In this life there are many great mysteries. Why are we here? What happens after we die? Is the global economy about to collapse? And, will I have enough money for pretty cardboard during the next recession/depression? Such mysteries have baffled people for years, decades, centuries, and sometimes entire millennia, but unlike those mysteries, today's object of inquiry has recently been spoiled!

**Mystery Booster Commander Edition** has a lot of fantastic new mechanics and cards. Many of them feel like a love letter to Magic fans with exciting and innovative new card designs. The Magic fans I've talked with and the Magic creators I've listened to online all seem fairly excited about the cards from this new set. So without any further ado, let's talk about it.

## Rulebreaking with Tolabow

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MBC-12" size="lg" />
 

Many of the **rulebreaker** mechanics seem fresh and intriguing without completely throwing balance out the window. I like the idea of granting a second color identity while still fitting within a very strict build style. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-12" title="Tolabow, Loch Rascal" /> being limited to only one extra color of instants and sorceries — and only basics for that extra color — gives deckbuilders more of a chance to make a Tolabow deck their own. This feels reminiscent of partner and choose a background commanders without actually having a second commander in the command zone. It also adds an extra air of mystery to Commander. In 60-card formats you generally don't know what colors your opponents are playing. In this case there will be some mystery while still obviously being a Tolabow deck. Finally, the limitation of only using instants and sorceries in the new color prevents anyone from just throwing in extra value cards. If this was Tolabow with white added, there would be no Smothering Tithe. If this was Tolabow with black, Bolas's Citadel would still be illegal. This rulebreaker mechanic honestly seems more balanced and focused compared to partner and choose a background. Many of the rulebreaker cards are forced to stay on theme, whether they're dealing with Angels, Auras, Equipment, or Phyrexians.

A concluding note on rulebreaker: <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-57" title="Whtz, the Bibliophile" /> is fairly funny. Finally, you can run Yorion, the Sky Nomad as a companion in Commander (sarcasm). You can also now win with Battle of Wits. What I look forward to most with this commander is watching people try to shuffle their 250-card pile and then have to take a mulligan. Please, build a deck around this little guy and only run cards that make you shuffle.

## A Sorcery in the Command Zone?

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MBC-34" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-34" title="Ashaya's Enduring Bond" /> looks intriguing. I don't think it's good, but it could enable some cascade combo I'm unaware of. It's unfortunate that you need a legendary creature or planeswalker in play to cast it, but with the massive amount of legendaries printed this year alone, low-CMC legends are easier and easier to come by. The only other instance of a sorcery in the command zone that I know of is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-STX-149" title="Extus, Oriq Overlord" /> // Awaken the Blood Avatar. Let me know in the comments if there are any other examples I'm missing, because I do like the idea of command zone sorceries. I've built a few versions of Awaken the Blood Avatar decks in Arena Brawl, and it can be quite the strong aggro deck in two-player games. As for Ashaya's Enduring Bond, I think it would be smart to build it with the discovery hits you want in mind. The biggest problem is needing a legend out first to cast it, though. Let me know if you have any ideas to make this commander good in the comments — I'm curious to see if anyone can make this sorcery work.

## Eminence is Back?

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MBC-18" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-18" title="Sahir, Visitor in Darkness" /> is a new eminence commander that pings you in the face whether he's alive or in the command zone. Now this is the kind of value I want out of an eminence commander. If they were all like this, no one would have a problem with the Ur-Dragon or Edgar Markov. If this is the future of eminence as a mechanic, I look forward to more commanders with that keyword. Eminence doing something bad while still synergizing with your commander is exactly the way to balance such a strong ability.

## Lightning Round of Funny Commanders

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-MBC-17,MTG-MBC-32,MTG-MBC-41,MTG-MBC-28,MTG-MBC-48" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-17" title="Olinda the Oblivious" /> can make other commanders stinky. This is a clear innovation as well as untapped design space that must be further explored in the future if we hope to ever achieve world peace. Stinkifying your opponents' creatures is objectively hilarious, and one should make stinky jokes while piloting this commander.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-32" title="Meatsqueak, Hoard Lord" /> is a king among squirrels. Hoarding food as an archetype is great. This is the kind of food deck I can get behind — one that just hopes to make the food but not eat the food. Plus, the theme of a squirrel hiding away its food for winter feels pretty on point.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-41" title="Itazura, Lingering Wick" /> might be my favorite new group slug commander. Making your opponents bid to cast your cool stuff is so much fun! Fill the deck with value (and maybe some artifacts that give Itazura lifelink) and watch the chaos ensue.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-28" title="Blor the Impervious" /> would be a 0/0 without his Overprotect spell — a true genius.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-48" title="Olag and Miau, New Friends" /> pairs two unlikely archetypes and is the perfect home for the perfect card, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-AKH-27" title="Sacred Cat" />. Overall a solid commander that can likely get some solid wins. The art really sells me on this new archetype of cats with zombies.

## But, Is There Evil?!?

There are a few commanders in this set that do seem kind of evil. The most obvious one is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-40" title="Homer, the Hermit" />, the new mill crab. It probably isn't too evil, but mill can generate some ire from the table for sure. If you build this as a mill deck, you might get got, but if you build this as a reanimator deck, you might win lots.

There are many planeswalker commanders, and a lot of people generally don't like playing against those. Personally I don't mind them, but it is wild that there is a planeswalker aristocrat in the command zone known as <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-51" title="Sifa Grent" />. She might be the most evil of the new planeswalker commanders, but she does seem like she could be pretty fun in an aristocrat goad deck.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MBC-50" size="lg" />
 

As for me, the one I think is the most evil is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MBC-50" title="Selenia, the Cursed Heart" />. Orzhov lifegain can often imply some of the most heinous and easy to achieve combos in Commander, such as the infamous Exquisite Blood - Sanguine Bond infinite. You don't have to build Selenia like that, and could build a relatively moral lifegain deck, but what seems wicked to me is her death trigger. A deck built around spamming that death trigger, or even just doubling it, could prove to be quite evil. There are so many cheap spells like Supernatural Stamina and Feign Death, and methods to auto-sacrifice creatures like Viscera Seer, that it could be possible to build a deck with the sole purpose of creating Selenia's Curse. Is this strategy a strong one? Probably not, with a six-mana commander, but it does seem like a spite-filled build. You could also conceivably stack curses on a single player if you wanted. Selenia is no Tergrid, God of Fright, but she does seem pretty evil.

All in all, I am excited for this set, but not as stoked for how it's slated to be distributed. Hey, if you can't get your hands on any of these cards, or if they end up really expensive, proxying is great for casual games. Are there any Mystery Booster Commanders that you're interested in? Are there any that you think I should have covered? Please continue the conversation in the comments below!

Mystery Booster Commander Edition is Full of Great New Cards

# Kykar's Cars

Cars are cool. This is an indisputable maxim that anyone capable of rational thought knows to be true. Cars go fast, they starred in Mad Max, and they make epic explosions from time to time. Unfortunately, most vehicles in Magic the Gathering are not very cool. Cards like Skyseer's Chariot, Boommobile, and Mukotai Soulripper are too weak to compensate for the major downside of requiring actual creatures to become creatures. This also isn't an uncommon occurrence for most vehicles in the game. Aside from Greasefang reanimation combo decks, vehicle decks generally struggle to pose any meaningful threat. In fact, most vehicle cards suffer from being too balanced in a game where most other archetypes aren't very balanced. After sifting through many vehicles cards within Magic, it became apparent that any vehicle deck (barring Greasefang) has two major hurdles to overcome. Essentially, a good vehicle deck has to both create a lot of mana and generate enough creatures to compensate for crew costs.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MOC-334" size="lg" />
 

And here is where <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MOC-334" title="Kykar" /> comes in! This goofy Jeskai bird person can make bodies to crew each vehicle and can also make mana by sacrificing those creatures after they have been tapped to crew. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this commander is better than most dedicated vehicle commanders. I do include many common vehicle commanders in the main deck, but it seems to me that Kykar works better at the helm than any of them. So without any further ado, let's look under the hood!

## Full Deck List

<BlogDeckList deckListIndex="0" />

## The Engine

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOC-176,MTG-EOC-118,MTG-NEC-16,MTG-LCC-75,MTG-FIN-60,MTG-LCI-225,MTG-PM20-233p" />

For this deck I wanted to draw a lot of cards and cast a lot of cars. With a commander like Kykar it's good to fall into a spellslinger styled archetype. Cards like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-176" title="Sram, Senior Edificer" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EOC-118" title="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain" /> are great for refilling your hand. Anything that lets you draw cards from casting artifacts/vehicles/noncreature spells work as amazing draw engines. Cards like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-NEC-16" title="Research Thief" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-LCC-75" title="The Indomitable" /> are great draw engines in decks like this that want to win through combat damage. Finally, card you play the top of your library like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-FIN-60" title="The Lunar Whale" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-LCI-225" title="The Belligerent" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PM20-233p" title="Mystic Forge" /> not only let you see what is coming up but also work as an extra card slot in your hand.

## The Fuel

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-EOC-114,MTG-EOC-72,MTG-CMM-385,MTG-PEOE-226p" />

Any two cost ramp cards work well with Kykar because optimally you should play it on turn three. There are enough two cost mana rocks in this deck that such a feat shouldn't be too hard to achieve. Further, any of the cards that reduce the cost of artifacts like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EOC-114" title="Enthusiastic Mechanaut" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EOC-72" title="Etherium Sculptor" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CMM-385" title="Foundry Inspector" /> all allow you to cast more artifacts per turn. With Kykar out, you're also recouping some of the mana you use to cast said artifacts in the form of spirit tokens. Perhaps the craziest card in this deck that really pushes things into overdrive is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PEOE-226p" title="Sami, Wildcat Captain" />. I have no idea how this card only costs $1-$2 right now but it is absolutely crazy value in any commander artifact deck that includes Boros colors. Giving anything you cast affinity for artifacts makes many spells in this deck free and most other just cost their mana pips. If you have Sami and any permanent that draws cards whenever you cast vehicles/artifacts/noncreature spells, you're in for some crazy turns.

## The Cars

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PEOE-238p,MTG-EOC-2,MTG-PEOE-35p,MTG-EOC-7,MTG-EOE-25,MTG-WAR-24,MTG-PIP-22,MTG-BLC-39,MTG-WHO-177,MTG-DFT-27,MTG-MOC-108,MTG-NEO-249,MTG-PIP-128" />

I naturally am using a very vague definition of the word 'car' in the title of this deck. Spaceships, boats, automobiles, and aircraft are all being lumped into this category. The standout spaceships in this deck are <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PEOE-238p" title="Dawnsire" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EOC-2" title="Inspirit" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PEOE-35p" title="The Seriema" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EOC-7" title="Uthros Research Craft" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EOE-25" title="Lumen-Class Frigate" />. With Seriema, you should usually tutor for Sami or one of the draw engine cards like Jhoira or Sram. Also Lumen-Class Frigate can be quite useful for turning all of Kykar's spirits into much buffer crew members. Getting to shoot a creature with Dawnsire is always fun and Inspirit is just solid protection.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WAR-24" title="Parhelion II" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PIP-22" title="The Prydwen" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLC-39" title="Rolling Hamsphere" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WHO-177" title="Cybership" /> are all just fun big vehicles that are great for generating tokens. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DFT-27" title="Salvation Engine" /> is fantastic for making your cars stronger and occasionally works well for vehicle reanimation. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MOC-108" title="Deluxe Dragster" /> is just such a fun wildcard spell that lets you cast your opponents previously played spells. Cards like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-NEO-249" title="Mechtitan Core" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PIP-128" title="Brotherhood Vertibird" /> are solid for finishing out games with high power evasive creatures. The deck is mainly attempting to go wide and utilize flying but it helps to have big creatures to finish off at least one player.

