Alchemy Rebalancing for October 6, 2022
Our next round of Alchemy and Historic balance changes is scheduled to arrive in MTG Arena on Thursday, October 6! These include changes to Historic-only rebalanced cards, as well as additional changes to Streets of New Capenna Limited play.
Below is the full list of card changes you can look forward to playing with on MTG Arena once the October 6 update is live!
Historic Card Rebalancing
As part of the Alchemy: Dominaria game update, the original tabletop versions of these cards will be returned to Historic. More information can be found in this month's State of the Game.
Standard Card Rebalancing
After reviewing the Streets of New Capenna Limited data collected over the past few months, we found three issues with the format that we want to address and solve:
Encourage Three-Color Decks
We feel that there is not enough incentive to draft the three-color families over the more streamlined ally two-color decks. We are addressing this by reducing the cost of the three-color common "mana-fixing" creatures like Ominous Parcel, while increasing the rate of some of the three-color payoffs like Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder; Queza, Auguar of Agonies; and Cabaretti Charm.
Slow Down the Pace of Games
We want to make removal and blocking more successful against shield counters, blitz, and aggressive decks. Incriminate being more cost effective, Psionic Snoop and Midnight Assassin being better blockers, and Deal Gone Bad gaining life should help players catch up when behind and interact more successfully with creatures with shield counters.
Make More Cards Viable Draft Picks
We want to increase the strength of some of the cards that haven't been seeing play. We believe that this will make drafting and deck building more interesting while increasing the likelihood that you're able to draft enough playable cards while also prioritizing fixing.
Speakeasy Server
Changed "you gain 1 life for each other creature you control" to "you gain 1 life for each creature you control."
Celebrity Fencer
Now 3/3 (from 3/2)
Buy Your Silence
Card type now instant (from sorcery)
Sewer Crocodile
Now 4/7 (from 4/6)
Psionic Snoop
Now 0/4 (from 0/3)
Public Enemy
Changed "When enchanted creature dies, draw a card" to "When enchanted creature dies, draw two cards."
Case the Joint
- Costs 4U (from 3U)
- Card type now sorcery (from instant)
- Changed "Draw two cards" to "Draw three cards"
Demon's Due
Redesigned to look at four cards and pick two: "Look at the top four cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard. You lose 2 life."
Vampire Scrivener
Costs 3B (from 4B)
Midnight Assassin
Now 1/3 (from 1/2)
Graveyard Shift
Creature enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
Incriminate
Costs B (from 1B)
Deal Gone Bad
Add "You gain 3 life."
Revel Ruiner
Now 3/2 (from 3/1)
Exhibition Magician
Now 2/2 (from 2/1)
Jackhammer
Costs R (from 1R)
Ready to Rumble
- Card type now instant (from sorcery)
- Add "Damage can't be prevented this turn."
Sizzling Soloist
Now 4/2 (from 3/2)
Pyre-Sledge Arsonist
Now 2/3 (from 2/2)
Warm Welcome
- Costs 3G (from 2G)
- Card type now sorcery (from instant)
- Changed "Create a 1/1 green and white Citizen creature token" to "Create two 1/1 green and white Citizen creature tokens."
Most Wanted
Changed "Enchanted creature gets +2/+1" to "Enchanted creature gets +2/+2."
Social Climber
Now 4/2 (from 3/2)
Capenna Express
Now 7/7 (from 6/6)
High-Rise Sawjack
- Now 1/4 (from 2/3)
- Changed "High-Rise Sawjack gets +2/+0 until end of turn" to "High-Rise Sawjack gets +3/+0 until end of turn."
Glittermonger
Now 2/4 (from 1/4)
Paragon of Modernity
Now 2/3 (from 2/2)
Ominous Parcel
First activated ability cost now 1, T (from 2, T)
Glamorous Outlaw
- Add "you gain 2 life"
- Activated ability cost now 1 (from 2)
Masked Bandits
- Now 5/6 (from 5/5)
- Activated ability cost now 1 (from 2)
Rakish Revelers
Activated ability cost now 1 (from 2)
Shattered Seraph
- Now 4/5 (from 4/4)
- Activated ability cost now 1 (from 2)
Spara's Adjudicators
Activated ability cost now 1 (from 2)
Stimulus Package
Add "Scry 1" to second activated ability
Cabaretti Charm
Changed "deals damage equal to the number of creatures you control" to "deals damage equal to twice the number of creatures you control"
Riveteers Initiate
Activated ability cost now H (from 1H)
Security Rhox
Now 5/5 (from 5/4)
Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder
Now 3/4 (from 2/4)
Forge Boss
Now 4/4 (from 3/4)
Syndicate Infiltrator
Gains ward 2
Queza, Augur of Agonies
Gains vigilance
Additional Changes
Celestial Regulator
Now 1/4 (from 2/3)
Civil Servant
Changed "Civil Servant gets +1/+0 and gains lifelink until end of turn" to "Civil Servant gets +1/+0 and gains trample until end of turn."
Metropolis Angel
- Costs 3WU (from 2WU)
- Now 3/3 (from 3/1)
