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 (About Half-Gone) Phyrexia: All Will Be One, and March of the Machine.  As of May 23, 2023, Redemption Tokens are non-refundable! 

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.   

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

Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth:  We have a host of new products from the set when it goes live on MTGO on June 20th!  There will be five art bundles, highlighting the borderless lands of Middle-Earth ($23.99 for 6), Humans, ($17.99) Elves, ($17.99), Dwarves, ($12.99) (The Humans, Elves and Dwarves have their respective Sol Rings and a few other styles with them) and Haflings ($17.99).  These cards, in the store, will not be in Treasure chests, and the bundles will be the only way to pick them up.  The Starter Kit will be on MTGO, it features two decks, one for Mordor and one for Gondor and goes for $12.99.  Jumpstart comes to MTGO in it's original form as well.  There will be Phantom Jumpstart leagues.  If you win 5 matches in a Jumpstart league between June 20th and July 4th you will get a special Samwise Gamgee avatar.  It is the same one that is granted by the welcome package from The Lord of the Rings Online (also published by Daybreak, now that's some corporate synergy!)  All four Commander decks will also be on sale on the 20th, for 34.99.  Booster packs of the non-redeemable set are $4.99. 

You can check out how the Ring Tempts You, the new Avatars for the set, the Lord of the Rings Online cross promotion, Booster Fun and odds and ends here. 

You can check out how the event payment and prize structures will work here. 

Treasure Chest update:  This will go live on the 20th, make sure you pay attention to the Magic Online Twitter or Discord for exact timing.  Big news is that the Stranger Things cards, in their Magic forms, are coming to MTGO.  You can check out all of the Treasure chest stuff here.

Standard: Rakdos Reanimator is back in the format, and doing well despite the loss of a key discard outlet in Fable of the Mirror-Breaker. Using Etali, Primal Conqueror as a finisher is a dope card to have as well, just so much value!

Rakdos Reanimator

 

1 Liliana of the Veil 4 Go for the Throat 4 Duress 4 Blackcleave Cliffs 3 Sulfurous Springs 7 Swamp 2 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Bloodtithe Collector 2 Cathartic Pyre 3 Cut Down 2 Etali, Primal Conqueror 4 Haunted Ridge 3 Phyrexian Fleshgorger 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 2 Shipwreck Marsh 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance

2 Stormcarved Coast 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 4 The Cruelty of Gix 2 The Elder Dragon War 1 Xander's Lounge 1 Ziatora's Proving Ground

Sideboard: 2 Abrade 2 Disdainful Stroke 2 Bladecoil Serpent 1 Cut Down 2 Glistening Deluge 3 Graveyard Trespasser 2 Razorlash Transmogrant 1 Sheoldred's Edict

Legacy:  Love to see Vesuvan Drifter getting some run in Legacy!

Show and Tell

 

2 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn 2 Griselbrand 1 Simian Spirit Guide 4 Brainstorm 3 Daze 2 Flusterstorm 4 Force of Will 4 Ponder 1 Preordain 4 Show and Tell 4 Sneak Attack 4 Lotus Petal 3 Ancient Tomb 2 City of Traitors 1 Flooded Strand 2 Island 2 Misty Rainforest

1 Mountain 1 Polluted Delta 4 Scalding Tarn 3 Volcanic Island 2 Archon of Cruelty 2 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 2 Vesuvan Drifter

Sideboard: 2 Magus of the Moon 3 Red Elemental Blast 2 Defense Grid 2 Grafdigger's Cage 2 Brotherhood's End 2 Fury 2 Hullbreacher

Modern:  I think Modern could use some help, but I am not sure what could be done with it. 

Atraxa Vengeance

 

2 Griselbrand 3 Ephemerate 4 Goryo's Vengeance 2 Thoughtseize 4 Flooded Strand 1 Gemstone Caverns 2 Godless Shrine 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Indatha Triome 1 Island 4 Marsh Flats 1 Plains 4 Polluted Delta 1 Raugrin Triome 1 Steam Vents 1 Swamp 1 Watery Grave 4 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker

4 Grief 4 Leyline Binding 1 Prismatic Ending 2 Shadow Prophecy 3 Solitude 4 Tainted Indulgence

Sideboard: 3 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 Flusterstorm 1 Silence 1 Spell Pierce 1 Thoughtseize 2 Chalice of the Void 2 Ratchet Bomb 1 Prismatic Ending 2 Shadow Prophecy 1 Solitude

Pauper:  Infect appears to be finding the footing that it can in the Pauper format. I'm excited to see if this deck can continue to evolve and carve out a control role.

