Sorry if there is a similar thread already here, I saw those things being mentioned, but no thread really listing them.
Since Shadowmoor will somehow be linked to LOR/MOR but will also be an "own block", there will mostly be subthemes that will be continued in Shadowmoor.
Tribal is NO subtheme, so I don't think they'll continue with Tribal. (There might be some Tribal - the card type - spells, however...for flavor reasons)
So let's look at the subthemes we've got that might be continued with Shadowmoor:
1.) +1/+1 counters: I think this one's pretty obvious; Morningtide is dealing with them heavily, it also has an own keyword for them, we have some cards like Hunter of Eyeblights in Lorwyn.
I'm pretty sure they are going to matter in Shadowmoor.
2.) Library manipulation / Top card of library: Lorwyn had Clash and the Harbingers, Morningtide has Kinship. The manipulation of the top card of the library definitely is a subtheme. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we saw this in Shadowmoor.
Do you think there's another subtheme in LOR/MOR that I have missed?
Well subthemes ussually have something to "the new thing" that's going on in the larger course of the game. In Kamigawa they changed the Legend rule, so it was Legendary creatures. In Ravnica when they changed Enchant spells to Auras, lo' and behold auras galore. If one wants to find what they next subtheme is, one must merely look at what Wizards fundamentally changed to the game.
My best guesses:
1) Planeswalkers. They are quite new and quite uninteractive as of now, probably cause the designers don't want to eff' them up. Expect to see some elaboration with them and soon.
2) Tribal. Cummon, its a NEW card type. It's likely that some Tribals will appear here and there.
3) Clash. A new keyword action. Either more clash itself or more clash enablers.
4) New card frames. Not really anything game altering but looking back at the last 7 sets there has been a new card frame (If you include the hybrid cards in Ravnica). Expect to see something flashy in the aesthetics of the cards. Wouldn't be entirely too surprised if they had a funky new mana symbol either.
5) Tokens. Yeah every set has them, but I'm inclined to think that Wizards will want to make some flashier ones this time around. Just because everyone knows that SHA will have zombies doesn't mean that they'll make generic ones; a token in the kewlness ballpark of Marit Lage or Urami should hit in Shadowmoor.
6) KEYWORDS KEYWORDS KEYWORDS!!! They are keywording everything nowadays. The next things I expect to see keyworded are "This creature attacks each turn if able," "All creatures able to block this creature do so" and "THIS CREATURE can't be the target of spells and abilites your opponents control"
Since Shadowmoor will somehow be linked to LOR/MOR but will also be an "own block", there will mostly be subthemes that will be continued in Shadowmoor.
Tribal is NO subtheme, so I don't think they'll continue with Tribal. (There might be some Tribal - the card type - spells, however...for flavor reasons)
So let's look at the subthemes we've got that might be continued with Shadowmoor:
1.) +1/+1 counters: I think this one's pretty obvious; Morningtide is dealing with them heavily, it also has an own keyword for them, we have some cards like Hunter of Eyeblights in Lorwyn.
I'm pretty sure they are going to matter in Shadowmoor.
2.) Library manipulation / Top card of library: Lorwyn had Clash and the Harbingers, Morningtide has Kinship. The manipulation of the top card of the library definitely is a subtheme. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we saw this in Shadowmoor.
Do you think there's another subtheme in LOR/MOR that I have missed?
R/ Nasticore
My best guesses:
1) Planeswalkers. They are quite new and quite uninteractive as of now, probably cause the designers don't want to eff' them up. Expect to see some elaboration with them and soon.
2) Tribal. Cummon, its a NEW card type. It's likely that some Tribals will appear here and there.
3) Clash. A new keyword action. Either more clash itself or more clash enablers.
4) New card frames. Not really anything game altering but looking back at the last 7 sets there has been a new card frame (If you include the hybrid cards in Ravnica). Expect to see something flashy in the aesthetics of the cards. Wouldn't be entirely too surprised if they had a funky new mana symbol either.
5) Tokens. Yeah every set has them, but I'm inclined to think that Wizards will want to make some flashier ones this time around. Just because everyone knows that SHA will have zombies doesn't mean that they'll make generic ones; a token in the kewlness ballpark of Marit Lage or Urami should hit in Shadowmoor.
6) KEYWORDS KEYWORDS KEYWORDS!!! They are keywording everything nowadays. The next things I expect to see keyworded are "This creature attacks each turn if able," "All creatures able to block this creature do so" and "THIS CREATURE can't be the target of spells and abilites your opponents control"
It's already called "Shroud"
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=5401186#post5401186
Actually he is keywording Troll Ascetic, not shroud.