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By: one million words, Pete Jahn
Feb 13 2015 1:00pm
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 State of the Program for February 13th 2015

 In the News:

Wizards Announces Sumer Set “Magic Origins”:  towards the end of May, we will get Modern Masters II.  In July, we will get the last core set. The set will not be Omega, the bookend to Alpha, since Magic is by no means ending. Instead, the set will be “a new beginning for the story of Planeswalkers.” The summer set will be called Magic Origins, and will recount the origins of Jace, Gideon, Liliana, Chandra, and Nissa. To fit everything in the set will have more new cards than typical, and two new mechanics.  Official code: ORI, Prerelease July 11-12, and will be released July 27th on MTGO.
 
New Event Manager and New Event Schedule: Lee Sharpe has taken over as events manager for MTGO. This is a good thing. Lee has been part of Magic for a long time, and part of Wizards for years. I’ve known Lee since his days as a judge on the Pro Tour. If you are on MTGO, you may know him as the guy that programmed Commander into the client on his own time, or as the guy that has generated your MTGO stats, including most underdrafted / overdrafted commons, and lists of most common first picks for winners of 8-4s, etc. Lee is a data-driven guy. He is also willing to try things out, and make changes if they don’t work. He is starting with the daily events schedule. Up until now, the Dailies ran at the same time all week. He is changing that – now event start times will be staggered throughout the week. In other changes, M15 sealed events, which haven’t fired, are being removed. Likewise, Momir Vig dailies are being replaced with more on-demand events. This frees up some slots, which will be filled with a mix of Vintage, Pauper and some other formats.   At least for now. Lee will be crunching the numbers, and if some of this doesn’t work, he’ll try something else. The article introducing Lee and explaining the schedule changes is here
 
Lorwyn Sealed this Weekend: Wizards is offering Phantom Lorwyn Sealed events this weekend. The on demand, 3 round, 8 player events will take place in the Limited queues. Details here.
 
MTGO PTQ Page Updated:  For all the details on Pro Tour Magic Origins qualifiers and preliminaries, as well as information on the Magic Online Pro Tour Challenge, check out this page.
 
Pro Tour Washington DC in the Books: The Pro Tour was last weekend.  Wizards provided both web and video coverage. The format was Modern. Coverage and videos are here.  The Top 8 coverage was pretty good this time.
 

The Timeline:

This is a list of things we have been promised, or just want to see coming back.   Another good source for dates and times is the MTGO calendar. Here’s what we know, want or are tracking. 
 
Item: date and notes
·         Fate Reforged Release Events: February 2nd release, prereleases Jan. 30th - Feb. 2nd.
·         Sealed PTQ Prelims: Thurs. Fri. & Sat.
·         Standard PTQ Finals: Sunday, 7am Pacific
·         MOCS Season 2: Champs 7am Pacific, Feb. 14th. Prelims. Feb. 11th-13th
·         Fate Reforged Limited Champs Qualifiers: Wed. Feb. 25th – March 3rd
·         Fate Reforged Standard Champs Qualifiers: March 4th – March 10th
·         Fate Reforged Limited Championship: 8am Pac, Saturday, March 7th 
·         Fate Reforged Standard Championship: 8am Pac, Sunday, March 15th 
·         Leagues (June 2015?) Wizards said leagues will return in 2015.
·         Modern Masters II: May, 29, 2015. Mirrodin through Zendikar. Details here.
·         Magic Origins: released on MTGO July 27th, prerelease likely July 23rdor July 24th
 

The Bug Blog Update:

The Bug Blog and Known Issues List is a weekly post by Wizards covering the most common known issues in MTGO. The Known Issues list is here.  No fixes this week, but the Ride Down / regeneration and Carnophage bugs will be fixed with the Feb. 18th build. 
 

