<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern|plg25|1" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/david_alvarez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Alvarez</a>
Magic Presents: Pride happened this past weekend, and it was a dazzling success in many ways.
Wizards of the Coast was busy with <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/celebrate-pride-at-your-local-game-store-and-beyond#Seattle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their attendance at Seattle Pride</a>, showing their support of the LGBTQIA+ community while keeping consistent with their company goals. While this was happening, many Magic players attended the Magic Presents event.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern|PLG25|1"></div></div>
A lot of players came to show their support and solidarity with the community, while others showed up for the awesome <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern|PLG25|1" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a> promo. Regardless of the reason, the event was generally a rousing success.
I went to Magic Presents: Pride this past Sunday, and here's how it went for me!
<h2>The Games</h2>
Playing a variant of Commander is usually a great time for all involved. After all, we're all willingly entering into a social contract by agreeing to new or variant rules. Heck, we're all entering a social contract by playing Commander, Magic, or most any game at all.
This variant for Magic Presents: Pride allows each player to have two commanders as though they had the partner mechanic.
<h3>Magic Presents: Pride - Game 1</h3>
I got to play two full games before I had to leave, and here's how the layout of the partner commanders went for Game 1:
<ul>
<li>Player 1 had <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant" href="#" target="_blank">Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant</a>, with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might" href="#" target="_blank">Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might</a>. His game plan here was to draw cards for value, pitch lands if necessary, and provide an aggressive strategy overall.</li>
<li>Player 2 had <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aisha of Sparks and Smoke" href="#" target="_blank">Aisha of Sparks and Smoke</a>, with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vikya, Scorching Stalwart" href="#" target="_blank">Vikya, Scorching Stalwart</a>. This player's overall intent was a Voltron-style strategy with Aisha/Ken, but in a partner variant, Vikya/Ryu also put in much work here.</li>
<li>Player 3 ran their first deck with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig" href="#" target="_blank">Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma" href="#" target="_blank">Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma</a>. This deck was generally one that plays large creatures, makes Yorvo even larger, and does what green does best: stomp face.</li>
<li>I ran <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a> with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ayara, First of Locthwain" href="#" target="_blank">Ayara, First of Locthwain</a>. My deck was a run-of-the-mill Aristocrats build, which wanted to slowly drain the life from my opponents.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER"></div></div>
Notably, the gameplay for the first game lacked any blue involvement. The Clive deck ran very smoothly, drawing upwards of seventeen cards upon Clive hitting the battlefield.
After this, Player 1 managed to spit almost every card he drew onto the field, as well as Ojer Axonil. He did what he had to do, and was content with that when I defeated him with a ton of Aristocrat-based damage off of Sephiroth and his emblem. I mainly had tob on account of his <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunspine Lynx" href="#" target="_blank">Sunspine Lynx</a>, which was keeping me off of lifegain for the majority of that game.
After this, I was taken down by Player 2, and Player 3 followed suit. It turns out, Ken and Ryu are very potent partners both in Magic and the Street Fighter series! And while I lost handily, it was a great game to play under the partner variant rules for Pride.
<h3>Magic Presents: Pride - Game 2</h3>
Our second game saw a couple of changes to decks, my own included:
<ul>
<li>Player 1 shifted over to a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jolrael, Voice of Zhalfir" href="#" target="_blank">Jolrael, Voice of Zhalfir</a> deck with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy</a> as her partner. This deck focused on animating lands with Jolrael while putting a ton of pressure on the table through these flying lands attacking most every turn.</li>
<li>Player 2 kept his game plan the same. Aisha and Vikya proved invaluable to Player 2 and he still needed to figure out a few shifts he needed to eventually make to the deck.</li>
