Sokka, Bold Boomeranger | Illustration by Toni Infante
New Magic sets are always accompanied by a new prerelease, and Avatar: The Last Airbender thankfully won’t prove to be an exception. Prereleases are among the most anticipated events with each set.
Whether you’re a new player drawn by the allure of ATLA or a returning player who needs to brush up on the topic, I have you covered with all the details you need for the Avatar: The Last Airbender prerelease!
What Is the Avatar: The Last Airbender Prerelease?
Aang's Journey | Illustration by Kotakan
The Avatar: The Last Airbender (TLA) prerelease is the first chance players have to get their hands on the newest cards and play with them in an official Limited event! Prereleases are among the most casual events possible, which makes them ideal for anybody who wants to come out and relax with like-minded people and enjoy Magic.
What Format Is Prerelease?
Prerelease is always Sealed, which is a Limited variant where each player opens six Play boosters and builds a 40-card deck from what they pull, plus basic lands provided by the event’s host.
What Comes in a Prerelease Kit?
Prerelease kits always contain 6 booster packs, but the TLA kits are a little special: Each of them contains five regular Play boosters and one character-seeded booster themed around one of five characters: Aang, Katara, Azula, Zuko, and Toph.
In addition to your packs, the Prerelease Kit contains a traditional foil rare or mythic stamped with the year (which you can include in your deck!), two non-foil tokens, and a spindown die. Those last two items are themed around your Prerelease Kit!
When Is Prerelease Week?
Prerelease week takes place November 14-20, the week before the set officially releases on November 21. Not all stores will hold events throughout the entire week, but these are the dates to ask about. Game stores typically hold sealed events the Friday-Sunday of prerelease week.
Where Is the Prerelease?
Prerelease events are held at local games stores, or LGSs, affiliated with Wizards of the Coast. To find your nearest LGS hosting prerelease events, go to the Wizards of the Coast store locator and input your zip code or city.
Who Goes to Prerelease?
Anybody and everybody! The prerelease is the premier casual event in Magic. Whether you’re a player who only heard about this set because you follow all the ATLA fan accounts or an established player who can’t wait to get ahold of new cards, there’s a place for you at this event.
Is Going to Prerelease Worth It?
Plains (Avatar: the Last Airbender) | Illustration by Salvatorre Zee Yazzie
The value of prerelease lies more in the experience than the monetary value of the cards themselves. Most prerelease events cost around $40, but Universes Beyond sets like TLA cost more—you may encounter a $50 prerelease. You’re unlikely to find cards with nearly that much resale value.
The payout is the experience itself and the joy of playing Magic with others. Prereleases typically have four rounds: 45 minutes to build your deck, then three 1v1 matches, each also lasting 45 minutes. Accounting for matches that go long and the general disruptions that come from a bunch of people coming together, you can expect the event to take about four hours. I’ve always enjoyed prerelease and found the experience to be well worth my time. That said, if you’re in it exclusively for cards, you might be better off waiting to order singles.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Sealed Simulator
If you want to practice the set, cultivate a strategy, or just familiarize yourself with the cards and archetypes, check out Draftsim’s Sealed Simulator! TLA spoilers officially begin on October 27th; we can expect the full gallery in early November, and the Sealed Simulator will be up around the same time.
Wrap Up
Katara, Heroic Healer | Illustration by Pauline Voss
No matter how I feel about the endless slog of Universes Beyond sets, I always look forward to prerelease. The Avatar: The Last Airbender events should be a great way to meet new players, and it’s the best event to start your Magic career with!
Are you looking forward to the TLA prerelease? How long have you played Magic? Let me know in the comments below or on the Draftsim Discord!
Stay safe, and thanks for reading!
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