u/alrowemusic

Hello everyone! I made a video outlining my Draft Strategy, Pick Order, and Archetype breakdowns for Secrets of Strixhaven. I hope it is helpful to some :)

Video version: https://youtu.be/zUJgXSv__JI

Pick Order - Early Picks

Look for Commons & Uncommons that excel in the following criteria:

• Flexibility
• Rate
• Power Level
• Curve (ie cheap cards)
• Synergy

Premium Removal
My benchmark for rating all the other cards. Efficient, easy to cast, no conditions. Few non-rares will be picked ahead of these:

• Stand Up For Yourself (2W ins // Destroy target creature with power 3 or greater)
• Foolish Fate (2B ins // Destroy target creature. If you gained life, they lose 3)
• Bitter Triumph (1B ins // Discard a card or pay 3 life. Destroy creature/planeswalker)
• Dismember (1BB (phyrexian mana) ins // Target creature get -5/-5)
• Burst Lightning (R ins, kicker 4 // 2 damage to any target or 4 if kicked)
• Impractical Joke (R sor // 3 to a creature/planeswalker)
• Knockout Maneuver (2G sor // +1/+1 counter on a creature you control, it punches another creature)
• Stress Dream (3UR ins // 5 to a creature, look at the top 2, put one in your hand)
• Vibrant Outburst (UR ins // 3 to any target, tap up to one creature)
• Tainted Treats (1BG Instant // Destroy target Creature. If its mana value was 4 or less, make a Food)

Premium Rate Cards
Early picks, taken at or above Premium Removal:

• Matterbending Mage (2U 2/2 // bounce a creature. Whenever you cast an X spell, this can’t be blocked))
• Stock Up (2U sor // Look at the top 5, take 2)
• Royal Treatment (G ins // target creature gains hexproof this turn, +1/+1 counter, and Ward {1})
• Environmental Scientist (1G 2/2  // Search for a basic land to hand)
• Snarl Song (5G sor  // Converge, make two X/X creatures, gain X life)
• Paradox Surveyor (U{U/G}G 3/3 reach  // Look at the top 5, take a land or X spell)
• Essenceknit Scholar (B{B/G}G 3/1  // make a 1/1, end step if a creature died under your control, draw a card)
• Lluwen, Exchange Student (2BG 3/4  // Enters Prepared. Exile a creature from your graveyard to Prepare. Sor: {B/G} make a 1/1 Pest)

Good Removal
Still high picks but other top cards may be taken over these:

• Essence Scatter (1U ins // counter target creature spell)
• Run Behind (3U ins // costs {1} less if targeting an attacker. Target creature to top or bottom)
• Last Gasp (1B ins // Target Creature gets -3/-3)
• Wander Off (3B ins // Exile target creature.)
• Artistic Process (3RR sor //choose 1 – 6 to target creature / 2 to each creature / make a 3/3 flying haste)
• Unsubtle Mockery (2R ins // 4 to target creature, surveil 1)
• Abrade (1R ins // 3 to a creature or destroy an artifact)
• Grapple with Death (1BG sor // destroy target artifact or creature, gain 1 life)
• Prismari Charm (UR ins // choose 1 – surveil 2, draw / 1 damage to 2 targets / bounce nonland)
• Quandrix Charm (UG ins // choose 1 – counter a spell unless they pay {2} / destroy an enchantment / target creature becomes 5/5)
• Silverquill Charm (WB ins // choose 1 – 2 +1/+1 counters / exile creature power 2 or less / drain them for 3)

Above-Rate Cards
Taken at or above Good Removal:

• Elite Interceptor (W 1/2 // enters Prepared. Sor: 1W tap or untap a creature, draw a card)
• Primary Research (4W ench // return a nonland mv 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. End step if a card left your graveyard, draw a card)
• Orysa, Tide Choreographer (4U 2/2 // costs {3} less if you have total toughness 10 or greater. Draw 2 cards)
• Flow State (1U sor // look at the top 3, take 1. Or take 2 if you have an instant and a sorcery in your graveyard)
• Dissection Practice (B ins // drain them for 1, target creature gets +1/+1, target creature gets -1/-1)
• Send in the Pest (B sor // make a 1/1 pest, they discard a card)
• Additive Evolution (3GG ench // make a 3/3 fractal. Beginning of combat, put a +1/+1 counter on a creature and it gains vigilance)
• Studious First-Year (G 1/1 // enters prepared. Sor: G search for a basic land into play tapped)
• Thornfist Striker (2G 3/3 Ward 1 // creatures you control get +1/+0 a trample if you’ve gained life this turn)
• Killian’s Confidence (WB sor // target creature gets +1/+1, draw a card. Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, pay {W/B} to return this from graveyard to hand )
• Stirring Honormancer (2W{W/B}B 4/5 // Look at the top X, take 1. X=number of creatures you control)
• Scolding Administrator (WB 2/2 menace // Repartee – +1/+1 counter. When this dies, move its counters to another creature)
• Colossus of the Blood Age (4RW 6/6 // drain them for 3. When this dies, discard any number of cards and draw that many plus 1)
• Practiced Scrollsmith (R{R/W}W 3/2 first strike // exile target non-creature, nonland from your graveyard. Until the end of your next turn, you may cast it.)
• Startled Relic Sloth (2RW 4/4 trample, lifelink // beginning of combat, exile up to one card from a graveyard)
• Cuboid Colony (GU 1/1 flash flying trample // Increment)

