<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lessons from Life" href="#" target="_blank">Lessons from Life</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kevin_sidharta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Sidharta</a>
I was born a little too late to have caught the heyday of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) in the late '80s and early '90s, so I didn't exactly have much to latch onto with the theming of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new Magic set</a>. But as we neared prerelease and I dug into <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-mechanical-mutant-mayhem-of-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the mechanics of the set</a>, I began to get cautiously optimistic that it might actually be a banger.
I played a prerelease <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Two-Headed_Giant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Two-Headed Giant</a> event with a friend (highly recommend, by the way), and I was proven absolutely correct! This set totally rips!! I had so much more fun than I did at the prerelease events for Lorwyn Eclipsed and Avatar: The Last Airbender, despite having much firmer attachments to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/reprints-we-want-to-see-in-the-upcoming-avatar-magic-set" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Avatar franchise</a> and to weird <a href="https://youtu.be/mCQ5EF69rSQ?si=tuUQYjKl1UDXMCP-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Henson company puppets</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonardo, Sewer Samurai"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Donatello, Gadget Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raphael, the Nightwatcher"></div></div>
And as my weekly Commander night approaches, I've been thinking a lot about how much I learned in the prerelease event. And I've realized how many lessons this set can provide to a newer Commander player, especially in a <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Limited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Limited</a> environment, where you can really engross yourself in the mechanics without worrying about somebody breaking out an unforgivably busted deck.
Commander players can actually learn some lessons from Drafting that, in the long run, will drastically improve your play.
So in this edition of How To Be New, allow me to ADHD hyperfocus lore dump on you for a few hundred words. I promise that there will be actionable advice. Or, at the very least, it'll convince you to go play a TMNT Draft event where you'll have an absolutely wonderful time.
<h2>Learn Turn Sequencing With Sneak</h2>
One thing that made prerelease for this set feel much more electric was the introduction of the sneak mechanic. Sneak allows a player to return an unblocked attacking creature to their hand to play a spell at a reduced cost. It's similar to past mechanics like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">ninjutsu</a>, but if you're like me and weren't around when Betrayers of Kamigawa first came out in 2005, it might feel pretty new and interesting.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Leo &amp; Shredder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karai, Future of the Foot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shredder, Unrelenting"></div></div>
Something I've been looking to improve on in my Magic playing for quite some time is how I order the actions on my turn. So many turns of Commander see a player take a bunch of actions in their first main phase and then just pass the turn, bypassing combat altogether. I do it all the time, especially in the early game, or towards the end of the night, when I'm just too tired to optimize.
But more experienced players play the bulk of their turns in their second main phase (and the most experienced players play their whole turn on their opponent's end step, but that's a discussion for another day). Why? Because of combat tricks!
Combat is the time when each player's board state is the most vulnerable. It's a lesson many players learn early on, mindlessly blocking with an important creature just because they have more toughness than the attacker has power (a move which, on its face, makes complete sense), failing to notice how much available mana the other player has. And then, boom! Their opponent (usually a someone playing in green) tosses down <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Wild Hunger</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Groundswell" href="#" target="_blank">Groundswell</a>, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overprotect" href="#" target="_blank">Overprotect</a>, and your sweet <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Manufactor" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Manufactor</a> gets dumped into the graveyard.
One big surprising spell in combat can change the game entirely. It's the reason why things with flash and instants are so highly valued.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Donatello&#039;s Technique"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shark Shredder, Killer Clone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Turncoat Kunoichi"></div></div>
Because of sneak, this set really makes you consider how much mana an opponent has available when they attack, as any unblocked attacker could suddenly turn into a game-ending threat. And as a result, you start to learn how important it is to block smartly. You learn to check how much open mana your opponent has before determining blockers, often erring on the side of caution.
Then, later down the line, you learn to wield this power yourself, attacking with enough mana open for your opponent to think twice about risking their most valuable creatures.
Sometime later, you learn the power of just blocking what you can block and making them have the answer in hand. There is so much to learn about the game of Magic by improving your approach to combat. And the sneak mechanic forces you to really lock in and focus on combat more than you might in a typical game.
