State of the Program for May 14th, 2021
Historic Anthology V: It's being spoiled now, and so far we have 18 of the 25 cards that are going to be added to MTG Arena on May 27th. For a list of what is spoiled now, you can go here. Some highlights include Stifle, Urabrask the Hidden and Atarka's Command. There is still another seven cards to be spoiled though and I imagine we are getting Kolaghan's Command to go along with the rest of the Dragon commands from Dragons of Tarkir.
Strixhaven College Cup: The event, on Arena sees players represent their favorite school from Strixhaven in a series of challenges over three weeks. You earn points by using the sleeve, avatar and pet of your favorite school. In the events you will be able to earn the Japanese Alternate art styles for the Mystic Archive cards. You can read the rest of the Arena announcements here.
Legacy Cube Returns to MTGO: After nearly a year of it being gone, the Legacy Cube is back on MTGO for two weeks! Last updated on the 10th of this month, you need to go here to check out the list of changes made to the cube. Not much in the way of MTGO news, but you can check it out here.
That is it, nothing else happened this week!
Oh gosh, I've been handed a note.
It appears that a thing has happened.
Professional Magic: The dream of playing the game and seeing the world is over. Except it's not over at all. There will still be events that are close to Grand Prix Or Magic Fests and events close to Pro Tours, Set Championships or Mythic Championships. There will still be a World Championship.
What won't exist is the Magic Pro League or Rivals anymore. A lot of people were very publicly fired on Thursday and that sucked. The top Magic players also won't have a career path playing Magic anymore. There will no longer be salaried positions for players, there will no longer be appearance fees or fees paid out for pro points. What will exist is tournament prize money.
According to Blake Rasmussen of Wizards of the Coast yesterday's announcement and Weekly MTG stream are the first step in re-balancing where WotC spends it's organized play resources. The organized play system was top heavy. WotC has identified five pillars of play that they would like to support and have done so for years. Elite play was the pillar that was taking to much.
The five pillars are Friendly play (game store level), Aspirational play (States, PTQs) Elite play (Grand Prix or Pro Tour) Festivals (CommandFest) Digital (MTGO and MTG Arena).
The Play Studio is under new management and the people in charge of making the changes aren't ready to show off what is going to happen for the 2022-23 season. The rest of this season and the 2021-22 season are still planed to go on.
You can read WotC's article here, and watch the twitch stream here. I also used StarcityGames and Hipsters of the Coast as sources.
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
|
June 2nd, 2021 |
Constructed Leagues End
|
Ends July 7th, 2021
|
Sealed Leagues End
|
Ends July 8th, 2021 |
Next B&R
|
Unknown
|
Kaldheim Redemption
|
Ends June 23, 2021
|
|
|
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:
May 12th - Legacy Cube
May 26th - New Cube
May 14th - Modern Qualifier
May 15th - Strixhaven Sealed Qualifier (3 a.m.)
May 15th - Strixhaven Sealed Qualifier (2 p.m.)
May 16th - Strixhaven Sealed Super Qualifier
Magic Online Format Challenges
These 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: Remember
Keruga, the Macrosage? It saw a lot of play when
Fires of Invention was Standard legal, and then when Companions were reworked it might have still seen play, but Fires was also banned in the same announcement? Well surprise it's a Hippo companion! This turbo land style deck looks to power out the mana quickly and then take advantage of that with powerful spells like
Alrund's Epiphany which with
Scute Swarm in play should end the game quickly!
Historic: This deck, a Boros Prowess deck without any copies of
Sacred Foundry went on a 6 match winning streak in Historic on Arena. This is basically a playset of
Monastery Swiftspears away from being a really good Pioneer deck and a set of
Arid Mesas away from being a really good Modern deck. It could use some improvements, but I wouldn't be surprised if the player behind the deck was on a free to play account and just grinding away with a solid aggro deck.
Legacy: Mono Red Prison will always be a fun deck to highlight!
Modern: There is, and always will be, something oddly comforting about
Guillaume Wafo-Tapa (WaToO on MTGO) winning an event with a control deck. While the addition of Counterspell to the Modern format next month is going to get the news, I think this might show how Counterspell may just be a piece of a toolbox instead of a automatic 4 of for a lot of players. I mean outside of Logic Knot look at the counterspells here, they do something else besides counter a spell. There is also one copy of Mana Leak here, but is counterspell better than it? Probably but you have to rework the mana to make sure you have two UU up in Modern, which shouldn't be to hard.
Pauper: Pauper has become a format that finding new decks to highlight has been an issue for. This week I am just highlighting a challenge winner's list.
Pioneer: I do not think that the
Lotus Field combo deck is changing to much in Pioneer. It appears to mainly still win with a
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries after a
Fae of Wishes fetches it. However, there are versions popping up from time to time that look like this, and win with an Awakened land from
Part the Waterveil or lock you out with
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria. I adore this version because it allows you to cheat out a Lotus Field with
Discontinuity on your turn, by casting it with the enters the battlefield trigger on the stack.
The Winner's Circle is where I will recognize winners of the past events on MTGO.
Challenge Winners
Saturday Legacy - mei0024 - Humans
Saturday Modern - WatoO - Esper Control
Saturday Pauper - barff - Dimir Control
Saturday Pioneer - Curtisaxel - Selesnya Company
Saturday Standard - Lord_Beerus - Cycling
Saturday Vintage - Diem4x
Sunday Legacy - Chefen - 4 Color Zenith
Sunday Modern - apriolo1 - AmuLIT
Sunday Pauper - Beicodegeia - Dimir Control
Sunday Pioneer - No Result Published.
Sunday Standard - ht991122 - Rakdos Aggro
Sunday Vintage - discoverN
Other Event Winners
Strixhaven Sealed MOCS - nathansteuer
Strixhaven Sealed MOCS - Lennny
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:
Extus, Oriq Overlord is on the list now. Looking like we might be removing some Strixhaven cards soon.
Standard Cards |
Price |
Last Week |
Change |
% Change |
Brazen Borrower |
$23.30 |
$21.83 |
$1.47 |
7% |
Bonecrusher Giant |
$10.30 |
$10.30 |
$0.00 |
0% |
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King |
$17.50 |
$15.01 |
$2.49 |
17% |
Shark Typhoon |
$8.55 |
$9.86 |
($1.31) |
-13% |
Lurrus of the Dream Den |
$13.60 |
$14.92 |
($1.32) |
-9% |
Valki, God of Lies |
$65.40 |
$56.85 |
$8.55 |
15% |
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider |
$12.20 |
$11.65 |
$0.55 |
5% |
Goldspan Dragon |
$16.20 |
$16.19 |
$0.01 |
0% |
Alrund's Epiphany |
$6.79 |
$7.15 |
($0.36) |
-5% |
Esika, God of the Tree |
$5.84 |
$5.73 |
$0.11 |
2% |
Koma, Cosmos Serpent |
$6.77 |
$6.52 |
$0.25 |
