The new Secrets of Strixhaven Commander decks are packed with plenty of valuable MTG reprints. From Moonshaker Cavalry to Faerie Mastermind, there are a lot of appealing cards returning here. The decks also contain the versions of the Elder Dragons that appeared in the original 2021 Strixhaven: School of Mages. Well, four out of the five decks do. One deck is missing its dragons…
To confirm, each of the Secrets of Strixhaven commander decks still features a full complement of 100 cards, it's just that there's a cycle of five dragons that is mysteriously left incomplete.
Prismari Artistry features Galazeth Prismari, Shadrix Silverquill shows up in Silverquill Influence, you'll find Beledros Witherbloom in Witherbloom Pestilence, and Tanazir Quandrix appears in Quandrix Unlimited.
If you crack open a copy of Lorehold Spirit, though, Velomachus Lorehold is nowhere to be found. No official reason for breaking this pattern has been provided, but if we take a look at the card's effect, a potential cause becomes clear.
Velomachus Lorehold is a big flyer that cares about big spells. For seven mana, including one red and one white, this academic elder dragon is a 5/5 with flying, vigilance, and haste. When Velomachus Lorehold attacks, their controller looks at the top seven cards of their deck and then casts an instant or sorcery that they find there with mana value less than or equal to the dragon's power.
This can be used to cheat out free spells that cost five mana or fewer. If you're feeling particularly devilish, you can also use Lorehold to chain together an endless parade of extra combat step cards.
The issue is that Lorehold Spirit is a spirit typal deck (hence its name) with a graveyard sub theme. This means that while Velomachus Lorehold is a powerful card in a vacuum, all of the discount spellcasting that it offers doesn't really support the intended strategy of Lorehold Spirit. Meanwhile, each of the other elder dragons contributes far more to the intended gameplan of the decks that they are included in.
For any Lorehold players looking to get their hands on a dragon, there's no need to worry. In the absence of Velomachus, Atsushi, the Blazing Sky was instead included in the Lorehold Spirit. Atsushi is both a spirit (synergizing with the deck's strategy) and a dragon. All in all, this is a much more mechanically cohesive card choice. Although, thematically, Atsushi is from Kamigawa and has never attended a lecture at Strixhaven. Perhaps they can sign up as a transfer student next semester.
How do you feel about Velomachus Lorehold getting left out of their own deck? Is it an unfortunate, but understandable, sacrifice, or is it an unnecessary exclusion? Tell us your views in the Wargamer Discord.
To see what's coming after Secrets of Strixhaven, take a look at our MTG Release schedule.