## The Drivers

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-ORI-165,MTG-KLD-132,MTG-DFT-210,MTG-DFT-379,MTG-DFT-213" />

Most of the crew are tokens but some of the better drivers give haste like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-ORI-165" title="Thopter Engineer" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-KLD-132" title="Speedway Fanatic" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DFT-210" title="Kolodin, Triumph Caster" />. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DFT-379" title="Mu Yanling, Wind Rider" /> is also great because she gives vehicles flying. For some extra spice, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DFT-213" title="Mendicant Core, Guidelight" />'s Max Speed copy ability is great for doubling your vehicle value.

## Final Notes

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PDSK-32p,MTG-ELD-126,MTG-WAR-24,MTG-PEOE-226p" />

Admittedly, one could make a vehicle deck decently strong with more board wipes. I don't run many in this one because it aims to overwhelm the board with tokens. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PDSK-32p" title="Split Up" /> is a great add though because you can tap all of your creatures at will with crew abilities. I included <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-ELD-126" title="Fling" /> in the removal category because the idea of flinging a car at someone seemed hilarious. This thought then led me to the rabbit hole of thinking up a Ziatora vehicle deck, but I don't think that would work as well as this one. It would be a funny theme though. Another interesting car commander is Bello, Bard of the Brambles. He might be stronger than Kykar but the blue draw engine in this deck plus the ability to run <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WAR-24" title="Parhelion II" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PEOE-226p" title="Sami" /> is just so good.

Let me know your thoughts on the deck below. Also, are there any underrated vehicle commanders that you like?

Kykar's Cars

Magic and Marvel have been flirting for a while now. The Spider-Man set dipped a toe in. Marvel Universe tested the waters. But Marvel Super Heroes? This is the full cannonball into the deep end — 453 cards, four commander precons, double-faced transforming heroes, and enough iconic artifacts to make Tony Stark jealous.

Prerelease starts **June 19**, with the full release on **June 26**. Whether you're cracking packs, eyeing commander upgrades, or just want to know what cards your opponents will be slamming down next month, here are the ten cards you absolutely need to know — plus some sleeper picks the rest of the internet is sleeping on.

## The Headliners

### 1. Thanos, the Mad Titan

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-233" size="lg" />
 

Let's start with the big bad. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-233" title="Thanos, the Mad Titan" /> costs just <BlogMana text="{R}{W}{B}" /> for a 4/4 with deathtouch and lifelink — already an absurd rate for three mana. But his **Power-up** ability is where things get truly ridiculous: pay <BlogMana text="{C}{W}{U}{B}{R}{G}" />, put two +1/+1 counters on him, then choose odd or even and destroy every other creature whose mana value matches the chosen parity.

That's a one-sided board wipe on a stick. In Commander, where five-color mana bases are trivial, Thanos will end games. Note the <BlogMana text="{C}" /> in the Power-up cost — that's specifically colorless mana, so you'll need a Sol Ring, pain land, or similar source. The fact that he dodges his own wipe means you're always ahead after activating. Expect this to be one of the most-built commanders from the set.

### 2. Bruce Banner // The Incredible Hulk

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-49" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-49" title="Bruce Banner" /> starts humble — a <BlogMana text="{U}" /> 1/1 that taps to draw X cards for <BlogMana text="{X}{X}" /> (sorcery speed only) and transforms for <BlogMana text="{2}{R}{R}{G}{G}" />. But once he flips into The Incredible Hulk, things get out of hand fast. An 8/8 with reach and trample is already a clock, but his **Enrage** ability — put a +1/+1 counter on him whenever he's dealt damage, and if he's attacking, untap him and get an extra combat — creates infinite combat loops with any reliable ping source.

One damage. Untap. Extra combat. One more damage from blockers. Untap again. You get the idea. Wargamer ranked him the #3 commander in the entire set, and honestly, the only reason he's not #1 is that the wins can feel repetitive. But if you like turning sideways until your opponents are paste, Banner's your guy.

### 3. Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-146" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-146" title="Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor" /> might be the most versatile card in the set. At <BlogMana text="{3}{R}" />, when it enters it deals 4 damage to a creature — removal stapled to an equipment. Then it **doubles all damage** the equipped creature would deal. It even has a discard mode: <BlogMana text="{2}{R}" />, discard it to deal 2 damage to each creature, giving you a sweeper option when you don't have the mana to cast and equip. In a format where <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-156" title="Thor, God of Thunder" /> exists in the same set, this is terrifying.

The "equip worthy" cost of just <BlogMana text="{1}" /> means any legendary non-Villain that's red and/or white picks this up for cheap. In Standard, this slots into red aggro and midrange strategies. In Commander, it's an auto-include in any red equipment deck. MTG Rocks called it the best card in the entire set, and it's hard to argue.

### 4. Ultron, Artificial Malevolence

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-252" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-252" title="Ultron, Artificial Malevolence" /> is a colorless commander, which already makes him unique. Whenever another nontoken artifact enters under your control, pay <BlogMana text="{2}" /> to create a token copy — and if it's not already a creature, it becomes a 2/2 Robot Villain too.

Copy your Sol Ring. Copy your Mana Crypt. Copy your opponent's artifact that you stole. The flexibility here is staggering. Wargamer ranked Ultron the **#1 commander** in the set for good reason — the ceiling is absurdly high while the floor is still a 2/4 for three mana that generates an artifact army. Being colorless means he slots into literally any collection.

## The Must-Haves

### 5. The Mind Stone

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-21" size="lg" />
 

Not to be confused with the regular Mind Stone you already own twelve copies of. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-21" title="The Mind Stone" /> is a legendary, indestructible mana rock for <BlogMana text="{1}{W}" /> that taps for white. But once you pay <BlogMana text="{5}{W}" /> and tap it to **Harness** it, you unlock an Infinity ability that exiles and returns another target nonland permanent you control at end of turn — a repeatable flicker engine on an artifact that already pays for itself as ramp.

This is the headliner of the set for a reason. An indestructible two-mana rock that later becomes a value engine is exactly what white Commander decks have been begging for. Note that it does require <BlogMana text="{W}" /> to cast, so this is a white deck staple, not a universal rock. The premium Gauntlet version (with Thanos art) has fewer than 150 printings worldwide — chase card alert.

### 6. King T'Challa // Black Panther, Hope Enduring

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-219" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-219" title="King T'Challa" /> has flash, costs <BlogMana text="{1}{W}{U}" />, and draws you a card whenever _any_ player draws their second card each turn. In a four-player Commander pod, that's potentially three extra cards per turn cycle just for existing.

He transforms into Black Panther, Hope Enduring for late-game power, but honestly, the front face is so efficient that you might never bother flipping him. This card is generating serious buzz for competitive formats too — a flash 3/2 that draws cards in Azorius is exactly where control decks want to be.

### 7. World War Hulk

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-197" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-197" title="World War Hulk" /> is a Saga that doesn't waste your time. Chapter I lets you cast your next red or green creature spell this turn **without paying its mana cost**. That means cheating out an Etali, a Ghalta, or whatever enormous red or green threat you've been sandbagging — all for <BlogMana text="{3}{G}{G}" />.

In Commander, this offsets a huge chunk of what you'd normally pay for expensive creatures. The remaining chapters continue to provide value, but let's be honest — Chapter I is doing all the heavy lifting and it's doing it immediately.

## The Sleeper Picks

These are the cards that aren't making headlines yet but absolutely should be on your radar.

### 8. Hawkeye's Bow

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-132" size="lg" />
 

At just <BlogMana text="{R}" />, this common equipment gives +1/+0, reach, and — here's the kicker — deals 1 damage to each opponent whenever the equipped creature becomes tapped. That's every attack, every tap ability, every mana dork activation.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-132" title="Hawkeye's Bow" /> has already caused a **massive price spike** on Seeker of Skybreak (Tempest), which jumped from $0.40 to $10 overnight. Seeker of Skybreak can tap to untap a creature — equip it with the Bow, add another untapper, and you've got an infinite damage loop pinging each opponent to death. A one-mana red common driving $10 price spikes on 30-year-old cards is the kind of chaos we love to see.

### 9. Mole Man, Moloid Master

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-177" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-177" title="Mole Man, Moloid Master" /> is Crucible of Worlds on a creature with a landfall payoff stapled on. Play lands from your graveyard, and every land entering creates a 1/1 Moloid token that mills when it attacks.

In Standard, this mono-green three-drop slots into any landfall shell immediately. In Commander, combine with fetch lands and you're creating tokens while filling your graveyard with more lands to replay. This card is quietly one of the best value engines in the set and it's only a rare.

### 10. Avengers Disassembled

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-124" size="lg" />
 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-124" title="Avengers Disassembled" /> lets you choose one or both: deal 3 damage to each creature, **or** destroy a land (with a Path to Exile-style basic land search for the opponent). At <BlogMana text="{1}{R}{R}" />, this is an incredibly efficient sweeper that can also snipe problem lands.

The flexibility is what makes this special. Sometimes you need a board wipe. Sometimes you need to blow up Nykthos. Sometimes you need both. Keep in mind it's a sorcery, so you'll need to be proactive, but Pioneer and Modern sideboards should take note — three mana for a modal sweeper plus land destruction is a rate that doesn't come around often.

## The Commander Precons at a Glance

The set comes with four commander precons, each built around a Marvel faction:

| Precon | Commander | Colors | Strategy |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Avengers Assemble | <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSC-5" title="Captain America, Team Leader" /> | Jeskai (URW) | Hero tribal with +1/+1 counters and equipment |
| Doom Prevails | <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSC-6" title="Doctor Doom, King of Latveria" /> | Grixis (UBR) | Villain connive with land-discard synergy |
| First Family | <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSC-2" title="Mister Fantastic" /> | WURG | Noncreature spells and triggered ability copying |
| Wakanda Forever | <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSC-7" title="T'Challa, the Black Panther" /> | Selesnya (GW) | Vibranium artifact tokens and big artifact payoffs |

**Best out of the box**: Captain America. Hero tribal gets natural support from both the main set and the precon. Whenever another Hero enters under your control, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSC-5" title="Captain America, Team Leader" /> gives it haste and vigilance until end of turn, puts a +1/+1 counter on it _and_ on himself. Every Hero you play makes your whole board scarier.

**Best upgrade potential**: Doctor Doom. Connive is one of the most powerful mechanics in Commander, and a Grixis shell gives you access to the best card selection and reanimation in the game. The precon is a solid starting point that gets terrifying with a few targeted upgrades.

**Most unique**: Mister Fantastic. A four-color commander that copies triggered abilities you control _twice_ is uncharted territory. The ceiling is sky-high if you build around it, but the precon needs more work out of the box.

**Most flavorful**: Wakanda Forever. T'Challa creating Vibranium tokens and caring about artifacts in Selesnya is a fun twist on colors that don't usually go artifact-heavy.

## New Mechanics to Watch

**Power Up** is the set's signature mechanic. It gives you a powerful activated ability with a high mana cost, but that cost is reduced if the creature entered the battlefield this turn. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-233" title="Thanos" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-62" title="Kang the Conqueror" /> both use Power Up to devastating effect — Kang's gives you an extra turn for <BlogMana text="{5}{U}{U}{U}" />, with a significant discount on the turn you cast him.

**Plan** is a new enchantment subtype for Villains. Plans gain counters whenever a Villain enters the battlefield, and sacrifice themselves at five counters for a big payoff. Think of them as Sagas that your opponents can see coming but can't easily stop.

**Harness** appears on the Infinity Stones (like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-21" title="The Mind Stone" />) and permanently upgrades the artifact once you pay the harness cost. It's a clean, flavorful way to represent powering up iconic items.

## Final Thoughts

Marvel Super Heroes is shaping up to be one of the most impactful Universes Beyond sets we've seen. The commander options alone could keep deckbuilders busy for months, and cards like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-146" title="Mjölnir" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-21" title="The Mind Stone" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-252" title="Ultron" /> have the power level to become format staples.

If you're hitting prerelease this weekend, keep an eye out for <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-132" title="Hawkeye's Bow" /> in your commons — that unassuming little equipment is already moving markets. And if you're a Commander player, start making room in your collection. Between four precons and 128 new legendary creatures in the main set alone, you're going to need more deck boxes.

