There’s a whole lot of buzz happening around Strixhaven right now. The latest expansion pack for Magic: The Gathering sweeps us off to the distant land of Arcavios, where the brightest and most powerful students and teachers of magic come together at the esteemed magic educational institution.
One of the big themes of Strixhaven is the five competing Colleges within the school, each of which was founded by a different Elder Dragon, and each with its own deans, students and legendary creatures.
The Colleges all have their own rich traditions that attract different types of students, so here we’ll be taking a tour of each one to find out where you’ll fit in best.
Silverquill
Warring words and silver tongues are required if you’re to succeed at Silverquill - a College focused around charisma and the conversion of words into magic. Use shadow magic to exile your enemies, decimate them by weaving words into weaponry, and even summon inky allies to fight alongside you.
There’s a lot to like about Silverquill’s stylish black and white robes, with the colours representing the binary power of prose to both break down rivals and inspire allies.
Witherbloom
The natural sciences college of Strixhaven not only harnesses the powers of vegetation, pests and other flora and fauna from the clammy places of the word - it also deals in life and death.
Summon swarms of pests using witchcraft, and spearhead your attacks with zombie crocodiles pulled from the bayou of Witherbloom’s campus. Nature lovers will love the earthy verdant tones of Witherbloom’s cards, and the green-blue glows of its organic magic.
Lorehold
This college concerns itself with history and archaeology. In magical terms, that translates to heavy use of artifacts in battle and resurrection of ancient spirits. Lose yourself in dust-bound tomes and timeless dig sites, then call creatures like the eagle-like Pastcaller and legendary Elephant historian Quintorius to your aid in battle.
Lorehold’s campus is made up of several towers built into desert cliffs, filled with excavated treasures and statues that the College has dug up over the years.
Quandrix
Geniuses of mathematics who believe that the mysteries of magic and the universe can be harnessed through numbers and geometries. They’re a brainy bunch mentored by the Owlin Dean Imbraham, and founded by the powerful Elder Dragon Tanazir Quandrix.
Its students specialise in converting nature into strange geometric life forms known as fractals, which can serve as anything from cute pets to powerful allies.
It’ll take a mind of sound logic not to get lost in the Quandrix campus, set in the impressive ever-shifting space known as the Torus Hall, Meanwhile, the logicians of this College will easily find their way around while figuring out the effects of spacetime on magic.
Prismari
Art, music and all forms of creative expression are what Prismari prides itself on. It’s a College filled with raw magical power, so expect plenty of elemental sorceries and vibrant colour palettes with your cards. If you’re a fan of neon 80s-nostalgic tones, then you’ll be captivated by these bold cards.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with Prismari too. Its sorceries are as explosive as the visuals on its cards, and its mascots are living artforms representing all the elements.
Then there’s the Prismari campus, with regions ranging from the Opus Walk, where you walk among centuries’ worth of artistic creations, to the Furygale - a hostile yet inspiring region formed of abandoned art-mage creations.
If you’re still unsure about which College to enrol to, take the Strixhaven Quiz, which will match you up with the College that best suits your personality. Remember you can play Strixhaven on PC and mobile at MTG Arena, or grab physical Strixhaven packs on Amazon.
The doors of Strixhaven are open, now it’s up to you to go in and choose a path to take.
