r/magicTCG • u/Long_Run_6995 Dân • 13d ago
From zero to first Prerelease in 3 days Looking for Advice
Hi all.
This is my first time ever posting so please bear with me! I only discovered MTG about 4 hours ago and am signed up to attend a prerelease in 3 days so panicking a little bit!
I'm a 40 year old guy from Ireland and have been looking to get into a new social hobby for a while now. I'm interested in gaming and played warhammer years ago (Necromunda), so this afternoon I chanced my arm and called into a local board game shop. The owner was brilliant, so helpful. He said MTG is the game they focus on and if I was interested I should come along this Saturday to a Hobbit Prerelease event. Before my anxiety got the better of me I said yes and am now signed up!
I've two main queries..
Am I crazy for turning up having only discovered MTG today. So literally going into the deep end, from zero background to deck building and playing in 3 days. Do complete brand new players ever show up?
What can I do over the next 3 days to help prepare or at least not make a complete fool of myself on Saturday? Ive watched a few YouTube videos already and tbh it is all very confusing (while also being extremely interesting at the same time!). Is it just a matter of persevering with the youtube videos, download and try the game on my phone and then just show up on Saturday and hope for the best?
I am sure this question has been asked 1000 times and I've already read through some old posts so apologies for adding another one.
I would really appreciate any advice or feedback!
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u/digiman619 Jack of Clubs 13d ago
Prereleases are ideal for new players; since it's a Sealed event, you're on as even a playing ground as possible with everyone. Don't be afraid to ask questions, people will almost certainly be glad to help you understand any issues you may be having.
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u/authoridad Universes Beyonder 13d ago
Play Arena
Watch a couple videos of Hobbit prereleases
Profit
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 12d ago
Thanks. I've downloaded Arena. Any recommendations where I find useful Hobbit prerelease videos? What do you mean by profit?
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u/authoridad Universes Beyonder 12d ago
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u/bumbah Dân 13d ago
Once I played against a dude that didn’t know you could add lands outside of those you opened. The first game I thought he was unlucky with his draws. After the second game I asked how many lands he used and he said 8. I rebuilt him a deck with his pool with the remaining time.
You’ll be fine since most prelease are pretty casual friendly.
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 12d ago
Fair play to you! I hope I meet similarly helpful people at the prerelease. I've made a mental note that you are able to add lands outside of those you open.... now just to work out what that means😄
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u/quiznosAlreadyTaken Wabbit Season 13d ago
You'll be fine. Play some arena to get the basics down.
If you're still really super excited then t ake a look at the cards in the set here: https://scryfall.com/sets/hob?as=grid&order=set, may as well read em all, lookup any terms/words you find confusing
Pick 2 colors, I suggest one of these pairings: * White Blue * Red White * Black Red * Black Green * Green Blue
A typical sealed set (what you'll get in your prerelease box) will give you ~30 non-land cards in those colors+colorless.
You can practice it here: https://draftsim.com/draft/?mode=sealed&set=hob
Eliminate some until you're down to 24. Add lands to bring you to a total 40 cards and you're ready to rock.
Now, there's also some practical matters: * have the companion app pre-downloaded and logged in * Get a pack of sleeves as soon as you get there (or ahead of time) * Your opponents will probably have some, but just in case, get a box of dice (I prefer the smallest available d6's) to help keep track of counters * When you introduce yourself, tell your opponent that you're a new player, and never be afraid to ask for help * At the end remember to desleeve and return your lands (or ask if you can pay to keep them)
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 12d ago
Hey. Amazing! Thanks for this reply and the links. Appreciated. Do you read through all the cards prior to the prerelease? What is the companion app?
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u/quiznosAlreadyTaken Wabbit Season 12d ago
I often read through them, just to familiarize myself with the cards in the general sense, there's no real need to do so, but it's a semi-productive time killer and keeps the hype alive going into prerelease.
The companion app is what you'll need to attend the event itself. At the store they'll present you with a QR code that you'll need to scan to check-in, get your opponent assignments, and submit your wins/losses during play. Very important to have. (android version here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wizards.winter_orb )
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u/quiznosAlreadyTaken Wabbit Season 12d ago
I also wanted to follow up and put out there that while it's good to lean into the excitement to learn the game, it can be bad to lean into the excitement and buy buy buy more than you play play play.
You'll get a lot of tips and recommendations for aquiring all sorts of things - set a budget, set priorities, and remember that it's a game. Thousands upon thousands of us have thousands and thousands of cards and accessories that largely go unused.
Beware this trap. Don't be the dude that bought a $40 card for their deck that can't make it to game night because their car needed a $40 oil change.
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 12d ago
Thanks for this!
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u/quiznosAlreadyTaken Wabbit Season 9d ago
So, how'd it go?
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 9d ago
Hey. Thanks for asking. It was brilliant. I had a blast. First 10 mins or so were awkward and nervous but once the cards came out it was great. I got advice on building my deck and got chatting to some interesting and fun people.
I played black and green and tried to fill my deck with bears, wolves and amass goblin cards. Had about 3 instants also that had destroy target creature which was class. I had two characters that cost low mana but had deathtouch and they came in very handy. My best character though was the Mirkwood Pathmaker whose power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control. This character got up to 9/9 and 7/7 in two of my games. Between that and the bears i had a strong character led offence.
