Breakdown Analysis
Strixhaven
Summary
STX is all about lesson/learn card advantage and tempo value, which can be both aggressive and extremely grindy. An enemy-colored guild set, splashing is somewhat easy and some guilds are much better than others.
Speed
How quickly most games are decided.
Speed
Speed
Slower, Value Based
Like most recent limited formats, aggressive and control are both viable strategies.
However, due to lesson/learn, card advantage is king. Even aggressive strategies want to generate consistent value.
Cards like Bookwurm and Fractal Summoning can be extremely powerful if built around, but aggressive cards like Guiding Voice and Expanded Anatomy are also real threats.
Prince/Pauper
Power difference between rares and commons.
Prince/Pauper
Prince/Pauper
Mostly Pauper
Synergy
Importance of cards working together.
Synergy
Synergy
Extremely synergistic
Removal
Effectiveness of the available removal.
Removal
Removal
Average
While the removal is effective, there are ways to make multiple creatures which makes one-for-one removal is a somewhat less desirable. But it is still necessary and high priority.
Bounce is very effective vs. the many tokens, making Bury in Books hard removal much of the time.
Balance
Power balance between colors and decks.
Balance
Balance
Somewhat Unbalanced
This is a divisive topic — many feel they can make each of the five campuses work. While all are certainly viable, in general the consensus is that Lorehold (White-Red) and Witherbloom (Black-Green) are less powerful, and Silverquill (White-Black) and Quandrix (Blue-Green) can be very powerful.
Lorehold has a graveyard recursion theme, but is often too slow and like a trap. It is at ends with itself, as it wants to be both aggressive and grindy simultaneously.
The lifegain theme in Witherbloom is often unreliable, making synergy less powerful. Meanwhile, Silverquill has incredible aggressive curve-outs, and Quandrix has an incredible ability to ramp and gain card advantage.
Lands/Colors
How many lands and colors generally see play.
Land Total
17-18 Lands
Color Total
2-3 Colors
18 lands is generally advisable given the existence of the scrylands and mana sinks to protect from flood, as well as lesson/learn being mana hungry.
17 lands are still possible given how much spell-based ramp and the existence of Lesson-Learn and Environmental Sciences.
A splash is usually easy as well and makes more lands advisable.