<li>Player 3 shifted decks to a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glarb, Calamity&#039;s Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Glarb, Calamity&#039;s Augur</a> build with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azusa, Lost but Seeking" href="#" target="_blank">Azusa, Lost but Seeking</a> as his partner. This deck was a Sultai () value pile, also focusing on land ramp like the Jolrael deck.</li>
<li>Ever true to form, I shifted to my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kefka, Court Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kefka, Court Mage</a> deck. You can see the exact list for this deck <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/group-slugging-with-kefka-court-mage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by clicking here</a>. My partner was <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainer, Nightmare Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Chainer, Nightmare Adept</a>, chosen to give Kefka haste when he hit the battlefield. The game plan here is largely the same as in my deck tech. But, giving Kefka haste was a great plan as well, and went quite smoothly for the most part.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kefka, Court Mage"></div></div>
Kefka did a lot for the majority of the game, but struggled to keep up in the end. I kept Players 2 and 3 from gaining life with a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Screaming Nemesis" href="#" target="_blank">Screaming Nemesis</a> before trying to lock down hands with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Words of Waste" href="#" target="_blank">Words of Waste</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waste Not" href="#" target="_blank">Waste Not</a>. However, by then my opponents managed to have a big enough board to keep the pressure on me until I lost.
I did manage to cast <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disrupt Decorum" href="#" target="_blank">Disrupt Decorum</a> before going down, which changed the pacing of the endgame, but it proved fruitless as Jolrael's land creatures weren't affected.
At the end of the game, Glarb and Azusa came out on top. I predicted that Aisha and Vikya could have ended things, but alas, it wasn't to be.
<h2>The Good</h2>
I appreciated how everyone got to do their thing in these games. I am certain that other pods in the optional event also saw similar success in that vein. It was fun to see the Clive/Ojer Axonil deck pop off before being summarily extinguished.
I didn't get to do everything I wanted with Sephiroth, but that game was a great one nonetheless. Additionally, in Game 2, I got to do a lot of what Kefka typically wants to do (partly thanks to Chainer curving into Kefka), so I was content with being taken down as well.
The Glarb/Azusa deck was terrifying and completely deserved the win it got, even if it was also running the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa&#039;s Oracle</a>/<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Consultation" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Consultation</a> combo.
&nbsp;
<div id="742-1295" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /> 
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These were amazingly fun games of Commander. The partner mechanic on all manner of combinations was a real sight to behold and it was great to see so many different kinds of decks spawn from the variant. However...
<h2>The Less-Good</h2>
We ran into a few issues tracking commander damage. The main problem came from Player 2 having both Aisha and Vikya leading a Voltron deck; both could have easily led the deck without the partner variant. There was a bit of confusion as to which commander was doing what damage in this case, namely, in the second game. However, this was quickly discerned soon thereafter, and for the most part, that was all fine afterwards.
Other than that, the event went without a hitch for us. The issue of commander damage tracking is why I'm glad this event happens once a year, give or take other special occasions. I wasn't a huge fan of having to track multiple commanders whose damage mattered as much as it did. However, I'm more than happy to attend future events like this!
Just, please, maybe reconsider the double-Voltron strategy next time.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
If you find yourself in a position where you can attend Magic Presents: Pride in the future, please attend! It's a great event and a good chance to connect to people you otherwise might not know. Also, you're supporting an important and marginalized group of people by attending this event, by way of solidarity. The event is fully optional, but if you do these events, you could also claim a promotional card.
No matter what, I am happy to attend this event in the future as well. But let's open the floor to you, dear readers. Did you attend the event this past weekend? What partner commanders did you run? Sound off below!

