Secrets of Strixhaven (SOS) Limited Set Review: Black

If you never played the original Strixhaven (STX), this is a true successor. The set supports a specific 5 archetypes; Silverquill (Orzhov), Prismari (Izzet), Witherbloom (Golgari), Lorehold (Boros), and Quandrix (Simic). A few of the archetypes may operate differently than you would expect the color pair to, specifically Silverquill being the fastest archetype, and Lorehold being a “slow” archetype as far as Boros is concerned. There is 0 support for color pairs outside of the 5 “Schools”, but splashing a third color is possible. When evaluating single-colored cards, I will often identify what archetype it works the best/worst in.

5.0: Disgustingly powerful and basically unbeatable. Either answer it the turn it comes down or just pack up your cards. (Gruff Triplets, Virtue of Persistence, The Eternal Wanderer)

4.5: Incredible bomb that still gives your opponent a slim chance. (Virtue of Loyalty, Imodane's Recruiter, Realm-Scorcher Hellkite)

4.0: Great rare or the absolute best uncommons and removal. (Faunsbane Troll, Gumdrop Poisoner, Talion’s Messenger)

3.5: Great role filler or removal that you never cut. (Candy Grapple, Hearth Elemental, Torch the Tower)

3.0: Good playable that I’m basically never cutting. (Shrouded Shepherd, Spellscorn Coven, Sharae of Numbing Depths)

2.5: Decent playable and the bar I hope nearly every card in my deck to reach. (Evolving Wilds, Archon's Glory, Flick a Coin)

2.0: Mediocre filler that normally is your 20-23rd card(s). (Mintstrosity, Ice Out, Grabby Giant)

1.5: Replaceable, overall bad filler. Could also be decent sideboard cards. (Titanic Growth, Scarecrow Guide, Territorial Witchstalker)

1.0: Bad filler. Gets cut most of the time. (Dark Tutelage, Kindled Heroism, Impact Tremors)

0.5: Very unhappy to main deck this, but maybe it has fringe sideboard applications. Cards that “could” be situationally decent, but bad in most situations. (Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Mana Flare)

0.0: Unplayable in every possible situation. They rarely print cards this bad these days. (Hew the Entwood, One with Nothing)

Adventurous Eater // Have a Bite

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This seems like a decent filler creature for any Black deck, especially Silverquill, with the built-in repartee trigger.

Arcane Omens

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

This is for a very specific deck & matchup, and I would never put this in any 2 color deck. I would actually say this is more of a sideboard card, for super slow matches, when you can converge for 3 or more.

Arnyn, Deathbloom Botanist

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This is a clear Witherbloom card, working very well with pest creature tokens.

Burrog Banemaker

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

Typhoid Rat is always good in limited, so the buff is a welcome addition.

Cheerful Osteomancer // Raise Dead

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

The closest comparison to draw with this card is Gravedigger. This costs 1 more, but you can spend that when it’s convenient, and you get +2 power for your trouble. I like this card.

Cost of Brilliance

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

I’m not a huge fan of this, but I could see playing a copy in Silverquill. It can help you refill your hand, while triggering repartee for your trouble.

Decorum Dissertation

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This one is pretty slow, and it doesn’t do anything immediately for 5 mana. There will be times when your life total can’t support this card. Aside from that, having the option each turn to refill your hand, or try to kill/deck your opponent is nice enough.

Dissection Practice

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

It’s hard to go wrong here. This can easily 2-for-1 your opponent for 1 mana. That’s hard to beat.

Emeritus of Woe // Demonic Tutor

Rating: 4.0 // 5.0

You almost always want to cast this when you have 6 mana available. At worst, this is a 5/4 for 4 mana, which is above rate. If it sticks around for at least one Demonic Tutor, that’s some serious value.

End of the Hunt

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

A decent, but at times, narrow removal spell.

Eternal Student

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is a bit slow, but it works well in both Silverquill and Witherbloom. I wouldn’t want more than 1 copy in any deck that doesn’t have sufficient self-mill.

