Following several high-profile Universes Beyond sets, Magic: the Gathering returns with its next in-narrative expansion, the highly anticipated Secrets of Strixhaven. Over the last year, the venerable collectible card has dropped numerous branded expansions into the universe, among them, Final Fantasy, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Marvel’s Spider-Man and just recently, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Magic fans have debated fiercely whether these “Unverses Beyond” sets make sense amidst the greater myths of the game. Can a Shivan Dragon, Doctor Octopus, Sephiroth, Aang and Krang all make sense in the same wizard’s spellbook / wizard’s duel continuity? While it may be controversial, the results are undeniable, as all of the recent Universes Beyond sets have driven massive sales numbers. There’s been no lack of in-continuity expansions, and in just the last six months we’ve seen the sci-fi-inspired Edge of Eternities and Lorwyn Eclipsed. Now, the creative team has seemingly leaned hard into the internal mythology of the game. Secrets of Strixhaven plunges into the internal, and previously visited, so-called Strixhaven, a school / university for mages.
Secrets of Strixhaven finds the game returning to the legendary academy where duelists and potential future planes walkers come to learn their mystical arts. In keeping with the five colleges of Strixhaven, each of the legendary dragon founders of each college all make a return with wild new cards befitting their different focus in arcana. This set features the wild new dragon creature cards, Prismari, the Inspiration, Quandrix, the Proof, Silverquill the Disputant, Witherbloom, the Balancer and Lorehold, the Historian. Prismari, the Balancer in particular is a wild one, given one of his special abilities gives all of your instants and sorceries storm. For the uninitiated, this means each one is copied for each spell that was cast before it that turn. That is just crazy, ridiculous.
Most critically, some of this set’s creatures have been enabled to have spellcasting abilities all their own. Similar to the planeswalker card type, some creatures now come with the prepared mechanic. It looks similar to the card variant type “adventure” many recent sets have utilized, but it’s on the right side of the card text instead of the left. And unlike adventure, which is a variant way to cast a spell leaving the creature to be in exile to cast later, prepared is like the spell version of ammunition in a gun. Some creatures come in with their special spell prepared, but others you have to take a certain action after their cast to prepare them. Once they are prepared, the spell can be cast for the listed extra cost. Either way, these creatures can be prepared again to reload the ability. The game made headlines this week when a card from the set entitled Emeritus of Ideation was announced. This human wizard creature type is cast for five (two blue and three colors) and is a beefy 5/5. But his prepared spell, which he comes in prepared for, is the legendary reserved list staple, Ancestral Recall. So it’s not as good as having your own Ancestral Recall, but it’s a nice nod to one of the game’s famous “power nine.” Oh, it also has flying and ward 2. There will be a serialized version of Emeritus of Ideation possible to pull that will be textless and numbered one out of 500. Other cards revealed to feature the prepared mechanic include Grave Researcher which utilizes the famed dredging card Reanimate.
There is also another keyword ability that cards will have in Secrets of Strixhaven, paradigm. A spell with paradigm is immediately exiled once it’s cast, and then as it sits in exile, you can then cast that spell again for free during each of your main phases going forward. As with most recent sets, there are also a bevy of rare insert special guest artist cards including Sylvan Library, Library of Leng, Archaeomancer, Grim Haruspex and Magus of the Library. The set—as far as current press time has two new planeswalkers, Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer and Professor Dellian Fel. Especially fun is the new card Mathemagics which literally involves exponents in the calculation of the spell. Diehard collectors will love the bonus sheet reprints of Force of Will and Vampiric Tutor as well as several Japanese prints with special art.
Everything looks wonderful. And those interested in purely in-narrative additions to Magic: The Gathering’s lore will be delighted. Secrets of Strixhaven comes out on prerelease 4/17 and releases fully on 4/24.