Magic Presents: Pride 2025, Recapped

FlyQuest x Archidekt Duel Land event hosts | image still from livestream day 2
<a href="https://flyquest.gg/pages/duelland">FlyQuest'sDuel Land celebrity charity event</a> has concluded, with two teams each winning a $5,000 prize to the charity of their choice!
The format was Final Fantasy Two-Headed Giant Sealed, with sixteen players paired up over two days of epic livestreamed matches.
We'll reveal the winners at the end of this article, so if you don't want to be spoiled, be sure to check out our livestream embeds below!
<h2>Where Can I Watch the Duel Land Charity Event?</h2>
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41.webp"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-156585" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1024x576.webp" alt="player roster for duel land charity event" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-300x169.webp 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-768x432.webp 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1536x864.webp 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41.webp 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Sixteen players (minus Rachel Weeks, shown in the image above) gathered at the Flyquest headquarters in Los Angeles for an epic weekend of Final Fantasy Sealed.
Each day was filled with epic matches (and two collector booster box openings!), plenty of laughs, and a ton of hype for the new Final Fantasy cards.
<h3>Day One</h3>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T5JkCdHGL_s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
There were a total of six 45 minute rounds of Two-Headed Giant for Day One.
<div id="attachment_156586" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156586" class="wp-image-156586 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1024x567.png" alt="taalia vess and brodin plett" width="1024" height="567" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1024x567.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-300x166.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-768x425.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1536x851.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa.png 1820w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Taalia Vess and Brodin Plett in round 4</div>
<h3>Day Two</h3>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o8tbKRzXFUo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Day Two saw the semi-finals and finals matches, along with a sweet Commander precon showdown with none other than<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/joseph-schultz" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Joey Schultz</a>!
<div id="attachment_156594" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156594" class="wp-image-156594 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1024x574.png" alt="joey schultz as the monarch" width="1024" height="574" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1024x574.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-300x168.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-768x430.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1536x860.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz.png 1810w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Joey Schultz and Joel are Magic</div>
<h3>Final Fantasy 2HG Sealed Pools and Deck Lists</h3>
Duel Land event teams graciously posted their Sealed pools and deck lists on Archidekt for each day.
<a href="https://archidekt.com/u/FlyQuest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out what your favorite players opened and sleeved up on Archidekt!</a>
<h3>Celebrating the Magic of esports</h3>
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-156588" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1024x576.jpeg" alt="brodin plett and taalia vess as duel land winners" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners.jpeg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Finalists Brodin Plett and Taalia Vess ended up taking the winner's crown on Day Two, with a $5,000 charity gift to Village Enterprise, notable for "Equipping women, refugees, and youth in rural Africa to launch small businesses and break the cycle of extreme poverty."
Not to be outdone, Archidekt donated an additional $5,000 to the runners up, <a href="https://x.com/Theasianavenger?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Asian Avenger </a>(Crim Nguyen) and <a href="https://x.com/heybillierae?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billie Rae</a>, and their charity of choice, The Tourette Association of America, which "is dedicated to making life better for all people affected by Tourette, Tic Disorders, and associated conditions."
Duel Land was a successful charity event, with esports and MTG players at max hype all weekend. Who was your favorite to watch? Are you ready to see the next FlyQuest x Archidekt streaming event? Shout us out below or on social media with your thoughts!

FlyQuest x Archidekt Draws Thousands to Watch Celebrity MTG Stream Event

Day Two of the FlyQuest Duel Land charity event Day Two has wrapped! Check out the embed below <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/flyquest?utm_source=edhrec">or go to FlyQuest's Twitch channel</a> to watch the stream and see who will take it all to win a cash prize and $5,000 to the charity of their choice!
We're starting with a Commander Showmatch with EDHRECast's Joey Shultz! Then, the Bracket Stage will showcase the remaining teams into the finals.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o8tbKRzXFUo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<a href="https://archidekt.com/u/FlyQuest?utm_source=edhrec">Decklists will be added on FlyQuest's dedicated Archidekt account</a> as they're updated with Sealed pools as well as player decklists!
We'll see you tomorrow for a recap of this weekend's events!

Archidekt x FlyQuest Duel Land Charity Event Day Two

The Duel Land Charity Livestream event has ended and Day Two is nearly upon us! Read on to see what happened today:
Check out the Youtube embed below to watch or <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/flyquest">head to the FlyQuest Twitch</a> to get in on the Final Fantasy 2-Headed-Giant action!
Here's who you'll see from the player roster below (update: Rachel Weeks is no longer on the player roster):
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-156135" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-300x169.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-768x432.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T5JkCdHGL_s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h3>Decklists for Final Fantasy 2HG Sealed</h3>
The first batch of decks are LIVE on Archidekt and will be updated continuously at the link below:
<a href="https://archidekt.com/u/FlyQuest">2-Headed-Giant Sealed Decklists</a>
Be sure to grab some fresh popcorn, hop in chat on the EDHRECast Youtube or FlyQuest Twitch and let us know your favorite parts of the stream! And <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/archidekt-x-flyquest-duel-land-event-begins-june-14th">check out the rest of this weekend's schedule</a>!

