Welcome and welcome back! The Ravnica Prereleases will be held on the weekend of September 24th/25th. Star City’s Ravnica Prerelease will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia and promises to be one of the best prereleases in the country. This is not a claim I make lightly: we have gone out of our way to make this an event beyond just the unveiling of a new set — it’s a total tournament experience for all players.
1) Ravnica debuts that weekend and it is hands down the most anticipated set in Magic history. I can say this with certainty based on the volume of discussion about the set across dozens of Magic forums, the strength of preorders, and by viewing the actual cards on the Ravnica partial spoiler at MTGsalvation.com. On the strength of the set alone we’ve added a second day of prerelease events (Sunday, September 25th). During both Saturday and Sunday we will be running regular thirty-two person sealed deck flights all day long, as well as on-the-fly eight person Booster Drafts.
2) We will be hosting our last Richmond “Power Nine” Event for the 2005 calendar year. This Vintage tournament series has been a huge success, and this is your chance to win a Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Mox, or any other piece of the Power Nine. The “Power Nine” Vintage event will be held on Saturday, September 24th.
3) New! The hottest constructed format in Magic isn’t Standard or Block right now, it’s Legacy! On Sunday, September 25th we will be hosting our first major Legacy tournament; The Star City “Duel for Duals” Legacy Tournament! The Legacy event at Gen Con drew over one hundred and fifty competitors, and the two Legacy Grand Prix later this year are shaping up to be monsters! If you’ve been practicing Legacy, or want to try it for the first time, this is your opportunity to play. We’re giving away a whopping one-hundred dual lands as prizes, with the prizes breaking down as follows:
1st Place: A complete set of Forty (40) dual lands – Four (4) of each!
2nd Place: Twenty (20) Dual Lands — Two (2) of each!
3rd/4th Place:Ten (10) Dual Lands — One (1) of each!
5th/6th Place: Five (5) Allied Color Dual Lands — One (1) of each!
7th/8th Place: Five (5) Enemy Color Dual Lands — One (1) of each!
Allied Dual Lands include Badlands, Savannah, Taiga, Tundra and Underground Sea.
Enemy Dual Lands include Bayou, Plateau, Scrubland[/author]“][author name="Scrubland"]Scrubland[/author], Tropical Island and Volcanic Island.
50% of all entry fees for the Star City “Duel for Duals” Legacy event will be donated to various Hurricane Katrina relief charities.
4) Do you like playing with friends? If so, sign up for the Ravnica Prerelease Team Sealed flight at 3 p.m. on Saturday! Each team will be given two Ravnica tournament packs and four Ravnica booster packs with which to build three sealed decks (one for each player). This event has been a favorite at our past Prereleases, and is always loads of fun.
5) New! On Sunday, we will be hosting a Ravnica Two-Headed Giant Sealed event! Two-Headed Giant has been very popular over the past couple of months, and you can find the rules for the event here. Bring two friends on Saturday for the team event and one friend Sunday for the Two-Headed Giant event. In fact, just bring all your friends — we’ll have plenty of space and product for everyone.
6) Star City would like to welcome artist Christopher Moeller to his first StarCityGames.com event! Chris has graciously offered to appear both days of the event, and will be signing cards and selling prints. Chris has illustrated a ton of great Magic: the Gathering cards over the years. In fact, here’s a list:
7th Edition
Blessed Reversal
Boil
Confiscate
Sleight of Hand
Thieving Magpie
Wall of Spears
Wood Elves
8th Edition
Aven Fisher
Blessed Reversal
Fodder Cannon
Horned Troll
Sizzle
Thieving Magpie
Tidal Kraken
Wall of Spears
Wood Elves
9th Edition
Aven Fisher
Blackmail
Elvish Warrior
Tidal Kraken
Wood Elves
Apocalypse
Divine Light
Illuminate
Night/Day
Pernicious Deed
Suffocating Blast
Battle Royale
Shower of Sparks
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Higure, the Still Wind
Isao, Enlightened Bushi
Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens
Patron of the Orochi
Toshiro Umezawa
Umezawa’s Jitte
Champions of Kamigawa
Frostwielder
Humble Budoka
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Yamabushi’s Flame
Darksteel
Arcbound Bruiser
Leonin Bola
Razor Golem
Turn the Tables
Fifth Dawn
Arcbound Wanderer
Bringer of the Red Dawn
Skyreach Manta
Sparring Collar
Invasion
Aggressive Urge
Crown of Flames
Do or Die
Kavu Aggressor
Sky Weaver
Treva’s Attendant
Vodalian Serpent
Wayfaring Giant
Judgment
Crush of Wurms
Infectious Rage
Selfless Exorcist
Shieldmage Advocate
Legions
Bloodstoke Howler
Celestial Gatekeeper
Goblin Firebug
Goblin Grappler
Infernal Caretaker
Liege of the Axe
Mercadian Masques
Liability
Moment of Silence
Ramosian Rally
Rishadan Cutpurse
Thwart
Tidal Kraken
Mirrodin
Chimney Imp
Fireshrieker
Liar’s Pendulum
Triskelion
Nemesis
Seal of Cleansing
Seal of Doom
Seal of Fire
Seal of Removal
Seal of Strength
Odyssey
Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor
Aven Fisher
Divert
Need for Speed
Nut Collector
Shelter
Sphere of Duty
Sphere of Grace
Sphere of Law
Sphere of Reason
Sphere of Truth
Spiritualize
Onslaught
Blackmail
Elvish Warrior
Gratuitous Violence
Mana Echoes
Shieldmage Elder
Planeshift
Meddling Mage
Planeswalker’s Fury
Stormscape Battlemage
Promo Cards
Seal of Cleansing (FNM Foil)
Voidmage Prodigy (Player Rewards Alternate Art)
Prophecy
Copper-Leaf Angel
Jeweled Spirit
Saviors of Kamigawa
Inner Fire
Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker
Presence of the Wise
Sasaya, Orochi Ascendant
Twincast
Scourge
Frontline Strategist
Guilty Conscience
Raven Guild Initiate
Siege-Gang Commander
Trap Digger
Torment
Compulsion
Hypochondria
Mortiphobia
Narcissism
Pyromania
Unhinged
Meddling Kids
Urza’s Saga
Expunge
Hidden Guerrilas
Shower of Sparks
7) We will have a full stock of Extended, Vintage and Christopher Moeller cards on hand at the event. Our buyers will also be on hand both days of the event to buy your cards. No collection is too large or too small for us to purchase!
8) Level Five (5) DCI Judge Shelden Menery will be on hand Saturday to perform judge certification. Please contact Matt Villamaino if you wish to test — advance notice is required as testing time must be allocated.
Whether you come out for the Ravnica Prerelease, the “Power Nine” Vintage tournament, the “Duel for Duals” Legacy tournament, or just to hang out, you’re sure to have a good time!
Until next week (when I will get back to talking about inventory and sales),
Ben Bleiweiss
General Manager, StarCityGames.com
[email protected]