Flow StateFlow State | Art by Genel Jumalon

Hey, everyone! I've been having a ton of fun bringing you the most played cards from older sets like Warhammer 40,000 and March of the Machine, but it's time to return briefly to a more recent period — April 2026, to be precise — and see whether Secrets of Strixhaven gets top marks or a failing grade in terms of contribution to Commander. Let's dive right in!

10. Planar EngineeringPlanar Engineering - 30,009 decks

Evaluating this plays out like a question on a standardized test: this is to HarrowHarrow as Explosive VegetationExplosive Vegetation is to Kodama's ReachKodama's Reach. You pay more to get more. And, while the logic would say that Reach and CultivateCultivate are much better because they're cheaper, this is a fantastic spell in lands-matters decks like Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed, Tifa LockhartTifa Lockhart, and Omnath, Locus of CreationOmnath, Locus of Creation, where stacking multiple triggers in one turn can lead to some crazy sequences.

Four landfall triggers is a lot, even if they come from basic lands and not utility nonbasics or dual lands. I expect Engineering's stock to only rise in the coming years, like Entish RestorationEntish Restoration's has, though the Lord of the Rings card is clearly better.

9. Germination PracticumGermination Practicum - 31,108 decks

I love the paradigm mechanic. It's very much a "fixed" epic, which promised a unique game experience. The cards that have it aren't necessarily as splashy, but they also don't lock you out of casting spells.

The fact that this is a Lesson isn't too relevant unless you're running it in a deck like Iroh, Grand LotusIroh, Grand Lotus, but you don't really need a cherry on top of this sundae when the ice cream is so good. This is essentially an OverrunOverrun every turn, minus the trample, but with a permanent buff. You can play it in counters decks like Tidus, Yuna's GuardianTidus, Yuna's Guardian or a token-and-Insect-filled Blech, Loafing PestBlech, Loafing Pest build and be pretty happy. You spent five mana once and you get to benefit from the dividends for the rest of the game.

8. Studious First-YearStudious First-Year - 33,195 decks

Speaking of cool mechanics, I absolutely adore how "prepared" aims to solve one of the biggest edges digital card games like Hearthstone, Legends of Runeterra, and Eternal have on paper Magic: The Gathering: the ability to generate cards out of thin air that aren't just tokens on the battlefield. The Arena program has been doing this for a few years with mechanics like seek and conjure, but it's fun being able to do this at the kitchen table, especially when the spells you can cast are some of the game's most beloved effects, like Rampant GrowthRampant Growth and Ancestral RecallAncestral Recall, even!

In the end, this is pretty similar to a Farhaven ElfFarhaven Elf, which sees play in over 100,000 EDHREC decks. In fact, it's better, because you can split the three mana into installments and it still benefits from blink and recursion synergies. I hope prepared's sophomore effort comes sooner rather than later. We're definitely going to see more from this card in the years to come.

7. Emeritus of WoeEmeritus of Woe - 34,450 decks

This is such a cool card. Sure, you're spending six mana for your first tutor, which makes this worse in some respects than Diabolic TutorDiabolic Tutor. But this 5/4 promises so much more than just one bite at the demonic apple. Your opponents are probably going to have to kill this, lest you help prepare it anew and get to cast another copy of one of the most busted cards in the game's history. Doing so should be trivially easy, since you're probably slotting this into a sacrifice-flavored deck like Silverquill, the DisputantSilverquill, the Disputant or Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER.

It's also a Vampire, which gives deckbuilders another compelling reason to make room for it in Edgar MarkovEdgar Markov.

6. Improvisation CapstoneImprovisation Capstone - 37,412 decks

Let's start with a tip: this doesn't say anything about casting only four mana's worth of cards. If you flip up cards in order that cost one, two, and ten, you still get to cast all three spells. Knowing that should help justify this costing seven, as should the realization that you just get to do this every turn. I'm already dreaming about getting this into the graveyard and doing some improvised shenanigans with Iroh, Grand LotusIroh, Grand Lotus. It also supercharges Prosper, Tome-BoundProsper, Tome-Bound's Treasure-production and helps Vivi OrnitierVivi Ornitier grow to terrifying power single-handedly.

