You would think that after 33 years of innovation, Wizards of the Coast would run out of ideas for new, exciting mechanics. That's clearly not the case yet, as we have yet another stellar lineup in Secrets of Strixhaven. My personal favorite, and arguably the most powerful in general, is the Prepare mechanic.

What is the Prepare Mechanic?

Cards with the Prepare ability look similarly to cards with Adventures, which debuted in Thrones of Eldraine. Despite having a split text box with a permanent spell on one side and an Instant or Sorcery spell on the other side, cards with Prepare behave almost inversely to Adventures.

According to the official Secrets of Strixhaven mechanics breakdown, when a Creature (it could be any permanent, but in Secrets of Strixhaven every card with Prepare is a Creature) becomes prepared, "a copy of its Prepare spell appears in exile. The copy stays there until one of three things happens."

The three things that can happen are...

1. You cast the exiled spell
2. The Prepared Creature leaves the battlefield
3. The Prepared Creature becomes unUrepared (some cards can make this happen)

If you want to cast the copy of a Prepared spell, you do so like any spell you'd normally cast, following timing rules associated with the spell.

If it's an Instant, you can play it any time, but if it's a Sorcery, you can only cast it during your main phase while the stack is empty. One fun aspect of these Prepare spells is that a subset of them actually reference previous cards in Magic history.

Prepared Creatures Explained

The other important thing to note is that Creatures become Prepared in various ways. We'll see those different ways when we examine the cards.

For now, suffice to say that some Creatures enter Prepared while others take a bit of setup. Those that take setup can often be re-Prepared. If you already cast the copy of the Prepared spell (or had the Creature become unprepared some other way), you can re-Prepare the Creature to gain access to another copy.

These can be extremely powerful effects with profound impact on gameplay. Rather than continue in the abstract, let's take a look at every Creature with Prepare and its corresponding Prepare spell, in alphabetical order.

For those Prepare spells that match an existing card from Magic's past, I'll include the referenced spell for maximum nostalgic value.

Abigale, Poet Laureate - Heroic Stanza

First alphabetically is this 2/3 flyer for three mana. While this won't make waves in constructed anytime soon, it's definitely a pull into the Silverquill school. The stats alone aren't a bad rate.

While Abigale, Poet Laureate has to attack before you can access Heroic Stanza and put a +1/+1 counter on a Creature, having built-in evasion means this Creature will be able to get in a clean attack often enough.

The spell itself isn't the most exciting, but the fact that you can access it repeatedly every time you attack (assuming you cast it each turn) makes this a formidable card -- especially if you keep placing the counters on Abigale, making it harder and harder for your opponent to deal with each with each attack.

It combines nicely with repartee cards as well.

Adventurous Eater - Have a Bite

Adventurous Eater demonstrates what we can expect from a common Creature with prepare.

In this case, the Human Warlock enters prepared, meaning you don't have to put any work into gaining access to their prepare spell. On the other hand, you can't re-Prepare this one unless you somehow Blink or bounce and recast it.

So, for mana you get a 3/2 with access to cast Have a Bite, a Sorcery that puts a +1/+1 counter on target Creature and gains you a life.

This is a cleverly designed glue card because it offers lifegain for Witherbloom's infusion and Creature targeting for Silverquill's repartee.

Blazing Firesinger - Seething Song

Blazing Fireslinger is a 2/3 Red uncommon and is the first card on the list that creates a prepared spell that is an actual card: Seething Song!

It's tough to predict if this card will play out favorably. While Seething Song clearly has a powerful history (it's currently banned in Modern and Historic), I'm not sure casting it in Limited or Standard will be all that exciting when stapled to a three-mana 2/3 with no other abilities.

What's the optimal play pattern here?

Turn three, cast a 2/3 Creature, turn four cast Seething Song and have access to six mana? I'm skeptical because this feels slow, and there's no Storm payoff like there is in Modern.

Campus Composer - Aqueous Aria

Campus Composer is a four-mana uncommon with Ward cost of two, making this one particularly difficult to remove.

