Strixhaven is built around five enemy color pairs. Each one belongs to a different college at a Wizard academy. Think A Wizard of Earthsea. Every school has its own game plan.

Take Boros (), for example. Instead of its usual focus on aggro, Equipment, or Tokens, Strixhaven leans into cards leaving the graveyard, Flashback, self-mill, and Spirits. That's a pretty big shift from what Boros players usually expect.

My favorite enemy color pair is still Boros, with Golgari () right behind it. In Strixhaven, Golgari cares about gaining life, which is a fun change of pace. Orzhov lands somewhere in the middle for me. Izzet () and Simic () usually sit at the bottom of my list.

I like building brews that stay away from the strongest and most obvious cards. This week, though, that wasn't going to happen.

Meet Berta, Our Commander

Berta, Wise Extrapolator is a 1/4 for that keeps getting bigger as the game goes on. Whenever we cast a spell with a mana value greater than Berta's power or toughness, she gets a +1/+1 counter. She also gives us one mana of any color each time that happens, which helps us keep the chain going.

Once Berta has grown, we can tap her and pay X to make an X/X Fractal token. As long as we keep curving out and casting bigger spells, she'll keep growing and making larger tokens.

Sorry, but we're going to build her the obvious way. It's strong, it's mana-hungry, and it's downright nasty.

Mana Storage & Scaling

Omnath, Locus of Mana and Upwelling help us hold onto extra mana for later turns. They let us float mana without losing it at the end of each step.

Omnath, Locus of Mana only works with Green mana. So we bank Green when we can. We can still spend it later when the right spell shows up. Omnath also grows stronger as we keep more Green mana floating, which turns him into a real threat over time.

Upwelling is a four-drop Enchantment that changes how mana works for everyone. Mana no longer empties from any player's pool. That includes us and our opponents. It sets up bigger turns on both sides of the table.

I did think about Heartbeat of Spring here. It helps everyone make extra mana each turn. That could lead to explosive turns, but it also helps the whole table. In the end, I decided to go with Mana Reflection instead. It only boosts our side, and it still pushes us into huge X-spell turns.

Topiary Lecturer and Viridian Joiner both sit in the three-mana slot as Elf Druids that turn into strong Green mana sources over time.

Topiary Lecturer grows as we cast spells, much like our Commander. Once it picks up counters, it can tap for Green mana equal to its power. That makes its mana output scale as the game goes on.

Viridian Joiner skips the growth step and instead taps for Green mana equal to its power right away. Any +1/+1 counters we add still matter a lot, since they directly increase how much mana it produces.

I also added cards like Gyre Sage to round out the package. These Creatures turn +1/+1 counters into extra mana and help keep our turns moving forward.

Mistrise Village and Alchemist's Refuge both help us play on a different axis than most decks.

Mistrise Village can enter untapped in the right situation. It taps for colorless, or we can pay to make our next spell uncounterable. That gives us a safe window to land a big play without worrying about counterspells.

Alchemist's Refuge always enters untapped. It taps for colorless, or we can pay to give our nonland cards Flash for the turn. That lets us keep opponents guessing.

Together, these Lands help us force key spells through and let us hold up mana before committing.

Synergies & Win-Cons

Fractal Tender and Tester of the Tangential sit closer to our win lines and support our +1/+1 counter plan.

Fractal Tender is a 3/3 for with Ward. At each end step, we can put a counter on it. When we do, we also create a 0/0 Fractal token that enters with three +1/+1 counters. Over time, this turns small incremental growth into a large board.

Tester of the Tangential is a two-mana 1/1 that works in combat. We can move counters from it onto another Creature by paying X mana. That lets us shift power where it matters and set up fast wins when combat lines up.

Together, these cards turn spare counters into real pressure and help close games once Berta has built enough momentum.

Zimone, Paradox Sculptor and Simic Ascendancy give us a strong backup plan while also pushing our counter theme even harder.

Zimone, Paradox Sculptor is a four-mana 1/4 Legendary Creature. At combat, she can put two +1/+1 counters on a target permanent. That can be a Creature or even an Artifact, which opens up a lot of flexibility.

We can also tap her and pay two mana to double the number of counters on up to two targets. This works with any kind of counters, so it scales quickly across our board.

She also has a mana ability that lets us dump extra mana to keep adding counters over and over. That helps turn spare mana into real board growth.

Simic Ascendancy gives us a clean alternate win condition. As we place counters on Creatures, it grows toward its win threshold of 20 growth counters.

To push things even further, we also run Doubling Season. It doubles all counters we place, which turns every activation into massive growth across the board.

Herald of Secret Streams and Kasmina, Enigma Sage help push damage through while also adding extra ways to build a board.

