Jump In!
| Jump In! | |
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| DCI Sanctioned | |
| Paper |
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| Magic Online |
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| Magic Arena |
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| Rules | |
| Type | Limited |
| Multiplayer |
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Jump In! is a is a rotating limited format created for Magic: The Gathering Arena. Players draft two themed packets of 20 cards to build their deck and then play in best-of-one matches.[1]
Description
Introduced on October 14, 2021, Jump In! was created as a continuation of the Jumpstart format. The format was targeted toward new players with a low cost of entry, minor prize support, and a focus on collection building via the rare or mythic rare offered in each packet.[2] While Jumpstart uses themes and cards from across Magic's history, Jump In! uses the Standard or Alchemy card pools and often themes from the draft formats of the year past. This allows players to experience a limited format without the complexity of a booster draft or sealed environment.
Packets
A Jump In! packet consists of twelve unique, thematically linked cards (8 commons, 3 uncommons, 1 rare or mythic rare) and can have one, two, or three colors. Packets also contain eight land cards but the specific cards included are not determined until the player has finished drafting both packets.
The packet has a percentage chance of containing an alternate card for between three and five card slots. A card slot can have up to two alternate cards. For example, the Dragon Ramp packet has a 60% chance of containing Oyaminartok, Polar Werebear, a 30% chance of containing Earthquake Dragon, and a 10% chance of containing Ancient Bronze Dragon in the rare/mythic slot.
The themes used in Jump In! highlight mechanics from the individual sets in standard. Themes can be keywords like Double Team, tribal synergies like Werewolves, cross-set themes like evasive creatures and saboteur abilities in the Saboteurs packet, or general strategies like card draw/looting in the Educated packet. The exact contents of each packet are not shown to the player during the draft but hovering over one will show a single card that highlights the packet's theme or mechanics.
Packet selection
Players must choose one of three semi-randomly selected options for the first packet.[1] At least one of the three options will be a packet that the player has never selected in a previous Jump In! draft.[a] At least one packet will be a mono-colored option and at least one will be a multicolored option. None of the three packets will have the same color identity as another.
The player is presented with another three semi-randomly selected options for the second packet. The second packet options are based on the color or colors of the first packet. All packets have an equal chance of being selected using the following rules:
| First packet | Second packet picks |
|---|---|
| One color | At least one mono-color option and at least one multicolor option. All multicolor options will include the color of the first packet. |
| Two colors | At least two mono-color options - one of each color in the first packet. If there is a multicolor option, either its colors will be the same as the first packet selected or it will contain both of those colors plus a third color. |
| Three colors | At least two mono-color options, covering two of the three colors. If there is a multicolor option, it will only contain colors within the first packet selection's color. Note - there are not currently any three-color packets available. |
Land selection
After drafting packets, players automatically receive 16 lands based on the colors of their chosen packets.[3] Players first receive a mix of common dual lands from Dominaria United in colors appropriate for their drafted deck. Basic lands are then added in a mix balanced for the costs and activated abilities on the spells in the drafted packets.
A deck consisting of two mono packets of different colors will receive an even split of basics for those two colors. (Typically seven of each when both packets contain twelve specified cards.) A deck consisting of one mono and one dual packet will have two extra basics for the shared color, and the rest will be evenly split (thus eight and six when both packets contain twelve specified cards). The DMU packets including additional duals reduce both basics evenly.
Many of the DMU packets include extra dual lands (for kicker and/or domain support). Wandering includes two GW and one of each GU BG RG dual lands. The other mono DMU packets include two of their specified dual land (for kicker support).
In the past, when tri packets were available, a mono packet combined with a tri packet would yield 6/3/3 basics and the two duals that include the mono color. (If the mono packet includes more than twelve specified cards, I do not know which basics are reduced first.) Conversely, a dual packet combined with a tri packet would yield 4/4/4 basics, one dual land that matches the dual packet, and one other dual (including the third color and one of the dual colors).
For an extreme example, combining Wandering and Globetrotting includes an additional eight dual lands (three from Globetrotting and five from Wandering) reducing the basics to only two Islands and four Forests.
In the past, there were several months where there was an error and an invalid choice would be offered as an option for the second packet. This is no longer the case. When invalid color combinations were chosen, basics would be evenly split - thus a mono combined with a non-matching tri would result in a 3/3/3/3 split for basics, making the mana base for the spells from the mono packet very unreliable.
Nonbasic lands that the player doesn't already have in their collection are added to their collection.
History
Jump In! was introduced on October 14, 2021, with Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Jump In!.[4] This was a continuation of the previously successful Jumpstart format but with the card, the pool was reduced to only Standard legal cards. The format largely targets newer players as an entry point to both Magic: The Gathering and Arena.
With the launch of Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, designed-for-digital cards were added to Jump In! packets. At the same time, as part of the preparations for Standard rotation, all packets using themes from the rotating sets were retired.[5] The Kaldheim dual lands were replaced with the life-gain taplands from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.[3]
From the release of Dominaria United onwards Jump In! functions as the digital equivalent of a set's Jumpstart boosters.[6] The dual lands were replaced with the basic-typed taplands from Dominaria United.[7]
Themes
As of March of the Machine there are 80 packets in the format.[7][8][9][10]
Notes
- ↑ If a player has previously selected all of the Jump In! packets, they will be presented with three random packets.
- ↑ The Arcanist packet only includes
nonland cards but has 
kicker costs for Phyrexian Espionage and Rona's Vortex.
- ↑ The Convertible packet only includes cards but has a
cost for Captive Weird and 
cost for Skyclave Aerialist.
- ↑ The Globetrotting packet includes lands with all five basic land types but it only includes
nonland cards and uses 
for kicker costs.
- ↑ The Invaders packet only includes
cards but has costs for Sun-Blessed Guardian.
- ↑ The Onslaught packet only includes nonland cards but has kicker costs for Aggressive Sabotage and Balduvian Atrocity.
- ↑ The Phyrexian packet only includes cards but has costs for Blightreaper Thallid.
- ↑ The Recruits packet only includes nonland cards but has kicker costs for Runic Shot and Stall for Time.
- ↑ The Vermin packet includes lands with all five basic land types but it only includes nonland cards and uses for kicker costs.
- ↑ The Wandering packet includes lands with all five basic land types but it only includes nonland cards and uses for kicker costs.
References
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (October 13, 2021). "Historic: Bans, Suspensions, and Rebalancing Announced". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Joe Parlock (February 18, 2022). "Jump In! Is Magic The Gathering Arena's Most Underrated Format". TheGamer.
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (July 6, 2022). "Jump In! Packets Update for Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November 10, 2021). "Innistrad: Crimson Vow Jump In! Event Details and Packets". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 23, 2022). "Renewal for MTG Arena's 2022 Standard Rotation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 12, 2022). "Your Sneak Peek at Double Masters 2022, Dominaria United, and Beyond". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (August 31, 2022). "Jump In! Packets Update for Dominaria United". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November 9, 2022). "Jump In! Packets Update for The Brothers' War". magicthegathering.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (February 15, 2023). "Jump In! Packets Update for Phyrexia: All Will Be One". magicthegathering.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023.
- ↑ Clayton Kroh (April 17, 2023). "Jump In! Packets Update for March of the Machine". magicthegathering.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023.