With "Gatecrash" now available and "Duel Decks: Sorin vs Tibalt" just around the corner, 2013 is off to a bang for "Magic: The Gathering" players. This year Wizards of the Coast has a jam-packed schedule of "Magic" releases. Here's a look so you can prepare your wallet ahead of time:
- Feb. 1, 2013: "Gatecrash"
- March 13, 2013: "Duel Decks: Sorin vs Tibalt"
- May 3, 2013: "Dragon's Maze"
- June 7, 2013: "Modern Masters"
- June ?, 2013: "Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014"
- July 10, 2013: "Magic 2014 Core Set"
- Aug. 23, 2013: "From The Vault: Twenty"
- Sept. 2013: Unannounced "Duel Decks"
- Oct. ?, 2013: "Friends" (large fall expansion)
- Nov. ?, 2013: "Commander II" (replacing "Premium Deck Series")
- Nov. 22, 2013: "Holiday Gift Box"
That's seven months in a row from May 2013 to November 2013 that Wizards of the Coast is offering a new "Magic: The Gathering" product to keep players busy. Of particular note is the summer where there's a full card set released each month back to back for three months in a row.
We can expect to see "Deck Builder's Toolkit 2014" in July or early August, however it won't contain any unreleased cards. Player feedback to the "Holiday Gift Box" was overwhelming at many local stores, and we suspect it sold well at mass market retailers too. The product filled a role for parents during the holiday shopping and was released a week before Black Friday so we can expect Wizards to repeat it again this year with an alternate art foil from "Friends."
There's only three empty months in the "Magic: The Gathering" release calendar: January, April, and December.
The last January release was "Premium Foil Booster: Shards of Alara," which failed to catch on due to its high price point of $11.99. A new, lower price of $9.99 for the "Return to Ravnica" block with the lottery chance of opening one of the ten shocklands might make this a hot seller.
The last December release was "Deckmasters: Garfield vs Finkel" in 2001, which was a prelude to the modern "Duel Decks." December 2013 and January 2014 are ripe candidates for another new "Magic: The Gathering" product. The long awaited "Unglued" three?
Because "Commander" is now a yearly release in the fall we suspect April of 2014 would be a prime target to slip in another multiplayer offering. Wizards released "Planechase 2012" just last year so "Archenemy" may be a prime candidate for this slot. Alternatively, "Vanguard" might pop its head up again or we could see a new multiplayer product altogether.
Let's not forget the IDW "Magic: The Gathering" comics throughout the year and other "Magic" related products. "Magic: The Gathering Tactics" may get another long awaited expansion for the handful of players still using the program or get the axe.
Which 2013 "Magic: The Gathering" release are you looking forward to most?
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Catch up on "Gatecrash"
Event decks: "Rally and Rout" and "Thrash and Thrive."
Intro Packs: "Orzhov Oppression," "Boros Battalion," "Gruul Goliaths," "Dimir Dementia," and "Simic Synthesis."
Card lists: White, Blue, Black, Red, Green, Orzhov, Dimir, Gruul, Boros, Simic, Hybrid, Artifact, and Land.
For more information about "Magic: The Gathering" visit www.MagicTheGathering.com.
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