First, important note, converted mana cost is now "mana value." Okaaaaay.
Masterpieces return as cards from the Mystical Archive. This means they're only legal in STX Limited and whatever Constructed environment they're already in. However, unlike Masterpieces, you are guaranteed one Mystical Archive card per draft and set booster, and three per collector booster.
EDIT: Oh yeah, they're dropping the word library from "shuffle your library."
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.
For more details, more art and the words "elder dragon," see here.
I see my favorite Royal twins. That makes me ecstatic.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Embrace the dark you call a home,
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise
Sing with me a song of conquest and fate
The black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts all alone
WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN WILL AND ROWAN!
Glad to see they are finally getting the enemy color set people have been wanting and hopefully we will likely get a few options for enemy commanders.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Nice the command cycle is complete (the ally ones are located in dragons of tarkir set)
we haven't seen a enemy colored set since Eventide
Hey look Rowan and Will kenrith are here...but here’s the bad news that means the twins will be joining karn eventually for the war against the phyrexians (actually you know what I heard a rumor one of the things they saw in the magic mirror on eldraine is elesh norn)
and to clarify what I mean by Rowan and will joining the fight against the phyrexians we know there’s a 98% chance there’s a praetor hiding in one of the colleges
if Jin-gitaxias he’s probably hiding in art (izzet) or math (simic)
If Sheoldred/black praetor (if alive) she’s hiding in either biology (golgari) or literature (orzhov)
actually you know what will garruk be here? The story mentions he promised the king and queen he would protect their son and daughter (Rowan and will)
I love how the lorehold student is using the scroll as a machine gun lol
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Embrace the dark you call a home,
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise
Sing with me a song of conquest and fate
The black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts all alone
I'm gonna guess Will and Rowan will be a MDFC which is nifty since each of their cards so far will show the "twin planeswalkers" flavor in a different way.
EDIT: On that note I dont think we will se Garruk, the twins are likely here as the best picks for a MDFC walker card and likely here more for game play and story.
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
I'm gonna guess Will and Rowan will be a MDFC which is nifty since each of their cards so far will show the "twin planeswalkers" flavor in a different way.
Thatd be pretty cool. I have a suspicion though that as far as colleges go they’re going to be in separate ones. I see Rowan being more Lorehold and will more Quandrix.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Embrace the dark you call a home,
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise
Sing with me a song of conquest and fate
The black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts all alone
I like the templating changes; trimming redundant words mean that either more relevant words can be added to complex cards and simple abilities can read more simply.
If I had tot ake a guess, I would assume Jin-Gitaxias is affiliated with Quandrix. Math and fractal magic (and biology, which seems to be another theme of Quandrix based on the campus leaflet) is much more on theme for him and phyrexians in general than performance art.
As for the colleges, I feel liek Quandrix is the only one that works well. Fractals and math make sense as a "subject" (since that is what they appear to be going for). Lorehold also works somewhat but an archeology based organisation that's bound to one lcoation is really awkward. Prismari doesn't jive well for me in a Magic setting (what use is there for performance art? Unless the plane of Strixhaven is Ravnica-like). Silverquill appears to be closer to a "clique"-based grouping than a subject based one, similar to the houses in Harry Potter? And Witherbloom is literally just Golgari, lol.
Also, Lorehold has the only good motto. What the hell is "Express yourself with the elements." supposed to be. That's an awful motto that means literally nothing.
Curious about the creature types. Is that Prismari girl a half-ogre? A half-orc? A half-troll? I first thought she might be an Azra, but she has no horns.
1 Preator for each set, to spoil into the coming Return to Mirrodin , seems like a set in stone deal.
----
Commands look pretty bad so far, as they have oddly specific demands what they can be used against.
The masterpieces seem to drift into the Amonkhet style again, which is absolutely terrible.
At least you can read the text on them, so thats a "improvement".
Would certainly never touch them over the original cards, its just too much noise around the borders (and i already hate playing with so many of these special promos in any format, makes it increasingly difficult to identify a card if everyone has a different version of it, and especially if they are so noisy in the art that its distracting and hard to read).
----
Well, hopefully some cool cards will be in the set, some high hopes for some hitters that carry any meaningful value (last bunch of sets are massive disappointments in the financial regards, as all the "value" is entirely shifting to collectors boosters, which is horrific for the game).
"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."
Pi is an irrational number that is technically infinite in length. Even if you were to solve it backwards, the time it would take you to just recite 70,000 numbers while backwards, would take 9 Hours & 27 Minutes.
Anyway...
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
A masterpiece in each booster? Well that's cool! Loving the bright vibe of this set so far
Dude, it's obvious that the OP just messed that part up. It's probably going to be like the Zendikar masterpieces, where you get one per box (or multiple for a collector box).
*Opens up actual mothership article*
...Sweet mother of god.
