MTG SDCC Exclusive Promos

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

Magic: the Gathering fans were treated to a preview of this year's SDCC promos via IGN (linked here).  Since 2013, Wizards of the Coast have been providing limited quantity promo cards typically only available at the Convention, however some small numbers had been offered through the parent company Hasbro site.  an Diego Comic-Con or SDCC is a multigenre entertainment and comic convention held annually in San Diego (USA).  This year, it is running from Thursday 19th until Sunday 22nd July.

Comic-Con 2018 again featured the five most recent planeswalker cards from the five first members of the Gatewatch, each in front of a stained-glass window depicting a planeswalker from the pre-mending era.   According to Alison Luhrs at WotC, these pieces aren't set in any one particular time and place. They're intended as a contrast between the past and the present, and how one affects the view of the other. The art director for this series was Mark Winters, and the artist Terese Nielsen.  This boxed set of 5 Planeswalkers with exclusive artwork will be available for purchase for $99 USD.

• Gideon of the Trials (SDCC) — Gideon is paired with Serra. He strives to live his life according to the ideals of justice as she did. He will always be a fighter, though, and his face shows his doubts; did Serra do enough to directly face evil?

• Jace, Cunning Castaway (SDCC) — Jace doesn't know much about Urza, but he know that he saved the world by manipulating thousands and sacrificing millions. To Jace, Urza is a cautionary tale. His back is facing Urza in this piece; an active rejection of all that Urza stood for.

• Liliana, Untouched by Death (SDCC) — Liliana stands in front of Nicol Bolas. She is a ruthless heroine, and though his influence looms large, her hands are alight with her own power. Liliana desires the control his overlapping figure refuses to secede.

• Chandra, Torch of Defiance (SDCC) — Chandra stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the stained glass image of her mentor, Jaya Ballard. Theirs is easily the friendliest relationship, as they know each other personally. There's nothing but loving companionship in Chandra's stance in this piece.

• Nissa, Vital Force (SDCC) — Nissa is next to Freyalise. Freyalise was ruthless in her defense of elvenkind and the natural world. Nissa used to feel the same way, but has come to realize interconnections are more valuable than ferocity, and that nurturing connections will preserve harmony.

 

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SDCC 2017 MTG Promos

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

This past weekend was the much anticipated 'Hour of Devastation' PreRelease event.  We had attended one of the local events at OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario, which ran back-to-back events all weekend long.  The Saturday 3:00 PM event had over 50 Magic: the Gathering players in to game with the new cards.  

The news-worthy item we had wanted to yatter about today is the SDCC MTG promos this year.

Wizards of the Coast will once again be at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 taking place during July 20-23.  As anticipated, there will also be limited edition SDCC exclusive ‘Planeswalker Pack’ as with previous SDCC events.  Wizards has been attending the Comic-Con since 2013, and has always had some rather sought-after swag and exclusive purchase opportunities for Magic: the Gathering fans, available for sale at the WotC Booth, and in most cases on-line at the Hasbro store website.  

Here is the package for 2017

The six Planeswalker cards with exclusive ‘Amonkhet style’ artwork by illustrator, Vincent Proce will also be packaged along with a very lovely looking 40” x 36” screen print of Nicol Bolas illustrated by Brandon Holt.  

Here are the Planeswalkers - 
• Gideon of the Trials
• Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
• Liliana, Death’s Majesty
• Chandra, Torch of Defiance
• Nissa, Steward of Elements
• Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh

Click to embiggen

The Magic: The Gathering 2017 Planeswalker Pack for $180.00, and are expected to sell out again.  Previous 'PW Packs' typically sold at SDCC for about $100 but may re-sell for quite a bit more.  This may be a slight correction up but one should also consider the very lovely screen print that is also part of this package.

It is also expected that there will be a few panels hosted by Wizards of the Coast, including a Blogatog Live session with Head Designer MaRo (Mark Rosewalker), which will also include a question and answer portion.
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SDCC 2016 MTG Promos

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2016 is being held this year from 21 to 24 July.  This four day event held at the San Diego Convention Center is pretty much the largest pop culture convention of its kind in the world.  In years past, Wizards of the Coast would host a well-attended Magic panel which featured previews of the annual Commander series and the upcoming fall (October) Magic: the Gathering set.  Although it does not appear at the moment that WotC will be holding their regular MTG panel, they will be at the Hasbro Booth (#3213) and there are indeed some other things planned (see this post on the mothersite).

What will definitely be back for Comic-Con are Magic: the Gathering SDCC promo cards.  As in previous years, a limited edition collection of Planeswalker cards are offered for sale.  The limited supply means that these promo cards become collector’s items immediately and although the retail price is expected to be around $120, one can expect these promo sets to be worth significantly more than that when the weekend is over. 