Opinion Section: Losing the Fire

Four times this week, I made time to do a sealed event on MTGO.  My preference would have been for a “friendly” release event, but those never came close to firing. Once, I joined with 10 players already in the event.   A half hour later, I bowed out with the number of players, including me, dropped to 8. Twice I ended up drafting in a Swiss FRF/KTK/KTK.  I have gone 2-1 in several of those since the set came out, but far more often I fire up the client, look at the queues not filling for a while, then decide to do something else.
 
I have also fired up the account I use for constructed a few times. Other than some casual games, I have not played on that account. That account’s constructed rating is still 1600. I don’t have the cards for Standard decks, and have no real interest in buying them. As for older formats, I have watched queues not filling for those as well, but my patience is limited.
 
Part of the problem is that the times I can get free are usually very early mornings, US time. That is not the period of peak activity online. 
 
Part of the problem is that I am not enamored of any of the formats right now. My experience with FRF/KTK/KTK has been that one third of the time I get my dragon and blow him out, one third of the time he gets his, and one third of the time either we both get our bombs or no one does. That last third of the time has resulted in some very cool games, but it’s only one third of the time. I don’t know if that is typical – I have only done maybe a half-dozen drafts between MTGO and paper, so my sample size is unreasonably small. I have also tabled the FRF rare I opened four times, which I hear is unlikely in the format as well.
 
The biggest problem for me is that, while I really enjoy playing Magic, I really hate waiting.   I get bored waiting for queues to fill, and I get bored waiting for rounds to end. If MTGO had any social interactions at all, I could probably stomach it, but it just doesn’t. In v3, chat was pretty marginal, but at least it existed. 
 
Far too often, I find myself shutting down MTGO and firing up GW2 or the like – or just doing something not involving the computer.
 
If there was a constructed deck I was really excited about, that might help, but there is not. 
 
Wizards, any news on Leagues?   
 

Random MTGO Suggestion of the Day:

MTGO should include a “this format last fired __ minutes ago” or “this format fires on average every __ minutes” counter for each on demand format. I know I can derive that information by looking at the list of active events and doing the math, but it would be nice to just look and see. Yes, that might drive some players away from some formats, but is that worse than having them sit in a queue for an hour, then leave?
 
I submitted this suggestion to magiconlinefeedback@wizards.com. If you have recommendations or advice, send them to that email address. Wizards does read them.     
 

Cutting Edge Tech:

Standard: With a significant number of the really strong Madison players at the Pro Tour last weekend, the Madison Regionals last weekend allowed some other lights to shine. The winning deck was designed to keep us warm on a cold day.
 
Boss Sligh
Robbie Coleman, Winner, SCG Regionals, Madison, WI.
Creatures
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
16 cards

Other Spells
3 Wild Slash
4 Mardu Scout
2 Outpost Siege
4 Hordeling Outburst
4 Stoke the Flames
3 Searing Blood
2 Lightning Strike
13 cards
 
Lands
22 Mountain
22 cards

Goblin Rabblemaster
 
Modern: The Pro Tour is in the books. The finals came down to Splinter Twin against Amulet. Since Justin is a fellow Madisonian, I was rooting for him, but Splinter Twin and Blood Moon took him down. The rest of the top 8 was two Burn decks, three very different Abzan decks and another Twin deck,  
 
 
 
 
 
Legacy: No big paper Legacy events last weekend, so let’s look at MTGO. The most recent (as I write this) Legacy event was the Daily on 2/10. Three decks went undefeated:  Painter’s Servant, Omniscient Show and Lands.   I haven’t featured Servant recently, so here you go.
   
 
Vintage: The Vintage Super League week two matches played out.  One of the more interesting decks was Bob Maher’s Gush/Fastbond/Crucible of Worlds/Zuran Orb deck. This deck is so really old school: the concept dates back to the printing of Crucible a decade ago, and the kill card is from Mirage. I would not recommend it as an entry into Vintage, but Bob is no newcomer and he likes the deck. 
 
