MTGGoldfish is supported by its audience. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Strixhaven: School of Mages Instant-Speed Tricks

by Sameer Merchant // Apr 13, 2021

This is a list of all the instant-speed tricks in Strixhaven: School of Mages. Each color is sorted by converted mana cost.

Color	Mana Cost	Card	Type	Oracle Text	Notes
White		Defiant Strike	Instant	Target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Draw a card.
		Ephemerate	Instant	Exile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control. Rebound (If you cast this spell from your hand, exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast this card from exile without paying its mana cost.)
		Gods Willing	Instant	Target creature you control gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. (It can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, enchanted, or equipped by anything of that color.) Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
		Mana Tithe	Instant	Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
		Swords to Plowshares	Instant	Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
		Beaming Defiance	Instant	Target creature you control gets +2/+2 and gains hexproof until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
		Study Break	Instant	Tap up to two target creatures. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
		Revitalize	Instant	You gain 3 life. Draw a card.
		Show of Confidence	Instant	When you cast this spell, copy it for each other instant or sorcery spell you've cast this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies. Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. It gains vigilance until end of turn.
		Revel in Silence	Instant	You opponents can't cast spells or activate planeswalkers' loyalty abilities this turn. Exile Revel in Silence.
		Expel	Instant	Exile target tapped creature.
		Teferi's Protection	Instant	Until your next turn, your life total can't change and you gain protection from everything. All permanents you control phase out. (While they're phased out, they're treated as though they don't exist. They phase in before you untap during your untap step.) Exile Teferi's Protection.
		Defend the Campus	Instant	Choose one — • Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. • Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater.
		Semester's End	Instant	Exile any number of target creatures and/or planeswalkers you control. At the beginning of the next end step, return each of them to the battlefield under its owner's control. Each of them enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it if it's a creature and an additional loyalty counter on it if it's a planeswalker.
Blue		Blue Sun's Zenith	Instant	Target player draws X cards. Shuffle Blue Sun's Zenith into its owner's library.
		Opt	Instant	Scry 1. Draw a card.
		Brainstorm	Instant	Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
		Arcane Subtraction	Instant	Target creature gets -4/-0 until end of turn. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
		Burrog Befuddler	Creature	Flash When Burrog Befuddler enters the battlefield, target creature an opponent controls gets -1/-0 until end of turn.	2/1
		Curate	Instant	Look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest back on top of your library in any order. Draw a card.
		Reject	Instant	Counter target creature or planeswalker spell unless its controller pays {3}. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting into its owner's graveyard.
		Resculpt	Instant	Exile target artifact or creature. Its controller creates a 4/4 blue and red Elemental creature token.
		Negate	Instant	Counter target noncreature spell.
		Test of Talents	Instant	Counter target instant or sorcery spell. Search its controller's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with the same name as that spell and exile them. That player shuffles, then draws a card for each card exiled from their hand this way.
		Counterspell	Instant	Counter target spell.
		Memory Lapse	Instant	Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard.
	/	Bury in Books	Instant	This spell costs {2} less to cast if it targets an attacking creature. Put target creature into its owner's library second from the top.
		Pop Quiz	Instant	Draw a card. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
		Divide by Zero	Instant	Return target spell or permanent with mana value 1 or greater to its owner's hand. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
		Whirlwind Denial	Instant	For each spell and ability your opponents control, counter it unless its controller pays {4}.
		Snow Day	Instant	Tap up to two target creatures. Those creatures don't untap during their controller's next untap step. Draw two cards, then discard a card.
Black		Lash of Malice	Instant	Target creature gets +2/-2 until end of turn.
		Professor's Warning	Instant	Choose one — • Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. • Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)
		Village Rites	Instant	As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature. Draw two cards.
		Dark Ritual	Instant	Add {B}{B}{B}.
		Eliminate	Instant	Destroy target creature or planeswalker with converted mana cost 3 or less.
		Flunk	Instant	Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is 7 minus the number of cards in that creature's controller's hand.
		Plumb the Forbidden	Instant	As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice one or more creatures. When you do, copy this spell for each creature sacrificed this way. You draw a card and you lose 1 life.
	/	Baleful Mastery	Instant	You may pay {1}{B} rather than pay this spell's mana cost. If the {1}{B} cost was paid, an opponent draws a card. Exile target creature or planeswalker.
		Doom Blade	Instant	Destroy target nonblack creature.
		Tainted Pact	Instant	Exile the top card of your library. You may put that card into your hand unless it has the same name as another card exiled this way. Repeat this process until you put a card into your hand or you exile two cards with the same name, whichever comes first.
		Umbral Juke	Instant	Choose one: — • Target player sacrifices a creature or planeswalker. • Create a 2/1 white and black Inkling creature token with flying.
		Crushing Disappointment	Instant	Each player loses 2 life. You draw two cards.
Red		Academic Dispute	Instant	Target creature blocks this turn if able. You may have it gain reach until end of turn. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
		Infuriate	Instant	Target creature gets +3/+2 until end of turn.
		Shock	Instant	Shock deals 2 damage to any target.
		Lightning Bolt	Instant	Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.
		First Day of Class	Instant	Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it gains haste until end of turn. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
