Welcome to the Official Zulu’s Board Game Cafe Newsletter!
This month we spring into spring with several articles about the OG trading card game: Magic: The Gathering (MTG). There is always something new in the world of MTG and this month we take a look at the upcoming April release: Secrets of Strixhaven. It has been nearly 5 years to the day since players have visited the plane of Strixhaven. Class is back in session, and the 5 colleges vie for power and prestige as the second year begins. Eric will highlight the powers of each college and the cards to get hyped for, as well as our exclusive book signing with local author and spell slinger Seanan McGuire.
We also take a look at the different ways you can learn and get yourself playing MTG. Phil highlights the different learn to play products for new and returning players so you can scratch that TCG itch.
Lastly, we will highlight our new “Weekly Deals” section where you can pick up great value on various Zulu’s products and categories. Hopefully there is something to pique your interests among the many events, products, and deals this spring at Zulu’s!
- Phil
Psst...Do You Want In on a Secret?
MTG’s next in-universe set, Secrets of Strixhaven, is on its way to Zulu’s tables, with preorders going up in about two weeks and our prerelease events starting on 17 April.
This set will include 5 new commander decks, one for each of the two-color Strixhaven colleges:
- Silverquill: tap, goad, and control creatures. Savor the mayhem!
- Prismari: bigger spells let you generate bigger Elementals, so pull out all the stops.
- Lorehold: create Spirits when cards leave your graveyard, then pile on typal Spirit bonuses.
- Quandrix: cast X-spells for +1/+1 counters and ever-increasing discounts.
- Witherbloom: prepare the pests!
Mystical Archives are also coming back, with one in every pack. WOTC has already teased that they bring the much-desired reprint of Stock Up. This awesome uncommon is currently played in about a third of standard decks (per MTGTop8) so more copies is a good thing. Plus, the art! Mystical Archives were a major reason why I bought into the original Strixhaven release. You can bet the new ones will be worthy of rare chasing.
Another important but poorly kept secret: one of our local players, Seanan McGuire, is also a renowned author. Seanan wrote the book, literally the new book Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos, and will be coming to Zulu’s to sign copies! This is the first Magic: The Gathering print novel since 2019. This special first edition hardcover includes a ready-to-play Command Tower card with all-new Strixhaven artwork. This is a one-time event that you don’t want to miss!
Not to be outdone or forgotten… if you need more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in your life there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy them. I was surprised how much fun they are to draft and look forward to more. Look out for black and white cards sneaking into many of our commander tables (Thursdays, all day). We draft TMNT every FNM and it is also the newest hotness in Standard until Secrets of Strixhaven comes out. Looking at our calendar, we have two more Standard Showdown Saturdays where Turtles reign if you’re a standard fan. Standard Showdown entry is just $5 and all fees are paid out as prizes to top finishers. Plus, you get a Turtle-themed Lightning Bolt promo for participating (while they last).
New player opportunities abound!
Zulu’s currently has three main ways for curious players to learn to play MTG. Each is low-key, offers instruction from an experienced player or judge, and players will leave with 2 decks and everything they need to play MTG with a friend.
- Magic Academy: this happens every release weekend Saturday at 3pm.
(For Secrets of Strixhaven it happens on 25 April.)
- Youth & Beginner MTG every Friday at 5:30pm.
- Magic + wine at Bayernmoor tasting room in Woodinville, 30 April, 5-7pm.
Whew! I never get tired of saying there’s a lot of Magic happening at Zulu’s, and this is just the new stuff. Bookmark our event calendar and you’ll always be able to find a game! (LINK)
- Eric
MTG Starter Products for New and Returning Players
One of the more unique and interesting feelings in gaming is when you decide to immerse yourself in a new Trading Card Game (TCG). Everything is new: the players, the cards, the mechanics, the lore. But after the initial glow, one question most players ask is: how do I even get started? What will my first deck be? How do I build my collection?
Every game handles this question differently, but in this article, we are going to focus on Magic: The Gathering (MTG). With 30 years of history and over 25,000 unique cards, jumping into MTG on the outset may seem daunting. When you add in that there are 5 popular formats and many more obscure ones, deciding what to buy and how to start can feel overwhelming. Thankfully Wizards of the Coast (the publisher), and now Zulu’s, have developed products so that you can ease yourself into the game and start your collection off right.
Welcome Deck
Welcome decks are 30-card half decks that you can pick up at organized play stores (Zulu’s usually has some in stock) for free! Each deck features one of MTG’s 5 colors and gives a brief introduction to the style of cards and play for each archetype. If you are just curious what 30 years of hype is all about, pick up one of these in store.
Beginner Box
To learn to play and get a feel for the game, beginner boxes are a great place to start. The most innovative part of these products aimed at new players is that they come with two pre-sorted and mapped out half decks. You do not shuffle these decks like you would in a normal game. Instead, you follow the step-by-step guide that walks you through each individual play, explaining what is happening and why. Most of these decks walk through the first 5 turns of a game. By the time you are done, you should be able to start playing on your own. Which is great, because beginner boxes also contain several themed half decks that you can shuffle together and then jump right in. This gets you a full play experience in a rules-light environment.
Starter Kit
If you have seen or played a few games, this is the next step up. Every few sets, approximately once a year, a new starter kit is released. The formats of these are roughly the same: 2 pre-built 60-card decks with cards selected to teach basic and set-specific mechanics, as well as 2 deck boxes and teaching aids to help you learn. If you are following the progression from welcome deck to beginner box, this will likely be your first “full game” with cards and interactions and a legal deck for constructed play (one of the most common MTG formats).
Zulu’s Deck Builder Toolkit & MTG Starter Collection
Now that you know how to play, you get to start doing one of the most fun parts of MTG: deck building. To build your deck, you are going to need to add cards to your collection. There are lots of ways to do this: ripping packs, buying singles, and trading with other players, to name a few. But if you want to add a lot of cards to your collection in an economic way, deck builder toolkits are a great option.
In the past, Wizards of the Coast produced these tool kits, but recently they have opted for a more premium starter collection and discontinued their basic toolkit. Zulu’s, however, has created our own deck builder toolkit that gets your collection started affordably. For $9.99, you get 200 commons, 100 uncommons, 10 rares, and 50 lands! It is a great way to build your collection and add variety at a low cost. You could also choose the MTG Starter Collection, a higher cost item that comes with 350 cards, 3 booster packs, 95 lands, a life counter and strategy booklets. Either way, these products will grow your collection and deck building options quickly.
Learn to Play with Zulu’s
Now you know how to start your collection, come play! Zulu’s hosts learn to play sessions most Fridays starting at 5:30PM. We also do 21+ learn to play events at Bayernmoor Cellars Tasting Room (check out their site for more information). Or drop by one of our many events to make friends and learn from fellow players. No matter how you learn, we hope to see you at the store, slinging spells and making memories!
- Phil
One More Thing..
Zulu's has just launched a weekly special page featuring great deals on great games, TCGs, and RPGs. Check out the site every Friday at noon PDT to see the latest drop.
Did you miss a previous newsletter?