 

Card Prices

Note: all my prices come from the fine folks at MTGOTraders.com. These are retail prices, and generally the price of the lowest priced, actively traded version. (Prices for some rare promo versions are not updated when not in stock, so I skip those.)   You can get these cards at MTGOTraders.com web store, or from their bots: MTGOTradersBot(#) (they have bots 1-10), CardCaddy and CardWareHouse, or sell cards to MTGOTradersBuyBot(#) (they have buybots 1-4). I have bought cards from MTGOTraders for almost a decade now, and have never been overcharged or disappointed.
 
Standard staples: Standard prices dropped again this week. Much of this is still the shake-out from the new set. New set prices are super-inflated week one. They are now dropping back into place, while people are reacting to the new metagame. 
 

Standard & Block Cards
Price
Last Week
Change
% Change
$7.24
$8.08
($0.84)
-10%
$6.65
$5.30
$1.35
25%
$13.98
$16.50
($2.52)
-15%
$8.44
$9.68
($1.24)
-13%
$10.27
$11.76
($1.49)
-13%
$4.33
$7.52
($3.19)
-42%
$13.35
$11.91
$1.44
12%
$12.42
$13.53
($1.11)
-8%
$17.49
$13.74
$3.75
27%
$10.76
$10.66
$0.10
1%
$9.66
$8.44
$1.22
14%
$13.74
$12.78
$0.96
8%
$13.47
$16.76
($3.29)
-20%
$23.11
$20.83
$2.28
11%
$13.60
$15.18
($1.58)
-10%
$6.37
$7.94
($1.57)
-20%
$8.22
$7.68
$0.54
7%
$6.40
$8.32
($1.92)
-23%
$9.87
$9.14
$0.73
8%
(Soulfire Grand Mentor)
$6.79
$7.19
($0.40)
-6%
$15.29
$13.45
$1.84
14%
$10.06
$7.61
$2.45
32%
$19.87
$17.71
$2.16
12%
$18.19
$27.60
($9.41)
-34%
$8.51
$9.39
($0.88)
-9%
$7.06
$8.28
($1.22)
-15%

Modern staples:  Modern prices are showing the effect of the Pro Tour this week. 
 

Modern Cards
Price
Last Week
Change
% Change
$40.06
$40.10
($0.04)
0%
$28.83
$22.99
$5.84
25%
$14.31
$13.57
$0.74
5%
$9.19
$9.19
$0.00
0%
$6.00
$6.67
($0.67)
-10%
$22.06
$25.04
($2.98)
-12%
$18.21
$27.10
($8.89)
-33%
$16.04
$17.85
($1.81)
-10%
$35.45
$40.06
($4.61)
-12%
$51.77
$51.96
($0.19)
0%
$46.83
$46.83
$0.00
0%
$85.45
$98.16
($12.71)
-13%
$19.38
$19.38
$0.00
0%
$57.15
$57.73
($0.58)
-1%
$30.03
$21.00
$9.03
43%
$34.07
$31.40
$2.67
9%
$30.92
$25.99
$4.93
19%
$23.04
$26.04
($3.00)
-12%
$20.25
$17.88
$2.37
13%
$92.17
$95.13
($2.96)
-3%
$25.68
$25.68
$0.00
0%
$41.37
$39.84
$1.53
4%
$19.62
$14.50
$5.12
35%

Legacy / Vintage staples: Legacy and Vintage prices were mixed this week. The hits were mainly to Vintage cards, especially VMA. Non-VMA cards grew slightly. Rishadan Port is now neck and neck with Black Lotus.
 

Legacy / Vintage Cards
Price
Last Week
Change
% Change
$53.40
$55.25
($1.85)
-3%
$148.61
$153.66
($5.05)
-3%
$34.92
$34.92
$0.00
0%
$38.53
$33.60
$4.93
15%
$28.83
$29.86
($1.03)
-3%
$28.54
$28.54
$0.00
0%
$8.36
$9.28
($0.92)
-10%
$29.00
$28.98
$0.02
0%
$26.40
$25.11
$1.29
5%
$28.90
$27.73
$1.17
4%
$28.23
$27.44
$0.79
3%
$16.08
$16.08
$0.00
0%
$12.62
$12.97
($0.35)
-3%
$112.42
$112.42
$0.00
0%
$47.36
$49.12
($1.76)
-4%
$75.81
$78.55
($2.74)
-3%
$148.15
$148.15
$0.00
0%
$39.51
$42.71
($3.20)
-7%
$27.40
$28.82
($1.42)
-5%
$45.30
$47.70
($2.40)
-5%
$25.52
$24.36
$1.16
5%
$16.00
$15.60
$0.40
3%
$30.86
$30.86
$0.00
0%
$106.54
$106.54
$0.00
0%