That's a good thing, because it increases the likelihood it'll survive long enough to cast its powerful prepare spell, Aqueous Aria.

It's true that a standalone spell that costs five and creates a 3/3 Flyer would be below the curve, being a prepare spell attached to another Creature is much more interesting.

As individual cards, these wouldn't hold their weight in a Limited deck. The fact that you gain access to both, however, makes Campus Composer more like a four mana 3/4 that enters and draws you a decent spell.

Cheerful Osteomancer - Raise Dead

I love that Wizards of the Coast gave us some prepared spells inspired by cards from Alpha.

Cheerful Osteomancer enters prepared and provides you with access to Raise Dead, a popular effect in Limited. We've seen numerous iterations of this card over the ears, but Raise Dead is the original.

This Creature is likely to play out well in Limited, as long as you don't lose it to a removal spell or in combat before having the chance to cast the prepared spell. Perhaps the best play pattern is to cast this Creature on turn five and then immediately cast Raise Dead to bring another Creature back to your hand, ensuring maximum value.

Elite Interceptor - Rejoinder

If you're in the market for a prepared spell in the one-drop slot, then Elite Interceptor is worth consideration. She reminds me of Thraben Inspector: she costs , is a 1/2 Creature, and has the ability to draw you a card for two mana.

Only, in this instance it's through her prepared spell, Rejoinder, rather than via a clue token.

Elite Interceptor is arguably better, because you also get the bonus of tapping or untapping a Creature (triggering repartee effects) in addition to drawing you that card.

The only trade-off is that this spell is Sorcery speed. I still think this will be a reasonable spot to start your curve in Draft.

Emeritus of Abundance - Regrowth

The next five prepared cards make up a cycle of mythic rare Creatures with some incredible Alpha throwbacks.

First up, we have Emeritus of Abundance, a 3/4 Creature with Vigilance for three mana.

Already, this is an impressive rate, but what's more impressive is the fact that this Creature enters prepared and grants you a copy of Alpha's Regrowth. Not only do you get to return any card from your graveyard to your hand, but you also have the potential to do so again if you can attack while controlling eight or more Lands.

That means you get the first prepared Regrowth for free and then can cast subsequent copies later in the game if Emeritus of Abundance survives ita swings. This card is surely pushed -- it'll be a bomb in Limited.

I'll be curious to see if it makes waves in Standard.

Emeritus of Conflict - Lightning Bolt

It's a well-accepted fact that Lightning Bolt is too powerful for Standard nowadays. With Emeritus of Conflict, however, we get the chance to cast the ultra-efficient burn spell once again.

Like most other Emeriti, Emeritus of Conflict enters prepared and is also an efficiently costed, two-mana 2/2 First Striker.

After you cast your copy of Lightning Bolt, you can reprepare by casting a third spell in a turn. While that is a tall order, keep in mind that Emeritus of Conflict spots you the first efficient spell by granting you a copy of Lightning Bolt.

That means you'll just need to cast two more in order to obtain yet another copy of Lightning Bolt to fire off.

Prowess decks filled with efficient cantrips and one-drops are likely to love this addition.

Emeritus of Ideation - Ancestral Recall

This is it. This is our chance to actually cast a piece of the Power 9 in Standard! Emeritus of Ideation prepares you with a copy of Ancestral Recall upon entering.

If slamming a 5/5 Flying, Ward 2 Creature for five mana isn't good enough, you can pay at Instant speed to also draw three cards. In Limited, this is basically game over.

It wouldn't surprise me to see this become a go-to win condition in Standard control decks as well. And, if somehow you can't manage to win the game with this evasive, hard-to-kill Creature and three fresh new cards, you can always attack and exile eight cards from your graveyard.

Accomplishing this reprepares Emeritus of Ideation, so you can Ancestral Recall all over again. Out of the 36 Prepare cards in Secrets of Strixhaven, this has to be the most exciting one to see print.