What card are you most excited to play? Let us know in the comments!

Marvel Super Heroes Set Preview: The 10 Cards You Need to Know

With the previous Spiderman set and the upcoming Marvel set, Magic the Gathering and Marvel now are one. For better or for worse, those universes are married, meaning that all characters in each of those universes may interact with one another.

This does beg the question, in the Magic the Marveling Universe, who is the strongest character? Is it <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-M19-218" title="Nicol Bolas" />? Or is it perhaps <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-HOC-36" title="Sauron" />? Could it be <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-AFR-112" title="Lolth" />? Or is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PSPL-9" title="Super Shredder" /> just a bit stronger? Who would win in combat, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-233" title="Thanos" /> or a <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-155" title="Noxious Newt" /> that just equipped a flashed-in <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-ACR-216" title="Hidden Footblade" />?

Perhaps these questions will all be answered in the countless future magic games played utilizing these characters as pawns in metaphorical duels to the death. I tell you, all of us were deceived, for another OP card was made. In the land of WotC, in the fires of Hasbro, was forged a secret master card to conquer all others. Into this one card, the devs poured all their cruelty, malice, and will to dominate all casual commander matchups. One Squirrel to rule them all. One Squirrel to find them. One Squirrel to beat them all and in the game stores bind them.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-MSH-193" size="lg" />

## The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-193" title="The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl" /> is a positively insane commander. Doubling the amount of squirrels you control at instant speed alone is incredibly strong. If that was the sole ability she had, Squirrel Girl would be a solid commander, but on top of all that she also makes squirrels when she enters or attacks.

If you put zero squirrel cards in the main deck, Squirrel Girl would still be able to function independently. In many of my play-tests, it often seemed better to cast or activate Squirrel Girl rather than cast any spells from hand. The main two goals of a Squirrel Girl deck are 1) getting ridiculous amounts of mana to create squirrels and 2) making those squirrels big enough to defeat your opponents.

## Ramping Into Squirrels

For the first goal, any cards that let you tap creatures for mana like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PDSK-176p" title="Enduring Vitality" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-INR-408" title="Cryptolith Rite" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-LTR-160" title="Elven Chorus" />, etc. will balloon the amount of mana at your disposal with each activation of Squirrel Girl.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PDSK-176p,MTG-INR-408,MTG-LTR-160" />

At a base level, any one or two mana ramp spell can really help speed up getting to initially cast Squirrel Girl. This includes common green ramp spells like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-10E-274" title="Llanowar Elves" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-DIS-99" title="Utopia Sprawl" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DSC-193" title="Rampant Growth" />, and so on.

As for mid to later game ramp, higher CMC cards like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WAR-169" title="Nissa, Who Shakes the World" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WOE-284" title="Virtue of Strength" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CM2-178" title="Caged Sun" /> are fantastic for generating the amount of mana we're trying to produce with Squirrel Girl.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-WAR-169,MTG-WOE-284,MTG-CM2-178" />

## Making Squirrels Massive

For the second goal, there are many different great ways to make the squirrels massive. From a simple <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-M12-186" title="Overrun" /> to the much funnier <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-FDN-109" title="Preposterous Proportions" />, green has a plethora of great options for turning each squirrel into a gigantic monster.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-M12-186,MTG-FDN-109" />

Some creatures like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLB-202" title="Valley Mightcaller" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLB-178" title="Honored Dreyleader" /> individually become massive, but I mostly prefer cards that buff the whole board. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DFT-388" title="March of the World Ooze" /> might be my personal favorite but <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-FDN-127" title="Banner of Kinship" /> is likely the most powerful game-ending card in this deck.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-BLB-202,MTG-BLB-178,MTG-DFT-388,MTG-FDN-127" />

Because so much of the value engine of the deck comes from the commander, you have a lot of open slots for Overrun and Anthem effects.

## Piloting the Deck

The first couple turns will hopefully ramp you a little so that you can cast Squirrel Girl by turn three. Hopefully by turn four you'll be able to safely attack with Squirrel Girl to create another squirrel.

On turn four you should in most cases hold up enough mana to protect your commander and/or activate her on an opponent's end step. On turn five it's nice to cast a low CMC spell and be able to activate Squirrel Girl again.

In any of the following turns you should either be doubling squirrels, drawing lots of cards, or knocking out players with some sort of Overrun effect.

## Final Thoughts

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MSH-193" title="The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl" /> is a strong new commander with great potential in casual brackets. This deck is very weak to board wipes so spending a bit more money on <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-AER-109" title="Heroic Intervention" /> or <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-C15-253" title="Eldrazi Monument" /> could make the deck less likely to get crushed by a single board wipe.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-AER-109,MTG-C15-253" />

Any deck that permanently gives creatures -1/-1 also is the bane of this sort of deck. If you're facing off against a Squirrel Girl deck, those are the best ways to combat it, besides just shooting Squirrel Girl on sight.

Is The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl the new strongest Magic card? Probably not. But she is the strongest Squirrel Human Hero we've seen so far…and that's more than can be said of Nicol Bolas.

## The Full Deck List

Want to try this deck yourself? [The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl](https://manytcg.com/decks/cmq02sams0001jv04zkat93fo)

<BlogDeckList deckListIndex="0" />
 
Let us know who your favorite Squirrel Human Hero is in the comments below!

The Strongest Character in the Marvel-Magic Universe!

Many many years ago, when I was still young and the sun burned slightly less red, I was tasked with hosting a great banquet to celebrate the lord of the house's return from war. It was to be a grand celebration full of festivities, laughter, and joy. All of our lord's family and friends from near and far were slated to attend and no expense was to be spared. Dancers from Milan, singers from Venice, chefs all the way from Syracuse came for this momentous occasion. We had magicians, fire eaters, and acrobats, lion tamers and sword-swallowers too! We shipped in wines, cheeses, ales, meats, cakes, fruits, vegetables, and other foods from all around Europe and beyond. But when the day for the banquet finally came, we still weren't prepared.

The new **Prepared** mechanic in Magic the Gathering's **Secrets of Strixhaven** (SOS) is one of the most exciting and fresh innovations in card design in recent memory. Reminiscent to mechanics like Omen and Adventure, the prepared ability gives a player more options and more spells per card in their deck. To celebrate SOS and to explore these new Prepared cards, I felt like it would be fun to sort them into a tier list.

## Metrics for Determining Good vs Bad

There are four questions to ask when ranking Prepared spells:

1. How good is the creature?
2. How good is the prepared spell?
3. How easy is it to prepare the spell?
4. How hard is it to re-prepare the spell?

Depending on how well a card ranks in those four categories will determine how good the card actually is. I personally view these cards from a commander player's perspective and this is, of course, my opinion. So if you have any cards you think are better or worse than I ranked them, please let me know in the comments below. This ranking list includes all of the prepared creatures in both the main set and the commander decks for Secrets of Strixhaven.

Now, without further ado, let's commence with the ranking from worst to best!

## F Tier

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-76,MTG-SOS-72,MTG-SOS-19" />

Cards like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-76" title="Cheerful Osteomancer" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-72" title="Adventurous Eater" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-19" title="Honorbound Page" /> are cards that fall into the draft chaff category. They are under-statted creatures, with weak cantrips, and can only be re-prepared by flickering them. The only plus side is they are prepared when they enter, but in this case their one use spells might only be useful in draft or maybe pauper.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-56,MTG-SOS-131" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-56" title="Landscape Painter" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-131" title="Strife Scholar" /> fall into this category for similar reasons but might be even worse than the previous two because their prepared spells cost so much mana.

## D Tier

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-152,MTG-SOS-68,MTG-SOS-98,MTG-SOS-40,MTG-SOS-122" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-152" title="Infirmary Healer" /> almost made it into F tier, but it passes the stat test and Stream of Life can be useful late-game. It's not great, but could have some use in a low power deck. It could even be an alright addition to a cat deck if one is looking for half decent cats. Similarly, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-68" title="Spellbook Seeker" /> could function alright in a bird deck. Having the option to loot two cards for one mana is a good one to have.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-98" title="Scathing Shadelock" /> barely passes the stat test and its ability to re-prepare easily is nice, however, if this were a 7/6 with deathtouch for six mana, one wouldn't have to keep paying <BlogMana text="{1}" /> every turn to buff it. Further, if Venomous Words was an instant, the card would be much more nuanced and useful. There can be some niches where this card is good but it isn't quite strong enough to be in C tier.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-40" title="Campus Composer" /> costs too much mana for what you get and so does its sorcery Aqueous Aria.

The final D tier card is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-122" title="Maelstrom Artisan" />. It's a weak creature with haste that immediately puts a target on you in commander. If you want to commit land destruction, there are more effective cards out there, and in casual commander this mines too much salt to be worth it.

## C Tier

This is the tier for cards that are still not great, but still not terrible.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-12,MTG-SOS-109,MTG-SOS-117" />

First up, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-12" title="Elite Interceptor" /> is low enough mana, for an overstated body, that has an ok tap/card draw spell. Probably not fantastic in commander but it could be ok in some human decks. It's a somewhat better version of Thraben Inspector too so any deck that runs that card might like this card as well.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-109" title="Blazing Firesinger" /> is not a good creature, and in spite of it not being able to be re-prepared, it has a really good spell stapled to it. Seething Song is a fantastic impulse ramp spell in a color that doesn't have great options for ramp. Six mana total to get a 2/3 and five mana back isn't too bad. Plus, if you find a way to copy Seething Song, suddenly this becomes absolutely worth it.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-117" title="Goblin Glasswright" /> is here for similar reasons as Blazing Firesinger. Red ramp is good. The creature isn't terrible. If it were any better it'd be in a higher tier.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-126,MTG-SOS-46,MTG-SOS-88" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-126" title="Pigment Wrangler" /> has a good spell stapled to it, especially in a spell-slinger set. Plus a 4/4 with flying for five mana isn't terrible either. This could be alright in some commander decks. I would rank this one higher but it takes too much mana to get this to do something cool. If Pigment Wrangler cost less mana for a slightly worse creature, the card would be much better.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-46" title="Encouraging Aviator" /> is easy to re-prepare and granting evasion can be useful. This might go well in a Choco, Seeker of Paradise deck, because it could give chocobos flying. It just isn't very powerful though.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-88" title="Leech Collector" /> is also easy to re-prepare, and slowly draining the board for one mana isn't terrible either. This card isn't strong but it seems somewhat usable.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-170,MTG-SOS-237" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-170" title="Abigale, Poet Laureate" /> can be prepared easily but her spell isn't great for what you pay for it. This could be interesting to build around but I don't think it is very strong. Two mana for her prepared spell is a bit too steep for what it gives. The final C tier card on this list is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-237" title="Tam, Observant Sequencer" />. Like the previous three, Tam can be easily re-prepared. She also has an alright spell. This seems like a fun pauper commander but in traditional commander, there are so many more explosive cards in Simic.

