Top Trades: January 13 - January 20

Chomping Changeling | Illustrated by Jeff Laubenstein

Howdy folks, and welcome to Top Trades, the weekly series where we check in with some of the most popular cards here at Cardsphere. So, with Lorwyn Eclipsed's prerelease behind us and the full launch looming over the horizon, what cards have been moving around? Let's take a look!

Honorable Mention - Mai, Scornful Striker

Number of Trades: 8 --- Number of Cards Traded: 9

Alrighty, folks, say your goodbyes to Avatar: The Last Airbender for the time being: this week's honorable mention is the only card from the set we'll see on today's list. Bidding us farewell is Mai, Scornful Striker.

For , Mai is legendary 2/2 Human Noble Ally creature with first strike and "Whenever a player casts a noncreature spell, they lose 2 life."

Mai is exactly the kind of aggressive pseudo-stax piece that can come out of a sideboard and ruin a player's day. Cast it in the early turns to pressure life totals purely through combat, then watch as the triggered ability slowly ticks away at opposing life totals. Not too bad for .

#5 - Silvergill Peddler

Number of Trades: 8 --- Number of Cards Traded: 9

Coming in at fifth place this week is our first Lorwyn Eclipsed card: Silvergill Peddler.

For , Silvergill Peddler is a 2/3 Merfolk Citizen with "Whenever this creature becomes tapped, draw a card, then discard a card." While that may at first just look like an attack trigger with extra language disguising it, this card actually fits into one of the set's broader themes: convoke.

Convoke is making a big comeback in Lorwyn Eclipsed, branching out beyond its traditional green and white domain and spreading further into other colors, especially blue. So, while Silvergill Peddler can function on its own as a 2/3 that loots when it attacks, the card actually serves a much bigger purpose when played alongside other Lorwyn Eclipsed cards: looting when it's used to convoke a spell.

#4 - Chomping Changeling

Number of Trades: 8 --- Number of Cards Traded: 12

Next up on our week of Lorwyn Eclipsed cards is Chomping Changeling, a redo of Reclamation Sage that's still an Elf... as well as every other creature type.

For , Chomping Changeling is a 1/2 Shapeshifter creature with changeling (meaning that it's all creature types at all times and in all zones). Plus, when Chomping Changeling enters, you get to destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment.

Three-mana creatures that blow up artifacts and enchantments are a well-known space in Magic, although they're most commonly associated with Elves. Chomping Changeling matches that, but - thanks to the changeling mechanic - it can also fit in perfectly with any other green typal deck. Beasts? Check. Slivers? Check again. Octopuses? It works there, too!

#3 - Harmonized Crescendo

Number of Trades: 9 --- Number of Cards Traded: 9

Coming in at third place is exactly the kind of effect that has increased Silvergill Peddler's popularity: Harmonized Crescendo, a big blue spell with convoke.

For , Harmonized Crescendo is an instant with convoke that asks you to choose a creature type, then you'll draw a card for each permanent you control of the chosen type.

First off, let's just talk about the raw power of this card. An instant that allows you to completely replenish your hand after you've dumped a boat-load of creatures into play is exactly the kind of late-game play that typal decks, regardless of their central creature type, love to play. Six mana is a steep cost, but convoke easily offsets that in go-wide strategies, while the instant-speed nature of the card means that you're never pressured to cast it at an inopportune moment.

Finally, it's worth noting that this card draws you cards not based on creatures you control, but permanents. The kindred card type, while uncommon, has made a real return in Lorwyn Eclipsed, allowing for extra marginal gains if you're optimized for it.

#2 - Formidable Speaker

Number of Trades: 9 --- Number of Cards Traded: 10

Here as our penultimate pick for the week is also my personal pick for the second-strongest card in Lorwyn Eclipsed, and that's Formidable Speaker.

For , Formidable Speaker is a 2/4 Elf Druid that has ", : Untap target permanent." Additionally, when it enters, you can discard a creature card. If you do, you get to search your library for a creature card, put it into your hand, then shuffle.

Starting off with the enters trigger, tutors are essentially always powerful, and Formidable Speaker is no different. Imperial Recruiter and Recruiter of the Guard both have the same mana value as Formidable Speaker and have serious restrictions on what they can grab when they enter; Formidable Speaker, meanwhile, allows you to grab any creature, provided you can pay the cost of discarding a creature card. While that doesn't mean it's a strict upgrade over those other two cards, it is certainly a powerful sidegrade that can be easily abused.

Secondly, the untap effect. If you've ever played in a format with Gaea's Cradle, you know just how powerful a single untap activation can be. Formidable Speaker's cost to activate is cheap, unbounded in what it can target, and unrestricted in terms of when it can be activated; all the hallmarks of a competitive card.

#1 - Midnight Tilling

Number of Trades: 11 --- Number of Cards Traded: 13

Here we are folks, this week's most traded pick: another Lorwyn Eclipsed card, it's time to talk about Midnight Tilling.

For , Midnight Tilling is an instant that causes you to mill four cards, then you may return a permanent card from among those milled cards from your graveyard to your hand.

Midnight Tilling is far from the most broken card on our list, but it does serve an important purpose: providing green with a playable cantrip. As a two-mana instant, this card is a cheap, flexible way to filter through your deck and find exactly the kinds of game-winning permanents that green is known for (did you know that Craterhoof Behemoth is in Standard?). At the same time, Midnight Tilling also offers graveyard decks a way to put some of their best cards straight into the bin without needing the likes of Entomb.

All this to say, for , Midnight Tilling can offer a lot of players a decent amount of card selection.

Wrap Up

Lorwyn Eclipsed hasn't even had its full release yet, and already we're seeing the rumblings of a powerful, popular set. Check back in next week to see if the winning streak continues, and thanks for reading!