Emeritus of Truce - Swords to Plowshares

The balancing on this Creature took an interesting turn. Emeritus of Truce doesn't simply enter prepared like the other four Emeriti.

Instead, you pay three mana for a 3/3 Creature (which is fine, but not an exciting stat line) that grants target player a 1/1 Inkling token with Flying. It'd be awfully tempting to give yourself that token, making the rate on this card much more attractive.

But wait just one second -- Emeritus of Truce doesn't enter prepared unless an opponent controls more Creatures than you.

That means you'll often be forced to give your opponent that 1/1 Flyer so the cat cleric enters prepared. Otherwise, you miss your chance because there is no way of repreparing this one.

Assuming you successfully jump through all hoops, you score a copy of Swords to Plowshares, arguably the most efficient removal spell ever printed. It may be no Power 9, but Swords to Plowshares is definitely worthwhile.

I just wish Emeritus of Truce spotted you the first copy for free like the others in its class. It perplexes me as to why they broke the symmetry with the White Creature of this cycle.

Emeritus of Woe - Demonic Tutor

Wizards of the Coast has printed so many variants of Demonic Tutor over the years, most of which are underwhelming and pale in power level when compared with the original.

With Emeritus of Woe, you get to cast the OG Demonic Tutor itself. On top that, the vampire warlock has a lot of strengths: it has aggressively costed stats at 5/4 for four mana, it enters prepared, and it can become reprepared.

Assuming the Creature doesn't die, a common play pattern could be to cast Emeritus of Woe, then next turn cast Demonic Tutor, search up a potent removal spell, kill a Creature via combat, and gain access to another copy of Demonic Tutor.

In Limited especially, Creatures tend to die quite often, meaning you'll likely have several opportunities to reprepare and cast Demonic Tutor.

Encouraging Aviator - Jump

We're finished covering the mythic rare Emeritus cycle, but that's not the end of Alpha prepared spells in Secrets of Strixhaven.

Encouraging Aviator is your classic Flying Creature that can also give another Creature Flying when it attacks -- we've seen this template before. Funnily enough, I sometimes use the shortcut, "When this Creature attacks, Jump another Creature" in my head because I remembered the original Alpha card.

Now everyone can appreciate this nostalgia by casting a copy of Jump, a Blue Instant that grants a Creature Flying until end of turn, possibly multiple times throughout the game.

Encouraging Aviator will be a solid role player in Limited. Nothing more, nothing less.

Goblin Glasswright - Craft with Pride

Goblin Glasswright is a two mana Red 2/2 Creature at common.

The Creature enters prepared, and its prepare spell is Craft with Pride, a one mana Sorcery that creates a Treasure token.

Fairly flat in power level, this card isn't anything to write home about. It'll play its part in Prismari Opus decks that want a higher density of Instants and Sorceries. I suppose it can also help you splash in Limited.

Grave Researcher - Reanimate

We're back to exciting spells with Grave Researcher. The Troll Warlock is a three mana 3/3 that lets you Surveil one at the beginning of your upkeep.

This is a useful effect for card selection, smoothing out draws and helping you hit Land drops early and avoiding flood in the late game. He doesn't enter prepared, but once you have three or more Creature cards in your graveyard during your upkeep, you have repeatable preparedness.

Grave Researcher's prepare spell is none other than Vintage Cube favorite Reanimate, originally from Tempest.

For just , you take a Creature card from any graveyard and place it directly into play under your control. Being able to cast this multiple times would be quite powerful but keep a close watch on your life total.

At some point you won't want to lose the life associated with casting Reanimate. Thus, Grave Researcher is fantastic when the game is at parity or when you're ahead.

If you're at a low life total and in desperate need of some blockers, however, casting Reanimate multiple times may not be the way to go.

Harmonized Trio - Brainstorm

I had the pleasure of watching Harmonized Trio in action in one of Paul Cheon's early access Secrets of Strixhaven videos.

The fact that Harmonized Trio can become repeatedly prepared, at Instant speed, by tapping the Merfolk Bard Wizard and two other Creatures provides maximum flexibility.

