<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chrome Companion" href="#" target="_blank">Chrome Companion</a> | Art by <a href="https://grayhighsmith.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gray Highsmith</a>
A couple days before Magic players everywhere get to tear open prerelease kits and sink their teeth into Edge of Eternities, I participated in the MTG Arena early access event for the upcoming set.
This is the first event like this I've ever participated in and it was an absolute blast! I was able to try out several decks ahead of the upcoming Standard rotation, which happens on July 29th, as well as participate in a lot of drafts.
For the first time in a while, I got to draft a new Magic set without reading a single guide or listening to a single review podcast. It was both extraordinarily daunting and exciting!
<h2>Limited</h2>
I don't consider myself to be a particularly proficient drafter, especially going blind into a new set, but I ended up drafting a lot of really sweet decks over the course of the event.
My first time through, I just picked cards that looked reasonable, followed the heuristics that I learned from the many Magic players that are much better than me, and ended up with an Orzhov () midrange deck that definitely didn't adhere to the theme of the colors in this set. That deck only managed a meager two wins before suffering three losses. Here it is:
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-160077" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-300x115.png" alt="" width="910" height="349" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-300x115.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-1024x392.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-768x294.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck-1536x588.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/First-Draft-Deck.png 1696w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px" /></a>
I tried to force the Izzet () artifacts archetype a couple of times to little success. It seems that just about everyone was fighting over premium uncommons, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mm&#039;menon, Uthros Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Mm&#039;menon, Uthros Exile</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mm&#039;menon, Uthros Exile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret, Cruel Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Endstone"></div></div>
On one attempt, I got a pack one, pick one <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret, Cruel Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret, Cruel Captain</a> and picked up a copy of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Endstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Endstone</a> for what shaped up to be an incredibly interesting deck.
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-160083" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-300x109.png" alt="" width="914" height="332" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-300x109.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-1024x373.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-768x280.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy-1536x560.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Draft-Deck-UR-ARtifact-Tezzy.png 1821w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px" /></a>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Endstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Endstone</a> turned out to be a much more powerful card than I anticipated, buying countless turns in the late game against decks that struggled over and over again to deal 10 damage in a single turn all while I spent turn after turn improving my board state.
Often the only concern I had with The Endstone in play was the genuine possibility that I would lose to decking out before killing my opponent.
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-160085" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-300x169.png" alt="" width="909" height="512" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-300x169.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-1024x576.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-768x432.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE-1536x864.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AHHHHH-THE-ENDSTONE.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px" /></a>
<h2>Standard</h2>
Compared to Limited, I feel much more at home in 60-card formats. Standard is the next RCQ (Regional Championship Qualifier) format, so my attention has been on Standard more than usual lately.
The first deck on my agenda for post-rotation Standard was Azorius () control. I'm happy to report that Edge of Eternities has improved my beloved control deck by leaps and bounds. The card I most wanted to try in the archetype was <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consult the Star Charts" href="#" target="_blank">Consult the Star Charts</a>, an instant that serves as both a two-mana cantrip and a four mana <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stock Up" href="#" target="_blank">Stock Up</a> that you can cast at instant speed.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consult the Star Charts"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seam Rip"></div></div>
Actually, I'd say this card is a lot better than <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stock Up" href="#" target="_blank">Stock Up</a> in the context of a draw-go control deck as I never had to worry about tapping out during my turn and leaving myself defenseless when sculpting my hand in the early game.
The other standout card from Edge of Eternities for control is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seam Rip" href="#" target="_blank">Seam Rip</a>. This enchantment is functionally identical to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portable Hole" href="#" target="_blank">Portable Hole</a> with one major difference: its an enchantment.
That's significant for a couple reasons. One, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seam Rip" href="#" target="_blank">Seam Rip</a> doesn't get exiled by <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pinnacle Starcage" href="#" target="_blank">Pinnacle Starcage</a>, this set's replacement for the recently rotated <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporary Lockdown" href="#" target="_blank">Temporary Lockdown</a>. Two, Seam Rip can't be targeted by Abrade, one of red's best sideboard cards against artifacts like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portable Hole" href="#" target="_blank">Portable Hole</a>.
In the ten or so games I played with Azorius control, only one deck was able to fell this beast of a deck. With all that in mind, I think my deck for the upcoming RCQ season just chose itself for me.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="EOE Early Access UW Control" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Sorceries]
*2 Beyond the Quiet
*2 Day of Judgment
*3 Stock Up
*1 Ultima
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*4 Consult the Star Charts
*3 Get Lost
*4 No More Lies
*3 Three Steps Ahead
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*2 Pinnacle Starcage
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*2 Seam Rip
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*3 Beza, the Bounding Spring
*2 Marang River Regent // Coil and Catch
*3 Overlord of the Mistmoors
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*4 Demolition Field
*4 Floodfarm Verge
*4 Island
*4 Meticulous Archive
*6 Plains
*4 Restless Anchorage
[/Lands]"></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
The Edge of Eternities early access event was without a doubt one of the coolest experiences of my Magic career! I'm so thankful to both Wizards of the Coast and EDHREC for allowing me the opportunity to participate.
During this event, I got to play games against a lot of players that I look up to. I'll be the first to admit that I was totally star struck when I queued up for my second draft game and was paired against Paul Cheon himself.
If you're looking for a wacky Limited environment that produces dynamic and sometimes downright silly games, I think you'll love this draft format. I look forward to attending one in-person, although I will miss the Star Trek-esque music and sound effects from Arena while playing with this set in paper.
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="azLJDVK20L"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-nonlegendary-creatures-from-edge-of-eternities/">The Best Nonlegendary Creatures From Edge of Eternities</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="qQClbwcqqD"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-instants-and-sorceries-in-edge-of-eternities/">The Best Instants and Sorceries in Edge of Eternities</a></blockquote>
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Edge of Eternities Early Access Write-Up

