Uncommons in MTG are getting stronger than ever. Nowadays, it seems like every set has a powerful card outside of the chase rares that revolutionizes one format or another. Considering how powerful Secrets of Strixhaven looks out of the gate, it’s no surprise that this set has a broken-looking uncommon, too.
This one, however, is so strong that it could become a problem in a whole bunch of competitive formats. Thanks to its similarity to a banned Strixhaven: School of Mages card, many MTG players think that Flow State could break Izzet decks across Magic. This, sadly, could ruin the delicate balance that Standard has kept.
MTG Flow State
Creating some serious Expressive Iteration comparisons across the community, Flow State looks like one of the most powerful new cards in Secrets of Strixhaven. Sorcery speed Anticipate effects with upside are nothing new to MTG, but this one is incredibly easy to unlock. So long as you have an Instant and a Sorcery in your graveyard, Flow State lets you put two cards into your hand from among the top three in your deck. Almost any spellslinger deck can enable this card advantage engine with ease, getting excited and worried reactions from the community.
Izzet was already pulling away from the rest of Standard, and Flow State might be the card that begins to truly break the format’s precarious balance. Between cantrips like Opt and Sleight of Hand, Izzet Spellementals and Izzet Prowess can easily enable this card advantage engine. Thanks to the Artist’s Talent‘s discard trigger, Izzet Lessons may also use this card, but it will likely have a much bigger impact on the other two archetypes.
For Prowess and Spellementals in particular, this gets rid of a core weakness for both decks. Thanks to their synergies being a bit of a glass cannon, it’s easy for these decks to run out of resources if your opponents are able to deal with your key pieces. Flow State not only gives these decks more resources for cheap, but it can also help find answers to hate pieces like Rest in Peace and High Noon. The two-cost mana value makes it easier to multi-spell with Flow State compared to cards like Stock Up, making them an easy addition in both of these archetypes.
Beyond Standard
While Flow State looks like a major shot in the arm for Izzet Standard decks, it looks even better in Legacy. Expressive Iteration was banned for being a two-mana card advantage spell in Izzet Delver decks, and Flow State looks similarly threatening. Between free counterspells like Force of Will or Daze, and one-mana Sorceries like Ponder and Thoughtseize, it’s extremely easy to turn Flow State on in the format. As many content creators have pointed out, Legacy tends to become unbalanced when strong card advantage spells are introduced into the format. Flow State, while arguably weaker than its predecessors, is similar enough to warrant concern.
In fact, Izzet Prowess-esque Spellslinger decks have a place in most competitive MTG formats right now. Thanks to the recently printed and extremely problematic Cori-Steel Cutter, Prowess remains a viable archetype in both Modern and Pioneer. As a result, some players think that Flow State could see play in Modern Storm or Prowess, but Expressive Iteration remains legal in the format. Pioneer Prowess and Phoenix decks, on the other hand, are almost certainly getting an upgrade.
How Will It Play?
While the MTG community is having a massive reaction to this card advantage spell, Flow State does have some safety valves that may end up balancing the card long-term. Getting an Instant and a Sorcery into the graveyard is trivial for many Izzet decks, but it does mean that Flow State won’t be amazing at all times. Outside of Legacy, casting this card for full value on turn two will be extremely tough, if not outright impossible. That said, like Accumulate Wisdom, this card’s floor is still acceptable in dire circumstances, likely meaning that the card is more than worthwhile.
Even if this looks like the last thing Izzet needs to run away across competitive formats, MTG players still need to test the card. Flow State notably incentivizes players to use a lot more Sorceries in their deck, imposing a real cost. Even with this in mind, however, Flow State does seem extremely powerful and could easily revolutionize some MTG formats.
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