Archetypes. Here are my brief impressions of each of the two-colour archetypes in the format. We will be trying to end up in one of these by the end of the draft. There are only five supported colour pairs in Secrets of Strixhaven, and each gets 10 (!) multicolour cards at Common/Uncommon. A lot of the power in this set is concentrated in the multi-colour cards, so finding the open colour pair in the draft will be heavily rewarded.

White-Black Silverquill Aggro. 

Mechanic: Repartee. Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that targets a creature, get a bonus. Note that this includes “Prepared Spells” but does not include activated abilities.

Signpost Uncommons:

• Abigale, Poet Laureate (1WB 2/3 flying // when you cast a creature spell, ~ becomes prepared. Sor: 1{W/B} +1/+1 counter on target creature)
• Killian’s Confidence (WB sor // target creature gets +1/+1, draw a card. Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, pay {W/B} to return this from graveyard to hand ) 
• Scolding Administrator (WB 2/2 menace // Repartee – +1/+1 counter. When this dies, move its counters to another creature)
• Silverquill Charm (WB ins // choose 1 – 2 +1/+1 counters / exile creature power 2 or less / drain them for 3)
• Snooping Page {1WB 2/3 // Repartee – this can’t be blocked. When ~ deals damage to a player, draw a card and lose 1 life)
• Stirring Honormancer (2W{W/B}B 4/5 // Look at the top X, take 1. X=number of creatures you control)

Signpost Commons:

• Inkling Mascot (WB 2/2 // Repartee – gains flying, surveil 1)
• Imperious Inkmage (1WB 3/3 vigilance // surveil 2)
• Render Speechless (2WB sor // Take a card from their hand, put 2 +1/+1 counters on target creature)

Avoid:

• Social Snub (1WB // Each player sacrifices a creature and you  drain them for 1. Copy this spell if you control a creature on cast)

This is likely the most aggressive deck in the format. Look for cheap threats with Repartee triggers such as [[Graduation Day]], [[Leturing Scornmage]], and [[Melancholic Poe]]. Repartee should happen naturally by playing removal prepared spells, so try not to devote too many deckslots to cards just for the sake of targeting something. [[Cost of Brilliance]], Dissection Practice, and Elite Interceptor are nice support pieces that target.

You’ll be doling out a lot of +1/+1 counters, so creatures with Double Strike or Flying go up in value such as [[Quill-Blade Laureate]] and [[Owlin Historian]]. Occasionally you may want a card with Flashback like [[Dig Site Inventory]] for multiple triggers.

White-Red Lorehold Graveyard

Mechanic: Whenever a card leaves your graveyard, you get a bonus.

Signpost Uncommons:

• Colossus of the Blood Age (4RW 6/6 // drain them for 3. When this dies, discard any number of cards and draw that many plus 1)
• Kirol, History Buff (RW 2/3 // Whenever a card leaves your graveyard, ~ becomes prepared. Sor: 1RW mill a card, put 2 +1/+1 counters on target creature, it gains trample)
• Molten Note (XRW Sor // deals damage = amount of mana spent to target creature. Flashback 6RW)
• Practiced Scrollsmith (R{R/W}W 3/2 first strike // exile target non-creature, nonland from your graveyard. Until the end of your next turn, you may cast it.)
• Startled Relic Sloth (2RW 4/4 trample, lifelink // beginning of combat, exile up to one card from a graveyard)

Signpost Commons:

• Spirit Mascot (RW 2/2 // whenever a card leaves your graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on this)
• Pursue the Past (RW sor // gain 2 life. Discard a card, draw 2. Flashback 2RW)
• Wilt in the Heat (2RW ins // costs {2} less if a card left your graveyard. 5 damage to a creature)

Avoid:

• [[Lorehold Charm]]
• [[Borrowed Knowledge]]

[[Garrison Excavator]] and [[Living History]] are two more solid graveyard payoffs. Look for ways to repeatedly trigger them like [[Rubble Rouser]], [[Ascendant Dustspeaker]] and [[Summoned Dromedary]]. Spells with Flashback like [[Group Project]] and [[Tome Blast]] can help here too.

