Thread by @JasonILTG

Today I'm wrapping up my streak of talking about tricks/creature enhancements with Enthusiastic Study. I'll definitely be talking about at least one more in the future (looking at you, Fortifying Draught), but that won't be for a bit still. 1/x

ALSA of 7.51 in Bo3, making it the second-lowest-drafted learn spell, only above First Day of Class. Though, judging by the Card Evaluation Metagame graph, that data might be a bit outdated from being an average; Study is now roughly tied for third among red commons. 2/x

Even judging from the higher recent numbers, I still think Study is underrated. I think it is clearly the third best red common, and possibly even better than Pigment Storm. I believe this for the same reason I think First Day of Class might be fourth: learn/lesson is busted. 3/x

So as always, let's start with some baseline comparisons. A recent one is Run Amok, but the differences between 3 vs 2 mana, +1 vs +3 toughness, and learn vs not are all huge. A much better comparison is Wild Hunger: same base effect and cost, with an extra card attached. 4/x

So how does this card play out? Well, the +1 toughness is small enough that you can't rely on it as a combat trick to save your creature in combat, though sometimes it will. Instead, its use is to punish double blocks, enable chump attacks/blocks, and push damage. 5/x

A gut reaction might be that a trick that doesn't save your creature is bad. But it's better to frame Study as not just a standard trick; you don't need it to save your creature when it doesn't cost a card. Think back to Rimrock Knight, which is another good comparison. 6/x

The best home for Study is in Lorehold aggro. Not only does that deck already often want tricks to push damage on the ground, Study plays particularly well with its gameplan. You often have burst turns with magecraft, and Study's trample helps a lot then against chumps. 7/x

Plus, Study plays well with a lot of Lorehold cards. There's the aforementioned magecraft, with Lumimancer, First-Year, and Pledgemage. The latter is especially good with Study, since first strike means Pledgemage often survives despite the low toughness boost. 8/x

And, of course, there's Twinscroll Shaman, the best non-rare pair with Study. 4/3 double strike trample will win basically every combat, and push a lot of damage on the way. But it's worth noting that usually I'm playing Twinscrolls *because* I have Studies, not vice versa. 9/x

But also, Study plays well with the grindier Lorehold 2/1s: Historian and Pilgrim. Both give value from the graveyard, so it's really nice to trade them off, and 5/2 trades up well. And Study can help them do so, acting as a pseudo-Bone Splinters that draws a card on blocks. 10/x

Study is fine in aggressive Prismari decks too, but it's a bit awkward. There's tension between casting it pre-combat to get magecraft triggers for Pledgemage and Apprentice, vs after blocks for trick value. And your other creatures often fly, so aren't blocked often. 11/x

Finally, as I mentioned above, it can have a place even in control decks as a removal spell on blocks. It helps expendable creatures like Pests and Pilgrims trade with real threats, while not spending a card. Still not ideal, but it can play a role, and is learn. 12/x

I'm not going to go over all the good things that come with learn, since I think everyone knows that by now. But I will close by nodding to just how good Study is closing the last few points with its trample: if you're at 3, Study almost always kills you. 13/x

Conclusion: Enthusiastic Study looks like a combat trick, but plays out much differently, helping you trade up and push damage while also learning to not cost a card. It doesn't need to save your creature to be worth it. 14/14

Two Draft Challenge 6-1 decks with Study:

Splashed Study for aggression with First-Years but also grinding with Pilgrims:
17lands.com/deck/addac566d…

Played Study in a UR control deck to help Guides trade up and help Curves close faster:
17lands.com/deck/38cdc485c…