MTG Promo Cards: What They Are and Which Products Include One
What Magic: The Gathering promo cards are, which sealed products include one, and which store events hand them out, using Wizards' own product and event pages.
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A Magic: The Gathering promo card is a special version of a card that Wizards of the Coast includes with certain products or hands out at store events. For a new set, the Prerelease Pack and the Bundle each hold one traditional foil promo, and the Secret Lair Bundle holds two. Stores also give promos at Commander nights and championships.
Which sealed Magic products include a promo card
Three sealed Magic products come with a promo card inside. Wizards’ Collecting Reality Fracture article lists these for the current set:
| Product | Promo cards inside | Other contents |
|---|---|---|
| Prerelease Pack | 1 traditional foil promo | 6 Play Boosters, a deck box, a spindown die |
| Bundle | 1 traditional foil promo | 9 Play Boosters, 30 basic lands, a spindown die, a storage box |
| Secret Lair Bundle | 2 traditional foil promos, from 10 possible | 6 Play Boosters, 2 Collector Boosters, 20 foil lands, a spindown die, a box |
Wizards says the Secret Lair Bundle promos come from a selection that is not found anywhere else. Loose Play Boosters and Collector Boosters do not list a promo card.
The promo card in a Prerelease Pack
Most new players meet promo cards at a Prerelease. A Prerelease Pack is the kit for a set’s Prerelease event: six Play Boosters to build a deck from, plus the foil promo, a deck box and a spindown die. Wizards lists it among the set’s products, so it can be bought on its own as well as used at the event.
The event itself, from building a 40-card deck to what to bring, is covered in how a Magic Prerelease works.
Prerelease Packs with a foil promo
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Bundle and Secret Lair Bundle promo cards
The Bundle and the Secret Lair Bundle are the two promo products you can buy any time after release. The regular Bundle adds one foil promo to nine Play Boosters and the accessories. The Secret Lair Bundle, new with Reality Fracture, has two promos drawn in the style of Secret Lair, and Wizards plans one for each Magic Multiverse set going forward.
The full contents of both are compared in what comes in a Magic Bundle. The Secret Lair line of limited card drops, which is a separate product from the Bundle, is explained in what Secret Lair is.
Store event promo cards for Magic nights
Store events are the other route to promo cards. Wizards Play Network lists these promos for Reality Fracture events:
- Friday Night Magic: supported by seasonal Promo Packs, given out or replaced with other rewards at the store’s discretion.
- Commander Party and Two-Headed Giant Commander Night: a Crystal Ball promo in a retro frame with art by Ron Spencer, while supplies last. Premium stores give the foil version and other stores the non-foil one.
- Standard Showdown: one promo for the first-place player, while supplies last.
- Store Championship: every player gets a non-foil full-art Thought Scour, the Top 8 get a traditional foil full-art Mastermind’s Acquisition, and the winner gets a traditional foil borderless Jace Reawakened.
For Lorwyn Eclipsed, stores running Magic Academy events could also give one promo to a player who bought a starter product or six Play Boosters. Each store sets its own schedule, so ask what it runs.
Buy-a-Box promos have ended
Buy-a-Box promos were extra cards given with a booster box bought from a Wizards Play Network store. Wizards said the program would conclude with Lorwyn Eclipsed, the final set to provide them. For that set, Play Booster and Collector Booster boxes from member stores qualified for the Harmonized Crescendo promo while supplies lasted.
Picking a sealed product for its promo card
Picking a product for its promo comes down to how you want to play:
- You want to play the new set at a store: a Prerelease Pack, which gets you into the event and comes with its own promo.
- You want to open a set at home: a Bundle, with one promo plus lands and a storage box.
- You collect special-treatment cards: the Secret Lair Bundle, with two promos and two Collector Boosters.
- You want the most packs: a booster box, which no longer comes with a Buy-a-Box promo. Box sizes are in how many packs are in a booster box.
Sealed Secret Lair drops
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Promo cards and the rest of the Magic range
Promo cards are a bonus on top of a product, so pick the product first and treat the promo as an extra. The current set’s full lineup is in Reality Fracture products, and starter kits to Commander decks sit side by side in which Magic product to buy. For Magic’s rule-bending humor sets, see the Un-sets from Unglued to Unfinity.
Frequently asked questions
Which MTG products come with a promo card?
For Reality Fracture, Wizards lists one traditional foil promo card in the Prerelease Pack and one in the Bundle. The Secret Lair Bundle has two traditional foil promos drawn from a pool of ten that are not found in any other product.
Do booster boxes still come with a Buy-a-Box promo?
No. Wizards Play Network said Buy-a-Box would conclude with Lorwyn Eclipsed, the final set to provide Buy-a-Box promos. For that set, Play Booster and Collector Booster boxes bought from member stores qualified while supplies lasted.
How do I get promo cards at a game store?
Play in store events. For Reality Fracture, Wizards lists promos for Commander Party and Two-Headed Giant Commander Night, Standard Showdown winners and Store Championship players, and Friday Night Magic is supported with Promo Packs at the store's discretion.
Are promo cards the same as Secret Lair drops?
No. A Secret Lair drop is a product of its own, sold by Wizards for a limited time. The Secret Lair Bundle is a set product that includes two Secret Lair style promo cards alongside its boosters.
Sources
- Collecting Reality FractureWizards of the Coast
- Where to Play Reality FractureWizards of the Coast
- Reality Fracture Dates and DetailsWizards of the Coast
- #AskWPN and Lorwyn Eclipsed Updates for the WPNWizards of the Coast
- Lorwyn Eclipsed Dates and DetailsWizards of the Coast
Filed under Boosters and sealed products
