Daybreak Games have released their weekly update article for Magic Online, detailing upcoming events, game changes, and more.
Freeform Commander
Freeform Commander “provides the platform for virtually limitless deckbuilding and tactical explorations.” Players are encouraged to build their own rule-sets by playing with likeminded friends through the buddy system. The format’s only established rules are as follows:
- Decks consist of a minimum of 30 main-deck cards, excluding the designated Commander(s).
- Decks have one or two Commanders, which dictate the deck’s color identity.
- Starting life totals are set at 20 for two-player games, and 40 for three- and four-player games.
- Any card can be a Commander. Note that cards in the command zone can be “cast” but not played, so the only thing a “Land Commander” does is affect the deck’s color identity.
- Multiple copies of any single card are permissible in a deck.
More information on the format can be found here.
All Access
All-Access tokens return to Magic Online, running through July 24. The Mythic Event Token can be found in the Magic Online store and purchased for $25, granting players access to almost every card on the client. The tokens turn off at 10 AM PT on July 24.
Commander Legends Drafts
From downtime through July 19 at 10 AM PT, players can join Commander Legends Draft queues with a few twists.
- 4-player draft pod
- Draft 2 cards at a time, 60-card minimum including commander(s)
- Duplicates permitted
Commander Legends Keeper Draft League
Entry Options: 15 Event Tickets, 3 Commander Legends (CMR) boosters and 2 Event Tickets, or 150 Play Points
Prizes (based on player votes with one bonus vote to the game winner):
- 5 votes: 4 CMR boosters + 100 Play Points
- 4 votes: 3 CMR boosters + 100 Play Points
- 3 votes: 2 CMR boosters + 80 Play Points
- 2 votes: 1 CMR booster + 80 Play Points
- 1 vote: 50 Play Points
Commander Legends Phantom Draft League
Entry Options: 4 Event Tickets or 40 Play Points
Draft Product: 3 Commander Legends boosters – cards opened in Phantom events aren’t added to players’ Collections
Prizes (based on player votes with one bonus vote to the game winner):
- 5 votes: 1 CMR booster + 90 Play Points
- 4 votes: 1 CMR booster + 70 Play Points
- 3 votes: 1 CMR booster + 50 Play Points
- 2 votes: 40 Play Points
- 1 vote: 20 Play Points
Alternate Play Schedule
- July 5-12 – Supreme Draft (Phantom)
- July 12-19 – Commander Legends draft (Keeper and Phantom)
- July 20-26 – Aether Revolt-Kaladesh Flashback Draft (Phantom)
- July 26-August 3 – Magic 30 Cube
Premier Play
| DATE | TIME (PT) | TIME (UTC) | EVENT |
| Saturday, July 15 | 8:00 AM | 15:00 | Pauper Showcase Qualifier |
| Sunday, July 16 | 8:00 AM | 15:00 | Legacy Showcase Qualifier |
| Saturday, July 22 | 7:00 a.m. | 14:00 | MOCS Showcase Open |
| Sunday, July 23 | 7:00 a.m. | 14:00 | MOCS Showcase Open |
Showcase Prestige Avatars
Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy:
Vintage (Season 1), Pauper (Season 2 this weekend), and Standard (Season 3)
Format Challenges
| Time (PT) | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | Vintage Challenge | ||
| 1:00 AM | 32-Player Limited Challenge | 32-Player Limited Challenge | |
| 2:00 AM | Pauper Challenge | ||
| 4:00 AM | 32-Player Legacy Challenge | Modern Challenge | |
| 6:00 AM | 32-Player Standard Challenge | Pioneer Challenge | |
| 8:00 AM | Modern Challenge | Legacy Challenge | |
| 10:00 AM | Vintage Challenge | Pauper Challenge | |
| 12:00 PM | 32-Player Limited Challenge | 32-Player Limited Challenge | |
| 2:00 PM | Pioneer Challenge | 32-Player Standard Challenge | |
| 4:00 PM | 32-Player Limited Challenge | ||
| 6:00 PM | Modern Challenge | Modern Challenge |
Patch Notes
- Freeform with Commander is now available as a MTGO game mode.
- Support for the Commander 1v1 format has been removed. Players who still have Commander 1v1 decks can convert them to Freeform with Commander format.
- If a player has multiple Bewitching Leechcrafts on an opponent’s creatures, the game will correctly leave them all tapped unless a +1/+1 counter is removed.
- Clues created by Wernog, Rider’s Chaplain will correctly draw cards.
- Gonti’s Machinations will function correctly in all cases.
- Graveyard order will be selectable for cards leaving a library (Grisly Salvage, Old Stickfingers, Hermit Druid, etc) in formats that care about graveyard order.
- The minimum costs of X spells imposed by Trinisphere will correctly be payable using delve, convoke, and other non-mana payment methods.
The next downtime is scheduled for August 2 at 9 AM PT for the release of Commander Masters.
Read the original article from Daybreak Games.