Exhibition TidecallerExhibition Tidecaller | Art by Tulio Brito

Secrets of Strixhaven is easily the most important set for cEDH that the meta's seen this year. While Lorwyn Eclipsed gave us a format staple and some other exciting, albeit more niche picks, Secrets of Strixhaven is promising playables across the color pie, as well as a handful of potent commanders that enable compact-combos the likes of which cEDH is known for.

How does infinite 1/1 Saprolings at instant-speed sound? Or milling the table out once you hit any persist creature? Or casting WorldfireWorldfire for ? Sound like fun, right? Well then, let's dig in to the Secrets of Strixhaven cEDH set review!

White

ErodeErode

Starting off with white, Secrets of Strixhaven has given us arguably the third-best piece of spot creature removal in Magic history. For , Erode is a second copy of Path to ExilePath to Exile, except it destroys instead of exiles, and it can hit planeswalkers.

Now, cEDH is a meta that's light on removal, so most decks aren't going to care too much about a worse version of Path to Exile being playable. I mean, plenty of white decks are already cutting Path to Exile entirely. That said, there are plenty of low-color white builds (Oswald FiddlebenderOswald Fiddlebender, Winota, Joiner of ForcesWinota, Joiner of Forces, etc.), that are happy to run as much cheap, effective removal as they can get their hands on. For decks like these, Erode might just make the cut.

Blue

Exhibition TidecallerExhibition Tidecaller

Up next, we've got a card that - can you believe it - is another combo piece with Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach!

For , Exhibition Tidecaller is a 0/2 Djinn Wizard that mills target player for three cards whenever you cast an instant or sorcery (or ten cards, if that spell cost five or more mana to cast). As a standalone card, this does two things decently well: it fills the graveyard - something that can really matter for the meta's Reanimator builds, like The Master of KeysThe Master of Keys - and it does a solid job at shutting off top deck tutors.

Simply cast any instant or sorcery before the player who just tutored gets to draw their card of choice, and you'll have a mill trigger that functionally counters the tutor's effect. Where things get really interesting, though, are when you pair it with Underworld Breach and any ritual.

With Underworld Breach and Exhibition Tidecaller in play, any mana-postive (or mana neutral) instant or sorcery spell in your graveyard can turn into an infinitely loopable machine. Take Dark RitualDark Ritual, for instance:

• With both Underworld Breach and Exhibition Tidecaller in play, cast Dark Ritual, targeting yourself with Tidecaller's mill trigger.
• Resolve Dark Ritual and the mill trigger. You now have Dark Ritual and three other cards in your graveyard, plus floating.
• Escape-cast Dark Ritual from your graveyard, spending and exiling the three cards which Tidecaller milled. Target yourself with the new mill trigger.
• Resolve Dark Ritual and the mill trigger. Now, you once again have Dark Ritual and three other cards in your graveyard, plus floating. Rinse and repeat for infinite mana and an empty library.
  • You'll probably want to cast other spells that you mill in this process. Thankfully, the average cEDH game means that you'll probably start this loop with some number of cards in your graveyard which you can use as additional escape fuel. But if you only want infinite mana/an empty library, this three-card combo will get you there with no other setup.

Black

Unfortunately, black is one of two colors in this set that didn't get much in the way of monocolor support. But don't fret; once we get to the multicolor section, I promise there will be plenty of cards with black in their color identities popping up.

Red

FlashbackFlashback

While blue has the card that already slots in nicely to cEDH's premier combo package, red is here with the card that will probably see the most diverse play: Flashback.

For , Flashback is an instant that grants target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard flashback until end of turn. Sweet, simple, and to the point, this card's efficient mana cost and flexibility of use is exactly what makes it so potent. Use it to re-cast wheel, tutor, counterspell, or any other of the myriad effects that make cEDH decks hum.

It may not be the most broken red card that cEDH has seen this year, but it is certainly among the most ubiquitously playable.

Choreographed SparksChoreographed Sparks

For our second red pick of the set, Secrets of Strixhaven has delivered a unique take on the classic ForkFork spell: Choreographed Sparks.

For , Choreographed Sparks is an instant that can't be copied and lets you choose one or both modes: copy target instant or sorcery spell you control and you may choose new targets for the copy, and copy target creature spell you control. The copy token gains haste and "At the beginning of your next end step, sacrifice this token."

Fork effects aren't too popular in the high-color piles that have come to dominate many of cEDH's top-tier decks, but they are a common sight in low-color builds which are able to string them together with high-impact instants and sorceries in order to assemble huge value plays. Choreographed Sparks brings with it the extra flexibility of also hitting creature spells, a neat piece of flexible text that is bound to have use cases somewhere as the meta evolves.

Nothing quite like doubling up on Imperial RecruiterImperial Recruiter in a color that's strapped for tutors.

