Magic: The Gathering’s Secrets of Strixhaven set launches today, and as with last year’s Tarkir: Dragonstorm, we’re getting five Commander precons.
They’re all pretty darn great, with very solid mana bases and a reasonable chance of enacting their game plan consistently, but there are obviously some changes to be made if you want to optimize the decks further. Below, I’ve recommended a single card swap to help Silverquill Influence really sing, as well as one bonus that doesn’t cost a great deal to swap in.
How does the deck play?
Before we get started, let’s touch on what Silverquill Influence is trying to do. This white/black deck is focused on getting your opponents to attack each other via the goad mechanic, which is triggered when an enchantment enters the battlefield when you have Killian, Decisive Mentor on the field.
It’s worth remembering that you don’t have to enchant opponents’ creatures to get value, either, letting you build up your own forces while goading just about everything you can.
On the other hand, Scriv, the Obligator is another neat Commander option. Scriv is a 2/3 flying creature with deathtouch. Whenever it enters or attacks, you can attach a ‘Contract’ to a creature an opponent controls, letting you give that creature +2/+0 until the end of the turn if it’s attacking an opponent.
Eye of Nidhogg
Since Silverquill Influence is all about goading foes as enchantments enter the battlefield, Eye of Nidhogg is an easy recommendation.
It’s pretty affordable, but it could climb in the days to come, sitting at around $7 on TCGplayer right now. It’s a Legendary Enchantment – Aura (so it triggers Killian, Decisive Mentor, as well as anything else that loves enchantments) that’ll cost you three mana, one black and two colorless.
The creature it enchants becomes a 4/2 black Dragon with flying and deathtouch, meaning you can attach it to something you know will hop over defences. Perhaps the best part of the card, though, is that when it hits the graveyard, it goes back to your hand, ready to goad again.
Eye of Nidhogg triggers Killian as it enters the battlefield, letting you goad another creature, and once the card it’s attached to declares an attack, you get to draw a card, too. And, since it’ll keep bouncing back to your hand, there’s a good chance you’ll get plenty of mileage out of it.
Mesa Enchantress
This one’s nice and simple, and increases your chances of finding your big-hitters like Eye of Nidhogg.
Mesa Enchantress was printed fairly recently, so it will set you back less than a dollar, and its advantage is obvious in a deck with 27 enchantments. As those enchantments hit the battlefield, Mesa Enchantress triggers card draw.
That’s on top of the goading that you’ll already get if Killian is on the field, making this a nice way to expand your options in any given situation.
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