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)
Aberrant Manawurm
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is going to be one that needs to prove itself. It’s a decent blocker the turn it comes down, and it has the potential to be a pretty big attacker – having said that, I’m not sold on this yet.
Additive Evolution
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
In such a value-heavy set, I don’t think this card really does all that much.
Ambitious Augmenter
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This thing is a very annnoying 1 drop that needs to be exiled or incapacitated.
Burrog Barrage
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is essentially an instant speed Rabid Bite, which is fine,
Chelonian Tackle
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a pretty mediocre fight spell, but still should be perfectly playable.
Comforting Counsel
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
You could convince me to put this in a deck if almost every card in the deck gained life and I was in an adventurous mood.
Efflorescence
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
In any other set, I’d give this card a show. I just don’t think this fits in that well this time around.
Emeritus of Abundance // Regrowth
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
You can either wait until turn 5 to play this card, to make sure you get the Regrowth, or play it on turn 3 for the solid-sized creature and hope it doesn’t die.
Emil, Vastlands Roamer
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
It’s not too difficult to get this pumping out x=4+ tokens each turn with some non-basics in play. It’s not all that exciting in a 2 color deck, but can be a value machine in others.
Environmental Scientist
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Its hard to go wrong here. It fixes, it gets advantage, and it’s cheap/easy to cast.
Follow the Lumarets
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
There are far better ways to seek out cards/get advantage in this set.
Germination Practicum
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Even if you cast this with no creatures in play, it’s still a huge problem throughout the rest of the game (assuming you can follow up with any creatures).
Glorious Decay
Rating: SB // 5.0
A practical sideboard option for dealing with artifacts or problematic flyers.
Hungry Graffalon
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
I’d prefer not to play this creature whenever possible.
Infirmary Healer // Stream of Life
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
2 drop 2/3’s are still above rate, even if the prepared spell is a bit weak.
Lumaret’s Favor
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is a fine combat trick in Witherbloom, and shouldn’t be played outside of that.
Mindful Biomancer
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
A very replaceable 2 drop.
Noxious Newt
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
A solid mana dork that ramps you at threatens to take out big attackers.
Oracle’s Restoration
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
I may be missing something, but as far as I can tell – this card stinks.
Pestbrood Sloth
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This provides some solid, hard-to-beat value.
Planar Engineering
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
This is kind of like “Super Harrow“. I can’t really think of any reason I’d want to play this, but I won’t say it’s completely unplayable quite yet.
Shopkeeper’s Bane
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
A playtable 3 drop if you need one.
Slumbering Trudge
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
An easy way to look at this is that it comes into play with no stun counters at 4 cmc, and work backwards from there. It does give you some ability to cast this early and still curve-out, but it’s likely best to cast this with no stun counters the majority of the time.
Snarl Song
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
X=3 is the minimum I’d play this card for – anything higher is obviously better.
Studious First-Year // Rampant Growth
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a nice turn 1-2 sequence that feels nice-enough.
Tenured Concocter
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is fine top-end if you need it, but extremely replaceable.
Thornfist Striker
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is almost exclusively a Witherbloom card, and a go-wide/pest archetype “Lord” of sorts.
Topiary Lecturer
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Once this grows a couple times the mana will likely not be too relevant. I’m not a gigantic fan of this card.
Vastlands Scavenger // Bind to Life
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This is a giant, deathtouch threat with a “free” creature later in the game.
Wildgrowth Archaic
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
The big problem with this card is that most converge decks don’t really want to run creature cards – they get a lot of their creatures from spells. It’s still a fun card to play in most decks.
Wild Hypothesis
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
I like the surveil 2 added on to this, but I’m still not sure if this will be all that powerful.
Zimone’s Experiment
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
In such a value-heavy set, I don’t think you need cards quite like this.
Top 3 Green Commons:
Studious First-Year Burrog Barrage Noxious Newt
Green looks like one of the weaker colors this go-around. Most of the commons seem very vanilla, and don’t provide a ton of value. It does have a few very strong uncommons, but only a few. Green looks like it may be one of the worst 5 individual colors here. I’ll be breaking down Multicolor next, stay tuned!
Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!