<h2>Learn to Accrue Resources With Food and Mutagen Tokens</h2>
I'm going to be honest with you, I always thought <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Food" href="#" target="_blank">Food</a> tokens were sort of mid. A whole two mana just to gain three life? When I could, instead, just play another <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hare Apparent" href="#" target="_blank">Hare Apparent</a>*? It didn't make sense to me.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Featherbrained Filcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crustacean Commando"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spicy Oatmeal Pizza"></div></div>
Then I played a TMNT draft in Arena where I kept myself alive through four turns of being attacked for lethal damage by sacrificing Food tokens. And I fully Danny Davitoed.
<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/3wtr1MRT_I8AAAAd/i-get-it-omg.gif" alt="a man with a surprised look on his face and the words oh my god written on the bottom" />
It turned out that I had vastly underrated things like Food and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a> tokens (as well as their friends <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk" href="#" target="_blank">Junk</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clue" href="#" target="_blank">Clue</a> tokens). The flexibility they provide allows you to adapt to your opponents' actions.
Have you been <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">holding up two blue mana</a> all round, just in case somebody gets some bad ideas? First of all, great job. That's an extremely threatening thing to do at the table, and I applaud you for it. But has it got back around to you and nobody has cast anything particularly objectionable? Spend that mana to draw a card with a Clue! Or gain three life with some Food! Don't let those precious resources go to waste.
Spending all of your mana each turn is a great way to improve the strength of your gameplay. It's why mana curve is so valued in formats like Standard and Draft. Your mana is like your economy in a roguelike or MOBA, and the more you spend of it, the more useful, powerful game actions you'll tend to take.
Even though Mutagen tokens are less flexible, as they can only be used at sorcery speed, they can be good for setting up a threat that your opponent will have to deal with. If you pump up a flier with a Mutagen token or two before you pass your turn, your opponent might feel like they have to answer it. And if they spent their turn <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death in the Family" href="#" target="_blank">exiling it for two mana</a>, rather than <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bebop, Warthog Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">threatening the board for five mana</a>, then you made them play suboptimally.
They wasted their mana, and their turn, all because you used a couple of mana on your turn increasing the threat to their life total. That's great Magic gameplay!
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ice Cream Kitty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pizza Face, Gastromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza"></div></div>
And with things like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ice Cream Kitty" href="#" target="_blank">Ice Cream Kitty</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pizza Face, Gastromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Pizza Face, Gastromancer</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza" href="#" target="_blank">Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza</a>, as well as other great disappear abilities <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Michelangelo, Game Master" href="#" target="_blank">through the set</a>, there are all sorts of ways to take that value and turn it directly into an advantage that will win you the game.
*In the Hare Apparent deck, any two mana that isn't spent on a Hare Apparent is mana wasted
<h2>Learn About Growing Threats With Alliance</h2>
I talked about this a bit in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-be-new-at-threat-assessment-in-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my article on threat assessment</a>, but the biggest threats are the ones who will get harder to deal with next turn. And with the use of the alliance mechanic, which rewards you when more creatures enter the battlefield, that concept showed up in spades at my prerelease.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lita, Little Orphan Amphibian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raphael, Tough Turtle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slash, Reptile Rampager"></div></div>
In this set, alliance abilities tended to show up on red and white creatures, otherwise known as Boros (). Boros tends to have a lower mana curve, preferring to play cards which cost two to four mana. As such, a good Boros deck can become an overwhelming threat by turn five. Especially if you're playing something like the Golgari () suite of cards in this set, you might have a higher mana curve, and need to weather this early storm until you can make your big swings around turn six or seven.
But how can you use your precious few removal spells to ensure that you survive until <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raph &amp; Mikey, Troublemakers" href="#" target="_blank">Raph &amp; Mikey, Troublemakers</a> start making them wish that they'd never been born? The simplest answer is to deal with the threats that will grow.
For example, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raphael, Tough Turtle" href="#" target="_blank">Raphael, Tough Turtle</a> is an annoying customer, whose pings of one damage will constantly remind you of the growing trouble on the other side of the battlefield. But he might as well be an enchantment, as he's typically seen as too valuable by your opponent to risk attacking or blocking with.
However, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mighty Mutanimals" href="#" target="_blank">Mighty Mutanimals</a> is going to make your opponent's whole board (or maybe even just the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="East Wind Avatar" href="#" target="_blank">East Wind Avatar</a> that you have no way to deal with) stronger each turn. Mighty Mutanimals is a remove-on-sight threat, because it will grow.
It's the same with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="EPF Point Squad" href="#" target="_blank">EPF Point Squad</a>, who will quickly grow to be a lethal threat, versus <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutant Town Musicians" href="#" target="_blank">Mutant Town Musicians</a>, who can be thwarted with one solid multi-creature block. And when you add things like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Robots" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Robots</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Improvised Arsenal" href="#" target="_blank">Improvised Arsenal</a>, this set is full of all sorts of growing threats that you will have to figure out how to beat before they can overwhelm you.
And though it may sound impossible to deal with, I'm here to tell you that the feeling you'll get when you finish the comeback on an aggressive deck like that feels as sweet as a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guac &amp; Marshmallow Pizza" href="#" target="_blank">Guac &amp; Marshmallow Pizza</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mighty Mutanimals"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="EPF Point Squad"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="East Wind Avatar"></div></div>
I know a lot of people are <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/was-the-tmnt-magic-set-cowa-bungled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sort of mixed on this set</a>. I'm not a huge fan of this property or this flavor either. But please do give it a chance. It's my favorite prerelease I've played since I started playing them with Duskmourn. Even if you don't get a ton out of killing something with an <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza" href="#" target="_blank">Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza</a> (which, if that's the case, please let your inner child out for an afternoon to embrace how silly and wonderful that is), there is so much you can learn from playing this set.
And, honestly, some not bad Commander cards are in here too. Believe me, the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cool but Rude" href="#" target="_blank">Cool but Rude</a> I pulled on Saturday will definitely be making an appearance in my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doctor Doom, King of Latveria" href="#" target="_blank">Doctor Doom, King of Latveria</a> deck come this summer (<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/discarding-for-profit-with-doctor-doom-king-of-latveria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read more about what Vic's up to here</a>). And if you catch me <a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d2/e6/5d/d2e65d1733d3c2f6e7530967abed02c4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying some stuff like this,</a> please just let it slide.

How To Get Better at Commander by Drafting TMNT

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Cube" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Cube</a> | Illustrated by <a href="http://www.marktedin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Tedin</a>
Yesterday, we covered <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edge-of-eternities-two-new-commander-formats-announced/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Commander Box League</a>, an event that Wizards of the Coast is spearheading for Edge of Eternities. Many players seem to find some issues with it.
Because it's a sanctioned event format, there's not a lot that players can do to change the policies of this event series. However, with this article, I'd like to introduce a way to augment your next Sealed Box league for Commander play that may revolutionize the way you play it.
<h2>Background</h2>
For a few years, I've tried to make the Commander Boxing League work. I started my first foray into it with Zendikar Rising, and that ended rather poorly with no actual games conducted. The idea simply petered out amongst my playgroup.
The next booster Commander Boxing League saw me with a booster box of Bloomburrow. This posed its own set of distinct issues despite games firing with more ease. My playgroup had great commanders but not necessarily the needed tools to make a deck work smoothly.
I mulled this idea over for the better part of a year, and, with Final Fantasy, finally got to enact a means to make a Commander Booster Box League fire on all cylinders for myself and two other eager playtesters.
Enter: The Booster Box Buffer Kit.
<h2>What Is the Booster Box Buffer Kit?</h2>
Simply put, this kit is a 70-strong singleton kit of cards that each player in your Commander Sealed Box event should have ready and open access to that augments one of the most major aspects of any Commander deck: mana smoothing. The kit contains 13 artifacts and 57 lands, in its current iteration.
Furthermore, these cards assist with mana production, fixing, land fetching, and even a little bit of card advantage.
Notably, all of the cards in the Buffer Kit are easy to fit in many single players' given budgets, at about $41 for the full kit. They're all geared towards generic usefulness in Commander and augment your experience for a much smoother game. In turn, this allows you to focus on putting more of your cool cards from your booster box proper into the deck.
