Good morning class, and welcome to Strixhaven. My name is Professor Z, and I will be your guide as we explore the wonders of Arcavios's premier magical university and the myriad products available with Strixhaven: School of Mages. Please note that your grade in this class is based entirely on your performance on the questions peppered throughout this article, so please do your best to pay attention.

Onward to our first subject:

SET BOOSTERS

Set Booster Display

Our first lesson will be on Set Boosters (and yes, this will be on the test). Set Boosters are designed for those times where you just want to kick back and crack open a pack of cards. They're quite fun to flip through and contain all sorts of surprises. In each 12-card booster, you'll find:

  • 1 Mystical Archive card (uncommon, rare, or mythic rare)
  • 1 Lesson card of any rarity
  • 1 Traditional foil card of any rarity*
  • 1 Card from The List in 1 out of 4 boosters

(*This includes global Mystical Archive cards in all non-Japanese Set Boosters, and both global and Japanese alternate-art Mystical Archive cards in Japanese Set Boosters.)

Plus, you get a delightful art card, 1 in 20 of which feature a foil-stamped logo or artist signature! There may be a couple of terms you are unfamiliar with here, but this reading assignment should elucidate the matter.

Mystical Archive cards, named for both their anagogical and Athenaeum-like nature, are presented in two varieties:

Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares

The global versions (pictured on the left, above) are available in all Set Boosters in all languages. In Japanese-language Set and Draft Boosters, however, 50% contain a card with a unique frame and gorgeous art by a Japanese artist. If you are outside of Japan, fear not. Japanese-language boosters will be available worldwide, and you're also guaranteed one or more of the variant Japanese Archive cards in Collector Boosters of any language.

Set Boosters are available individually or in displays of 30 packs. Each display purchase may be eligible for one of these awesome foil Buy-a-Box promos (ask your store!):

Dragonsguard Elite

Dragonsguard Elite is available normally in Set, Draft, and Collector Boosters, but this awesome art by Daarken is exclusive to this promo.

QUESTION 1

Witherbloom students who misbehave in class are sent to

  1. the dank caverns below the school.
  2. the Detention Bog.
  3. clean the pest pens.
  4. sit in the corner and think about what they've done.

DRAFT BOOSTERS

Draft Booster Display

Ah, Draft Boosters. The booster from which all other boosters descended. The progenitor of packs. As always, these are our most straightforward offering—perfect for any draft or sealed entertainment you may desire. Here's what you can expect to find:

  • 1 Rare or mythic rare
  • 1 Mystical Archive card (uncommon, rare, or mythic rare)
  • 1 Lesson card (common, rare, or mythic rare)
  • 3 Uncommons
  • 9 Commons
  • 1 Common card replaced by a foil card of any rarity* in 1 out of 3 boosters

(*This includes global Mystical Archive cards in all non-Japanese Set Boosters, and both global and Japanese alternate-art Mystical Archive cards in Japanese Set Boosters.)

In Japanese Draft Boosters, 50% of all Mystical Archive cards will have the aforementioned alternate art and frame. Draft Boosters are available on their own or in a display of 36 packs. Just like Set Boosters, your display may be eligible for a foil Buy-a-Box promo. Just ask your store!

QUESTION 2

You're unlikely to find one of these species among the students of Silverquill:

  1. Kor
  2. Aven
  3. Vampire
  4. Cephalid

COLLECTOR BOOSTERS

Collector Boosters

Collector Boosters are the best way to obtain many of the most thrilling cards in Strixhaven. Their contents are as follows:

Collector Booster Trade Team Graphic

The wealth of knowledge within each Collector Booster is unparalleled. Please note that of your two foil-etched Mystical Archive cards, one will always be global and the other will always be the Japanese alternate-art variant. Collector Boosters are available individually or in displays of 12, which may be eligible for a foil Buy-a-Box promo card.

QUESTION 3

Lorehold mages gather for large lectures in Kollema Hall. Who was Kollema?