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
&nbsp;
Hang on for liftoff, Planeswalkers! Edge of Eternities Prerelease events begin today, July 25th. Prepare to marvel in the majestic void of space within the Edge, and bask in the icy shroud of Sothera's dark embrace! But what should you come to expect when playing in these events? Read on, and allow us to elaborate.
<h2>All Sorts of EOE Prerelease Tips</h2>
When competing in Edge of Eternities' <a href="http://wpn.wizards.com/en/news/dates-and-details-overview-edge-of-eternities#prerelease">Prerelease events</a>, you'll typically receive a Prerelease Kit, which contains six booster packs and a promo. The promo can be any rare or mythic rare from the set. You can use this promo in the deck you'll make!
From here, you'll take the contents of your six packs plus your promo card and make a 40-card deck out of this pile. Usually, these decks contain somewhere between 17 and 18 lands, between 16 and 17 creatures, and the rest are noncreature, nonland cards. Because this is a set with a higher mana curve due to the cost of many of the higher-end Spacecraft cards, we might suggest you work with 18 lands unless you aren't using those. If the Spacecraft cards you are using have a high station cost to animate, you may want a higher creature count to compensate. It feels as though these will be the lynchpins in more victorious strategies, so please keep that in mind!
Furthermore, keep your mana curve firmly in mind here. Often, the lower the cost, the better, but in Limited, you'll want to average a little higher.
Finally, calculate how many lands that produce a given color you'll want. There are many ways to do this, but generally, I count up the number and types of color pips among the cards I run, and then average that against the lands I still need for the deck.
Once you've built your deck, it's time to sleeve up, shuffle, and play! Many local game stores will have events run for three rounds. Sometimes it's more, but that's not always the standard.
Again, we anticipate that Spacecraft cards will be the deciding factor for many games. Therefore, a control shell might be just the thing to make your games go extra smoothly. Now, this isn't to say that Aggro is a trap, but it seems that this Limited environment is more geared towards control decks unless one opens a strictly aggressive pool.
<h2>Other Edge of Eternities Events</h2>
Today also marks the start of the Commander Box League and Commander 2-Headed Giant events. <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edge-of-eternities-two-new-commander-formats-announced">We covered these in greater depth here</a>, but the gist of the Commander Box League's deckbuilding is this:
<ul>
<li>Each player receives a Booster Display from the set in question.</li>
<li>Each player builds a 60-card deck with a Commander.</li>
<li>The deck doesn't have to be singleton or adhere to color identity rules.</li>
<li>Games are set to 30 life per player.</li>
</ul>
Commander 2-Headed Giant is another story. This requires teams of two to face off in paired games, with each team having 60 life. The game follows the Commander rules but also the rules of engagement for 2-Headed Giant.
<h2>3, 2, 1... Liftoff!</h2>
And now, we open the floor to you, dear readers! Are you excited about the Edge of Eternities Prerelease? What cards are you most excited to open in your Prerelease pool? Sound off in the comments below!