<h2>Positives to the Buffer Kit</h2>
According to one player who playtested this with me during the Final Fantasy prerelease:
<blockquote>The supplemental material is very helpful at helping players feel like they can still play on curve even when their box cards aren’t “ready” to go in an opening hand. Having something to play every turn helps keep games competitive through midgame. The question is in picking the right dual lands or staples. Maybe some decks really want a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City of Brass" href="#" target="_blank">City of Brass</a>-like card instead of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Command Tower</a>, for instance. It adds a selection mini-game to break up the initial overwhelming excitement for new, unplayed cards.</blockquote>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="City of Brass"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Command Tower"></div></div>
As my playtester points out, the potential for mutability from set to set is one positive aspect of this kit. What works in a lands-matter set like Zendikar Rising won't always work for a set like Edge of Eternities or Bloomburrow. As such, cards can be added or removed to shore up any glaring issues with a given set, be they mana fixing, land fetching, or pretty much any other general aspect of the Commander play experience.
Fortunately, my other playtester noted how smoothly the games we played went. Mana fixing was so easy to draw into. Because of this, we all had an easy experience getting to our needed land drops. In turn, this allowed us all to secure mana on time for our more impactful plays to be made in an even measure.
Furthermore, this kind of buffer to a booster box's Sealed pool enables players to more easily use their cards in a manner more befitting the actual rules of Commander. Singleton decks with 100 total cards are much easier to make with this kit. They'll also be able to adhere well to color identity rules as Commander as a format dictates.
<h2>Potential Shortcomings of the Buffer Kit</h2>
My other playtester for the Booster Box Buffer Kit praised it highly. That said, they pointed out one possible issue with it. Being a 70-card list, it may be a bit too much for the average player to amass four times over. Shortening the list may be a necessity for some playgroups.
However, my colleague also remarked that doing so may limit options too much. As such, adding or replacing options will almost always feel better than simply removing them.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azorius Chancery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tranquil Cove"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thriving Heath"></div></div>
To this end, I can agree with my colleague. If you want to cut some amount of cards from this list, I would advise you cut one to two full cycles of dual lands, such as the Ravnica Karoo cycle (<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azorius Chancery" href="#" target="_blank">Azorius Chancery</a> and friends) the lifegain duals (<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tranquil Cove" href="#" target="_blank">Tranquil Cove</a>, etc.), or the "Thriving" land cycle (<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thriving Heath" href="#" target="_blank">Thriving Heath</a>, etc.).
This in turn will cut down on some options while keeping similar options open, if you cut no more than two of these aforementioned cycles. Remember, your playgroup will want equal treatment here so you'll want three or four of each card in the Kit as you see fit to add them.
<h2>Buffer Kit List</h2>
This list focuses on my personal iteration of the Buffer Kit. Feel free to make your own additions and subtractions from it to enhance your experience.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Booster Box Buffer Kit" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Lands]
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Bloodfell Caves
*1 Blossoming Sands
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Bountiful Landscape
*1 Command Tower
*1 Contaminated Landscape
*1 Crumbling Necropolis
*1 Deceptive Landscape
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Dismal Backwater
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Foreboding Landscape
*1 Frontier Bivouac
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*1 Jungle Hollow
*1 Jungle Shrine
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Mystic Monastery
*1 Nomad Outpost
*1 Opal Palace
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Orzhov Basilica
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Perilous Landscape
*1 Rakdos Carnarium
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Rupture Spire
*1 Sandsteppe Citadel
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Scoured Barrens
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Seething Landscape
*1 Selesnya Sanctuary
*1 Shattered Landscape
*1 Sheltering Landscape
*1 Shimmering Grotto
*1 Simic Growth Chamber
*1 Swiftwater Cliffs
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Thornwood Falls
*1 Thriving Bluff
*1 Thriving Grove
*1 Thriving Heath
*1 Thriving Isle
*1 Thriving Moor
*1 Tranquil Cove
*1 Tranquil Landscape
*1 Twisted Landscape
*1 Wind-Scarred Crag
[/Lands]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chromatic Star
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Prismatic Lens
*1 Prophetic Prism
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 World Map
[/Artifacts]"></div>
<h2>The Future of the Buffer Kit</h2>
I'm sure I'll make adjustments to the experience. As sets come out and their themes are made more apparent, I may remove certain cards from the Kit list. Even so, I'll work to retain a majority of the core of this experience. Feel free to try this out at your next Sealed Commander Booster Box event!