  1. An ancient and powerful king
  2. A wise monk and one of Lorehold's first professors
  3. The loxodon who discovered the ruins on which Lorehold was built
  4. A widely beloved janitor who was present at Strixhaven's founding

THEME BOOSTERS

Theme Boosters

Theme Boosters are perfect as an intro-level product or for more casual players looking to obtain a bunch of cards that match their college of choice. That's right, each of the five different Theme Boosters are based on the five illustrious colleges of Strixhaven. Show your school spirit with a combination of 1–2 rares and/or mythic rares and 33–34 commons and uncommons. Please note that Theme Boosters do not contain cards from the Mystical Archive—those are for advanced students only.

QUESTION 4

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of Quandrix beliefs or studies?

  1. The physical nature of reality
  2. Abstract mathematical theory
  3. Intellectual expansion
  4. The preservation of nature

PRERELEASE PACKS

Once you've figured out which college you would like to enroll in, might we suggest obtaining a Prerelease Pack. Each pack is aligned with a particular college and contains everything you need to start your semester. Also, everything you need to build a sealed deck. Inside each pack, you'll find:

  • 1 College Booster containing a rare or mythic rare guaranteed to match your chosen college, 3 uncommons, 9 commons, and 2 tokens
  • 5 Draft Boosters
  • 1 Year-stamped foil rare or mythic rare card (with a new stamp!)
  • 1 College-themed spindown
  • 1 Insert portraying a piece of the campus map
  • 1 Reusable box with divider

If you and your peers choose to enroll at the same time, we highly suggest playing some games over webcam. SpellTable.com makes use of powerful arcane spells to make webcam Magic very simple. One need not possess a webcam—you only need to use your phone.

QUESTION 5

Dean Nassari of Prismari notoriously turned in the following performance for their final project as a student:

  1. An earthquake which almost destroyed three campus buildings
  2. A tornado which swept away the teachers responsible for grading them
  3. A volcano that opened up under the school, nearly killing hundreds
  4. A pitch-perfect production of the famous Arcavios musical, I Wish to Be Your Aven

COMMANDER DECKS

Commander Decks

Much like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths last year, the major Commander release of 2021 is tied to Strixhaven. That means five distinct decks, one for each college. In these decks, you'll find a total of 81 new cards; the most new cards of any Commander set, ever. Each deck has 16 unique new cards and 1 new land card that appears throughout. You'll also find what we're calling a display commander. While the oversized commanders of yore were exciting, they were perhaps. . .unwieldy. To that end, the display commander is the size of a card, so it fits in any deck box. Picture a regular card, printed on thick cardboard with a lovely foil-etched treatment. Please note the display commander is not a tournament-legal card, but feel free to use it as a nice stand-in when in the command zone or on the battlefield! In each deck, you'll find:

  • 100 Cards (98 regular, 2 foil)
  • 1 Foil-etched display commander
  • 10 Double-sided tokens
  • 1 Life wheel
  • 1 Deck box

We're excited to announce that, for the first time ever, these decks are housed in reduced-plastic packaging. We do not yet have a replacement for the cellophane that keeps the decks together, but everything else is 100% recyclable. They're also available online in a minimal-packaging form that is just the deck box and the other objects therein.

EXTRA CREDIT

Please write a short essay about your favorite spell in the Multiverse and Tweet it to both @AriZirulnik and @wizards_magic account. There might even be a "scholarship" awaiting our favorite answers!

BUNDLES

STX Bundle

Finally, we have the Bundle. Bundles are ideal for players who want a large quantity of cards with some exciting bonuses. They also make a fine gift for the other Magic fans in your life. In each Bundle, you'll find:

  • 10 Draft Boosters
  • 20 Foil basic lands
  • 20 Regular basic lands
  • 1 Bundle alt-art promo card
  • 1 Exclusive oversized spindown
  • 1 Card storage box

ANSWERS

  1. b
  2. d
  3. b
  4. d
  5. a

100%: Wow! Your academic acumen is through the roof! Please replace the roof when you are done. You sure know your stuff, which is a little concerning considering this set isn't out yet, but you're Just. That. Good. Any of the colleges are lucky to have you!

Under 100%: You get a sticker. (This is a metaphorical sticker. Please do not ask for a sticker. I do not have any stickers.)

EXEUNT OMNES

Quills down, everyone. After this lesson, you may consider yourself a bonafide Strixhaven major. If you'd like to further your studies, you can expect more in the upcoming Planeswalker's Guide to Strixhaven. Please return it to the Biblioplex when you are done. Class dismissed!