Magic: The Gathering Arena News

[h2]HISTORIC ANTHOLOGY 7 AND EXPLORER ANTHOLOGY 3 ARRIVE JULY 18![/h2]

Tuesday, April 18—that's tomorrow!—50 new-to-MTG Arena cards arrive to expand the Explorer and Historic formats. Start making plans for new deck possibilities by checking out the Historic Anthology 7 Card Image Gallery and the Explorer Anthology 3 Card Image Galleries, and then pick up yours tomorrow.

Oh, and one more thing . . .

[h2]EXPLORER ANTHOLOGY 2 RETURNS FOR A LIMITED TIME![/h2]
We're bringing back Explorer Anthology 2! If you missed this anthology of cards the first time around, this is your chance to catch up. Strengthen your Explorer and Historic card repertoire with cards like Eidolon of the Great Revel, Brave the Elements, and Satyr Wayfinder.



And boost your land game with Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.


Check out all 25 cards in the Explorer Anthology 2 Card Image Gallery. You can pick up yours in the MTG Arena Store for 4,000 gems or 25,000 gold. But don't let this opportunity slip by—Explorer Anthology 2 will only be available until September 5!

[h2]HISTORIC AND EXPLORER METAGAME CHALLENGES[/h2]
New sets releases and more cards open up the metagame, and that means the Metagame Challenge can't be far behind. In this case, two are coming soon!

July 21–24, take all those new cards from Historic Anthology 7 and Explorer Anthology 3 and prove your metagame mastery in the Historic Metagame Challenge.

July 28–30, sharpen that mastery and bring it to the digital table for the Explorer Metagame Challenge.

Both events bring with them gold and pack prizes. You can win The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs in the Historic Metagame Challenge, and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered packs for the Explorer Metagame Challenge.


[h2]2023 ROTATION AND RENEWAL IS COMING[/h2]

It's hard to believe, but we're already closing in on the 2023 Standard rotation and Renewal in MTG Arena, and this year introduces changes to how rotation will work going forward. Check out the Renewal for MTG Arena's 2023 Standard Rotation article for complete details on what to expect as we near September, the release of Wilds of Eldraine, and rotation for Standard and Alchemy.

[h2]SPECIAL KAMIGAWA: NEON DYNASTY PREMIER DRAFT HAPPENING NOW![/h2]

In case you missed it, there's a Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Premier Draft going on right now until July 24. Relive the excitement of drafting one of Magic's most popular sets, add cards to your collection, and win gem and pack rewards!

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[h2]EVENT SCHEDULE[/h2]
Events open on the starting date at 8 a.m. PT (excluding Midweek Magic) and close to entries at 8 a.m. PT (UTC-07:00) on the ending date shown unless otherwise noted.

[h3]MIDWEEK MAGIC[/h3]
Midweek Magic events open on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. PT and close to new entries on Thursdays at 2 p.m. PT (UTC-07:00).

• July 18–20: Standard
  
• July 25–27: Dominaria United Bot Draft
  
• August 8–10: Alchemy
  
• August 8–10: Slow Start
  

[h3]QUICK DRAFT[/h3]

• July 11–August 1: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™
  
• August 1–5: Dominaria United

[h3]OTHER EVENTS[/h3]

• July 17–25: Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Premier Draft
  
• July 21–24: Historic Metagame Challenge
  
• July 25–August 3: The Brothers' War Premier Draft
  
• July 28–30: Explorer Metagame Challenge
  

[h2]PREMIER PLAY SCHEDULE[/h2]
All times listed are Pacific time (UTC-07:00).

[h2]QUALIFIER EVENTS[/h2]
Qualifier Play-In events are single-day tournaments in which players compete to earn invitations to that month's Qualifier Weekend events.

Qualifier Weekend events are two-day events in which eligible players compete for invitations to upcoming Arena Championship events. Check out the standings to see who's qualified for Arena Championship 4.

Qualifier tokens are delivered in your MTG Arena inbox. Remember to claim them before the event starts!

[h3]AUGUST[/h3]

• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-One)
  August 5, 6 a.m PT
  Format: Explorer
  
• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-Three)
  August 11, 6 a.m. PT–August 12, 3 a.m. PT
  Format: Explorer
  
• Qualifier Weekend
  August 12, 6 a.m. PT–August 13, 4 p.m. PT
  Format: Explorer
  

[h2]ARENA OPEN[/h2]
The Arena Open Day One entry window begins at 6 a.m. PT and closes to new entries the following day at 3 a.m. PT (UTC-07:00). The Day Two entry window is 2 hours only, from 6 a.m. PT until 8 a.m. PT (UTC-07:00).

