Dominaria United MTG Arena Alchemy rebalance misses meta decks: All October 2022 changes

Wizards of the Coast has buffed and nerfed a total of 43 MTG Arena cards for the Alchemy format, avoiding any major changes to top-tier meta decks while focusing on various other gameplay aspects instead. 

Scheduled to go live on Oct. 6, the Dominaria United (DMU) Alchemy rebalance changes will attempt to shift the Alchemy meta. Instead of focusing on decks that performed above average at the MTG Arena Championship one, like Rakdos Midrange/Sacrifice and Esper Midrange/Control, the Magic Arena balance team primarily targeted cards that needed buffs and a few that needed nerfs. 

The balance team had three areas of focus for the DMU Alchemy rebalance patch: Increase three-color deck playability, slow down the pace of games, and increase the playability of cards in Draft. It’s possible the buffs within the Alchemy balance patch could challenge some of the top-tier decks. But for players who were hoping for nerfs to cards like Bloodtithe Harvester, Oni-Cult Anvil, Ob-Nixilis, the Adversary, Diviner of Fates, and Calim, Djinn Emperor, no nerfs are getting pushed in the near future.

Alchemy rebalance changes typically occur several weeks after a new MTG Standard-legal set is released. The DMU Alchemy balance patch coincides with a total of 30 new digital-only MTG Arena cards that will release on Oct. 5. 

Here’s every MTG Arena Alchemy rebalance change for DMU October, according to WotC. 

Alchemy MTG Arena White rebalance changes

• Speakeasy Server: Text buffed from “You gain one life for each other creature you control” to “You gain one life for each creature you control.”
• Celebrity Fencer: Base stats nerfed from 3/3 to 3/2.
• Buy Your Silence: Buffed from Sorcery to Instant speed.

Alchemy MTG Arena Blue rebalance changes

• Sewer Crocodile: Base stats nerfed from 4/7 to 4/6.
• Psionic Snoop: Base stats nerfed from 0/4 to 0/3.
• Public Enemy: Text buffed from “When enchanted creature dies, draw a card” to “When enchanted creature dies, draw two cards.”
• Case the Joint: Mana cost buffed from 4U to 3U.
• Case the Joint: Buffed from Sorcery to Instant speed.
• Case the Joint: Text buffed from “Draw two cards” to “Draw three cards.”

Alchemy MTG Arena Black rebalance changes

• Demons Due: Rework—Players now look at the top four cards of their library and put two of them into hand while putting the other two into the graveyard. Players lose two life. 
• Vampire Scrivener: Mana cost buffed from 4B to 3B
• Midnight Assassin: Base stats nerfed from 1/3 to 1/2.
• Graveyard Shift: Text changed to have creature from the graveyard returning to the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it. 
• Incriminate: Mana cost buffed from 1B to B.
• Deal Gone Bad: Ability added, “You gain three life.”
• Revel Ruiner: Base stats buffed from 3/1 to 3/2. 

Alchemy MTG Arena Red rebalance changes

• Exhibition Magician: Base stats buffed from 2/1 to 2/2
• Jackhammer: Mana cost buffed from 1R to R.
• Ready to Rumble: Buffed from Sorcery to Instant speed.
• Ready to Rumble: Text added that “Damage can’t be prevented this turn.”
• Sizzling Soloist: Base stats buffed from 3/2 to 4/2.
• Pyre-Sledge Arsonist: Base stats buffed from 2/2 to 2/3.
• Riveteers Initiate: Activated ability cost buffed from 1B/G to B/G. 

Alchemy MTG Arena Green rebalance changes

• Warm Welcome: Mana cost nerfed from 2G to 3G.
• Warm Welcome: Nerfed from Instant to Sorcery speed.
• Warm Welcome: Text buffed from “Create a 1/1 Green and White citizen creature token” to “Create two 1/1 Green and White citizen creature tokens.”
• Most Wanted: Text buffed from “Enchanted creature gets +2/+1” to “Enchanted creature gets +2/+2.
• Social Climber: Base stats buffed from 3/2 to 4/2.
• Capenna Express: Base stats buffed from 6/6 to 7/7.
• High-Rise Sawjack: Base stats adjusted from 2/3 to 1/4.
• High-Rise Sawjack: Text buffed from “High-Rise Sawjack gets +2/+0 until end of turn” to “High-Rise Sawjack gets +3/+0 until end of the turn.”
• Glittermonger: Base stats adjusted from 1/4 to 2/4.

Alchemy MTG Arena Colorless rebalance changes

• Paragon of Modernity: Base stats buffed from 2/2 to 2/3.
• Ominous Parcel: First activated ability cost buffed from two and tap to one and tap.

Alchemy MTG Arena Multicolor rebalance changes

• Glamorous Outlaw: Activated ability nerfed from costing one to two.
• Glamorous Outlaw: Text buffed to add “You gain two life.”
• Masked Bandits: Base stats buffed from 5/5 to 5/6.
• Masked Bandits: Activated ability cost buffed from two to one.
• Rakish Revelers: Activated ability cost buffed from two to one.
• Shattered Seraph: Base stats buffed from 4/4 to 4/5.
• Shattered Seraph: Activated ability cost buffed from two to one.
• Spara’s Adjudicators: Activated ability cost buffed from two to one.
• Stimulus Package: Text buffed to add “Scry one” to the second ability
• Cabaretti Charm: Text buffed from “Deals damage equal to the number of creatures you control” to “Deals damage equal to twice the number of creatures you control.”
• Security Rhox: Base stats buffed from 5/4 to 5/5.
• Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder: Base stats buffed from 2/4 to 3/4.
• Forge Boss: Base stats buffed from 3/4 to 4/4.
• Syndicate Infiltrator: Keyword buffed to gain two Ward.
• Queza, Augur of Agonies: Keyword buffed to gain Vigilance.
• Celestial Regulator: Base stats adjusted from 2/3 to 1/4.
• Civil Servant: Text adjusted from “Gets +1/+0 and gains Lifelink until end of turn” to “Gets +1/+0 and gains Trample until the end of the turn.”
• Metropolis Angel: Mana cost nerfed from 2WU to 3WU.
• Metropolis Angel: Base stats buffed from 3/1 to 3/3.