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By: JXClaytor, Joshua Claytor
Feb 14 2020 1:00pm
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State of the Program for February 14th, 2019
 
In the News

Players Tour Phoenix: Corey Burkheart won the event with Dimir Inverter.  You can see coverage here, and decklists here

World Championships decks:  16 decks, covering five archetypes were publicly released in time for Worlds.  You can see them here

Arena coming to Mobile in 2020:  During an investor's call this week, it was revealed that Magic's revenue grew 30%, and that Arena is coming to mobile platforms in 2020.  Hipsters has a recap of the call here

World's Deck Tryouts:  You can try out the World Decks on Arena for free this weekend.  You get exp and a card sleeve. Remember when MTGO did this but charged for it?  You can see the info here.

Prelim Schedule Adjustment:  Legacy is picking up two prelims and Pauper is losing the same number.  You can check out that info here.
 

The Timeline

This is a list of things we have been promised, or we just want to see coming back. Another good source for dates and times is the calendar and the weekly blog, while the best source for known bugs is the bug blog which appears sporadically on MTGO.com. Not listed, but important: Wizards offers either one or two online MCQs each weekend, with qualifiers for limited MCQs running the days immediately prior to the MCQ.
 
Upcoming Events
Dates
Scheduled Downtimes
February 26, 2020
Constructed Leagues End
April 15, 2020
Sealed Leagues End
April 16, 2020
Next B&R Announcement
Unknown
Throne of Eldraine Redemption
Ends March 11, 2020
Theros: Beyond Death Redem
Starts February 12, 2020
Theros: Beyond Death
January 24, 2020
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
April 24, 2020
Core Set 2021
Zendikar Rising
Third Quarter 2020
Fourth Quarter 2020
2018 Magic Online Championship Series and other events
Complete details, including schedule, rules, and which online events qualify you for which online or paper events is here. In addition, Wizards will be offering these special formats:

Saturday - Pioneer PTQ
Sunday - Modern PTQ
 
Magic Online Format Challenges
These are high stakes events that happen every weekend. They cost 25 Tix / 250 play points, and last a number of rounds based on participation (assume 5-8), plus a single elimination Top 8. Details, including prize payouts, are here. Start times are:
 
Event Type
Start Time
Saturday, 8:00 am PT 
Saturday, 10:00 am PT
Sunday 6:00 am PT
Sunday, 8:00 am PT
Sunday, 10:00 am PT


Cutting Edge Tech
Standard: It used to be, not to long ago, that Cat Food was among the most feared decks in Standard.  While Worlds is a 16 player event, it's weird to see just one player on it.


Legacy:  I don't know what to say about Legacy decks, this one looks fun, but that is because I like to cast Hymn to Tourach


Modern: I know this deck is really close to the one I showed off last week, but this week it's the deck I wanted to play last week, look, there is Pillage in the deck!  Madcap Experiment works super well with Platinum Emperion


Pauper:  Kendra Smith wrote about this deck over at CoolStuff, and she does an incredible job of explaining this neat Pauper deck here


Pioneer:  Humans seems like a fine deck in the Inverter Pioneer format.  You have disruption and ruthless aggression.


Vintage: Standstill was one of my more favorite cards when it was Standard legal, and the subgame that this enchantment makes people play is sometimes filled with tension.  It's exciting to play with!



 
Winner's Circle

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

Challenge Winners 

Pioneer - Kadoonyec
Pauper - _Bolawarrior_
Legacy - karatedom
Vintage - ChubbyRain
Standard - Thatted
Modern - FranPi
 

Around the Web

MTGOTraders YouTube:  Did you know that MTGOTraders.com has a YouTube page with videos added Monday, Wednesday and Friday?  Well if not, now you do, and you can find it here

The top 9 moments from the World Championship from Brian David-Marshall

Frank Karsten has an updated Pioneer metagame and tier list after Phoenix. 

Alex Ullman looks at Pauper at the start of 2020. 

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 a decade and a half now, and have never been overcharged or disappointed.
 
Standard Staples: The Great Henge should have fell off this week, but it started to trend upward again, so I am keeping it on the list. Cavalier of Night slipped more so it came off the list.  Thassa's Oracle fell off the list as well as Pioneer players either come off the Inverter deck or wait for a ban.  Big mover this week seems to be Lotus Field.