4% |
Halvar, God of Battle |
$5.14 |
$5.06 |
$0.08 |
2% |
Elder Gargaroth |
$14.40 |
$14.76 |
($0.36) |
-2% |
Stormwing Entity |
$7.59 |
$8.46 |
($0.87) |
-10% |
Prismari Command |
$7.99 |
$7.84 |
$0.15 |
2% |
Galazeth Prismari |
$4.57 |
$5.44 |
($0.87) |
-16% |
Magma Opus |
$8.24 |
$11.81 |
($3.57) |
-30% |
Elite Spellbinder |
$8.37 |
$6.54 |
$1.83 |
28% |
Professor Onyx |
$8.46 |
$8.60 |
($0.14) |
-2% |
Sedgemoor Witch |
$8.16 |
$7.17 |
$0.99 |
14% |
Vanishing Verse |
$3.14 |
$5.35 |
($2.21) |
-41% |
Velomachus Lorehold |
$5.35 |
$5.13 |
$0.22 |
4% |
Kasmina, Enigma Sage |
$6.31 |
$6.71 |
($0.40) |
-6% |
Beledros Witherbloom |
$5.80 |
$5.94 |
($0.14) |
-2% |
Rowan, Scholar of Sparks |
$4.13 |
$4.95 |
($0.82) |
-17% |
Extus, Oriq Overlord |
$5.94 |
|
|
|
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger |
11 |
12.29 |
($1.29) |
-10% |
Klothys, God of Destiny |
14.4 |
12 |
$2.40 |
20% |
Ox of Agonas |
5.16 |
6.95 |
($1.79) |
-26% |
Scourge of the Skyclaves |
$36.50 |
$37.18 |
($0.68) |
-2% |
Turntimber Symbiosis |
$11.00 |
$11.38 |
($0.38) |
-3% |
Agadeem's Awakening |
$6.44 |
$7.21 |
($0.77) |
-11% |
Skyclave Apparition |
$26.20 |
$24.82 |
$1.38 |
6% |
Shatterskull Smashing |
$5.05 |
$5.57 |
($0.52) |
-9% |
Modern Staples:
Night's Whisper is on the list, but it might be because of Pauper play, and it might be on the Eternal list next week.
Trinisphere fell off the list.
Eternal Staples:
Food Chain is a new addition to the list.
Pioneer Staples:
Lotus Field has seen a bit of a resurgence in play recently, so it's back on the list.
Chandra, Awakened Inferno is on as well.
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 2021 |
$57.73 |
$56.79 |
$0.94 |
2% |
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths |
$48.87 |
$48.81 |
$0.06 |
0% |
Kaldheim |
$191.60 |
$169.86 |
$21.74 |
13% |
Strixhaven: School of Mages |
$129.01 |
$137.52 |
($8.51) |
-6% |
Strixhaven: School of Mages Booster |
$3.26 |
$3.23 |
$0.03 |
1% |
Theros Beyond Death |
$95.11 |
$94.41 |
$0.70 |
1% |
Throne of Eldraine |
$139.95 |
$134.51 |
$5.44 |
4% |
Treasure Chest |
$2.43 |
$2.49 |
($0.06) |
-2% |
Zendikar Rising |
$134.21 |
$134.23 |
($0.02) |
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 |
173.39 |
Snapcaster Mage |
UBT |
Mythic |
103.01 |
Cavern of Souls |
UBT |
Mythic |
94.04 |
Liliana of the Veil |
UBT |
Mythic |
91.59 |
Karakas |
UBT |
Mythic |
91.51 |
Force of Will |
MED |
Rare |
83.4 |
Ethereal Forager |
C20 |
Rare |
81.37 |
Mox Jet |
1E |
Rare |
77.61 |
Force of Negation |
MH1 |
Rare |
73.67 |
Ancestral Recall |
1E |
Rare |
73.21 |
Time Walk |
1E |
Rare |
69.43 |
Mox Sapphire |
1E |
Rare |
65.68 |
Valki, God of Lies |
KHM |
Mythic |
65.38 |
Mox Emerald |
1E |
Rare |
65.22 |
Wasteland |
ZNE |
Mythic |
64.98 |
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow |
PZ2 |
Rare |
64.06 |
Wrenn and Six |
MH1 |
Mythic |
62.96 |
Wasteland |
TPR |
Rare |
61.5 |
Wasteland |
EXP |
Mythic |
60.97 |
Hullbreacher |
CMR |
Rare |
60.24 |
Wasteland |
TE |
Uncommon |
57.83 |
Force of Will |
2XM |
Mythic |
55.84 |
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth |
UBT |
Mythic |
54.16 |
Dark Depths |
UBT |
Mythic |
54.09 |
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale |
ME3 |
Rare |
49.34 |
Jace, the Mind Sculptor |
MS4 |
Mythic |
49.22 |
Mox Ruby |
1E |
Rare |
48.47 |
Karn, the Great Creator |
WAR |
Rare |
47.72 |
Mox Pearl |
1E |
Rare |
44.21 |
Demonic Tutor |
UBT |
Mythic |
43.88 |
Underground Sea |
ME4 |
Rare |
43.52 |
Purple-Crystal Crab |
PZ2 |
Common |
42.6 |
City of Traitors |
EX |
Rare |
42.29 |
Mox Diamond |
ST |
Rare |
42.17 |
Mox Diamond |
TPR |
Mythic |
41.77 |
Wasteland |
EMA |
Rare |
41.65 |
Karn Liberated |
UBT |
Mythic |
41.43 |
Verdant Catacombs |
ZNE |
Mythic |
40.94 |
Force of Will |
MS3 |
Mythic |
40.81 |
Noble Hierarch |
UBT |
Mythic |
40.25 |
Carpet of Flowers |
UZ |
Uncommon |
40.18 |
Force of Will |
EMA |
Mythic |
38.37 |
Force of Will |
VMA |
Rare |
37.64 |
Allosaurus Shepherd |
JMP |
Mythic |
37.55 |
Underground Sea |
ME2 |
Rare |
36.66 |
Scourge of the Skyclaves |
ZNR |
Mythic |
36.48 |
Mox Diamond |
V10 |
Mythic |
36.04 |
Timetwister |
1E |
Rare |
35.29 |
Seasoned Pyromancer |
MH1 |
Mythic |
35.25 |
Verdant Catacombs |
EXP |
Mythic |
35.18 |
Teferi, Time Raveler |
WAR |
Rare |
34.96 |
Misty Rainforest |
ZNE |
Mythic |
34.91 |
Liliana, the Last Hope |
MS4 |
Mythic |
34.39 |
Heavenly Qilin |
PZ2 |
Common |
34.32 |
Platinum Emperion |
UBT |
Mythic |
34 |
Ancient Tomb |
ZNE |
Mythic |
33.99 |
City of Traitors |
TPR |
Rare |
33.57 |
Celestial Colonnade |
UBT |
Mythic |
33.33 |
Submerge |
NE |
Uncommon |
32.7 |
Archmage's Charm |
MH1 |
Rare |
31.05 |
Scalding Tarn |
ZNE |
Mythic |
30.33 |
Lotus Petal |
MS2 |
Bonus |
30.31 |
Lotus Petal |
TE |
Common |
30.05 |
Scalding Tarn |
EXP |
Mythic |
29.32 |
Cavern of Souls |
UMA |
Mythic |
28.15 |
Lotus Petal |
TPR |
Uncommon |
27.87 |
Cavern of Souls |
ZNE |
Mythic |
27.84 |
Wooded Foothills |
ZNE |
Mythic |
27.24 |
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria |
MS4 |
Mythic |
27.2 |
Earthshaking Si |
PZ2 |
Common |
27.02 |
Creeping Tar Pit |
UBT |
Mythic |
26.41 |
Doomsday |
WL |
Rare |
26.4 |
Misty Rainforest |
EXP |
Mythic |
26.34 |
Cavern of Souls |
MM3 |
Mythic |
26.24 |
Skyclave Apparition |
ZNR |
Rare |
26.23 |
Ancient Tomb |
EXP |
Mythic |
25.68 |
Bitterblossom |
UBT |
Mythic |
25.57 |
Gaea's Cradle |
UZ |
Rare |
25.13 |
Fulminator Mage |
UBT |
Mythic |
25.07 |
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.
Nevermind, ignore all of that, Pete got it done for me, because he is just the dang best. The big number this week is
Prices were done on Thursday. It was a solid if unspectacular week where me and my play group became obsessed with (Codie, Vociferous Codex:STX) in Commander.
This series is an ongoing tribute to Erik “Hamtastic” Friborg.