MTGO Socials: Daybreak has set up forums for MTGO, which you can find here. In addition to the Forums, Daybreak has set up a Discord for MTGO.  You can get the invite here. MTGO has a Twitter account, and can now add an account for Facebook and Instagram. 

Two-Factor Authentication:  This is in Account Settings.  To turn it on you will be asked for your account password and a 6-digit code sent to the email associated with your account.  You can use either an email or authenticator based system.  This will help keep your accounts secure, you can read about the system here.

Redemption:  Redemption is up and running!  Remember that redemption runs now until supply is gone. Currently being redeemed is The Brothers' War,  Phyrexia: All Will Be One, and March of the Machine.  As of May 23, 2023, Redemption Tokens are non-refundable!  A limited amount of Dominaria United is back in stock.  You can check the new redemption page here.

Challenge Schedule Changing:  Two Prelims on Friday nights are now becoming small Challenge events.This helps players in the Asia-Pacific region.  Saturday is also getting another Modern Challenge. Both of these are 32 player events. The Saturday 6 a.m. Standard Event is going back to a small event prize structure.   

64 player Single-Elimination Drafts:  Coming back with Vintage cube are large scale 64 player events.  These, of course, Single-Elimination.  Will be Vintage Cube, and start on August 25.

Prize Increases:  Prizes are now being paid out to the top 128 of Showcase Challenges.  Increases are a full regular set to 9-16.  A full regular set for players that finish the Swiss X-2.  33-64 will get 200 play points and 10 Treasure Chests.  65-128 will get 150 play points and 5 treasure chests.  Super Qualifiers are also getting a boost, 33-64 are getting 400 play points and 10 chests.  65-128 is getting 200 play points and 5 chests.  Players that finished that highly in Super Qualifiers since July 30, got a retroactive prize increase as well. 

Commander Masters Survey:  Click the link here to take the Commander Masters survey from Wizards of the Coast.  If you think things are going to fast, getting to expensive, whatever, respectfully let them know at that link.

Vintage Cube: Ryan Spain worked on the new version of the Vintage Cube, with help from Chris Wulf.  They made 108 changes to the cube and you can see the changes they made and the reasoning behind them here!

Patch Notes: You can check out the notes for this update here.

Standard:  I don't really know what's going on in Standard, but I can't wait for Wilds of Eldraine to come out and shake up the format.  We've had two sets come out since March of the Machine and neither of them effected the format,and that, for some reason, feels weird to me. 

Mono Red Aggro

 

4 Monastery Swiftspear 4 Lightning Strike 19 Mountain 4 Bloodthirsty Adversary 4 Falkenrath Pit Fighter 2 Feldon, Ronom Excavator 4 Invasion of Tarkir 4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan 4 Mishra's Foundry 3 Nahiri's Warcrafting 4 Play with Fire

3 Shivan Devastator 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance

Sideboard: 1 Chandra, Dressed to Kill 2 Flame-Blessed Bolt 2 Jaya, Fiery Negotiator 2 Koth, Fire of Resistance 4 Lithomantic Barrage 1 Nahiri's Warcrafting 3 Obliterating Bolt

Legacy:

Mono Black Helm

 

4 Karn, the Great Creator 4 Dark Ritual 1 Ill-Gotten Gains 3 Thoughtseize 4 Leyline of the Void 4 Chrome Mox 3 Helm of Obedience 4 Ancient Tomb 4 City of Traitors 5 Snow-Covered Swamp 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 4 Agadeem's Awakening 4 Dauthi Voidwalker 4 Grief 4 Opposition Agent 4 Orcish Bowmasters 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

2 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire

Sideboard: 2 Plague Engineer 1 Wurmcoil Engine 1 Thoughtseize 1 Chalice of the Void 1 Ensnaring Bridge 1 Helm of Obedience 1 Liquimetal Coating 1 Mycosynth Lattice 1 Pithing Needle 1 Powder Keg 1 Tormod's Crypt 1 Trinisphere 1 Vault of Whispers 1 The Stone Brain

Modern: I love that Tron is using Generous Ent as a way to find a green mana source.  Very smooth move!

