Lattice LibraryLattice Library | Art by Constantin Marin

Greetings and salutations dear brewers, and welcome to an in-depth analysis of the few enchantments from the new Secrets of Strixhaven set.

The original trek to this school of wizards focused strongly on instants and sorceries, and this new iteration is no different, be it within the regular set, the Mystical Archive, or the Commander precons.

Enchantments on the other hand are few and far between. There are in fact only 12 new cards, several of which are rather niche or hardly worth their salt.

So here is, in a random order because why not, the few enchantments from Secrets of Strixhaven that could end up seeing some play in Commander, as well as pointers on where to actually play them.

Graduation DayGraduation Day

Let's begin this journey with a somewhat inconspicuous card. There's a lot to like about this one.

The obvious comparison points straight at Hardened ScalesHardened Scales. It's the same mana cost, and a somewhat similar effect, adding a +1/+1 counter as an added benefit. Graduation Day is both more restrictive and versatile than its venerable counterpart. Sure, it won't synergize with the other usual +1/+1 outlets, but it will regularly yield a buff nonetheless, especially in decks filled with stuff that targets.

What I particularly like about this is that it triggers when you target any creature with an instant or sorcery, not only yours. This means that any targeted removal spell will yield a nice bonus for one of your critters.

Also, it's an uncommon, which means it will be rather easy to put your hands on and should remain at a low price for quite some time.

So where should you play Graduation Day?

The answer heads in two directions.

The first option is to add this to Voltron decks, which care about making your commander as big as possible in as little time as you can, to crush your opponents with their deadly embrace. Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths for instance has provided a slew of spells that both pump and add counters on creatures, so this could synergize rather well.

It's a clear go-to for Feather, the RedeemedFeather, the Redeemed and her billion targeted spells, but also interesting for Killian, Ink DuelistKillian, Ink Duelist, which usually packs a very large number of removal.

The second one leans towards playing this as an outlet in decks that care about +1/+1 counters as a resource.

• Kyler, Sigardian EmissaryKyler, Sigardian Emissary and Hamza, Guardian of ArashinHamza, Guardian of Arashin both care about having a bunch of +1/+1 counters on the field.
• A toned down version of Shalai and HallarShalai and Hallar could make use of the incidental ping.
• Aerith GainsboroughAerith Gainsborough, while rather niche, would certainly benefit from getting more counters on her before meeting the sharp end of a blade.
• Felisa, Fang of SilverquillFelisa, Fang of Silverquill could certainly use the help to build a massive army.

It's not the most flashy enchantment ever printed, but I'm fairly confident this will become a great underdog - the kind of quiet card that eventually snowballs to create great in-game value.

Forum FilibusterForum Filibuster

This one I was kind of torn when I first read the card. Paying five mana for something that doesn't provide any kind of immediate payoff felt a bit expensive for my taste.

Then I looked at it with a different angle: It's not so much a purveyor of bodies as it is some sort of life insurance against board wipes. You killed my stuff? Now I get it back, onto a flying body.

Sure, this has to be played in Aura- or Equipment-heavy decks to actually yield the best payoffs, but the ceiling is rather high. You can also use it as a way to cheat expensive Auras into play. Discard an Eldrazi ConscriptionEldrazi Conscription, a ColossificationColossification, an Almost PerfectAlmost Perfect, or a Celestial MantleCelestial Mantle to the bin, and get it back for free.

Granted, that's a rather niche situation, but it could also end up creating great stories.

Or, if you're in the Equipment business, get an Argentum ArmorArgentum Armor, Excalibur, Sword of EdenExcalibur, Sword of Eden, or Kaldra CompleatKaldra Compleat and start dealing massive blows

I also like this a lot in conjunction with Auras with the umbra armor ability. Worst case scenario you lose the Aura, but you keep the body it was attached to.

As I said, you basically want to play this in any deck where the commander has the words Aura and/or Equipment written somewhere in its text box.

