Sphere of Influence: March 27, 2026

Shadrix Silverquill | Illustrated by Raymond Swanland

Welcome to Sphere of Influence, a pre-FNM look at some potential movers and shakers that are worth picking up before their prices increase.

We're less than a month away from Secrets of Strixhaven, the latest in-universe set that hearkens back to the wizarding school we first met in 2021. The original Strixhaven set was a boon to Commander players, so it felt like the right time to revisit its hallowed halls and identify some affordable Commander cards to pick up. Here are the selections:

Culling Ritual - $3

Part ritual effect and part calibrated board wipe, Culling Ritual decimates token armies and mana rocks to net us copious amounts of mana seemingly out of nowhere, great for rebuilding our board or casting a game-winning spell. Prime the pump by running this in a deck that makes tokens itself and watch as the profits soar.

Shadrix Silverquill - $3

Even outside of a dedicated group hug deck, it never hurts to play politics in Commander. Shadrix Silverquill provides just enough of a consolation prize to our opponents where they'll likely overlook its 2/5 double striking and flying body capable of devouring chump blockers and life totals alike.

Plumb the Forbidden - $0.50

Now this is a Village Rites-type effect actually worth running (unlike Village Rites). Sacrifice nothing, and this is a not-so-great cantrip; sacrifice one creature, and it's a card draw spell not unlike Village Rites. But unlike the others, Plumb the Forbidden scales, and the right deck won't hesitate to take advantage of this fact and draw plentiful cards in response to a board wipe. It's quite a versatile card that has to be seen in action to be believed.

Augmenter Pugilist // Echoing Equation - $0.25

A 3/3 trampler for three mana isn't something to write home about, and an 8/8 trampler for three mana isn't that much better, frankly, in a format full of large creatures, but the other side of this card, Echoing Equation, presents a unique clone effect that allows us to turn our entire board into one creature until end of turn without breaking the legendary rule. Taken together, Augmenter Pugilist and Echoing Equation is a versatile addition to any Simic deck and absolutely worth a few experiments.

School's in Session

Are you excited for Secrets of Strixhaven? Any mechanics you hope return or characters you hope make another appearance?