Sultai Infect

 

4 Weather the Storm 2 Compulsive Research 4 Contentious Plan 3 Deep Analysis 4 Everflowing Chalice 4 Pentad Prism 4 Hickory Woodlot 4 Peat Bog 4 Saprazzan Skerry 1 Snow-Covered Forest 5 Snow-Covered Island 1 Snow-Covered Swamp

4 Experimental Augury 4 Infectious Inquiry 4 Prologue to Phyresis 4 Thirsting Roots 4 Vivisurgeon's Insight

Sideboard: 4 Hydroblast 3 Moment's Peace 4 Serrated Arrows 4 Bring the Ending

Pioneer:  Storm Herald had a great day one performance at the Regional Championship in Greece. The pilot did fall short of top eight, they did qualify for the Pro Tour with the list.

Storm Herald Combo

 

3 Merfolk Secretkeeper 4 Satyr Wayfinder 4 Storm Herald 4 Gather the Pack 4 Traverse the Ulvenwald 4 Burning Anger 4 Colossification 4 Botanical Sanctum 1 Breeding Pool 1 Copperline Gorge 1 Island 2 Karplusan Forest 1 Mana Confluence 1 Mountain 4 Spirebluff Canal 2 Yavimaya Coast 2 Boseiju, Who Endures

4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 3 Ledger Shredder 1 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Otherworldly Gaze 3 Scrapwork Mutt

Sideboard: 1 Phyrexian Revoker 1 Mystical Dispute 3 Rending Volley 3 Spell Pierce 1 Swan Song 2 Pithing Needle 2 Silent Gravestone 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Haywire Mite

 

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

Challenge Winners

Friday Modern - christiano7 - Rakdos Scam

Saturday Legacy - Bryzem1 - Temur Delver
Saturday Modern - Bmadman - Rakdos Scam
Saturday Modern - Golden91 - HammerTime
Saturday Pauper - AliEnWaRe_ - Golgari Initiative
Saturday Pioneer - reisenza - Enigmatic Toolbox
Saturday Standard - Coly2 - Mono Red Aggro
Saturday Vintage - discoverN

Sunday Legacy - Showcase Challenge
Sunday Modern - WaToO - Azorius Control
Sunday Pauper - O_danielakos - Affinity
Sunday Pioneer - Jaberwocki - Rakdos Sac
Sunday Standard - Gul_Dukat - Esper Legends
Sunday Vintage - noprops

Other Event Winners

Pioneer Super Qualifier
Pauper Showcase Challenge
Legacy Showcase Challenge

Standard Staples: I ran afoul of deadlines today, so we get the Standard list, the set list and the big money items this week!  The regular prices will be back next time! 

