Today, we’ll be looking into all the blue cards in the Magic: The Gathering Strixhaven set, rating their strengths – if they have any – and letting you know how to draft a competitive deck with them.
Before I get into my rating for each card, here’s a brief overview of my Strixhaven draft guide rating system.
- 1 – Bad card or only useful in the sideboard
- 2 – Passable, but not something I would pick early or often
- 3 – A solid card I’m happy to pick most of the time
- 4 – Powerful cards that provide a lot of value on their own
- 5 – Cards that will almost always win the game if your opponents can’t deal with them
Now that we know how I’ll be rating each card, let’s get straight into the ratings.
Magic: The Gathering Strixhaven Remastered draft guide – Blue
Arcane Subtraction – 2.5
A strong combat spell, stronger than what I think most people will give it credit for. For two-mana, you get to learn and potentially trade up, creating a two-for-one.
Archmage Emeritus – 4.5
Card advantage is exactly the type of bomb you want in draft. Plus, in Strixhaven – a set focused on mages and wizards – you’re naturally going to have access to more spells.
Burrog Befuddler – 3
A solid 2-mana common creature. At best, the -1/-0 effect is enough to trade positive, and at worst, you just trade one for one.
Bury in Books – 2.5 // 3
A great pseudo-removal spell at a common rarity. Plus, if you’re not playing aggressive, having multiple copies can help set up for the late game.
Curate – 1.5 // 2
This is a decent instant if your need to trigger magecraft, but lackluster otherwise.
Divide by Zero – 2.5
I’m a little let down that you can’t remove tokens with Divide by Zero, but having to Learn attached makes it a solid playable.
Dream Strix – 4
Dream Strix has solid stats, and will force your opponent to respond to it. It may die easily, but getting that free lesson card or replacing that dead land in your hand makes up for it.
Frost Trickster – 4
A strictly buffed-up, stronger version of Frost Lynx, which has itself always been a solid card in limited. I have no idea what the creators were thinking when making this card common, but I am more than happy to stock my deck full of Frost Tricksters.
Ingenious Mastery – 1
I don’t really want to take the risk of my opponent getting access to extra mana and free scrying, even if I get to draw three cards. On top of that, the rate of drawing cards in the late game with Ingenious Mastery is just horrendous.
Kelpie Guide – 3.5
Ramp and tapping down my opponent’s units? This is a value creature I can get behind.
Mentor’s Guidance – 3.5
It’s extremely easy to have at least one of these creature types on the board, making this a Scry 2 + Draw 2 for 3 mana most of the time.
Mercurial Transformation – 1.5
Compared to the power of the other lesson cards, Mercurial Transformation isn’t half bad. However, being sorcery speed does hurt this card a lot, and makes me think that I’ll always keep it in the sideboard.
Multiple Choice – B (get it?) aka 4.5
Amazing value. You should always want to cast this card for 4 mana, as the value is just insane. However, the first three options are actually relevant, as they help protect you when your opponent has a better start.
Pop Quiz – 2.5
Learn actually makes this slightly better than Divination.
Reject – 2
I might rate this card lower in the future due to the number of spells prevalent in Strixhaven. However, exiling a creature spell is a nice upside.
Resculpt – 1.5
Yeah, this is just not it. There are some cute plays you can make with this card, like targeting your own token creatures or treasure tokens, but even then, I wouldn’t bank on that synergy.
Serpentine Curve – 1.5 / 3
With the focus on spells and lessons in Strixhaven, I can see this creating a 6/6 or 7/7 in the late game. It’s a decent playable in the right build.
Snow Day – 2.5 // 3
I like this spell a lot. It draws you cards and gives you room to get in damage. Sure, six mana is a heavy investment, but the value will often be worth it.
Solve the Equation – 1
Never play a tutor in limited unless you have a game-winning bomb spell.
Soothsayer Adept – 2
A decent filler card for blue decks.
Symmetry Sage – 0.5
This card is just awkward in limited.
Teachings of the Archaics – 2.5
A great lesson, but don’t be fooled, it isn’t as crazy good as you think. First, it’s sorcery speed. Second, it requires you to have fewer cards than your opponent.
Tempted by the Oriq – 1.5
Great casual commander card, but sadly, I can’t see this card being good in draft. Three blue mana is a lot to ask if all I’m getting is a 3 CMC creature in return.
Test of Talents – 2
I think this card is going to be surprisingly good in Strixhaven with all the spells and lessons. That said, I’d still keep it in the sideboard.
Vortex Runner – 2.5
Yes, this is a very underwhelming card early on, but it can become a serious threat if you get to the late game. For most blue control decks, Vortex Runner is a great inclusion.
Waterfall Aerialist – 3
This is a pretty bad blocker, but I think 3 power flyers can quickly take over the game if your opponent has no way of dealing with them. Plus, Ward protects Waterfall Aerialist nicely.
Wormhole Serpent – 3
I rated Wormhole Serpent slightly higher because of its ability to give any creature unblockable.
Best Magic: The Gathering Strixhaven Blue Commons
- Frost Trickster
- Waterfall Aerialist
- Burrog Befuddler
- Bury in Books