Green

Just as with black, the same goes for green in Secrets of Strixhaven - nothing in the monocolor section, but plenty of multicolor support in just a moment.

Multicolor

Alrighty folks, buckle up. This is where the bulk of the set's power lies, so we've got a lot of cards to get through.

Lorehold, the HistorianLorehold, the Historian

Lorehold, the Historian is one of the most interesting Boros commanders that cEDH has ever seen. It's not stax, it's not artifacts, and it doesn't even scream Underworld Breach. Instead, this 5/5 legendary Elder Dragon for demands that you fill your deck with many of the most exciting instants and sorceries that normally cost just far too much mana to cast in cEDH. Why? Because Lorehold grants them all miracle .

For those unfamiliar, spells with a miracle cost mean that you may cast that spell for that cost when you draw it if it's the first card you've drawn this turn. So, not only does Lorehold make your draw steps incredibly exciting wildcard moments, but so too does it allow you the chance to dig for miracles on each opponent's turn, as Lorehold has "At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card."

Whether your casting back-to-back Approach of the Second SunApproach of the Second Suns and outright winning then and there for just a piece, or slamming WorldfireWorldfire in an opponent's upkeep, Lorehold is sure to be an exciting commander for the cEDH experimentalists out there.

Check out my cEDH deck tech for it here.

Lorehold CharmLorehold Charm

Keeping the Boros train going (we've got two more after this), it's time to check out Lorehold Charm, another card that doesn't quite make the cut in high-color lists, but is absolutely going to be tested out in low-color decks.

For , this modal instant lets you pick between three options:

• Each opponent sacrifices an artifact of their choice.
• Return target artifact or creature with mana value 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain trample until end of turn.

Ranking these modes, we can dispatch with the last one pretty quickly; combat damage rarely matters in cEDH outside of pressuring Ad NauseamAd Nauseam/NecropotenceNecropotence players. As for the first mode, this is a reasonable effect that is definitely going to have corner-use cases here and there, but it's nothing to write home about.

The second mode, however, is an excellent piece of reanimation tech that I can imagine plenty of Boros players fiending over. Resurrecting an artifact or creature, for just two mana, at instant speed no less, is going to have players welcoming this card with open arms.

Molten NoteMolten Note

For , Molten Note is a sorcery with flashback that deals damage to target creature equal to the amount of mana spent to cast it. Then, you get to untap all of your creatures.

Like Lorehold Charm, Molten Note is another interesting card that is definitely niche playable in low-color lists, but probably won't see too much play beyond that. Essentially, it's a removal spell for two mana that can also double as ramp. In Naya lists (), for example, this spell can untap a whole lot of mana dorks in a single go, killing a stax creature while also turbo charging your access to spells for a turn.

Ark of HungerArk of Hunger

Our last Boros pick from the set, Ark of Hunger is a combo finisher that also serves as a decent engine, all neatly packed up in a card that cares about one of Boros's favorite zones: the graveyard!

For , Ark of Hunger is an artifact that deals one damage to each opponent and gains you one life whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard. Additionally, it has ": Mill a card. You may play that card this turn."

Like Exhibition TidecallerExhibition Tidecaller earlier, Ark of the Hunger is an okay value play that also happens to play beautifully with Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach, a card that's already a common combo across all of Boros. With Ark of Hunger in play, all you need is a way to infinite loop any spell from your graveyard with Underworld Breach - be it Jeska's WillJeska's Will and Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune, or an artifact and Grinding StationGrinding Station, or all sorts of things - and Ark of Hunger with serve the role of closer, killing your opponents as you fiddle around with your graveyard.

Gorma, the GulletGorma, the Gullet

Gorma is one of those commanders that exists solely as a combo enabler. But the combos it enables are compact enough, cheap enough, and all around good enough that it makes the otherwise Golgari good-stuff deck worth playing.

For , Gorma is a 1/1 legendary Pest Frog with lifelink that gets a +1/+1 counter whenever a creature you control dies. Additionally, and here's the combo-kicker, "Nontoken creatures you control enter with an additional +1/+1 counter on them for each creature that died under your control this turn."

Functionally, this means that you can infinitely sacrifice any creature with persist, because it'll come back without any -1/-1 counters thanks to the normal -1/-1 counter being removed alongside one of the +1/+1 counters granted by Gorma. Use this to mill out the table with Altar of DementiaAltar of Dementia, or surveil your deck away with Umbral Collar ZealotUmbral Collar Zealot.

Witherbloom, the BalancerWitherbloom, the Balancer

Next up is Golgari's other crazy combo-enabling commander from this set: Witherbloom, the Balancer.

For a whopping , Witherbloom is a 5/5 with affinity for creatures, flying, deathtouch, and "Instant and sorcery spells you cast have affinity for creatures."