Standard Cards	Price	Last Week	Change	% Change
Cityscape Leveler	$30.27	$32.23	-$1.96	-6%
Portal to Phyrexia	$5.82	$6.45	-$0.63	-10%
Titania, Voice of Gaea	$6.76	$6.69	$0.07	1%
One with the Multiverse	$6.52	$8.11	-$1.59	-20%
The Stone Brain	$9.13	$8.14	$0.99	12%
Brotherhood's End	$7.57	$6.95	$0.62	9%
Leyline Binding	$14.60	$15.28	-$0.68	-4%
Liliana of the Veil	$5.05	$5.51	-$0.46	-8%
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse	$18.10	$22.10	-$4.00	-18%
Timeless Lotus	$9.41	$11.34	-$1.93	-17%
Nissa, Resurgent Animist	$56.58	$60.34	-$3.76	-6%
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin	$10.09	$10.09	$0.00	0%
Memory Deluge	$24.26	$19.66	$4.60	23%
Brutal Cathar	$9.62	$9.61	$0.01	0%
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar	$6.43	$7.64	-$1.21	-16%
Invasion of Gobakhan	$4.87	$8.42	-$3.55	-42%
Knight-Errant of Eos	$4.33	$6.57	-$2.24	-34%
Faerie Mastermind	$5.19	$7.19	-$2.00	-28%
Sheoldred	$7.27	$6.99	$0.28	4%
Invasion of Tarkir	$9.59	$11.44	-$1.85	-16%
Urabrask	$6.70	$5.75	$0.95	17%
Chandra, Hope's Beacon	$10.26	$12.05	-$1.79	-15%
Elesh Norn	$6.69	$6.52	$0.17	3%
Boseiju, Who Endures	$28.20	$28.57	-$0.37	-1%
Otawara, Soaring City	$11.59	$12.02	-$0.43	-4%
The Wandering Emperor	$11.46	$10.42	$1.04	10%
March of Otherworldly Light	$4.95	$5.06	-$0.11	-2%
Atraxa, Grand Unifier	$35.96	$38.59	-$2.63	-7%
Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines	$8.16	$7.85	$0.31	4%
Jace, the Perfected Mind	$6.88	$6.82	$0.06	1%
Ledger Shredder	$16.30	$8.10	$8.20	101%
Unlicensed Hearse	$10.03	$10.25	-$0.22	-2%
Stormcarved Coast	$10.22	$12.64	-$2.42	-19%
Wedding Announcement	$27.47	$30.16	-$2.69	-9%

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	$118.20	$120.90	($2.70)	-2%
Dominaria United	$80.14	$92.10	($11.96)	-13%
Innistrad: Crimson Vow	$80.87	$88.93	($8.06)	-9%
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt	$104.30	$103.71	$0.59	1%
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty	$114.78	$114.18	$0.60	1%
March of the Machine	$176.17	$184.31	($8.14)	-4%
March of the Machine Booster	$3.04	$2.86	$0.18	6%
Phyrexia: All Will Be One	$221.72	$228.93	($7.21)	-3%
Streets of New Capenna	$55.91	$48.73	$7.18	15%
Treasure Chest Booster	$2.28	$2.27	$0.01	0%

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	235.03
Mox Jet	1E	Rare	105.41
Ancestral Recall	1E	Rare	91.28
Time Walk	1E	Rare	67.89
Mox Sapphire	1E	Rare	64.56
Mox Emerald	1E	Rare	57.97
Nissa, Resurgent Animist	MAT	Mythic	56.58
Liliana of the Veil	UBT	Mythic	55.91
Mox Pearl	1E	Rare	53.24
Mox Ruby	1E	Rare	48.74
Karakas	UBT	Mythic	44.65
Nissa, Resurgent Animist	MAT	Promo	44.57
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	UBT	Mythic	44.34
Cavern of Souls	UBT	Mythic	43.68
Force of Will	MED	Rare	41.64
Demonic Tutor	UBT	Mythic	38.79
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker	NEO	Rare	36.06
Dark Depths	UBT	Mythic	36.05
Atraxa, Grand Unifier	ONE	Mythic	35.96
Timetwister	1E	Rare	35.07
Pramikon, Sky Rampart	C19	Mythic	33.2
Wasteland	ZNE	Mythic	32.03
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth	UBT	Mythic	31.43
Aether Gale	C14	Rare	31.1
Gaea's Cradle	UZ	Rare	30.75
Cityscape Leveler	BRO	Mythic	30.27
Flooded Strand	ZNE	Mythic	30.08
Snapcaster Mage	UBT	Mythic	29.09
Urza's Saga	MH2	Rare	28.85
Mox Diamond	ST	Rare	28.84
Mox Diamond	TPR	Mythic	28.84
Endurance	MH2	Mythic	28.43
Boseiju, Who Endures	NEO	Rare	28.2
Mox Diamond	V10	Mythic	28.12
Wedding Announcement	VOW	Rare	27.47
Urza's Bauble	MED	Uncommon	27.44
Orvar, the All-Form	KHM	Mythic	27.39
Breath of Fire	PZ2	Common	26.55
Staff of the Storyteller	ONC	Rare	26.47
Lotus Field	M20	Rare	26.17
Volcanic Island	ME3	Rare	25.73
Jace, the Mind Sculptor	MS4	Mythic	25.14

 

In Closing

It was a weird week, and my dates got messed up, which messed up the rest of my week, but I am going shopping for myself a bit more, in the outside world, and that is super cool! 

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