There are five Secrets of Strixhaven Commander decks, one for each college, and they came out with the set on April 24, 2026: Silverquill Influence, led by Killian, Decisive Mentor in white and black; Prismari Artistry, led by Rootha, Mastering the Moment in blue and red; Witherbloom Pestilence, led by Dina, Essence Brewer in black and green; Lorehold Spirit, led by Quintorius, History Chaser in red and white; and Quandrix Unlimited, led by Zimone, Infinite Analyst in green and blue. Each box adds a second foil commander in the same colours. As of October 27, 2026, our bracket checker reads all five as Bracket 2 (Core), with no Game Changers.
Each deck is led by a student players met on the first visit to Strixhaven in 2021, and every list also carries that student's 2021 card, from Killian, Ink Duelist to Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy.
Secrets of Strixhaven at a glance
- Decklists revealed: April 1, 2026.
- Prerelease: April 17 to 23, 2026.
- Release: April 21, 2026 on MTG Arena; April 24, 2026 on tabletop, Commander decks included.
- Set codes: SOS for the main set; SOC for the new Commander deck cards, legal in Commander, Legacy and Vintage.
- In each box: a 100-card deck (two traditional foil commanders with borderless art, and 98 non-foil cards, 10 of them new to Magic), 10 double-sided tokens, a reference card and a deck box. No Collector's Edition is listed.
Silverquill Influence: Killian, Decisive Mentor
White and black. Killian, Decisive Mentor, {1}{W}{B}, is a 2/3 Human Warlock. Whenever an enchantment you control enters, it taps and goads up to one target creature, which, until your next turn, attacks each combat if able and attacks someone other than you if able (Comprehensive Rules 701.15a and 701.15b). Whenever creatures enchanted by your Auras attack, you draw a card.
The second commander, Scriv, the Obligator, {2}{W}{B}, is a 2/3 flier with deathtouch that puts a Contract, a white Aura token, on an opponent's creature whenever it enters or attacks. That creature gets +2/+0 when it attacks one of your opponents, and its controller loses 2 life when it attacks anything else. Every Contract is an enchantment entering under your control, so Killian can goad the creature wearing it, and you draw when it attacks.
With 26 enchantments, the triggers keep coming. Bracket 2 (Core) in our checker. Pick it to steer everyone else's attacks. The full Silverquill Influence decklist.
Prismari Artistry: Rootha, Mastering the Moment
Blue and red. Rootha, Mastering the Moment, {2}{U}{R}, is a 3/4 Orc Sorcerer. At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you've cast an instant or sorcery this turn, it makes an X/X blue and red Elemental token with flying and haste, X being the greatest mana value among those spells. Cast the spell before combat: a six-mana sorcery in your first main phase means a 6/6 flier that attacks right away.
The second commander, Muddle, the Ever-Changing, {2}{U}{R}, is a 3/3 that becomes a copy of up to one target nonlegendary creature you control whenever you cast an instant or sorcery, until end of turn and with myriad, so when it attacks you may send a token copy at each other opponent (Comprehensive Rules 702.116a).
The list holds 29 instants and sorceries and has the highest curve of the five. Bracket 2 (Core) in our checker. Pick it if big spells are your thing. The full Prismari Artistry decklist.
Witherbloom Pestilence: Dina, Essence Brewer
Black and green. Dina, Essence Brewer, {1}{B}{G}, is a 2/3 Dryad Druid that draws you a card the first time you sacrifice a creature each turn. Its other ability, {2}, {T}, sacrifice another creature, gains you X life and puts X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, X being the sacrificed creature's power.
The second commander, Gorma, the Gullet, {1}{B}{G}, is a 1/1 Pest Frog with lifelink that gets a +1/+1 counter whenever another creature you control dies, and your nontoken creatures enter with an extra +1/+1 counter for each creature that died under your control that turn.
With 39 creatures, Dina never runs short of something to sacrifice, and with only 2 artifacts, mana rocks are the obvious first upgrade. Bracket 2 (Core) in our checker. Pick it if you like trading creatures for cards. The full Witherbloom Pestilence decklist.
