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)
Abigale, Poet Laureate // Heroic Stanza
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
Don’t get overhyped about this thing. It’s fine, but nothing crazy.
Conciliator’s Duelist
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This things pretty nuts. Even if it immediately dies, you still get a card. If it lives, it warps the entire game, because it can flicker any creature (including itself) for the remainder of the game. I’d give it a 4.0 if not for the casting cost being a bit difficult.
Fix What’s Broken
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
This isn’t really a Silverquill card, but I actually could see playing this out of the sideboard in some specific matchups.
Imperious Inkmage
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a solid creature for any deck.
Inkling Mascot
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a fine 2 drop. Nothing exciting, but serviceable.
Killian’s Confidence
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
I’m normally not a huge fan of narrow-ish cards like this, but it works really well within the archetype, and can be recurred relatively easily.
Moment of Reckoning
Rating: 4.5 // 5.0
It’s extremely difficult to cast this card and still lose the game. I mean, it’s a 1-for-4, in a combination of your best creatures and killing your opponents best creatures. It’s not even mythic… yeesh.
Nita, Forum Conciliator
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
This ain’t it.
Render Speechless
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a cool card, just be sure to have plenty of 2-3 drops to play this into, and probably never play more than 2 copies.
Scolding Administrator
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
One of the best 2 drops Silverquill has to offer.
Silverquill Charm
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is likely the best charm this set, and it makes combat extremely difficult for the opponent to navigate.
Silverquill, the Disputant
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
The main strength of this elder dragon is it’s size for the casting cost. I’m not sure how often the casualty will come up, but it’s certainly threatening.
Snooping Page
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
Even though it’s small-ish, it’s very easy to make it unblockable.
Social Snub
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
I really don’t understand this card at all – at least within the context of limited.
Stirring Honormancer
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Great value, great size, great creature type.
Abstract Paintmage
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
This tries to be way too cute. At the end of the day, it’s a 3 mana 2/2, it’s just not worth the slot in your deck.
Colorstorm Stallion
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This can take over games if you get to copy it.
Elemental Mascot
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is fine, it’s mostly a blocker that can chip away some damage.
Prismari Charm
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
One of the most versatile charms – and options are always welcome.
Prismari, the Inspiration
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
I’ll always play this in Prismari. How strong it will end up being is irrelevant, it’s the implication.
Rapturous Moment
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a cool one-of in Prismari. Just make sure you have an idea of what you’re looking to do after the spell will resolve.
Resonating Lute
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
I could see this being a fun build-around, but I don’t like this card at all.
Sanar, Unfinished Genius // Wild Idea
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is an incredibly powerful creature that sits back and gets you value.
Spectacular Skywhale
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is a bit slow for a card that also requires “set-up”. It’s playable, just slow/awkward in a slow archetype.
Splatter Technique
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
Both modes on this are incredibly powerful.
Stadium Tidalmage
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is completely fine in most every Prismari deck.
Stress Dream
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This is such an incredibly powerful removal spell.
Traumatic Critique
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
The key word here is any target, meaning you can often just Fireball your opponent out with the amount of mana Prismari often attains.
Vibrant Outburst
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Lightning Strike with extra words.
Visionary’s Dance
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a nice late-game plan for most prismary decks, with a fail-safe if you need to dig.
Zaffai and the Tempests
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
I do like the idea of a Prismari band, but this is a bit too narrow for me, dawg.
Blech, Loafing Pest
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This can do some really awesome things, and is at the very least, a 3/4 for 3.
Bogwater Lumaret
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Nothing exciting here, but prefectly playable.
Cauldron of Essence
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a pretty cool build-around if you wanna cook. I’m not a huge fan, but I could see this working.
Dina’s Guidance
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
I can’t really picture a reason to play this, but I won’t give it a 0.0 just yet.
Essenceknit Scholar
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is just good clean fun.
Grapple with Death
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
Nice removal, despite the sorcery speed.
Lluwen, Exchange Student // Pest Friend
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This exchange student can exchange some serious value relatively easily.