For example, if you hold up one Blue mana, you can tap Harmonized Trio and two other Creatures end of turn to prepare the spell, cast Brainstorm (originally from Ice Age), and then ready another activation the next turn.

Granted, lacking an ability to shuffle significantly reduces Brainstorm's utility. Despite this, it still nets you a card with every activation, making it a powerful spell and Harmonized Trio a powerful one-drop Creature.

In Limited she's fantastic; it wouldn't surprise me to see her tested in Standard decks as well.

Honorbound Page - Forum's Favor

We're back to another common again, with this one being significantly less exciting.

The four mana 3/3 First Strike rate isn't too impressive, but at least you're able to cast the prepared spell that comes with Honorbound Page immediately.

That means you'll have access to Forum's Favor and can pump a Creature +1/+0 and give it Flying until end of turn, triggering repartee nicely. Unfortunately, Honorbound Page is a bit of a one-trick pony, as once you use Forum's Favor, you're left with just the 3/3.

Infirmary Healer - Stream of Life

Life gain is historically a casual favorite, though typically not powerful enough for competitive play.

My friends and I have cast many Stream of Life cards in our day. It looks like I'll have the opportunity to relive that childhood memory via Infirmary Healer, a 2/3 Creature for two mana (quite solid) that immediately enters prepared.

The prepare spell is none other than Alpha's Stream of Life, which scales nicely throughout the game. If only gaining all that life affected your board in some way.

Perhaps Witherbloom can derive synergy from this card with its infusion triggers. Outside of that, I don't know if spending seven mana to gain six life, for example, will win you the game.

Jadzi, Steward of Fate - Oracle's Gift

Jadzi, Steward of Fate is another rare Legendary Creature with the prepared mechanic. In this case, the prepared spell is a new one: Oracle's Gift.

The Sorcery costs an impressive and grants you X X/X Fractal tokens. In other words, you get one 1/1 for three mana, two 2/2's for five mana, three 3/3's for seven mana, etc

To be really happy, I think you're going to want to spend at least seven mana on Oracle's Gift. Then again, the fact that you get the spell for free when Jadzi enters means you're basically casting a 2/4 Creature for three mana that double loots and draws you a powerful late-game spell.

All put together, that's an impressive set of abilities. My only caveat is to stay cognizant of the game of chicken you'll be playing with your opponent.

You'll be tempted to play more Lands and cast Oracle's Gift in the late game, but the longer you wait to cast the Sorcery, the more likely your opponent draws their removal spell, disarming you of the prepared spell.

Joined Researchers - Secret Rendezvous

What I love about Joined Researchers is that it's a direct throwback to an original Strixhaven card. In fact, the Creature's prepared spell is the Strixhaven card Secret Rendezvous. The two figures in the art are also the same, which is a flavorful nod to the original card.

So, what do you get for your two mana? For starters, Joined Researchers is a 2/2 Creature with First Strike.

The Human Cleric Wizard doesn't enter prepared, but can become prepared repeatedly at the beginning of each end step (not just yours) if an opponent has more cards in hand than you.

The spell you can cast draws you and target opponent three cards. That's not the best Sorcery because you are the one investing three mana for the symmetric card draw effect. I'm not sure how many times you'll want to play this spell -- perhaps out of desperation in a Limited match.

To me, the card receives an A for flavor, but a C for its abilities.

Kirol, History Buff - Pack a Punch

Each school received an uncommon Creature that can become prepared, and Lorehold's is Kirol, History Buff.

Once again, a 2/3 Creature for two mana isn't bad to begin with, and given Lorehold's Flashback focus, a well-built Limited deck should be able to remove cards from your graveyard consistently, thereby preparing and re-preparing Kirol.

The reward: a three-mana Sorcery spell called Pack a Punch, which mills a card (hopefully a flashback card) and puts two +1/+1 counters on a Creature.