Lorehold Spirit: Quintorius, History Chaser
Red and white. Quintorius, History Chaser, {2}{R}{W}, is a planeswalker with 5 loyalty, and its last line lets it be your commander (Comprehensive Rules 903.3a). Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, it makes a 3/2 red and white Spirit token, once per event. Its +1 lets you discard a card to draw two, then mill one; its -4 gives your Spirits double strike and vigilance until end of turn.
The second commander, Excava, the Risen Past, {2}{R}{W}, is a 3/3 Spirit Horse with flying and haste. Whenever it attacks, it can return an artifact, creature or non-Aura enchantment card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield as a 1/1 flying Spirit on top of its other types, with a finality counter: if it would die, it's exiled instead. Each return is a card leaving your graveyard, and a Quintorius trigger.
The list runs 36 creatures and 10 artifacts. Bracket 2 (Core) in our checker. Pick it if you like bringing things back. The full Lorehold Spirit decklist.
Quandrix Unlimited: Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Green and blue. Zimone, Infinite Analyst, {1}{G}{U}, is a 0/4 Human Wizard. The first spell with {X} in its mana cost you cast each turn costs {1} less for each +1/+1 counter on Zimone, and casting it puts two more counters on Zimone. You pay before those counters arrive, so they discount your first {X} spell of a later turn, never the spell that added them.
The second commander, Primo, the Unbounded, {X}{G}{G}{U}, is a 0/0 Fractal Wolf with trample that enters with twice X +1/+1 counters. Whenever creatures you control with base power 0 deal combat damage to a player, it makes a Fractal token with +1/+1 counters equal to the damage dealt. Primo is an {X} spell and Zimone's base power is 0, so the two help each other whichever one leads.
The list holds 24 instants and sorceries and has the lowest curve of the five. Bracket 2 (Core) in our checker. Pick it for a first deck. The full Quandrix Unlimited decklist.
The five decks side by side
| Deck | College | Commander | Colours | Creatures | Lands | Average mana value | Bracket (our checker) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silverquill Influence | Silverquill | Killian, Decisive Mentor | White, black | 25 | 37 | 3.0 | 2 (Core) |
| Prismari Artistry | Prismari | Rootha, Mastering the Moment | Blue, red | 25 | 38 | 4.1 | 2 (Core) |
| Witherbloom Pestilence | Witherbloom | Dina, Essence Brewer | Black, green | 39 | 37 | 3.1 | 2 (Core) |
| Lorehold Spirit | Lorehold | Quintorius, History Chaser | Red, white | 36 | 37 | 3.2 | 2 (Core) |
| Quandrix Unlimited | Quandrix | Zimone, Infinite Analyst | Green, blue | 27 | 37 | 2.4 | 2 (Core) |
Counts cover the 99 cards beside the commander, and averages their nonland cards, from our precon statistics of October 26, 2026.
How to upgrade a Secrets of Strixhaven precon
Copy the list from its precon page into the deck builder, no account needed, and change ten cards rather than forty with the ten-card method. The Validation tab checks exactly 100 cards including the commander, one copy of each card other than basic lands, and colour identity against your commander (Comprehensive Rules 903.5a, 903.5b and 903.5c).
You can also swap leaders. Each box's second commander shares the deck's two colours and sits in the 99, so Gorma can lead Witherbloom Pestilence with Dina in the 99 (903.3, 903.4 and 903.5c). Then paste the list into the bracket checker: one to three Game Changers move a Core deck to at least Bracket 3, and Commander decks by bracket shows what each bracket looks like.
Frequently asked questions
How many Secrets of Strixhaven Commander decks are there?
Five, one per college: Silverquill Influence, Prismari Artistry, Witherbloom Pestilence, Lorehold Spirit and Quandrix Unlimited.
When did the Secrets of Strixhaven precons come out?
On April 24, 2026, with the set, after Prerelease events from April 17 to 23. The publisher revealed the five decklists on April 1.
What colours are the Strixhaven colleges?
