2017 Gift Pack Review

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

MTG Realm has been picking up the Holiday Gift Boxes since they had been released, and still use all the storage boxes (which can accommodate up to 2,000 cards each) for our Magic: the Gathering collection.  We even had picked up the Holiday Gift Box when Wizards of the Coast had some issues with the strength of the packaging.  We are a somewhat thrifty bunch and had found the contents to be rather decent value.  Here is the list of what we had purchased over the years - 

• Return to Ravnica, November 2012
• Theros, November 2013
• Khans of Tarkir, November 2014
• Battle for Zendikar, November 2015
• Shadows over Innistrad, May 2016
• Kaladesh, November 2016

We DID NOT purchase this year's product offering, the 2017 Gift Pack, which appears to replace the Holiday Gift Box.  Instead, we had won the Gift Pack in a random draw at our local gaming store, OMG! Games, here in Barrie, Ontario.  Let's get to what one can expect to get for an MRSP of $20 USD ($25 here in Canada) - 

• 5 premium basic lands by artist Mark Poole (known as the "Shooting Star Lands")

• 2 premium creature cards (Metalwork Colossus and Kari Zev, Skyship Raider

• 3 booster packs (Ixalan, Hour of Devastation, Amonkhet)

• Spindown life counter (Planeswalker symbol)

• Exclusive mini-poster (Featuring art from Hour of Devastation)

Most recently with the Kaladesh Holdiay Gift Box which had an MSRP of $25 provided the following :
• one Card storage box 
• 5 Kaladesh booster packs
• 20-card Kaladesh basic land pack
• 1 premium, foil promo card (Chief of the Foundry)
• 6 illustrated plastic dividers
• one sticker sheet for customizing dividers

Although the previous product was five clams more expensive, we felt this was great value.  In comparision, we feel that we are just breaking even with no added incentive to pull out our wallet for this year's Gift Pack.  A small modification such as alternate art for the foil Metalwork Colossus and Kari Zev, Skyship Raider - paired with her foil Ragavan monkey token, would have swayed our opinion.

This product appears to have been designed specifically to be placed on a shelf in a big box store such as Walmart or Target alongside Yu-Gi-Oh product.  There may exist a small chance that this Gift Pack may actually be mistaken for a Yu-Gi-Oh product by a parent, relative or friend resulting in a measure of disappointment during Christmas.  This is not to say that there are not Magic: the Gathering players out there who are indeed pleased with this - we have personally spoken with several who have or who intend to purchase this.

Our final concern addresses the over-packaging, and carbon footprint of this product.  We realist that there is a new president south of our border and that the protection of the environment is clearly not a priority.  The fact that the Environmental Protection Agency has been seriously de-funded indicates that environmental protection is not even a consideration.  A company such as Wizards of the Coast, using the resources of its parent company Hasbro is encouraged to stand out with environmental consideration being incorporated into the life cycle of their product and packaging, which they have to an extent, but certainly not with this product.

Should Wizards of the Coast realise some commercial success with this product, we would be delighted as we want to enjoy playing Magic: the Gathering for years to come.  

Lastly, we want to remind folks that Nighthawk Counters has a Kickstarter project.  These premium hand-finished life counters and gaming accessories are quite functional and aesthetically pleasing.  MTG Realm had provided several of these counters a prizes at a recent Friday Night Magic event at our local gaming store, OMG! Games and were very well received by the players.  Please consider supporting this over here - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/914346194/nighthawk-counters

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MTG News 7-28

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Happy Friday MTG peeps,

As it is Friday, do drop by your local store and get some Magic: the Gathering gaming in for Friday Night Magic.  We will be at OMG Games here in Barrie, Ontario this evening to do battle for glory and prizes.  If you are unable to get out (work, vacation, whatever), you could still fill your boots with Pro Tour Hour of Devastation coverage provided you have a connection to the internets.

For today's post to MTG Realm, we need to cover off a number of Magic: the Gathering spoilers / previews and news items, so strap yourself in for the ride -

First up - HASCON MTG spoilers -

Magic: The Gathering cards, inspired by other Hasbro series - featuring the following cards -

• Sword of Dungeons and Dragons

• Grimlock Dinobot Leader


• Nerf War

Grimlock had us locked in with Dinosaurs and Vehicles

Next - Commander 2017
We can expect official Wizards of the Coast previews sometime during the week of August 14th, 2017 as to which of the 4 Tribes will be featured.  For now however, we have previews from Ultra PRO.

Great looking graphics and smart design promises to rock your favourite game format with these playmats, deck boxes, and card protector sleeves.