Edge of Eternities Prerelease Events Begin Friday, July 25th

Mark your calendars, Final Fantasy fans! <a href="https://archidekt.com/flyquest?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Archidekt is teaming up with FlyQuest</a>, a multi-title American esports organization, to host the epic celebrity Duel Land event!
Duel Land is a streaming charity and Final Fantasy prerelease tournament hosted by <a href="https://x.com/FlyQuest">FlyQuest</a>, featuring sixteen well-known names from the Magic and esports worlds.
These titans of their respective gaming universes will clash head-to-head from Saturday, June 14th (tomorrow) through June 15th, for $5,000 to go to the charity of the winning team's choice.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Introducing Duel Land: A Celebrity Magic: The Gathering Tournament" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2B7-O30WSwI?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>
<h2>Who's Hosting the Event?</h2>
<a href="https://archidekt.com/flyquest?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brought to you by Archidekt</a>, Duel Land will be hosted by Magic personality Brian Kibler and esports veteran Travis Gafford. The event seeks to put sixteen creators into eight teams of two for this 2-day 2HG competition.
Each team shall consist of a Magic player and an esports player. The format? Final Fantasy 2-Headed Giant Sealed.
Your favorite MTG and esports personalities will also be showcasing some of Archidekt's coolest collection and deckbuilding features to check out on stream as you brew up your own Final Fantasy decks.
<h3>What Does the Event Schedule Look Like?</h3>
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-155176 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png" alt="flyquest event schedule" width="512" height="236" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png 512w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule-300x138.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></a>
On Day One, the competing teams will be put into two groups to compete. Those players are in the image below!
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156135" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg" alt="The sixteen Duel Land competitors" width="994" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg 1920w, 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-1024x576.jpg 1024w, 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" sizes="auto, (max-width: 994px) 100vw, 994px" /></a>
The top two teams from each group will face each other on Day Two for the title, and $5,000 to go to the charity of their choice.
You can also<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/EDHRECast?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> expect to see the EDHRECast</a> at the event for a Commander Showmatch on Day Two!
Day Three also promises epic action on the Bracket stage!
<h2>Where Can I Watch?</h2>
The Duel Land charity event will be streaming LIVE on June 14th and 15th!
<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/FLYQUEST?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Be sure to bookmark the FlyQuest Twitch page</a> and get notifications for match start times.
For more information on this prestigious for-charity event, you can also visit <a href="https://flyquest.gg/pages/duelland?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FlyQuest's dedicated event page</a>.
Which celebrities and MTG personalities do you think will head up this epic charity prerelease event?
<a href="http://twitch.tv/flyquest">Stay tuned for this event</a>, starting tomorrow!

Archidekt x FlyQuest Duel Land Event Begins June 14th

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
&nbsp;
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

Image credit: Wizards of the Coast
Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy is just over a month out from its prerelease. At this time, Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix are rolling out information, but very slowly for many players' tastes. However, the seeming dry spell of information is close to an end. Wizards Play Network, the entity under Wizards that manages tournament play and organizer expectations, has put out details for the prerelease events for the upcoming Universes Beyond set.
<h2>Prerelease Format Details</h2>
As expected, the events are in the Sealed Deck format. This means six packs of Final Fantasy and a prerelease promo, found in the kits. REL is still "casual." Additionally, pairings are still Swiss-style (or, alternatively, Player List only, which suggests players can be freely paired as they wish).
<blockquote>Scheduling: Between June 6–12; use the Prerelease scheduling template 
Format: Sealed Deck 
Rules Enforcement Level: Casual Recommended 
Pairing Method: Swiss or Player List Only</blockquote>
<h2>Final Fantasy Promotional Support</h2>
The <a href="https://wpn.wizards.com/en/event/prerelease-magic-the-gathering-final-fantasy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wizards Play Network</a> article also includes some details for interesting promotional items for the event.
<blockquote>Promo Support:
<ul>
<li>Crystal counter d10 spindown – for players who participate in one Prerelease with their Wizards Account</li>
<li>Velvet dice pouch (Prerelease repeat play incentive item) – for players who register and participate in two or more Prerelease events with their Wizards Account</li>
<li>Photoflyer photo tokens (WPN Premium only) – for players participating in a Prerelease event with their Wizards Account</li>
<li>Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY Play Boosters Prize Support</li>
</ul>
All promos and promotional materials are available while supplies last.</blockquote>
The inclusion of 10-sided dice is very interesting. Notably, Mirrodin Besieged was the last time we had spindown d10s in a given prerelease event. There, they were intended for use as spindown poison markers. Thus, without drawing any extremely specific conclusions, this new "crystal" d10 might imply a mechanical application as well.
Prerelease events run from June 6th-12th, with the official release happening the following day. Amazingly, albeit not as shockingly, Final Fantasy is now <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-best-selling-mtg-set-before-official-release-date" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the best-selling Magic</a> set to date, and it hasn't even come out yet!
All in all, Final Fantasy is shaping up as a really neat set so far. The cards we've seen are full of flavor both mechanically and lore-wise, and these promotions help immerse players into the worlds that the series holds dear. So now, let's open the floor to you, dear readers. Are you excited? Will you be attending a prerelease event or buying any product from the set? Sound off below!

Wizards Play Network Adds Final Fantasy Prerelease Details

<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!

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