Getting cards into your graveyard may be the trickiest part. Look for instances of Surveil, Mill and Discard where you can find them.

Blue-Red Prismari Spells

Mechanic: Opus. When you cast an instant or sorcery, get a bonus. If you spent at least 5 mana, get another bonus.

Signpost Uncommons:

• Abstract Paintmage (U{U/R}R 2/2 // At the beginning of your main phase, add UR to spend on instants/sorceries)
• Prismari Charm (UR ins // choose 1 – surveil 2, draw / 1 damage to 2 targets / bounce nonland)
• Sanar, Unfinished Genius (UR 0/4 // enters prepared. {t}: make a Treasure if you’ve cast an instant or sorcery this turn. Sor 3UR search for an instant or sorcery to hand)
• Spectacular Skywhale (2UR 1/4 flying // Opus – +3/+0 or 3 +1/+1 counters)
• Stress Dream (3UR ins // 5 to a creature, look at the top 2, put one in your hand)
• Vibrant Outburst (UR ins // 3 to any target, tap up to one creature)

Signpost Commons:

• Elemental Mascot (1UR 1/4 flying vigilance // Opus – +1/+0, if 5 or more mana, exile the top card and you may play it until the end of your next turn)
• Stadium Tidemage (2UR 4/4 // enters or attacks, you may draw and discard)
• Visionary’s Dance (5UR sor // make 2 3/3 flying tokens. {2} discard this card: look at the top 2, take one)

Avoid:

• [[Rapturous Moment]]

Despite Opus being a “big mana” mechanic, this deck looks to be on the more aggressive side. [[Deluge Viruoso]], [[Expressive Firedancer]], and [[Tackle Artist]] all hit hard alongside cheaper spells like [[Ancestral Anger]], [[Monstrous Rage]], and [[Goblin Glasswright]]. I don’t think you’ll really need to “try” to trigger the big side of Opus as the best expensive cards are already high picks.

Black-Green Witherbloom Lifegain

Mechanic: Infusion. Get a bonus when you gain life. 

Signpost Uncommons:

• Teacher’s Pest (BG 1/1 menace // when ~ attacks, gain 1 life. BG: return this from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.)
• Witherbloom Charm (BG ins // choose 1 – sac a permanent to draw 2 / gain 5 life / destroy a nonland with mv 2 or less)
• Essenceknit Scholar (B{B/G}G 3/1  // make a 1/1, end step if a creature died under your control, draw a card)
• Mind Roots (1BG sor // target player discards 2. Put up to one land from among them into play tapped under your control)
• Lluwen, Exchange Student (2BG 3/4  // Enters Prepared. Exile a creature from your graveyard to Prepare. Sor: {B/G} make a 1/1 Pest)
• Old-Growth Educator (2BG 4/4 vigilance reach // Enters with 2 +1/+1 counters if you’ve gained life this turn.)
• Root Manipulation (3BG sor // creatures you control get +2/+2, menace, and “whenever this attacks, gain 1 life”.)

Signpost Commons:

• Bogwater Lumaret (BG 2/2 // when this or another creature you control enters, gain 1 life)
• Pest Mascot (1BG 2/3 trample // whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on this)
• Grapple with Death (1BG sor // destroy target artifact or creature, gain 1 life)

The one-two punch of Bogwater Lumaret into Pest Mascot at common is a big draw into this deck. Some strong lifegain payoffs include Thornfist Striker, [[Poisoner’s Apprentice]], and [[Lumaret’s Favor]]. [[Leech Collector]] is a 2 drop that stays relevant all game. [[Follow the Lumarets]] can be a 2-mana draw two in a high-creature-count deck.

Incidental lifegain such as [[Mindful Biomancer]] are very valuable, as well as repeatable lifegain enablers like [[Potioner’s Trove] and [[Shopkeeper’s Bane]].

Look for ways to punish our opponents for blocking our Pest tokens such as [[Rabid Attack]] and [[Arnyn, Deathbloom Botanist]].

Blue-Green Quandrix Ramp

Mechanic: Increment. Creatures get +1/+1 counters when you cast a spell with mana value greater than their power or toughness.

