argoll</c> 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, e.g. with <c>Seismic Assault</c> or <c>Chain of Plasma</c>.
 * <c>Wheel of Sun and Moon</c> This card can be used to hose an opponent who is reliant on their graveyard by enchanting them, or hosing an opponent with a mill strategy by enchanting oneself.
 * <c>Vexing Shusher</c> This goblin is an annoyance to control decks and is a strong card for Legacy sideboards.

Misprint

 * All printed versions of the foil have a white mana symbol behind the text.

Preconstructed decks
Shadowmoor features five two-colored, allied-colored theme decks.