Like Lorehold, the HistorianLorehold, the Historian, Witherbloom is a commander that demands to be built around, providing ludicrous amounts of cost reduction to spells that are otherwise prohibitively costed for most cEDH decks. Unlike Lorehold, however, Witherbloom's cost reduction grants you much more control over when and what spells you cast, since it isn't limited to the once-per-turn condition of miracle.

In practice, this means casting Peer into the AbyssPeer into the Abyss for just , or killing the table with Torment of HailfireTorment of Hailfire, or snagging insane value off the likes of a one-mana Stinging StudyStinging Study.

On top of all this, Witherbloom also sets up a one-card combo with Sprout SwarmSprout Swarm. If you control four creatures, Sprout Swarm costs just to cast, buyback cost included. So, pay , create a 1/1 green Saproling, and put Sprout Swarm back into your hand. The next time you cast it, you can use the newly-created Saproling to pay for the thanks to Sprout Swarm's convoke, making it free. Rinse and repeat to create an infinitely large army of tapped 1/1 green Saprolings at instant speed.

Here's my cEDH deck tech for Witherbloom.

Dina's GuidanceDina's Guidance

Do you like EntombEntomb? How about Worldly TutorWorldly Tutor? Well, Dina's GuidanceDina's Guidance is sort of both of those effects in one card. For , this instant lets you tutor your deck for a creature card, then you choose to put that card into your graveyard or your hand.

Reanimator is a decently popular strategy in cEDH, and I can see Dina's Guidance slotting nicely into many of the Golgari piles out there that are already eagerly running Entomb. Honestly, if you're in a Golgari deck running Unmarked GraveUnmarked Grave, I can't imagine you not running this card.

Vicious RivalryVicious Rivalry

Last up in our long list of Golgari playables is Vicious Rivalry, a four-mana board wipe that hits both creatures and artifacts. Just pay and sink any amount of life into it as an additional cost, and Vicious Rivalry will destroy each creature and artifact with mana value less than or equal to the amount of life paid this way.

As far as board wipes that just hit creatures are concerned, the going rate these days seems to be three mana, be it Toxic DelugeToxic Deluge or Fire CovenantFire Covenant. For just one more mana, Vicious Rivalry also hits artifacts, a trade off that seems pretty worth it these days, especially as games go long and mana rocks abound.

Applied GeometryApplied Geometry

For , Applied Geometry is a sorcery that creates a token copy of target non-Aura permanent you control, except it's a 0/0 Fractal creature in addition to its other types. Put six +1/+1 counters on it.

Applied Geometry matters for two reasons: it clones Rhystic StudyRhystic Study, and it clones Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle. Those two cards are the name of the meta right now, and players are already running dedicating packages for making the most of each of them (clones for Rhystic, untap effects and mass-token generation for Gaea's Cradle), and Applied Geometry slots in perfectly alongside those.

Lands

Petrified HamletPetrified Hamlet

Topping off Secrets of Strixhaven's cEDH set review is the first competitively viable new land that the meta has gotten this year, and that's the very unique Petrified Hamlet.

First up, mana. Petrified Hamlet has ": Add ," meaning that this can be played in any deck but is realistically only going to be played in low-color builds, as it neither ramps you ahead like City of TraitorsCity of Traitors or Ancient TombAncient Tomb nor fixes your mana like Mana ConfluenceMana Confluence. That said, it does do an excellent Pithing NeedlePithing Needle impression.

As Petrified Hamlet enters, you pick the name of a land card. Petrified Hamlet prevents activated non-mana abilities of sources (meaning both lands on the battlefield and land cards in other zones) with that name from being activated, and it grants lands with the chosen name ": Add ." In practice, this shuts off channel abilities from some of cEDH's best utility lands (Boseiju, Who EnduresBoseiju, Who Endures and Otawara, Soaring CityOtawara, Soaring City), prevents Deserted TempleDeserted Temple from doubling Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle activations (though it doesn't shut off Gaea's Cradle itself), and prevents Minamo, School at Water's EdgeMinamo, School at Water's Edge from untapping The One RingThe One Ring.

Definitely a respectable list of candidates for shutting off, all at the cost of running a colorless utility land.

Wrap Up

Secrets of Strixhaven is a phenomenal set for cEDH players. While it certainly didn't break any preexisting strategies or decks with new staples, it did two things really well. First, it put out a handful of generically good cards that are going to have all sorts of strategies tinkering, from Exhibition TidecallerExhibition Tidecaller to FlashbackFlashback. Second, it put out a whole lot of support for fringe decks - especially those in Boros or Golgari.

Whether itss new commanders, new tutors, or new combo tech, Secrets of Strixhaven provides a lot of support for some of the meta's languishing strategies. How many of these cards will stick is a question for time to solve, but boy oh boy has the set as a whole given us a lot to think about.