		Sudden Breakthrough	Instant	Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. Create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.")
		Thrill of Possibility	Instant	As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card. Draw two cards.
		Increasing Vengeance	Instant	Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, copy that spell twice instead. You may choose new targets for the copies. Flashback {3}{R}{R} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
		Enthusiastic Study	Instant	Target creature gets +3/+1 and gains trample until end of turn. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
		Heated Debate	Instant	This spell can't be countered. (This includes by the ward ability.) Heated Debate deals 4 damage to target creature or planeswalker.
	/	Urza's Rage	Instant	Kicker {8}{R} (You may pay an additional {8}{R} as you cast this spell.) This spell can't be countered. Urza's Rage deals 3 damage to any target. If this spell was kicked, instead it deals 10 damage to that permanent or player and the damage can't be prevented.
		Chaos Warp	Instant	The owner of target permanent shuffles it into their library, then reveals the top card of their library. If it's a permanent card, they put it onto the battlefield.
		Explosive Welcome	Instant	Explosive Welcome deals 5 damage to any target and 3 damage to any other target. Add {R}{R}{R}.
Green		Charge Through	Instant	Target creature gains trample until end of turn. Draw a card.
		Fortifying Draught	Instant	You gain 2 life. Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
		Snakeskin Veil	Instant	Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It gains hexproof until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
		Big Play	Instant	Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains reach until end of turn. Put a +1/+1 counter on it.
		Tangletrap	Instant	Choose one — • Tangletrap deals 5 damage to target creature with flying. • Destroy target artifact.
		Weather the Storm	Instant	You gain 3 life. Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
		Krosan Grip	Instant	Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.) Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Multi-Color		Infuse with Vitality	Instant	Until end of turn, target creature gains deathtouch and "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control." You gain 2 life.
		Decisive Denial	Instant	Choose one — • Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.) • Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays {3}.
		Fracture	Instant	Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or planeswalker.
	/	Mortality Spear	Instant	This spell costs {2} less to cast if you gained life this turn. Destroy target nonland permanent.
		Tend the Pests	Instant	As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature. Create X 1/1 black and green Pest creature tokens with "When this creature dies, you gain 1 life," where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
		Despark	Instant	Exile target permanent with converted mana cost 4 or greater.
		Double Major	Instant	Copy target creature spell you control, except it isn't legendary if the spell is legendary. (A copy of a creature spell becomes a token.)
		Growth Spiral	Instant	Draw a card. You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
		Lightning Helix	Instant	Lightning Helix deals 3 damage to any target and you gain 3 life.
		Rushed Rebirth	Instant	Choose target creature. When that creature dies this turn, search your library for a creature card with lesser mana value, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
		Vanishing Verse	Instant	Exile target monocolored permanent.
	/	Closing Statement	Instant	This spell costs {2} less to cast during your end step. Destroy target creature or planeswalker you don't control. Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature you control.
		Electrolyze	Instant	Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among one or two targets. Draw a card.
		Prismari Command	Instant	Choose two — • Prismari Command deals 2 damage to any target. • Target player draws two cards, then discards two cards. • Target player creates a Treasure token. • Destroy target artifact.
		Putrefy	Instant	Destroy target artifact or creature. It can't be regenerated.
		Quandrix Command	Instant	Choose two — • Return target creature or planeswalker to its owner's hand. • Counter target artifact or enchantment spell. • Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. • Target player shuffles up to three target cards from their graveyard into their library.
		Eureka Moment	Instant	Draw two cards. You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
		Practical Research	Instant	Draw four cards. Then discard two cards unless you discard an instant or sorcery card.
		Lorehold Command	Instant	Choose two — • Create a 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token. • Creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain indestructible and haste until end of turn. • Lorehold Command deals 3 damage to any target. Target player gains 3 life. • Sacrifice a permanent, then draw two cards.
		Creative Outburst	Instant	Creative Outburst deals 5 damage to any target. Look at the top five cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. {U/R}{U/R}, Discard Creative Outburst: Create a Treasure token.
		Harness Infinity	Instant	Exchange your hand and graveyard. Exile Harness Infinity.
		Magma Opus	Instant	Magma Opus deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of targets. Tap two target permanents. Create a 4/4 blue and red Elemental creature token. Draw two cards. {U/R}{U/R}, Discard Magma Opus: Create a Treasure token.
Hybrid		Make Your Mark	Instant	Target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn. When that creature dies this turn, create a 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token.
		Square Up	Instant	Target creature has base power and toughness 4/4 until end of turn.
		Teach by Example	Instant	When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.

More on MTGGoldfish ...

standard

Single Scoop: Elesh Norn, Rhinos, and Birds

Behind every Praetor is a Rhino and Swan? Lets see how much Elesh Norn enjoys Tarkir's Rhinos!

May 1 | by TheAsianAvenger

this week in legacy

This Week in Legacy: 21 Golden Chickens

Joe Dyer dives into Buffalo Chicken Dip Legacy 21!

Apr 30 | by Joe Dyer

against the odds

Against the Odds: Teaching Arena Zoomers About...Teaching? (Standard)

Mystical Teaching is an iconic control card from Modern's past. Can some new instants from Tarkir: Dragonstorm make it work in Standard? Let's teach some Arena Zoomers about its tutoring power and find out!

Apr 30 | by SaffronOlive