The shadow element could be considered to be a shadow of other elements. A form of mana that could mimic the properties of other elemental forms.
It proved an optimal choice for runic arrays, a preference shared by Sansara Sage, who had a foundation in this element before becoming the prodigious Array Master of Anfang.
Particularly useful for creating spectral forms of Rankers, shadow-element runic arrays could mimic the attack patterns and powers of the original Rankers. Being a versatile void element, the shadow foundation allowed the generated spectral forms to wield a range of elemental attacks and maneuvers.
The true advantage of these spectral forms lay in their ability to phase in and out of material existence using their shadow-based mana bodies. This phasing allowed them to evade attacks by momentarily dissolving into the shadows.