## B Tier

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-223,MTG-SOS-198,MTG-SOS-199" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-223" title="Sanar, Unfinished Genius" /> is a two mana Izzet commander that can easily make treasure tokens. If there's one thing that commander players learn quickly, it's that you can't trust an Izzet player with mana. Sanar also has a tutor attached to him. This card is a functional commander on its own and it could also work well in the 99 of a spell-slinger deck.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-198" title="Kirol, History Buff" /> is over-statted, easy to prepare, and has a spell that works well for a voltron strat. This card seems like it could be a fun and unique commander to build around as well. It's not the best commander but it looks like an enjoyable commander that most people probably won't run.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-199" title="Lluwen, Exchange Student" /> is primarily in B tier because of the ability to exile a card from your graveyard. This ability has a healthy amount of combo potential. Commanders like Tormod, the Desecrator and Teval, the Balanced Scale love cards like this. Lluwen's spell is passable but the ability to exile as many selective cards from your graveyard at sorcery speed is superb in the right deck.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-33,MTG-SOC-18,MTG-SOC-50" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-33" title="Spiritcall Enthusiast" /> is perfect for a cat deck. It's easy to prepare if you make tokens and its spell is good for strategies that just want to hit people in the faces. Overall a good card for the 99 with passable stats.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-18" title="Dirgur Focusmage" /> has a great passive ability of reducing the cost of instants and sorceries. It has a good spell attached to it. Plus, it's not too hard to prepare. This is a solid card to slot into any spellslinger deck that can fit it.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-50" title="Striding Shotcaller" /> is great for counters decks. The opportunity to grant repeated evasion for your big creatures can be very strong in decks that care about counters. The biggest downside to this card is it is quite dependent on you having a board state to make use of it. This might enable wins but it doesn't win on its own.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-23,MTG-SOC-29,MTG-SOS-85" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-23" title="Joined Researchers" /> shine particularly in pods of three or more. Having Secret Rendezvous on a stick can be a solid way to politic your way into having friends at the commander table. Plus a 2/2 for two with first strike isn't bad at all.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-29" title="Stensian Sanguinist" /> might be a little tricky at times to prepare but the ability to just give deathtouch to a creature can be very strong. The Exsanguinate stapled to it is definitely a late game option so it can be awkward getting this out turn two but it is a solid spell if you have the mana for it.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-85" title="Grave Researcher" /> would be higher on this list if it entered prepared. The fact that you have to wait until your upkeep to prepare such a powerful spell means this will be a target. If you get the ability to cast Reanimate, it will likely be worth it, but you might be better off just running spells like Zombify in certain games. Grave Researcher is still really good, just not quite A tier.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOC-49,MTG-SOS-145" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-49" title="Lorehold Archivist" /> is not hard to prepare and re-prepare, it has good stats for a first striker, and its spell is super cool. For a Boros deck that has any graveyard focus, this card is superb. This is in B tier for the same reasons the previous card is. Admittedly, Grave Researcher is better than Lorehold Archivist, but it might not be the removal magnet that Grave Researcher is simply because of how powerful Reanimate is.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-145" title="Emeritus of Abundance" /> is unfortunately not in A tier because Regrowth isn't super useful and having to attack while having many lands already basically means this card is only good mid to late game, depending on how well you've ramped. It has good stats and can be re-prepared but doesn't seem super great. Honestly, this one might be closer to B tier but it can be strong in certain situations. If this card even had a spell like Giant Growth, it would have been so much more.

## A Tier

This is the most populated tier in this list. So many wonderful and versatile cards were created to debut the Prepared mechanic in Secrets of Strixhaven.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-113,MTG-SOS-13" />

First up, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-113" title="Emeritus of Conflict" /> and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-13" title="Emeritus of Truce" /> are all good cards with good stats and classic spells. If Emeritus of Conflict was easier to prepare, it would be ranked higher. This goes in a spell slinger deck but it seems more niche than any of the other emeriti. Emeritus of Truce comes with one of the best removal spells in the game. If it was easier to re-prepare other than by flickering it, then this would be ranked higher as well.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-322,MTG-SOC-48,MTG-SOC-45" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-322" title="Skycoach Conductor" /> is perfect for flicker decks. It cannot flicker itself, but anything that flickers creatures when it enters will immediately re-prepare this. Plus, always being able to flicker a creature at instant speed can be a very powerful option to have. Because this one specially goes in flicker decks, this is the only one that enters prepared that I would classify as easy to re-prepare.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-48" title="Inspired Skypainter" /> is a 2/2 for two mana with flying. Its spell is a solid way to copy creatures and is easy to re-prepare. Also, because it can target itself, if you find a way to get infinite mana in Izzet, you could make infinite copies of itself with haste. Overall a stellar card.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-45" title="Defacing Duskmage" /> is a good boy who makes for a great blocker. The fact that his spell hurts everyone and draws you cards all while being fairly easy to prepare solidifies this dapper doggo as an A tier friend!

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOC-94,MTG-SOS-52,MTG-SOS-55" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-94" title="Eccentric Pestfinder" /> is a 5/5 with trample for four mana. His spell isn't the best but it is a nice option. It's also a spell that becomes prepared whenever you gain life, so it's not really hard to prepare in Golgari colors. It's basically an S tier creature with a B tier spell so this one averages out to A tier.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-52" title="Harmonized Trio" /> is nice to have in any deck that makes tokens and runs blue. It's also a merfolk so putting this in a merfolk specific deck could also work really well. Being able to recast Brainstorm is a nice little card draw engine. Further, any deck that cares about card draw triggers would love to include this card in the 99.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-55" title="Jadzi, Steward of Fate" /> would make for an alright commander if you could get the mana to make her Oracle's Gift really pop off. Jadzi is hard to re-prepare but if you cast her prepared spell for a lot of mana, she alone could build you a huge army. I prefer her in the 99 but she would be an interesting commander to build around. Her ETB looting is also nice but I don't think it matters too much in the strategies that would build around Jadzi. If I were to build around her, the deck would be about ramping to afford a big version of Jadzi's spell.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-27,MTG-SOS-329,MTG-SOC-44" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-27" title="Quill-Blade Laureate" /> is a more humble spell than Jadzi. Honestly, a creature with doublestrike that can give another creature doublestrike is great to have. If it could be re-prepared it would likely rank higher but overall, for the mana you pay, it is a good card.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-329" title="Scheming Silvertongue" /> is fantastic. The fact that it can contribute to its own preparing is wonderful. Sign in Blood is a classic spell and it goes in any deck that runs a healthy amount of swamps. Being able to recur Sign in Blood is so good and all you really have to do is keep gaining that two life back.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-44" title="Yavimaya Bloomsage" /> has Channel stapled to it. The only reason this isn't in S tier is because preparing it might take some effort and mana. If this came in prepared it would be a different story. Channel is very strong and could easily make this creature a target for removal. The free +1/+1 counter at your end step is a nice bonus though. I'm glad this exists but it likely won't be breaking games because of how much effort and time it takes to get Channel online.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOS-166,MTG-SOS-162" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-166" title="Vastlands Scavenger" /> is over-statted for what you pay for it plus it has a green reanimation spell attached to it. The only reason this isn't in S tier is it is hard to re-prepare but beyond that it has everything you want in a prepared card.

The final A tier prepared creature is quite obviously, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-162" title="Studious First-Year" />. Does it have good stats? Not really. Can it be re-prepared? Not easily. But is it a bear that can ramp? Yes. Now by my own metrics this should be closer to C or B tier but I love this bear and this is my list so Studious First-Year is clearly A tier. The only reason it isn't in S tier is it isn't a 2/2 bear... but I guess you can't win 'em all.

## S Tier

Naturally, this is where the best of the best reside. Everything about these cards just work.

### <BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOC-13" size="lg" />

Our first S tier selection is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-13" title="Eiganjo Dynastorian" />. As a creature itself, it is nothing super special, but having a Replenish that can also be recurred is just so strong. It is not hard to prepare and re-prepare and any enchantment heavy deck would love to slot this in.

### <BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOC-33" size="lg" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-33" title="Naktamun Lorespinner" /> is a reusable Wheel of Fortune on a 3/3 Jackal Wizard. If you burn through cards quickly, this is very easy to keep re-preparing too. This goes in decks with a lot of low CMC spells and wants to cast all of them fast.

### <BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-80" size="lg" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-80" title="Emeritus of Woe" /> enters prepared and isn't hard to re-prepare. Getting the ability to recur Demonic Tutor of all things will likely get this thing killed but it is just so strong if you get it to work. Also the creature is only four mana for a 5/4 so that's fairly solid.

### <BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-45" size="lg" />

Our final S tier pick among prepared cards is <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-45" title="Emeritus of Ideation" />. This one was spoiled early because one of the Power Nine is printed on it. **Ancestral Recall** is an outstanding draw spell. Because this creature enters prepared and can be re-prepared by exiling cards from your graveyard, this Emeritus is just so strong. All of that and it is a flying 5/5 with ward two, of course it is S tier. It's not as good as just Ancestral Recall but I do love the creativity and the work around to get one of the Power Nine back into current Magic. This card doesn't seem strong enough to need to be banned, all while being fantastic in commander.

## The Full Tier List

<BlogTierList
 S="MTG-SOC-13,MTG-SOC-33,MTG-SOS-80,MTG-SOS-45"
 A="MTG-SOS-113,MTG-SOS-13,MTG-SOS-322,MTG-SOC-48,MTG-SOC-45,MTG-SOC-94,MTG-SOS-52,MTG-SOS-55,MTG-SOS-27,MTG-SOS-329,MTG-SOC-44,MTG-SOS-166,MTG-SOS-162"
 B="MTG-SOS-223,MTG-SOS-198,MTG-SOS-199,MTG-SOS-33,MTG-SOC-18,MTG-SOC-50,MTG-SOS-23,MTG-SOC-29,MTG-SOS-85,MTG-SOC-49,MTG-SOS-145"
 C="MTG-SOS-12,MTG-SOS-109,MTG-SOS-117,MTG-SOS-126,MTG-SOS-46,MTG-SOS-88,MTG-SOS-170,MTG-SOS-237"
 D="MTG-SOS-152,MTG-SOS-68,MTG-SOS-98,MTG-SOS-40,MTG-SOS-122"
 F="MTG-SOS-76,MTG-SOS-72,MTG-SOS-19,MTG-SOS-56,MTG-SOS-131"
/>

If you made it this far, thank you for your continued support of ManyTCG. We really appreciate you being here. If you have any thoughts on this list, please share them in the comments. Did I rank something too harshly or too leniently? Do you now feel more **prepared** to build decks around Secrets of Strixhaven cards? Do the trolls in Strixhaven have a hard time eating with those obnoxious tusks in the way? Please tell me; I need to know.

Ranking Every Prepared Card in Secrets of Strixhaven: A Tier List

# Catfight: The Cat Has Nine Lives (And You'd Better Use Them All)

Magic is at its best when it's fast, scrappy, and unpredictable. **Catfight** is a fan-made format created by [ReyaaDawnMTG](https://www.youtube.com/@ReyaaDawnMTG) that delivers exactly that. Low-cost spells, singleton deckbuilding, and a single creature that anchors every game: your **Nine-Lives Familiar**.

It's cheap to build, quick to play, and every game feels like it matters. Now you can play it on ManyTCG.

## What is Catfight?

Catfight is a 1v1 format built around one core idea: protect your cat, kill theirs.

Each player starts at **9 life** with a **Nine-Lives Familiar** on the battlefield carrying **8 revival counters**. Your cat is your only creature. If it dies with no counters left, you lose. Simple as that.

The rest of your deck is built from **non-creature spells with CMC 1** _(with some exceptions)_ and **lands**. No expensive bombs, no creature-heavy boards, just tight, efficient spellcasting and a cat that refuses to stay dead.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-FDN-321" />

## The Full Ruleset

Here's everything you need to know:

### Setup

- 1v1
- 9 starting life
- Non-combat damage dealt to you by your opponent is **prevented** (life loss is still allowed, and you can damage yourself)

### Deckbuilding

- **40-card singleton minimum** (excluding Nine-Lives Familiar)
- Only **non-creature cards of CMC 1** and **lands** (no zero-cost spells, no Dryad Arbor)
- X spells, Kicker, Talent, and similar mechanics are allowed
- **9-card sideboard**

### The Cat

- Each player starts with a **Nine-Lives Familiar** on the battlefield with **8 revival counters**
- The cat doesn't count toward your 40-card minimum
- It can attack on turn 1
- **If your cat dies with no counters left, you lose the game**

### Cat-Specific Interactions (The Golden Rule)

**You cannot make the cat do what the cat doesn't want to do.**

In other words, you cannot stop the cat from coming back from the graveyard as designed and intended. Specifically, you cannot:

- **Exile** the cat from any zone
- **Bounce** the cat (it can't go into anyone's hand)
- **Put the cat into a library** from any zone
- **Remove the cat's death trigger ability** ("loses all abilities" effects will remove other abilities, but not the return-from-death trigger)
- **Stifle or counter** the cat's death trigger
- **Make the cat leave either graveyard** (or not leave) beyond its own trigger (no Reanimate, no Malakir Rebirth, no Grafdigger's Cage)
- **Turn the cat face down**, manifest it, or similar effects
- **Permanently gain control** of your opponent's cat (if you do, it returns at the end of turn)

**Edge cases:**

- If something would affect multiple cards and one of them is the cat, it resolves as normal **except** it doesn't affect the cat. (Example: Bojuka Bog exiles everything in a graveyard except the cat.)
- If something requires you to return, exile, or otherwise move a card and you have options other than the cat, **you must choose the other card**. (Example: Curfew is cast while you have a cat and a token in play. You must return the token.)