Tron

 

2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger 1 Wurmcoil Engine 2 Karn Liberated 4 Karn, the Great Creator 2 Warping Wail 4 Ancient Stirrings 3 Sylvan Scrying 4 Chromatic Sphere 2 Chromatic Star 4 Expedition Map 4 Oblivion Stone 2 Relic of Progenitus 3 Forest 4 Urza's Mine 4 Urza's Power Plant 4 Urza's Tower 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Cityscape Leveler

4 Generous Ent 4 The One Ring

Sideboard: 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 1 Sundering Titan 1 Walking Ballista 2 Wurmcoil Engine 1 Chalice of the Void 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Ensnaring Bridge 1 Liquimetal Coating 1 Pithing Needle 1 Tormod's Crypt 1 Cityscape Leveler 2 Haywire Mite 1 The Stone Brain

Pauper:  This is what I have been playing in the Manatraders series.  It's a fun deck capable of killing early. This came from a 5-0 deck dump.  I adore it. 

Simic Infect

 

2 Blight Mamba 4 Blighted Agent 4 Glistener Elf 4 Ichorclaw Myr 2 Groundswell 3 Might of Old Krosa 4 Mutagenic Growth 3 Spell Pierce 4 Vines of Vastwood 3 Distortion Strike 4 Ponder 3 Preordain

9 Forest 7 Island 4 Snakeskin Veil

Sideboard: 2 Annul 3 Blue Elemental Blast 1 Dispel 4 Nature's Claim 1 Spell Pierce 2 Turn Aside 2 Weather the Storm

Pioneer:  I know I call for Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx to be banned, and I hate that, because it's really Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner and Karn, the Great Creator that make Pioneer Devotion decks so unpleasant. 

Mono Red Devotion

 

3 Anax, Hardened in the Forge 4 Bonecrusher Giant 4 Burning-Tree Emissary 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 4 Fanatic of Mogis 1 Fanatical Firebrand 3 Goblin Chainwhirler 4 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance 3 Leyline of Combustion 12 Mountain 4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 3 Ramunap Ruins 2 Chandra, Dressed to Kill 4 Shatterskull Smashing

1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance 2 Unlucky Witness

Sideboard: 2 Boros Reckoner 2 Rampaging Ferocidon 1 Chandra, Awakened Inferno 1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance 1 Abrade 1 Fry 1 Anger of the Gods 3 Mizzium Mortars 1 Leyline of Combustion 1 Brotherhood's End 1 Curse of Shaken Faith

 

The Winner's Circle is where I will recognize winners of the past events on MTGO. 

Challenge Winners

Friday Modern - Cachorrowo - Boros Burn

Saturday Legacy - mephidro - Mono Black Helm
Saturday Modern - Sahakvic - Rakdos Evoke
Saturday Modern - Showcase Challenge
Saturday Pauper - LasVegasChaos - Gruul Cascade
Saturday Pioneer - Misplacedginger - Rakdos Midrange
Saturday Standard - _Batutinha_ - Dimir Midrange
Saturday Vintage - unluckymonkey

Sunday Legacy - xJCloud - Death and Taxes?  Stoneblade?  I don't know what Legacy decks are called. 
Sunday Modern - _Kovu_ - 4 Color Elementals
Sunday Pauper - discoverN - Mono Blue Delver
Sunday Pioneer - Showcase Challenge
Sunday Standard - Ignotus97 - Esper Control
Sunday Vintage - TeamLeaderNA

Other Event Winners

Modern Showcase Challenge
Pioneer Showcase Challege

Standard Staples: Liliana of the Veil is back on the list. Invasion of Tarkir and Jin-Gitaxias came off of the list. 