5. Resonating LuteResonating Lute - 38,435 decks

A lot of versions of the spellslinger deck won't have too many slots open for nonland cards that aren't efficient creatures and instants and sorceries, because builds that rely on Young PyromancerYoung Pyromancer and Third Path IconoclastThird Path Iconoclast need a good mix of both card types to push their game plan. There are other ways to build the deck, though, that are more interested in assembling combos like Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror + Sol RingSol Ring than attacking for lethal. To be honest, Lute is probably great in any kind of spellslinger deck, because this is an enabler on two axes: mana and card draw. This basically solves two of the bottlenecks spell decks can struggle with! You can read more about this archetype in my deck guide.

4. Cauldron of EssenceCauldron of Essence - 45,051 decks

Secrets of Strixhaven is a spell set, but the artifacts have come to ball! Just as Lute offers spell decks two powerful boosts, Cauldron acts as both a sacrifice payoff, with its Blood ArtistBlood Artist ability, and an enabler. Sacrificing a creature even grants you a ton of upside. You can return a game-winner like Muldrotha, the GravetideMuldrotha, the Gravetide or continue the value chain with Sakura-Tribe ElderSakura-Tribe Elder. Predictably, it sees a lot of play in decks led by Witherbloom commander options like Blech, Loafing PestBlech, Loafing Pest and Dina, Essence BrewerDina, Essence Brewer, but it's also seen traction in some popular grindy Golgari builds like Chatterfang, Squirrel GeneralChatterfang, Squirrel General, Meren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth, and Ygra, Eater of AllYgra, Eater of All.

3. Grave ResearcherGrave Researcher - 46,500 decks

This boasts an A+ card name pun paired with a potent prepared payoff. It's pretty easy to set this up to be able to give you a ReanimateReanimate every turn, making this a lightning rod for removal. Its very notable downside, however, is that it doesn't enter prepared, so you really do need to have this live for an entire turn cycle to get more than a card's worth out of it.

This value proposition is still good enough for almost 50,000 EDHREC decks, largely for commanders that care about stuff entering or leaving the graveyard, and in many cases leaders that also return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. This costing three and having three power means it's in the sweet spot for Terra, Herald of HopeTerra, Herald of Hope, Mirko, Obsessive TheoristMirko, Obsessive Theorist, and Moseo, Vein's New DeanMoseo, Vein's New Dean, making repeatable Reanimates a dream worth chasing.

2. ErodeErode - 48,267 decks

They finally did it! After messing around for years with two-mana Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares variants like Fateful AbsenceFateful Absence and Get LostGet Lost, Wizards of the Coast finally gave us a new Path to ExilePath to Exile to play with. I do think Erode is worse, even if it can hit planeswalkers, because exiling something is generally much preferable in Commander to putting problem creatures in the graveyard. I mean, we just discussed Grave Researcher.

Nitpicking aside, I expect its play rate to skyrocket in the next few years, because dealing with a creature for one mana is basically the best a removal spell can do. Path is in more than 2 million decks with the same drawback, and, while it does benefit from the exile clause and being printed almost 20 years ago as an uncommon, I'm sure that most Commander decks would be improved by running more copies of this effect.

1. FlashbackFlashback - 51,205 decks

Is this one of the best copy-edited sets of all time? Not only do we get two one-word card names at the top of the list; we also get a spell with the same name as the mechanic that's written on the card!

FlashbackFlashback finds itself in rarefied air, alongside VigilanceVigilance, FearFear, LifelinkLifelink, RegenerateRegenerate, SuspendSuspend, and Manifest DreadManifest Dread. PersistPersist can join the party, too, because we're inclusive. (Can you tell I'm a writer by trade?)

I haven't said anything about the card, but I'm not sure I need to, as it's clear how this improves just about any spellslinger deck, and how it doesn't do much in any other archetype. This set is full of cards that haven't begun to approach their potential play rates, in my opinion, and it'll be interesting to see whether this can keep Erode or Studious First-YearStudious First-Year from claiming top spot soon enough.

Theory? Meet Practice.Theory? Meet Practice.

Maybe I'm just not a strict enough instructor, but I could never fail a Magic: The Gathering set! In fact, Secrets of Strixhaven has performed admirably so far, submitting two fantastic one-word spell names, some build-around cards, and a new take on beloved classics as its final project. What's your favorite card from the set that missed the grade? Let us know!