Theros Events

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

For today's post, we wanted to provide a handy-dandy reference post you can refer back to to check out all the game play events for the very next Magic: the Gathering set, Theros.  As many of you know, your local gaming store is usually anything but dull / boring and certainly not while we are at our local gamery shoppe, OMG! Games in Barrie.  Check the links off to the mothersite for the 4.1.1. on each event.  OHH - and check out the new Theros art 'spoiler' in the League event graphic - yep - looks just like one of the wonders of the ancient world - the Colossus of Rhodes.  Wizards of the Coast, along with that card shop in your neck 'o' the woods has a host of upcoming events and programs where you can n3rd out and get your fill of the newest MTG set coming this fall - let's have a looky-loo . . . 
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PreRelease (September 21-22, 2013)
Prerelease tournaments (or prereleases) are events held one week before the release of an expansion set.  Theros features the first quest of the Hero's Path: Choose a Path. The Hero Prerelease Pack contains a spindown life counter, a Hero Card unique to a players' chosen path, one of five quiz activity cards, five Theros boosters, a special seeded booster featuring cards appropriate for that player's chosen path and one of the five playable Prerelease promo cards.
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Launch / Release (September 27, 2013)
Launch parties or Release events were events held after the release of an expansion set. These are held at a Friday Night Magic event.
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Game Day (October 19-20, 2013)Magic Game Day is a seasonal Magic: The Gathering tournament organized by the DCI. The tournament is played in local game and hobby stores around the world, a month after each a new card set is released. Game Day events are Standard format tournament.  On Game Day, you'll see Theros Hero Cards, which are a new special type of card for players to collect and use when facing Challenge Decks at Game Day.  Game Day will also include a chance to play with or against a 'Face the Hydra' challenge deck.
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Path of the Hero
This is a multiple Theros event game play experience where players become heroes of Theros and participate in nine in-store quests that include puzzles, battles, and rewards; all of which happen at your store.
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League
The League is a seasonal Magic: The Gathering tournament organized by the DCI. The ongoing, five-week tournament is played in local game and hobby stores around the world, a month after each a new card set is released. This sealed deck tournament follows up on Game Day events and uses the Standard format.
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Friday Night Magic
Friday Night Magic (FNM) is a weekly Magic: The Gathering tournament played in many different local communities. Friday Night Magic generally is a standard or sometimes modern format game.
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Modern Masters Sealed

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

The latest special Magic: the Gathering set, Modern Masters will be hitting store shelves this weekend and we are definitely excited.  We here at MTG Realm don't really draft all that much as our fav format is constructed and dang!, do we ever want to get our paws on some of these crazy-awesome good cards and into a Modern build.

Anywhoos - we can't offer many tips for draft other than this - if you pull a Tarmogoyf, don't pass it as it's worth about $100 or Dark Confidant (aka 'Bob') as it's worth about $60.  What we can suggest is to get to another Magic: the Gathering fan site with less derp than us and more strategy.

Our local store, OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario, Canada-Land will be running some events this weekend - here's the 4.1.1 -

Modern Masters Sealed
Saturday 8th June, 2013
Registration opens at 11:00am, play starts at 12:30pm
OMG! Games - 130 Bellfarm Rd., Barrie, ON. (705) 721-4263
Cost: $70.00
Prizes: 1st will receive a box of modern masters.  All players recieve $5 off their first Modern Masters Booster Draft.
Format: Six Boosters of Modern Masters Sealed. Modified Swiss pairings with 50 minute timed rounds.

Side Events: Booster Drafts - Draft Queues will be open Saturday June 8th 3pm until 7:30pm and Sunday June 9th 11an until 4pm
Cost: $35
Prizes: 1st - 3 boosters of Modern Masters, 2nd - 1 booster of Modern Masters
Format: Sanctioned 8 player Modern Masters booster draft

Remaining Product will be available for sale Sunday after the start of the final draft.  Last time we checked boxes (24 booster packs each) are going for a reasonable  $275 box + tax, or $15 for a booster.  You could also get 3 boosters for $40 (taxes in)
 

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RTR Launch

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

This Friday, Magic the Gathering fans will let out a sigh of relief that Return to Ravnica will finally be released.  The ensuing madness of said players snapping up cards at the local gaming shop may be akin to vultures on a carcass but we'ere sure store owners will welcome this.  As for us, we will be heading over to OMG! Games in Barrie, Ontario on Thursday midnight (right after Commander / EDH play) to get in some early purchases before all the singles sell out.  We'll be returning again to take in the special Friday Night Magic Launch of Return to Ravnica and score a nifty promo as well. 