Lastly - UNSTABLE 
Unstable is the third Magic: The Gathering booster-based set to be used outside of legal Magic tournaments. It will be released on December 8, 2017 as a standalone fun-set. This is the third of the silver bordered Un-sets and is designed to be drafted.  Updated with MaRo’s to post to Blogatog.

The Factions we can expect from this highly anticipated casual set - 

• Order of the Widget (White/Blue)
• Agents of S.N.E.A.K. (Blue/Black)
• Legion of Dastardly Doom (Black/Red)
• Goblin Explosioneers (Red/Green)

• Crossbreed Labs (Green/White)

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The gods of Amonkhet

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

This past weekend in New York City, the annual American International Toy Fair took place at the Jacob Javits Convention Centre.  Hasbro showcased a number of new products including a peak of upcoming Magic: the Gathering products, which was summamrised yesterday by WotC Blake over here.

We have product packaging images for the Amonket set including Booster Packs, Bundles, Planeswalker Decks, Deck Builder’s Toolkit, as well as PreRelease Packs.  The news here is that we now know that the Planeswalker Decks of Amonkhet are to feature versions of Gideon and Liliana.

The other big news is Amonkhet full-art basic lands.  There are opportunities to collect these either as part of in-store promotions or through booster packs.  WotC indicates a distribution of approximately one out of every four boosters will produce a full-art land.

In Blake's Amonkhet reveal article, we are treated to images of Gideon, Liliana, and Nissa.  These illustrations are readily identifiable as members of our Gatewatch Planeswalker crew.  What is new here is the next five pieces of art, which is in all liklihood, our five gods of Amonkhet.  Each of these five illustrations are therianthropic, in that we have an animal head on a humanoid body, which was a rather traditional form for dieties to take back in the day.

We can speculate and extrapolate Amonkhet god with possible ancient Egyptian diety equivalent :

WHITE - Cat - Bastet

BLUE - Crane - Thoth

BLACK - Crocodile - Anubis

RED - Jackal - Sobek

GREEN - Snake - Apep

From images posted by ToyArk (linked here), the new series highlights the Five Trials of the Gods, which most will associate with one of the colours of Magic (WUBRG) :

• Trial of Solidarity

• Trial of Knowledge

• Trial of Strength

• Trial of Ambition

• Trial of Zeal

Amonkhet - save the date !
Pre-release: April 22-23, 2017
Draft Weekend: April 29-30, 2017
Magic League: May 1-28, 2017

Game Day: May 20-21, 2017
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Arena of the Planeswalkers

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Happy Wednesday (again) MTG peeps,

This is our second post for today - if you've missed our first post about the upcoming Matthew Leasure Memorial Tournament, please click on back here.

Anywhoos - the big news . . .

You may recall our posts back in October last year on the exciting news of a Magic: the Gathering strategy board game (article posted over here).  Well, it appears that IGN has just released a few additional details, the finalised box art as well as the official name - 'Magic the Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers'. 

The very first thingy you may realise by looking at the box is the confirmation off all five Planeswalkers.  We already knew of Chandra, Jace, and Nissa but we now know that GIDEON will be joining Liliana and the rest of the crew.

If this particular list of 'Walkers seem oddly familiar, you would be correct - these are the very same ones to appear in the very last Core Set, 'Magic Origins', just announced a few days ago.   The game is expected to see a limited release in June at select retailers and widely available in August for approximately $30.  

In the box will be: 
• six modular board pieces, 
• four plastic terrain pieces, 
• three plastic glyphs, 
• two temple ruins, 
• five painted Planeswalker mini figures, 
• 30 squad mini figures, 
• one 20-sided die, 
• eight combat dice, 
• 30 damage counters, 
• 60 spell cards, 
• 10 Squad stat cards, and 
• five Planeswalker cards.

Most definitely looking forward !

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MTG Board Game

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

In our post to MTG Realm on Tumblr earlier in the week, we covered off news of a very interesting / mysterious display at Hasbro's 'Twas the Night before . . .' VIP event at the recent NYCC - Comic Con.  It had showed nothing more than an image of a sign which showed 'Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game' along with the date of a supposed reveal (today 10.16.2014) and the location 'Essen' - thought to be the big SPIEL gaming convention in Germany.  

Well, we now have all the juicy details now directly from the Hasbro PR folks in this document as well as images of the board game itself from LogicWolf on Twitter taken at the convention in Essen.  Very exciting stuff - Let's have a look !

What is the Magic: The Gathering® Strategy Board Game?
The Magic: The Gathering® Strategy Board Game is a tactical miniatures game. Play as a Planeswalker—powerful beings from the Magic™ Multiverse—as you summon armies, cast game-changing spells, and outmaneuver your foes on the battlefield. Be the last Planeswalker standing to win!