Standard Cards	Price	Last Week	Change	% Change
Cityscape Leveler	$15.22	$12.46	$2.76	22%
The Stone Brain	$8.70	$7.86	$0.84	11%
Leyline Binding	$11.68	$11.13	$0.55	5%
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse	$24.64	$24.08	$0.56	2%
Liliana of the Veil	$7.05
Nissa, Resurgent Animist	$23.56	$23.49	$0.07	0%
Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival	$7.79	$7.52	$0.27	4%
Memory Deluge	$10.64	$10.78	-$0.14	-1%
Sheoldred	$5.59	$5.41	$0.18	3%
Urabrask	$7.49	$7.76	-$0.27	-3%
Invasion of Gobakhan	$10.09	$12.72	-$2.63	-21%
Elesh Norn	$5.34	$6.04	-$0.70	-12%
Vorinclex	$11.76	$13.17	-$1.41	-11%
Boseiju, Who Endures	$35.04	$28.69	$6.35	22%
Otawara, Soaring City	$8.04	$7.25	$0.79	11%
The Wandering Emperor	$6.57	$7.10	-$0.53	-7%
Atraxa, Grand Unifier	$8.78	$7.30	$1.48	20%
Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines	$9.83	$8.88	$0.95	11%
Jace, the Perfected Mind	$6.13	$5.50	$0.63	11%
Ledger Shredder	$8.64	$6.65	$1.99	30%
Unlicensed Hearse	$7.74	$7.25	$0.49	7%
Wedding Announcement	$16.49	$19.57	-$3.08	-16%

Modern Staples:

Modern Cards	Price	Last Week	Change	% Change
Engineered Explosives	$12.77	$10.51	$2.26	22%
Blood Moon	$5.46	$5.79	-$0.33	-6%
Cavern of Souls	$4.65	$5.32	-$0.67	-13%
Orvar, the All-Form	$9.40	$9.41	-$0.01	0%
Polluted Delta	$12.28	$21.06	-$8.78	-42%
Wooded Foothills	$6.74	$5.75	$0.99	17%
Flooded Strand	$7.48	$5.18	$2.30	44%
Bloodstained Mire	$6.76	$5.99	$0.77	13%
Windswept Heath	$4.37	$4.47	-$0.10	-2%
Thoughtseize	$7.09	$7.44	-$0.35	-5%
The One Ring	$82.84	$100.26	-$17.42	-17%
Orcish Bowmasters	$29.56	$39.91	-$10.35	-26%
Force of Negation	$31.12	$26.79	$4.33	16%
Wrenn and Six	$14.32	$12.41	$1.91	15%
Sunbaked Canyon	$11.38	$15.87	-$4.49	-28%
Seasoned Pyromancer	$5.42	$6.95	-$1.53	-22%
Force of Vigor	$13.63	$15.39	-$1.76	-11%
Flusterstorm	$11.60	$7.90	$3.70	47%
Archon of Cruelty	$6.88	$6.08	$0.80	13%
Grist, the Hunger Tide	$7.29	$5.94	$1.35	23%
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	$23.48	$24.23	-$0.75	-3%
Urza's Saga	$33.50	$23.76	$9.74	41%
Solitude	$15.93	$15.26	$0.67	4%
Endurance	$21.84	$26.00	-$4.16	-16%
Grief	$40.06	$37.33	$2.73	7%
Murktide Regent	$17.44	$24.87	-$7.43	-30%
Fury	$25.17	$31.08	-$5.91	-19%
Esper Sentinel	$5.54	$4.33	$1.21	28%
Subtlety	$34.02	$40.48	-$6.46	-16%
Chalice of the Void	$19.37	$20.40	-$1.03	-5%
Dismember	$5.92	$6.43	-$0.51	-8%
Teferi, Time Raveler	$13.04	$11.20	$1.84	16%
Scalding Tarn	$7.12	$5.83	$1.29	22%
Verdant Catacombs	$2.79	$2.65	$0.14	5%
Misty Rainforest	$5.85	$5.87	-$0.02	0%
Arid Mesa	$2.35	$1.94	$0.41	21%
Marsh Flats	$1.16	$1.21	-$0.05	-4%

Eternal Staples:  Creative Technique is new to the list. Summon Undead is new to the list as well.  It's up to $8.26, so I assume Pauper has gotten to it!  Daze is off of the list.  Entomb is back on the list.  Stifle  is also back on the list. 

