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This Week in Magic: December 15, 2023

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Hey there everyone! It's time for another week of news. Before we get started, I wanted to let you all know that next week there likely will not be a news article next week due to the holidays. We'll be back to our normal scheduled program that following week!

Ravnica Remastered Revealed

This week started off with a bang, revealing the entirety of the Ravnica Remastered set! Cards were revealed via Tolarian Community College's latest Shuffle Up and Play video and the Weekly MTG stream for this week. The whole thing came shortly afterwards via the card image gallery on the mothership. Wizards also released the Collecting Ravnica Remastered article, which details specifics on how to get certain cards - namely the fact that you'll be able to collect 64 different kinds of serialized cards (each out of 500) as well as a handful of retro frame reprints exclusive to collector boosters.

Want to get some Ravnica Remastered yourself? You can find it right here on CoolStuffInc.com!

Hasbro Layoffs Affect Wizards of the Coast

A variety of news outlets including Providence Journal, Geekwire, and PC Gamer reported the news that hundreds of Hasbro employees would be laid off two weeks before the end of the year. While it was not clear at first as to whether or not this would include people who worked at Wizards of the Coast, it became apparent soon that this was indeed the case. This ranged from community managers like Jesse Hill to game designers like David McDarby and even beloved personality and Pro Tour caster Paul Cheon. Many of the details are still forthcoming, however the community response has been swift and decisive, with many being critical of various executives and business decisions made over the last few years. The full impact of this remains to be seen, however, it stands as a tremendous blow to Wizards and their various properties to lose such incredible names.

Timeless Format and Khans of Tarkir hit MTG Arena

Two big new updates came to MTG Arena this week! The first is the brand new Timeless format, which acts as Arena's own brand of Vintage Magic. There's been lots of excitement and decklists floating around on social media that's gotten people hyped up. Some are loving it, though others aren't feeling it. Still, it's definitely worth checking out if you're interested in trying out some high powered Magic without shelling out for formats like Legacy or Vintage. Give it a shot!

Second, Khans of Tarkir landed on MTG Arena this Tuesday, adding many cards to the client - including fetch lands! The beloved draft format is available now to play and I for one have been thoroughly enjoying my time with it. Additionally, several cards received new art for a myriad of reasons, ranging from changing the depiction of Rakshasa to the removal of artists who Wizards no longer works with and refuses to use their artwork any longer. You can check out the MTG Arena card image gallery to help familiarize yourself with these new arts before jumping into games yourself!

Early Details for MC Amsterdam

The official Magic Europe Twitter account shared some initial details about MagicCon Amsterdam happening at the end of June next year! Further information will be coming in January, but for now, anyone looking to apply for creator badges, community panels, and the cosplay contest should check out their tweet for links and information. The event will be focused on Modern Horizons III, which releases later in 2024.

Be Aware of New Amalia Ruling for RC Atlanta

Dreamhack Atlanta is happening this weekend and with it is the US Regional Championship! Ahead of the event, however, a ruling was announced to players regarding the combo deck involving Amalia Benavides Aguirre and Wildgrowth Walker. The way this combo works is that if you can trigger either Amalia or Walker once, the other will trigger and they will go infinite, allowing Amalia to grow gigantic and blow up the board. If you can somehow make an opposing Wildgrowth Walker indestructible, though, it'll keep the combo going infinitely.

Thanks to this new ruling, it's determined that the player controlling the Amalia must mill for the explore ability. The rationale may seem weird at first glance, however infinite loops must be broken if possible, and since there is a way to do so by putting the explored card into the graveyard, you must mill your deck. Then, if the opponent has a removal spell for the Amalia, the loop can be broken, allowing an opportunity for the Amalia player to die thanks to the milling. If there's no removal spell, the game will simply end in a draw.

If you're playing the Regional Championship this weekend, make sure you're aware of this ruling going in!

Decklist of the Week


Eternal Weekend took place this past weekend, highlighting record turnouts for both Legacy and Vintage champs. On the Vintage side of things, Anthony Valentine took home the Black Lotus trophy on the back of a Mono-Blue Paradoxical Outcome Combo list. When it comes to Legacy, TK Strachan took home the Lightning Bolt, riding on the back of the fittingly named Triumph of Saint Katherine all the way to victory! TK took to Twitter later the following day to gush about the event. For lovers of Eternal Magic, it was a magnificent weekend all around! Congratulations to both of the winners of this monumental event!

Paige Smith

Twitter: @TheMaverickGal

Twitch: twitch.tv/themaverickgirl

YouTube: TheMaverickGal

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