Herald of Secret Streams is a four-mana Creature that turns our countered Creatures into real threats. Any Creature we control with +1/+1 counters on it can't be blocked. That gives us a clean win path once our board starts growing. It's stronger than Flying or Trample in this deck since it shuts down blocking completely.

Kasmina, Enigma Sage is a Simic Planeswalker that costs . She provides strong support for both cards and board growth. Her static ability shares her Loyalty abilities with other Planeswalkers we control.

Her +2 ability lets us Scry 1, which helps to smooth draws. Her -X ability creates an X/X Fractal Creature token. That scales well with our counter plan and gives us another threat on board.

Since she works so well with other Planeswalkers and helps build a board at the same time, I added a few more walkers to support her role in the deck.

Nissa, Who Shakes the World and Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter help turn our board and Lands into steady mana sources.

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is a five-mana Planeswalker that boosts our Forests. Each Forest we control taps for an extra mana, which quickly adds up.

Her +1 ability puts three +1/+1 counters on a Land we control. That Land becomes a 0/0 Elemental Creature with Haste and Vigilance, but it's still a Land. That means it can attack or tap for mana while scaling with our counter synergies.

Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter is a three-mana Planeswalker that works well with our +1/+1 counters plan. Creatures we control with counters can tap for mana, turning board growth into ramp.

He can also use his -1 ability to place a +1/+1 counter on a Creature. That helps set up new mana sources and keeps our engine running.

Together, these Planeswalkers turn both Lands and Creatures into repeatable mana, which helps fuel bigger turns with cards like Omnath, Locus of Mana and Upwelling.

Vivien, Monsters' Advocate is one of my favorite Green Planeswalkers. She fits the Creature plan perfectly and keeps pressure on the board while we develop.

She lets us cast Creature spells from the top of our library, much like a "future draw" effect for Creatures. We don't get Flash here, but we still gain steady access to more threats.

Her +1 creates a 3/3 Beast token. It comes with either Trample, Reach, or Vigilance, which gives us flexible board presence.

Her -2 ability is where things really speed up. The next Creature we cast that turn can be found from our deck and put onto the battlefield at a lower cost. That helps us keep momentum and stay ahead on the board.

Fractal Harness is our X-cost Equipment for this package. It enters with a Fractal Creature token equal to the value of X attached to it. It also equips for two mana.

When the equipped Creature attacks, we can double the number of counters on it. That turns even small starts into serious threats very quickly.

Unbound Flourishing and Expansion Algorithm both push our X-spell plan and scale our board in big ways.

Unbound Flourishing is a three-mana Enchantment that doubles X on our permanents as we cast them. If a spell or ability has X in its cost or effect, we get twice that value. It also copies our X spells when we cast them, which includes Instants and Sorceries. That applies to our Commander activations too, since many of them scale with X.

Expansion Algorithm is a Blue Sorcery which Proliferates X times. That means we add counters to all permanents and Planeswalkers we control X separate times. With our Planeswalker package and +1/+1 counter synergies, that adds up very quickly.

Lattice Library and Paradox Zone both turn small starts into huge board states over time.

Lattice Library is an X-cost Enchantment that enters with X Study counters. With our counter doublers like Unbound Flourishing and Doubling Season, that number can scale fast.

When it enters, or whenever we cast our first X spell each turn, we create a Fractal token with power and toughness equal to the number of Study counters. That means every investment in X turns into real board presence right away.

Paradox Zone is a five-mana Enchantment that starts with a growth counter. At the beginning of our end step, it doubles its counters. That growth keeps snowballing each turn.

As it builds, it also creates a Fractal token equal to its number of Growth counters. Over time, that turns a slow start into a massive board if it sticks around.

Hydroid Krasis and The Goose Mother both turn mana into cards, life, and board presence.

Hydroid Krasis is an X-cost Creature with Flying and Trample. It enters with X +1/+1 counters. When we cast it, we draw X cards and gain half X life, rounded down. That trigger happens on cast, so we get the value before it even resolves on the battlefield.

The Goose Mother is a Legendary Creature that also scales with X. This Simic Creature enters as a 2/2 with Flying, and it gets X +1/+1 counters when it enters.

When it enters, we also create Food tokens equal to half X, rounded down. Later, when it attacks, we can sacrifice Food to draw cards. That turns extra tokens into steady card flow over time.

Chord of Calling and Mind into Matter both help us turn mana into direct board impact.

Chord of Calling is a Green X spell with Convoke. We can tap our Creatures to help pay for it, which makes it much easier to cast in a wide board. It lets us search our library for a Creature with mana value X or less and put it directly onto the battlefield. That turns extra mana and Creatures into the exact answers or finishers that we need.