Standard Cards Price Last Week Change % Change
Brazen Borrower $48.39 $50.39 ($2.00) -4%
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King $8.08 $8.16 ($0.08) -1%
The Royal Scions $3.96 $5.43 ($1.47) -27%
Questing Beast $7.96 $8.34 ($0.38) -5%
Alela, Artful Provocateur $8.11 $8.64 ($0.53) -6%
Chulane, Teller of Tales $6.57 $7.12 ($0.55) -8%
The Great Henge $4.14 $3.23 $0.91 28%
Fabled Passage $9.38 $8.92 $0.46 5%
Rankle, Master of Pranks $5.96 $5.58 $0.38 7%
Bonecrusher Giant $6.54


Arclight Phoenix $7.03 $7.35 ($0.32) -4%
Assassin's Trophy $5.63 $5.47 $0.16 3%
Chandra, Awakened Inferno $19.04 $20.80 ($1.76) -8%
Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord $13.32 $16.36 ($3.04) -19%
Leyline of the Void $9.88 $11.46 ($1.58) -14%
Vivien, Arkbow Ranger $9.62 $12.61 ($2.99) -24%
Ajani, Strength of the Pride $7.24 $7.62 ($0.38) -5%
Cavalier of Thorns $17.89 $22.66 ($4.77) -21%
Knight of the Ebon Legion $5.85 $5.51 $0.34 6%
Lotus Field $7.98 $5.33 $2.65 50%
Hydroid Krasis $6.90 $7.68 ($0.78) -10%
Deputy of Detention $6.90 $5.07 $1.83 36%
Kaya, Orzhov Usurper $7.58 $8.37 ($0.79) -9%
Spawn of Mayhem $5.45 $6.35 ($0.90) -14%
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath $53.20 $50.63 $2.57 5%
Heliod, Sun-Crowned $16.43 $20.61 ($4.18) -20%
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger $9.01 $9.55 ($0.54) -6%
Ox of Agonas $6.19 $6.74 ($0.55) -8%
Teferi, Time Raveler $54.45 $57.24 ($2.79) -5%
Finale of Devastation $11.45 $11.20 $0.25 2%
Karn, the Great Creator $9.13 $10.64 ($1.51) -14%
Dreadhorde Arcanist $13.53 $14.41 ($0.88) -6%
Blast Zone $11.27 $10.79 $0.48 4%
Illharg, the Raze-Boar $5.00 $6.02 ($1.02) -17%
Gideon Blackblade $7.51 $7.53 ($0.02) 0%
Niv-Mizzet Reborn $22.67 $27.68 ($5.01) -18%
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries $11.11 $16.79 ($5.68) -34%
Modern Staples:  I didn't want to put Auriok Champion back on the list last week, and now look at it, making me look foolish.  (Noble Heirarch) should be off the list, but it's one of those format staples that I want to keep on listing.  Waterlogged Grove continued to trend downward, so that means next week it will be back above 5.  Force of Negation is

Eternal Staples:  #playmorelegacy  and also #playmorevintage

Eternal Format Cards Price Last Week Change % Change
Dark Depths $5.40 $5.08 $0.32 6%
Oko, Thief of Crowns $15.64 $16.01 ($0.37) -2%
City of Traitors $13.88 $14.73 ($0.85) -6%
Monastery Mentor $11.84 $12.44 ($0.60) -5%
Force of Will $30.66 $29.44 $1.22 4%
Land Tax $6.02 $6.29 ($0.27) -4%
Unmask $7.31 $5.77 $1.54 27%
Misdirection $8.08 $7.95 $0.13 2%
Daze $4.87 $5.48 ($0.61) -11%
Entomb $5.31 $5.68 ($0.37) -7%
True-Name Nemesis $5.60 $5.64 ($0.04) -1%
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow $25.68 $31.34 ($5.66) -18%
Mox Diamond $13.08 $13.29 ($0.21) -2%
Altar of Dementia $6.53 $6.53 $0.00 0%
Grindstone $12.69 $12.19 $0.50 4%
Wasteland $19.29 $18.97 $0.32 2%
Ancient Tomb $9.72 $9.03 $0.69 8%
Lotus Petal $12.29 $12.20 $0.09 1%
Earthcraft $6.24 $6.09 $0.15 2%
Academy Rector $5.68 $5.57 $0.11 2%
Grim Monolith $7.37 $8.53 ($1.16) -14%
Exploration $17.37 $17.78 ($0.41) -2%
Gaea's Cradle $11.94 $13.00 ($1.06) -8%
Sneak Attack $5.64 $6.48 ($0.84) -13%
Carpet of Flowers $7.80 $8.78 ($0.98) -11%
Gilded Drake $5.43 $5.21 $0.22 4%
Time Spiral $6.44 $7.01 ($0.57) -8%
Black Lotus $5.07 $5.40 ($0.33) -6%
Volcanic Island $7.01 $7.39 ($0.38) -5%
Underground Sea $7.43 $6.51 $0.92 14%
Sol Ring $10.43 $9.72 $0.71 7%
Null Rod $7.41 $7.06 $0.35 5%
Pioneer Staples:  It is weird seeing stuff like (Ulamog, Ceaseless Hunger) in danger of falling off the list because Pioneer has become a format that couldn't allow a copycat combo, but can allow Storm and Inverter.  Voice of Resurgence is gone.  Inverter of Truth also dropped a ton this week. Hangarback Walker fell off as did the super fun Starfield of NyxElspeth, Sun's Champion is the last card to come off this week. 