Archidekt x FlyQuest Duel Land Charity Event Day One

<div id="attachment_155871" class="wp-caption alignright">
The EDHRECast live at Magic Con Chicago 2025, photo credit: Nick Wolf
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&nbsp;
<h2>What Is the International Day of Play?</h2>
On June 11, 2025, EDHREC is happy to celebrate International Day of Play (IDOP)!
Marking the importance of play in children's lives is the primary goal of IDOP. Even for adults, making some time to move away from screens into the open-world RPG that is life is a great way to celebrate the holiday through in-person play.
Various organizations across the globe are celebrating IDOP. Even the United Nations is taking part in this holiday!
According to <a href="https://www.un.org/en/delegate/international-day-play-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their press release on the subject</a>, 2025 marks the second year of the celebration of a person's right to engage in play. Their release goes on to say:
<blockquote>Building on the success of the inaugural International Day of Play in 2024 and the adoption of the General Assembly resolution recognizing every child’s right to play, we are pleased [...] to participate in the 2025 celebration of the International Day of Play (IDOP) [...] This year’s celebration will move from conversation to commitment. We hope to see broad and meaningful participation from Member States to help advance the right to play in practical and visible ways.</blockquote>
International Day of Play is a worldwide holiday that emphasizes a child's right to play.
However, everyone needs some time for their own leisure and play now and again.
<h3>What Are Some Ways I Can Participate?</h3>
<a href="https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-celebrates-international-day-play-global-initiatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hasbro has announced</a> family-friendly, in-person Dungeons &amp; Dragons events at over 300 local gaming stores (LGS) nationwide.
Plus, with Magic: The Gathering's tentpole Final Fantasy set releasing on June 13th, many gamers are looking forward to a jam-packed weekend of play.
<div id="attachment_155873" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-155873" class="wp-image-155873" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-225x300.jpg 225w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a>Matt Morgan of the EDHRECast's Final Fantasy Sealed deck</div>
In addition, Hasbro is teaming up with the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America to spearhead multiple Dungeons &amp; Dragons campaigns at after-school programs. According to Hasbro's release:
<blockquote>Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast is piloting official afterschool D&amp;D clubs at 10 <a id="modalLink" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bgca.org%2F&amp;esheet=54271231&amp;newsitemid=20250609564065&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Boys+%26amp%3B+Girls+Clubs&amp;index=4&amp;md5=43f6949839d0d8e359f3ea9a70f78cce" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" shape="rect">Boys &amp; Girls Clubs</a> nationwide, complete with mini libraries, game materials, and support to train the next generation of Dungeon Masters. To celebrate, Hasbro volunteers will be visiting a local Boys &amp; Girls Club to bring the fun in person.</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Magic: The Gathering is also a great way to play! Here at EDHREC, we encourage you to take your best and most fun Commander decks to your LGS and see if you can make new friends, sling some spells, and enjoy the gathering that makes Magic so great.
<h2>Play Alongside the EDHRECast at MagicCon Las Vegas</h2>
MagicCon Vegas is just around the corner, so if you're looking to play at the event, the EDHRECast's got you covered! Joey Schultz, Dana Roach, and Matt Morgan will be available for <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/panels-and-events/panel-information.html?gtID=901484&amp;panel-name=Meet-EDHRec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meet and greets on Saturday, June 20th</a>, from 10:30am to 12pm!
And speaking of in-person play, you'll also be able to <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/panels-and-events/panel-information.html?gtID=898650&amp;panel-name=EDHRECast-Live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Challenge the Stats in person</a> with the Cast at MagicCon Las Vegas!
<div id="attachment_155946" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-155946" class="wp-image-155946 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1024x698.jpg" alt="edhrecast photo at magic con chicago 25" width="1024" height="698" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-300x205.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-768x524.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1536x1047.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-2048x1396.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>The EDHRECast live at Magic Con Chicago 2025, photo credit: Nick Wolf</div>
Stop by the Spindown Panel Room S224, June 21 at 4 pm, to showcase your data knowledge and chat with the cast LIVE! Test your chops against our panelists.
<blockquote>In this live version of our popular Challenge the Stats segment, audience members will be given a chance to go head to head against one of the show hosts to guess various stats on cards and decks from the EDHREC database. Do you know better than the Necromancer himself Joey Schultz what the most popular graveyard commander is in Boros? Can you out-guess Mr. Selesnya Matt Morgan about which green/white card shows up highest among the most popular cards on the site? Will you out-hipster Dana Roach by correctly naming the most-built commander from Ice Age? This is your chance to challenge our stats and see what we know live and in person.</blockquote>
This event requires no pre-registration and is first-come, first-serve, so make sure you get to the Panel Room S224 in time to grab a seat and get ready to play!