Aside from the new Killian, Decisive MentorKillian, Decisive Mentor, from whose precon this enchantment comes from, this is where I'd play Forum FilibusterForum Filibuster:

• Arna Kennerüd, SkycaptainArna Kennerüd, Skycaptain is my first and utmost go-to. Keeping Auras on the board to make more and more of them is a blast, and this outlet paves the way for some nasty recursion.
• Pearl-Ear, Imperial AdvisorPearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor / Sram, Senior EdificerSram, Senior Edificer: Sure, the card draw is based on casting a relevant spell. But having a modified creature ready even after the field was razed helps quite a lot for Pearl-Ear. And Sram loves nothing more than getting his toys back.
• Cloud, Midgar MercenaryCloud, Midgar Mercenary: This card is ridiculous on its own, and players need to destroy its trinkets continuously. So giving it a way to recur said trinkets is terrifying.
• Yenna, Redtooth RegentYenna, Redtooth Regent: Grab your most valuable Aura from the graveyard, then make one, two, three copies of it. After you've copied Forum FilibusterForum Filibuster, obviously!

A very solid addition to any midrange Aura or Equipment strategy.

Changing LoyaltyChanging Loyalty

This one I have high hopes for, if only for the great potential it houses. This, in essence, is board wipe protection doubled with a theft effect.

You cast a Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act? Cute. Allow me to save my commander, steal your Archon of CrueltyArchon of Cruelty and get that Gray Merchant of AsphodelGray Merchant of Asphodel for good measure.

This is a powerful effect in many regards:

• It's an Aura, so it will trigger any enchantment enter the battlefield (ETB) effects.
• It has flash, so it can be played as a response.
• It sends back the creature from the graveyard to the battlefield, triggering yet again ETB effects.
• It has replicate, which, provided you have the mana, allows you to save/steal multiple targets.

Worse comes to worst, you still get to have the best creature that can be targeted on the board.

This is a tricky one to point into a specific direction. Of course, Aura-centered builds are more likely to make the most of it, with their recursion shenanigans. For instance, targeting an AuramancerAuramancer will allow you to get it back to your hand ready to protect your board anew.

However, I'd like to take this a step farther. Players are becoming more and more aware of the necessity to pack more interaction in their decks, and removal is at the heart of such concerns. As such, I would be rather comfortable playing this Aura in basically all brews that care about maintaining their board presence.

Sure, this won't stop a Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift, a FarewellFarewell, or even a much less dramatic Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares. But I'm ready to bet this is going to see a lot of play in Bracket 2 to low 3 pods.

Easily one of the strongest contenders for my favorite enchantment of the set.

Coercive ImpetusCoercive Impetus

This one almost didn't make the cut, and I decided to keep it only because of its rarity.

I'm going to keep this one short, as there's not too much to say about it. It's an Aura. It goads. And it draws maybe a couple of cards.

Aside from the very niche Aura Goad decks – Karona, False GodKarona, False God springs to mind – I'm not sure this is worth your attention. For basically the same cost, you can get a Phyrexian ArenaPhyrexian Arena that will guarantee you a card every turn, whereas this leaves the window open for your opponent to find a palliative, by either tapping the creature preemptively, blinking it, or otherwise making an attack impossible.

Heck, even if it manages to swing, it will either impale itself on another critter, or be a prime removal target due to its power and the card advantage it gives you.

Not a downright bad card, but a rather disappointing one.

Intermediate ChirographyIntermediate Chirography

Another rather niche enchantment, and a somewhat unconvincing one at that.

Getting a 2/1 for is no reason to go head over heels. I suppose the second level is decent, if you manage to find a way to lose life each and every turn, through incidental effects like Wall of BloodWall of Blood or Cutthroat ContenderCutthroat Contender. And the third one requires you to jump through so many hoops it will make you feel like you're a lion in a circus.

For the total investment of a puny , you get the privilege of potentially replacing one of your chumps, assuming it was modified in any way.

I suppose this could see some play with Felisa, Fang of SilverquillFelisa, Fang of Silverquill, as a potential way to double up on the Inklings she creates. Or maybe with Breena, the DemagogueBreena, the Demagogue, which distributes counters like candy.

The disappointment continues.

Comforting CounselComforting Counsel

This, on the other hand, is as simple as it is excellent, especially in Soul Sisters decks. On its own, this enchantment is rather useless. You need to have something at its side to provide you the much needed lifegain.

