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Like many trading card games, Pokémon TCG arranges Pre-release events. Having attended a couple now, I thought I’d share with the community why it is that they seem such a positive experience.
The Event
I have attended two Pokémon TCG pre-release events with my son, the true Pokémon expert, at a local gaming shop in Derby. This pre-release was for the highly sought-after Journey Together set, one my son tells me has been heavily scalped. As a result, he was really excited to get hold of the new cards that may be difficult to obtain elsewhere.
The Experience
At the start of the event all players are given a pre-release box. This contains one of four different 40 card decks and 4 booster packs. Each deck contains a special edition of one of the cards in it, stamped especially for the event.
Players are then allowed 40 minutes to tinker with their decks using any pulls that they find in the booster packs.
At this stage, there is a buzz of excitement in the room as players get excited about rare pulls and show them to each other. Similarly, players will be discussing the merits of the decks that they have and combos that can be identified within the cards (some are also noted on a leaflet in the box).
Next the players are placed in matches. The whole environment of the event is one of friendly competition, enjoying the game and seeing how the new cards work. Most players were just playing the 40-card decks as they came, with Journey Together cards being so well tuned to work in combination. Games are played at a reduced 4 prize cards (rather than the usual 6 in a 60-card game) to ensure they have a good chance of finishing within the 20 minutes allocated. Each player participates in a total of three such games.
Once the games are through, it is time for prize giving. Each player, regardless of performance, is awarded a further three booster packs as a prize. As noted by the staff running the event, three quick matches does not lend itself to having overall winners and the flat prize structure prevents people getting overly serious about play.
Thoughts
Having attended trading card game events before, I have to say the atmosphere at these is especially friendly. The flat prize structure means that everyone leaves with 7 boosters, easily worth the £25 entry on their own, and they also get a 40-card deck with a pre-release only promo.
Explaining this to a colleague, they said “Why do I choose to play magic? That is amazing.” of the value for money that players get. In fact, the benefits of participation are so good that a good number of the people sat around us are just enquiring when the next one starts as they have booked in for that one too.
If you like the idea of friendly play, getting a good number of cards before they are released, and have a shop near you running a pre-release event, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
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