Eternal Format Cards	Price	Last Time	Change	% Change
Creative Technique	$45.00
Avenging Hunter	$8.06	$7.16	$0.90	13%
Kenku Artificer	$19.71	$18.77	$0.94	5%
Summon Undead	$8.26
Goliath Paladin	$5.18	$7.40	($2.22)	-30%
Displacer Kitten	$4.69	$5.61	($0.92)	-16%
Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes	$7.57	$6.35	$1.22	19%
Seasoned Dungeoneer	$9.33	$9.38	($0.05)	-1%
Caves of Chaos Adventurer	$8.35	$6.73	$1.62	24%
Hullbreacher	$7.52	$8.91	($1.39)	-16%
Opposition Agent	$12.79	$9.93	$2.86	29%
City of Traitors	$11.88	$14.13	($2.25)	-16%
Muxus, Goblin Grandee	$13.95	$14.51	($0.56)	-4%
Helm of Obedience	$8.96	$8.39	$0.57	7%
Force of Will	$29.06	$29.21	($0.15)	-1%
Urza's Bauble	$10.46	$9.29	$1.17	13%
Hydroblast	$7.28	$6.73	$0.55	8%
Pyroblast	$8.57	$8.26	$0.31	4%
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale	$8.40	$8.34	$0.06	1%
Phyrexian Dreadnought	$9.05	$8.57	$0.48	6%
Unmask	$14.06	$17.52	($3.46)	-20%
Misdirection	$10.54	$11.08	($0.54)	-5%
Snuff Out	$15.06	$13.38	$1.68	13%
Entomb	$5.59
Retrofitter Foundry	$7.59	$6.18	$1.41	23%
Stifle	$6.12
Mox Diamond	$45.22	$43.35	$1.87	4%
Wasteland	$12.34	$11.60	$0.74	6%
Ancient Tomb	$13.84	$13.10	$0.74	6%
Lotus Petal	$12.24	$11.06	$1.18	11%
Grindstone	$15.19	$13.83	$1.36	10%
Powder Keg	$14.33	$13.53	$0.80	6%
Grim Monolith	$15.83	$17.46	($1.63)	-9%
Gaea's Cradle	$22.99	$22.52	$0.47	2%
Gilded Drake	$8.83	$8.87	($0.04)	0%
Show and Tell	$18.93	$19.61	($0.68)	-3%
Black Lotus	$13.58	$14.86	($1.28)	-9%
Volcanic Island	$10.80	$12.48	($1.68)	-13%
Underground Sea	$18.22	$16.40	$1.82	11%
Null Rod	$22.17	$23.02	($0.85)	-4%
Doomsday	$14.58	$15.28	($0.70)	-5%
Paradigm Shift	$12.10	$12.10	$0.00	0%

Pioneer Staples:  Den of the Bugbear came off the list.  Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger is also gone.  Castle Locthwain is off the list. 

Pioneer Cards	Price	Last Time	Change	% Change
Lair of the Hydra	$4.55	$5.02	-$0.47	-9.36%
Brazen Borrower	$8.05	$7.20	$0.85	11.81%
Shark Typhoon	$5.88	$6.92	-$1.04	-15.03%
Mana Confluence	$4.74	$5.80	-$1.06	-18.28%
Blightstep Pathway	$7.93	$9.18	-$1.25	-13.62%
Hengegate Pathway	$6.02	$6.54
Spirebluff Canal	$7.46	$5.20	$2.26	43.46%
Inspiring Vantage	$5.59	$4.63	$0.96	20.73%
Lotus Field	$17.06	$18.92	-$1.86	-9.83%
Cavalier of Thorns	$6.72	$5.53
The Meathook Massacre	$13.86	$14.57	-$0.71	-4.87%
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker	$26.16	$26.12	$0.04	0.15%
Magma Opus	$5.65	$6.19	-$0.54	-8.72%
Karn, the Great Creator	$14.53	$12.05	$2.48	20.58%
Emeria's Call	$25.11	$21.03	$4.08	19.40%
Omnath, Locus of Creation	$4.87	$5.35	-$0.48	-8.97%
Skyclave Apparition	$7.01	$7.04	-$0.03	-0.43%
Sea Gate Restoration	$13.32	$13.96	-$0.64	-4.58%
Roiling Vortex	$21.14	$17.85	$3.29	18.43%

Standard Legal Sets: This table tracks the cost of a single copy of every card in each Standard legal set, plus Treasure Chests and the current booster pack. I’ll keep tracking these because they are interesting (at least to me).  This is being kept as a small tribute to Pete!

