Hold My Beer

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

We had just been browsing the Hold My Beer subreddit, when some related Magic: the Gathering news had popped up on our radar.  The news comes from yesterday's Updates to Alcohol and Age Restriction Policies, posted by the Wizards Play Network (WPN).  

Specifically, as of July 23, 2018, the WPN Terms and Conditions had been updated to removed any prohibition of serving or consumption of alcohol at sanctioned events (including in play spaces).  The policy had also been amended to allow organisers (excluding Premier Play events), to run events with age restrictions which supports the above Alcohol policy, but also promote Magic: the Gathering events to younger players who may not otherwise be engaged given an older, more competitive crowd.  WPN would still ensure that members do "maintain a family friendly environment or retail hobby focus."


This is great news, as this would provide a degree of flexibility to organisers to better cater to their local demographics.  Whether encouraging younger players to attend a less competitive environment or to other gamers (like us) who have been migrating away from gaming stores to the kitchen table and within reach of our favourite beverage.

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2016 MTG Gift Box

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

Wizards of the Coast have been producing a Holiday Gift Box since 2012, and while it was certainly a big hit with Magic: the Gathering fans when it was first released strategically just before the year end Holidays, the appeal did wane with the last two releases.  The most common complaint from consumers essentially distilled down to the durability of the box itself.  We've heard and / or seen damage to the card storage box through use as well as product shipping.  A number of fans had also registered irritation that last year's product, the Battle for Zendikar Holiday Gift Box included an image of highly desirable full-art lands whereas the product contained regular lands in the land pack.  In defense of WotC, there was a good measure of communication and apologies for this print error prior to the product's release.

It appears that Wizards of the Coast has addressed this now.  WotC has indicated in this Wizards Play Network video with WPN Community Manager, Michael Yichao and Global Brand Manager, Brian Trunk, that there are some siginificant changes coming to the design, as well as product release date.  

Firstly, the release date - the previous four Holiday Gift Boxes were released in November of each year and corresponded to the 'large' fall set.  This year, the product, now called 'The Magic: The Gathering Gift Box' is being released in May (just a month away from today's post).  

Secondly, the Gift Box design has changed to make it more robust than ever.  The supportive neck of the box has been made taller so that the lid sits on the neck, higher off the bottom lip. This prevents the lid from overlapping and causing potential splitting at the corners.  There is to be a disposable supporting brace designed to eliminate damage to the box and contents during shipping.  In addition to this, it is reported that with the taller box neck, design allowed an 'easy-access window' to allow one improved access to the three rows of cards.

Here is the video from Michael and Brian now - 


The Shadows over Innistrad Gift Box releases May 13, 2016 for a suggested retail price of $24.99 (USD).  Here is what you will find inside -

• 5 Shadows over Innistrad booster packs
• Storage Box with capacity for over 2,000 Magic cards
• 20 Shadows over Innistrad basic lands
• 6 illustrated plastic dividers
• Sticker sheet for customizing the dividers
• 1 Alternate art card from the Shadows over Innistrad set

For reference, here are the previous gift box details and its promo card -

2012 Return to Ravnica, Dreg Mangler
2013 Theros, Karametra's Acolyte
2014 Khans of Tarkir, Sultai Charm
2015 Battle for Zendikar, Scythe Leopard
2016 Shadows over Innistrad, Ravenous Bloodseeker (spring release)

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Wizards Play Network Change

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

As MTG Realm is a casual Magic the Gathering fan site, we know that your fav game may take you to a great number of varied locations such as your kitchen table, your school cafeteria, your work's lunchroom or even on-line. We also know from your eMails and correspondence that a great number of you also participate in a number of Wizards Play Network (WPN) sanctioned events, whether it is the very popular Friday Night Magic (FNM), a booster draft or Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH) at a variety of locations. WPN sanctioned events are excellent because you get a chance to win some cool, alternate art foil card or other excellent prize.

The three main programs in WPN (Gateway, Core, and Advanced) had just recently changed on Friday, 15th October - and perhaps not for the best according to some players. In the past, Wizards of the Coast, through the Wizards Play Network provided stores, schools, libraries, and organizers everything they need to set up and maintain vibrant gaming communities. It has now changed to just stores with some qualifiers . . .

For organizers not associated with a store, Wizards will offer an Event Support Kit starting with the next set, Mirrodin Besieged. This kit will be identical to the Gateway Support Kit for Magic 2011 and will refresh with each new Core Set. Organizers not associated with a store will also have access to rated and casual sanctioned events. Why? Thihs straight from WoTC :

"Wizards of the Coast wants to build strong ... Magic communities in stores; attaching WPN levels and programs to retail venues creates a greater connection between players and the stores where they play. This change allows Wizards to better leverage the strengths of the WPN and our programs, maximizing their impact for stores and promoting the formation of vibrant player communities."

So, essentially, Organizers will no longer have WPN levels, and organizers will no longer receive WPN programs. Both these will be given exclusively to store locations.

We here at MTG Realm want to know if this may affect you and where you play. Do you have a club at school, in the armed forces, at your local library that formerly enjoyed WPN programs or does this affect you at all - perhaps you only play at a local games store - drop us a line in the comments below.

