This past weekend, MTG players all over the world got to experience Secrets of Strixhaven for the first time at Prerelease events. From big pulls to fun synergies, Secrets of Strixhaven seems to be a slam-dunk. In a surprising twist, the set also seems to have added a new meme to the Magic canon. Far from a big MTG bomb or Paradigm spell claiming the spotlight, Noxious Newt seems to be dominating social media so far.
Noxious Newt MTG
Though it looks innocuous on the surface, Noxious Newt has already claimed many a heart in the MTG community. This is mainly down to the card’s artwork, which depicts the Salamander as completely unbothered. Players have already created memes showing Newt shrugging off some of Magic’s greatest threats with apathy, secure in its 1/2 Deathtouch stats.
Thanks to this aesthetic appeal, players have started hyping Noxious Newt up far beyond its station. Some are making a show of pulling the card in their early packs and talking about it as if it were a chase card from the set. This follows in the proud tradition of past MTG meme cards, like Colossal Dreadmaw and Poison Dart Frog.
As in the latter case, the fact that Newt is a cute “little guy” is almost certainly a huge factor in its popularity. We’ve seen Wizards push this style of creature more and more lately, with bangers like Chrome Companion in Edge of Eternities, and Sazh’s Chocobo in Final Fantasy. These cards have been hit or miss in terms of lasting appeal, but so far, Noxious Newt is off to a good start.
While it is very popular already, Noxious Newt isn’t quite so hot on the playability side. In constructed formats, it’s completely outclassed by Badgermole Cub and friends, and even in Commander, it’s fairly clunky. It’s definitely a solid pick in Limited, mind you, capable of ramping, holding the ground, and trading up all in one. As we move into the Secrets of Strixhaven Limited season, don’t be surprised to see Noxious Newt picked highly, both as a meme and as a legitimately playable card.
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