Complete Set	Price	Last Time	Change	% Change
The Brothers' War	$81.58	$76.01	$5.57	7%
Dominaria United	$86.52	$68.36	$18.16	27%
Innistrad: Crimson Vow	$52.08	$55.46	($3.38)	-6%
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt	$73.94	$73.03	$0.91	1%
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty	$99.44	$92.27	$7.17	8%
March of the Machine	$141.89	$154.43	($12.54)	-8%
March of the Machine Booster	$1.93	$1.99	($0.06)	-3%
Phyrexia: All Will Be One	$176.77	$163.84	$12.93	8%
Streets of New Capenna	$42.30	$39.96	$2.34	6%
Treasure Chest Booster	$2.50	$2.37	$0.13	5%

The Good Stuff

The following is a list of all the non-foil, non-promo cards on MTGO that retail for more than $25 per card. These are the big ticket items in the world of MTGO.  The list is interesting, at the least. This is interesting to me because a lot of these cards have been reprinted more than once, and they are still commanding a high price. 

Black Lotus	1E	Rare	265.22
Mox Jet	1E	Rare	117.58
Ancestral Recall	1E	Rare	99.43
The One Ring	LTR	Mythic	82.84
The One Ring	LTR	Mythic	82.5
The One Ring	LTR	Mythic	79.75
Mox Emerald	1E	Rare	74.67
Mox Sapphire	1E	Rare	72.4
Time Walk	1E	Rare	70.86
Mox Pearl	1E	Rare	60.62
Cavern of Souls	UBT	Mythic	57.78
Liliana of the Veil	UBT	Mythic	55.91
Mox Ruby	1E	Rare	54.59
Karakas	UBT	Mythic	46.44
Mox Diamond	ST	Rare	45.22
Creative Technique	C21	Rare	45
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	UBT	Mythic	43.39
Mox Diamond	TPR	Mythic	42.57
Timetwister	1E	Rare	40.81
Dark Depths	UBT	Mythic	40.3
Grief	MH2	Mythic	40.06
Mox Diamond	V10	Mythic	39.7
Demonic Tutor	UBT	Mythic	39.49
Boseiju, Who Endures	NEO	Rare	35.04
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth	UBT	Mythic	33.58
Urza's Saga	MH2	Rare	33.04
Subtlety	MH2	Mythic	32.7
Breath of Fire	PZ2	Common	31.63
Force of Negation	MH1	Rare	30.86
Reanimate	UBT	Mythic	30.43
Force of Negation	2X2	Rare	30.24
Snapcaster Mage	UBT	Mythic	29.84
Fury	MH2	Mythic	29.58
Orcish Bowmasters	LTR	Rare	29.56
Force of Will	MED	Rare	29.06
Wasteland	ZNE	Mythic	28.52
Orcish Bowmasters	LTR	Rare	28.45
Chalice of the Void	TSR	Bonus	28.22
Armored Whirl Turtle	PZ2	Common	27.88
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse	ONE	Promo	27.1
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	MUL	Mythic	26.56
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker	NEO	Rare	26.16
Life from the Loam	UBT	Mythic	25.91
Underground Sea	ME2	Rare	25.68
Polluted Delta	ONS	Rare	25.57
Chalice of the Void	A25	Mythic	25.52
Emeria's Call	ZNR	Mythic	25.11

The big number is the retail price of a playset (4 copies) of every card available on MTGO. Assuming you bought the least expensive versions available, the cost of owning a playset of every card on MTGO is approximately a number that I cannot figure out still. I have actually asked Pete to do this for me, because Open Office is weird, and I have no idea what I am doing, and I am pretty close to just being a dog in a labcoat.
 

In Closing

I spent the week playing Fortnite, Pauper, the Game Boy Pokemon TCG and Blossom Tales. It hasn't been a bad week, I just really dreaded writing the column.  I also bought a Vintage deck that I intend to play on MTGO but probably never will. 

This series is an ongoing tribute to Erik “Hamtastic” Friborg.