Jumpstart
- For other uses, see Jumpstart (disambiguation).
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Jumpstart is a Limited format of Magic: the Gathering, introduced in 2020.[1] It involves combining two twenty-card preconstructed half-decks (Jumpstart Boosters) together and playing with the resulting full-sized deck. Jumpstart melds an easy way of deckbuilding with the “shuffle up and play” speed of constructed. In this, it is similar to the Smash Up game by Alderac Entertainment Group and KeyForge by Richard Garfield.
The half-decks utilize themes and archetypes from throughout Magic's history, including typal themes like Dragons or Elves, strategic archetypes like reanimation or go wide tokens, and specific set themes like modified creatures.
History
Jumpstart was introduced in 2020 with the eponymous Jumpstart set. In 2021 the Jumpstart format was used to launch the MTG Arena exclusive Jumpstart: Historic Horizons. The digital platform of Arena allowed more booster randomization as well as an automatically generated mana base dependent on which and how many colors you picked.[2] Later that year, that same adjusted format was used for Jump In!, a new rotating limited format for Arena with packs made from premier sets. A second physical set was released in 2022.[3] In that same year, Jumpstart Boosters replaced Theme Boosters for Premier sets.[4]
Set-specific Jumpstart Boosters were canceled for Wilds of Eldraine. This must have been a late decision, because the specially created new Jumpstart cards still showed up in Set Boosters and Collector Boosters.[5] Set-specific Jumpstart Boosters didn't appear anymore for later sets.[6]
The third physical Jumpstart, Foundations Jumpstart set was release in November 2024 in conjunction with the Magic: The Gathering Foundations product suite.
See also
- Jump In!, a digital version of the format on Magic: The Gathering Arena.
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (February 20, 2020). "Introducing Jumpstart: A New Way To Play Magic". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-02-21.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (July 26, 2021). "What is MTG Arena's Jumpstart Historic Horizons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Adam Styborski (August 24, 2021). "What Happened In Magic Showcase 2021?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May 12, 2022). "Your Sneak Peek at Double Masters 2022, Dominaria United, and Beyond"
- ↑ Jubilee Finnegan (July 28, 2023). "A First Look at Wilds of Eldraine". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 19, 2024). "I noticed no Jumpstart boosters since Wilds of Eldraine.". Blogatog. Tumblr.