The release of Magic: The Gathering’s Reality Fracture set feels like a big moment in the game’s long history, so it’s no surprise to see that prerelease events are extremely popular. Whether you’re a prerelease expert, returning to the game after an extended break, or attending your very first event, we’ve got the breakdown of everything you need to know.
From Reality Fracture draft archetypes to what gear you might want to take with you, it’s easy to overlook some details in the heat of excitement, so our goal is to make sure you’re as prepared as possible to make the most of the event.
What & When Is The Reality Fracture Prerelease?
The Reality Fracture prerelease starts on Friday, 25 September, and technically runs through until the full launch day a week later. Most prerelease events will take place on Friday and Saturday, depending on the popularity and stock availability of your local game store. Given the ongoing shipping issues plaguing Magic, there is a good chance that stores may not have as much stock as usual, although prerelease kit allocation was decided a long time ago.
As for the event itself, prerelease is a change to play with the cards from a new set in a draft environment before it has fully launched. These events are typically in-person, taking place at a Wizards Play Network store, and you use a prerelease kit to draft a 40-card deck (minimum) and then play three matches, receiving rewards based on how you perform.
Each prerelease kit contains six Play Boosters, a rare or mythic foil promo card, a set-themed D20, and some pop-out counters. You can add basic land to your deck, but dual land or non-traditional land cards must be pulled from packs to be eligible.
How A Prerelease Event (Typically) Works
As for the format of a prerelease event, every store may run it with slight variances, but here’s how my local WPN store runs its events, and each time they’ve been incredibly smooth.
Once all attendees are present, you’re set up in pods of four players per table. You will only play the other three people in your pod throughout the night. Prerelease kits are handed out and a one-hour window is given for opening packs and building decks.
When the deck building window ends, another hour window begins for all tables to work their way through the first assigned matches, which are Standard rules and best of three. The chances are that if your pod is ready early, you’ll be encouraged to move on at your own pace, but time limits are in place to protect the events from running too long for the store.
Despite the competitive sounding nature of the event, prerelease nights should always be casual and fun, so bare that in mind before you play your games.
After each match, you report your score and it is recorded. Rewards are handed out, typically a Play Booster for the winner and a promo card from the loser. Depending on stock or store rules, match rewards may only be handed out for 2-0 games.
Then, when your table has finished all of its games, you should have an overall table winner. If there is a tie, say two players are 2-1, then you go to games won/lost. If there is still no resolution, if time permits, you may play a best of one to determine the winner. The typical reward for winning your table is three Play Boosters.
What Do You Need To Take To Prerelease?
Most stores have everything you need to participate in a prerelease event, but it’s good manners to take as much of your own equipment as possible, especially if you’re an experienced player, as this means more is available for new starters.
- Basic lands (10-15 of each type).
- Card sleeves to protect your deck.
- A playmat, again to prevent card and sleeve damage against uneven or unclean surfaces.
- Dice and counters to track in-game actions where necessary.
- The official MTG companion app. WPN stores may require this for registration, but it can also be used to track life totals during games.
- Drinks and snacks. Not all stores will sell these, and prerelease events can run quite long; just be sure to check with the store beforehand.
Reality Fracture Archetypes To Look For
You can read our full Reality Fracture draft archetype guide for a breakdown of the ten archetypes to look out for when cracking your prerelease packs, but here is a quick list you can reference if you get stuck on the night.
- Fatehold Aggro
- Theorix Math
- Stingerquill Burn
- Konstrari Ramp
- Vigorbloom Life
- Liliana’s Attrition
- Chandra’s Prowess
- Garruk’s Bestiary
- Ajani’s Army
- Jace’s Mastery
Remember, don’t go into your prerelease event with an archetype in mind, let your cards guide you!
- Franchise
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Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
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August 5, 1993
- Designer(s)
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Richard Garfield
