Secrets of Strixhaven is bringing one of the more beloved card types back to Magic: The Gathering with a new cycle of Charms. Charms are low-cost cards that present a player with three options to choose when casting the spell, allowing deck-builders to have greater versatility when designing their deck.

The Charms cycle won't create decks on its own. Yes, they provide main deck versatility, but, like so many other cards in Standard, their playability will be determined by the overall strength of the color combination they fall into. None of them have the ability to be game winning, they all will exist as role-players.

What they can do, is solidify their two-color pair in a way that may make them stronger. They'll subtly influence the format more than they impact it.

Silverquill Charm

Silverquill Charm has the highest hill to climb of the new Charms, as Silverquill decks aren't seeing much play right now. Still, the card has a lot to offer. The first ability, adding two +1/+1 counters to a Creature, is a permanent pump spell that plays well with the Creatures from the set that trigger bonuses when a Creature is targeted.

The second ability is the best of the three, as exiling a Creature with power 2 or less takes out a ton of relevant Creatures in the format. It kills everything from Gran-Gran to Ouroboroid. The final ability creates a six-point life swing that can close out games or buy you time. All told, the card looks like it has a lot to offer.

Lorehold Charm

Lorehold decks always seem a couple cards away from being tier one, so Lorehold Charm should have the chance to see if it can push those deck into the top tiers. The first ability is one of the weakest of any of the charms, as it's not reliable enough against decks that have multiple Artifacts.

The second ability will be situationally great, as dropping a two-mana value Creature like Voice of Victory at the end of your opponent's turn can be a game-changer. That said, it's the third ability that may make this playable, as many Lorehold decks right now tend to go wide. Granting +1/+1 and Trample to your team will slot well in those decks.

Quandrix Charm

Quandrix Charm has the most ubiquitous ability of the bunch, as the first ability mimics cards that have seen play across most Standards for the last few years. It'll Quench Ya! is seeing play right now, for example.

There are enough high impact Enchantments, such as Artist's Talent and Earthbender Ascension, seeing play to make the second ability equally useful. The final ability isn't great, but the versatility of supersizing a blocker to take out a bigger threat, or boosting an unblocked attacker, can be enough to win a game in the right spots.

Witherbloom Charm

My earliest impression of Secrets of Strixhaven is that the most powerful cards in the set fell into the Witherbloom college, and Witherbloom Charm is no exception. If I were ranking the Charms, this one would probably be the first or second most likely to see serious play.

The first ability, sacrifice a permanent to draw two cards (who needs those late game Lands anyway) is a steady default option. The second ability is the weakest ability on any of the Charms, as gaining five life is rarely an effect worth including in your deck on a standalone card. It is the third ability that really sets the card apart, as an Instant-speed answer to any nonland permanent with a mana value of two or less is good enough to see play on its own.

It's not just that this charm takes out staple Creatures like Llanowar Elves, Badgermole Cub, Sazh's Chocobo, Elusive Otter, or Slickshot Show-Off. It also takes out an Artist's Talent, Stormchaser's Talent, or Rest in Peace. This feels like the most versatile answer card of the Charms, and, as such, it's one of the most powerful.

Prismari Charm

While I think Witherbloom Charm may be the most powerful, I think Prismari Charm is the Charm destined to see the most play. As I said at the beginning, it's not just the power level of these cards, but the way their color combinations currently fit into the Standard metagame that will dictate their play. Prismari decks are the most ubiquitous at the moment, offering two-three legitimate Tier One strategies.

This means that Prismari Charm will have the most opportunities to show that it belongs. It doesn't hurt that the card is also one of the most powerful in the cycle. None of the options are powerful enough to see play on their own, but they are all situationally good enough to make the card a strong consideration for the main in any 60-card Prismari deck in Standard.

The first ability, like Witherbloom Charm's, is a very steady ability, one you're always happen to have as a default. Maybe you Surveil a Lesson into your graveyard to set up Accumulate Wisdom? At worst, the card replaces itself with some card selection.

The second and third ability work in tandem to be a reliable removal spell. You can use the second to take down a Llanowar Elves and an Earthbent Land or just answer one of those and deal a point of damage. If you need to get rid of a bigger Creature, or a problematic permanent, for a turn, you can use the third ability to bounce it back to hand. This allows Prismari Charm to effectively manage the board in both the early and late games.

Conclusion

The Secrets of Strixhaven Charms cycle present an interesting option for deck-builders, allowing Sideboard effects to sneak into the main deck. Their versatility should provide decks with ways to shore up some of their weaknesses. I look forward to seeing how they shake up the Standard metagame!

You can find more of my Magic musings on Twitter/X @travishall456 and on Bluesky.