What is the official name of the game?
The final name will be announced at a later date. Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game is a placeholder name.

Who is developing the game?
The Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game is being co-developed by Wizards of the Coast and the Hasbro Gaming team responsible for RISK LEGACY and HEROSCAPE.

Who is this game for?
The game is for new players looking for a great strategy game, as well as long-term Magic fans! The Strategy Board Game pays homage to the TCG by including many elements and references to the card game, but no prior knowledge of Magic is needed to play the game, making it great for first-time players.

How much will the game cost?
Suggested retail price will be announced at a later date.

When will the game be available?
The game will be globally available in Fall 2015.

Where will the game be available?
It will be available at hobby shops and mass retailers.

Where can I find more information on Magic: The Gathering® Strategy Board Game?
Stay tuned to Magic.wizards.com/boardgame and @HasbroNews for more information.

GAMEPLAY

How is the game played?
In the Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game, players customize the battlefield by designing the map then placing terrain and powerful gylphs. Then players choose one of five different Planeswalkers and move their figure and unique creature squads around the map in a race to out-maneuver opponents and gain tactical advantages! Cast devastating spells, summon powerful squads, and tap into your unique Planeswalker abilities to defeat your opponents. Be the last Planeswalker standing to win!

How many players can play the game?
2-5 players.

How long does it take to play through the game?
Between 25 and 45 minutes, depending on the number of players and their level of expertise.

Will the game include any collectible pieces?
Each game will include the same five highly detailed, fully painted Planeswalker mini-figures.

What are the five Magic Planeswalker characters who will be featured in the board game?
Chandra Nalaar®, Jace Beleren®, Nissa Revane®, Liliana Vess®. The final character will be revealed at later date.

Does the game include Magic trading card game cards?
No, the game does not include Magic: The Gathering cards, but it pulls directly from Magic lore and includes references to many classic cards.

Does the game work with the Magic TCG system?
No, the Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game is a stand-alone experience from the TCG. Many familiar concepts will be present, but streamlined for the board game.

Does the game use any mechanics from the Magic TCG?
Yes, the game utilizes several classic Magic mechanics, including deathtouch, flying, and first strike.

What plane will the game take place on?

The game will take place on the drifting, mana-rich world of Shandalar™.

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Magic Related

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Good Day and Happy Tuesday MTG peoples,

Here at MTG Realm, we like to push away from the game table and have a look around from time to time to see what is happening now strictly with our favourite card game but what may be happening on the peripheral to the game. To this end, we have some short tid-bits of news 'n' updates - we start with the overseers of Wizards of the Coast or rather their corporate masters, Hasbro . .

Magic, Games Again Key to Hasbro
business article from ICV2, Published: 10/18/10, Last Updated: 10/19/10 03:58am

Magic: The Gathering was cited in the company’s conference call as one of three Hasbro “mega-brands” that helped the company perform well in Q3, along with Nerf and Playskool. “Magic: The Gathering again this quarter was a standout performer,” Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner said. “The team has done a great job reigniting this brand over the past few years.”
Iron Man and board games such as Operation, Scrabble, UBuild, Bop It, and games based on Toy Story 3 were also cited as strong performers in the quarter.

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Next up, books you can get at your local bookery shoppe . . .

Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel
MATTHEW STOVER (Author) In Stock.
Walk the Blind Eternities!

The New York Times best-selling author Matthew Stover brings his razor-sharp prose and hard-hitting characterization to the Multiverse of Magic: The Gathering®.

From the ashes of defeat, the planeswalker Tezzeret will rise again. Beaten to within an inch of his life and left for dead by the psychic sorcerer Jace Beleren, Tezzeret has lost control of the Infinite Consortium—an interplanar cabal he built from the ground up to achieve the sort of power and influence few in the Multiverse have ever achieved. Now he must turn to a former enemy for help: the dragon Nicol Bolas, perhaps the only being in the Multiverse powerful enough to get him back on his feet.

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Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn: Scars of Mirrodin Block
Robert Wintermute (Author)
This title will be released on April 26, 2011.

Mirrodin - a world of living metal, an artificial ecosystem created by the Planeswalker Karn to support organic life—is on the cusp of cataclysm. When the Planeswalker Venser goes in search of his former mentor, he learns Karn’s life hangs in the balance—and with him the entire plane of existence. For fans of the mega-selling trading card game, Magic: the Gathering®, the full story behind Scars of Mirrodin, a revisitation one of Magic’s most popular settings.

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