EDHREC Celebrates International Day of Play 2025

MagicCon Vegas event key art | copyright Wizards of the Coast
It's a scenario with which many are very familiar. You're heading to a MagicCon and perusing the mammoth list of artists who'll be in attendance, and wondering if there's an efficient way to search through your decks to see just how many cards you're playing that were illustrated by those artists.
To help, Archidekt has just announced a new "<a href="https://archidekt.com/magiccon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MagicCon</a>" feature, free for users of the deckbuilding website. For the upcoming MagicCon Vegas, there are <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/art-of-magic/artist-directory.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a whopping 61 artists</a> who'll be on-hand to sign cards, sell prints and tokens, and chat with attendees. And with Archidekt's help, you can arrive prepared.
<h2>How to Use the Archidekt Artist Search Feature</h2>
Previously, you'd have two options. You could have simply memorized every card done by every artist. Or, you could open up Scryfall, search cards by each artist, and cross-reference that with every card in every deck you've got.
Now, simply sign in (though it's not required) to Archidekt, choose your deck from the drop-down menu or import a text list, and Archidekt will tell you instantly which cards in your deck were illustrated by artists who'll be attending MagicCon Vegas.
And even if you're not signed in, you can easily paste in an export from another site to import into the program.
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-155401" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon1-300x187.png" alt="" width="934" height="582" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon1-300x187.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon1-1024x638.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon1-768x478.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon1.png 1260w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px" /></a>
And if you'd rather see entire catalogs of each artist's work, you can do that, too:
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-155400" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon2-300x196.png" alt="" width="947" height="619" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon2-300x196.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon2-1024x670.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon2-768x503.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/archmagiccon2.png 1375w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 947px) 100vw, 947px" /></a>
Simply head to the page, scroll down, and click "view artist's cards" for a convenient ready-made syntax search revealing every card by each artist.
And while you're there, if you see a card that strikes your fancy, you can add it to one of your existing decks with the click of a button.
<h2>See Archidekt and the EDHRECast at MagicCon Vegas</h2>
If you're heading to MagicCon Las Vegas, look for <a href="https://archidekt.com/">Archidekt</a>'s banners near the Artist Alley at the convention center, bearing a QR code that'll take you right to the Archidekt MagicCon Artists page.
Until then, be sure to keep up with the latest <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/archidekt-deckbuilding-contest-june-2025">Final Fantasy deckbuilding contest</a> and get your decks ready to rock.
Are you ready to brave a journey into the desert for MagicCon Vegas?
If you are, be sure to <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/panels-and-events/panel-information.html?gtID=898650&amp;panel-name=EDHRECast-Live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out the EDHRECast Live in the Spindown room Sunday, June 22 at 4pm</a>!

