Prismari CommandPrismari Command | Art by Johannes Voss

Last month we had a first look at the upcoming Secrets of Strixhaven set. We got to see the entire product line-up, including the five Commander preconstructed decks and their respective face commanders.

This week, I'll be covering a deck tech on the leader of the Prismari Artistry deck, Rootha, Mastering the MomentRootha, Mastering the Moment.

What Does Rootha, Mastering the MomentRootha, Mastering the Moment Do?

You can read all about Rootha's backstory here. True to her character, she delayed her graduation to reach the perfection she long sought. A Magma OpusMagma Opus, you might say.

Much like the Prismari back in the original Strixhaven: School of Mages set, we're not casting a billion spells, ramping up to storm off. Instead, we're going with the big spells, and this version of Rootha rewards us by creating a hasty, flying token that can smack opponents for some big damage.

All of this is well and good, but what kind of big spells are we talking about here?

Key Cards for Rootha, Mastering the MomentRootha, Mastering the Moment

Artistic Performance

While we could look through all of the Spellslinger options we have, Rootha needs us to run something different from the norm. Cards like Creative TechniqueCreative Technique are valuable because, at worst, we're getting a 5/5 Elemental. However, we could always hit one of our bigger spells instead, which is even better.

In the case of both Creative OutburstCreative Outburst and the aforementioned Magma Opus, we can discard these to get a Treasure token, but being able to cast them for free is simply divine.

Even better, though, are the spells that can discount themselves.

For example, Into the StoryInto the Story could be cast for two mana. However, Rootha checks for the mana value of the card, not how much you paid into the spell. So, you technically get a 7/7 for just two mana! Sadly, I must point out that Rootha does not work with Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act because Rootha triggers at the start of combat, but she'll die before then - unless you find a way to protect her.

That said, there aren't many cards that are worthwhile in the deck. Maybe more will come out, but we'll make do with what we have.

A Token Performance

You might be asking what the big idea is behind this section. Well, considering that we make only one of those Elementals during our turn (assuming we've cast an instant or sorcery), it'll mean the game plan will be slow, and easily hindered in a multiplayer setting. The bad news is that, at the time of writing, there aren't too many ways we can make multiple tokens that can attack that turn.

However, the good news is that we have a few ways to get things going. We have our usual suspects, like Talrand, Sky SummonerTalrand, Sky Summoner, but there's also Ovika, Enigma GoliathOvika, Enigma Goliath, who will make an army of these tokens. Though, we also have options like TwinflameTwinflame that can make copies of a given card.

Beware, though, because Rootha only triggers during combat, and a lot of these spells are sorcery-speed. The key player in all of this is Brudiclad, Telchor EngineerBrudiclad, Telchor Engineer. It'll turn every token we have into the same Elemental we make, plus make a token of its own. Here's hoping that we have more ways to make Rootha's ability work sooner or later.

It's at this point that it makes sense to protect the token we create as best as we can. That way, when it comes back to our turn, we can use red's various cloning effects to copy the token.

This is especially true when we take into account the key suite of cards that make Rootha tick: extra combat steps! The more combats we get, the more Rootha triggers we'll get. Plus, these tokens will have haste, so they can attack right away. Our prime example is Full ThrottleFull Throttle, which will give us a bunch of extra combat steps, meaning more tokens to swing with.

How to Win With Rootha, Mastering the MomentRootha, Mastering the Moment

Our ways to win are not much different from the average Spellslinger deck. That said, in our case, we have to go big or go home.

Cards like Surge to VictorySurge to Victory pumps our board, and creates a copy of whatever spell we pick when we cast it. While Rootha won't see the copied spell, she will see the Surge, giving us a 6/6 token, perhaps more with an extra combat spell.

Speaking of tokens, Shark TyphoonShark Typhoon (aka "sharknado") will make plenty of tokens, including big ones we can copy. However, the main token will not have haste, making Brudiclad even more important.

Otherwise, we can rely on the Old Faithful method of using big spells, like Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication or Crackle with PowerCrackle with Power. The X-spells in the deck will ensure that we'll always have a giant token to use. That said, I would not advise Epic ExperimentEpic Experiment if you load up on those. X will be zero every time, and the cards would basically do nothing.

Rootha, Mastering the Moment Commander Deck List

Aaaaand, Scene!

And that is just one of the five face commanders from Secrets of Strixhaven. Rootha does seem dull, but built and/or played right, she can be taken into a path within the archetype that can be rather unique. She just simply needs a bit more support to push her over the edge (or the Edge, you might say).

Now, I would like to hear from you. Which of those face commanders gets your attention? Are you looking forward to going back to Arcavios? Either way, be sure to come back next time, where I hopefully (more like finally!) begin one of the two new series I have planned for you.