Emeritus of IdeationEmeritus of Ideation | Art by Evyn Fong

Hey everyone! I am Command Zoe, fresh off a very successful fundraiser for Trans Lifeline and ready to dive into Secrets of Strixhaven. Specifically I want to talk about the mechanic that has me the most excited: prepare.

Much like exert or monstrous, this mechanic is a state that creatures can become, and once a creature is prepared it can cast its prepared spell. This unprepares it, and it must be prepared again to cast again. The potential of this mechanic is limitless.

We have creatures coming that can cast Game Changers multiple times. We even have creatures that can cast banned cards and Reserved List cards.

So let's dive into the top 10 cards with this new effect and see just how wild the design team got with it.

10. Vastlands ScavengerVastlands Scavenger

This is a bear necessity.

There are several things to look for when evaluating these new prepared mechanic. How much does it cost to cast the creature and then the spell? How good is this card without the spell? Is there a way to make it prepared multiple times, or is this a one time deal? And if it can become prepared again how much work is that?

Well, Vastlands Scavenger is a tank. For just three mana you get 4/4 worth of stats that even gets deathtouch. Stompy players are going to salivate at that stat line. That is better than a lot of creatures before its spell is even cast!

The spell itself is also incredibly powerful. It costs five, so it curves into itself very nicely, and then it mills seven cards deep to put any creature it finds directly onto the battlefield. As if that weren't enough, it then puts those other six cards into the second hand graveyard.

This card is just generically strong all around. It does everything that can be asked of a green creature. Its only slight drawback is that it can't become prepared multiple times. But with a stat line and prepared spell like that, does it really need to?

9. Skycoach ConductorSkycoach Conductor

Driver! Prepare my spell for me. Chop, chop!

Again we immediately are greeted with stats and keywords above their cost. Three mana for a 2/3 with three keywords including flying? And you can cast it at instant speed? Am I getting old or is that stat line just way too good for there to be more text on the card? Don't answer that.

The reason this card is on the list is that its prepared spell is essentially a blue CloudshiftCloudshift. The fact that the creature also has flash let's All Aboard be used as interaction. There is so much utility in this card. It can re-prepare any card that prepares on enter - which is most of them - it can re-trigger any enters effects you have, it can avoid spot-removal, it can save an attacker or a blocker, and more. The possibilities of how to use it are endless.

Note that it cannot target Pilots, which keeps it from targeting itself over and over. This also means all of the recent changelings from Lorwyn Eclipsed also cannot be targeted. Unless...

Look - I don't know what I'm gonna do with this yet, but I don't like being told I can't do something...

8. Scheming SilvertongueScheming Silvertongue

They gave the popular girl a card too.

I am obsessed with this card. If this was a list of Zoe's favorite cards from the set she would be all 1o. She again is a stat-beast. At 1/3 with flying and lifelink, she very easily slots into most black decks. She dodges ShockShocks, regains health, and chump blocks old and new inklings with ease. But once you get any lifegain or power buff going and she can draw two cards every turn with her Sign in BloodSign in Blood spell.

And she's a vampire!

Just from a design standpoint, can we talk about how she gains you that life then turns it into card draw? She turns blood into power. That is so flavorful and cool. But it's also really good. It is very easy to gain one more life per turn on top of her lifelink in black to make her prepared over and over. The card draw, the drain and gain, the flavor.

No notes. 10/10 card. Not the most powerful on this list, but you won't ever be disappointed to see this in your hand.

7. Naktamun LorespinnerNaktamun Lorespinner

We are playing Wheel of Fortune and I am taking a W.

I am sensing a theme. All of these cards have stats above-rate. A three-mana 3/3 with relevant creature type in red excites the 1v1 player in me. I think this card in mono-red burn will be something special, but this article is about Commander. Is it still good? Yes. Absolutely. Wheel of Fortune is a whole archetype here!

The clause to become prepared with this very good boy is not that difficult to achieve. Just dump your hand! Aggro and Burn decks love this card.

But it's not just your hand it counts. If you're on any kind of discard list, this looks at your opponents' hands too. Sure it gives them more cards, but if they get more cards that's more cards to make them discard!