That Creature also gets Trample until end of turn. That's a powerful set of abilities on a prepared spell, especially if you can cast it multiple times in a game.

Landscape Painter - Vibrant Idea

Being a two-mana common, I need to reset my expectations when it comes to Landscape Painter's power level.

The Merfolk Wizard is a 2/1 vanilla Creature that enters prepared. Even at common, that alone is underwhelming. The prepare spell you receive is Vibrant Idea, a clunky five mana spell that draws two cards.

Really? That's it?

Drawing cards in the late game is powerful and all, but will this 2/1 Creature even survive long enough for you to be able to cast Vibrant Idea reliably? Even at common, I think Wizards of the Coast may have been too conservative about this one.

I would have much rather the prepare spell be Inspiration ( Instant, target player draws two cards). It would have been a good bit better and offered another fun throwback.

Leech Collector - Bloodletting

I don't know if I've ever seen anyone so enthusiastic about owning leeches as Leech Collector.

Artwork aside, the Creature is a straightforward, two-mana 2/2 uncommon with a repeatable prepared ability.

Whenever you gain life for the first time each turn, you gain access to a copy of Bloodletting, a one-mana Sorcery that simply states, "Each opponent loses 2 life."

Clean and elegant in design, this creautre will be a popular include in Witherbloom Infusion Draft decks and that's about it.

Lluwen, Exchange Student - Pest Friend

Speaking of Witherbloom, the next card on the list is Lluwen, Exchange Student. This is Witherbloom's uncommon Legendary Creature with prepared.

Lluwen enters prepared, spotting the first copy of her prepare spell, Pest Friend, for free. After that, all you have to do is exile a Creature card from your graveyard at Sorcery speed to prepare Lluwen again. Pest Friend itself is a small effect, giving you a 1/1 Pest Creature token that gains you a life upon attack.

That said, being able to do this multiple times throughout the game (even during a single turn) can provide you with plenty of fodder for subsequent infusion shenanigans.

Maelstrom Artisan - Rocket Volley

Another rare, Maelstrom Artisan is a three-mana 3/2 Haste Creature that enters prepared. That's it -- it doesn't offer a whole lot of complexity. There is no opportunity to re-Prepare the minotaur sorcerer.

I'm unsure what the optimal play pattern is with this one. If you plan to attack with the Artisan, you'd better make sure it can survive combat or else you won't have the chance to cast Rocket Volley.

Then again, is paying two mana to destroy a nonbasic Land that impressive? I don't think this is fantastic in Limited, but perhaps it has a home in a Standard build. It honestly feels a little too slow and clunky to me.

Pigment Wrangler - Striking Palette

I absolutely love the flavor of Pigment Wrangler. The orc is a talented artist, as depicted by the colorful artwork. You may say the Creature is working with a Striking Palette. Get it?

Okay, terrible jokes aside, we have here a five-mana 4/4 with Flying. That's already solid to begin with, especially in Red where this kind of power level is typically relegated to Dragons.

Pigment Wrangler enters prepared, so there's no additional hoop to jump through to gain access to Striking Palette.

As for the prepare spell itself, it allows you to copy your next Instant or Sorcery spell that turn for a single Red mana.

While this can be a finicky effect, the fact that it's tacked onto a 4/4 Flying Creature for free makes the opportunity cost of playing the card extremely low. Worst case, you can fire off the spell without anything to copy to trigger Prismari's Opus abilities.

Quill-Blade Laureate - Twofold Intent

Double-Striking Creatures with low mana value are well-known for wearing pump spells, auras, and +1/+1 counters extremely well. Every increase in the Creature's power means double the damage in combat.

Quill-Blade Laureate is no exception, providing a 1/1 Double Strike body for just two mana. What makes the human cleric even more intriguing is the fact she enters prepared, providing a built-in pump spell to boot.

Twofold Intent could pump Quill-Blade Laureate's power by one.

However, it's more effective use is to target a different Creature, granting it +1/+0 and Double Strike until end of turn. This Creature functions well in repartee decks and offers an efficient beat-down plan in Limited.

