We're almost done with Strixhaven spoilers and boy there are a few cool things to talk about!
The cycle of Scry-lands for enemy colours might seem overcosted, but you can be sure these are going to see play. Quandrix Campus in particular is going to see play because it produces the colours that current Tron decks need. Paying 5 mana for scry 1 will be used infrequently, but having that occasional free scry will be better than 1 life from Thornwood Falls, there's no question. I will absolutely be playing the campuses in Turbo Fog and any other multicolour control decks I build over the gain lands.
I don't understand why Blue is getting such great removal, but Resculpt is fantastic. 2 mana to exile an artifact or creature at instant speed is as good as it gets, in my opinion. A 4/4 is big, but that won't matter as much when you are exiling Ulamog's Crushers, Gurmag Anglers, Bonder's Ornaments and even Ninja of the Deep Hours. That token can be blocked, destroyed, bounced... I think Resculpt is going to be a great sideboard removal spell for many decks.
Deck-building is going to get very interesting if any of the Lesson/Learn spells are worth playing. What are your favorite combinations? Pop Quiz seems like a contender to see play because it's a blue instant, and it's able to get all sorts of toolbox answers, like fixing and life gain with Environmental Sciences, broad removal with Introduction to Annihilation, more card draw with Introduction to Prophecy. These colourless cards seem likely to see some amount of play. Even if they are overcosted, they still do a lot because they don't take up maindeck space. The coloured Lesson cards have not impressed me much so far. Maybe Pest Summoning could be okay.
First Day of Class may be the most broken card in the set for Pauper. It enables infinite combos with Persist creatures, as well as making token strategies way better. Can you imagine this with Battle Screech or Triplicate Spirits? Or in colour, you could go for Mogg War Marshal or any mass token producer. The fact that it also draws you cards or gets you your wish board is just gravy. I'm keeping an eye on this card.
Guiding Voice is the cheapest Learn card out there. The effect is modest, but having access to a wish board or just digging through the deck seems great. I think this will see maindeck play in Mono-White Heroic decks. Fetching up an Expanded Anatomy seems strong.
Bayou Barker seems like a great addition to aristocrat decks out there. It seems very easy to get it out on turn 2 and get value out of a 1-drop like Blisterpod. I could even see it in Stompy decks, where sacing a token from Nest Invader or Young Wolf could leave you with some real power on the board.
Is Heated Debate the first uncoutnerable spell in Pauper? At 3 mana, it doesn't seem like it will see much play, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Teach By Example is pretty unique in Pauper as well. What would be the best spells to copy with this kind of ability?
So far, pretty good spoiler season for a Standard set! Have I missed anything worth mentioning?
Serpentine Curve seems really potent in a deck that runs plenty of instant and sorcery cards. Gotta like it counts both you own in exile and in your graveyard.
Teach by Example will be tested for my Hunt for Red Controlber list as a 2-of. Being able to copy Fiery Cannonade against decks that run bigger creatures would be good. Being able to copy most of the other spells in that deck is good too!
Looking at Teach by Example again made me notice the wording is different than other copy spells. Most copy a spell on the stack, but Teach specifically copies the next one you cast. Be careful not to miss play and cast it after the spell you want to copy. I guess this wording is the only way it could be printed as a common considering how powerful the other way can be.
For sure. If it were the other way, we would have a powerful card that could act as a counterspell, or just about anything else. We certainly don't want Fork in the format!
Serpentine Curve seems really potent in a deck that runs plenty of instant and sorcery cards. Gotta like it counts both you own in exile and in your graveyard.
Yep, definitely gonna try this as the finisher in my UR ponza list (currently running Flurry of Horns.
The cycle of Scry-lands for enemy colours might seem overcosted, but you can be sure these are going to see play. Quandrix Campus in particular is going to see play because it produces the colours that current Tron decks need. Paying 5 mana for scry 1 will be used infrequently, but having that occasional free scry will be better than 1 life from Thornwood Falls, there's no question. I will absolutely be playing the campuses in Turbo Fog and any other multicolour control decks I build over the gain lands.
I don't understand why Blue is getting such great removal, but Resculpt is fantastic. 2 mana to exile an artifact or creature at instant speed is as good as it gets, in my opinion. A 4/4 is big, but that won't matter as much when you are exiling Ulamog's Crushers, Gurmag Anglers, Bonder's Ornaments and even Ninja of the Deep Hours. That token can be blocked, destroyed, bounced... I think Resculpt is going to be a great sideboard removal spell for many decks.
Deck-building is going to get very interesting if any of the Lesson/Learn spells are worth playing. What are your favorite combinations? Pop Quiz seems like a contender to see play because it's a blue instant, and it's able to get all sorts of toolbox answers, like fixing and life gain with Environmental Sciences, broad removal with Introduction to Annihilation, more card draw with Introduction to Prophecy. These colourless cards seem likely to see some amount of play. Even if they are overcosted, they still do a lot because they don't take up maindeck space. The coloured Lesson cards have not impressed me much so far. Maybe Pest Summoning could be okay.
First Day of Class may be the most broken card in the set for Pauper. It enables infinite combos with Persist creatures, as well as making token strategies way better. Can you imagine this with Battle Screech or Triplicate Spirits? Or in colour, you could go for Mogg War Marshal or any mass token producer. The fact that it also draws you cards or gets you your wish board is just gravy. I'm keeping an eye on this card.
Guiding Voice is the cheapest Learn card out there. The effect is modest, but having access to a wish board or just digging through the deck seems great. I think this will see maindeck play in Mono-White Heroic decks. Fetching up an Expanded Anatomy seems strong.
Bayou Barker seems like a great addition to aristocrat decks out there. It seems very easy to get it out on turn 2 and get value out of a 1-drop like Blisterpod. I could even see it in Stompy decks, where sacing a token from Nest Invader or Young Wolf could leave you with some real power on the board.
Is Heated Debate the first uncoutnerable spell in Pauper? At 3 mana, it doesn't seem like it will see much play, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Teach By Example is pretty unique in Pauper as well. What would be the best spells to copy with this kind of ability?
So far, pretty good spoiler season for a Standard set! Have I missed anything worth mentioning?
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
Yep, definitely gonna try this as the finisher in my UR ponza list (currently running Flurry of Horns.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio