State of the Program for March 29th, 2023
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.
Redemption: Redemption is up and running! Remember that redemption runs now until supply is gone. Currently being redeemed are Dominaria United (Getting Quite Low) and The Brothers' War (About Half-Gone). Phyrexia: All Will Be One's redemption period starts today, March 8.
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.
March of the Machine Previews: The Debut show should be happening at the Magic Twitch channel after this article goes live. You can find the card image galleries here and the preview schedule at the same place.
Secret Lair: A new Universes Beyond crossover is happening for the next 25 or so days. Celebrating the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor among Thieves in theaters, we have a lair showcasing the heros of the movie and one with Hugh Grant. I spent most of the day yesterday pulling cards for commander decks around this lair. I'm excited to play with Xenk, Simon and Edgin. You can check out the cards here.
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.
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Upcoming Events
|
Dates
|
|
Scheduled Downtimes
|
April 5, 2023 |
|
Constructed Leagues End
|
April 18, 2023
|
|
Sealed Leagues End
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April 18, 2023 |
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:
Ongoing - Modern Horizons 2
April 1 - Vintage Showcase Challenge
April 2 - Legacy Showcase Challenge
April 8 - MOCS Showcase Open
April 9 - MOCS Showcase Open
April 5 - Dominaria Remastered
April 12 - March of the Machine Release
May 3 - Magic 30 Cube
May 10 - Vintage Cube
Magic Online Format ChallengesThese are high stakes events that happen every weekend. They cost 30 Tix / 300 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:
Standard: Adding
Kaya, Intangible Slayer
to an almost stock Mono White Midrange list is kinda genius, it gives you access to a cycling land, and a nice sideboard card in
Sheoldred's Edict
. With 8 Fields, to blow up your opponents lands, mana fixing is good, even with 2 Swamps.
Legacy: Yes, I know, last week I did show off Jeskai Stoneblade, and this week we're going with a deck that is really similiar in Azorius Stoneblade, but hear me out. This build takes advantage of
Staff of the Storyteller
from the newest set, as a card advantage engine in concert with
Shorikai, Genesis Engine
and the other token makers in the deck. It's a Stoneblade deck with some longer game plans.
Modern:
Jace, the Perfected Mind
has really found a home in the Modern format. The amount of mill cards in the format really allow this Planeswalker to shine.
Pauper:
Pioneer:
The Winner's Circle is where I will recognize winners of the past events on MTGO.
Challenge Winners
Friday Modern - Alan07 - 5 Color Creativity
Saturday Legacy - jibeta - Azorius Stoneblade
Saturday Modern - TheTunnelingCat - Yawgmoth Counters
Saturday Modern - AwesomPossum - Yawgmoth Counters
Saturday Pauper - DenisevichAlexey - Mono White Aggro
Saturday Pioneer - pepeisra - Abzan Greasefang
Saturday Standard - Voltzwagon - Mono White Midrange
Saturday Vintage - MaxMagicer
Sunday Legacy - piao - Reanimator
Sunday Modern - boytriton - Izzet Murktide
Sunday Pauper - LuffyDoChapeuDePalha - Affinity
Sunday Pioneer - _Falcon_ - Azorius Spirits
Sunday Standard - remf - Azorius Soldier
Sunday Vintage - ecobaronen
Other Event Winners
Modern Showcase Qualifier
Pioneer Showcase Qualifier
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:
Jace, the Perfected Mind has vanished from the list.
Cultivator Colossus
is off of the list.
| Standard Cards |
Price |
Last Week |
Change |
% Change |
Phyrexian Fleshgorger |
$7.84 |
$7.70 |
$0.14 |
2% |
Brotherhood's End |
$7.76 |
$8.59 |
-$0.83 |
-10% |
Cityscape Leveler |
$20.43 |
$20.70 |
-$0.27 |
-1% |
Portal to Phyrexia |
$6.53 |
$6.58 |
-$0.05 |
-1% |
Titania, Voice of Gaea |
$6.01 |
$5.90 |
$0.11 |
2% |
Urza, Lord Protector |
$5.58 |
$5.43 |
$0.15 |
3% |
One with the Multiverse |
$7.60 |
$7.21 |
$0.39 |
5% |
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor |
$5.21 |
$5.46 |
-$0.25 |
-5% |
The Stone Brain |
$6.28 |
$6.07 |
$0.21 |
3% |
Loran of the Third Path |
$5.56 |
$5.21 |
$0.35 |
7% |
Teferi,Temporal Pilgrim |
$5.21 |
$5.18 |
$0.03 |
1% |
Leyline Binding |
$25.67 |
$25.48 |
$0.19 |
1% |
Liliana of the Veil |
$7.66 |
$8.56 |
-$0.90 |
-11% |
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse |
$61.31 |
$66.73 |
-$5.42 |
-8% |
Karn's Sylex |
$7.76 |
$8.40 |
-$0.64 |
-8% |
Serra Paragon |
$5.66 |
$5.67 |
-$0.01 |
0% |
Memory Deluge |
$10.59 |
$11.35 |
-$0.76 |
-7% |
Brutal Cathar |
$7.41 |
$10.36 |
-$2.95 |
-28% |
Bloodthirsty Adversary |
$11.03 |
$11.72 |
-$0.69 |
-6% |
Shipwreck Marsh |
$5.58 |
$6.07 |
-$0.49 |
-8% |
Boseiju, Who Endures |
$48.29 |
$51.79 |
-$3.50 |
-7% |
Otawara, Soaring City |
$12.43 |
$13.32 |
-$0.89 |
-7% |
The Wandering Emperor |
$9.93 |
$10.72 |
-$0.79 |
-7% |
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker |
$50.13 |
$49.80 |
$0.33 |
1% |
Atraxa, Grand Unifier |
$85.59 |
$78.26 |
$7.33 |
9% |
Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines |
$8.01 |
$8.33 |
-$0.32 |
-4% |
Ledger Shredder |
$17.05 |
$17.15 |
-$0.10 |
-1% |
Unlicensed Hearse |
$14.95 |
$16.11 |
-$1.16 |
-7% |
Xander's Lounge |
$3.75 |
$5.09 |
-$1.34 |
-26% |
Raffine, Scheming Seer |
$13.46 |
$14.23 |
-$0.77 |
-5% |
Stormcarved Coast |
$7.76 |
$7.47 |
$0.29 |
4% |
Wedding Announcement |
$22.45 |
$31.93 |
-$9.48 |
-30% |
Modern Staples:
Grinding Station
is off the list again.