Archidekt Announces New 'MagicCon' Feature for Searching Artists

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
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It's finally here! Many players can breathe easy at last, for their wait is over. The prerelease events for Final Fantasy begin this weekend, officially starting today, June 6th. What kind of format will this Prerelease entail? What goodies can you hope to gather from this sort of event? Read on, and we'll lay it out for you!
<h2>Final Fantasy Prerelease Format</h2>
First off, <a href="https://wpn.wizards.com/en/event/prerelease-magic-the-gathering-final-fantasy">the Prerelease events</a> for this set will almost unanimously be Final Fantasy Sealed. This is due to the widespread use of 6-pack Prerelease Kits. However, depending on your location or region, allocations may be a bit off; for that reason, you may be engaging in a different Limited format instead to meet demand. We can't say for sure whether your local game store will have you deviate from the norm, but if it's a Prerelease event, it will no doubt be Final Fantasy. And yes, you can use the Prerelease promo you get in your Kit.
Additionally, some stores do Prerelease in a slightly different way and offer 2-Headed Giant Sealed for at least one day of their events. These events are also tons of fun! In fact, we recently covered Archidekt's collaboration with Flyquest on a 2HG Sealed Final Fantasy event coming very soon, called Duel Land. <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/archidekt-x-flyquest-to-host-celebrity-final-fantasy-prerelease-event-june-14-15">You can read up on that event here.</a>
<h2>Prerelease Goodies For The New Set</h2>
In addition to getting packs from playing and for doing well in this Prerelease event series, players who participate in a Prerelease event may secure themselves a crystalline 10-sided spindown die (while supplies last). Furthermore, if you participate in at least two of these events, you might bag yourself a velveteen dice pouch as well.
While we don't have an image of the dice pouch, this is what the spindown d10 looks like from two different angles (Image credit: Wizards of the Coast):
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-155427" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10.jpg" alt="" width="559" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10.jpg 1080w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-300x300.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-150x150.jpg 150w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /></a>
<h2>What's Next After Prerelease?</h2>
Starting right at the release date for Final Fantasy, local game stores are getting an event called "Chocobo Racing". <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-adds-chocobo-racing-to-magic-presents-events">We covered this event in detail a few weeks ago.</a> But, as a refresher:
<blockquote>
<blockquote>Chocobo Racing Events are the weekly Booster Draft and Sealed event based on the FINAL FANTASY VII mini-game "Chocobo Racing". Whenever players play Draft or Sealed events with Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY in your store, earning points to reach special rewards just for this event.</blockquote>
The site goes on to explain how this minigame works:
<blockquote>As players enjoy racing around the track throughout the season, they'll earn a set number of points that build toward rewards.
Award points for the following:
<ul>
<li>Players earn 3 points for each Draft of Sealed event (excluding Prerelease) they attend.</li>
<li>Players earn 1 point for each match they win in a qualifying event.</li>
<li>Existing players that bring in a new player who <a href="http://myaccounts.wizards.com/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">signs up for a Wizards Account</a> and participates in a qualifying event earn 1 point.</li>
</ul>
When a player reaches 10 cumulative points, they earn a foil Chocobo art print. When a player reaches 20 cumulative points, they earn a Chocobo Pinfinity AR pin!</blockquote>
At the very end of the event, store owners are encouraged to give out any unallocated prints or pins to players who didn't make it to 10 or 20 points. WPN suggests stores give them out in order of highest standings at the end of the event's run.</blockquote>
And that about wraps up what you may need to know about the Final Fantasy Prerelease and Release events! Are you excited about this weekend? Sound off below!