• Arena Open: Arena Cube Draft
  August 26–27
  - August 26: Day One, Arena Cube Draft (Best-of-One and Best-of-Three)
  - August 27: Day Two, Arena Cube Draft (Best-of-Three)
  

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[h2]JULY 2023 RANKED SEASON[/h2]
The June 2023 Ranked Season begins June 30 at 12:05 p.m. PT and ends on July 31 at 12 p.m. PT (UTC-07:00)

• Bronze Reward: 1 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth pack
  
• Silver Reward: 1 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth pack + 500 gold
  
• Gold Reward: 2 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style
  
• Platinum Reward: 3 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style + Press the Enemy card style
  
• Diamond Reward: 4 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style + Press the Enemy card style
  
• Mythic Reward: 5 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style + Press the Enemy card style
  

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[h2]FOLLOW MTG ARENA SOCIAL[/h2]

• Twitter @MTG_Arena
  
• Facebook @MTGArena
  
• Instagram @mtgarena
  
• TikTok @MTGArena
  
• MTG Arena YouTube channel
  
• Magic: The Gathering Discord channel
  
• Threads @mtgarena

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© 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises. The Lord of the Rings and Tales of Middle-earth are trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC used under license by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

[h2]HISTORIC ANTHOLOGY 7 AND EXPLORER ANTHOLOGY 3 ARRIVE JULY 18![/h2]

Two new anthologies arrive on July 18, introducing a total of 50 Magic cards to digital play! Historic gets an injection of 25 cards with Historic Anthology 7 that deepens the format even further.

Also on July 18, the Explorer format gets 25 new-to-digital cards with Explorer Anthology 3 that expand this exciting and growing format. It's not just Explorer that'll benefit from these additions—these cards will be legal in all Historic formats!

Previews for both sets are wrapping up today! Once previews are complete, you can see the full card lists in the Explorer Anthology 3 and Historic Anthology 7 Card Image Galleries!

[h2]PLAY THE TWO (COMMAND) TOWERS BRAWL NOW THROUGH JULY 14[/h2]
Your favorite legendary creature from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ is ready to command your 60-card Alchemy-legal Brawl deck into battle until July 14! Legendary creatures and planeswalkers are banned except those from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™.

Play, win Core Set 2021 showcase basic lands, and change decks as much as you want until the event ends!



[h2]JULY BEST-OF-THREE QUALIFIER PLAY-IN AND QUALIFIER WEEKEND[/h2]

This weekend has two back-to-back events that can get you into the competitive Magic track fast—a track that could lead the very best players to the Arena Championship 4 later this year and the MagicCon Pro Tour to be held in Chicago in February 2024!

This Friday is the Qualifier Play-In on Friday, which features The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Sealed Deck Best-of-Three matches that can earn top performers an invitation to the July Qualifier Weekend.

The Qualifier Weekend kicks off on Saturday, July 15, with the entry window opening at 6 a.m. PT (13:00 UTC) and the event starting at 8 a.m. PT (15:00 UTC). The format is also The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ Sealed Deck. This is a two-day event that concludes on Sunday, July 16. Top players on Day Two with seven match wins earn invitations to the Arena Championship 4 and the Pro Tour in February 2024!
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[h2]EVENT SCHEDULE[/h2]
Events open on the starting date at 8 a.m. PT (excluding Midweek Magic) and close to entries at 8 a.m. PT (UTC-07:00) on the ending date shown unless otherwise noted.

[h3]MIDWEEK MAGIC[/h3]
Midweek Magic events open on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. PT and close to new entries on Thursdays at 2 p.m. PT (UTC-07:00).

• July 11–13: Historic Brawl
  
• July 18–20: Standard
  
• July 25–27: Dominaria United Bot Draft
  
• August 8–10: Alchemy
  

[h3]QUICK DRAFT[/h3]

• July 11–18: The Brothers' War
  
• July 18–August 1: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™
  
• August 1–5: Dominaria United

[h3]OTHER EVENTS[/h3]

• June 20–July 18: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ Sealed
  
• July 7–14: The Two (Command) Towers
  
• July 17–25: Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Premier Draft
  
• July 21–24: Historic Metagame Challenge
  
• July 25–August 3: The Brothers' War Premier Draft
  
• July 28–30: Explorer Metagame Challenge
  

[h2]PREMIER PLAY SCHEDULE[/h2]
All times listed are Pacific time (UTC-07:00).

[h2]QUALIFIER EVENTS[/h2]
Qualifier Play-In events are single-day tournaments in which players compete to earn invitations to that month's Qualifier Weekend events.

Qualifier Weekend events are two-day events in which eligible players compete for invitations to upcoming Arena Championship events. Check out the standings to see who's qualified for Arena Championship 4.

Qualifier tokens are delivered in your MTG Arena inbox. Remember to claim them before the event starts!