## Why Catfight Works

The CMC 1 restriction and singleton rule mean every card matters. There are no dead draws, no waiting around for a big finisher. You're making meaningful decisions from turn one.

The format naturally stays budget-friendly since you're only playing cheap spells. And because non-combat damage from your opponent is prevented, the game revolves entirely around combat with your cat and strategic use of your 1-mana toolkit.

Games are **fast**. If you've ever wanted a format you can squeeze into a lunch break, Catfight is it.

## How to Play Catfight on ManyTCG

Getting started is straightforward:

1. **Create an account** (if you haven't already -- [Sign Up Here](https://manytcg.com/signup))
2. **Build a Catfight deck** -- select "Catfight" as your format when creating a new MTG deck. The deck validator will enforce all the rules for you.
3. **Pick your Nine-Lives Familiar** -- you'll be prompted to select it as a format extra, just like choosing a Commander.
4. **Hit Playtest** and invite your opponent.

When the game starts, your Nine-Lives Familiar will already be on the battlefield with its 8 revival counters. No setup needed.

## Deckbuilding Tips

Since you're locked to CMC 1 non-creature spells, here are some directions to explore:

- **Removal:** Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, Fatal Push -- the usual suspects all cost 1
- **Pump spells:** Giant Growth, Mutagenic Growth, Rancor -- making your cat hit harder is a real strategy
- **Protection:** Gods Willing, Snakeskin Veil, Tyvar's Stand -- keeping your cat alive is everything
- **X spells:** These are legal and scale into the late game. Fireball variants and flexible removal give you reach
- **Cantrips:** Brainstorm, Ponder, Opt -- consistency matters in singleton

The tension between going aggressive (attacking with your cat, pumping it) and playing defensive (holding up protection, managing counters) is what makes Catfight tick.

## Credit Where It's Due

Catfight was created by **ReyaaDawnMTG**. You can check out the full format breakdown and see it in action on their [YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/DHp2Wx-gFZ0).

## Ready to Scrap?

Build a deck, hit **Playtest**, and see how far nine lives can take you. Catfight proves that Magic doesn't need big mana or complex board states to be thrilling. Sometimes all you need is a cat, a handful of cheap spells, and the nerve to swing first.

Good luck out there. Your cat is counting on you.

Play Catfight on ManyTCG: A New MTG Player Format

# Forgetful Fish and Battle Box

Forgetful Fish didn't "invent" the shared library and graveyard format.

Forgetful Fish and its variants follow a format.

And that's ok.

## The Facts

### Battle Box

**Battle Box** was there before Dandan. Yes, Forgetful Fish might have been created before but it wasn't public. And that's all the difference.

The subreddit r/mtgBattleBox was created the 18th of September 2016, 10 days after FF was released. But new ideas rarely pop up straight into a subreddit, so obviously battlebox is even older. And indeed it is, proved by these articles:

> _"Tracking the origin of Battle Box is a little tricky — it definitely has a precursor in another oddball format called Danger Room, invented by Brian Demars and formalized in an article on [Quiet Speculation](https://www.quietspeculation.com/2012/08/introducing-a-new-format-called-the-danger-room/) written by Douglas Linn in 2012. Dave Williams is the earliest writer to talk specifically about Battle Box, and that's as good a place as any to land."_
> — [Card Kingdom Blog](https://blog.cardkingdom.com/fringe-format-battle-box/)

> _"Danger Room was the name Brian DeMars gave to his own Battle Box [...] [it] is considered the 'starting point' for battle boxes ever since he wrote about it for [Starcity Games](https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/the-danger-room/) in 2014."_
> — [Draftsim](https://draftsim.com/battle-box-mtg/)

As for the format rules:

- "A box **doesn't need** to be a particular size."
- "Battle Boxes are self contained so they **don't need** to follow any structure strictly. These rule sets and suggestions are a solid baseline, but designers have full freedom to experiment."
- "Lists are **almost** always singleton, including only a single copy of any one card."
- "**Usually** between 100-200 cards, carefully selected to build a balanced environment, much like Cube. It's mostly a singleton format."

_— All from [Lucky Paper's Guide to Battle Box](https://luckypaper.co/articles/a-guide-to-battle-box/)_

Note the "almost" freedom of size and number of cards: the main point is the shared library and graveyard. Moreover, in DeMars and Linn's article, there is no mention of the number of each card. And they advocate for way larger pool of cards (at the cost of the easiest portability).

The emphasis is on the experience of the player and the power of each card for a balanced game, heavily influenced by Cube. Which is super interesting and personal and as many such things, feels good to share what you've been working on, hoping others would enjoy.

### Cubelet

There is also **Cubelet**, smaller and with a different land rule than Battle Box. Here is [the creation video](https://youtu.be/t4V9kO8MIx4?si=WsvsmcHdD-6GHkjv&t=1010) from the 04th of April 2014, uploaded on the 12th.

It quickly went onto the radars and was mentioned in an article from G. Verhey in [December 2014](https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/five-fun-formats-youve-probably-never-heard-2014-12-09).

Again sharing library but not always graveyards: "4.) Separate graveyards (unless you like shenanigans)." — usually singleton, and around 100 cards, but with some leeway too. The main difference with Battle Box being the mana system and the smaller size.

### Forgetful Fish

Nick Floyd tells us that FF was created in 1996 and kept in his pocket for [20 years](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3ElXGnlB_E).

FF was first published online on Reddit and The Source the 08th of September 2016, and the list on tappedout.net is from 2017. And it wasn't as famous as it is today. It started to be, at best, niche around 2020 and popularized with the [Rhystic Studies video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otdgj8fBQxc) in 2023.

Of course, you might be a statistical error and be one of the rarest people having played the OG FF with Floyd himself, and, obviously loving it, spread it around in your circle. But let's face it, it's nowhere near 100 people. Let alone be known by MTG/WotC employees.

Anyone could have invented a similar way to play MTG, and I'm certain there are, at this very moment, many new formats which would blow the community's mind by how amazing they are. Nonetheless they remain hidden treasures as long as they're not published, accessible by anyone.

And that's all the difference.

On the other hand, when you publicly post about it, you can claim it as your own, you can spread it etc. That's what happened for FF once it was online. Starting slowly but with enough time, and luck, 7 years later, someone famous makes a video about it.

## Ok But What Now?

So FF did not "invent" nor popularize the shared deck format. It was there before. It was already done, that's exactly what Battle Box is.

Hence Battle Box is the reference as it is the oldest published shared library/graveyard format, with articles written about it by other people than the creators.

Now we know that FF/Dandan is UNDER the umbrella term of "shared deck" or "Battle Box" BUT is NOT the umbrella itself (as believed by many players).

Thus any shared deck is NOT a Dandan variant.

To be a Dandan variant it needs to follow some building rules, otherwise it's, by default, a Battle Box.

All cats are felines but not all felines are cats. Cats have their own characteristics.

### But Floyd Called FF a Variant, Not a Format

Yes, it's not wrong in itself, but any format of MTG is a variant from the comprehensive rules, from the game itself. And any variant has a format.

Some examples to illustrate and understand:

**EDH/Commander** started as a variant because it uses special rules: the commander's, and has a format: 1 of, 99 cards + 1 commander. With time and being played a lot by the community, plus with the specially designed cards and sets for it, it stopped being a variant, it stopped being a different way to play and became a classic game mode, even THE main way to play, apparently. Yet, still having a format to follow. Nowadays Canadian Highlander is a variant from Commander: same basic rules, slightly different formatting. Same goes for Tiny Leaders and plenty of others.

**Pioneer** is not a variant, as it uses the regular OG 60 cards, 4 of rules, and the standard rules, but it is a format as it has some specific restrictions (its banlist and its sets selection list). It has a format to follow.

If we abstract even further, a MTG variant could be defined as "playing with MTG cards in a whatever manner" or "playing MTG in a different manner than the usual ones".

A format is the inherent rules to build said variant or classic version of the game. You can't say: "I play standard but I have 8 <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-2ED-162" title="Lightning Bolts" /> in this deck." It doesn't follow the format.

If we go back to FF, the difference between it and Battle Box is its formatting, as both share the shared library and graveyard. FF has 10-8-4-2s, only one creature and 80 cards total. Battle Box has any number of the same card and any number of total cards. Thus FF is more narrow.

It means that FF is a variant of BB, because BB is the oldest and broadest variant of MTG. It's not because the players or Floyd didn't know about BB that it makes it less true.

## But My Freedom of Building, My Freedom of Creativity!

As always, you're not hurting anybody, do what you want.

But then something happens: the feeling of play is not the same. It can be sought after, but usually it is unintentional.

**And thus we enter the realm of game design.**

Floyd struck gold with his idea, it's not for nothing that it is as popular as it is today. It is great. Not only the format itself, but the small optional rules that go with it: **In the Mind's Island** (each player starts with 2 islands in play, speeding up the game and forgoing the awkward first few turns of "land, go") and **Remember the Fish** (instead of decking out, shuffle graveyard and library for a fresh library to continue the game, everything else stays in place \*).

> This optional rule was present in the Classic list primer. Floyd already had the issue of the opponent trying to deck you out and adjusted accordingly with this rule. So the people claiming to have "broken Dandan" by using the strategy of decking out (forget the fish) are not original nor really knew about the game.

He explains his creative process in his [danecdote 1 video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3ElXGnlB_E) and the choice of <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CHR-18" title="Dandân" /> in [danecdote 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQrVs3Rcf0Y).

And there you have it, **the core game loop**: draw a spell countered by <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DDM-24" title="Memory Lapse" />.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-CHR-18,MTG-DDM-24" />

Then the creature, the win con, and its choice to fit with the parameters of Memory Lapse, with the core: blue and, to an extent, low cost. And most importantly, a cool interaction. Blue might/does (?) not have hard removal the way other colors have, so playing with the drawback ability of the Dandân is brilliant.

The rest of the deck is to cater to these cards, this core, this loop. All these elements contribute to making the game we love today.

But that's not all. The balance of it all is important. Otherwise it's just a more complicated way of playing rock, paper, scissors with randomness of draw. Imagine the following deck:

- 30 Island
- 20 <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CHR-18" title="Dandân" />
- 10 <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DDM-24" title="Memory Lapse" />
- 10 <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-5ED-110" title="Magical Hack" />
- 10 <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DOM-52" title="Divination" />

Super boring. But, that's a subjective statement.

Super poor versatility, poor variations, limited strategies. That's an objective statement.

That's what's usually missing when we see lists online, wherever it may be: a good core and balance. Building around a pet card is cool and feels good (as much as playing said card), but rarely makes for a good variant by itself, it needs a careful building to make it actually good.

### So Now We Enter the Realm of What Is Fun and What Is Good

People confuse good with fun.

Anything can be fun, but not anything can be good from a game design point of view. Again, you do you.

Some people think [slapping other people's face is fun](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=346TqIwy8vQ), others think that running after a ball for 90 min is fun. Whatever, to each their own. **You think it's fun? Therefore it is** (as long as it's consensual). We're putting rectangles of cardboard on a table, moving them around frowning, and after some time, there is a winner, after all.

[The Campaign for North Africa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Campaign_for_North_Africa) boardgame is a good example. Is it a good game? No. Is it fun? Probably, at least for the sheer setting up and just thinking about it.

