I recently shared how I started getting into Magic: The Gathering.
This Saturday, I participated in my first pre-release event and enjoyed it tremendously. I had been looking forward to it for weeks, and it was probably my highlight of the year (so far).
For those who don’t know what a pre-release event is: a couple of times per year, Wizards of the Coast (that’s the people doing Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. Hasbro owns them.) release a new set of cards for Magic. Certain affiliated game stores host tournaments during pre-release events, where you get several booster packs, which you then open in-store. You then have a limited time to create a deck based on these cards and later play with that deck against all the participants in a swiss-system tournament. It’s a fun format as you learn about the new set, sharpen your deck brewing capabilities, and get many cards along the way.
This was probably the first time playing proper MTG. (So far, I have only played against one friend.) and I came out third (technically second, as someone later admitted they misread a card and shouldn’t have won against me). I drafted a Boros (white & red) aggro deck, which did well against most people, except against one player where in the first round, I drew nothing but lands, and in the second round, everything but lands.
It’s also been a great way to meet a few community members and make new friends.
Of course, I couldn’t leave the game store without going all-in and leaving with two displays.
So I spent my Saturday afternoon sorting the cards, adding them to my library app of choice, and putting them into a binder.