Wizards of the Coast is looking to improve Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate Draft with a significant number of MTG Arena Draft balance changes, along with two Constructed adjustments heading into the release of Dominaria United and Standard 2022 rotation.Â
Scheduled to go live on Aug. 11, over 25 nerfs and buffs are taking place within MTG Arena Alchemy Constructed and Draft. The main focus of the balance patch is to “make underperforming strategies and archetypes stronger in Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate Draft,” according to WotC. The changes should buff the color Blue within the Alchemy Draft events while improving defensive strategies. And two Gruul cards were targeted with the Constructed Alchemy balance changes.Â
Constructed MTG Arena Alchemy nerfs and buffs
Only two cards are slated to get rebalanced with the Aug. 11 MTG Arena update within Alchemy Constructed, and both are in the colors Red and Green. Racketeer Boss was hit with changes that will prevent Treasure-generating combos and Cabaretti Revels was given a casting cost adjustment that makes it challenging to splash in builds outside of the primary colors of Red and Green.
- Cabaretti Revels: Cost adjusted from 1RG to RRG
- Racketeer Boss: Cards that Perpetually gain the ability to create a Treasure token from Racketeer Boss lose the ability once they are cast.
Alchemy Baldur’s Gate MTG Arena Draft nerfs and buffs
Over 25 Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate cards were adjusted for the Draft format. Cards like Orb of Dragonkind in Blue, Red, and Green now offer players one mana of any color. You Come to a River was reworked and a large number of base stat buffs were applied.Â
- Dragonborn Looter: Casting cost reduced to U from 1U
- Pseudodragon Familiar: Base stats increased from 2/1 to 2/2
- Water Weird: Gained activated ability at a cost of 1U to get +1/-1 until the end of the turn
- Young Blue Dragon: Base stats buffed from 3/3 to 3/4
- You Come to a River: Rework applied to Fight the Current
- You Come to a River: Fight the Current—The owner of target nonland permanent puts it on the top or bottom of their library, instead of the owner’s hand
- Kenku Artificer: Base stats buffed from 1/1 to 1/3
- Vhal, Eager Scholar: Base stats increased from 2/1 to 2/2
- Vhal, Eager Scholar: Base stats to Specialize faces increased from 4/3 to 4/4
- Alora, Rogue Companion: Base stats buffed from 3/2 to 3/3
- Alora, Rogue Companion: Base stats to Specialize faces from 4/3 to 4/4
- Goggles of Night: Equip cost reduced from two to one
- Guildsworn Prowler: Base stats buffed from 1/1 to 2/1
- Manticore: Base stats increased from 2/1 to 3/1
- Baleful Beholder: Base stats buffed from 6/5 to 7/5
- Eyes of the Beholder: Casting cost reduced from 4BB to 3BB
- Sigil of Mykrul: Cost reduced from 2B to 1B
- Young Red Dragon: Text “Young Red Dragon can’t block” removed
- Young Red Dragon: Base stats adjusted from 3/2 to 3/1
- Dragonborn Immolator: Activated ability cost increased from 1R to 2R
- Dragonborn Immolator: Activated ability buffed from +1/+0 to +2/+0
- Circle of the Land Druid: Base stats buffed from 1/1 to 2/1
- Druidic Ritual: Text changed from “Return up to one creature card and up to one land card” to ” Return up to two creature cards and/or land cards.”
- Emerald Dragon: Trample keyword removed
- Emerald Dragon: Gains two Ward
- Split the Spoils: Cost reduced from 2G to 1G
- Steadfast Unicorn: Activated ability increased from 3W to 4W
- Blessed Hippogriff: Adventure cost increased from W to 1W
- Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind: Ability changed from “Add R” to “Add one mana of any color.”
- Lapis Orb of Dragonkind: Ability changed from “Add U” to “Add one mana of any color.”
- Jade Orb of Dragonkind: Ability changed from “Add G” to “Add one mana of any color.”
- Lantern of Revealing: Activated ability cost reduced from four and Tap to three and Tap
- Navigation Orb: Activated ability cost reduced from two and Tap to one and Tap
All of the Alchemy rebalance changes are slated to go live on Aug. 11 through the MTG Arena update.
All images via WotC, Magic: The Gathering.