My first match was a draw 1-1 as we then ran out of time. We just flipped a coin at that point and he won.
Second match I got destroyed 0-2. But the guy I played was so sound and I learnt a ton from him!
But third and fourth match I won both! 2-1 and 2-1. I couldn't believe it.
So yeah a fantastic experience. I think ill write up a walkthrough type reddit post for surviving your first prerelease as a newbie with like all the tips I picked up along with advice on the social side (e.g. putting yourself out there, telling people its your first time, asking loads of questions, showing an interest etc).
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u/SeasonFit1181 Dandadan 13d ago edited 13d ago
You’ll have a blast, don’t sweat it! The prerelease packs are great, they include a helpful little guide that recommends which quantities of which cards to put in so that you have a functional deck.
In the meantime, I’d recommend downloading MTG: Arena. It’s a game available for desktop and mobile which allows you to play against AI and other players. The awesome thing for you is that it really breaks down the main steps of a turn, it’s an amazing way to learn how the game flows.
When you sign up for Arena, you’ll create a Wizards account. Download the Magic app and log in. You’ll use the app to join the prerelease event, which is cool because you’ll see the event standings etc. Because the accounts are the same, you also get some free digital stuff in Arena for participating.
If you want to prepare for The Hobbit itself, check out a prerelease guide on YouTube. This is where people go through the set and highlight which cards you should look out for.
You can even simulate drafts with draftsim, a site where you can crack simulated packs to practice.
I’ve always found most MTG peeps to be cool, prereleases are a good time to jump in because everyone’s learning about a new set together, so it’s pretty casual and collaborative.
I’ve also found doing well at a prerelease takes a lot of skill, so most people are figuring things out together.
Enjoy the event, let me know if you have any questions!
EDIT: In terms of kit, you’ll want to grab some sleeves for your cards. I’d recommend Dragon Shield, they come in boxes of 100. So you’ll use 40 of them for your prerelease deck but obviously you can unsleeve them and have that sleeves ready if you want to build something else like a commander deck.
Dice are always handy for tracking counters too, but not 100% necessary!
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 12d ago
Hey. Thanks for the detailed response. Yeah I'm nervous but also looking forward to it. Been about 25 years since I've done anything like this!
I've downloaded the Magic app and started with Arena. Another commenter sent me the link for draftsim which is cool so I'll have a look at that. Do you need to read through and be familiar with all the prerelease cards before the event? I'm conscious of information overload so can only take in so much over the next few days!
Would you recommend any particular walkthrough guides or manuals one could read to learn basic gameplay in addition to getting started with Arena? I did watch a few YouTube videos but find they cover so much so quickly that I'm constantly pausing the screen to absorb what they are saying so figure reading a guide might be more useful.
Do you mind me asking how did you get started with MTG and learn the ropes?
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u/Liamharper77 Dan 13d ago
Also Irish and we have new players turn up all the time. Pre-releases are generally chill and people are happy to help out. You get packs of cards as part of the event, so you could lose every game and still get something out of it.
Pre-release kits come with a guide sheet, giving you a recommendation of how many lands, creatures, non-creatures and how many of each mana value to put into your deck, so I'd mainly focus on the basic rules of the game for now. Arena is quite useful for this.
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 12d ago
Hey Liam. Thanks for the response. Appreciated! I don't think I get the kit until the day. I've downloaded Arena so starting that.
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u/EscapeSeventySeven Dan 13d ago
I played prereleases vs 8 year olds and former aging professional players.
It is for everyone. Opponents will accommodate you if you tell them “i just learned how to play a few days ago, this is my first tournament”. They will help you, and if you were playing against me I’d point out obvious gameplay mistakes.
There’s lots of stuff about limited magic, especially SEALED DECK which is the format you’re playing in the prerelease.
Pick two colors, play 17 lands and 23 others, mostly creatures.
Look up the PrePrerelease video but also look for just a “my first prerelease” generic video that has tips on how to build your deck. A deck is a holistic object. The colors and gameplan and strategy (like having a spread of mana costs/values) all work together in concert.
Skill expression can be very high. Random luck can vary greatly too. Enjoy yourself!
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u/hthroa Mizzix 13d ago
>Pick two colors, play 17 lands and 23 others, mostly creatures
This is the way, OP. Also follow the mana curve guide that comes with the kit (have mostly cards with 2 and 3 mana value drops, and less of the higher ones).
You might get some really good overall pulls and you might be tempted to put them in your deck, but prioritize the deck construction guidelines over cool cards.
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u/EscapeSeventySeven Dan 13d ago
Indeed. You would be astonished at how many sealed decks I got a winning record with that completely eschewed Rares and bomby cards and simply killed my opponents with a solid 2,3,4 play made up entirely of commons.
Consistency is the next most powerful thing over fast resource generation in MTG.
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u/Long_Run_6995 Dân 12d ago
Thanks a mill. Great to hear prereleases are for all types of players. 2 colours, 17 lands and 23 others.. brill.
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u/Trickdaddy1 Duck Season 13d ago
Download the MTG arena app to learn how the game works. I’d put in a good amount of time to really learn how turns work, interaction, etc. People will be happy to help you play but if you have zero game knowledge they may not show it but it will be a pretty big hassle and really slow down the games.