Alchemy
| Alchemy | |
|---|---|
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[[File:{{#setmainimage:Alchemy logo.png}}|250px]] | |
| DCI Sanctioned | |
| Paper |
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| Magic Online |
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| Magic Arena |
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| Rules | |
| Type | Constructed |
| Multiplayer |
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| Add. rules | Best-of-one and Best-of-three |
Alchemy is a digital-only rotating format and play mode for Magic: The Gathering Arena that was introduced in December 2021 as a fast and ever-evolving experience.[1][2] It intentionally diverges from the metagame of Standard and other formats to provide an alternative experience to play.[3]
Description
Alchemy was built for digital-first players, who consume content more quickly but also want a metagame that stays fresh and evolves. As a digital-only format, Alchemy lets Wizards of the Coast add new cards after a set release, offer new mechanics that can only work in a digital game, and rebalance cards to keep the environment interesting.
Alchemy begins with all the cards in the Standard card pool and adds in new features:
- Rebalanced cards.[5]
- Cards with digital-only mechanics, as released in supplemental digital sets.
The format can be played in Best-of-One and Best-of-Three matches, both ranked and unranked, and is also featured in special events. Alchemy cards, recognizable by the holofoil A stamp, are also used in other digital-only formats like Historic and Historic Brawl.
Alchemy was inducted as a tournament format starting with the Neon Dynasty Championship in 2022.[6]
In 2023, the first major divergence to Standard occurred when The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, a straight-to-Modern product, was made legal in Alchemy. The format further diverged upon the release of Wilds of Eldraine as Standard transitioned to a three-year rotation while Alchemy kept the two year rotation.[7]
Alchemy expansions
Starting with Innistrad: Crimson Vow, each Premier set features an adjacent Alchemy set of around 30 cards that is available about a month after the main set releases. These cards all rotate out of Alchemy with the set they are based on, though after rotation, they will continue to be playable in Historic. Additionally, some summer supplemental sets will have an associated full designed-to-draft set. These sets may contain reprints outside of Standard.
| Release | Name | Adjacent to |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-09 | Alchemy: Innistrad | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Crimson Vow |
| 2022-03-17 | Alchemy: Kamigawa | Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty |
| 2022-06-02 | Alchemy: New Capenna | Streets of New Capenna |
| 2022-07-07 | Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate |
| 2022-10-06 | Alchemy: Dominaria | Dominaria United |
| 2022-12-13 | Alchemy: The Brothers' War | The Brothers' War |
| 2023-02-28 | Alchemy: Phyrexia | Phyrexia: All Will Be One |
| 2023-10-10 | Alchemy: Eldraine | Wilds of Eldraine |
| 2023-12-05 | Alchemy: Ixalan | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan |
| 2024-03-05 | Alchemy: Karlov Manor | Murders at Karlov Manor |
| 2024-05-07 | Alchemy: Thunder Junction | Outlaws of Thunder Junction |
Set legality
Cards from the following sets are currently legal in Alchemy:[8]
^* Not released yet.
Banned list
Previously banned cards
- See also: Banned and restricted cards/Timeline.
- Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki[9]
- Grinning Ignus is the only other card to have been banned in Alchemy.[10] It was half of a two-card combo with the original Alchemy: New Capenna printing of Racketeer Boss that could generate an infinite storm count, an infinite number of cast and enters the battlefield triggers for creatures and an infinite number of enters the battlfield triggers for artifacts.[11][12] Due to Grinning Ignus having a mana ability that returned it to its owners hand, the combo was extremely difficult to disrupt and subsequently warped the Alchemy format. Digital play design assessed rebalancing Grinning Ignus but found that any such rebalance would eliminate the combo in the same way as banning Grinning Ignus and thus banning was the correct option.[13] Racketeer Boss was subsequently rebalanced itself to remove the repeateable treasure creation.[14]
Flavor text
Many Alchemy cards feature flavor text that is not visible on the cards themselves, but rather in a separate pop-up box. This text is not recorded on Scryfall.
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (December 2, 2021). "Introducing Alchemy: A New Way To Play MTG Arena". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (December 2, 2021). "MTG Arena: State - Alchemy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ David Humpherys (December 8, 2021). "Designing for Alchemy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 25, 2022). "MTG Arena Announcements, May 25, 2022". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Donald Smith (December 2, 2021). "Alchemy Rebalancing Philosospy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mani Davoudi (March 8, 2022). "The Neon Dynasty Championship Alchemy Primer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 7, 2023). "Updates to Standard and Alchemy on MTG Arena". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast. "Alchemy Format". magicthegathering.com.
- ↑ Donald Smith (July 18, 2023). "Alchemy Rebalancing for July 18, 2023". magicthegathering.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023.
- ↑ Donald Smith (July 5, 2022). "Alchemy Rebalancing for July 7, 2022". magicthegathering.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022.
- ↑ Most Busted Combo Ever - Ignus & Boss - Bans Incoming- Standard Alchemy & Historic MTG Arena (Video). PsyHye. YouTube (July 2, 2022).
- ↑ Most Busted Combo Ever - Ignus & Boss - Bans Incoming- Standard Alchemy & Historic MTG Arena (Video). PsyHye. YouTube (July 2, 2022).
- ↑ Sean Murray (July 5, 2022). "Magic: The Gathering Arena Hits Grinning Ignus In Alchemy's First Ban". TheGamer.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 10, 2022). "Alchemy Rebalancing for August 11, 2022". magicthegathering.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022.