And now, I'd really like to hear from the readership of this article. Do you think this idea will make Sealed Commander Box Leagues better for players? What do you think about the possibility of using this kit in the future? Finally, does it appeal to you more than the previously-announced Commander Box League, for example? Sound off below!

Adding Buffers to a Commander Booster Box League

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
&nbsp;
It's finally here! Many players can breathe easy at last, for their wait is over. The prerelease events for Final Fantasy begin this weekend, officially starting today, June 6th. What kind of format will this Prerelease entail? What goodies can you hope to gather from this sort of event? Read on, and we'll lay it out for you!
<h2>Final Fantasy Prerelease Format</h2>
First off, <a href="https://wpn.wizards.com/en/event/prerelease-magic-the-gathering-final-fantasy">the Prerelease events</a> for this set will almost unanimously be Final Fantasy Sealed. This is due to the widespread use of 6-pack Prerelease Kits. However, depending on your location or region, allocations may be a bit off; for that reason, you may be engaging in a different Limited format instead to meet demand. We can't say for sure whether your local game store will have you deviate from the norm, but if it's a Prerelease event, it will no doubt be Final Fantasy. And yes, you can use the Prerelease promo you get in your Kit.
Additionally, some stores do Prerelease in a slightly different way and offer 2-Headed Giant Sealed for at least one day of their events. These events are also tons of fun! In fact, we recently covered Archidekt's collaboration with Flyquest on a 2HG Sealed Final Fantasy event coming very soon, called Duel Land. <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/archidekt-x-flyquest-to-host-celebrity-final-fantasy-prerelease-event-june-14-15">You can read up on that event here.</a>
<h2>Prerelease Goodies For The New Set</h2>
In addition to getting packs from playing and for doing well in this Prerelease event series, players who participate in a Prerelease event may secure themselves a crystalline 10-sided spindown die (while supplies last). Furthermore, if you participate in at least two of these events, you might bag yourself a velveteen dice pouch as well.
While we don't have an image of the dice pouch, this is what the spindown d10 looks like from two different angles (Image credit: Wizards of the Coast):
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-155427" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10.jpg" alt="" width="559" height="559" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10.jpg 1080w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crystal_D10-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /></a>
<h2>What's Next After Prerelease?</h2>
Starting right at the release date for Final Fantasy, local game stores are getting an event called "Chocobo Racing". <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-adds-chocobo-racing-to-magic-presents-events">We covered this event in detail a few weeks ago.</a> But, as a refresher:
<blockquote>
<blockquote>Chocobo Racing Events are the weekly Booster Draft and Sealed event based on the FINAL FANTASY VII mini-game "Chocobo Racing". Whenever players play Draft or Sealed events with Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY in your store, earning points to reach special rewards just for this event.</blockquote>
The site goes on to explain how this minigame works:
<blockquote>As players enjoy racing around the track throughout the season, they'll earn a set number of points that build toward rewards.
Award points for the following:
<ul>
<li>Players earn 3 points for each Draft of Sealed event (excluding Prerelease) they attend.</li>
<li>Players earn 1 point for each match they win in a qualifying event.</li>
<li>Existing players that bring in a new player who <a href="http://myaccounts.wizards.com/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">signs up for a Wizards Account</a> and participates in a qualifying event earn 1 point.</li>
</ul>
When a player reaches 10 cumulative points, they earn a foil Chocobo art print. When a player reaches 20 cumulative points, they earn a Chocobo Pinfinity AR pin!</blockquote>
At the very end of the event, store owners are encouraged to give out any unallocated prints or pins to players who didn't make it to 10 or 20 points. WPN suggests stores give them out in order of highest standings at the end of the event's run.</blockquote>
And that about wraps up what you may need to know about the Final Fantasy Prerelease and Release events! Are you excited about this weekend? Sound off below!

Final Fantasy Prerelease Events Begin This Weekend

Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast &amp; Square Enix
As of the Final Fantasy set's June 13th release, Wizards Play Network, the entity responsible for maintaining and managing organized Magic: The Gathering play, will introduce "Chocobo Racing" to the events for the set. This augmentation to Limited events will begin after the set officially releases and will last until July 24th.