The bad news is that Nekusar, the MindrazerNekusar, the Mindrazer player you loathe just got a new toy. The good news is so long as you keep cards in your hand they can't wheel you over and over. More bad news though, keeping cards in your hand is bad against Nekusar. Wait why are they tapping out for four-

Gulp.

6. Emeritus of IdeationEmeritus of Ideation

Don't do it; there is still time.

Does that say-

No. What? That is literally Ancestral RecallAncestral Recall printed on a card. I thought they weren't allowed to do that! Okay but how good is it really? It's a five mana 5/5 flyer with ward in mono-blue? Okay what the heck, why does it also have Ancestral Recall.

How are there five cards higher than this?!

Power creep of stats aside, it is quite expensive to take advantage of this card's effect multiple times. Not only do you need to get to six mana, three of which must be blue pips, but to do it again you have to delve eight cards from your graveyard. And sure you get one free one, but ask any blue mage. Once you get a taste of low cost card draw you're going to want more.

Luckily blue is one of the colors that can mill itself, and drawing three cards will help you find those self-mill effects.

Wow I can't believe they printed Ancestral Recall on a card; that's so crazy!

5. Emeritus of WoeEmeritus of Woe

Is it pronounced "Woah" or "Woah-ee"?

If Ancestral RecallAncestral Recall weren't impressive enough, how about a card that can tutor for entire game winning combos by itself. And she's a 5/4 for four mana! A viable threat that can find you whatever you need to win the turn after it's cast will be a lightning rod for your opponents' removal.

Two creatures dying on your turn to re-prepare isn't too hard to get to. Keep in mind it is any creatures dying, yours included! Aristocrats decks will love this card.

Notably the check for becoming prepared is at end step, so if Tutor gets cast the turn she's played she can immediately re-prepare. I wonder how relevant that will be in the color that likes to sacrifice creatures for mana.

Hey check out this neat sequence that conveniently let's you cast your prepared spell on curve while also re-preparing itself!

4. Grave ResearcherGrave Researcher

He's researching how to kill you and he only gets tenure if he can bring you back.

What.

Okay so it doesn't enter prepared and it has to survive a full turn cycle to start doing its thing, but that's where the drawbacks end. The body is powerful (stop me if you've heard that one before) and it can re-prepare every turn. Once you get to three creatures in your graveyard you can cast one of the most powerful cards ever printed every single turn. Every. Single. Turn.

And it helps you fill your yard to get there! And it smooths your draws! And ReanimateReanimate isn't just your graveyard! And and and...

3. Emeritus of TruceEmeritus of Truce

Learning to farm, but I ain't got ink.
Doin harm, isn't how I think

Amazing stats, comes with a 1/1 flyer, relevant creature types, and gives you a Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares? All on a three-mana creature. This card is the perfect white creature. Not being able to re-prepare might hurt if it weren't in white, the color of "Exile target creature and return it to the battlefield."

Lol. Lmao.

2. Blazing FiresingerBlazing Firesinger

Sing it out, sis.

Storm didn't need help, but they gave it help anyway. This one might end up being the best card on this list honestly, just because of a certain notorious kitten that goes infinite with itnotorious kitten that goes infinite with it.

I could end up being wrong, but I think a two-card combo that makes infinite mana on turn four might be pretty strong. Any FlickerFlicker effect becomes ramp with her out, and it adds to your storm count! I'm sure that's fine.

:3

1. Yavimaya BloomsageYavimaya Bloomsage

That's Channel on a Magic card...

No good can come of this. What can I say about this card that isn't covered by the card text? At least this one isn't immediately over-statted. It enters as a 2/2 and has to wait until end step for its third power. And at least it's seven power to become prepared. That's hard to do in green, right? So they put guard rails on this one.

Someone is going to get Channel-Exsanguinated at a Prerelease event, and I think that's beautiful.

If I had an 11th card, it woulda been her...

Until Next Time

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my thoughts on the new prepared mechanic. I hope you enjoyed the preview of my favorite new mechanic. Be sure to check out all my articles here as well as over at Commander's Herald, and follow me across all my socials so you never miss an article!