Sanar, Unfinished Genius - Wild Idea

Sanar, Unfinished Genius is another fun, flavorful card.

The Goblin Sorcerer is the representative Prismari uncommon with prepared, sure to be potent in Limited. Sanar enters prepared, arming you with a copy of Wild Idea upon entering.

The five-mana prepared spell acts as a tutor for Instants or Sorceries, providing you with late game Reach.

Five mana is a steep cost to pay for a limited tutor effect, but the fact that Sanar can also tap to create Treasure tokens for future use (assuming you've cast an Instant or Sorcery spell that turn) means Sanar will ramp you even faster to that Wild Idea he's got brewing.

Scathing Shadelock - Venomous Words

With these commons and uncommons, it's best to examine power level through the lens of Limited. In a Limited environment, Scathing Shadelock isn't half bad as a 4/6 for five.

To become prepared, all this Creature has to do is survive until your following first main phase. Thus, the play pattern of this uncommon is to cast it, wait until your next turn, and then cast Venomous Words and grant a Creature +2/+0 and Deathtouch until end of turn.

That's a solid prepare spell, especially considering it costs just and you receive another copy on your next turn.

While Scathing Shadelock is on the battlefield, any of your Creatures can become a real problem thanks to Venomous Words.

Scheming Silvertongue - Sign in Blood

Scheming Silvertongue is another rare Creature with prepared. For just two mana you get a Flying,Lifelink 1/3 Creature. That alone is a respectable stat line and would always make it into my Black decks in Limited.

If you're doing the infusion thing in Witherbloom, however, you are likely to unlock the vampire warlock's prepare spell: Sign in Blood.

The Sorcery, originally printed in Magic 2010, costs and gives a player two fresh cards at the cost of two life. Use it on yourself to refuel your hand. Use it on your opponent to drain them closer to death.

Presumably if you're casting Sign in Blood to draw cards, it's because you're consistently gaining life to activate Scheming Silvertongue's prepare trigger, giving you plenty of runway to work with.

I love everything about this card's design, including Anna Steinbaurer's beautiful art.

Skycoach Conductor - All Aboard

Did you know it's every giant, amorphized bird's dream to become a train conductor when they grew up?

That's exactly what I envision happened with Skycoach Conductor, a 2/3 Bird Pilot with Flying and Vigilance. For just three mana, this rare is also aggressively costed and an auto-include in any Blue Limited deck.

The good news is Skycoach Conductor enters prepared, no additional work required. The bad news is it can't become reprepared, so you get only one shot at its prepare spell, All Aboard.

The one-mana Instant is basically a flicker spell, exiling a Creature you control and returning it to the battlefield under its owner's control. These effects are often useful.

You can use this spell to save one of your Creatures from a removal spell, re-trigger an ETB effect, and possibly refuel a prepare Creature.

Just don't try using it on Skycoach Conductor itself. All Aboard explicitly states "non-Pilot creature," excluding our avian Shining Time Station fanatic. No infinite flickering shenanigans for us, sadly.

Spellbook Seeker - Careful Study

Spellbook Seeker looks like your typical four-mana 3/3 Flying Creature variant, akin to Alpha's Phantom Monster.

What once started out as an Alpha uncommon has gradually power crept to become a common with extra abilities. In the case of this Bird Wizard, you also receive access to a prepare spell when the Creature enters.

That spell is none other than Odyssey Sorcery, Careful Study. The one-mana spell doesn't put you up on cards, but it does offer valuable card selection and a cheap Sorcery to trigger your Prismari opus effects.

This will be a solid role player in Limited, but nothing too exciting.

Spiritcall Enthusiast - Scrollboost

This uncommon looks interesting as far as Limited is concerned. A three-mana 3/3 Creature is respectable, and Spiritcall Enthusiast can become repeatedly prepared as long as you're generating tokens.

There are at least a handful of ways to create tokens in Secrets of Strixhaven, but you may want to pay extra attention to those while drafting once you add this one to your pile.

