MAGIC: THE GATHERING Is Getting a Cool New Format This Summer with Jumpstart

A couple of weeks ago Wizards of the Coast revealed a new way to play Magic: The Gathering called Jumpstart. In Jumpstart, players will be able to purchase 20-card booster packs that each have a different theme. One pack may give you Unicorns while another gives you Goblins for example. You then shuffle the 40 cards together and have a deck ready for Jumpstart. This sounds really cool, and I might consider going back to events with this kind of experience available. It reminds me a lot of my favorite board game Smash Up. Here are some more details though.

First, Jumpstart is set to launch on July 3. Second, each booster will have 20 cards and a theme that all those cards are about. There are enough themes and variations on themes to make 121 possible configurations in any given pack. Additionally, one in three booster packs will have an extra rare. Jumpstart will bring 37 new cards to the game along with almost 500 reprints. It is very important to note that these cards are not legal in Standard, Pioneer, or Modern formats, but they are in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander formats. Finally, each pack will feature a basic land with awesome art that matches the theme of the pack. This basic land is in addition to a mix of new and old thematically appropriate lands.

There will be a prerelease event held at local stores on June 20-21. You’ll need to check with your local store to see if they will be participating though. If you’re a big MTG Arena fan, you’ll be happy to know that Wizards plans on bringing the experience to the digital front later this year. Maybe then we can finally get a mobile app version.