Scheduling: Between February 14 – April 3; use the Magic Academy scheduling template

Format: New Player Event

Rules Enforcement Level: Any

Pairing Method: Player List Only

Material Support:

• Learn-to-Play Brochure and pocket reference card for participants
 
• Sticker Sheets for participants
• Darksteel Colossus – Gift-with-purchase promo for players who pick up any Starter product or 6 Aetherdrift Play Boosters during the event (including Play Boosters purchased as a part of event entry)

Please continue to use the promotional materials and promo cards you received with your Magic: The Gathering Foundations promotional material kit.

Gift-with-purchase promos should only be distributed during Magic Academy events. All promos are available while supplies last. For complete promo details, refer to the Promo Usage & Policies hub.

What is Magic Academy: Deck Building?

Magic Academy: Deck Building is the second of a two-part series that guides players through deck building and their first foray into Limited format play. We recommend that you require players to purchase six Aetherdrift Play Boosters to build their deck from so it prepares them for Prerelease.

This event can also be run with Magic: The Gathering Foundations Starter Collection, an example Sealed pool, leftover Prerelease Packs from previous set releases, or even the player’s own collection.

How to Run Magic Academy: Deck Building

Before beginning the event, we strongly encourage that you let players know that they must register with their Wizards Account to receive the event materials and participate. If the player doesn’t yet have an account, help them register, set up the Magic: The Gathering Companion App, and enter the event using their Wizards Account.

By registering with a Wizards Account, players will be directed to return to your store in the future through the Companion App and Wizards of the Coast marketing. In addition, they can begin receiving rewards through Magic: The Gathering Arena whenever applicable.

Start the event by playing the deck building instructional video, which explains how to put together a 40-card Magic deck.

*For international WPN stores, please refer to the international version of the video above instead, containing information accurate to your region. This video is also available on our marketing materials page.

After the video, provide each player with six booster packs to use as their sealed card pool, a Learn-to-Play brochure, pocket reference card, and sticker sheet. We encourage you to run this event using Aetherdrift Play Boosters, however you may use other product you have on-hand.

Players will sort out their cards into piles, identify the cards they want to build around, then build their first 40-card deck. Before event organizers split players into pairs for casual one-on-one matches, include a deck review phase where new players show their deck to experienced staff or players who can provide advice to those building a deck for the first time.

Event organizers will then help split players into pairs to play against each other; we encourage you to run this as a free-play event and assist players in finding new opponents as needed. We also encourage you to have players share their decks with each other before beginning the match and discuss strategies while they play to help build understanding of different colors and strategies.

Players who purchase six Aetherdrift Play Boosters (including those purchased as a part of event entry) or any Starter product will earn a gift-with-purchase promo, while supplies last.