Secrets of Strixhaven released April 24, 2026, and after three weeks on the market and a full MagicCon Las Vegas cycle in the rearview, prices have finally stopped jumping every six hours. Now is the moment to take stock of what is actually worth chasing, what was overhyped at release, and where the real value is quietly hiding inside the Mystical Archive, the Commander legends, and yes, the eye-watering serialized Emeritus of Ideation. We break down the most expensive cards

Secrets of Strixhaven is out and the set is loaded. Between the Mystical Archive, the Emeritus cycle, and a main set full of new mechanics, there is a lot to dig through. So we did the digging. These are the best new Secrets of Strixhaven cards worth picking up right now, broken down by what they do, which decks want them, and why they are worth your time and money.

Wizards announced five MTG Historic pre-bans tied to the Secrets of Strixhaven Mystical Archive arriving on MTG Arena today. Armageddon, Daze, Force of Will, Vampiric Tutor, and Library of Alexandria are all out of Historic before a single game was played. This is the full breakdown of every card that got banned, the official reasoning from Wizards, and an honest take on the one decision that has the community scratching its head.

The Secrets of Strixhaven Mystical Archive brings back 65 classic instants and sorceries with stunning new artwork across English and Japanese treatments. Some of these cards are worth cracking packs for on playability alone. Others have received artwork so good that they deserve a spot in your deck on aesthetic merit. This list ranks the top 10 by both criteria combined, because a great card that also looks incredible is worth talking about twice.

Silverquill, the Disputant is a four-mana Elder Dragon from Secrets of Strixhaven that gives every instant and sorcery you cast Casualty 1, meaning every spell becomes two spells if you have a creature to spare. Build a wide token board, copy your removal, double your card draw, and win by making every spell count twice. This guide covers the full strategy and five must-include cards with direct TCGPlayer buy links.

Picking your Secrets of Strixhaven college at prerelease is the first decision you make before a single card hits the table. Each of the five colleges plays differently, rewards a different kind of player, and comes with a different mechanic that either clicks immediately or makes your brain hurt for three rounds. This is the honest, playstyle-first guide to which college you should actually pick, from someone who has made the wrong call at enough prereleases to know what all

The Secrets of Strixhaven Emeritus cycle puts five of Magic's most iconic spells onto mythic rare creatures, one per color. Each creature has a different way to become prepared and a different spell waiting on the right side of the card. Some of them are genuinely broken. Some of them are disappointingly conditional. Here is every Emeritus card ranked from worst to best, with an honest breakdown of what each one does, how easy it is to use, and which formats it actually belon

Witherbloom the Balancer is an Elder Dragon from Secrets of Strixhaven that gives every instant and sorcery you cast affinity for creatures, meaning your whole deck gets cheaper the more creatures you have in play. Build a wide token board, point discounted spells at the problem, and close out with Torment of Hailfire for whatever X ends up being when you have fifteen creatures. This guide covers the full strategy plus five must-include cards with direct TCGPlayer buy links.

Secrets of Strixhaven gives each of the five colleges its own exclusive mechanic for the first time, and each one plays very differently from the others. This is a full breakdown of Repartee for Silverquill, Opus for Prismari, Infusion for Witherbloom, Flashback for Lorehold, and Increment for Quandrix, with real interaction examples, rules clarifications straight from the team, and an honest take on which mechanic is going to matter most in your games.