<h2>But First: What Are Chocobos?</h2>
In the scope of the hit Square Enix video game series, Chocobos are fluffy (usually) yellow bipedal birds. People in the game's universe usually use Chocobos as mounts. They're generally a means to get places much faster than on foot. Occasionally, riders will race with their Chocobo steeds. Final Fantasy VII formally introduced the "<a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Chocobo_racing_(minigame)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chocobo Racing</a>" minigame proper. However, since then it's blown up in a big way. The minigame has even had its own <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Chocobo_Racing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eponymous spin-off game</a> on the Sony PlayStation.
They're also generally viewed as the mascot/face of the series at large, much like the Slime is to Dragon Quest, or Pikachu is to Pokémon.
<h2>Final Fantasy Chocobo Racing In Magic</h2>
According to the Wizards Play Network's page on this event:
<blockquote>Chocobo Racing Events are the weekly Booster Draft and Sealed event based on the FINAL FANTASY VII mini-game "Chocobo Racing". Whenever players play Draft or Sealed events with Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY in your store, earning points to reach special rewards just for this event.</blockquote>
The site goes on to explain how this minigame works:
<blockquote>As players enjoy racing around the track throughout the season, they'll earn a set number of points that build toward rewards.
Award points for the following:
<ul>
<li>Players earn 3 points for each Draft of Sealed event (excluding Prerelease) they attend.</li>
<li>Players earn 1 point for each match they win in a qualifying event.</li>
<li>Existing players that bring in a new player who <a href="http://myaccounts.wizards.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signs up for a Wizards Account</a> and participates in a qualifying event earn 1 point.</li>
</ul>
When a player reaches 10 cumulative points, they earn a foil Chocobo art print. When a player reaches 20 cumulative points, they earn a Chocobo Pinfinity AR pin!</blockquote>
At the very end of the event, store owners are encouraged to give out any unallocated prints or pins to players who didn't make it to 10 or 20 points. WPN suggests stores give them out in order of highest standings at the end of the event's run.
<h2>Run, Chocobo, Run!</h2>
<a href="https://wpn.wizards.com/en/event/chocobo-racing-event-series" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This mini-game series</a> runs from June 13th through July 24th at local game stores while supplies last.
And now, let's hear from you. Are you a fan of Chocobos as the mascot of Final Fantasy? Is this set an appealing prospect for you to play within? If you're planning to enter these events and vie for a print or pin, sound off below!

Final Fantasy Adds "Chocobo Racing" To Magic Presents Events

If you're looking for more Flesh and Blood data and content, go check out our other sites, <a href="https://fabrec.gg/">FABREC</a> and <a href="https://spellvoid.com/">Spellvoid</a>!
The release of Outsiders brought a needed rejuvenation of limited play to Flesh and Blood. Experienced TCG players will be familiar with the basic aspects of Sealed play, but Flesh and Blood offers several unique elements you’ll need to be familiar with to succeed.
<h2>Sealed Format</h2>
Limited play experiences remain some of the most popular in the TCG space. I know plenty of players who only come out to play their game of choice when a new set releases, so they can experience the joys of cracking packs and building a deck in a more equitable format.
Here’s what to expect at a Sealed event near you.
<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="https://articles.fabrec.gg/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Outsiders-Sealed-Mat-1024x576.png" alt="Six packs of Outsiders on a Boulder Trap mat." />
First, you’ll receive six unopened booster packs. The tournament organizer will have all the players open their packs at a designated time. At this point, you’ll have a five-minute period to “open and observe” your cards. 
Note: Any needed token-rarity cards can be provided to you by the tournament organizers.
If you're at a higher-tier organized play event, you may be required to register your card pool — this is a simple enough process. You’ll swap card pools with the player on the opposite side of the table from you. Each player then records every card in their received collection. Registering your card pool also require players to decide which available hero they’ll play for the entirety of the event.
<h3>Deck Construction</h3>
In Sealed, the minimum required deck size is 30 cards (this does not include your young hero or equipment) — there is no maximum deck size.
