[STX] Strixhaven: School of Mages MDFCs

[void_nothing]

So we know that the shared mechanic/theme across the year of sets from Zendikar Rising through Strixhaven is modal double-faced cards. And we know that there were different uses for these cards in ZNR and KLD. All of the back faces from Zendikar Rising were lands, whereas in Kaldheim that was only the case for the conclusion of the Pathway cycle, and the rest were legendary permanents on the backs of the Gods. Both of these things were obviously pretty fitting - Zendikar is well known for land themes, while Kaldheim had a strong legendary subtheme.

So, what does that mean for the MDFCs in Strixhaven? My guess is that we'll see instants and sorceries as the back faces of permanents, but that might be overly similar to Adventures. Alternately, I could see creature to enchantment ones happening.

[Krishnath]

How would it be similar to adventures. Adventures exile themselves as part of their resolution, then allows you to cast the creature part from exile.

However, I do believe you are correct in that at least the front part of the MDFC's in Strixhaven will be instants and/or sorceries with a permanent on the back side, alternately, particularly if the set has an enchantment theme, I think the front could be enchantments with the back side being something else.

That said, with the wizard + instant/sorcery theme in red/blue in Kaldheim, I do think that the front being instant/sorceries is quite likely.

[Eagle_Nebula7]

I do think that while the instant and sorcery/enchantment is likely, my bet is that we'll have something to do with Planeswalkers. Our leading speculation thingamajig has to do that it's the best school in the *multiverse*, along with the fact that Kasmina is part of an order of planeswalkers and that she seeks those without ignited sparks and unducts them into her order. However, all Planeswalkers are Legendary and I don't think they'll want to have to many, especially since they usually have big story implications. We saw 30 MDFC cards in ZNR ,excluding the Pathways, and 12 in KHM, also excluding pathways. Seeing any less than that seems unlikely, especially since Strixhaven was the first set designed that was going to have MDFCs in it.

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

What about this: they are all sorcery/instants on both sides. To make them diffrent from split cards, the set would have a minor subtheme of (ab)using the mechanical diffrences between those two, like CMC, name or color. For instance:

Chaotic Gamble
Sorcery (R)
Discard your hand, then search your library for a red instant or a sorcery card. Reveal it, then put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
Until the end of turn, you may play up to one non-red instant or sorcery spell without paying its mana cost.

[Mookie]

Instants and sorceries are my prediction - 'spellcaster // spell that creature is casting' seems like an obvious flavor fit. There is a bit of tension with adventures, but printing them as MDFCs allows for a significantly higher power level on the individual components due to them not being inherent card advantage. Simultaneously, having access to a full text box allows for more complicated effects.

It's also been revealed that Strixhaven is a bottom-up set, implying that there's a mechanical basis underlying the set. I'll note that 'instants and sorceries matter' is a theme that often pops up as an Izzet archetype, but has never been a full set theme due to the fact that it's impossible to fit that many instants and sorceries in a set (since the baseline is around 50% creatures, and even more than that for green and white). If there is a higher as-fan of instants and sorceries due to MDFCs, that may allow for a set to be built around instants and sorceries.

[void_nothing]

Instants and sorceries are my prediction - 'spellcaster // spell that creature is casting' seems like an obvious flavor fit. There is a bit of tension with adventures, but printing them as MDFCs allows for a significantly higher power level on the individual components due to them not being inherent card advantage. Simultaneously, having access to a full text box allows for more complicated effects.

It's also been revealed that Strixhaven is a bottom-up set, implying that there's a mechanical basis underlying the set. I'll note that 'instants and sorceries matter' is a theme that often pops up as an Izzet archetype, but has never been a full set theme due to the fact that it's impossible to fit that many instants and sorceries in a set (since the baseline is around 50% creatures, and even more than that for green and white). If there is a higher as-fan of instants and sorceries due to MDFCs, that may allow for a set to be built around instants and sorceries.

You know that's actually a great assessment and I think you may be absolutely on the money.

[Mookie]

Welp, I'm claiming my cookie.