What's a MtG Prerelease Event?
It's another way for Wizards of the Coast (WotC) to gin up hype for a new expansion set. Folks register, show up, and get to play with the new cards a week before the official release. Then the participants post the new cards on social media and folks who didn't make it to the event get excited.
Yes, I'm aware that I'm perpetuating the cycle.
How's it structured?
Folks check in and receive a Prerelease Kit. Each kit contains six play booster packs, a foil rare card, a spindown life counter (it looks like a twenty-sided die, but the numbers aren't randomized), and a box to hold everything in. As these are official events sanctioned by WotC, they are administrated using the Magic Companion app. I'd recommend having the app installed and logging in before walking in the door. Then everybody gets settled and waits for the official start time.
After this point, "fifty minutes" is the magic phrase.
Things begin with cracking packs and building decks. Players have fifty minutes to complete this process. Players can only use cards from their Prerelease Kit. Minimum deck size is forty cards. There is no maximum deck size, but it is recommended to stick close to the minimum. It makes the deck more consistent. Only four copies of a given card can be included, basic lands being the only exception. Basic lands are unlimited and a basic land station is provided by the venue.
Fifty minutes goes fast. Remember that these are unfamiliar cards from a brand new set. Reading and figuring them out takes a significant amount of time. Players need to spot synergies and combinations. All those family chaos draft nights came in handy as the deck construction rules are basically the same.
Play consists of three rounds. Opponents are determined by official MtG software run by the venue. Each round is fifty minutes long. Players must win two out of three games to win the round. Draws and incomplete games don't count. If a game is still in progress when time is called, the judge gives the players five turns to finish.
After all three rounds, players collect their winnings. Many venues award a "pity pack" of one play booster for participating. Players also receive one play booster for each round won.
How'd it go?
I played seven games in my three rounds. Two rounds won, one lost. Beginner's luck!
Reality Fracture has a reputation as a planeswalker heavy set. Curiously, I didn't pull a single planeswalker card aside from Jace tokens from my Prerelease Kit. I asked my opponents about it as we played. One of them pulled a Chandra. That's one planeswalker out of four players and twenty four booster packs.
Folks say that Prerelease Events are good ways to learn a new set. I now understand why. I'll retain a solid memory of every card my opponents used to bludgeon me for some time to come.
Things did run late. No gaming event in my experience sticks to the schedule. I'd recommend budgeting extra time beyond the expected four hour minimum.
Had a great time. Would go to another one for a comparable price. Four hours of entertainment and a stack of cardboard isn't bad for forty bucks.
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