Have you ever wanted to learn how to play Magic? Maybe you’ve played a game or two, but still consider yourselves a novice. No problem! Welcome to Magic Academy, a new quarterly event host here at Phoenix. Magic Academy is a two-part event that aims to help new players take their first steps into the Magic multiverse with the help of our community!

Magic Academy - Learn to Play

Our Magic Academy event will be run in two parts - Learn to Play and Deckbuilding events. In our learn to play deck, new players will come together with tutors from our community and staff here at Phoenix. Once you sign into the event using the Magic Companion app, our team will present you with the following things:

• Welcome Deck

• Learn to Play Brochure

• Pocket Reference Guide

• A Magic Foundations Sticker Sheet

Using the welcome deck and a special welcome to the game video, our tutors will teach you the basics of Magic: the Gathering, then turn you loose to play a few casual matches with other players who are also attending the Academy. Once you’ve played a few games, that’s it! 

Promo With Purchase

If you decide that Magic is something you want to pursue after our demos, we’ll be giving away a special Darksteel Colossus promo card (while supplies last) free with any purchase of the following items:

• 6 Booster Packs

• Magic Foundations Beginner Box

• Magic Foundations Starter Collection

Magic Academy - Deckbuilding

Okay, so now you’ve learned how to play the game. Time to build your first deck. Our Magic Academy Deckbuilding event is designed as a sort of “new player’s first prerelease.” Players who participate will need to pay a $35 entry fee. In return, they’ll receive a Magic Foundations Prerelease Kit that contains the following things:

• 6 Magic Foundations Play Boosters

• 1 Prerelease Promo Card

• 1 Magic Foundations Spindown Die

Players will be paired up and given time to open their boosters and build decks with what’s inside. Unlike a prerelease where this part would normally happen with time constraints, this part of the event will be untimed, with players having direct access to tutors, staff, and fellow players to help build out the deck the way they want to.

Once players have begun to finish their decks, we’ll issue scoring cards and ask them to break up into pairs and play some casual matches. Once your scorecard is full, head up to the front counter and we’ll give you 2 more Magic Foundations play boosters for playing! Don’t have time to fill out the whole scorecard? No problem! Any partially filled scorecards can be turned in for 1 Magic Foundations Play booster as well.

Community Call to Action - Tutors Needed

Magic players of Phoenix - we need your help! We’re looking for up to six tutors per event to come help these prospective players learn. In return for your assistance, we’re offering a special pin courtesy of Pinfinity to identify you as a tutor, plus a pair of booster packs at the end of the event. 

If you’re interested, please sign up here! All that’s required is knowledge of Magic (enough to feel comfortable teaching the game to others) and a willingness to be there and help out. 

And that’s all there is to Magic Academy! We’ll be running these events about once every quarter to help new players learn the game, so if you missed this one, don’t worry too much. You can always catch the next go round in a couple of months.