As you sift through your six packs, sort them into piles based on each card’s class affiliation. For Outsiders, that means you’ll have the following piles:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Assassin</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Ninja</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Ranger</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Assassin/Ninja</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Assassin/Ranger</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Generic</li>
</ul>
Most of the time, you’ll want to go with the class you have the most cards for. Outsiders is unique in Flesh and Blood in that there are two heroes from each class to choose from. Before making your hero selection, you’ll want to examine the pitch value spread of your pool.
For example, suppose you have more Ranger cards than any other class, but almost all your arrow attack action cards are blue. In that case, you may want to consider non-Ranger heroes — blue-pitch arrows have lower attack values than their red counterparts, so you may not be able to present enough damage over the course of the game to win.
<h3>Generic Card Pool</h3>
There are some fantastic generic cards to choose from in this set, like <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/humble-red">Humble</a>, <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/wreck-havoc-red">Wreck Havoc</a>, <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/cut-down-to-size-blue">Cut Down to Size</a>, <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/ravenous-rabble-yellow">Ravenous Rabble</a>, and <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/seek-horizon-blue">Seek Horizon</a>.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Wreck-Havoc.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97983" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Wreck-Havoc-215x300.jpg" alt="Wreck Havoc" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Wreck-Havoc-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Wreck-Havoc.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Cut-Down-to-Size.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97984" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Cut-Down-to-Size-215x300.jpg" alt="Cut Down to Size" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Cut-Down-to-Size-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Cut-Down-to-Size.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a>
Some of the attacks offer devastating hit effects. Each of these attacks forces the opponent to block or face some nasty consequences. Cut Down to Size, in particular, is a must-block attack. However the opponent chooses to deal with it, they will be without at least one card for their offensive retaliation.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ravenous-Rabble.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97982" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ravenous-Rabble-215x300.jpg" alt="Ravenous Rabble" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ravenous-Rabble-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ravenous-Rabble.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Seek-Horizon.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97985" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Seek-Horizon-215x300.jpg" alt="Seek Horizon" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Seek-Horizon-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Seek-Horizon.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a>
While other attacks offer opportunities to stretch out the combat chain and keep the opponent on their heels, the red-pitch versions of <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/ravenous-rabble-red">Ravenous Rabble</a> and <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/seek-horizon-red">Seek Horizon</a> are two consistent ways for any hero to have go again when attacking while pushing the break-point attack value of four.
<h2>How to Select an Outsiders Hero in Sealed</h2>
As I mentioned above, Outsiders features six young heroes for Limited play. Once you’ve established which class you’ll have the best chance of putting together 30 or more cards with, you’ll be faced with one more choice.
Let your card pool guide you. If you pull a piece of Legendary equipment or a high-powered card like red <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/death-touch-red">Death Touch</a>, your six packs may just take one decision off your hands.
<h3>Assassin</h3>
Selecting between <a href="https://fabrec.gg/hero/uzuri">Uzuri</a> or <a href="https://fabrec.gg/hero/arakni-solitary-confinement">Arakni, Solitary Confinement</a> comes down to the number and pitch value of your Assassin cards with the keyword Stealth.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Uzuri.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97993" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Uzuri-215x300.jpg" alt="Uzuri" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Uzuri-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Uzuri.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Arakni-Solitary-Confinement.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97989" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Arakni-Solitary-Confinement-215x300.jpg" alt="Arakni, Solitary Confinement" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Arakni-Solitary-Confinement-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Arakni-Solitary-Confinement.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a>
Arakni prefers more red-pitch Stealth attacks since the first Stealth attack they play each turn gains go again — allowing you to attack an additional time. You’ll want plenty of blues for this hero, too, in order to reliably attack with your daggers throughout each game.
Uzuri doesn’t care as much what pitch value her Stealth attacks hold. Blue is best since when she activates her ability, the Stealth card goes to the bottom of your deck — leaving you with plenty of resources in the second cycle of your deck.
Note: Since each dual-class category includes the Assassin class, it is more likely that you’ll receive a high amount of Assassin cards in your Sealed pool.
