New prerelease format. No more release events.

So, how do you like it? In principle, I like the move from sealed deck tournaments to a league. And the only release thing I played in were the drafts, so I don't really care about the no-more-release part. How about you?

I believe you do not have to buy some stupid 5 dollar per-release package which I am glad about. I wish they would have the release events as I like getting the avatar thingy (I forget the proper term for it). So basically the one thing I would like is them just to include getting a special avatar for the first few weeks.


Doesn't matter much to me right now as I recently I can't get the client to load up.

I used to always start off a new set by playing in a league or two. Glad I can do it again.

I like collecting avatars. They were a good way to keep track of how many release events I played in.

The league could be interesting, I usually miss pre and release events because I can't get 4 hours in a row to participate (and hate starting then dropping) unless I happen to have a day off when they are running (usually Tue, Wed or TH; almost never a weekend).

I think the avatars were more important before the Vanguard nerf, but I noticed:



So it looks like they will keep the avatars for now.

Yes, and since they are only available for a short time, they will be less common. I'm fine with that!

A pre-release report:

I started out drafting twice and went 2-1. After the draft I liquidated all uncommons and above. I came out with a 7 tix surplus.

Then I went on to play 4x leagues. In the first 2 leagues, I went 0-3 and dropped. With the surplus from drafting, I was now down with 1 tix. Fairly happy given the entertainment value. I was surprised that I could break even with such a bad record.
In the next two leagues I went 4-1 and 5-0. My total profit was something like 50 tix plus 460 play points.

Conclusion: I would never have played under the old structure. I enjoyed the pre-release and was surprised I could break even despite a poor record. But maybe I was lucky wirh my pool of cards. However, on average I think my pool of cards could be sold for around 25 tix in each of the leagues. Oh, I guess that is including the boosters that I won.

Hmmmm. My league pools would go for under ten, both times, if I decided to sell them. So just how did you sell draft pickings from two drafts for 19 tix (2-1 record puts you down 6 tix)? And then you spent 112 tix for entry fees to the leagues, got no prizes from two of those, and yet turned a 100 tix profit? I think I remember you being a mathematician IRL, so could you maybe explain this a bit?

In other news, I do enjoy the release league. On my first try, I went 3-2 with a deck featuring two red mythics (the Wolf and the Angel, both of them worth less than two tix). The second league pool I'm currently still playing (2-1 for now) is the most fun I've had in Limited for a long time. It is a RU aggro-control deck that plays five of my rares, Tamiyo's Journal and four red ones, two of them being Sin Prodder. That card makes for some interesting decisions.

I like the leagues, didn't do any drafting. I got one mythic total from 5 leagues. But, I was able to sell it to pay for that one league.

I made too many stupid mistakes to do well, barely making the prize cut in two of the leagues. I can't blame my card pool for everything.

Well, I rare drafted and took all cards with a value above 1 tix. I realize that I was somewhat lucky with my pools - despite not winning. My pools included something like (not in the same pool):

Westvale Abbey x 2
Declaration in Stone x 2
Arlinn Kord
Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
Relentless Dead
The Gitrog Monster foil
Thing in the Ice x2 (1 foil)
Olivia, Mobilized for War foil
Thalia's Lieutenant
Tireless Tracker

a lot of rare two color lands. At the early stages of the pre-release these cards were worth a lot?

My later pools have been less exciting.

The rare dual lands always seem to start off being a ticket or less, then eventually climb up. Especially when the next block comes out.