Pioneer Cards Price Last Time Change % Change
Walking Ballista $9.44 $10.23 ($0.79) -8%
Soul-Scar Mage $10.05 $8.20 $1.85 23%
Liliana's Influence $8.94 $8.94 $0.00 0%
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar $7.52 $6.76 $0.76 11%
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger $4.48 $5.48 ($1.00) -18%
Courser of Kruphix $4.54 $4.28 $0.26 6%
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria $5.75 $5.19 $0.56 11%
Kolaghan's Command $4.85 $6.53 ($1.68) -26%
Collected Company $11.80 $17.12 ($5.32) -31%
Liliana, the Last Hope $14.33 $17.79 ($3.46) -19%
Collective Brutality $5.99 $7.69 ($1.70) -22%
Emrakul, the Promised End $10.03 $5.86 $4.17 71%
Selfless Spirit $6.38 $4.62 $1.76 38%
Spell Queller $4.48 $5.05 ($0.57) -11%
Breeding Pool $7.13 $5.76 $1.37 24%
Stomping Ground $2.94 $3.15 ($0.21) -7%
Godless Shrine $2.72 $2.44 $0.28 11%
Sacred Foundry $0.42 $0.37 $0.05 14%
Watery Grave $1.72 $2.31 ($0.59) -26%
Mana Confluence $11.84 $17.24 ($5.40) -31%
Eidolon of the Great Revel $9.04 $9.56 ($0.52) -5%
Spirebluff Canal $4.77 $5.32 ($0.55) -10%
Chandra, Torch of Defiance $8.02 $5.98 $2.04 34%
Botanical Sanctum $9.51 $7.43 $2.08 28%
Scavenging Ooze $7.02 $6.73 $0.29 4%
Mutavault $17.11 $17.34 ($0.23) -1%
Goblin Rabblemaster $11.87 $4.64 $7.23 156%
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet $13.92 $15.68 ($1.76) -11%
Thought-Knot Seer $7.00 $5.79 $1.21 21%
Inverter of Truth $3.61 $7.26 ($3.65) -50%
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy $12.51 $13.02 ($0.51) -4%
Rest in Peace $7.78 $9.80 ($2.02) -21%
Supreme Verdict $6.16 $8.07 ($1.91) -24%
Hallowed Fountain $2.64 $2.60 $0.04 2%
Steam Vents $2.10 $1.91 $0.19 10%
Blood Crypt $1.22 $1.24 ($0.02) -2%
Overgrown Tomb $0.84 $0.68 $0.16 24%
Temple Garden $1.52 $1.51 $0.01 1%
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 Week Change % Change
Core Set 2020 $205.54 $218.24 ($12.70) -6%
Guilds of Ravnica $52.82 $54.34 ($1.52) -3%
Modern Horizons $359.08 $331.16 $27.92 8%
Ravnica Allegiances $72.17 $73.69 ($1.52) -2%
Theros Beyond Death $138.19 $147.82 ($9.63) -7%
Theros Beyond Death Booster $3.40 $3.31 $0.09 3%
Throne of Eldraine $183.54 $184.66 ($1.12) -1%
Treasure Chest $2.16 $2.18 ($0.02) -1%
War of the Spark $189.57 $207.94 ($18.37) -9%

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 205.17
Mox Sapphire 1E Rare 83.71
Mox Emerald 1E Rare 82.51
Karn Liberated UBT Mythic 76.55
Wrenn and Six MH1 Mythic 76.48
Ancestral Recall 1E Rare 68.29
Mox Jet 1E Rare 67.6
Force of Negation MH1 Rare 65.59
Snapcaster Mage UBT Mythic 57.6
Teferi, Time Raveler WAR Rare 54.45
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath THB Mythic 53.2
Liliana of the Veil UBT Mythic 52.45
Mox Pearl 1E Rare 51.82
Time Walk 1E Rare 49.14
Dark Depths V16 Mythic 48.41
Brazen Borrower ELD Mythic 48.39
Mox Ruby 1E Rare 46.84
Unmask V16 Mythic 45.01
Noble Hierarch UBT Mythic 43.83
Dark Depths UBT Mythic 42.08
Jace, the Mind Sculptor MS4 Mythic 41.58
Lord Windgrace PZ2 Mythic 41.39
Liliana, the Last Hope MS4 Mythic 34.68
Mana Confluence EXP Mythic 32.95
Timetwister 1E Rare 32.55
Force of Will MED Rare 30.66
Cavern of Souls UBT Mythic 30.12
Celestial Colonnade UBT Mythic 27.06
Tuvasa the Sunlit PZ2 Mythic 26.61
Karakas UBT Mythic 26.09
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria MS4 Mythic 25.7
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow PZ2 Rare 25.68
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer PZ2 Mythic 25.26
Tarmogoyf UBT Mythic 25.24

 
In Closing

I actually read Magic articles this week.  Still getting work done in the house.  This weekend, we should finish up the ceiling in the hallway, and I sold my MTGO to finance getting my bathroom fixed up.  After that was paid for, I restarted my MTGO account, with a couple of decks, heavy on the Teferi, Time Raveler.  Outside of that, with Pokemon Home coming out, I am now playing through Sun and X. 

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