Alchemy
| Alchemy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| DCI Sanctioned | |
| Paper |
 |
| Magic Online |
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| Magic Arena |
 |
| 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.
History
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]
Starting with Magic: The Gathering Foundations, MTG Arena will be shifting away from Alchemy for new players towards Standard.[8]
Alchemy expansions
Starting with Innistrad: Crimson Vow, each Premier set featured 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.
When Universes Beyond sets were introduced to Standard in 2025, it turned out that these wouldn't feature accompanying Alchemy sets.
Set legality
Cards from the following sets are currently legal in Alchemy:[9]
It is currently not announced how Alchemy will be affected by the shift to a calendar year rotation that was announced for Standard. The schedule below is the most likely result.
| Sets | Legal until |
|---|---|
| Arena Base Set | Always legal |
| Bloomburrow | January 2027 (tentative) |
| Alchemy: Bloomburrow | |
| Duskmourn: House of Horror | |
| Alchemy: Duskmourn | |
| Magic: The Gathering Foundations | |
| Aetherdrift | |
| Alchemy: Aetherdrift | |
| Tarkir: Dragonstorm | |
| Alchemy: Tarkir | |
| Final Fantasy | |
| Edge of Eternities | |
| Alchemy: Edge of Eternities | |
| Through the Omenpaths 1 | |
| Avatar: The Last Airbender† | |
| Lorwyn Eclipsed† | January 2028 (tentative) |
| Alchemy: Lorwyn† | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles† | |
| Secrets of Strixhaven† | |
| Through the Omenpaths 2† | |
| The Hobbit† | |
| Reality Fracture† | |
| Star Trek† |
^† Not released yet.
Banned list
Monstrous Rage was banned on November 12, 2024 as part of several changes aimed at de-powering the aggro red deck based around Cacophony Scamp, Heartfire Hero and Leyline of Resonance.[10] Wizards of the Coast recognized that the deck's speed and ability to end games as quickly as turn two was having a detrimental effect on the format.
Previously banned cards
- See also: Banned and restricted cards/Timeline
- Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki[11]
- Grinning Ignus is the only other card to have been banned in Alchemy.[12] 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 enter triggers for creatures and an infinite number of enters the battlfield triggers for artifacts.[13][14] 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.[15] Racketeer Boss was subsequently rebalanced itself to remove the repeateable treasure creation.[16]
Suspended list
Cori-Steel Cutter was suspended on June 30, 2025 pending a rebalance.[17]
Previously suspended cards
- Leyline of Resonance was suspended from October 22 to November 12, 2024 while the Arena team worked on a rebalance for the card.[18][10] It's ability to provide explosive starts allowed aggro decks to win the game on turn two before an opponent could interact.[19] It was un-suspended as A-Leyline of Resonance.
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. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (December 2, 2021). "MTG Arena: State - Alchemy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02.
- ↑ David Humpherys (December 8, 2021). "Designing for Alchemy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 25, 2022). "MTG Arena Announcements, May 25, 2022". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25.
- ↑ Donald Smith (December 2, 2021). "Alchemy Rebalancing Philosospy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02.
- ↑ Mani Davoudi (March 8, 2022). "The Neon Dynasty Championship Alchemy Primer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 7, 2023). "Updates to Standard and Alchemy on MTG Arena". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ MTG Arena Play Stream (Video). Weekly MTG. YouTube (August 9, 2024).
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast. "Alchemy Format". magicthegathering.com.
- ↑ a b Clayton Kroh, Jay Parker (November 11, 2024). "MTG Arena Announcements – November 11, 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Carmen Klomparens, Jadine Klomparens, Arya Karamchandani, Gavin Verhey & Dave Finseth (June 30, 2025). "Banned and Restricted Announcement – June 30, 2025". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (October 22, 2024). "MTG Arena Banned and Restricted Announcement - October 22, 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ u/Avengedx (September 28, 2024). "[Discussion] DSK Day 4: What's working and what isn't?". Reddit.