[h3]JULY[/h3]

• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-Three)
  July 14, 6 a.m. PT–July 15, 3 a.m. PT
  Format: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ Limited
  
• Qualifier Weekend
  July 15, 6 a.m. PT–July 16, 4 p.m. PT
  Format: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ Limited
  

[h3]AUGUST[/h3]

• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-One)
  August 5, 6 a.m PT
  Format: Explorer
  
• Qualifier Play-In (Best-of-Three)
  August 11, 6 a.m. PT–August 12, 3 a.m. PT
  Format: Explorer
  
• Qualifier Weekend
  August 12, 6 a.m. PT–August 13, 4 p.m. PT
  Format: Explorer
  

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[h2]JULY 2023 RANKED SEASON[/h2]
The June 2023 Ranked Season begins June 30 at 12:05 p.m. PT and ends on July 31 at 12 p.m. PT (UTC-07:00)

• Bronze Reward: 1 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth pack
  
• Silver Reward: 1 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth pack + 500 gold
  
• Gold Reward: 2 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style
  
• Platinum Reward: 3 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style + Press the Enemy card style
  
• Diamond Reward: 4 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style + Press the Enemy card style
  
• Mythic Reward: 5 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth packs + 1,000 gold + Shadow Summoning card style + Press the Enemy card style
  

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[h2]FOLLOW MTG ARENA SOCIAL[/h2]

• Twitter @MTG_Arena
  
• Facebook @MTGArena
  
• Instagram @mtgarena
  
• TikTok @MTGArena
  
• MTG Arena YouTube channel
  
• Magic: The Gathering Discord channel
  
• Threads @mtgarena

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© 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises. The Lord of the Rings and Tales of Middle-earth are trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC used under license by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

[h3]The epic set of heroes and adventures is now on MTG Arena! You'll find packs, avatars, card style bundles, a full-art map lands bundle, and more to collect in the Store—and don't forget to check your in-game mail for three packs to get your started. [/h3]


[h2]THE LORD OF THE RINGS STORY DECKS [/h2]
Not sure where to start building a deck? We've curated seven themed decks with cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ as a fantastic way for players to start their journey in Middle-earth on MTG Arena!

Import narrative-inspired decks detailed in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ Story Decks article including six 60-card decks containing only The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth cards usable in Alchemy and Historic and one Historic Brawl deck comprised of both The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and historic cards that synergize with Tom Bombadil as your Commander.

[h2]THE LORD OF THE RINGS CARD IMAGE GALLERY [/h2]
It is time to start collecting! Get to know all the new cards in the latest set with the complete The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ card image gallery!


[h2]THE LORD OF THE RINGS MASTERY PASS [/h2]
You cannot pass…on the Mastery Pass! Experience the Tales of Middle-earth™ and earn avatars, packs and so much more along the way. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Set Mastery goes up to Level 80. All players receive rewards through Level 54, while players with the Mastery Pass will receive rewards up to Level 70—and beyond!

[h2]THE LORD OF THE RINGS MECHANICS [/h2]
The latest set is packed with exciting new cards and a few marquee keywords and mechanics to review. Gather your Fellowship, pack your lembas, and learn more about the new The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ mechanics before you play them out on the battlefield!

[h2]TALES OF MIDDLE-EARTH™ EVENTS [/h2]


[h2]THE TWO (COMMAND) TOWERS[/h2]
Bring a 60-card Alchemy-legal Brawl deck to MTG Arena with a twist: Legendary creatures and planeswalkers are banned except those from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™. Play and change decks as much as you want from July 7-13! Learn more in our MTG Arena Announcements.

[h2]THE LORD OF THE RINGS QUICK DRAFT[/h2]
Draft against AI with no waiting and no pick timers! Select one card at a time from rotating draft packs. The cards will be added to your collection, and you'll use them plus basic lands to build a 40-card deck. Play games and receive prizes based on how many games you win, now through August 1!

© 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises. The Lord of the Rings and Tales of Middle-earth are trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC used under license by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

[h3]It's time to embark on a different sort of journey as Magic presents characters, locations, and epic moments from the epic fantasy novels of J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ is packed with exciting new cards and a few marquee keywords and mechanics to review. So, gather your Fellowship, pack your lembas, and let's head out to learn more about the new set.[/h3]

[h2]THE RING[/h2]
The Ring calls out, eager to bend mortals to its will. Several cards in the set have abilities that say "the Ring tempts you."



The first time the Ring tempts you during a game, you get an emblem named The Ring. There's a printed helper card you can keep in your command zone to remind you that you have The Ring and what it does. The Ring starts with only its first ability at the top, but it may gain the other abilities one at a time as it tempts you further.



Each time the Ring tempts you, two things happen. First, you choose a creature you control to become your Ring-bearer. If you have a Ring-bearer, you may choose to have that creature remain your Ring-bearer, or you may choose another creature you control to carry that burden. Ring-bearer is a new designation; it's not a creature type or an ability. The creature you choose remains your Ring-bearer until you choose another one, it leaves the battlefield, or another player gains control of it. Each player has their own Ring-bearer (and their own The Ring), and you can never have more than one Ring-bearer.