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Speaking of WPN promos, here are / were the latest FNM and Gateway promos . . .

FNM
September 2010: Qasali Pridemage
October 2010: Rift Bolt
November 2010: Gatekeeper of Malakir

Gateway
Magic 2011: Sylvan Ranger, Fling
Scards of Mirrodin: Golem's Heart, Plague Stinger








































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August Promo Round-Up

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Good folks,

We thought it about time to have a look back and a peek forward to cover off recent and upcoming Friday Night Magic Promotional cards (FNM promos) as well as Wizards Play Network (WPN) Gateway Promos.

July 2010 FNM Promo

Anathemancer, 1
Creature — Zombie Wizard, Uncommon
When Anathemancer enters the battlefield, it deals damage to target player equal to the number of nonbasic lands that player controls.
Unearth 5 (5 : Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)
2 / 2

August 2010 FNM Promo

Krosan Grip, 2
Instant, Uncommon
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

September 2010 FNM Promo

Qasali Pridemage,
Creature — Cat Wizard, Common
Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
1, Sacrifice Qasali Pridemage: Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
2 / 2


Recent WPN Gateway Promos

Sylvan Ranger, 1
Creature — Elf Scout, Common
When Sylvan Ranger enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1 / 1



Fling, 1
Instant, Common
As an additional cost to cast Fling, sacrifice a creature.
Fling deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature's power to target creature or player.



Curse of Wizardry, 2
Enchantment, Uncommon
As Curse of Wizardry enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Whenever a player casts a spell of the chosen color, that player loses 1 life.



Pathrazer of Ulamog, 11
Creature — Eldrazi, Uncommon
Annihilator 3 (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices three permanents.)
Pathrazer of Ulamog can't be blocked except by three or more creatures.
9 / 9

Lastly, if you did score one of these most excellent cards, you will want to keep is safe from scuffs and smegma build-up so drop by MTG Mint Card and peruse some of the very cool card selves they have available.

Archenemy

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Happy Wednesday folks,

You may recall way back in January when Wizards had announced a new multi-player format product coming this summer call 'Archenemy'. We also have more recent information as to the deck themes from a follow-up late April announcement.

This new multi-player format expansion is scheduled to released on June 18th and will feature a “one vs. many” style of game that pits a single player against any number of opponents allied against him / her. This is another initiative by Wizards to lure casual players like me (and perhaps you) from the Kitchen table into the local store for some organised play sponsored by Wizards Play Network.

This particular 'one-off' expansion is composed of four different pre-built game packs. Each pack includes a 60-card magic deck with eight rare cards plus a special deck of 20 oversized cards. Each deck offers a different theme for the solo player in the lopsided-match: an army of undead, an unstoppable doomsday machine, the elemental forces of nature, and the majestic might of dragons. Each pack is expected to retail around $18.00

Undead Apocalypse, Doomsday Machine, Elemental Forces, Dragonfire

Contents (WOC248410000):
20 x Oversized Archenemy scheme cards
1 x 60-card magic deck with 8 rare cards
1 x Strategy insert
1 x Magic "Learn to Play" guide

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Also of note,

Some of you who attended the Rise of the Eldrazi Release may have seen these lovely WPN promos - card storage boxes . . . a two-piece clear container, looking like it would hold a 60-card deck and a do-it-yourself long card storage box looking like it would hold 500 cards with dividers - very cooling to show off while gaming.

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Promos Catch-Up

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It has been since July 2009 that we did a round-up POST of various Wizards of the Coast / Magic the Gathering promotional cards. We now make amends by wrapping these up today. In short - Get Thee to a Gamery Store !

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Friday Night Promos
We last left off with the FNM promo for June HERE. If you are like me and so happen to live near an urban center which say perhaps has a store that hosts Friday Night Magic events, then you must get fairly enthusiastic about the potential of winning a DCI Friday Night Magic promotional card.

Click to enlarge any image

July FNM : Murderous Redcap

August FNM : Lightning Greaves

September FNM : Watchwolf

November FNM : Oblivion Ring

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Here are some very lovely WPN Promo cards. Some details of the Wizards Play Network (WPN) / aka 'Gateway', formerly 'League' set up are HERE.

The Wizards Play Network offers stores, schools, libraries and organizers all the tools they need to run events for Wizards of the Coast games. If you want to offer Magic: The Gathering or Dungeons & Dragons events for your players, the WPN gives you everything you need to get your game going!

Sorry about the mark-ups - stupid store logos removed.

Kor Duelist WPN Promo









Vampire Nighthawk WPN Promo

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Zendikar Game Day !

Zendikar Game Day is coming on October 31st my Boils and Ghouls. For a location near you check out the link HERE. For those fanatical MTG players who could not quite get enough game on a set's pre-release or release event day, Wizards has brilliantly arranged a 'Game Day' which occurs approximately one month after the set's official release.

On Saturday, 31st October (yes - it's Halloween - ensure you are appropriately attired in your best spooky costume), converge on your local organiser's facility and you may be able to collect one of these Zendikar mtg promos . . .

Zendikar Game Day Promo :
Nissa's Chosen and Emeria Angel !

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more MTG goodness . . . Happy and Safe Playing until next post.