Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Ward—Pay 2 life. This creature enters prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.) Create two 2/2 red and white Spirit creature tokens.
Complete guide
Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages introduces the powerful 'Prepare' mechanic, turning your creatures into sources of recurring value. This Orc Sorcerer not only protects itself but also provides access to a potent token-generating sorcery from exile. Understanding how the prepared status interacts with the stack and battlefield is key to mastering this card's versatility.
What It Does
Strife Scholar is a 2/2 creature with Ward—Pay 2 life, making it taxing for opponents to target. Its primary feature is 'enters prepared,' a keyword that allows its controller to create a copy of its associated sorcery, Awaken the Ages, in exile. While the creature remains on the battlefield and 'prepared,' you can cast that sorcery copy from exile to create two 2/2 red and white Spirit creature tokens.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, cast Strife Scholar as a creature for {2}{R}. As it enters the battlefield, it becomes 'prepared,' which causes you to create a copy of Awaken the Ages in the exile zone. This copy stays in exile as long as Strife Scholar is on the battlefield and prepared. When you choose to cast the copy of Awaken the Ages, you pay its mana cost ({5}{R}), and Strife Scholar immediately becomes 'unprepared.' Finally, the sorcery copy resolves, placing two Spirit tokens onto the battlefield, while the Scholar remains as a normal creature.
Common Mistakes
A common point of confusion is thinking that if Strife Scholar dies, you can still cast the spell; you cannot, as the copy in exile exists only as long as the permanent is on the battlefield. Additionally, note that 'prepared' is not a copiable value. If you use an effect to create a token that is a copy of a Scholar already on the field, that token will only be prepared if it enters the battlefield itself, not because the original was prepared. Finally, remember that while in your hand or graveyard, this card is only a creature card, never a sorcery.
When to Play It
Strife Scholar is best utilized in midrange decks that benefit from early board presence and late-game mana sinks. Since the sorcery copy resides in exile, it is protected from hand disruption like discard spells. You should cast the Scholar early to pressure the opponent, then cast Awaken the Ages once you have six mana available to wide your board presence with Spirits.
Interaction examples
SpiritYou cast Strife Scholar for three mana. Once it is on the battlefield, you have the option to cast Awaken the Ages from exile. By spending six mana later in the game, you unprepare the Scholar and put two 2/2 Spirit tokens onto the battlefield, effectively getting three creatures out of a single card.
Solemn SimulacrumYou play Solemn Simulacrum to ramp into your sixth land. With that extra land, you now have the mana to cast the Awaken the Ages copy provided by your Strife Scholar. This allows you to develop your board with Spirits without needing to draw additional spells from your deck.
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Orc', and an effect causes Strife Scholar to trigger an ability when it enters, the Throne would double that trigger. However, 'enters prepared' is a replacement effect, not a triggered ability, so Roaming Throne does not cause the Scholar to become prepared twice.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A creature without a prepare spell can't become prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Preparation cards can only be cast with their base characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
While copies of spells in zones other than the stack cease to exist when state-based actions are checked, this does not apply to copies of prepare spells in exile that were created as a creature became prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
A creature with a prepare spell can't become prepared more than once at the same time. For example, Emeritus of Ideation is on the battlefield and is prepared. When it attacks, its last ability triggers. When that ability resolves, its controller may still exile eight cards from their graveyard, but doing so won't cause Emeritus of Ideation to become prepared a second time or create a second copy of Ancestral Recall in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a copy of a prepare spell from exile isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to a copy of a prepare spell cast from exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
A preparation card is a creature card in every zone. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Emeritus of Ideation is a blue creature whose mana value is 5. It can't be the target of Zealous Lorecaster's triggered ability ("When this creature enters, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.").
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative prepare spell's name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect causes a creature to become unprepared, a prepared creature stops being prepared and the associated copy of its prepare spell in exile ceases to exist. If it wasn't prepared at that time, nothing happens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
As an effect causes a creature with a prepare spell to become prepared (including effects that state that a creature "enters prepared"), that creature's controller creates a copy of that creature's prepare spell in exile. That copy remains in exile for as long as that permanent is on the battlefield and is prepared. That creature's controller may cast that copy as long as it remains in exile. As they cast it, that creature stops being prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Being prepared isn't a copiable value. If a permanent becomes a copy of a prepared creature, it won't be prepared. That permanent will have the alternative characteristics, though, and some other effect could cause it to become prepared later.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Only the current controller of a prepared creature can cast the copy of its prepare spell in exile. It doesn't matter who owns that creature or who controlled it when it became prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepare spell with one or more targets has no legal targets when it tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. Since the spell was cast, the associated permanent will still not be prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepared creature loses all abilities, it won't stop being prepared, and nothing will happen to its alternative characteristics or to the copy of its prepare spell in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
Creating a copy of a creature's prepare spell in exile ignores copy exceptions applied to that creature that would affect the copiable values of that spell. For example, say a player casts Croaking Counterpart (a sorcery that says "Create a token that's a copy of target non-Frog creature, except it's a 1/1 green Frog.") targeting Goblin Glasswright. The token copy of Goblin Glasswright will enter prepared as a 1/1 green Frog creature, but the copy of Craft with Pride in exile will still be a red sorcery. The copy of Craft with Pride won't be green, a creature, or a Frog, and it won't have power or toughness.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepared creature stops being a creature, it will still be prepared, and the copy of its prepare spell will remain in exile. That permanent's controller will still be able to cast it. The same is true if a prepared creature becomes a copy of something else, even if it's then a permanent without a prepare spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Displacer Kitten + Intruder Alarm + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages + Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia
- 1Cast Awaken the Ages using Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia's convoke ability by tapping creatures you control.