Final Fantasy Prerelease Events Begin This Weekend

Event Spotlight - CommandFest UK

A PAX East Interview with Gavin Verhey and the Final Fantasy MTG Design Team

<h6 style="text-align: right;"></h6>
<h1>Prereleases - A Primer</h1>
Prereleases are one of my favorite events. Everyone comes in on the same footing, all playing with new cards for the first time and all with the same chances of pulling powerful cards from their packs.
In this article I'm going to cover some of the key information around Prereleases, what you should expect from an event like this, some other useful information and frequently asked questions about them.
<h2>What is a "Prerelease?"</h2>
A Prerelease is exactly what is says on the tin: An event that lets you play with cards from a new set before they are officially released. In the past this also meant you could get cards before everyone else too but now stores are often allowed to sell booster packs, boxes, and even Commander decks on the Prerelease weekend.
<h2>What happens at a Prerelease?</h2>
Prereleases are normally aimed towards newer players so their structure tends to be very easy to take part in to make sure players without much in-person event experience can still enjoy them. The first thing that will happen is making sure you are signed up for the event.
This tends to be in two parts. You'll pay for your event (which will normally cost slightly more than six play boosters) and then you will need to use the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/companion-app">Companion app</a> to join the event using a code provided to you by the event coordinator. The Companion app can be downloaded for free from <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/companion-app">Wizards' website</a> and allows you to see your pairings at events, track your life total and more.
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/companion-.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-141072 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/companion--1024x653.png" alt="" width="548" height="350" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/companion--1024x653.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/companion--300x191.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/companion--768x490.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/companion-.png 1083w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px" /></a>
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If you're more used to playing Magic Arena than paper magic, don't worry! Your Companion login will be the same as your Magic Arena account so it should be super easy to get into.
I'd recommend downloading the Companion app before going to the event in case your local game store doesn't have public wi-fi or a good signal.
After everyone is signed up and the event begins you will receive your Prerelease pack. Inside there is a spindown counter (like a D20 but the numbers are in order) for tracking life, six play boosters for the set, and a Prerelease promo; a foil rare or mythic from the set with a special stamp.
This is now when you make your deck to play with. Prereleases are done using the rules for the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/formats/sealed-deck">sealed format</a>. In short, you need to use the packs you've been given (and your Prerelease promo in this case) to create a 40+ card deck to play with.
You can change your deck as much as you want in between rounds using your pool of cards but you can't use anything from outside of your Prerelease pack. You will have around 50-60 minutes to build your deck after which you'll play a number of best-of-three rounds (normally three rounds).
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prerelease-pack.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-141050 size-full aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prerelease-pack.png" alt="" width="548" height="432" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prerelease-pack.png 548w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prerelease-pack-300x236.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px" /></a>
While building your deck you will want a good balance of lands, creatures and spells. I won't go into too much detail about different archetypes here, but I will drop a few top tips for building your deck:
<ul>
<li>You should have around 17 lands, 17 creatures, and six spells.</li>
<li>You will want to make sure you have a good amount of spells that destroy or exile your opponent's creatures to make sure you can get rid of any problematic creatures or permanents they may have.</li>
<li>Fliers are very good. Sometimes, your opponents won't be able to get rid of your three mana 2/2 flier and you'll win off of the back of it.</li>
</ul>
And that's it, as I mentioned above, they're designed for newer players so they're pretty simple. As in all things, it's important to remember that your opponents may be newer players and that everyone is playing with these new cards for the first time. If anyone makes mistakes, that's fine.
It's fairly common to allow small takebacks at Prereleases, especially when playing with brand-new mechanics from a set. The most important thing is that people are learning from them and that everyone has a good time.
<h2>Where can I do a Prerelease?</h2>
Most local game stores will offer Prereleases, but there are a couple of ways you can find your local one:
<ul>
<li>You can use the Wizards of the Coast <a href="https://locator.wizards.com/?utm_source=magicweb&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;_gl=1%2abex54c%2a_gcl_au%2aMTMxMjc5OTQ5Ny4xNzMwMTUwMjUx%2a_ga%2aNDAwMjUyMjMxLjE3MzAxNTAyNTE.%2a_ga_X145Z177LS%2aMTczMDE1MDI1MS40LjEuMTczMDE1MDI2Ni40NS4wLjA.">Store Finder</a> to help you find your closest game store as well as using the Event Finder tab on the same site to find any local events whether that is a Prerelease, a competitive tournament, or even the weekly <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/play-events/friday-night-magic">Friday Night Magic</a>.</li>