Second, The Ring gains its next ability, if it can. Once The Ring has all four of its abilities, it has reached its full power and won't gain additional abilities as the Ring tempts you in the future. Notably, The Ring will gain its next ability even if you didn't control any creatures as the Ring tempted you, meaning you didn't choose a Ring-bearer.

Spells and abilities may refer to your Ring-bearer. Most obviously, The Ring itself has abilities that affect your Ring-bearer. It immediately becomes legendary and can't be blocked by creatures with greater power. In time, The Ring's other abilities will provide valuable combat bonuses. Other cards, including Sauron, the Necromancer, refer to your Ring-bearer.



Some triggered abilities trigger whenever the Ring tempts you. These abilities will trigger if the Ring tempts you even if you didn't choose a Ring-bearer because you didn't control any creatures. However, some of these abilities will further specify that they trigger only if you chose specific creatures as your Ring-bearer, so be careful.

[h2]AMASS ORCS[/h2]
Sometimes you use magical incantations and arcane wizardry to get what you want. Sometimes you grab a bunch of orcs and beat everyone up. Amass is a returning mechanic, but with a twist.



To amass Orcs N, first determine if you control an Army creature. If you don't, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token. Then put N +1/+1 counters on an Army creature you control. If it isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.



Most of the time, the only Army creature you'll control will be a token you created using amass. However, Army is a creature type like any other, so you could control a nontoken Army, such as a creature with the changeling ability. If you happen to control multiple Army creatures as you amass, you pick one of them to get the +1/+1 counters.

In previous appearances, amass defaulted to Zombie. Those older cards will receive an update to now say "amass Zombies N." The only change to how those cards work is that now, if the Army creature you put +1/+1 counters on isn't already a Zombie, it becomes a Zombie in addition to its other types.

Combining older amass cards with ones from this set makes for some fun stories. If you amass Zombies, you create a Zombie Army creature token with some +1/+1 counters on it. If you later amass Orcs, that Zombie Army becomes an Orc Zombie Army and gets even more +1/+1 counters!

[h2]RETURNING MECHANICS[/h2]
If you're new to Magic, or perhaps returning after some time away, you may encounter some unfamiliar sights on your journey. This section touches on mechanics that appear only sparingly in this set, but it may help you know more about the road ahead.

[h2]FOOD TOKENS[/h2]
Several cards in the set create Food tokens.



A Food token is an artifact token with the ability "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life." Snacking, er . . . sacrificing them can give you a quick burst of life when you need it, and you may find other uses for them as well.

[h2]LANDCYCLING[/h2]
On cards, this activated ability will appear as plainscycling, islandcycling, swampcycling, mountaincycling, and forestcycling. If you have a card with one of these abilities in your hand, you can pay the listed cost (in this set, {1}) and discard the card. This allows you to search your library for a card with the appropriate basic land type, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.



Even the mightiest creatures don't matter if they're stuck in your hand while you don't have enough mana, so don't be afraid to go find the lands you need to power a potent endgame.

[h2]SAGAS[/h2]
Sagas are enchantments that represent epic stories and tales that play out one chapter at a time over a series of turns.



Each Saga enters the battlefield with a lore counter on it, causing the first ability—the chapter I ability—to trigger. As your first main phase begins, add another lore counter and the next chapter ability triggers. This continues until the last chapter ability has finished. Once that happens, you sacrifice the Saga.

[h2]HISTORIC[/h2]
Historic is a term that refers to artifacts, Sagas, and anything with the legendary supertype, all of which you'll find in abundance in this set.



Abilities may refer to historic permanents on the battlefield, historic cards in your graveyard, or historic spells. Knowing your history can ensure your future is one filled with victory.

[h2]STUN COUNTERS[/h2]
Wouldn't it be nice if your opponents' creatures just took a small break and didn't untap so maybe you could attack unfettered? Stun counters might be what you're looking for.

If a tapped creature with one or more stun counters on it would untap, instead, it stays tapped and one stun counter is removed from it. This can be because it's the untap step or because a spell or ability tries to untap the creature, but remember that a stun counter is removed only if the creature is tapped.

© 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises. The Lord of the Rings and Tales of Middle-earth are trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC used under license by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

[h3]Join Frodo and Samwise on their journey from the Shire! The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™ is coming to MTG Arena on June 20th. Prepare to join the Fellowship and preorder your bundle now![/h3]



[h3]Join the Fellowship—or thwart them—in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™. How will YOU play the story?[/h3]


© 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises. The Lord of the Rings and Tales of Middle-earth are trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC used under license by Wizards of the Coast LLC.