The best outlets for this that come to mind are the Soul WardenSoul Warden, Soul's AttendantSoul's Attendant, and Essence WardenEssence Warden, but also Auriok ChampionAuriok Champion and the slightly more mana-intensive Sunscorch RegentSunscorch Regent. In a single rotation, these could allow you to turn this neat Anthem online, providing a beefy buff to your entire board, all for a puny .

There's not too much to add. If your deck is built to provide lifegain in short but frequent bursts, there's no real reason not to play it. Even if your primary win-con is not through combat damage, this will turn even a puny 1/1 into a more than decent blocker.

As for the commanders, Trostani, Selesnya's VoiceTrostani, Selesnya's Voice, Sythis, Harvest's HandSythis, Harvest's Hand, Aerith, Last AncientAerith, Last Ancient, or even Emmara, Soul of the AccordEmmara, Soul of the Accord provide the necessary life bursts.

As for me? I'm positively adding this to my Selvala, Explorer ReturnedSelvala, Explorer Returned tap/untap deck!

Advanced ReconstructionAdvanced Reconstruction

Yet another Class, but this one looks more like a Jack-of-all-Trades.

First and foremost, it provides card advantage. But rather than giving it in the form of impulse draw, as red has become accustomed to, it reaps the benefits straight from your graveyard.

I really like this, as it allows you to have a pretty good idea of what you're likely to get. Sure, the random choice is inconvenient, as is the milled card, but it also means you get the chance to recast the spell during a subsequent turn. It's an interesting lottery, and the rest of the abilities are just gravy on top.

Burning an opponent whenever cards leave your graveyard is no joke. If your decks includes outlets that filter out graveyards – I'm thinking Withered WretchWithered Wretch, Scavenging OozeScavenging Ooze, or Lion SashLion Sash – this could turn into an actual finisher. Said cards could also sculpt your graveyard to your liking, to increase the chances of hitting a relevant card.

Finally, the last ability is nice, but likely to be rather situational, if only for the actual mana cost of it all.

While the enchantment is rather playable as a card advantage outlet in any deck with red, I would include this in two types of builds:

• Decks that care about cards leaving the graveyard: the face commander of the Lorehold precon, Quintorius, History ChaserQuintorius, History Chaser, and its big brother Quintorius, Field HistorianQuintorius, Field Historian are rather obvious options, but don't discount the new Kirol, History BuffKirol, History Buff as well.
• Decks that care about spells cast from exile: Prosper, Tome-BoundProsper, Tome-Bound and Faldorn, Dread Wolf HeraldFaldorn, Dread Wolf Herald are likely to make room for this nice outlet, as is The War DoctorThe War Doctor or Rocco, Street ChefRocco, Street Chef. Fire Lord ZukoFire Lord Zuko could also use it to provide a nasty buff to its board of creatures.

Not overly original, but a solid enabler nonetheless.

Lattice LibraryLattice Library

Let's end this little overview with the one enchantment that has turned my eyes into sparkling stars with rainbows, while also likely to see little play altogether.

In short: this is a fantastic outlet that I'm dying to try out.

Sure, you can play this in any deck that cares about spells with in their cost. Magus Lucea KaneMagus Lucea Kane and Rosheen MeandererRosheen Meanderer won't scoff at making extra value from their highly costed spells. And I'm positive it will be most efficient therein.

However, I'm most excited in playing this with Zaxara, the ExemplaryZaxara, the Exemplary. Not the mana-heavy one. Rather, I'll be playing this in the Aristocrats version.

Cast this enchantment for = 0, nil, zip, nothing, nada. Then, your first spell every turn nets you another 0/0 Hydra... sorry, Fractal, that will die instantly, triggering all the death triggers anew. In a way, this is another instance of the commander in the 99.

Will this see much play elsewhere? Unlikely, given how niche X-spells decks can be. Will it be a new major outlet for those decks? I'm betting you my last mana on this.

Conclusion

While the enchantments in this set were... scarce to say the least, the R&D team at Wizards has managed to provide interesting outlets nonetheless, amidst the chaos of instants and sorceries.

Any of these strike your fancy? Anything I blatantly missed?

Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to go vote for the next Trim!