Despite Secrets of Strixhaven’s release date being three weeks ago, spoilers for the set technically aren’t over just yet. As is tradition, MTG Arena has a few more digital-exclusive Secrets of Strixhaven goodies to offer in the set’s Alchemy release. Offering bizarre cards that are extremely powerful when built around, these new cards could inspire players to brew something completely different.
MTG Summitfest Closing Ceremony
Summitfest Closing Ceremony looks weak at first glance, but the card is surprisingly powerful. Offering two additional mana each time its Intensity is upped, this Ritual effect can easily win the game in the right build. That said, even without upping its Intensity, this sorcery essentially functions as a free cantrip that ramps you one mana. While this means that Summitfest Closing Ceremony is essentially a Manamorphose with even stronger upside, it’s hardly perfect. Outside of very specific strategies, five mana is far too much for a Ritual like this.
That said, a recent Standard deck suggests that Opus Storm could be successful in Alchemy. Utilizing Molten-Core Maestro with cards like Ashling’s Command and Rapturous Moment, Standard’s Izzet Opus deck could easily create a more combo-centric variant in Alchemy with this card. Throw in the Sorceress’s Schemes infinite and, if Alchemy is slow enough, this could be a fantastic deck to try.
Outside of Alchemy, Summitfest Closing Ceremony’s success seems somewhat suspect. Outside of some oddball Brawl decks, the instant is likely too expensive to see play in Historic or Timeless.
MTG Variable Solutions
Variable Solutions is surprisingly versatile, offering a series of different effects that can help out in a variety of situations. While the Rampant Growth mode is certainly the most appealing, repurposing this spell into a board presence or artifact removal gives Variable Solutions a lot of utility. At its absolute best, Variable Solutions can do everything at once, creating a lot of value for just five mana. Since the creature mode scales with X, Variable Solutions can create some rather funny moments, but it’s also anything but consistent.
Unlike most Ramp spells, Variable Solutions will never truly be a terrible topdeck. That being said, even when you use all the modes of this card, Variable Solutions is still just ok. Thanks to this, the green sorcery’s playability really hinges on all three modes getting value, which likely means it will be relegated to Brawl.
MTG Blood Age Muster
In the right deck, MTG Blood Age Muster can win the game on its own. Offering a 2/2 every turn so long as a card leaves your graveyard, this instant is easily enabled with cards like Ghost Vaccuum or Overlord of the Balemurk.
If you roll high, your creatures can create extra value, too. Stonebinder’s Familiar and Spirit Mascot, for example, can turn into much bigger threats, while Pillardrop Warden can return other instants and sorceries to your hand. Summoned Dromedary is particularly noteworthy here, since it allows Blood Age Muster to enable itself. Sadly, since the cards this enchantment Conjures are random, you won’t be able to consistently hit the Camel.
Like the other revealed cards, however, Blood Age Muster currently seems to be lacking a home. None of Alchemy’s current decks seems equipped to consistently trigger the enchantment, and its once-per-turn clause makes it a hard sell outside of Historic sideboards. Sadly, the card’s niche means it may even have a hard time seeing Brawl play outside of Lorehold-inspired decks.
Here’s the full Spellbook for Blood Age Muster:
- Blood Age General
- Charging Strifeknight
- Fuming Effigy
- Pillardrop Warden
- Spirit Mascot
- Stone Docent
- Stonebinder’s Familiar
- Stonebound Mentor
- Stonerise Spirit
- Summoned Dromedary
More Spoilers to Come
While all of these MTG Alchemy cards have incredibly strong potential, the peculiarities that each offers essentially keep them stuck as being build-arounds. Thanks to that, these aren’t the most exciting spoilers, but there are fortunately more to come. Alchemy: Secrets of Strixhaven arrives on May 19th and will be showing off new cards up to that date. With Alchemy’s wacky mechanics at play, we could see literally anything come to fruition over the course of this week.
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