Mind Roots
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
This is a really cool version of Mind Rot, it’s just not a great set for Mind Rots, unfortunately.
Old-Growth Educator
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
It’s hard to go wrong here.
Pest Mascot
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Make sure your deck can support this if you want it to actually do anything.
Professor Dellian Fel
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Dellian has really high loyalty for a 4 mana planeswalker. He’s difficult to deal with for sure.
Root Manipulation
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
Witherbloom just doesn’t do a good enough job at putting out pests to turn this into a win-con.
Teacher’s Pest
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
The return mechanic is really weak this set, given the overall value most cards provide.
Vicious Rivalry
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
A cute boardwipe that works on the CMC axis. You can normally make this work in your favor if you set it up well.
Witherbloom Charm
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is the worst charm, by a good margin.
Witherbloom, the Balancer
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is just a big flyer, that hopefully costs 6 or less.
Ark of Hunger
Rating: 4.0 // 5.0
Not only is this a one-sided Howling Mine, the drain starts to add up extremely fast.
Aziza, Mage Tower Captain
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
Lorehold will rarely have enough creatures in play to copy spells, but it’s definitely possible.
Borrowed Knowledge
Rating: 0.5 // 5.0
There are far better ways to gain card advantage this set.
Colossus of the Blood Age
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
I really like this guy. He’s big, is impactful when he enters, and is impactful when he leaves.
Hardened Academic
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This cards pretty insane if it doesn’t die immediately.
Kirol, History Buff // Pack a Punch
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
The prepared spell isn’t anything insane, but this is still a good sized 2 drop.
Lorehold Charm
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
I was incorrect labelling Witherbloom Charm as the worst charm. This is the worst charm of the set.
Lorehold, the Historian
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Seeing the return of the Miracle mechanic isn’t something I thought I’d see anytime soon (it’s a terrible mechanic to play with, in my opinion). It’s not too consequential here, and this will likely just be a gigantic hasty flyer that can rummage for you.
Molten Note
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
I think people often mistake X for the damage this does. This is a decent removal spell that can hit twice, and have combat implications as well.
Practiced Scrollsmith
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This guy is a sick value card, and first strike is very relevant.
Pursue the Past
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
Thrill of Possibility with flashback is very powerful at digging through your deck.
Spirit Mascot
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a fine 2 drop.
Startled Relic Sloth
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
A 4/4 lifelink for 4 is quite a nice creature. The other words are all upside.
Suspend Aggression
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is a really cool design, and isn’t quite a kill spell – but certainly slows your opponent down quite a bit..
Wilt in the Heat
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
2 mana for 5 damage is insane, and not too difficult to achieve.
Applied Geometry
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is pretty sick. You can also target your lands, if you’re worried about the opponent having removal up to make this spell fizzle.
Berta, Wise Extrapolator
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a very slow card. Having said that, it can get some good value the longer the game goes.
Cuboid Colony
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
A very powerful flyer that scales through the game.
Embrace the Paradox
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
A nice card advantage spell if you should need one.
Fractal Mascot
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is a bit weak for a 6 drop.
Fractal Tender
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This thing gets nice value if you are able to grow it once or twice.
Geometer’s Arthropod
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
I’d need 3+ X spells to be excited running this.
Growth Curve
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
I really don’t like this card, but it can make a gigantic creature out of nowhere.
Mind into Matter
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
X=3+ is the minimum you want to cast this, and it can get very potent the later the game goes.
Paradox Surveyor
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is just good, clean value.
Proctor’s Gaze
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
Boomerang and Rampant Growth in a single card seems decent!
Pterafractyl
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This can be a nice win condition for late in the game.
Quandrix Charm
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is one of the best charms in the set, with the first and third option being the most potent.
Quandrix, the Proof
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Cascade is a hell of a mechanic. It’s both a good and bad thing that quandrix has X spells in this case.
Tam, Observant Sequencer // Deep Sight
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Tam is pretty underwhelming, and very slow to boot.
I’ll be breaking down Artifacts/Lands next, stay tuned!
Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!
