Magic Academy: Learn to Play and Deck Building – Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™

Scheduling: evergreen, available all season and beyond; use the Magic Academy: Learn to Play or Deck Building templates
Format: New Player Event
Rules Enforcement Level: Casual
Pairing method: Player List Only
Promotional material support:

Learn-to-play brochures and pocket reference cards
New Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Welcome Decks (10 Welcome Decks for WPN stores, 20 Welcome Decks for WPN Premium stores)

Players must enroll using a Wizards Account to qualify to keep promotional materials; guest account entries are not eligible. Promotional materials are available while supplies last. For complete details, refer to the Promo Usage & Policies hub.

Schedule Learn to Play Events Schedule Deck Building Events

What Is Magic Academy?

Magic Academy is a beginner-friendly event series that teaches new players how to play Magic: The Gathering. Through guided sessions participants get hands-on experience with support from staff or mentors in a fun, low-pressure environment.

Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Welcome Decks

New themed Welcome Decks will be included in your set marketing kit that are perfect to use in Learn to Play events. Each deck includes 40 cards of a single color and will be available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese based on your store's region.

How to Run Magic Academy Events

These instructions combine the best practices for running both Learn to Play and Deck Building events in the Magic Academy series.

For Learn to Play events, you have the option of using Welcome Decks or other beginner-friendly products to demonstrate and teach. Follow the appropriate steps below based on the demo product you use.

1. Register Players

Direct players to create a Wizards Account at https://myaccounts.wizards.com/ if they don’t already have one. Only players registered with a Wizards Account qualify to keep physical event materials.
Encourage players to download the Magic Companion app, which helps with event sign-up and tracking life totals.

2. Show the Introductory Video

Set the stage by showing the relevant Magic Academy video on a screen in your play space, or provide players with the link to watch on their mobile devices:

Learn to Play Introductory Video (German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish)
Deck Building Introductory Video (German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish)

These videos provide context and easy instructions that help simplify teaching and give them confidence to jump in.

3. Identify Staff or Mentor Support

Have knowledgeable store staff or seasoned players who are happy to help new players available to:

Answer rules questions
Provide encouragement
Assist with deck building (for Deck Building events) and gameplay

4. Setup and Distribute Event Materials

Give out appropriate materials to players depending on the event.

For Learn to Play:

If using Welcome Decks for the demo, distribute to the new player:

1 Welcome Deck
Learn-to-play brochure
Pocket reference card

If using a Beginner Box for the demo:

Set up the guided Beginner Box learn-to-play experience with the included printed guides for the new player.

For Deck Building

Distribute to the new player:

6 Play Boosters
Learn-to-play brochure
Pocket reference card

5. Guide the Activity

For Learn to Play

If using Welcome Decks for the demo:

Have players open their Welcome Deck and choose one of the monocolored half decks.
Pair players up for their first casual match.
Once players have played a game or two, suggest shuffling in the other half deck to experience multicolor Magic.
Give players their Welcome Deck for participating in Magic Academy (for Wizards Account registered players and while supplies last).

If using a Beginner Box for the demo:

Run the guided learn-to-play experience according to the Beginner Box instructions.
Then, continue play with decks from the Beginner Box.
Give the player a Welcome Deck for participating in Magic Academy (for Wizards Account registered players and while supplies last).

For Deck Building

Instruct players to open their Play Boosters and review their cards.
Guide them through building their 40-card deck.
Pair players up for their first casual match and encourage them to share their decks with each other before playing to keep the conversation going—this experience is about learning and having fun more than winning!

6. Encourage Continued Play

At the end of the Magic Academy event:

Help players find additional opponents if they want to keep playing casually.
Share your event calendar and invite them back for their next event such as Friday Night Magic or Prerelease.

Next Steps for Your New Magic Players

This is just the beginning of your players' Magic journey—let them know they're welcome to continue it at your store by suggesting other new-player friendly events such as Friday Night Magic, Prerelease, and Two-Headed Giant Commander Night.

Schedule and Promote Your Events

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

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

Schedule Learn to Play Events Schedule Deck Building Events

Grab attention for your events and products using available marketing resources, including Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit digital marketing assets.