- 2Displacer Kitten triggers, blinking Strife Scholar.
- 3When Strife Scholar enters, Intruder Alarm triggers, untapping all creatures you control.
- 4Repeat.
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages + Urn of Godfire
- 1Cast the copy of Awaken the Ages from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Strife Scholar, which enters prepared.
- 3When Strife Scholar enters, Mana Echoes triggers, adding at least
. - 4Resolve the spell from step 1, creating two 2/2 Spirit creature tokens.
- 5When the tokens enter, Mana Echoes triggers for each of them, adding a total of at least .
- 6Pay an additional
to repeat steps 1 through 5 an additional time, this time adding nine . - 7Activate Urn of Godfire by paying
, adding one colored mana. - 8Repeat steps 1 through 5 and step 7 any number of times.
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages + Energy Refractor
- 1Cast the copy of Awaken the Ages from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Strife Scholar, which enters prepared.
- 3When Strife Scholar enters, Mana Echoes triggers, adding at least .
- 4Resolve the spell from step 1, creating two 2/2 Spirit creature tokens.
- 5When the tokens enter, Mana Echoes triggers for each of them, adding a total of at least .
- 6Pay an additional to repeat steps 1 through 5 an additional time, this time adding nine .
- 7Activate Energy Refractor by paying , adding one colored mana.
- 8Repeat steps 1 through 5 and step 7 any number of times.
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages + Prismite
- 1Cast the copy of Awaken the Ages from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Strife Scholar, which enters prepared.
- 3When Strife Scholar enters, Mana Echoes triggers, adding at least .
- 4Resolve the spell from step 1, creating two 2/2 Spirit creature tokens.
- 5When the tokens enter, Mana Echoes triggers for each of them, adding a total of at least .
- 6Pay an additional to repeat steps 1 through 5 an additional time, this time adding nine .
- 7Activate Prismite by paying , adding one colored mana.
- 8Repeat steps 1 through 5 and step 7 any number of times.
Displacer Kitten + Intruder Alarm + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages + Party Thrasher
- 1Cast Awaken the Ages using Party Thrasher's convoke ability by tapping creatures you control.
- 2Displacer Kitten triggers, blinking Strife Scholar.
- 3When Strife Scholar enters, Intruder Alarm triggers, untapping all creatures you control.
- 4Repeat.
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Gemstone Array + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages
- 1Cast the copy of Awaken the Ages from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Strife Scholar, which enters prepared.
- 3When Strife Scholar enters, Mana Echoes triggers, adding at least .
- 4Resolve the spell from step 1, creating two 2/2 Spirit creature tokens.
- 5When the tokens enter, Mana Echoes triggers for each of them, adding a total of at least .
- 6Pay an additional to repeat steps 1 through 5 an additional time, this time adding nine .
- 7Activate Gemstone Array by paying , adding one colored mana.
- 8Repeat steps 1 through 5 and step 7 any number of times.
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages + Crossroads Candleguide
- 1Cast the copy of Awaken the Ages from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Strife Scholar, which enters prepared.
- 3When Strife Scholar enters, Mana Echoes triggers, adding at least .
- 4Resolve the spell from step 1, creating two 2/2 Spirit creature tokens.
- 5When the tokens enter, Mana Echoes triggers for each of them, adding a total of at least .
- 6Pay an additional to repeat steps 1 through 5 an additional time, this time adding nine .
- 7Activate Crossroads Candleguide by paying , adding one colored mana.
- 8Repeat steps 1 through 5 and step 7 any number of times.
Dovescape + Displacer Kitten + Phyrexian Altar + Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages
- 1Cast a copy of the prepared spell by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten and Dovescape trigger.
- 3Resolve the Dovescape trigger, countering the prepared spell and creating a number of 1/1 flying Bird creature tokens equal to its mana value.
- 4Resolve the Displacer Kitten trigger, blinking Strife Scholar // Awaken the Ages, which enters prepared.
- 5Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a Bird token, adding one mana of any color.
- 6Repeat step 5 until you have enough mana to cast the prepared spell.
- 7Repeat.
Related cards and tokens
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