Table of Contents – Ultimate Guide to Strixhaven Limited and Prerelease
Chapter 1 - Top Commons for Limited and Prerelease
Chapter 2 - Top Uncommons for Limited and Prerelease
Chapter 3 - Guide to Combat Tricks and Removal Cards by Colour
Chapter 4 - Guide to Learn and Lessons
Welcome all chapter four of the Ultimate Guide to Strixhaven Limited and Prerelease. Strixhaven brings a new mechanic in Learn and with it plenty of Lessons to keep you guessing. Knowing what spell can be searched for from the sideboard can help you decide what to play around. There are many spells that can help you Learn, so you need to know what options your opponent could have available to them.
White Learn and Lesson Cards (Four Learn Cards, Two Lesson Cards)
Learn
I love Guiding Voice as it's cheap and can lead to you casting a Lesson card in the same turn it’s cast. Professor of Symbology is a great two-drop that replaces itself. You get a bonus Learn trigger off Sparring Regiment, coupled with a pseudo vigilance anthem. Study Break is probably the spell I would least likely play. It just doesn’t have enough value unless you really have a strong Lesson you want to be able to search out.
Lesson
Academic Probation can be used if you really need to shut down a permanent for one turn to help you get through an attack or cast a spell. The other mode can be used if you know some of the contents of your opponents’ hand and want to shut them out of that spell for a turn. Reduce to Memory can be used to either make yourself a 3/2 Spirit or remove a powerful threat of your opponents, morphing it into a 3/2 instead.
Blue Learn and Lesson Cards (Four Learn Cards, Two Lesson Cards)
Learn
Arcane Subtraction can be a good combat trick to help you come out the better side in a trade. It can then help you search for an answer with a Lesson. Divide by Zero is the higher costed Remand that can also hit permanents. It changes the card draw to a Lesson from your sideboard. Dream Strix is a strong threat in the air until it dies, and rewards you with a Lesson when it does. Pop Quiz is the instant Divination with one draw and one Lesson to collect.
Lesson
Mercurial Transformation is an interesting morph spell that can be used on your or your opponents’ creatures depending on what you’re looking to do. Teachings of the Archaics is one of those Lessons you save in your sideboard until the right time comes and your opponent has more cards in hand than you. Be careful though, as this can be a dead card if your opponent keeps emptying their hand.
Black Learn and Lesson Cards (Three Learn Cards, Two Lesson Cards)
Learn
Eyetwitch will gain you a Lesson, but only when it dies. Hunt for Specimens gives you both a creature to help with synergies and a free Lesson. Poet’s Quill is the best of the bunch as it’s a life-gaining Equipment. It both replaces itself and ensures you can stay alive long enough to cast your Lesson.
Lesson
Confront the Past is a very situational card with both modes it can be used for. Returning a planeswalker though can be a devastating result for your opponent if you happen to have one in your deck. Necrotic Fumes is a good removal spell , but you will have to exile one of your own creatures.
Red Learn and Lesson Cards (Five Learn Cards, Two Lesson Cards)
Learn
Academic Dispute is a narrow card but can help kill a flying attacker if needed. Enthusiastic Study is a solid combat trick with a bonus Lesson. The trample bonus for the creature really helps this card out. First Day of Class is a tough spell to play and will often be two mana to simply Learn without any other bonuses. The best instant or sorcery of the bunch is Igneous Inspiration as it can act as removal or damage to your opponent on top of the Lesson you’ll receive. Retriever Phoenix is one of the best cards to have for a Learn strategy deck. It'll recur from the graveyard giving you a constant attacker throughout the game.
Lesson
Illuminate History allows you to reset your hand to hopefully draw something better while potentially giving you a 3/2 Spirit at the same time. Start from Scratch is that situational removal spell you want to get if you need to finish off a creature or destroy a pesky artifact.
Green Learn and Lesson Cards (Three Learn Cards, Two Lesson Cards)
Learn
Green starts off for Learn spells with Field Trip, a great early ramp spell. One of the best creatures in the set with Learn is Gnarled Professor. It puts out a large threat with trample. Finally, we have a Defender in Overgrown Arch that help you gain some life each turn until you want to exchange it for a Lesson.
Lesson
Basic Conjuration is the Lesson that allows you to search for your best creature. Containment Breach is one of the most useful Lesson cards from Strixhaven. It'll destroy the peskiest artifact or enchantment and might leave you with a Pest afterward.
Multicolour Learn and Lesson Cards (Two Learn Cards, Five Lesson Cards)
Learn
Cram Session isn’t the best of spells to cast by itself, but it does have some Witherbloom life gain synergies. Rise of Extus is expensive at six mana but does exile any creature and helps you Learn.
Lesson
As you can see, each of the five main types of Creature tokens are represented above, one for each College. They're all average when it comes to power level, with probably Fractal Summoning being the best since it can be variable.
Colourless Lesson Cards (Five Lesson Cards)
Lesson
The great thing about all these colourless Lessons is that they can be played in any deck. Environmental Sciences can be used to fix your mana and help with life-gain strategies. Expanded Memory is a nice permanent pump spell to help you get in some damage. Introduction to Annihilation is a great add-on removal card, even at the price of your opponent drawing a replacement card. Introduction to Prophecy isn’t the best draw card spell but can help with Magecraft triggers and searching your deck for a card you might need. The ultimate creature maker though is Mascot Exhibition. At seven mana, it has a high casting cost, but it will add nine power onto the battlefield.
Class is dismissed, lessons have been learned and students are ready to play with Strixhaven. Thanks again for reading all chapters of the Ultimate Guide to Strixhaven Limited and Prerelease. I hope this guide has helped you in preparing for what should be a fun set to play Limited with.
Table of Contents – Ultimate Guide to Strixhaven Limited and Prerelease
Chapter 1 - Top Commons for Limited and Prerelease
Chapter 2 - Top Uncommons for Limited and Prerelease
Chapter 3 - Guide to Combat Tricks and Removal Cards by Colour
Chapter 4 - Guide to Learn and Lessons
