Prerelease events for Secrets of Strixhaven begin today, and there's a lot to look forward to. From Elder Dragons designed for Commander to nods to some of MTG's most iconic spells, the set offers a huge amount of interesting design.
Looking at the prerelease, it's important to know which impactful cards to keep an eye on. For this reason, let's analyze the most expensive cards in Secrets of Strixhaven. However, it should be noted that, since the set has not yet officially been released, prices are still inflated and market values are not entirely reliable. Consequently, we will consider the lowest available price for each card. Furthermore, we will limit ourselves to the main set, thus excluding the most expensive cards from the Mystical Archive.
Prismari, the Inspiration
Undoubtedly, thanks to its ability to give all your instant and sorcery spells Storm, Prismari, the Inspiration is the commander with the highest ceiling in all of Secrets of Strixhaven. Whether you're looking to completely "storm" the game or chain extra turns, the chances of winning once you untap with it are very high.
The problem, however, is the seven-mana cost. This makes it difficult to get guaranteed value before it's removed. Even Ward doesn't help much, as paying five life in Commander is often irrelevant. Furthermore, the high cost likely keeps it out of Constructed formats.
Despite all this, winning with a flurry of spells is quite simple with this card, which is why it still holds a value of around €7.
Emeritus of Ideation
If you've always wanted to resolve a true Ancestral Recall without spending thousands of euros, Emeritus of Ideation allows you to do so. Of course, you can't cast a one-cost spell immediately, but creating a window to play the creature while leaving one mana open isn't particularly difficult. This way, you can draw three cards before your opponent has a chance to remove it.
The main limit, however, remains the inefficient mana cost and the competition. The best blue decks in current Standard, such as 
Prowess and Lessons, have very low curves. Even as a target for Nature’s Rhythm, competing with Quantum Riddler is complicated.
It still remains an interesting card for EDH, especially thanks to interactions with blink effects. However, the current price seems to be influenced more by the appeal to Ancestral Recall than by its real competitive impact, so a drop in the coming days is plausible.
The value of the serialized version, which features a stunning special full art by Mark Poole, the illustrator of the real Ancestral Recall over thirty years ago, cannot be calculated!
Witherbloom, the Balancer
Among all the legends in the set, Witherbloom, the Balancer is probably the best commander. The reason is simple: it can be cast at a steep discount. With mana ramp and token generators, it's not difficult to get it onto the battlefield in the early turns.
Once on the field, even your most expensive spells become cheap. With no upper limits, effects like Pest Infestation or Awaken the Woods become devastating. After setting up the board, closing out the game with Exsanguinate is extremely easy.
Furthermore, it opens the door to infinite combos. The interaction between Sprout Swarm and affinity for creatures allows for effortless generation of infinite tokens. This discovery has already caused the price of Sprout Swarm to rise, a sign of player interest in this card.
Lorehold, the Historian
Like the other Elder Dragons in the set, Lorehold, the Historian is clearly designed for Commander. Casting spells like Storm Herd or Expropriate at a reduced cost is extremely powerful. Additionally, in multiplayer, its ultimate ability allows you to dig through your deck quickly.
In combination with cards like Library of Leng, even Miracle strategies become more accessible than they seem.
Between power and fun, it's understandable that this card is highly hyped. According to EDHREC, it's the most played commander in the set, which justifies its price, despite its minimal impact in Constructed formats.
Emeritus of Woe
As a four-mana creature with no significant immediate board impact, Emeritus of Woe is unlikely to find a home outside of Commander. In EDH, however, it's a very interesting card. Even just casting Demonic Tutor once can set up a series of combos, and the condition to reactivate it is not particularly difficult.
Its true potential emerges in sacrifice-based strategies. Aristocrats decks that use cards like Phyrexian Altar can leverage it to tutor turn after turn.
It is unlikely that the price will remain this high in the long term, but considering its impact in Commander, the current value is not surprising.
With that said, all that's left is to wish everyone a good prerelease!