Signpost Uncommons:

• Cuboid Colony (GU 1/1 flash flying trample // Increment)
• Paradox Surveyor (G{G/U}U 3/3 reach  // Look at the top 5, take a land or X spell)
• Proctor’s Gaze (2GU ins // bounce a nonland, search for a basic into play tapped)
• Quandrix Charm (GU ins // choose 1 – counter a spell unless they pay {2} / destroy an enchantment / target creature becomes 5/5)
• Fractal Tender (3GU 3/3 ward 2 // Increment. End step, if you put a counter on this, make a 3/3 fractal)

Signpost Commons:

• Embrace the Paradox (3GU ins // draw 3, put a land into play tapped)
• Fractal Mascot (4GU 6/6 trample // tap & stun)
• Pterafractyl (XGU 1/0 flying // enters with X +1/+1 counters, gain 2 life)

Avoid:

• [[Growth Curve]]
• [[Tam, Observant Sequencer]]

[[Tester of the Tangential]] is an interesting Increment payoff that can pass counters around as the game goes on. Mostly, we are not focused on Increment however and are just looking to find lands with Environmental Scientist and Studious First-Year to play big spells. Card draw from [[Landscape Painter]], [[Homesickness]], and Orysa, Tide Choreographer is a natural fit here. 

Blue-Green is the best base for the Converge mechanic, which counts the number of colours of mana spent to cast a spell. You would like to have access to at least four colours in most cases. The best converge payoffs are Snarl Song, [[Transcendent Archaic]], and [[Sundering Archaic]]. Which leads us to…

Mana Fixing

Fixing is quite abundant in this set. There are a cycle of tapped dual lands for each supported colour pair which can Surveil later in the game such as [[Spectacle Summit]]. These will show up in the land slot 50% of the time. [[Terramorphic Expanse]] is available at Common. [[Potioner’s Trove]], [[Strixhaven Skycoach]], and [[Shared Roots]] are all strong any-colour fixing options as well.

Way-Too-Early Archetype Winrate Predictions

1. Black-Green Witherbloom Lifegain – Strongest group of Mutli-colour Commons and pays you off for incidental lifegain which is already powerful.
2. Blue-Red Prismari Spells – Two absolutely premium removal spells at Uncommon and seems heavily supported.
3. White-Black Silverquill Aggro – Lots of support and should run over the slower decks. Will struggle against Witherbloom’s lifegain however.
4. Blue-Green Quandrix Ramp/Converge – Has a couple of busts at Uncommon and looks a bit clunky overall. Will probably fare best with the help of rares.
5. White-Red Lorehold Graveyard – Looks a bit finicky and tough to get the engine going. However, they seem to have powered it up since last time.

General Draft Strategy (8 Player Pick-1)

Picks 1-3: 

• Take the best card. Mono-coloured cards will leave us more open going forward.

Picks 4-8: 

• Continue to take the best card. We may have cards in multiple colours, and that’s ok. Start to form a picture of what colours are being passed to us (aka “Reading Signals”). For example, if we see a few solid White cards Picks 4-8, there is a good chance the players to our right are not drafting White (AKA White is “open”). This means we can reasonably expect to see good White cards in Pack 3 as well, as those same players will be passing to us again! We may also see a late signpost Uncommon or Common, indicating its colour pair may be available.

 

Picks 9-14: 

• These are the cards no one at the table wanted. If we are seeing several playable cards of one colour pair, it is possible that no one else at the table is drafting that colour pair and we should strongly consider moving in.

End of Pack 1:

• Ideally, we have identified our main colour. This is the colour we have the most quality cards of, or is the most open, and hopefully both!
• Staying as close to one colour as possible will leave us with more options going forward. However, in this type of format, locking into a colour pair early is more likely than usual.

Packs 2 and 3

• Continue to take powerful cards of our main colour where possible. Let the good cards we open or get passed determine our secondary colour and final archetype.
• Pay attention to Pack direction! The packs are moving in the opposite direction during Pack 2, so the signals can be completely different from Pack 1. It is normal to not see as many cards of our main colour/archetype in Pack 2, so don't panic! Pack 3 is passed to the left once again and we will be rewarded for staying the course.

Deck-Building Tips

• Play two colours. Avoid splashing a third colour unless your deck is specifically designed to do so (ie you have dual lands touching that colour)
• Play 17 lands.
• Play a low-curve. Most limited decks want six or more 2 Mana-Value creatures, around four 3 Mana-Value creatures, some 4 Mana-Values creatures, and very few cards that cost 5 or more mana.

Thank you for reading and watching. Good luck in your drafts!