If you love when a Magic: The Gathering deck constantly interacts with the graveyard, then Lorehold may be the Strixhaven College for you. Thanks to the return of the Flashback mechanic, there are plenty of ways to give cards a second chance at having an impact during a game.
We’ve picked out some of the best Lorehold cards from Secrets of Strixhaven so far, based on the impact we feel they may have in either Standard or Commander decks.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some of the cards that don’t quite make the top five right now, but they still have every chance to have a big impact once the set launches and the meta starts to evolve.
- Flashback
- Borrowed Knowledge
- Colossus of the Blood Age
- Kirol, History Buff
- Ark of Hunger
Magic: The Gathering Secrets Of Strixhaven – Lorehold Spirit Commander Deck Breakdown
Join us in taking a more detailed look at the Lorehold Spirit Commander pre-con deck from Secrets of Strixhaven, including some exciting upgrades.
5
Aziza, Mage Tower Captain
Standard & Commander
This legendary Djinn sorcerer only costs one white and one red mana, and if taken at face value, is a fairly unremarkable 2/2 legendary creature.
Its ability, however, is one that will come in very useful. Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may tap three untapped creatures that you control. If you do, you may pick new targets for the spell.
In a roundabout way, this effectively gives you access to an expensive form of Storm, but in clutch situations, it may be well worth taking the hit on the tapped creatures to double up on a spell.
4
Restoration Seminar
Standard & Commander
This seven mana spell might seem costly initially, but the reason why, and why this value is pretty workable, will become clear soon.
At its core, Restoration Seminar returns a target nonland permanent from your graveyard to the battlefield. This can be a creature, artifact, or enchantment.
Where this spell really proves its worth is with the inclusion of Paradigm. This new Strixhaven mechanic allows you to cast a free copy of the spell at the start of each first main phase for the remainder of the game, provided that the first instance was resolved. These future copies can still be countered, and they don’t have to be played, but the option is there, and the cost is removed.
The initial cost is a drawback; there’s no avoiding this. However, if you can resolve it, Restoration Seminar is a game-changer for sure.
3
Emeritus Of Conflict
Standard & Commander
While there is certainly an argument to make for this being a Prismari card too, Emeritus of Conflict comes with first strike, which is a common mechanic among Lorehold/Boros creatures. This 2/2 creature only costs two mana, and also uses the prepare mechanic to cast Lightning Bolt for one mana, dealing three damage to any target.
To prepare Emeritus of Conflict, you’ll need to cast three spells in a turn. It also doesn’t enter prepared, which is probably what prevents the card from being too overpowered.
We can see this being a card that becomes useful across Prismari and Lorehold decks, which is the beauty of how the Strixhaven College system works, provided that mono-color cards don’t feature specific keywords on them that limit their usability and adaptability.
2
Antiquities On The Loose
Standard & Commander
This three-mana sorcery spell just screams Lorehold, and if you get a chance to use it either via its standard casting cost or via Flashback, then it’s sure to earn a groan from your opponent.
This spell creates two 2/2 spirit tokens, and if it was cast from anywhere other than your hand (meaning via Flashback), then place a +1/+1 counter on every spirit you control, token and nontoken.
The Flashback cost is increased to six mana, which is understandable given the additional trigger to add the +1/+1 counters to spirits, but it’s well-worth the outlay if you’ve managed to get a few spirits on the board and are looking to end the game swiftly.
Finding ways to reduce the cost of this card or triggering additional copies (looking at you, Aziza) will offer an even bigger boost to your board state; you’ll just need to hope your opponent isn’t running any board wipes.
1
Lorehold, The Historian
Standard & Commander
The elder dragon and namesake of the Lorehold College is Lorehold, the Historian, and this legendary 5/5 flying creature with haste is not to be messed with.
Given the raw strength of the card, five mana is fair as a casting cost, but if you can keep it on the battlefield beyond your turn, that five mana more than pays for itself.
This dragon also gives each instant and sorcery card in your hand “Miracle 2”, meaning you can cast a card for two mana when you draw a card, provided it’s the first card you’ve drawn that turn.
This pairs incredibly well with its secondary passive, which lets you choose to discard a card during each opponent’s upkeep, and if you do, you may then draw a card, which opens the window for Miracle once again (if you haven’t already drawn a card that turn).
We can see this card getting more use in Standard initially, as its cost is a little high to be the face Commander of a deck, although it’s a great mid-to-late game card that could swing the tide of battle.
Magic: The Gathering – The Five Colleges Of Strixhaven, Explained
With a return to this magical school due in Secrets of Strixhaven, it’s time for a refresher on the five colleges of magic and what they stand for.