Deadbridge Goliath - Return to Ravnica FNM / Launch promo

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This Friday is also the first FNM of the month - last month's FNM promo was Lingering Souls - and thanks to readers wanting to fire one off in the mail for us - we now have our deckset.  This month's promo is Evolving Wilds, the sac 'n' search land from the core set M13, which in our opinion ain't too bad given Return to Ravnica has a ton of multi-coloured (Gold) cards.

Evolving Wilds - Friday Night Magic September 2012 Promo

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As for the new standard environment set to be unleashed this Friday, we think that although there will be quite a few new decks being developed over the next few weeks, the most prominent and strongest deck likely to emerge will be black / green Zombies.  Already popular, Zombie cards such as Gravecralwer and Geralf's Messenger will soon be joined by the likes of Lotleth Troll, and Dreg Mangler.  With Grisly Salvage, Abrupt Decay and Rancor this build should be earning top spots at your local FNM event.

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If you're not playing zombies, which we think will be the deck to beat, your options may be found in a Selesnya or Azorius / Bant build but may not be as effecient as you would like.  Whichever way you may go, we think that Innistrad's Elite Inquisitor or Slayer of the Wicked might be finding it's way into many sideboards soon - even an exalted M13 Knight of Glory with protection from black might even see more play.

We sort of dismissed Return to Ravnica's 'Rest in Peace' enchantment but will be reconsidering the hate it may bring for decks using the Undying tech.  As for our first build after rotation, we anticipated a Zombie proliferation and made sure we have copies from MTG Mint Card to deal with the menace.  Specifically, we are thinking an Bant control / lifegain strategy using Azorious Charm, Terminus, Knight of Glory, Feeling of Dread, with lifelinkers like Thragtusk and perhaps Rhox Faithmender.  We're still working on a list but have hopes we'll have a decent build in another week or two.

We're naturally curious - What are you, the MTG Realm reader planning to play ? ?  
Drop us a line below in the comment thingy.
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Keep Calm Play Magic

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

Recently, we had released a series of images on our MTG Realm Tumblr site which, from the feedback we have so far, appears very well received.  It is a series of 'Keep Calm and Play Magic', originally developed by forum user 'pichy 64'.  

These are based on an old wartime prop-poster which has has become rather popular (as you can see from our apparel and coffee station here at the MTG Realm office).  Yeah, 'JFK' and the rest of the MTG Realm crew are also Chive fans . . .

Anywhoos Here's a bit of history for those of you interested -

Printed in 1939 by His Majesty's Stationery Office on orders of England's Ministry of Information, "Keep Calm and Carry On" was printed in large numbers along with two related posters, but never posted during World War II as it was intended to be distibuted after a a German invasion of the British Isles.  The posters, bearing the crest of King George VI, were shredded in 1945, with a small number saved in the archives of the Imperial War Museum. There were however a hand-full of posters which found it's way to civilian defence authorities.  It was not to emerge again until 2000, when a tattered copy was discovered lining a box in a secondhand bookstore in Northumberland.

Righto - Here's the MTG image series . . .

 







 

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Next up,
An acquaintance of ours, 'Cam', who in his spare time loves to crunch code.  He took a stab at a Magic: The Gathering - Avacyn Restored Sealed Deck Card Generator.  We think it's cool and ivite you to give it a try as well - linky HERE.

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Finally,
Tomorrow (Friday) is the official Avacyn Restored Release and OMG! Games and Collectibles, here in Barrie, Ontario will be holding a special Friday Night Magic event.  You could score a sweet looking alt-art Restoration Angel.

OMG! Games is a short drive north of Toronto.
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