Mind into Matter is a Simic X spell that lets us draw X cards when it resolves. Then it lets us put a permanent with mana value X or less from our hand onto the battlefield tapped. That means we can turn cards in hand into immediate board presence while refilling at the same time.

Body of Research and Evolution Witness both turn growth and counters into real value on the board.

Body of Research is a six-mana Simic spell. When it resolves, we create a Fractal token with power and toughness equal to the number of cards in our library. That means it often enters as a massive Creature right away. It also comes in with that many +1/+1 counters, which makes it even harder to ignore.

For , Evolution Witness is a 2/1 Elf that has Adapt 2. When it gets +1/+1 counters, we can return a permanent card from our graveyard to our hand. That turns every counter into a form of recovery and keeps our resources flowing.

Lyla, Holographic Assistant and Mutagen Man, Living Ooze round out our synergy package with strong card flow and counter support.

Lyla, Holographic Assistant is a four-mana Legendary Artifact Creature in mono-Blue. She works as a draw engine with our counter plan. Each time we draw a card, we can put a +1/+1 counter on a Creature we control. That turns normal card draw into steady board growth.

She also opens up a strong combo line with repeatable card draw. With enough draw triggers, we can stack counters quickly and move through our deck at speed. If we shift counters to the right place, we can convert that draw into a full hand refill or even a full deck draw line.

Mutagen Man, Living Ooze is an X-cost 2/3 Legendary Creature with Trample. When he enters, we create X Mutagen tokens. These tokens can be sacrificed for one mana each to place +1/+1 counters on Creatures.

He also reduces activation costs for Artifact tokens, which helps our token engines run more smoothly. With effects from cards like Doubling Season or Unbound Flourishing, his value scales quickly and can take over a board fast.

Answers & Counters

We round out the deck with protection spells and counter payoffs. I always like having Heroic Intervention as the first line of defense. It gives our board Hexproof and Indestructible. That shuts down most removal. Only Exile effects, Sacrifice effects, or -X/-X effects still get through.

Inspiring Call is an Instant for . It draws a card for each Creature we control with a +1/+1 counter. It also gives those Creatures Indestructible for the turn. That turns a wide, counter-heavy board into both protection and card draw at once.

Ripples of Potential is a two-mana Blue Instant. It Proliferates, then lets us phase out any number of permanents we put counters on this turn. That can include Creatures, Planeswalkers, and Artifacts. Those permanents become untouchable until they phase back in, which gives us a strong defensive swing.

Mutational Advantage is a three-mana Instant. For it gives Creatures we control with any kind of counter both Hexproof and Indestructible for the turn. It also Proliferates, which keeps our board growing while we protect it.

Draining Whelk and Ooze Spill give us interactions that also feeds our counter plan.

Draining Whelk is a six-mana Creature with Flash and Flying. It enters as a 1/1, but it counters a spell when it comes down. It then gets +1/+1 counters equal to that spell's mana value. That means it can grow into a huge Flying threat while also stopping a key play from an opponent.

Ooze Spill is a three-mana counterspell from Mutagen Man's set. It counters a target spell, then creates a Mutagen token. That token can later be used to add +1/+1 counters to our Creatures. It turns a simple answer into both disruption and board growth.

Quandrix Charm and Vivien, Arkbow Ranger give us flexible answers that also play well with our counter plan.

Quandrix Charm is a two-mana Instant with three modes. We can counter a spell unless its controller pays an extra mana. We can destroy an Enchantment. Or we can set a Creature's base power and toughness to 5/5 until end of turn as a combat trick. Each mode gives us a different way to handle problems while still fitting our Simic game plan.

Vivien, Arkbow Ranger is a four-mana Planeswalker with strong board control. Her +1 puts two +1/+1 counters on a Creature and gives it Trample, which helps push damage through blockers.

Her -3 ability lets a Creature we control fight another target Creature. That gives us direct removal that also works with our counter synergies. She stays flexible in most board states and helps keep pressure on opponents.

Card Draw

Pensive Professor and Fathom Mage turn our counter plan into steady card flow.

Pensive Professor is a three-mana 0/2 Creature with an increment-style ability. Each time we put a +1/+1 counter on it, we draw a card. That turns our normal growth effects into card advantage over time.

Fathom Mage is a four-mana 1/1 with Evolve. Whenever a +1/+1 counter is placed on it, we draw a card. With how often we add counters in this deck, it can refill our hand quickly.

Together, these Creatures turn simple growth into steady draw power and help keep the deck running through longer games.

Terrasymbiosis and Tribute to the World Tree turn Creature growth into steady card draw.

Terrasymbiosis is an Enchantment for that rewards counter placement. Once each turn, we can draw a card for each +1/+1 counter placed on a Creature this turn. It pairs well with effects like Draining Whelk, where a single counter burst can turn into a big refill.