Imagine a MTG variant as such: 2 players with each a different deck, one with 60 cards, the other with 8. Regular rules apply. Is it balanced? No. Is it good? No. Is it fun? Some people might like it. Some might even set up some strategies (like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MB2-175" title="Thassa's Oracle" /> for the deck of 8 cards).

Yes, what defines "good" may vary a bit, and it goes beyond the breadth of this article, but it's always based on factual elements such as: symmetry (some great games are asymmetrical), opportunities of play, replayability, interactions between players, etc. and balance. Both players must have equal chances/opportunities to play to win.

That's why there are no 1 of, nor should there be, in FF. Otherwise once the first player gets the 1 of, the other player has 0 chances to have it. Yes, a player might draw the 2 of a card, but at least the other one would have had a chance.

Balance is also the reason why tutors are bad in FF, they give the player tutoring perfect information as they can deduce what the opponent has in hand. When one player has perfect information and not the other, then it's unfair, totally unbalanced.

Back to our FF variants and BB. You'll often see lists going crazy with 5 different creatures and many 4 of and 6 of, barely interacting with other cards, claiming to be Dandan lists. When suggestions are made to them, they answer with: "My friends and I think it's fun". Which is true, but that's not the point. It won't play nor feel like FF. It has nothing in common with FF except for the shared library and graveyard: **it is a BB**.

But who cares? Own it and go to the BB subreddit or websites, where their creativity will be celebrated to its fair value.

And no, it's not gatekeeping, please enjoy the hobby, be creative. Sit next to someone new and show them your newest creation.

Do I like your super light, ecological car with only two wheels and no motor? Yes! But it's a bike.

## But Then What Is a Dandan Variant?

Let's define terms.

If you use the Forgetful Fish Classic or 2025 list and swap some cards, you're still playing **Forgetful Fish**. You're playing your list. As personal as you want, as long as it follows the format. There are plenty of ways to make it your own and reflect your likings.

If you follow the format but use <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-6ED-101" title="Storm Crow" /> instead of <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CHR-18" title="Dandân" />, you're **playing a variant**. If you go with Red instead of Blue, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-6ED-200" title="Raging Goblin" /> as the creature, as long as you follow the format, you're also **playing a variant**.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-6ED-101,MTG-CHR-18,MTG-6ED-200" />

If you slightly and knowingly bend the rules, like playing 90 cards, or have 14 of a creature, but otherwise follow the format, then your list is **unorthodox**.

But if you play a shared deck of 100 cards, with 3 different creatures, several 4 of and some 6 of, then **it's no longer a Dandan variant, it's a battlebox**.

We must define the parameters for FF/Dandan to give it a proper identity. Inventing nothing, simply following the simple (yet great) formatting of either the Classic or 2025 list and you get:

- **10 of 1 creature**
- **8 of a spell**
- **4 of a spell**
- **13 slots of 2 of a spell**
- **32 lands**
- **80 cards total**

Is it more difficult than to simply "build away"? Yes, but it makes for a way better play experience, the recipe is proven to work.

There are countless variations upon the 2025 FF list, there are like 30k cards in MTG. You can still be creative within those boundaries, don't sell yourself short.

The format can be twisted for our enjoyment too: one can imagine having 4 of a creature, 10 of a spell and 8 of another. Or having more or less lands. Or having the 8 of as a land.

BB has more leeway thus is more suited to create vibe and feels of something, it has more room to play around. FF will tend to give FF feel and vibe, obviously. But tend to only, you can still make things that feel very differently. Creativity is limitless.

Limericks and Haiku have different rules, yet are both forms of poetry. Romanesque and Gothic are different forms of architecture. Some artistic movements had a manifesto, some had not, yet you can't declare that you're a Fauvist painter if you use only black and grey and small hyper controlled brush work.

You get the idea.

It's ok not to build good Dandan variants, there's no harm, it's a game after all. Nonetheless **let's give credit where credit is due, the creators of BB and Cubelet deserve to be remembered too. We ought to know the history of our hobby.**

<BlogPromo text="If you would like to discuss more be sure to join the Forgetful Fish Discord!!!" href="https://discord.gg/uSs8WCnxyK" buttonText="Accept Invite" color="primary" image="https://cdn.discordapp.com/icons/1488307898143740047/d98c348651d739605ef38a2ee4c62823.webp?size=128"/>

Forgetful Fish and Battle Box

# Secret Lair Goblin Storm: One Cantrip to Rule Them All

Most Commander precons give you a pile of cards that vaguely synergize. This one gives you a loaded gun. A loaded gun made of goblins.

On May 18, Wizards drops the **Secret Lair Commander Deck: Goblin Storm** — a $150 mono-red deck helmed by <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2406" title="Zada, Hedron Grinder" /> that turns one-mana cantrips into a storm engine. It's fast, it's chaotic, and it packs roughly $283 in card value before you factor in the premium foil treatments.

Let's break down why this deck is special, how the Zada engine actually works, and which cards make it tick.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SLD-2406" size="lg" />

## What Makes This Deck Different

Most precons play fair. They curve out, swing sideways, and win through incremental value. Goblin Storm does none of that. Instead, it plays more like a combo deck disguised as a tribal aggro deck.

The game plan:

1. Deploy cheap goblins
2. Cast Zada
3. Target Zada with a single cantrip
4. Watch it copy for every creature you control
5. Draw your entire deck
6. Win

That's not a meme. That's the actual strategy. And this precon is built to execute it consistently.

## The Zada Engine Explained

Zada's ability reads: _"Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that targets only Zada, copy that spell for each other creature you control that the spell could target."_

This means a one-mana cantrip like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BBD-177" title="Expedite" /> — which normally draws one card — suddenly draws you a card for every creature you control. With Zada and five other creatures in play, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-SHM-88" title="Crimson Wisps" /> draws six cards for <BlogMana text="{R}" />.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-BBD-177,MTG-PLST-SHM-88,MTG-MH1-123,MTG-KLD-127" />

The deck is loaded with these single-target cantrips: <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MH1-123" title="Fists of Flame" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-KLD-127" title="Renegade Tactics" />, and more. With Zada out, each one becomes a massive draw spell that fuels the next. You chain cantrip into cantrip until you've drawn most of your deck and generated enough mana to close the game.

## The Storm Payoffs

Once you've drawn twenty cards off a couple of cantrips, you need to actually win. The deck packs several routes to victory:

### Direct Damage

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SLD-2413,MTG-MH2-142,MTG-MOC-285,MTG-WOT-43" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2413" title="Grapeshot" /> is the classic storm finisher — each spell you've cast this turn adds another copy. Note that Zada's copies don't count toward Storm since they aren't cast, but after a big turn of casting cantrips and rituals from hand, your storm count will still be deep into double digits. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MH2-142" title="Spreading Insurrection" /> also has Storm — each copy steals an opponent's creature, turning their board against them while you swing for lethal.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MOC-285" title="Impact Tremors" /> deals damage whenever a creature enters under your control — with <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2412" title="Empty the Warrens" /> generating a pile of goblin tokens off a high storm count, that adds up fast.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-LRW-155" title="Boggart Shenanigans" /> works the other direction — it deals 1 damage to a target player whenever one of your Goblins dies. Pair it with <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2414" title="Skirk Prospector" /> to sacrifice your token army for mana while pinging one opponent for each sacrifice. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WOT-43" title="Goblin Bombardment" /> lets you do the same thing, flinging goblins at any target for free.

### Go Wide and Swing

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-TSR-169,MTG-ZEN-125" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-TSR-169" title="Haze of Rage" /> has both buyback and Storm — each spell you've cast before it creates another copy, and every copy resolves independently to give your creatures +1/+0. Cast it with a storm count of ten and your whole board gets +11/+0. That's lethal.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-ZEN-125" title="Goblin Bushwhacker" /> is the quick and dirty version — cast it with kicker for <BlogMana text="{R}{R}" /> total and your whole team gets +1/+0 and haste for the turn. After a Zada chain floods the board with tokens, even a small buff can be enough.

## The Mana Engine

Storm decks need mana, and this deck delivers. The ritual package is critical for going off in a single turn:

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SLD-2409,MTG-AVR-128,MTG-SOC-247,MTG-9ED-216" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2409" title="Brightstone Ritual" /> adds <BlogMana text="{R}" /> for each Goblin on the battlefield — yours and your opponents'. With a board of tokens, this often generates five or more mana from a single card.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-AVR-128" title="Battle Hymn" /> does the same for all creatures you control. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-247" title="Mana Geyser" /> counts your opponents' tapped lands — in a four-player game this regularly produces 8-12 mana. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-9ED-216" title="Seething Song" /> is the classic ritual, converting <BlogMana text="{2}{R}" /> into <BlogMana text="{R}{R}{R}{R}{R}" />.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2414" title="Skirk Prospector" /> converts extra goblins into <BlogMana text="{R}" /> on demand. Combined with token generators, it's free mana whenever you need it.

## Token Generation: Building the Board

Zada's power scales with creature count. The more bodies on board when you start chaining cantrips, the more cards you draw. These are the key token generators:

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SLD-2407,MTG-PLST-GNT-39,MTG-GNT-42,MTG-PLST-EMA-139" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2407" title="Krenko, Mob Boss" /> is the alternate commander for good reason — one activation doubles your goblin count. Left unchecked for even a single turn cycle, Krenko builds an army that makes Zada terrifying.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-GNT-39" title="Dragon Fodder" />, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-EMA-139" title="Mogg War Marshal" />, and <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-GNT-42" title="Siege-Gang Commander" /> all provide multiple bodies from a single card. Every token is another Zada trigger waiting to happen.

## The Tribal Toolbox

Beyond the storm plan, the deck packs premium goblin tribal support:

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SLD-2425,MTG-SLD-2424,MTG-PLST-DOM-130,MTG-SLD-2411,MTG-DMU-142" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2425" title="Goblin Lackey" /> is a Legacy staple that cheats goblins into play on combat damage. In Commander, it drops a free Krenko or Siege-Gang Commander as early as turn two.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2411" title="Conspicuous Snoop" /> lets you cast Goblin spells off the top of your library and gains the activated abilities of any Goblin sitting on top. With <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-MH1-129" title="Goblin Matron" /> or <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DMU-142" title="Rundvelt Hordemaster" /> providing card advantage, you'll rarely run out of gas even without Zada online.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-DOM-130" title="Goblin Warchief" /> gives your Goblins haste and reduces their cost by <BlogMana text="{1}" />, while <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2424" title="Goblin Chieftain" /> provides haste plus a +1/+1 anthem — critical for deploying threats the same turn you plan to go off.

## Value Breakdown: Is $150 Worth It?

Let's talk numbers. The deck contains roughly **$283 in card value** at current TCGPlayer prices. The heavy hitters:

| Card | Approximate Value |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2415" title="Roaming Throne" /> | ~$47 |
| <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2425" title="Goblin Lackey" /> | ~$19 |
| <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SS3-4" title="Past in Flames" /> | ~$12 |
| <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2416" title="Skullclamp" /> | ~$8 |
| <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2407" title="Krenko, Mob Boss" /> | ~$7 |

And that's before factoring in the **12 foil borderless cards** with new Wizard of Barge artwork, plus **22 panoramic foil Mountains**. Secret Lair foil treatments typically command a significant premium on the secondary market — a foil Secret Lair Sol Ring can sell for $15 versus $1.50 for a standard printing.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SLD-2415" size="lg" />

## Key Synergy: Storm-Kiln Artist + Zada

This is the card that ties the whole deck together.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-CMM-260" size="lg" />

 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CMM-260" title="Storm-Kiln Artist" /> creates a Treasure token whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery. Read that again — **or copy**. When you cast <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BBD-177" title="Expedite" /> targeting Zada with five other creatures in play, the Magecraft ability triggers for the original cast and again for each of the five copies. That's six Treasures. From a one-mana cantrip.

This single card converts your cantrip chains into explosive mana generation. Draw six cards, make six Treasures, use the Treasures to cast more cantrips, each of which draws six more cards and makes six more Treasures. The loop is self-sustaining and often ends the game the turn it starts.

