Griffin (the CommanderCast fan on the left) was the oldest player at the prerelease. He’ll be allowed to drive in only two more years.

George marveled at the number of Breeding Pools in one Simic guild box.

He picked Simic and pulled the nuts deck. Griffin is probably the best player at the library. I suggested that anything less than 4–0 would be embarrassing for him. He was not embarrassed.

The extra guild boxes: six spare Orzhov, five spare Gruul, and one spare Dimir.

Jacob was the sole Orzhov acolyte at the prerelease. Mana issues and a not particularly spectacular card pool left him at a respectable 2–2.

“Yes Dad, I’m old enough to be drafted by the Boros League!”

“So, that’s why they call it Firebreathing.”

He chose Dimir, but you’d never know it from the sticker turned down. He also insisted upon having no pictures of his face.

The only time all day when all the players were mostly quiet.

My son Spencer couldn’t believe the crap he opened. “Oh man! Simic sucks!”

Spencer sleeves up his “crap deck.”

Spencer discovers that his “crap deck” is better than he thought. Spencer would beat Willie here and go on to 3–1 for the day.

Frigid weather outside and Bennett is right next to the radiator. Bennett is no fool.

Asa contemplates his twenty-third card.

The tables could not hold the power of Andy’s cards.

Andy prefers to come to the prerelease with no prior knowledge of the cards. Deck-building takes longer, but everything is awesome!

“You just pulled what?!”

“Nothing! Never mind! Not important!” says the Dimir player.

6’4”. Still not quite tall enough. TO includes setting up the venue.

Adrian, the youngest player at the prerelease, picks a pack of sleeves provided gratis from the friendly neighborhood TO.

Theo considers his options.

Hardly surprising to find the information gathering guild on a bookshelf.

“What do you think of this card?”

“I hope I don’t face you.”

Young minds hard at work.

“Can you sort those lands?”

“I thought I was coming to judge the prerelease.”

“You are. After you’re done that, can you round up wrappers?”

It was way more fun when I was dumping beer on his head.

A flurry of activity as deck-building comes to an end, but Simon is focused and ready.

Braids’s lovechild? No, Joe is simply a rogue Esper mage on the wrong plane.

Asa and Bennett battle in the early rounds.

“I always get stuck picking up the garbage.”

The Trials and Tribulations of being the TO’s son.

George did more than sort lands. His deck-building help brought Adrian to a 2–2 record: a personal best.

Adrian vs. Andy. Boros vs. Boros. Many soldiers fought valiantly. Many creatures were lost. The match went to time. Congrats to Adrian!

Not everyone wins every game. Simon would win other matches later in the day.

It takes two people to randomly choose the door prizes!

It’s over. I’m exhausted. And we’re still talking Magic.

Thanks to my friend Aaron for all the amazing photos!

Bruce Richard