Strixhaven

This is a budget Strixhaven mini-cube. My intention was to have a 180-card cube that is super affordable and gives the feeling of playing Strixhaven.

Setting

Strixhaven is the most elite University in the Multiverse. It features five colleges founded by the elder dragon whose name each college bears: Silverquill (), Prismari (), Witherbloom (), Lorehold (), and Quandrix (). The five colleges battle it out with their own takes on magic. (Source)

Mechanics

Strixhaven is a set designed around Instants and Sorceries. As such, its two new mechanics are focused on these spells.

Learn - When a card instructs you to Learn, you can reveal a Lesson card that's in your Sideboard and put it into your hand. Alternatively you can discard a card and draw a card. Both cards that let you Learn and Lessons are available in the draft. Generally the Lesson cards will stay in your Sideboard, ready to be revealed with a Learn ability.

Magecraft - Magecraft is an ability word that gives you a benefit whenever you cast an Instant or a Sorcery spell.

Archetypes

Strixhaven is focused on the five enemy color pairs, and so the five main archetypes are in those five pairs.

Silverquill +1/+1 Counters: Silverquill is trying to power up its creatures with +1/+1 counters, and also has benefits when its creatures die.

Prismari Big spell casting: Prismari has ways to cast big, game-changing spells for cheaper than normal, or copy them for incredible value.

Witherbloom Life gain: Witherbloom is looking to gain life, especially when getting extra payoffs for doing so. Creating Pest tokens and sacrificing them is a big part of the plan.

Lorehold Leaves-graveyard triggers: Lorehold wants to get cards into and out of its Graveyard, because they get benefits when cards leave the Graveyard.

Quandrix Eight-lands ramp: Quandrix has payoffs for having eight lands in play, and its signpost cards are focused on getting extra lands out.