## Full Decklist

Here's the complete 100 — every goblin, cantrip, and ritual ready to storm off.

<BlogDeckList deckListIndex="0" />

## Who Is This Deck For?

**Buy it if you:**

- Love combo-style gameplay in Commander
- Want a precon that can compete at bracket 2-3 out of the box
- Appreciate premium art treatments and foil Mountains
- Have been looking for a Zada or goblin tribal deck without sourcing 50 cards individually

**Skip it if you:**

- Prefer slower, grindy value games
- Don't enjoy tracking storm counts and copy triggers
- Want a deck that plays nicely in casual bracket 1-2 pods

## Final Thoughts

The Secret Lair Commander Deck: Goblin Storm is a notably cohesive precon. It has a clear gameplan, the cards genuinely synergize rather than just sharing a creature type, and the value comfortably exceeds the price tag. Combo kills in a precon are unusual, and this deck delivers several of them.

The deck launches **May 18 at 9 AM PST** exclusively on MagicSecretLair.com with a limit of one per customer. Secret Lair products are limited-run, so don't sit on it if you're interested.

One cantrip. Six copies. Twenty cards drawn. Thirty Treasures made. Forty damage dealt. That's the Zada math, and this deck makes it happen.

Happy storming.

Secret Lair Goblin Storm: One Cantrip to Rule Them All

# Witherbloom And A Diabolic Revelation...

A month ago, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-M13-87" title="Diabolic Revelation" /> was a dollar rare nobody really thought about...

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-M13-87" size="lg" />

 

Today it's pushing $12. The culprit? A big, beautiful Elder Dragon that turns every creature on your board into a Black Lotus for instants and sorceries.

Let's talk about why **Witherbloom, the Balancer** is the most popular commander from Secrets of Strixhaven — and the synergies that are making it a format menace.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-245" size="lg" />

## What Does It Do?

On paper, Witherbloom is an eight-mana 5/5 Elder Dragon with flying and deathtouch. That sounds unplayable. But then you read the rest of the card.

**Affinity for creatures.** Witherbloom itself costs <BlogMana text="{1}" /> less for each creature you control. Got four creatures out? It's a four-mana 5/5 flyer with deathtouch. Got six? Now it's a two-mana dragon. That's already absurd.

But the real line that breaks the game is the last one: _Instant and sorcery spells you cast have affinity for creatures._ Every single instant and sorcery you cast gets the same discount on its generic mana. With five creatures on board, a spell with five generic in its cost pays zero for that portion — you just cover the colored pips. With enough creatures, even the splashiest spells become nearly free.

This turns every creature token on your battlefield into a discount engine for your spells. And in a color pair that can churn out tokens through sacrifice loops, graveyard recursion, and Saproling generators, creatures are never in short supply.

## The Combo That Started It All: Sprout Swarm

This is the interaction that broke the internet — and the secondary market.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-PLST-FUT-138" size="lg" />

 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-FUT-138" title="Sprout Swarm" /> is a two-mana instant from Future Sight with buyback <BlogMana text="{3}" /> and convoke. Under normal circumstances, it's a clunky token maker. With Witherbloom on the field, it's an infinite combo.

Here's how it works:

1. Control Witherbloom and at least three other creatures (four total)
2. Cast Sprout Swarm with buyback — base cost <BlogMana text="{1}{G}" />, plus buyback <BlogMana text="{3}" />, totaling <BlogMana text="{4}{G}" />
3. Witherbloom's affinity counts all four creatures you control, reducing the generic portion by 4 — leaving just <BlogMana text="{G}" />
4. Pay <BlogMana text="{G}" /> from a land, or convoke it by tapping one of your green creatures (Saprolings are green)
5. Sprout Swarm resolves — create a 1/1 green Saproling, and Sprout Swarm returns to your hand
6. Now you have five creatures. The next cast costs <BlogMana text="{G}" /> again, and you can tap the new Saproling to convoke it
7. Repeat. Forever. At instant speed. No mana needed after the first iteration.

You end up with an arbitrarily large number of Saproling tokens. By itself that's a lot of 1/1s, but the real punch comes from what you cast next — because with a million creatures, every spell you own costs nothing but its colored pips.

## The Kill Shots

Once you have infinite creatures (and therefore infinite affinity), you need a way to win on the spot. These are the finishers.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-FDN-173,MTG-PLST-HOU-77" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-FDN-173" title="Exsanguinate" /> is the cleanest kill. With infinite creatures giving you infinite affinity, set X to whatever number you want. Each opponent loses X life, you gain it all. Game over.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-HOU-77" title="Torment of Hailfire" /> does the same thing but meaner. Each opponent loses 3 life X times — unless they sacrifice a nonland permanent or discard a card to dodge each hit. With X set to a million, nobody has enough cards or permanents to survive.

Both of these are sorceries, so they get the full affinity discount from Witherbloom. With infinite creatures, the generic and X costs vanish entirely. You're casting them for just <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" /> — the colored pips that affinity can't reduce.

## The Card That Spiked 1046%

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-M13-87" size="lg" />

 

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-M13-87" title="Diabolic Revelation" /> was a forgotten Magic 2013 rare trading for about a dollar for over a decade. Then Witherbloom got leaked on March 26th, and the card immediately started climbing.

Why? Because Diabolic Revelation is a <BlogMana text="{X}{3}{B}{B}" /> sorcery that tutors for X cards. That's 3+X generic mana plus <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" />. With Witherbloom and six other creatures on the field (seven total), the affinity discount covers all 7 generic mana of an X=4 cast — meaning you tutor for four cards and pay just <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" />. With a bigger board it gets even more ridiculous.

Grab Sprout Swarm, Exsanguinate, and whatever backup piece you need — all in one shot for practically nothing. Over 2,300 Witherbloom decks on EDHREC have already adopted it, and with only a handful of listings left on TCGPlayer, the price might still have room to climb.

**Current price:** Near-mint copies are sitting around $12, down from a peak of $16. If you need one, grab it before the next spike.

## The Engine Room: Creatures That Enable Everything

Witherbloom wants two things: creatures on the board and powerful spells to discount. These creatures pull double duty.

### Token Generators

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-OTC-187,MTG-SLD-1902,MTG-OTP-30" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-OTC-187" title="Avenger of Zendikar" /> is the gold standard. Drop it with a few lands and you've got a board full of Plant tokens — each one reducing the cost of your next spell. Follow up with a land drop and those 0/1s become a real threat.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-1902" title="Tendershoot Dryad" /> generates a 1/1 Saproling on every upkeep (including your opponents'), and if you hit the city's blessing, they're all 3/3s. With four players, that's four free creatures per turn cycle.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-OTP-30" title="Pest Infestation" /> is especially filthy here. It's a <BlogMana text="{X}{X}{G}" /> sorcery that destroys up to X artifacts and/or enchantments and creates **twice X** 1/1 Pest tokens. Witherbloom's affinity slashes the generic portion of that double-X cost, so you can nuke the table's mana rocks and Rhystic Studies while flooding the board with Pests — and getting _double_ the creature count for your affinity math.

### Creatures That Ramp You

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PLST-NCC-319,MTG-BLC-62" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-NCC-319" title="Wall of Roots" /> is a quiet all-star. It's a creature (counts for affinity), it makes mana (ramps you toward Witherbloom), and it can activate on each player's turn. It's the kind of boring, efficient card that holds a deck together.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLC-62" title="Brightcap Badger" /> from Bloomburrow Commander is a 3/4 Badger Druid for <BlogMana text="{3}{G}" /> that turns your Saproling army into a mana base. Every Fungus and Saproling you control taps for <BlogMana text="{G}" />, and at your end step it creates another 1/1 Saproling. In a deck that's already making Saprolings with Sprout Swarm and Tendershoot Dryad, Brightcap Badger turns each of those tokens into both an affinity discount _and_ a green mana source.

## The Draw Engine

You're casting big spells for cheap and generating tons of tokens. You need to keep the cards flowing.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PLST-CMD-260,MTG-ELD-172,MTG-BLC-255" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-CMD-260" title="Skullclamp" /> needs no introduction. Equip it to a 1/1 token, it dies, you draw two cards. The equip cost is <BlogMana text="{1}" />, so it's not free even with infinite creatures (affinity only reduces spell costs, not activated abilities), but paying one mana to draw two cards is still one of the best rates in the game. You'll churn through your deck fast.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-ELD-172" title="Return of the Wildspeaker" /> draws cards equal to the greatest power among non-Human creatures you control — that's five with Witherbloom out. Or it gives all your non-Humans +3/+3 until end of turn. Either mode is devastating, and since it costs <BlogMana text="{4}{G}" />, affinity with four or more creatures reduces it to just <BlogMana text="{G}" />. A single green mana to draw five cards.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLC-255" title="Moldervine Reclamation" /> turns every creature death into a card and a life point. With tokens dying to Skullclamp or combat, this keeps your hand full and your life total healthy.

## Budget vs. Premium Picks

Not everyone wants to drop $30 on a Craterhoof Behemoth. Here's how to build Witherbloom on a budget — and where to invest if you want to go all-in.

### Budget All-Stars (Under $5)

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EA2-11" title="Zulaport Cutthroat" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-C17-99" title="Blood Artist" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-STX-247" title="Witherbloom Apprentice" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MUL-167" title="Dina, Soul Steeper" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-1609" title="Beastmaster Ascension" listItem="T" />

The drain effects turn every creature death into damage to your opponents. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-STX-247" title="Witherbloom Apprentice" /> is especially neat — it drains opponents whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery, and in this deck you're casting a _lot_ of them for cheap.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-1609" title="Beastmaster Ascension" /> is the budget alternative to Craterhoof — seven creatures attacking flips it on, giving everything +5/+5. In a token deck, that happens on the first big swing.

### Premium Upgrades

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-MM3-122,MTG-BLC-82" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MM3-122" title="Craterhoof Behemoth" /> is the classic green finisher. With a massive board of tokens, it gives everything +X/+X where X is your creature count. That's usually lethal.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLC-82" title="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" /> is disgusting in this deck. Whenever you create tokens — Saprolings from Sprout Swarm, Pests from Pest Infestation, Plants from Avenger — Chatterfang creates that many additional Squirrel tokens. Your token production literally doubles. And with the Sprout Swarm combo, each Saproling brings a Squirrel buddy, meaning your creature count spirals even faster. Chatterfang also doubles as targeted removal: pay <BlogMana text="{B}" /> and sacrifice X Squirrels to give a creature +X/-X.

## Secret Tech: Chain of Smog

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-PLST-ONS-132" size="lg" />

 

Here's a backup win condition that doesn't even need the commander on the field. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-ONS-132" title="Chain of Smog" /> is a two-mana sorcery that makes a player discard two cards, and that player may copy it choosing a new target. By itself it's a mediocre discard spell. But with <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-STX-247" title="Witherbloom Apprentice" /> on the field, each copy triggers magecraft, draining each opponent for 1 life.

The loop: cast Chain of Smog targeting yourself, discard two cards, then copy it targeting yourself again. Each copy triggers the Apprentice. You'll empty your hand in the process, but once you're out of cards you're still discarding zero and copying — the loop continues indefinitely, draining the table to death.

It's a two-card, four-mana win condition that gives your deck redundancy beyond the Sprout Swarm plan.

## The Board Wipe Nobody Sees Coming

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-C19-121" size="lg" />

 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-C19-121" title="In Garruk's Wake" /> is a nine-mana sorcery that destroys all creatures and planeswalkers you don't control. Nine mana is usually unplayable. But with Witherbloom out, you only need seven total creatures (including Witherbloom itself) to cover the entire <BlogMana text="{7}" /> generic cost — leaving just <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" />. Two mana to one-sided wrath the entire table.

Follow it up with <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MM2-153" title="Overwhelming Stampede" />, which gives your creatures +X/+X and trample where X is your greatest power. With Witherbloom as a 5/5, that's +5/+5 across your board for just <BlogMana text="{G}{G}" />. Wipe their board, pump your team, swing for lethal.

