Magic The Gathering: Secrets Of Strixhaven Includes Banned Power Nine Spell And A Powerful Tutor

Following its reveal last year, Secrets of Strixhaven quickly became my most anticipated Magic the Gathering set of 2026. While I adored our brief stop in the wilds of Lorwyn, there's just something about Strixhaven's dark academia atmosphere and art nouveau stylings that captivates me. After attending a preview event in which Wizards of the Coast offered press a first-look at what some of Strixhaven's secrets are, I feel fairly confident saying that Secrets of Strixhaven should be your most anticipated Magic set, too.

Secrets of Strixhaven is an incredibly powerful set--one that brings back high-value cards and gorgeous art treatments while also introducing a shockingly strong mechanic with prepare. We've prepared an overview of the set's new mechanics as well as a look at some of the set's most jaw-dropping cards.

New mechanics and keywords

While their frames might be reminiscent of Omen and Adventure cards, prepare is an entirely new mechanic designed for Secrets of Strixhaven that grants you access to some powerful spells. While the card type is still a creature and should be treated as such when resolving spells, abilities, and the like, these cards feature an incantation in the bottom-right portion of the card that they can cast if they are prepared.