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Wizards of the Coast are giving us a sneak peek at the next Magic: The Gathering – Strixhaven: School of Mages the most elite University in the Multiverse! ! It takes place on the plane of Arcavios, and there are five schools, one from each enemy color pair. We also have set up the spoiler page for the new set featuring the five “Command” cycle of cards that allow you to choose two of the four modes. There’s also some of the Mystical Archive cards and product package revealed.
Apparently, there’s also more coming tomorrow before actual spoiler season begins in March.
THE FIRST LESSON: INTRODUCTION TO STRIXHAVEN
Welcome, students!
In just a few weeks, class will be in session at the prestigious Strixhaven: School of Mages, and we’re so glad you’ve chosen to begin your mystical studies with us! You represent the best and the brightest the Multiverse has to offer, and we represent all the knowledge one could possibly hope to learn as a blossoming mage practicing your mage craft.
As a new student, you’ll be joining one of our five colleges based on your aptitudes and desired areas of study. It’s important to choose a college that best fits you, and today, we’re here to help you on that journey!
So, let’s take a tour of our prestigious colleges and learn a little bit about each. Don’t worry, orientation will cover more of this in detail later in March when you arrive on campus. For now, take a look around and see what strikes your intellectual curiosity! If we have time, we may even peek at our vast library of spells from the furthest reaches of magic in our Biblioplex!
THE COLLEGES
Each of our Colleges was founded by the elder dragon whose name each school bears. Our founders were paragons of magic and knowledge, and each school strives to match its founder’s vision and magical aptitudes! We won’t be meeting the founders today, but with any amount of luck, they may show up at orientation!
Take careful consideration of each college and start giving thought to which one you’ll choose!
LOREHOLD
Loreholds are diligent researchers and daring adventurers. Passionate scholars obsessed with history, they explore the past by pouring over archaeological artifacts and summoning long-dead spirits. For some students, the past is a rich tapestry worthy of disciplined study. While others wear that tapestry like a cape as they jump down into a forgotten tomb. Their motto is “Leave no stone unturned.”
Here’s an example of powerful Lorehold magic!
PRISMARI
Prismari are the theatre kids of Strixhaven, and magic is how they express themselves. Their spells can be spectacles of raw creativity or meticulous artistic expressions. All the world’s a stage, and whether their art is informed by mind or emotion, Prismari always leave a lasting impression. Their motto is “Express yourself with the elements.”
Here’s an example of powerful Prismari magic!
QUANDRIX
Quandrix mages are ingenious math magicians. They study patterns, fractals, and symmetries to command power over the fundamental forces of nature. They’ll solve a Rubik’s Cube while contemplating the metaphysical properties of the universe and can recite every number of Pi backwards. Their motto is “Math is magic.”
Here’s an example of powerful Quandrix magic!
SILVERQUILL
Silverquills wield the magic of words, from inspiring battle poetry to biting arcane insults. Stylish, intimidating, and tirelessly competitive, these mages are born leaders with a razor-sharp wit and natural charisma that can be used for good or for ill. Their motto is “Sharp style. Sharper wit.”
Here’s an example of powerful Silverquill magic!
WITHERBLOOM
Witherblooms are goth bio majors. They draw power from the essence of living beings, whether that means enhancing nature or exploiting it. Witherbloom mages are most at home riding zombie crocs, picking herbs for potions, and hanging out in their swamp making grim jokes. Their motto is “Get your hands dirty.”
Here’s an example of powerful Witherbloom magic!
MYSTICAL ARCHIVE
Whatever area of study you should choose, you will have access to our vast library of resources with spells and knowledge spanning all of magic! Some spells are certainly too dangerous and powerful even for careful mages, but at Strixhaven, we value knowledge above all else and thus have a library of historical spells to rival any other!
This collection, housed in what we call our Mystical Archive, contains a litany of spells from simple mind-spells to powerful and deadly spells most shudder to look toward. We house them in our Biblioplex and, lucky us! Professor Onyx happens to be sifting through several tomes right here with students Rowan and Will. Normally, only students get a look, but we’ll make an exception for today.
Additionally, since we have a significant portion of foreign language students, the Mystical Archive is available in all languages, but we have something additional and special for our Japanese students! To learn more (and see more), visit here later today.
I’m sure you have many questions about the Mystical Archive and how you can access it. Please save your questions for the end of the tour. We’ll hand out a pamphlet with more details on the Mystical Archive below.
TOUR’S END. ANY QUESTIONS?
And with that, our tour of Strixhaven has ended. I’m including a map of the campus to help you get your bearings straight, and I’m also including a pamphlet, which you’ll find below, with some of the more mundane—but important—details of your time with us. We so look forward to your orientation in just a few short weeks and are excited to begin exploring the Multiverse of Magic here at Strixhaven!
DETAILS ON STRIXHAVEN
For those who wish to expand their learning on Strixhaven, here are a few more details.
COMMANDER (2021 EDITION)
There will be five Commander decks, one for each school. Commander (2021 Edition) features 81 new cards. Each deck will focus on the colors and themes of its associated college!
The decks are named:
- Silverquill Statement
- Prismari Performance
- Witherbloom Witchcraft
- Lorehold Legacies
- Quantum Quandrix
We can’t quite show you the face cards since they contain secrets about Strixhaven not quite ready for the outside world, but stay tuned! We’ll be introducing you to the leaders of these decks come orientation day!
What we can tell you is that you’ll notice some differences with the packaging for Commander decks starting with Strixhaven. As part of a larger push toward moving away from plastic packaging, Commander decks available through your local game store will use reduced plastic packaging—only the wrap around the cards themselves will be plastic (and we’re working on updating that, too!). We’ll share more as we get closer, but we’re excited to roll out this updated packaging.