Sticking with the whole Liliana / Zombie horde theme forming part of the Eldritch Moon prerelease, WotC staffer Blake Rasmussen revealed a witty take on the Gatewatch crew all depicted as Zombies - well, except for Liliana who has stayed true to her necromancer roots.

All SDCC Promo cards are illustrated by Eric Deschamps

Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

Battle for Zendikar, illustrated by Eric Deschamps

Jace, Unraveler of Secrets

Shadows over Innistrad, illustrated by Tyler Jacobson

Liliana, the Last Hope

Eldritch Moon, illustrated by Anna Steinbauer

Chandra, Flamecaller

Oath of the Gatewatch, illustrated by Jason Rainville

Nissa, Voice of Zendikar

Oath of the Gatewatch, illustrated by Raymond Swanland

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Duel Decks' Anthology

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Wow, what a weekend for Magic: the Gathering players worldwide.  First off, we want to extend a huge thank-you to the very capable / amazing WotC staffer Alison Luhrs (MTG Community Manager) who provided a blur / barrage of real time tweets as live coverage of the MTG Panel at the San Diego Comic Con was not available due to 'technical difficulties'.  Fav quote on this absence of service from Evan Erwin (who cracks up every time).  Anywhoos, there was a massive volume of previews and teasers during the MTG Panel on Saturday during the San Diego Comic Con -

• Khans of Tarkir,
• From The Vault: Annihilation,
• Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning,
• Duel Decks, Anthology, and
• Commander 2014

We'll be rather busy for at least the next two weeks going over all the new material but for today's post on the MTG Realm blog, we want to yatter a bit about the announced Duel Decks' Anthology product.  This new product which is to be expected to be released on or about December 12, 2014.  Duel Decks' Anthology is to be a compilation set that combines the first four Duel Decks all provided with the new card frames. Now the big question is on many gamer's minds is exactly what is meant by 'combined'.  To many, this means all eight 60-card theme decks (or 480 cards) from each of the Duel Decks in one product :

• Elves vs. Goblins (2007)
• Jace vs. Chandra (2008)
• Divine vs. Demonic (2009)
• Garruk vs. Liliana (2009)

We would love to get a hold of this product when it comes out, or at the very least get a variety of card singles from MTG Mint Card.  Should this be the full monty of all eight decklists what would be a reasonable manufacturer suggested retail price - sixty bucks, eighty bucks, who knows?  As soon as we did read this tweet / announcement, we could imagine the big retailers groaning as their sealed product took a hit (maybe).  Here are the very rough values of the sealed Duel Deck products from just before the Duel Decks' Anthology announcement which we will revisit in another month or so :

Elves vs. Goblins ~ $200
Jace vs. Chandra ~ $150
Divine vs. Demonic ~ $175
Garruk vs. Liliana ~ $50

Stay tuned to latter posts on MTG Realm as we play catch-up on all the very exciting announcements including our postulations / speculations on the next Duel Deck - Speed vs. Cunning, due to be released on 5th September, 2014.  Until then, happy gaming everyone!
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SDCC 2014

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

As it is Wednesday, here's a link to the Geico Hump Day Camel - you can also like this irritating ungulate on FaceBook too.  Anywhoos - there's a bit of Magic: the Gathering news which we're rather happy about - Wizards of the Coast is returning to the 2014 San Diego Comic Con after an absence last year (or has it been two years?).  

We realise that we had already posted about WotC being at SDCC back on our Tumblr blog last week when we yattered about Garruk's Nerf Axe and the box set of six limited alternate art planeswalkers - but the fan community still had no word as to whether WotC would hold a panel.  If you can't make it (or afford the $110 price tag for six cards) just pop on over to MTG Mint Card and get the regular print planeswalkers.

Well, that's changed with a recent Tumblr post by WotC minion Doug Beyer - here's the 4.1.1. -
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San Diego Comic Con 2014

If you’re going to SDCC and you are interested in Magic, then you’re the kind of human (or goblin or djinn or whatever) who’ll want to attend the Magic: The Gathering panel. I’m going to be joining my fellow R&D tumblrnauts Mark Rosewater and Gavin Verhey, among other Wizards of the Coast panel pals, and we’re going to say Magical things and show Magical things. If you won’t be at the con, we recommend you engage in social media to enjoy all the JUICY MAGIC PANEL INFOS for yourself. Hope to see you there, m’friends.

SDCC Magic: The Gathering Panel
Saturday, July 26, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Room 25ABC

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That's awesome.  We can likely expect a bunch of news from the upcoming From the Vaults: Annihilation product due out at the end of August as well as a sneak peek of the upcoming set Khans of Tarkir being released at the end of September.  On this day, expect one or more posts with the latest 'n' greatest MTG news and spoilers as it comes out.

Enthusiastic MaRo is enthusiastic.

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