Seriously, though, can we take a moment to recognize exactly how brilliant this strategy is? Creating a "spells matter" set for standard is incredibly difficult when any new instants or sorceries that would rival the power of old staples like lightning bolt or counterspell are simply too powerful to put in standard-legal sets. This approach allows a "spells matter" set to actually be about powerful spells (at least in limited environments) without impacting standard/historic/pioneer/modern. It's kind of brilliant and may be a blast to draft.
Wait, correct me if I'm wrong, but you can sack the Spirit you just made with Lorehold Command to draw 2, right? So, essentially, this means they printed an Instant speed Divination for Boros? I mean sure, it's a bit overcosted since Instant speed draw 2 costs 4, but still, that's some exciting stuff. Prismari Command is very similar to Kolaghan's Command, which is a real card that sees real play, so this is one to be excited for. Witherbloom Command is narrow but has a lot of potential for older formats. If you can either consistently hit either 1 toughness creatures or a ~2CMC noncreature, it's pretty damn good, even if the second mode you're choosing is "recycle a fetchland".
The other two are fine. Quandrix feels pretty underpowered unless you're countering a spell and the Silverquill is on average a cantripping Edict at 4 mana which is... okay, I guess.
Also, people have been speculating that Strixhaven would have a guest appearance of a certain hairy boy in a MtG x Potter crossover. But with the "really cool thing" promised to be revealed exclusive in the .jp website, maybe we'll get a Little Witch Academia crossover instead? That would be dope.
1 Preator for each set, to spoil into the coming Return to Mirrodin , seems like a set in stone deal.
----
Commands look pretty bad so far, as they have oddly specific demands what they can be used against.
The masterpieces seem to drift into the Amonkhet style again, which is absolutely terrible.
At least you can read the text on them, so thats a "improvement".
Would certainly never touch them over the original cards, its just too much noise around the borders (and i already hate playing with so many of these special promos in any format, makes it increasingly difficult to identify a card if everyone has a different version of it, and especially if they are so noisy in the art that its distracting and hard to read).
----
Well, hopefully some cool cards will be in the set, some high hopes for some hitters that carry any meaningful value (last bunch of sets are massive disappointments in the financial regards, as all the "value" is entirely shifting to collectors boosters, which is horrific for the game).
It'll be our 3rd tease of the upcoming mirrodin return. Triumphant Reckoning from Commander legends showing Karn, Ajani and Chandra teleporting in possibly on New Phyrexia.
OOOH ***** 100% CHANCE OF PULLING ONE!!! THEY EVEN HAVE THERE OWN RARITYS TO CLARIFY THAT!
Finally most ingenious idea to put in older format and powerful and a instant/sorcery focus set in standard set(s) without making them standard legal that should make it a whole lot easier to reprint those fan favorites for edh players
wizards please do this for all future sets and types of cards
1 Preator for each set, to spoil into the coming Return to Mirrodin , seems like a set in stone deal.
Seems likely, though it'll be interesting to see how Sheoldred and Urabrask come into it, as they were against Elesh Norn who seems to be conducting whatever the next Evil Plan is. Could see Urabrask in Werewolf Innistrad and Sheoldred in Vampire Innistrad, which would imply a return to New Phyrexia (with Elesh Norn) in Spring 2022.
Nice to know that they are removing that useless plastic trash. This is a great move and hopefully towards a trash free packaging in which everything can ve reused as a deck box or even just a simple card storage box.
While I love the masterpiece art,
Specifically for demonic tutor I still like the old school white border revised feel. But looking forward to these for cube.
I think I've learned to treat Magic cards like baseball cards: keep 'em in a binder in numerical order, don't play with 'em, try to finish the set and just keep my head down.
"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."
First, important note, converted mana cost is now "mana value." Okaaaaay.
Masterpieces return as cards from the Mystical Archive. This means they're only legal in STX Limited and whatever Constructed environment they're already in. However, unlike Masterpieces, you are guaranteed one Mystical Archive card per draft and set booster, and three per collector booster.
EDIT: Oh yeah, they're dropping the word library from "shuffle your library."
For more details, more art and the words "elder dragon," see here.
EDIT: As has been mentioned in this thread, the Japanese-exclusive Mystical Archive cards show art based off traditional Japanese art pieces. These will be available in Japanese draft and set boosters, and all collector boosters.
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise
Sing with me a song of conquest and fate
The black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts all alone
Edit: yes, it definitely is.
Glad to see they are finally getting the enemy color set people have been wanting and hopefully we will likely get a few options for enemy commanders.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
we haven't seen a enemy colored set since Eventide
Hey look Rowan and Will kenrith are here...but here’s the bad news that means the twins will be joining karn eventually for the war against the phyrexians (actually you know what I heard a rumor one of the things they saw in the magic mirror on eldraine is elesh norn)
and to clarify what I mean by Rowan and will joining the fight against the phyrexians we know there’s a 98% chance there’s a praetor hiding in one of the colleges
if Jin-gitaxias he’s probably hiding in art (izzet) or math (simic)
If Sheoldred/black praetor (if alive) she’s hiding in either biology (golgari) or literature (orzhov)
actually you know what will garruk be here? The story mentions he promised the king and queen he would protect their son and daughter (Rowan and will)
Also not a fan in the lack of parity in the mana costs of this cycle, really hate when they do that
Do like the bright vibrant colors
I wonder what theyll trot out as masterpieces to sell packs. Mana crypt yet again? Probably.
