Current CurriculumHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Current Curriculum provides two distinct benefits. First, it grants the convoke keyword to the first Merfolk spell you cast each turn, allowing your creatures to help pay for that spell. Second, it has a triggered ability that checks your board state at the beginning of your end step; if you have at least two tapped creatures, you conjure a Stonybrook Schoolmaster directly onto the battlefield in the tapped state.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you begin your end step, the second ability of Current Curriculum checks if you control two or more tapped creatures. If you do, the ability triggers and goes on the stack. Upon resolution, the game creates a new card named Stonybrook Schoolmaster and places it onto the battlefield tapped. This is a 'conjure' effect, meaning the card is added to your game and persists as if it were a physical card in your deck.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is forgetting that the end step trigger has an intervening 'if' clause. This means you must have two tapped creatures at the exact moment the end step begins for the ability to even trigger. Furthermore, if the number of tapped creatures drops below two before the ability resolves, the ability will do nothing. Also, remember that convoke only applies to the very first Merfolk spell you cast in a turn, regardless of whether it was successful or countered.

When to Play It

You should play Current Curriculum when you have established a board of creatures that can attack or use activated abilities to tap themselves. It is particularly effective after combat, as your attacking creatures will satisfy the tapped creature requirement for the end step trigger. It also serves as a great recovery tool, allowing you to cast expensive Merfolk using tokens to pay the costs.

Interaction examples

Expanding the School

Stonybrook Schoolmaster

If you have two tapped creatures at the end of your turn, Current Curriculum conjures a Stonybrook Schoolmaster onto the battlefield tapped. Because the Schoolmaster enters tapped, its own ability will trigger, allowing you to create a 1/1 blue Merfolk Wizard creature token immediately.

Navigating Taxing Effects

Ghostly Prison

If your opponent controls Ghostly Prison, you must pay {2} for each creature you wish to attack with. If you pay the cost and attack with two creatures, those creatures will be tapped, satisfying Current Curriculum's end step requirement to conjure a Stonybrook Schoolmaster.

Entering the Classroom

Authority of the Consuls

Even if your creatures cannot attack, an opponent's Authority of the Consuls forces your creatures to enter the battlefield tapped. While this usually slows you down, it can help Current Curriculum trigger on the turn you play creatures, as they will already be tapped when your end step begins.