## Should You Build It?

Witherbloom, the Balancer is the real deal. It takes the two things Golgari already does well — making creatures and casting powerful spells — and connects them with an engine that scales exponentially. The more creatures you have, the cheaper your spells are. The cheaper your spells are, the more creatures you make. It's a positive feedback loop that snowballs out of control fast.

The Sprout Swarm combo is the flashy finish, but the day-to-day gameplay of just casting six-mana spells for two mana is what makes this deck _fun_. Every turn feels like you're cheating.

### The Weaknesses

Witherbloom is strong, but it's not unbeatable. The deck is heavily commander-dependent — without Witherbloom on the field, your seven-mana spells cost seven mana again. Targeted removal like **Swords to Plowshares** or a well-timed **Counterspell** on the commander can set you back significantly. Board wipes that hit before you reach critical mass are also brutal, since your affinity discount shrinks with every creature you lose.

If you're playing _against_ Witherbloom, the key is don't let the engine get rolling. Kill the dragon on sight, and save your instant-speed removal for the Sprout Swarm turn. Once the combo starts, it's too late.

### The Verdict

If you're building it, grab your Diabolic Revelations and Sprout Swarms now — both have already spiked and supply is thin. The deck has multiple paths to victory (Sprout Swarm combo, Chain of Smog + Apprentice, or just raw value from discounted spells), which makes it resilient and hard to hate out.

At a casual table, it's a blast. At a competitive one, it's a legitimate threat. Either way, Witherbloom is the commander of the season for a reason.

What's your spiciest Witherbloom tech? Drop it in the comments — we want to see the brews.

Witherbloom, the Balancer Is Wild

## Free Spells Forever — No, Seriously

Imagine this: you cast a single spell, and for the rest of the game, you get a free copy of it every single turn. No extra mana. No conditions. Just value, dripping from the sky, turn after turn, until someone scoops or the game ends.

That's **Paradigm**, the marquee new mechanic from Secrets of Strixhaven, and it sounds absolutely busted — because, well, it kind of is. But here's the twist: Magic already tried this exact idea twenty-one years ago. It was called **Epic**, and it was one of the worst mechanics the game has ever printed.

So what changed? Everything that mattered.

## A Brief History of Terrible Ideas

Let's rewind to 2005. Saviors of Kamigawa — the third set in the original Kamigawa block and widely regarded as one of Magic's weakest expansions — introduced a cycle of five mythic-feeling rares (before mythic rarity even existed) with the keyword **Epic**.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOK-9,MTG-SOK-119,MTG-SOK-129" />

The pitch was compelling: cast one of these spells, and you get a free copy at the beginning of every upkeep for the rest of the game. Sounds incredible, right?

Here's the catch. The full rules text of Epic reads:

> _"For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability."_

Read that first sentence again. **For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells.**

Not "you can't cast other sorceries." Not "you skip your draw step." You literally cannot cast another spell for the remainder of the game. No removal. No answers. No combat tricks. Nothing. You lock yourself into a single repeating effect and pray it's enough.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SOK-83,MTG-PLST-SOK-36" />

In a talk at MagicCon: Vegas in 2024, head designer Mark Rosewater ranked Epic as the **8th worst mechanic** in Magic's entire history. The idea of "what if a spell was so powerful it was the last thing you ever cast" was genuinely interesting as a design question. But in practice, voluntarily giving up the ability to interact with the game is a terrible deal in almost every scenario.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOK-9" title="Enduring Ideal" /> was the only one that saw real competitive play, and even that required building your entire deck around it with cards like <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOK-9" title="Enduring Ideal" /> tutoring up a prison lock of enchantments. The other four? Bulk bin legends.

## Enter Paradigm: Epic Without the Self-Destruct Button

Fast forward to April 2026. Secrets of Strixhaven introduces **Paradigm** — and if you squint, it looks a lot like Epic. A cycle of five mythic sorceries, one in each color, each with a repeating effect that triggers every turn.

But Wizards learned their lesson. Here's how Paradigm actually works:

> _"Then exile this spell. After you first resolve a spell with this name, you may cast a copy of it from exile without paying its mana cost at the beginning of each of your first main phases."_

Three critical differences from Epic:

1. **You can still cast spells.** This is the big one. Paradigm doesn't lock you out of anything. You just... get a free spell on top of whatever else you're doing.
2. **It's a "may" ability.** Don't want to cast it this turn? Skip it. Epic forced the copy whether you wanted it or not.
3. **It triggers on your first main phase, not upkeep.** This means you can sequence it with instants or other abilities allowing for more flexibility.

In other words, Paradigm keeps everything that made Epic conceptually exciting — the fantasy of a spell so powerful it echoes through the rest of the game — and removes the one thing that made it unplayable.

## The Paradigm Five

All five Paradigm cards are mythic rare sorceries with the **Lesson** subtype. Let's break them down.

### Improvisation Capstone

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-120" size="lg" />
 

**The Splashiest One.** At seven mana, Improvisation Capstone exiles cards from the top of your library until you hit a total mana value of 4 or more, then lets you cast any of those spells for free. Every turn. Forever.

This is a repeatable Cascade effect without the restriction of "costs less than this spell." You could flip into a board wipe, a planeswalker, and a mana rock — all in one trigger. The variance is real, but the ceiling is astronomical. In Commander, where your deck is packed with powerful spells, this card is going to end games.

### Decorum Dissertation

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-292" size="lg" />
 

**The Quiet Monster.** Five mana to draw two cards and drain 2 life, then repeat it for free every turn. That's a **Phyrexian Arena that draws two** — and it can target any player, including your opponents in a pinch.

This is the Paradigm card that doesn't look scary until you've been sitting across from it for four turns and your opponent is up eight cards while you're down 8 life. In Commander, this is an auto-include in any black deck that can resolve it.

### Germination Practicum

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-149" size="lg" />
 

**The Snowball.** Five mana to put two +1/+1 counters on every creature you control. Then do it again next turn. And the turn after that.

In a go-wide deck, this is absolutely ridiculous. Three turns after casting this, every creature you control has +6/+6 in counters. Token decks, Elf decks, Selesnya armies — anything that puts bodies on the board turns this card into a ticking clock that your opponents have to answer immediately or lose.

### Restoration Seminar

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-290" size="lg" />
 

**The Inevitability Engine.** Seven mana to reanimate any nonland permanent from your graveyard, repeating every turn. This isn't just creatures — it's planeswalkers, artifacts, enchantments. Anything.

Destroyed your best permanent? It's back next turn. And the turn after that. And forever. In a deck with self-mill and a stacked graveyard, Restoration Seminar means your opponents can never permanently deal with your threats. It's the white Paradigm card, and it might be the most fundamentally powerful of the five.

### Echocasting Symposium

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-291" size="lg" />
 

**The Clone Factory.** Six mana to create a token copy of a creature you control, then do it again every turn. With the right target — say, a creature with a powerful ETB — this becomes an engine that churns out value indefinitely.

Copy your <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOS-291" title="Echocasting Symposium" />'s best creature every turn. Clone your opponents' threats by copying your own clones. In a blink or ETB-focused Commander deck, this card is going to generate absurd amounts of value.

## Why the Lesson Subtype Matters

Here's a detail that's easy to miss: all five Paradigm cards are **Lessons**. That's the subtype from the original Strixhaven that gets tutored by cards with the **Learn** keyword.

This means any card with Learn — from the original Strixhaven set — can fetch a Paradigm card from your sideboard in formats where that's legal, or from outside the game in casual Commander. Cards like Pop Quiz, Igneous Inspiration, and Professor of Symbology suddenly have a much more powerful ceiling when they're fetching a repeatable free spell instead of a one-shot lesson.

It's a subtle connection between the two Strixhaven sets, and it gives Paradigm cards utility that goes beyond just hardcasting them.

## The Cast-From-Exile Connection

Here's where Paradigm gets truly degenerate. The Paradigm trigger has you **cast a copy from exile**. That's not just flavor text — that's a rules-relevant distinction that matters for a whole category of cards that trigger when you cast spells from exile.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-HBG-186,MTG-CLB-641,MTG-SLD-2496" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-HBG-186" title="Nalfeshnee" /> is the big one. This demon reads: "Whenever you cast a spell from exile, **copy it**." That means every Paradigm trigger is now doubled. Your free Improvisation Capstone? You get two of them. Your free Restoration Seminar? Two reanimation triggers. Every single turn.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CLB-641" title="Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald" /> creates a 2/2 Wolf token whenever you cast a spell from exile. So your free Paradigm cast every turn comes with a free Wolf. It's not flashy, but it's consistent — and consistency wins Commander games.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-2496" title="Prosper, Tome-Bound" /> creates a Treasure token whenever you cast a spell from exile. Free mana every turn on top of your free spell? Prosper was already one of the most popular commanders in the format, and Paradigm gives him even more fuel.

### More Cast-From-Exile Payoffs

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-AFC-305,MTG-CLB-633" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-AFC-305" title="Wild-Magic Sorcerer" /> gives the first spell you cast from exile each turn **Cascade**. So your free Paradigm spell cascades into another free spell. It's free spells all the way down.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CLB-633" title="Passionate Archaeologist" /> makes your commander deal damage equal to the mana value of any spell you cast from exile. With a 5-7 mana Paradigm card triggering every turn, that's a steady clock that adds up fast.

## Copy the Trigger, Not the Spell

One more rules interaction worth knowing: the Paradigm ability creates a **triggered ability** at the beginning of your first main phase. That means cards that copy triggered abilities can double your Paradigm.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-M14-224,MTG-NCC-383" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-M14-224" title="Strionic Resonator" /> can copy the Paradigm trigger for just 2 mana, giving you two free copies of the spell that turn. If you're resolving Improvisation Capstone twice per turn for free... yeah, that game isn't going long.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-NCC-383" title="Twinning Staff" /> copies the first spell you copy each turn. Since Paradigm creates a copy, Twinning Staff gives you a second one for free. Two Restoration Seminars per turn with zero mana investment is the kind of value that makes Commander players weep.

## Paradigm vs. Epic: The Final Report Card

| | Epic (2005) | Paradigm (2026) |
| ------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ---------------------- |
| **Free spell every turn** | Yes | Yes |
| **Can still cast other spells** | No | Yes |
| **Optional** | No | Yes |
| **Timing** | Upkeep | First main phase |
| **Subtype synergy** | None | Lesson |
| **Cast-from-exile synergy** | No (copies, not casts) | Yes (casts from exile) |
| **Playable** | 1 out of 5 | Probably 5 out of 5 |

Epic asked a fascinating question and gave a terrible answer. Paradigm asks the same question — _what if a spell echoed forever?_ — and actually delivers on the fantasy.

Twenty-one years later, the glow-up is complete.

## Which Paradigm Card Should You Chase?

If you're cracking Secrets of Strixhaven packs, here's our quick take:

- **Best in Commander:** Restoration Seminar and Improvisation Capstone. Repeatable reanimation and free cascades are the definition of Commander value.
- **Most Underrated:** Decorum Dissertation. Double Phyrexian Arena every turn is quietly one of the best draw engines in black.
- **Most Fun:** Echocasting Symposium. Clone shenanigans are always entertaining, and doing it for free every turn is hilarious.
- **Best in 60-Card Formats:** Germination Practicum has the most potential in aggressive Standard and Pioneer decks that can go wide early.

## The Lesson Learned

It took Wizards twenty-one years, one of Mark Rosewater's "worst mechanics" admissions, and a return trip to Magic's most beloved university — but they finally cracked the code on repeatable free spells.

Paradigm is everything Epic wanted to be: a mechanic that makes you feel like you've cast the most important spell of the game, without punishing you for doing it. If you're building any Commander deck that touches these colors, at least one Paradigm card deserves a slot.

The real question is: how long until someone puts all five in the same deck?

Tell us which Paradigm card you're most excited to build around in the comments below!

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