Release Promos

Index | Prerelease 1 (1997) | Prerelease 2 (2002) | Release

Prerelease Tournaments are held about two weeks prior to the release of a new Magic set in selected card stores all over the world. Participants play a Sealed Deck tournament, using cards from a number of booster packs from the new expansion plus a few boosters and a tournament pack from preceding expansions of the current expansion block. Winners of the tournament receive additional boosters and sometimes other Magic products at the discretion of the tournament organizer. In addition, since the release of Tempest, all participants are awarded a promotional prerelease card which is an altered version of a rare card from the new expansion set.

Starting with Unhinged, a new series of Release Events was introduced in North and South America at the end of 2004. These events are held the weekend next to the street release date of new Magic sets. Like in prerelease tournaments, participants compete in a Sealed Deck environment, utilizing the new cards. A promotional version of a card from the the card set is given out to the first 32 participants. In addition to that, additional booster packs and a life counter are rewarded to the top-ranking players. In other countries, the Release Event card is sometimes given out as participation bonus at additional prerelease tournaments held the weekend after the global prerelease tournaments have taken place.

The Rukh Egg can be considered the first Release Event card, not only commemorating the release of the Eighth Edition card set, but also commemorating the tenth anniversary of Magic itself. Consequently, all Eighth Edition release tournaments were named Global Celebration tournaments and were held in card stores around the world on the weekend before the official release of Eighth Edition.

In order to commemorate the release of Russian Magic cards, for the Ninth Edition Release Events in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, a Russian Shivan Dragon promotional card was given out to participants instead of the Force of Nature promo issued everywhere else.

Sometimes, additional items are given out at prerelease or release events. For the Torment Prerelease Tournament, this has been a black mana tatoo which was handed to all participants to emphasize the black focus of the set. For the Ninth Edition Release Event, this has been a Serra Angel deck box which was given to those players who brought a new Magic player to the event.


Black Mana Tatoo

Serra Angel deck box

 Internal Links  External Links
 Release Event Life Counters Prerelease FAQs
Eighth Edition Card Set Magic Arcana (Prerelease card)
Ninth Edition Card Set Magic Arcana (Scourge Prerelease card)
Unhinged Card Set Magic Arcana (Promo premium Rukh Egg)
Prophecy Card Set Magic Arcana (First prerelease card)
Planeshift Card Set Magic Arcana (Mirrodin Prerelease card)
Magic Arcana (The first foil prerelease card)

 Commercial Links
Buy Prerelease and Release Event Cards from Alpha, Beta, Unlimited
Buy Prerelease and Release Event Cards from Cardhaus
Buy Prerelease and Release Event Cards from Cardshark
Buy Prerelease and Release Event Cards from CoolStuffInc
Buy Prerelease and Release Event Cards from Magic Arsenal
PRERELEASE TOURNAMENT PROMOS
   

SET

  

CARD NAME

  

ARTIST

  

SOURCE

  

DATE
001 Dirtcowl Wurm Dan Frazier Tempest prerelease participation bonus 1997-10-04
002 Revenant Terese Nielsen Stronghold prerelease participation bonus 1998-02-21
003 Monstrous Hound Dermot Power Exodus prerelease participation bonus 1998-06-06
004 Lightning Dragon Ron Spencer Urza's Saga prerelease participation bonus 1998-09-26
005 Beast of Burden Ron Spears Urza's Legacy prerelease participation bonus 1999-02-06
006   Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms Gao Jianzhang Portal Three Kingdoms prerelease participation bonus in Japan 1999-04-29
007 False Prophet Eric Peterson Urza's Destiny prerelease participation bonus 1999-05-29
008   Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms     Gao Jianzhang Portal Three Kingdoms prerelease participation bonus in Singapore 1999-07-04
009 Overtaker Clyde Caldwell Mercadian Masques prerelease participation bonus 1999-09-25
010 Rathi Assassin Dana Knutson Nemesis prerelease participation bonus 2000-01-29
011 Avatar of Hope rk post Prophecy prerelease participation bonus 2000-05-27
012 Kavu Furens
 (Raging Kavu)		 Arnie Swekel Invasion prerelease participation bonus 2000-09-23
013 Όπλανώμενος Φελδδαγρίφος
(Questing Phelddagrif)		 Matt Cavotta Planeshift prerelease participation bonus 2001-01-27
014 फंगल्शम्ब्लर्
(Fungal Shambler)		 Jim Nelson Apocalypse prerelease participation bonus 2001-05-26
015

باسل ليسك —  الحجر واللسان
 (Stone-Tongue Basilisk)

 Wayne England Odyssey prerelease participation bonus 2001-09-22
016 Воин Лакватуса
(Laquatus's Champion)		 Greg Staples Torment prerelease participation bonus 2002-01-26
017

תהילה
 (Glory)

 Donato Giancola Judgment prerelease participation bonus 2002-05-18
018 Silent Specter Daren Bader Onslaught prerelease participation bonus 2002-09-28
019 Feral Throwback Carl Critchlow Legions prerelease participation bonus 2003-01-25
020 Soul Collector Matthew D. Wilson Scourge prerelease participation bonus 2003-05-17
021 Sword of Kaldra Donato Giancola Mirrodin prerelease participation bonus 2003-09-20
022 Shield of Kaldra Donato Giancola Darksteel prerelease participation bonus 2004-01-24
023 Helm of Kaldra Donato Giancola Fifth Dawn prerelease participation bonus 2004-05-22
024 Ryusei, the Falling Star  Nottsuo  Champions of Kamigawa prerelease participation bonus 2004-09-18
025 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni Ron Spears  Betrayers of Kamigawa prerelease participation bonus 2005-01-22
026 Kiyomaro, First to Stand Ittoku Saviors of Kamigawa prerelease participation bonus 2005-05-21
027 Gleancrawler Jeremy Jarvis Ravnica: City of Guilds prerelease participation bonus 2005-09-24
028 Djinn illuminatus Michael Sutfin Guildpact prerelease participation bonus 2006-01-21
029 Avatar of Discord rk post Dissension prerelease participation bonus 2006-04-22
RELEASE EVENT PROMOS
   

SET

  

CARD NAME

  

ARTIST

  

SOURCE

  

DATE
001 Rukh Egg Mark Zug Eighth Edition Global Celebration tournament participation bonus 2003-07-26
002 Ass Whuppin' Don Hazeltine Unhinged Release Event participation bonus 2004-11-20
003 Budoka Pupil Shishizaru Betrayers of Kamigawa Release Event participation bonus 2005-02-04
004 Ghost-Lit Raider Ittoku Saviors of Kamigawa Release Event participation bonus 2005-06-03
005 Force of Nature Greg Staples Ninth Edition Release Event participation bonus everywhere except Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus 2005-07-29
006 Шиванский дракон
(Shivan Dragon)		 Donato Giancola Ninth Edition Release Event participation bonus in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus 2005-09-24
007   Dimir Guildmage Adam Rex Ravnica: City of Guild Release Event participation bonus 2005-10-07
008 Gruul Guildmage Paolo Parente Guildpact Release Event participation bonus 2006-02-03
009 Azorius Guildmage Christopher Moeller Dissension Release Event participation bonus 2006-05-05