<h3>Ninja</h3>
With the Ninja class, you’ll automatically gain what could be the greatest Limited-format weapon in Flesh and Blood — the <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/harmonized-kodachi">Harmonized Kodachi</a>.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Harmonized-Kodachi-1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97994" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Harmonized-Kodachi-1-215x300.png" alt="Harmonized Kodachi" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Harmonized-Kodachi-1-215x300.png 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Harmonized-Kodachi-1.png 450w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a>
Choosing between <a href="https://fabrec.gg/hero/katsu">Katsu</a> and <a href="https://fabrec.gg/hero/benji-the-piercing-wind">Benji</a> can be as simple as examining your attack action cards again. Benji prefers attacks with a base value of one or two. Keep in mind Benji’s synchronization with low-value attacks makes several blue and yellow attack actions much more valuable.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Katsu.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97992" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Katsu-215x300.jpg" alt="Katsu" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Katsu-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Katsu.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Benji-the-Piercing-Wind.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97991" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Benji-the-Piercing-Wind-215x300.jpg" alt="Benji, the Piercing Wind" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Benji-the-Piercing-Wind-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Benji-the-Piercing-Wind.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a>
If you have a large generic pool and plenty of zero-cost cards, you may consider Katsu. The zero-cost cards will let you swing with two Harmonized Kodachis and at least one attack nearly every turn.
<h3>Ranger</h3>
<a href="https://fabrec.gg/hero/azalea">Azalea</a> may have just become the darling of the Outsiders era of Flesh and Blood. She has a powerful ability for Limited play with a chance to give an arrow Dominate. Since players start with 20 or fewer health points, pushing unblockable damage at key points in a match could be a deciding factor.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Azalea.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97990" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Azalea-215x300.jpg" alt="Azalea" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Azalea-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Azalea.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Riptide.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97988" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Riptide-215x300.jpg" alt="Riptide" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Riptide-215x300.jpg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Riptide.jpg 546w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a>
On the other hand, <a href="https://fabrec.gg/hero/riptide">Riptide</a> brings a unique ability of his own. He can place a card into the arsenal zone (assuming it’s empty) whenever he plays a card from his hand. With the card being placed into the arsenal face down, he can follow up this play by adding an aim counter to an arrow with <a href="https://fabrec.gg/cards/barbed-castaway">Barbed Castaway</a>.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Barbed-Castaway.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-97997" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Barbed-Castaway-215x300.jpeg" alt="Barbed Castaway" width="215" height="300" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Barbed-Castaway-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Barbed-Castaway.jpeg 525w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px" /></a>
<h2>Sealed Gameplay</h2>
Early Outsiders Sealed events worldwide have shown that including more than 30 cards in your deck is an effective strategy. Doing so increases your chances of not falling to fatigue — a common phrase in the community when a player runs out of cards in their deck. While not an auto-loss, running out of or low on cards means you can’t block, attack, or pay for your weapons.
Your deck’s strategy will mainly depend on your card pool. Take note of your most powerful red attacks. These attacks may represent your most consistent win conditions. You’ll want to avoid blocking with these attacks, and you may want to pitch them as resources if you see them in the first few hands. 
<h2>Additional Resources</h2>
If you’re hungry for more Flesh and Blood Limited content, check out some of the resources below.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wETOcB0lXjU&amp;list=PLBRC5Awa7C8JvfKl9Z611vjMEWbBNpevP">Arsenal Pass’s Limited Time Only playlist</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqRoUjU30QA">DM Armada’s Sealed Starter Guide</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPnxNCix1R8&amp;list=PLuqVy4Se5nOKPW0VIF_x8vc7p-9zNtDUQ&amp;index=27&amp;ab_channel=FleshandBloodbrothers">Simulated Sealed Gameplay as Benji</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WcQT0ACnaM&amp;list=PLuqVy4Se5nOKPW0VIF_x8vc7p-9zNtDUQ&amp;index=29&amp;ab_channel=FleshandBloodbrothers">Simulated Sealed Gameplay as Arakni</a></li>
</ul>
If you’re still new to the game and want to learn, there may be no better way than the <a href="https://felttable.com/fab">Learn to Play mode on felttable.com</a>

limited

How To Get Better at Commander by Drafting TMNT

Adding Buffers to a Commander Booster Box League

Final Fantasy Prerelease Events Begin This Weekend

Final Fantasy Adds "Chocobo Racing" To Magic Presents Events

Beginner’s Guide to Outsiders Sealed - Flesh and Blood