It's prepared spell, Scrollboost, is a utility Sorcery for two mana that pumps one or two (but not zero) Creatures +2/+2 for the turn.

The spell synergizes well with repartee, especially if you also have Informed Inkwright, which makes a token when repartee is triggered, in your pool.

Strife Scholar - Awaken the Ages

Strife Scholar is another common with the prepared mechanic.

This Creature clearly has an aggressive slant, being a 3/2 for three mana. While the Orc Sorcerer will be fragile in combat, it at least has a tiny insurance policy against removal spells: Ward -- Pay 2 life.

You really want this Creature to survive a few turns because it enters prepared and grants you a copy of Awaken the Ages, a six-mana Sorcery that creates two 2/2 tokens. By themselves, neither this Creature nor the prepare spell are noteworthy.

By being combined onto the same card, you suddenly have something that can carry its weight in your Limited deck.

Studious First-Year - Rampant Growth

Studious First-Year is my favorite prepare common spell and will be a contender for best Green common in Draft.

On turn one you cast this adorable Bear Wizard, eager to learn and grow as a new student. Then on turn two, you'll be able to cast Rampant Growth, a Sorcery originally from Mirage that allows you to ramp and color fix at the same time.

This sets you up fantastically for turn three, when you'll have access to four mana and multiple colors.

This card design is brilliant, and I look forward to casting many Studious First-Years this Limited season.

Tam, Observant Sequencer - Deep Sight

The fifth and final college to showcase a prepare Creature is Quandrix's Tam, Observant Sequencer.

For four mana, you have a 4/3 Creature that becomes prepared via landfall. That means if you slam this card down on turn four, you won't receive a copy of its prepare spell, Deep Sight, until the following turn (unless you previously cast a Rampant Growth).

Once triggered, you can pay two mana to draw a card and gain a life at Sorcery speed. It's not a bad spell, especially given you can use it multiple times whenever you play Lands.

Just make sure you keep an eye on your opponent's board -- you could easily become overrun by your opponent's Creatures as you're grinding incremental value with Deep Sight copies.

Vastlands Scavenger - Bind to Life

Finally, the last prepare Creature introduced in Secrets of Strixhaven is Vastlands Scavenger.

This rare Creature is one of the most aggressively costed stat lines of the bunch: it's a three mana 4/4 with Deathtouch. That alone is stellar in Limited.

On top of this, this Bear Druid also enters prepared with a copy of Bind to Life, a five-mana Instant with a potent, if a bit unpredictable effect. You mill seven cards and then place a Creature card from among those seven onto the battlefield.

In Limited, this will almost assuredly hit, though whether you flip one of your most powerful Creatures or not will be completely random.

Still, keep in mind this spell is available to you on top of the Creature itself. As long as Vastlands Scavenger sticks around, you'll have this bonus spell to cast at your convenience.

Wrapping It Up

Of all the new and returning mechanics in Secrets of Strixhaven, Prepare is the one with the greatest splash.

I fully expect these cards to have a profound impact on every format they touch, including Limited, Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Commander, and possibly more. After all, it's not every set we gain access to Alpha powerhouses such as Ancestral Recall and Swords to Plowshares.

In addition to all their self-contained synergies, Prepare also offers countless, powerful interactions with previously printed cards.

For example, have you noticed Displacer Kitten's recent price jump?

It's because that card in particular combines exceptionally well with Creatures that enter prepared.

In one simple example, once you have Displacer Kitten and Goblin Glasswright on the battlefield together, you can tap a Mountain to cast Craft with Pride, blink Goblin Glasswright, use the Treasure to cast Craft with Pride, and repeat to cast infinite spells.

How you exploit this infinite combination is up to you.

This is only the beginning. As the number of unique Magic: The Gathering cards 35,000, there are bound to be other broken combinations that exploit the prepare mechanic.

I can't predict where everything will shake out, but I'll be paying close attention to see the kind of impact this mechanic has on the metagame.