STRIXHAVEN PACKAGING
There are many ways to visit Strixhaven! From Draft Boosters and Set Boosters to Bundles and more—including enjoying the benefits the school of your choice at Prerelease events—there are options aplenty to tailor your experience. We will, of course, be sharing more details closer to your orientation.
MYSTICAL ARCHIVE DETAILS
Naturally, the wonders of our Biblioplex draw the most attention, and with good reason! We have a vast library of spells from throughout space and time, and we’ll be granting access to 63 of these on your first trip to Strixhaven. These spells come from across time, so their inclusion in the Mystical Archive does not affect their format legality. That means no Demonic Tutor in your Standard tournaments, but if you open one in a draft, Tutor away.
The Mystical Archive is open to all, and you’ll receive one copy in each Draft Booster and each Set Booster, and at least three in each Collector Booster!
Later today, our Japanese team will be revealing something pretty cool. Stay tuned or watch this space for more details tomorrow!
日本の皆さまへ。本記事は日本語/英語併記でお届けいたします。
This article is brought to you by the Wizards of the Coast team in Japan, and we’re eager to show you something special from us for the Mystical Archive on Strixhaven.
魔法学院への入学をご希望の皆さま、こんにちは！
Hello to all global students!
皆さまは既に新セット『ストリクスヘイヴン：魔法学院』についての発表情報をご覧になられましたでしょうか。まだの方はぜひ先に告知記事をお読みいただければと思います。ええ、いつだって予習は大切ですからね。
I hope you’ve all had a chance to read “The First Lesson: Introduction to Strixhaven“. If you haven’t, please read that article first, because preparing for a lesson is always important for students.
さて、告知記事をご覧になった皆さまは「ミスティカルアーカイブ」という単語を目にされたかと思います。巨大な魔法図書館に眠る、時空を越えた知識を内包した呪文書。本セットでは、そんな呪文書に記された歴代の名だたるインスタントとソーサリー、計63枚を特別なデザインのフレームにて再録いたします！
If you have read the announcement already, you should know what the Mystical Archive is: a litany of spells, from the simple to the powerful, waiting for you in the Biblioplex. In this set, we will be reprinting 63 of the most famous instants and sorceries of all time, in specially designed frames.
……と、ここまでは予習の範囲。いまだ興奮冷めやらぬといった感じですが本題に入るとしましょう。
So far, this is the scope of the preliminary study. This is already exciting, but there’s more to share.
通常のミスティカルアーカイブ・カードは各言語で用意されていますが、日本の文化や芸術がお好きな方々は今回かなり得をしているかもしれません――なぜならば今回日本オリジナルアート版……その名も「日本画ミスティカルアーカイブ」が存在するからです！
The global Mystical Archive cards are available in various languages, but those who love Japanese culture and art will be blown away by this: there will also be Japanese alternate-art versions of the Mystical Archive cards with art inspired by traditional Japanese paintings!
百聞は一見に如かず。まずは今回案内記事でも発表された３枚のカードについて、日本オリジナルアート版を見ていきましょう！
Seeing is believing. First, let’s take a look at the Japanese alternate-art versions of these three cards.
《悪魔の教示者》/《Demonic Tutor》 Art by 墨絵師「御歌頭」/Sumie Okazu
《選択》/《Opt》 Art by Rien.
《剣を鍬に》/《Swords to Plowshares》 Art by 長乃/Nagano
――おっと、今回お見せできるのは以上となります。どうでしょう、マジックの世界に溶け込む日本の伝統的な絵画表現、そして日本画特有の美麗さや奥深さを感じていただけましたでしょうか。
How do you like them? I hope you feel the beauty and depth of traditional Japanese painting as it blends into the world of Magic.
日本オリジナルアート版ミスティカルアーカイブ・カードには通常版と同じく63種類のアートが用意されています。残り60枚についてはプレビュー期間の開始をどうぞお楽しみに。
The Japanese alternate-art versions of the Mystical Archive include all 63 different cards of the global version. You will see the rest of the cards during preview season, so please pay close attention to see them as they’re revealed.
すでに発表が行われているように、ミスティカルアーカイブ・カードは各言語版共通でドラフト・ブースターとセット・ブースターに１枚、コレクター・ブースターに最低３枚が封入されています。日本画ミスティカルアーカイブ・カードについては日本語版のドラフト・ブースターとセット・ブースターに通常のものと50%ずつの確率で封入されるほか、コレクター・ブースターに限り各言語版から最低１枚が出現します。
As shared already, the Mystical Archive is open to all, and you’ll receive one copy in each Draft Booster and each Set Booster, and at least three in each Collector Booster. The Japanese alternate-art versions appear in Japanese Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters, and at least one will come in Collector Boosters in all languages. In Japanese Draft and Set Boosters, Mystical Archive cards and Japanese alternate-art versions will appear at equal rates.
さらにコレクター・ブースターに収録されているミスティカルアーカイブについては、通常および日本画の両方に新たなエッチング仕様のフォイル・カードが用意されています！ ここはきっと入学試験に出ますよ。
There is one additional note: Both the regular and Japanese versions of Mystical Archive cards will come in foil and, found only in Collector Boosters, the new foil-etched treatment! I’m sure this will be on the entrance exam. Please keep it in mind.
本日はここまで。さらに詳しい情報については今後の発表をお待ちください。皆さまのご入学を心よりお待ちしております！
That’s all for today from us. For more information, please wait for further announcements. We are sincerely looking forward to your enrollment at Strixhaven: School of Mages!
