You can play Magic: The Gathering at home with a Prerelease Pack by building a 40-card Sealed deck from its booster packs, adding basic lands, and playing a normal two-player game. You do not need a prebuilt collection: each player uses the cards they open, then keeps unused cards as a sideboard. The exact pack contents vary by set.
What do you need besides a Prerelease Pack?
For a head-to-head game, get one Prerelease Pack for each player, basic lands, and a way to track life totals. The lands can come from another Magic collection or another source; Sealed rules let you add as many basic lands as you need.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Magic: The Gathering Prerelease Kit: MTG Innistrad Midnight Hunt | $52.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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MTG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pre-Release Pack | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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MTG Prerelease Pack : Core Set 2019 (M19) | $40.89 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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MTG Prerelease Pack : Core Set 2021 (M21) | $54.16 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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MTG Prerelease Pack : Theros: Beyond Death (THB) | $54.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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As a specific example, the Magic: The Gathering | The Hobbit Prerelease Pack described in Wizards of the Coast’s guide dated July 31, 2026, contains six Play Boosters, a Traditional foil promo card, a deck box, and a spindown die. The contents are set-specific, so check the guide for the pack you have rather than assuming every release includes the same items. The guide describes the pack as a way to build a 40-card Sealed deck with basic lands. Wizards’ The Hobbit Prerelease Guide
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The spindown die can track a life total, but any clear method works. You can also play Sealed digitally or use SpellTable for remote tabletop play; this walk-through is for two people playing with physical cards at home. Wizards’ Sealed Deck format page
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- Pre-release packs are the perfect way to play sealed with your friends!
How do you play Magic with a prerelease kit at home?
1. Open the packs and sort the cards
Each player opens their six booster packs and uses those cards as their Sealed pool. Sort by color, and keep multicolor, colorless, and land cards easy to spot. Set aside the promo card only if you choose not to play it; cards from the opened pool can be considered for the deck.
2. Build a 40-card Sealed deck
Choose cards that work together and that you can realistically cast. Aim for a functional mix of creatures and other spells, then add basic lands until the deck has at least 40 cards. Sealed has a 40-card minimum, allows any number of basic lands, and treats the rest of the opened cards as your sideboard. Keep those extra cards nearby so you can review them between games. Wizards’ Sealed Deck format page
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- Contents: 6 Magic: The Gathering | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Play Boosters Each Play Booster contains 14 Magic: The Gathering cards May contain these cards: TMT 1–252; PZA 1–20 1–5 cards o
There is no universal color pair or land split that fits every pool. Favor a coherent plan and cards whose mana costs your lands can support; your opened cards determine the best build. Wizards’ Prerelease guide likewise describes building a 40-card deck from the pack with basic lands. Wizards’ The Hobbit Prerelease Guide
3. Shuffle, draw, and choose who starts
Each player shuffles their deck, puts it face down, and draws seven cards. Track both life totals, then decide who takes the first turn. The starting player skips the draw on their first turn. Wizards’ How to Play Magic: The Gathering
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4. Play through a turn
A turn moves through the beginning phase, first main phase, combat, second main phase, and end step. At the beginning, untap your cards, handle any upkeep effects, and draw a card—except for the starting player’s first turn.
In a main phase, you may play one land for the turn and cast spells you can afford. Tapping lands produces mana, which pays for spells. Creatures and other permanent spells remain on the battlefield after resolving; instants and sorceries resolve and go to the graveyard. You can cast eligible spells in either main phase. Wizards’ How to Play Magic: The Gathering
Rank #4
- Contents: 6 Core Set 2021 Draft Boosters Packs, 1 foil promo-stamped rare or mythic rare from Core Set 2021, 1 Spindown life counter, 1 MTG Arena code card
5. Attack, block, and deal damage
In combat, the active player chooses which creatures attack and taps them. The defending player may block with untapped creatures. Attackers and blockers deal damage to each other; an unblocked attacker deals damage to the player it attacked. A creature with damage equal to or greater than its toughness dies. Wizards’ How to Play Magic: The Gathering
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After combat, the active player gets a second main phase and then ends the turn. Players continue taking turns until one reaches zero life, which is the basic win condition explained in Wizards’ beginner guide. Wizards’ How to Play Magic: The Gathering
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- 6 Booster Packs and a die
How many cards go in a Sealed deck?
A Sealed deck must contain at least 40 cards. The cards you opened but did not put in the deck make up your sideboard, and you can add any number of basic lands. For a first game, building exactly 40 cards is a straightforward target: it keeps the deck focused while leaving unused pool cards available for changes. Wizards’ Sealed Deck format page
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