Luxury Tax - GP Monopolies, New Duel Deck, and More!

First Pick & Giveaway:

COOLSTUFFINC GIVEAWAY - 2x copies of Duel Deck: Mind vs Might - https://gleam.io/ovkVI/win-a-free-copy-of-duel-decks-mind-vs-might

ChannelFireball takes over ALL GPs beginning 2018, 'multi-year' plan;

Magic Show points:

• No Competition means…
• • Likely higher prices for players
  • Likely higher prices for vendors
• Players get:
• • Consistent Experience
  • Promotions can last multiple events
• Player dangers:
• • Higher prices
  • No new ideas / bland events
• Judge good
• • Only one place to schedule events
  • Consistent compensation (no bad vs great organizers)
• Judge bad
• • End of Judge program due to lawsuits
  • Centralizing of premier level play judging will allow the implementation of a separate institution easily

Modern Masters 2017 Release - price drops?

Thanks to MM2017 - Dragon's Maze is now worth $35/box, $.97/pack

No Bans: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/march-13-2017-banned-and-restricted-announcement-2017-03-13

Mind vs Might Decklists: YAWN http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/duel-decks-mind-vs-might-2017-03-20

Gather the Townsfolk:

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=13853&writer=Neale+Talbot&articledate=3-14-2017

Neale Talbot

• Wizards needs to consolidate their customer tracking information into a single customer-identifiable ID.
• Wizards have already consolidated DCI and other information into "Wizards Accounts."
• Wizards is phasing out DCI numbers and shutting down legacy systems.
• MDN has been identified as a "platform" that provides a "seamless digital experience."
• MDN could serve as Wizards opportunity to unifying accounts as a launch-pad to interacting with Magic IP products, both online and offline.

• WotC copying Blizzard by creating a "Wizards ID"
• • Can track online and offline play
  • No need for DCI (see also: Judge program)

Going Infinite

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/the-face-walker-problem - Too many PWalkers these days? 4x per set since BFZ, was 2.4~ or so per set before. Small set get 2 vs 1 previously.

Splash Damage
I Made Obscene Money Forging Magic the Gathering Cards: http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2472-i-made-obscene-money-forging-magic-gathering-cards.html

Lifecoach on Quitting Hearthstone: http://www.pcgamer.com/lifecoach-on-quitting-hearthstone-you-dont-get-rewarded-you-get-punched-in-the-face/?utm_content=buffer00bed&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=buffer-pcgamertw

The Finisher

This week after the GAMA show, there was a huge shake up that left three iconic long-time board game legends out of a job. I'm talking of course about the three Monopoly pieces (the thimble, the wheelbarrow, and the boot) that got the boot from the all-time classic and truly terrible Hasbro title. More than 4.3 million votes on social media determined the newly configured group of eight: a T-Rex, rubber ducky and penguin will join the five classic tokens Scottie the dog, hat, car, battleship, and the cat, which you may recall replaces the iron in 2013. This is a truly momentous day, but it begs the question: what iconic character would be next to get the boot in Magic?