Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast (WotC) and Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, check out the card which immortalizes his World Championship XXVI victory in Strixhaven — Elite Spellbinder!
Flying
When Elite Spellbinder enters the battlefield, look at target opponent’s hand. You may exile a nonland card from it. For as long as that card remains exiled, its owner may play it. A spell cast this way costs 2 more to cast.
It’s uncommon to see hand disruption on a white creature, but here we are!
Elite Spellbinder is a nice curve topper for aggressive decks, entering the battlefield right before the crucial turn where slower decks look to cast some sort of big removal spell. A three-mana 3/1, Elite Spellbinder is a strong card to hit off of Collected Company, and pairs well with cards like Righteous Valkyrie thanks to its creature type (Human Cleric).
Be sure to check out PVDDR’s free-to-read write-up for a much more in-depth analysis from the World Champion himself!
So what do you think of Elite Spellbinder? How many formats do you think it will see play in? Let us know in the comments below!
Strixhaven: School of Mages releases April 23. Check out our official preview gallery.