WotC when they release a new set of cards, usually release a couple of preconstructed decks for purchase along side the booster boxes, Fat Packs, Gift boxes etc. These preconstructed decks are themed around a Planeswalker and aimed at newer players.

What do we get for our hard won cash this time?

Well we get the following:

• A 60 card deck
• A foil Nicol Bolas, the deceiver Planeswalker card
• 2 Hour of Devastation booster packs
• A cardboard deck box
• A strategy insert
• A quick reference card

In the two boosters I pulled one foil and one full art basic land. Plus this rather nifty board wipe card. 

So the big question is, is this worth the money? Well this preconstructed deck costs £13.99 rrp but you are looking more towards a tenner if you shop around. The two boosters are £6 – £7 of value, for the sake of argument let’s say the account for roughly half the value of this. You do get a cool foil Planeswalker card. But does all the rest justify the rest of the cost? If you are a regular MtG player probably not. I can’t imagine the preconstructed deck has any high value cards in it. If it had the value of this pack would have shot up and it’d be near impossible to buy. For a new player or returning one as a jumping off point I think it’s worth getting. You get a ready to play deck that you should be able to play and have fun with. After a few games, you can buy some boosters and start customising the deck.

Ok unlike the prerelease packs I have had a couple of “fat packs” before. I think they have been rebranded as a bundle now! But still I really like buying MtG boosters this way. 

So what comes in these “fat packs”? Here is a photo of the back of the box telling you exactly what you get for your money.

Like most Magic players I’m a big fan of the full art basic lands. They are gorgeous. These “fat packs” are a great way to get a load of them for the current set. In this sets “fat pack” WotC promise on the box that you get at least 25 in this bundle. I counted 26 in mine.

I like the double sided tokens. Which effectively doubles the amount in the box to use. 

So what did I pull in my 10 booster packs?

• 4 full art lands
• 4 foils
• 1 Legendary creature

I was also really happy getting Mirage Mirror and Overwhelming Splendor. Both great cards I’d love to play in a deck.

I’m a fan of the card boxes. The cardboard is nice thick sturdy card that has stunning art.

How does the “fat pack” workout value wise? Well depending on the cost of a single booster being £3 to £3.50. Then the 10 boosters alone are between £30 to £35. The spindown die is approximately £2. It then depends on the value you attach to the 80 land cards (I got 26 full art ones), 25 double sided tokens, and card box. The players guide is nice but would you pay for it separately? I’m not sure you would. I would argue that paying £30 for this you are getting great value for your money. Especially if you are a noob or casual player (like me). If you were planning on buying 10 boosters then you would be silly not to buy this bundle. My local FLGS sells 3 boosters for a tenner if I remember correctly. Which makes this bundle even better value as you are getting an extra booster pack for the same money, plus all the other stuff.

Within days of my first post about opening my first ever prerelease pack we are looking at my second one. This time it’s the Amonkhet prerelease pack.

This prerelease comes with the standard components.

• Leaflet on how to build a deck from the packs in this prerelease pack.
• A life spin down die
• A promo card
• A card of challenges tied in with the prerelease event.
• 6 Amonkhet booster packs

So what were my pulls from the 6 Amonkhet boosters?

• 1 Legendary Creature – God Rhonas the Indomitable 
• 2 Foils (one creature, one land)

Whether any of the other cards are any good or worth mentioning who knows? There are some I’d love in my league deck. But sadly they can never be. 

So I think these 6 boosters edged it over the Hour of Devastation prerelease pack ones. Mainly because of the Legendary creature. Each legendary creature for me is another potential commander for any commander deck I get round to building. 

Here’s the promo I got.

I’d love to know if anyone has ever played this and won. It’s not a cheap card to play. 

So that’s it for my prerelease packs for the time being. Maybe I’ll track some more down to crack open next month. 

You have to give credit where credit is due WotC know how to manage a collectable card game. They make the release of new sets an event. It starts weeks in advance with spoilers of cards in the upcoming set, videos about the Lore/story etc. But a week before the actual release they hold a prerelease event. This prerelease event gives players a chance to get their grubby mitts on cards from the new set a week early. Then on the actually release of the new set there are usually lots of events held by stores for this new set. A lot of money is made in those two weeks for the lgs and WotC. Shooting fish in a barrel comes to mind.

To facilitate the prerelease event WotC produce a prerelease pack for players to purchase. These prerelease packs contain everything that the player needs for that prerelease event. Which is basically a sealed format where players build a 40 card deck to play with from the booster packs in the prerelease kit they got.

Sadly these prerelease events usually fall at the wrong time of month for me or clash with a Fenland Gamers meet up. So I’ve not been to one. However thanks to the power of the internet and that marvellous use of it of online shopping. I was able to get hold of the current (for another couple of weeks) set Hour of Devastation prerelease pack. 

So for the approximate price of £20 what does a MtG player get for their hard earned money?

• A rather attractive cardboard box! Which has some fantastic artwork of the planeswalker Nicol Bolas. 
• A spindown d20 die.
• A challenge card – complete these and there is a prize for doing so. I’m not sure what. 
• 6 booster packs. In mine I got 4 Hour of Devastation packs and 2 Amonkhet.
• 1 foil date stamped promo card
• A sheet of Deck building tips

Taking the street value of a spindown die is approximately £2, and boosters cost £3.50 each (although I think £3 might also be a price point some lgs or online traders sell them for), I make that a value of between £20 – £23.

Below is the promo card I got.

I got 2 foil cards from the 6 booster packs.

As a relatively newish player (a couple of years now) and mainly casual play, I have no idea what value cards have. A good pull for me is a full art basic land (I love these, the art is stunning), a legendary creature (potential commander in the EDH/Commander) or a foil. 

At an actual prerelease event these packs give great value. Everything (except the basic lands) you need to build a deck to play with, and an evenings entertainment playing MtG. Plus early access to the cards for the new set, promo. I think it’s a cheap night out. 

Is it worth purchasing afterwards? I think that it is how much value you place on the foil promo, and themed countdown die? If you were going to buy 6 boosters anyway, this way gets you a little bit more value for you money. But not an amazing amount.

Well that’s my first ever prerelease pack. It was fun cracking open the boosters. The promo card is nice. Could be really powerful in a commander deck (possibly, maybe). I must try and get to the Ixalan prerelease.

Oh WotC have a great post about sealed deckbuilding at a prerelease event here.