Tribute to the World Tree is an Enchantment for that checks Creature power as they enter. Whenever a Creature with power 3 or greater enters, we draw a card. If it enters with less than 3 power, we instead put two +1/+1 counters on it. That helps grow our early Creatures while still keeping cards flowing as our board scales.

Teferi, Master of Time and Ray Fillet, Man Ray close out the deck with strong card flow and repeatable value.

Teferi, Master of Time is a four-mana Planeswalker with three Loyalty. He stands out because we can activate his abilities as if they were Instants.

His +1 lets us draw a card, then discard a card. That keeps our hand moving and helps to set up our graveyard.

His -3 can phase out a Creature we don't control. That acts as temporary removal and can also protect Teferi when needed.

His -10 is a powerful ultimate that lets us take extra turns. With how easily he can activate abilities, he can take over a game if left alone. He also pairs well with Kasmina, Enigma Sage, since she spreads Loyalty abilities across our Planeswalkers.

Ray Fillet, Man Ray is a 3/3 Legendary Creature with Flying for . It enters with a Mutagen token, adding immediate value.

We can also remove a counter for two mana to draw a card, and we can repeat this over time. That turns spare counters into steady card flow and fits cleanly into our overall engine. Together, these two give us a strong late-game plan with both control and resource advantage.

Taking a Look at the Deck

Let's take a look at how this Simic brew deck turned out:

Simic +1/+1 Counters & Increment Berta Brew | Commander | Abe Sargent

• Commander (1)
• 1 Berta, Wise Extrapolator

• Creatures (25)
• 1 Ambitious Augmenter
• 1 Cuboid Colony
• 1 Draining Whelk
• 1 Evolution Sage
• 1 Evolution Witness
• 1 Fathom Mage
• 1 Fractal Tender
• 1 Gyre Sage
• 1 Herald of Secret Streams
• 1 Hydroid Krasis
• 1 Incubation Druid
• 1 Kami of Whispered Hopes
• 1 Lyla, Holographic Assistant
• 1 Mutagen Man, Living Ooze
• 1 Mystic Snake
• 1 Omnath, Locus of Mana
• 1 Pensive Professor
• 1 Pollywog Prodigy
• 1 Ray Fillet, Man Ray
• 1 The Goose Mother
• 1 Thunderous Snapper
• 1 Tester of the Tangential
• 1 Topiary Lecturer
• 1 Viridian Joiner
• 1 Zimone, Paradox Sculptor

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 1 Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter
• 1 Kasmina, Enigma Sage
• 1 Nissa, Who Shakes the World
• 1 Teferi, Master of Time
• 1 Vivien, Arkbow Ranger
• 1 Vivien, Monsters' Advocate

• Instants (11)
• 1 Beast Within
• 1 Chord of Calling
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Embrace the Paradox
• 1 Heroic Intervention
• 1 Inspiring Call
• 1 Mutational Advantage
• 1 Ooze Spill
• 1 Quandrix Charm
• 1 Repulsive Mutation
• 1 Ripples of Potential

• Sorceries (6)
• 1 Body of Research
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Expansion Algorithm
• 1 Kodama's Reach
• 1 Mind into Matter
• 1 Rampant Growth

• Enchantments (9)
• 1 Doubling Season
• 1 Lattice Library
• 1 Mana Reflection
• 1 Paradox Zone
• 1 Simic Ascendancy
• 1 Terrasymbiosis
• 1 Tribute to the World Tree
• 1 Unbound Flourishing
• 1 Upwelling

• Artifacts (3)
• 1 Fractal Harness
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 The Earth Crystal

• Lands (39)
• 11 Forest
• 11 Island
• 1 Alchemist's Refuge
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Flooded Grove
• 1 Hinterland Harbor
• 1 Karn's Bastion
• 1 Mistrise Village
• 1 Mosswort Bridge Apoloogy.
• 1 Nesting Grounds
• 1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
• 1 Path of Ancestry
• 1 Rain-Slicked Copse
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Simic Growth Chamber
• 1 Temple of Mystery
• 1 War Room
• 1 Waterlogged Grove
• 1 Yavimaya Coast

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Conclusion

There we go. I hope you enjoyed this one.

There are a few clear upgrades you could slot in. Karn's Bastion and The Earth Crystal both add extra counter support and help the deck grow over time.

I also like Cultivate and Kodama's Reach. They help us hit Land drops and keep mana steady. They also guarantee two Lands instead of one, which matters a lot in a deck like this.

If you want more X support, Geometer's Arthropod is a strong option. It plays well with our scaling plan and adds more ways to turn mana into board presence.

We could also lean harder into X spells and mana engines with more ramp pieces, mana rocks, and effects like Heartbeat of Spring. Those can push our big turns even further.