<li>You can also join more specific online communities for your local area. There are a lot of Discord servers for specific formats or for local areas as well as more Facebook groups than I can count that will help you out with finding a local store or playgroup.</li>
<li>You can also just use Google to help you find your local store and then go in and ask the staff about their events and their Prereleases. I've always found that speaking to the staff at your local store is the absolute best way to find out more information about events they offer.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/searchresults.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-140643 size-full" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/searchresults.jpg" alt="" width="715" height="448" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/searchresults.jpg 715w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/searchresults-300x188.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 715px) 100vw, 715px" /></a>
<h2>What do I need to do before going to a Prerelease?</h2>
Nothing. 
That's right, you absolutely don't need to do anything before going to a Prerelease, but there are some things that can do to prepare that will help you to have a more enjoyable experience:
<ol>
<li>Looking at the cards from the new set - You can use a wide range of resources for this like <a href="https://mythicspoiler.com/">Mythic Spoiler</a> if you want to track cards throughout the whole spoiler season or if you just want to have a quick look before the Prerelease you can check out the official Wizards of the Coast card library for that set (take a look at the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/foundations/card-image-gallery">Foundations card library here</a>).</li>
<li>Read up on synergies in set reviews - Reading set reviews from experienced Magic players can be a really good way to help get an early idea of what is going to be good in the set and to learn more about how experienced players evaluate new cards, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/tag/set-review/">EDHREC</a> and <a href="https://commandersherald.com/category/set-review/">Commander's Herald</a> both do set reviews for every new set that comes out.</li>
<li>Engage with Limited content online - There are tons of great draft and sealed players online that have content you can use to help you learn a new set when it releases. Personally, I'm a big fan of <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/voxy">Voxy</a>'s draft streams but I will also always listen to the Prerelease episodes of Limited Resources to get the low-down from the extremely experienced Limited players that host it.</li>
<li>Organize your bag the day before - This might seem like a really simple thing but it does make all the difference. It allows you to spend the morning relaxing instead of running around trying to find everything you need for the day's gaming. This is especially important if you're going to an early morning Prerelease.</li>
</ol>
<h2>What should I take with me?</h2>
Another question I often see people asking about Prereleases is "What do I need to take with me", the answer to this is actually just the Companion app to sign up for the event.
Everything else you need will be provided in the Prerelease pack on the day. However, there’s some things I'd recommend bringing to help make your event go just that bit smoother:
<ul>
<li>Sleeves - These will not only protect your brand-new cards but also make shuffling your deck much easier and smoother. I'll almost always bring slightly more than the 40 I need for my deck just in case I pull a valuable card that I'm not playing or if any of my sleeves break while playing; no one wants to have to buy a whole new pack of sleeves for one or two breaks. I recommend Dragon Shield Mattes purely because they feel really nice to shuffle, they're fairly economical and they come with enough for that Commander deck you've been thinking about building.</li>
<li>Dice and something to represent counters - +1/+1 counters are an evergreen mechanic and will always be in new sets, so having access to some dice to represent these makes life really easy. It can sometimes also be nice to bring something like small coins or colored glass beads to represent other types of counters that may be in a set. These will make representing a correct board state much easier and will prevent most issues around the confusion of what's what while playing the long, drawn-out games that Sealed often has.</li>
<li>Basic lands - This is one that people often disagree with since the location of the event will always provide these but personally, I like to take my own purely for quality of life purposes. It allows me to save having to push my way past people sitting at the table I'm at or having to stand around waiting while the land station is busy, it allows me to really focus on my deck. Like I said above, it's really not necessary but can be nice to have</li>
<li>Deck box - While the Prerelease pack itself acts as a serviceable deck box, it's also nice to have something a little more solid with some storage space for the basic lands, dice, and counters you also might be bringing.</li>
</ul>
Hopefully, this has been a useful article for those of you hoping to go to your first Prerelease and has helped your understanding of the Prerelease structure, what you can expect to see as well as what you can do to make sure your Prerelease is as enjoyable as possible!