Foolish Fate

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

The “infusion” trigger may be a bit difficult to attain, but this is still premium removal.

Forum Necroscribe

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

If you took away the ward on this guy, he would be far less exciting. Having said that, I really like this as a top end threat in any Black deck, and dealing with it – well that’ll cost ya 2 cards.

Grave Researcher // Reanimate

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

3 for a 3/3 surveil 1 each upkeep is a sick card on it’s own. The ability to start casting Reanimate‘s fo’ free is just upside.

Last Gasp

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

The most recent version of this card we have seen is; Scorpion's Sting. This should be solid removal to take out creatures in the early-mid game.

Lecturing Scornmage

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This creature is a passive threat. Assuming you cast this on turn 1, it can either start growing immediately to be significant, or slowly grow throughout the game, paying off for your 1 mana investment. I don’t think this would be a great Witherbloom card.

Leech Collector // Bloodletting

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

By itself, this is a 2/2 for 2 mana. There aren’t a ton of ways to gain life in Silverquill, so this is almost exclusively a Witherbloom card.

Masterful Flourish

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

I don’t think the inclusion of the repartee mechanic makes this any better.

Melancholic Poet

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

This is a mediocre 2 drop.

Moseo, Vein’s New Dean

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

It will be rare when you get anything big out of your graveyard, but it’s not out of the question to get a free 1-2 drop. I’m happy to play this in any Black deck.

Poisoner’s Apprentice

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

More often than not, you will need to throw away a pest token in order to kill a creature. Having said that, it’s still solid in any Witherbloom deck.

Postmortem Professor

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

This guy is annoying for sure. If your opponents life total is low enough, this guy can certainly finish the job.

Pox Plague

Rating: NA // 5.0

This isn’t a limited card unfortunately.

Pull from the Grave

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

There are far better Raise Dead effects this set.

Rabid Attack

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

I really like this card in general, though it is a bit of a build around. It’s designed for Witherbloom’s go-wide pests decks, but also can be a decent finisher in Silverquill, triggering repartee along the way.

Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer

Rating: 4.0 // 5.0

Having 3 viable options on a 3 mana Planeswalker is pretty scary. Thank goodness it’s a mythic rare.

Scathing Shadelock // Venomous Words

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

While slow, this creature seems quite problematic. It has a “free” spell to trigger repartee each turn, enable a smaller creature to attack, or turn this into a 6/6 deathtouch attacker for “5”. I like this card overall just fine.

Scheming Silvertongue // Sign in Blood

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

Sign in Blood aside, 2 mana for a 1/3 lifelink flyer is quite annoying in limited. It may be difficult to prepare this creature outside of Witherbloom, but I’d still be happy to put this in any Black deck.

Send in the Pest

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This isn’t all that different from Ravenous Rats, and in most cases it’s strictly better.

Sneering Shadewriter

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

Even though Grasping Thrull used to pack quite a punch, modern-day limited views this a bit weaker. It’s still nice in most any Black deck, and can enable some Witherbloom synergies, or act as a Silverquill finisher.

Tragedy Feaster

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

Assuming you are unable to gain life at any point, this is still a problematic creature when played on turn 4. If your opponent is able to kill it in short order, it feels bad – but it seems worth the opportunity cost to me.

Ulna Alley Shopkeep

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

I could see this being a 4/3 menace for 3 in really synergistic Witherbloom decks. But if your deck is that streamlined, you likely have better options.

Wander Off

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

Solid.

Withering Curse

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

I would assume this is exclusively a Witherbloom card, as Silverquill should never want to wipe it’s board (nor could gain life). Watch out for this card when playing against Witherbloom!

Top 3 Black Commons:

Last Gasp Wander Off Send in the Pest

Not only does Black have solid removal (as expected), it also has some really nice value creatures in this set, like Adventurous Eater, Burrog Banemaker, and Cheerful Osteomancer. Overall, Black looks like one of the most powerful colors, in my opinion. I’ll be breaking down Red next, stay tuned!

Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!