Silverquill is white and black, Prismari blue and red, Witherbloom black and green, Lorehold red and white, and Quandrix green and blue. Every card in a deck must fit its commander's colour identity (Comprehensive Rules 903.4 and 903.5c).
Where are the Secrets of Strixhaven Commander decklists?
On our precon pages, ready to copy into the deck builder: Silverquill Influence, Prismari Artistry, Witherbloom Pestilence, Lorehold Spirit and Quandrix Unlimited. All our precon decklists are listed together, and the publisher's own decklist article is under Sources.
Which Strixhaven precon is best?
For a first deck, Quandrix Unlimited: two colours, one clear engine and the lowest average mana value of the five, 2.4. All five read as Bracket 2 (Core) in our checker, so pick the plan you'll enjoy most. Our 2026 precon ranking compares them with the year's other decks.
Are these the 2021 Strixhaven Commander decks?
No. The 2021 decks were Commander (2021 Edition), released with Strixhaven: School of Mages on April 23, 2021: Lorehold Legacies, Prismari Performance, Quantum Quandrix, Silverquill Statement and Witherbloom Witchcraft. The 2026 decks are new lists with new commanders, though some cards return: Breena, the Demagogue, who led Silverquill Statement, now sits in Silverquill Influence.
Who publishes this guide?
Mana Grove is a free MTG deck builder for Commander, built in Canada. It comes with an AI deck assistant and card search by effect. No ads, ever. The company behind it is The Mana Grove Trading Cards Ltd. The About page explains how our guides are made and checked.
Sources
- "Secrets of Strixhaven Commander Decklists", magic.wizards.com, published April 1, 2026: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/secrets-of-strixhaven-commander-decklists. Read on October 27, 2026. The five decks, their colours and commanders, the box contents and the April 24, 2026 release.
- "Where to Find Secrets of Strixhaven Previews", magic.wizards.com, published March 27, 2026: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/where-to-find-secrets-of-strixhaven-previews. Read on October 27, 2026. The April 1 Commander preview day.
- "Where to Play Secrets of Strixhaven", magic.wizards.com, published April 1, 2026: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/where-to-play-secrets-of-strixhaven. Read on October 27, 2026. The Prerelease events of April 17 to 23, 2026.
- MTG Arena announcements of April 6, 2026, magic.wizards.com: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-arena/announcements-april-6-2026. Read on October 27, 2026. The MTG Arena release on April 21.
- "Secrets of Strixhaven Release Notes", magic.wizards.com, published April 10, 2026: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/secrets-of-strixhaven-release-notes. Read on October 27, 2026. The SOS and SOC set codes and their formats, and the rulings on the commanders above.
- "Commander (2021 Edition) Decklists", magic.wizards.com, published April 5, 2021: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-2021-edition-decklists-2021-04-05. Read on October 27, 2026. The five 2021 decks, their commanders and their April 23 release.
- "Strixhaven: School of Mages and Commander (2021 Edition) Release Notes", magic.wizards.com, published April 16, 2021: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/strixhaven-school-mages-and-commander-2021-edition-release-notes-2021-04-16. Read on October 27, 2026. The 2021 cards of the five students and of Breena, the Demagogue.
- Mana Grove precon pages, read on October 27, 2026: Silverquill Influence, Prismari Artistry, Witherbloom Pestilence, Lorehold Spirit and Quandrix Unlimited. Each list, its card-type counts, average mana value and bracket reading, computed on October 26, 2026 against the Game Changers list of February 9, 2026.
- Mana Grove card pages, read on October 27, 2026: the mana cost, type line, power and toughness or loyalty, rules text and colour identity of the ten commanders, in the set Secrets of Strixhaven Commander, code SOC.
- Comprehensive Rules, effective September 25, 2026: https://magic.wizards.com/en/rules. Read on October 27, 2026. Rules 701.15a and 701.15b (goad), 702.116a (myriad), 903.3 (commander eligibility), 903.3a (cards that can be your commander), 903.4 (colour identity) and 903.5a, 903.5b and 903.5c (deck construction).
This guide is updated when a deck's bracket reading changes, for example after a Game Changers update. The date at the top is the last revision.
