This article documents an upcoming release. |
Strixhaven: School of Mages | |||||
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Set Information | |||||
Set symbol | |||||
Symbol description | A Strix | ||||
Design | Mark Rosewater (lead)[1] | ||||
Development | Yoni Skolnik (lead) | ||||
Release date | April 23, 2021 | ||||
Themes and mechanics | Modal double-faced cards | ||||
Expansion code | STX[2] | ||||
Development codename | Fencing | ||||
Forgotten Realms Standard | |||||
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Magic: The Gathering Chronology | |||||
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Strixhaven: School of Mages, often shortened as Strixhaven, is the 87th Magic expansion. It is set at the Strixhaven school on the plane of Arcavios.[3][4][5] It is scheduled to be released on April 23, 2021.
Set details
The design of this set is Magic’s take on the magical school genre.[6] Each one of the featured colleges represents one of Magic’s enemy color combinations, with their own character and mechanics.[7] Cards associated with the different colleges feature separate watermarked insignias. This set contains 275 regular cards () and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards.
This set introduced the term mana value as a wording change for converted mana cost. Also, "shuffle your library" is shortened to shuffle.
Storyline
Strixhaven is the most elite University in the Multiverse. It features five colleges, which battle it out with their own takes on magic: Silverquill (), Prismari (), Witherbloom (), Lorehold (), and Quandrix ().[8][7] Learn from the best professors and explore Strixhaven’s huge library!
Marketing
.
Strixhaven: School of Mages is sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card). A Mystical Archive card appears as a bonus card in each Draft Booster. These Mystical Archive cards don't replace another card of the same rarity in a pack. So you can get multiple rare cards in a draft booster.
In addition, the product line includes five bi-colored Theme Boosters, Collector Boosters (including three Mystical Archive cards), Set Boosters (with a bonus Mystical Archive card), the Strixhaven: School of Mages bundle and five Commander decks.[9]
The packaging of Strixhaven: School of Mages features key art of Will and Rowan Kenrith. The Draft Boosters feature artwork from TBA, TBA, TBA, TBA and TBA. The Theme Boosters feature art from TBA (), TBA (), TBA (), TBA (), and TBA (). The Collector Boosters feature art of TBA and the Set Boosters feature art of TBA.
Mystical Archive
Mystical Archive is a separate set of cards associated with Strixhaven: School of Mages. It is similar to the Masterpiece Series but the cards appear more frequently in the boosters of the main set. In Mystical Archive, Wizards of the Coasts has reprinted 63 of the most famous instants and sorceries of all time in specially designed showcase frames and at all rarities. Strixhaven Draft and Set Boosters contain one Mystical Archive card, and Collector Boosters have at least three. These will only be legal in formats that they are already legal in. They are not part of the Standard environment. However, the cards may be used in Limited events.
Events
- Magic Online and MTG Arena release: TBA
- Tabletop Prerelease: April 16–April 22, 2021
- Launch party: April 23–April 25, 2021
- Friday Night Magic: April 23–July 2, 2021
- Commander Nights: April 23–July 8, 2021
Promotional cards
- Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare releated to the college of choice.
- Other events: cards from the Strixhaven: School of Mages universal promo pack.
- The seasonal dark-frame promos are: TBA
- Buy-a-Box: foil alternate art TBA
- Bundle promo: foil alternate art TBA
Tokens/emblems/markers
- 3/2 Spirit creature for Lorehold Command
Themes and mechanics
In lieu of the abandoned block model, R&D has found a new way to tie together the three non-core premier sets in a single Magic "year" (aka the fall, winter, and spring sets—using northern hemisphere seasons): they share a common mechanic. For Zendikar Rising, Kaldheim and Strixhaven that is modal double-faced cards.[10][11][12]
Strixhaven is designed around five enemy-color pairs, which despite the many years of Magic has not been done before - Apocalypse, the other enemy color set, was drafted as a counterpart at the tail end of Invasion block, and likewise with Eventide and the Shadowmoor block. The colleges aren’t built around the similarities of the two colors, but rather around their conflict.[13]
Cycles
Strixhaven: School of Mages has at least one cycle.
Cycle name | |||||
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Commands | Lorehold Command | Prismari Command | Quandrix Command | Silverquill Command | Witherbloom Command |
Each of these rare modal spells has four modes each and allows you to choose two different modes rather than merely one. Modeled after the command cycle originally printed in Lorwyn. |
Reprinted cards
TBA
Preconstructed decks
The set comes with five Commander decks. This is essentially Commander 2021 aligning with Strixhaven: School of Mages.
Theme deck name |
Color Identity | Commander | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Silverquill Statement | W | B | ||||
Prismari Performance | U | R | ||||
Witherbloom Witchcraft | B | G | ||||
Lorehold Legacies | W | R | ||||
Quantum Quandrix | U | G |
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 17, 2020). "Who were the lead designers of Kaldheim, Strixhaven and Forgotten Realms". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast. "Standings 2020-21". Magic.gg.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (September 1, 2020). "Zendikar Debut and Announcement Day Recap". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Strixhaven Sneak Peek (Video). Weekly MTG. YouTube (February 19, 2021).
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (February 18, 2021). "The First Lesson: Introduction to Strixhaven". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 7, 2021). "Is Strixhaven based on anything?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b Strixhaven house names apparently leaked. Reddit (February 16, 2021).
- ↑ The Zendikar Adventuring Party (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (September 1, 2020).
- ↑ Strixhaven: School of Mages. Heo.com.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 7, 2020). "Zendikar Rising to the Challenge, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Amanda Yeo (September 4, 2020). "New 'Magic: The Gathering' Zendikar Rising card makes rocks fall, everyone dies". Mashable.com.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 4, 2020). "Just want to confirm that this is accurate information?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 22, 2021). "I'm very excited about the Colleges.". Blogatog. Tumblr.