Magic Academy: Learn to Play

Magic Academy: Learn to Play

Scheduling: evergreen, available all season and beyond; use the Magic Academy: Learn to Play scheduling template
Format: new player event
Rules Enforcement Level: casual
Pairing method: player list only
Promotional material support:

  • Welcome Decks (available in all languages!)
  • Sticker sheet
  • Gift-with-purchase promo card (for participants who purchase any starter product or 6 Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man Play Boosters)
  • Pocket reference card and set-themed learn-to-play brochure

Learn-to-play brochures and pocket reference cards will be sent with your Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man marketing kit. If you need more of these, you can download them from the evergreen category on the marketing materials page and print them for use.

Players must enroll using a Wizards Account to qualify to keep promotional materials; guest account entries are not eligible.

Gift-with-purchase promos should only be distributed during Magic Academy events to participants who purchase a Starter product or six Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man Play Boosters. All promos and promotional materials are available while supplies last. For complete promo details, refer to the WPN Promo Usage and Policies hub.

What Is Magic Academy: Learn to Play?

Magic Academy: Learn to Play is a structured demonstration and play experience that streamlines teaching new players and encourages current players to bring their friends. Using Welcome Decks (or Beginner Box decks in regional languages), demo materials, and instructional videos, these events can lighten the workload on staff while freeing them to engage customers one-on-one.

Whenever you use a Welcome Deck to teach a new player the game, be sure to help them sign up for a Wizards Account and record it in Wizards EventLink using the Magic Academy: Learn to Play scheduling template. This will both contribute to your store’s play metrics and demonstrate the efficacy of Welcome Decks, supporting our ability to continue to provide them.

How to Run Magic Academy: Learn to Play

Here are suggested steps when running Magic Academy: Learn to Play events.

  1. Help players set up a Wizards Account at https://myaccounts.wizards.com/ if they don’t already have one and use it to register for the event; the “New to Magic? Start Here” posters in the downloadable marketing materials include a QR code to make sign up easier. Only players that register using a Wizards Account qualify to keep physical event materials. Recommend that players download the Magic Companion app and explain how they can sign up for events and track life totals right in the app.
  2. Show the Magic Academy: Learn to Play introductory video in your play space or direct players to watch it on their mobile devices. In conjunction with the other learn-to-play materials, players will have all the information they need to play their first game.

  3. Choose staff or seasoned players who are happy to help new participants with rules questions and friendly advice.
  4. Provide each participant with the following while supplies last:
  • Welcome Deck
  • Learn-to-play brochure
  • Pocket reference card
  • Sticker sheet
  1. Pair players up for their first casual match. Welcome Decks come with two 30-card half decks, each of a different color. Instruct players to take out their two decks and choose which color they’d like to try first. For their first game, they will only use one monocolored half deck.
  2. Once players have played a game or two, suggest shuffling in the other half deck to experience multicolor Magic.
  3. Help players find additional opponents for additional casual matches.
  4. Share your event calendar and invite them back for their next event such as Magic Academy: Deck Building, Friday Night Magic, and Prerelease.

Schedule and Promote Your Events

You can now schedule Magic Academy: Learn to Play events in Wizards EventLink. We recommend scheduling at least one Magic Academy: Learn to Play event ahead of each season, but they may also be scheduled as needed for walk-in demos.

Simplify player registration by displaying the new EventLink QR codes at your store.

Boost your event visibility with available marketing resources, including Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man digital marketing assets.

WPN stores in the US, Canada, Guam, and Puerto Rico can also purchase customizable materials from the WPN Marketing Portal, and WPN Premium stores in these regions have a $300 seasonal promotional marketing credit for Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider-Man that expires on November 1.

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