Every new round of MTG Commander precons is a fresh opportunity for reprints, and the Secrets of Strixhaven decks are particularly good in this regard. The total reprint value here is off the charts, with multiple decks passing the $100 mark in reprints alone. While many of these are well-known MTG bangers, there are some deeper cuts in there, too, like Surge to Victory. This explosive sorcery has largely gone unnoticed since its 2021 debut, but thanks to its new reprint, it’s finally in the spotlight.
Surge To Victory MTG
This new surge of interest in Surge to Victory was sparked by MTG content creator Ben Bateman, who shared a short video praising the card yesterday. While it’s certainly expensive to cast, it’s easy to see why the card has people talking. Even at a baseline, converting any instant or sorcery in your graveyard into a huge Overrun effect is quite strong.
Of course, the real appeal here is getting to copy the exiled spell any time one of your creatures connects. In a welcome twist, Surge to Victory lacks the usual ‘one or more creatures’ clause, meaning all of your creatures have the potential to copy the spell. For this reason, running the card alongside efficient token generators like Young Pyromancer and Talrand, Sky Summoner is a good move.
Perhaps the best use for Surge to Victory is to exile something like Time Warp, then swing in and stack up a bunch of extra turns in a row. While this isn’t an infinite combo, in practice, it’ll likely win you the game all the same. Alternatively, you can pick a big, splashy burn spell, like Blood for the Blood God, and push an alpha strike with a combination of huge creatures and big damage.
To get these big bombs into your graveyard, you’ll want to pair Surge to Victory with plenty of looting and rummage effects. Classics like Faithless Looting are easy fits here, but you can also leverage engines like Cool but Rude, too, since Surge works best in decks with a board focus.
Into The Infinite
While Surge to Victory can easily end games in many cases, you can guarantee that eventuality by tapping into the card’s infinite combo potential. Exile Savage Beating, for instance, and each creature that connects will untap your board and create a new combat phase. Since Surge lasts until the end of the turn, you can repeat this infinitely as long as you can get a creature through.
A similar combo is possible with Aurelia, the Warleader and a blink spell like Ephemerate. Simply exile the blink spell with Surge, then blink Aurelia with it when she connects. This will reset Aurelia, letting you take infinite combat phases as long as she can keep connecting for damage.
Despite its potential for explosive value and combo wins, Surge to Victory doesn’t see a ton of play in Commander. It only appears in around 19.4k decks according to EDHREC, and it has a very reasonable $1.50 price tag to match.
While its new Secrets of Strixhaven precon reprint has already put more eyes on the card, it should also bring that price down even further post-release. If you’re looking for a big, scary finisher for your Spellslinger deck, then this will likely be a bargain option in the category before long.
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