A new format is coming to Magic: The Gathering Arena this week called Jumpstart, promising mayhem and fun for players. Jumpstart is both the name of the set and the format name, which is only slightly confusing and part of the fun. Jumpstart is introducing more than 500 cards to Arena, most of which are new to the digital card game but familiar to players.
Get ready for #MTGJumpstart on #MTGArena! Pick two themed decks and mash them together for hilarious pairings and powerful combos. Keep the cards you pick – all cards are Historic legal!https://t.co/qjGdbc5fSy
— MTG Arena (@MTG_Arena) July 14, 2020
Just one of the ways Jumpstart is changing Arena is through deck building. Players are given two choices when they sign up for an event. Both choices are for the theme of the cards that will be randomly generated for their deck. These themes include a wide range of creature types and card synergy. Each pack in Jumpstart includes 20 cards that are built around 46 themes. There are a total of 121 different theme decklists that players could open.
Players could get packs that include cards based around Angels, Cats, or Goblins. Other themes include mechanics like Discard or Milling. Some packs are even based on specific planeswalkers from the Magic universe like Liliana or Garruk.
Each pack players pick will have a unique land to collect. These lands cannot be crafted with wildcards and match the theme of the pack. Thankfully a little checkmark will appear next to packs if players have already collected that featured land. The Phyrexian Swamp is the best land in the set but there are tons of gorgeous lands to collect.
Once players pick their two themes, Arena mashes the two packs together and send players on to their first match. There is no limit to the number of games players can play with their deck, but players will only earn rewards for their first two wins. Each win grants a random Jumpstart rare individual card reward. After that players can jam in as many games as they like until they decide to resign from the event and try again with a new deck.
The great thing about Jumpstart is that all 500+ cards are part of the Historic format as well. Players will be able to craft any card from the Jumpstart set with their wildcards, excluding the unique basic lands. Wizards of the Coast confirmed on Twitter that Jumpstart packs will not be available for individual purchase. In other words, the best way to collect these cards is by playing more games.
The Jumpstart chaos begins July 16 and will remain open until August 16, giving players a good month to collect all the cards they like. Entry to an event will set players back either 2,000 gold or 400 gems. Make sure to follow Daily Esports for all your Magic: The Gathering news, updates, and more.