Set Redemption: You can redeem complete sets on MTGO. You need to purchase a redemption voucher from the store for $25. During the next downtime, Wizards removes a complete set from your account, and sends you the same set in paper.   For those of you who redeem, here are the retail prices of one of everything set currently available in the store, excluding sets that are not currently draftable or not redeemable.    
 

Complete Set
Price
Last Week
Change
% Change
Born of the Gods
$64.27
$64.74
($0.47)
-1%
Fate Reforged
$94.66
$120.04
($25.38)
-21%
Journey into Nix
$107.82
$107.33
$0.49
0%
Khans of Trakir
$79.56
$84.84
($5.28)
-6%
M15
$151.69
$145.52
$6.17
4%
Theros
$98.15
$95.93
$2.22
2%

 
The Good Stuff:
The following is a list of all the non-promo, non-foil cards on MTGO that retail for more than $25 per card.  These are the big ticket items in the world of MTGO. This week, VMA took a hit. Black Lotus is still atop the heap, but Port is closing. All the real power (Timetwister has never been real power) is still on the list, but not by a lot. 
 

Name
Set
Rarity
Price
Black Lotus
VMA
B
$ 148.61
Rishadan Port
MM
R
$ 148.15
Misdirection
MM
R
$ 112.42
Wasteland
TE
U
$ 106.54
Tarmogoyf
MMA
M
$   96.46
Tarmogoyf
FUT
R
$   92.17
Liliana of the Veil
ISD
M
$   85.45
Mox Sapphire
VMA
B
$   75.81
Mox Opal
SOM
M
$   57.15
Infernal Tutor
DIS
R
$   53.78
Ancestral Recall
VMA
B
$   53.40
Griselbrand
AVR
M
$   51.77
Force of Will
MED
R
$   50.17
Mox Jet
VMA
B
$   47.36
Show and Tell
UZ
R
$   47.23
Karn Liberated
NPH
M
$   46.83
Time Walk
VMA
B
$   45.30
Mox Ruby
VMA
B
$   44.90
Vendilion Clique
MOR
R
$   43.63
Batterskull
NPH
M
$   42.46
Vendilion Clique
MMA
M
$   41.37
Containment Priest
C14
R
$   38.53
Primeval Titan
M11
M
$   36.28
Tangle Wire
NE
R
$   36.17
Fulminator Mage
SHM
R
$   35.45
City of Traitors
EX
R
$   34.92
Primeval Titan
M12
M
$   34.07
Mox Emerald
VMA
B
$   32.79
Toxic Deluge
C13
R
$   32.19
Scalding Tarn
ZEN
R
$   30.92
Undiscovered Paradise
VI
R
$   30.86
Mox Pearl
VMA
B
$   30.37
Noble Hierarch
CON
R
$   30.03
Daze
DD2
C
$   29.92
Volcanic Island
ME4
R
$   29.69
Force of Will
VMA
R
$   29.00
Hurkyl's Recall
10E
R
$   28.90
Intuition
TE
R
$   28.87
Bitterblossom
MOR
R
$   28.83
Dark Depths
CSP
R
$   28.83
Daze
NE
C
$   28.54
Sneak Attack
UZ
R
$   27.40
Gaea's Cradle
UZ
R
$   27.28
Auriok Champion
5DN
R
$   26.91
Volcanic Island
ME3
R
$   26.38
Twilight Mire
EVE
R
$   25.68
True-Name Nemesis
C13
R
$   25.52

 
The big number is the retail price of a playset (4 copies) of every card available on MTGO. Assuming you bought the least expensive version available, the cost of owning a playset of every card on MTGO you can own is $ 26,160. That’s down about $170 from where we were last week.
 