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise
Sing with me a song of conquest and fate
The black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts all alone
EDIT: On that note I dont think we will se Garruk, the twins are likely here as the best picks for a MDFC walker card and likely here more for game play and story.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I used to love his artwork but ever since his goofy Karn and the Urzacrayon lands I am totally turned off.
Lorehold Command is "mana valued" one too much in my estimation.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Thatd be pretty cool. I have a suspicion though that as far as colleges go they’re going to be in separate ones. I see Rowan being more Lorehold and will more Quandrix.
Gaze upon an empty, white throne
A legacy of lies,
A familiar disguise
Sing with me a song of conquest and fate
The black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts all alone
That is super silly.
As for the colleges, I feel liek Quandrix is the only one that works well. Fractals and math make sense as a "subject" (since that is what they appear to be going for). Lorehold also works somewhat but an archeology based organisation that's bound to one lcoation is really awkward. Prismari doesn't jive well for me in a Magic setting (what use is there for performance art? Unless the plane of Strixhaven is Ravnica-like). Silverquill appears to be closer to a "clique"-based grouping than a subject based one, similar to the houses in Harry Potter? And Witherbloom is literally just Golgari, lol.
Also, Lorehold has the only good motto. What the hell is "Express yourself with the elements." supposed to be. That's an awful motto that means literally nothing.
Curious about the creature types. Is that Prismari girl a half-ogre? A half-orc? A half-troll? I first thought she might be an Azra, but she has no horns.
Jin likely here.
1 Preator for each set, to spoil into the coming Return to Mirrodin , seems like a set in stone deal.
----
Commands look pretty bad so far, as they have oddly specific demands what they can be used against.
The masterpieces seem to drift into the Amonkhet style again, which is absolutely terrible.
At least you can read the text on them, so thats a "improvement".
Would certainly never touch them over the original cards, its just too much noise around the borders (and i already hate playing with so many of these special promos in any format, makes it increasingly difficult to identify a card if everyone has a different version of it, and especially if they are so noisy in the art that its distracting and hard to read).
----
Well, hopefully some cool cards will be in the set, some high hopes for some hitters that carry any meaningful value (last bunch of sets are massive disappointments in the financial regards, as all the "value" is entirely shifting to collectors boosters, which is horrific for the game).
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
Anyway...
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
Dude, it's obvious that the OP just messed that part up. It's probably going to be like the Zendikar masterpieces, where you get one per box (or multiple for a collector box).
*Opens up actual mothership article*
...Sweet mother of god.
Seriously, though, can we take a moment to recognize exactly how brilliant this strategy is? Creating a "spells matter" set for standard is incredibly difficult when any new instants or sorceries that would rival the power of old staples like lightning bolt or counterspell are simply too powerful to put in standard-legal sets. This approach allows a "spells matter" set to actually be about powerful spells (at least in limited environments) without impacting standard/historic/pioneer/modern. It's kind of brilliant and may be a blast to draft.
Prismari Command is very similar to Kolaghan's Command, which is a real card that sees real play, so this is one to be excited for.
Witherbloom Command is narrow but has a lot of potential for older formats. If you can either consistently hit either 1 toughness creatures or a ~2CMC noncreature, it's pretty damn good, even if the second mode you're choosing is "recycle a fetchland".
The other two are fine. Quandrix feels pretty underpowered unless you're countering a spell and the Silverquill is on average a cantripping Edict at 4 mana which is... okay, I guess.
Also, people have been speculating that Strixhaven would have a guest appearance of a certain hairy boy in a MtG x Potter crossover. But with the "really cool thing" promised to be revealed exclusive in the .jp website, maybe we'll get a Little Witch Academia crossover instead? That would be dope.
It'll be our 3rd tease of the upcoming mirrodin return. Triumphant Reckoning from Commander legends showing Karn, Ajani and Chandra teleporting in possibly on New Phyrexia.
OOOH ***** 100% CHANCE OF PULLING ONE!!! THEY EVEN HAVE THERE OWN RARITYS TO CLARIFY THAT!
Finally most ingenious idea to put in older format and powerful and a instant/sorcery focus set in standard set(s) without making them standard legal that should make it a whole lot easier to reprint those fan favorites for edh players
wizards please do this for all future sets and types of cards
Seems likely, though it'll be interesting to see how Sheoldred and Urabrask come into it, as they were against Elesh Norn who seems to be conducting whatever the next Evil Plan is. Could see Urabrask in Werewolf Innistrad and Sheoldred in Vampire Innistrad, which would imply a return to New Phyrexia (with Elesh Norn) in Spring 2022.
While I love the masterpiece art,
Specifically for demonic tutor I still like the old school white border revised feel. But looking forward to these for cube.
SIGN ME UP!!!