Eternal Staples:
Displacer Kitten
has phased off the list.
Natural Order
has been added to the list.
Pioneer Staples:
Prismari Command
is back on the list.
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 |
$137.92 |
$137.50 |
$0.42 |
0% |
| Dominaria United |
$141.10 |
$149.87 |
($8.77) |
-6% |
| Innistrad: Crimson Vow |
$76.82 |
$88.94 |
($12.12) |
-14% |
| Innistrad: Midnight Hunt |
$97.72 |
$106.37 |
($8.65) |
-8% |
| Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty |
$143.95 |
$149.70 |
($5.75) |
-4% |
| Phyrexia: All Will Be One |
$371.43 |
$367.30 |
$4.13 |
1% |
| Phyrexia: All Will Be One Booster |
$2.96 |
$2.79 |
$0.17 |
6% |
| Streets of New Capenna |
$71.51 |
$76.15 |
($4.64) |
-6% |
| Treasure Chest |
$2.46 |
$2.46 |
$0.00 |
0% |
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 |
240.33 |
| Mox Jet |
1E |
Rare |
109.52 |
| Ancestral Recall |
1E |
Rare |
94.19 |
| Atraxa, Grand Unifier |
ONE |
Mythic |
92.85 |
| Time Walk |
1E |
Rare |
72.54 |
| Sheoldred, the Apocalypse |
ONE |
Promo |
70.63 |
| Mox Sapphire |
1E |
Rare |
66.93 |
| Atraxa, Grand Unifier |
ONE |
Promo |
65.63 |
| Sheoldred, the Apocalypse |
DMU |
Mythic |
61.31 |
| Mox Emerald |
1E |
Rare |
59.03 |
| Mox Pearl |
1E |
Rare |
54.05 |
| Fable of the Mirror-Breaker |
NEO |
Rare |
50.13 |
| Mox Ruby |
1E |
Rare |
49.79 |
| Liliana of the Veil |
UBT |
Mythic |
49.78 |
| Boseiju, Who Endures |
NEO |
Rare |
48.29 |
| Aether Gale |
C14 |
Rare |
46.86 |
| Force of Will |
MED |
Rare |
44.84 |
| Cavern of Souls |
UBT |
Mythic |
43.68 |
| Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth |
UBT |
Mythic |
42.34 |
| Karakas |
UBT |
Mythic |
42.2 |
| Demonic Tutor |
UBT |
Mythic |
38.79 |
| Wasteland |
ZNE |
Mythic |
37.1 |
| Dark Depths |
UBT |
Mythic |
36.05 |
| Urza's Saga |
MH2 |
Rare |
35.67 |
| Kozilek, Butcher of Truth |
UBT |
Mythic |
34.7 |
| Gaea's Cradle |
UZ |
Rare |
33.09 |
| Pramikon, Sky Rampart |
C19 |
Mythic |
32.77 |
| Snapcaster Mage |
UBT |
Mythic |
32.7 |
| Timetwister |
1E |
Rare |
32.62 |
| Jace, the Mind Sculptor |
MS4 |
Mythic |
31.44 |
| Flooded Strand |
ZNE |
Mythic |
30.88 |
| Wrenn and Six |
2X2 |
Mythic |
30.13 |
| Fury |
MH2 |
Mythic |
28.78 |
| Marisi, Breaker of the Coil |
C19 |
Mythic |
28.12 |
| Endurance |
MH2 |
Mythic |
27.76 |
| Mana Confluence |
JOU |
Rare |
26.35 |
| Leyline Binding |
DMU |
Rare |
25.67 |
| Show and Tell |
UZ |
Rare |
25.57 |
| Breath of Fire |
PZ2 |
Common |
25.26 |
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.
Pulled cards for orders, pulled cards for decks, put cards away that were incorrectly pulled. I build a lot of decks for a person that doesn't actually play paper Magic!
This series is an ongoing tribute to Erik “Hamtastic” Friborg.