Weekly Highlights:

Nothing Magic related. I will be running a real, old-school PTQ at Gnome Games in Green Bay on Saturday. Standard. Come play. This will be one of the last of the old-style, winner-immediately-qualifies PTQs, so check it out.
 
 
PRJ
 
“One Million Words” and “3MWords” on MTGO
 
 
This series is an ongoing tribute to Erik “Hamtastic” Friborg.
 
HammyBot Still Running: HammyBot was set up to sell off Erik Friborg’s collection, with all proceeds going to his wife and son. So far, HammyBot has raised over $8,000, but there are a lot of cards left in the collection. Those cards are being sold at 10% below retail price. Erik died three years ago, so HammyBot does not include any standard legal cards, but it includes a ton of Masters Edition and Vintage cards, and some nice Modern bargains. 
 

7 Comments

I was really excited about by Cownose at Fri, 02/13/2015 - 13:44
Cownose's picture
5

I was really excited about the Magic: Origins announcement, but then I looked at the details and I am no longer interested. I was expecting a retrospective of the cool old Pre-Lorwyn Planeswalkers, characters that never really got to shine because PW cards weren't invented yet (and I was heartened by the new commander product going in that direction). I wanted to see Urza, Teferi and company, but instead I get MORE Jace, liliana, and the other over saturated (and in my opinion uninteresting) characters. How is this different from every other set the last few years? Jace and company are getting like Wolverine in the movies...they are cool and all, but enough already!

Also: Bob's deck for the VSL reminds me so much of playing Vintage pre-2000s...meaning that it is both cool and AWFUL at the same time.

Yeah I am feeling that by Paul Leicht at Fri, 02/13/2015 - 15:53
Paul Leicht's picture

Yeah I am feeling that saturation complaint. Wolverine indeed! It seems like a dog with a bone with these characters. I didn't particularly care for the flavor of a lot of these guys to begin with, and they haven't improved in my eyes since Lorwyn. But hey every gimmick gets its shot. These guys have been around too long. I would love to see Urza, Mishra, their assistants, the Weatherlite gang etc get some planeswalker love. Not that I am much of a Vorthos. I'll play whatever is good/interesting to build with but occasionally it does wear thin.

Wow, Dark Confidant having no by ScionOfJustice at Fri, 02/13/2015 - 14:07
ScionOfJustice's picture

Wow, Dark Confidant having no showing in the top 8 really caused him to take a huge hit. I also noted that there used to be an unofficial rule that the bottom prices for rares on traders was five cents, but it would appear that is no longer the case as I've seen two and three cent rares from Kahns.

Not just missing the Top 8 by one million words at Fri, 02/13/2015 - 14:42
one million words's picture

I think Bob has more problems than just missing T8. He is just too slow and too painful. Bob is not what you want against Burn, causes too much pain in Abzan, and I would be nervous tapping out for him turn two or three against Amulet or Infect. He might be okay turn two against Twin, but not turn three. Or maybe I'm just not seeing where he fits - Bob needs a low curve deck - maybe some sort of Bump Burn shell?

Commander coder by JPLiberato at Fri, 02/13/2015 - 17:28
JPLiberato's picture
5

I thought a coder named Elf programmed commander into mtgo v2.5. Is he Lee Sharpe?

No that is Mike Feuell who by Paul Leicht at Fri, 02/13/2015 - 17:36
Paul Leicht's picture

No that is Mike Fuelle who moved on to Microsoft after wizards unwisely got rid of him. And Elf was long gone by then.

Leagues by George McBain at Thu, 02/19/2015 - 23:58
George McBain's picture

"Wizards, any news on Leagues?"

This ... SO hard.

Being someone who remembers these fondly, I really am (hesitantly) looking forward to the return of Leagues. I am sure it won't be exactly what we want, but one can hope.