The wait is over, web-heads! Magic: The Gathering is teaming up with Marvel’s Spider-Man in one of the most exciting crossover sets ever. While the official release date is September 26, 2025, lucky players get to dive in a week earlier through Prerelease events at their local game stores. Think of it as a sneak peek mixed with a friendly competition — the perfect chance to sling some webs and sling some spells.
What Exactly Is a Prerelease?
A Prerelease is your golden ticket to playing with brand-new cards before anyone else. Instead of bringing your own deck, you’ll build one right on the spot using a special Prerelease Pack. This levels the playing field, making it fun for newcomers and veterans alike.
What’s Inside a Prerelease Pack?
Here’s the loot you’ll get when you register:
- 6 Marvel’s Spider-Man Play Boosters
- 1 foil rare or mythic rare with a special date stamp
- 1 deck box (to keep everything tidy)
- 1 Spindown die — and yes, it comes in one of five collectible colors
From this pool of cards (plus basic lands your store will provide), you’ll build a 40-card Sealed deck and battle it out.
Building a Deck
Deck-building at a Prerelease can feel overwhelming, but the guide from Wizards gives solid advice:
- Stick to two colors. More colors = more mana headaches. Two colors keep things consistent.
- Balance your curve. Aim for cheap creatures early (2- and 3-mana cards), then finish with a few big threats.
- Threats and removal matter most. Big creatures and strong finishers will win you games, but only if you have removal to clear the way.
A simple mana curve recommendation looks like this:
- 1-mana: 1–2 cards
- 2-mana: 7–8 cards
- 3-mana: 5–6 cards
- 4-mana: 3–4 cards
- 5-mana: 2–3 cards
- 6+ mana: 0–1 cards
- Around 17 lands
This ensures you’re not just sitting around while your opponent swings in with Spidey-sized threats.
Draft Archetypes You Might Encounter
Even though Prerelease is Sealed, the set was designed with two-color “archetypes” in mind. These can help you figure out which synergies your cards naturally lean toward:
- White-Blue Modified – creatures with counters, Auras, or equipment get boosted.
- Blue-Black Villains Connive – graveyard and discard tricks that fit perfectly with Spidey’s rogue gallery.
- Black-Red Mayhem – chaos, discard, and aggression all rolled into one.
- Red-Green Large Spells – ramp into massive creatures and spells.
- Green-White Web-Slinging – synergy between creatures and enchantments, built for steady board presence.
Why You Should Join
Whether you’re brand new or a longtime Planeswalker, Prerelease is one of the most fun ways to experience Magic. It’s casual, community-driven, and you get to be among the first to explore Spider-Man’s mechanics and themes. Plus, you walk away with new cards no matter how well you do — and bragging rights if you win.
So grab your web shooters (or at least a pen to keep track of life totals), and swing into your local game store. The Marvel’s Spider-Man Prerelease is your chance to become the hero of the table before the set officially drops.