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Category:
MTG

MTG Arena Alchemy and Historic nerfs and buffs: April rebalance patch notes and updates

Elf and warrior tribal archetypes may have a chance of becoming meta.
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Danny Forster
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Published: Mar 30, 2022 04:02 pm

A total of 25 Magic: The Gathering cards within the MTG Arena formats Alchemy and Historic will receive a balance change in April, focusing on elven and warrior tribal-themed archetypes.

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Scheduled to release on April 7, the MTG Arena balance patch will not directly target any top-tier decks within the Alchemy format. The patch will take place two days prior to the last MTG Arena qualifier, showcasing gameplay in the Alchemy format, that provides a direct invite to the Streets of New Capenna Championship. 

The April 7 Alchemy rebalance patch will instead focus on elven and warrior tribal themes that never succeeded within Standard Constructed play, similar to the January rebalance patch that targeted underperforming Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Venture into the dungeon themed cards. In addition to the elven and warrior tribal-theme buffs, three individual cards will also receive balance changes: Symmetry Sage, Spell Satchel, and Base Camp.

Here’s every Alchemy and Historic rebalance change taking place within MTG Arena on April 7, according to WotC. 

Elves

Image via WotC

A total of 11 KHM elven tribal-themed cards and one AFR elf are getting buffed to improve the archetype within the Alchemy and Historic Constructed formats. 

  • Tyvar Kell: Starting loyalty increased from three to four.
  • Tyvar Kell: Plus-one ability now puts two +1/+1 counters on up to two target elves, in conjunction with the target gaining Deathtouch and getting untapped.
  • Tyvar Kell: Ultimate increased to minus-seven, now provides an emblem that states “Whenever you cast an elf spell, it gains Haste until the end of the turn and you draw two cards.”
  • Harald Unites the Elves: The first chapter will mill five cards instead of only three.
  • Elderfang Ritualist: Cost reduced from 2B to 1B.
  • Elderfang Ritualist: Can now return Tyvar Kell from your graveyard to hand in conjunction with any target elf upon dying and you choosing to exile it. 
  • Skemfar Avenger: Nontoken was removed from the text.
  • Canopy Tactician: Base stats buffed from 3/3 to 3/4.
  • Harald, King of Skemfar: Players can look at the top seven cards instead of the top five from their library. 
  • Return Upon the Tide: Creates three 1/1 elf tokens instead of two.
  • Thronmantle Striker: Cost reduced from 4B to 3B.
  • Elderleaf Mentor: Cost reduced from 3G to 2G and base stats nerfed from 3/2 to 2/2.
  • Elven Bow: Cost from the enters-the-battlefield effect was reduced from two to one.
  • Skemfar Elderhall: Ability cost reduced from 2BBG to 1BBG. 
  • Shessra, Death’s Whisper: Cost reduced from 2BG to 1BG and base stats buffed from 1/3 to 1/4.

Warriors

Magic The Gathering Nahiri
Image via WotC Magic: The Gathering

A total of 10 warrior tribal-themed cards will be adjusted with the goal of improving warrior/Equipment decks within the Alchemy and Historic MTG Arena formats. 

  • Arms Scavenger: The Innistrad: A22 card now has a text that states “Equip abilities you activate cost one less.”
  • Armory Veteran: Gains Ward two—pay two life in conjunction with Menace when equipped.
  • Dwarfhold Champion: Gains Ward one.
  • Bruenor Battlehammer: Base stats buffed from 5/3 to 5/4.
  • Bruenor Battlehammer: Second ability will now work with the Reconfigure mechanic introduced in NEO.
  • Expedition Supplier: The Innistrad: A22 card will now trigger off humans and warriors as opposed to humans only.
  • Goma Fada Vanguard: The human warrior now counts warriors and Equipment in her ability. 
  • Kargan Intimidator: Options were reduced to two, combining the +1/+1 with Trample options into one.
  • Kargan Warleader: Now has Ward one and gives other warriors Ward one.
  • Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients: Her minus-two ability will now grab a warrior and Equipment instead of one or the other.
  • Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients: Her minus-three ability now counts warriors and Equipment.
  • Plate Armor: Cost reduced from 2W to 1W.

Non-tribal balance changes

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A total of three individual cards will be rebalanced in the April 7 Alchemy update.

  • Symmetry Sage: Base stats buffed from 0/2 to 0/3.
  • Symmetry Sage: Provides a creature base power of three instead of two.
  • Spell Satchel: The Artifact’s paid ability cost was reduced from three to two and the counters removed were reduced from three to two. 
  • Base Camp: The text “Enters the battlefield tapped” was removed. 
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Author
Image of Danny Forster
Danny Forster
Staff writer, lead beat writer for MTG and TFT
Danny has been writing for Dot Esports for over five years, first as a freelancer and now as a staff writer. He is the lead beat writer for Magic: The Gathering and Teamfight Tactics. Danny is also a solid Monopoly GO player, having beaten every main event without spending a dime. When Danny isn't writing or gaming, he's chilling by the water in Spacecoast Florida with his family and friends. He's always got a tan, because touching grass is important, and loves playing strategic digital and tabletop games. Past outlets Danny has written for include TheGamer and ScreenRant.
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