With the Secrets of Strixhaven set now officially released at local game stores, players have had plenty of time to experiment with new decks and strategies. Thankfully, the upcoming Marvel Super Heroes release isn’t arriving until mid-to-late June, giving us a much-needed window to slow down and really explore what this set has to offer.
To be honest, this set didn’t immediately grab my attention. A big reason for that is its heavy focus on instants and sorceries—two areas I don’t typically lean into when building decks. That said, there’s no denying the set is packed with powerful cards and some very interesting combo potential.
One card that stood out to me early on is Miss Berta, Wise Extrapolator. At first glance, Berta’s Increment ability made me hesitant. It seems restrictive, especially since scaling her effectively requires a higher mana curve.
However, once you look beyond that limitation, her additional abilities more than make up for it. In fact, they’re strong enough to make Berta a compelling inclusion in almost any blue/green deck.
To get started, you’ll want all three of the following on the battlefield, along with at least one artifact you can sacrifice:
1.) Cast Miss Berta, Wise Extrapolator
2.) Cast Animation Module (this triggers Berta’s Increment ability), allowing you to create a Servo token
3.) Cast Extruder, adding another +1/+1 counter to Berta and potentially generating an additional Servo
The Combo: Beefing Up Berta
Once everything is in place, the engine starts rolling:
1.) Activate Extruder by sacrificing a Servo, placing a +1/+1 counter on Berta
2.) This triggers both Berta and Animation Module, allowing you to pay one mana to create another Servo.
3.) Sacrifice the newly created Servo with Extruder to add another +1/+1 counter.
4.) Rinse, Lather, Repeat.
The result: Berta grows exponentially, quickly becoming large enough to dominate the board or outright eliminate opponents.
Want to push this combo even further? Add one of the following:
- Ruthless Deathfang or Smothering Abomination for infinite draws.
- Soul Warden or Daxos, Blessed by the Sun creates infinite life gain
- Doubling Season, Parallel Lives, Ojer Deepest Foundation, or similar effect to spread tokens across the board.
While this set may not have initially stood out, cards like Miss Berta prove there’s more under the surface than it seems. With the right setup, she transforms from a seemingly limited creature into a powerful combo centerpiece.
And sometimes, that’s exactly where the most fun—and the most broken interactions—are hiding.
