All,

Time flees and though it seems a while since my last events in May,
the July events are almost upon us. Next month sees both the Pre-
Release and Launch Party events for the Magic 2010 Core Set. The full
details for both Pre-Release events follow this important
announcement:

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

If you regularly read the Wizards of the Coast website, you will know
that with the release of this latest core set, there are some major
rules changes for Magic the Gathering. These changes have been
summarised in an interesting article found here:

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/42a

I strongly recommend that you have a read through this article to see
how this will change the way the game is played.

2010 Boosters, Boxes, Fat Pack and Intro Pack orders

Please remember that you can contact me to order sealed products like
booster boxes and Fat Packs for collection at the Launch Party event
at Stafford. This saves you any postage costs and also entitles you to
a £2 discount to the entrance fee of the Launch Party main event PER
booster box ordered on top of any other discounts. If you intend to do
this, please make sure that I have received your order by e-mail
before the Pre-Release weekend at the latest.

www.magicgeek.co.uk

Now, lets move on to the full details for the Pre-Release events.

Birmingham and Stafford Magic 2010 Core Set Pre-Releases.

Event notes

[1] As I have had so many enquiries about the forthcoming Magic 2010
Core Set Pre-Release tournaments, this e-mail includes all relevant
information for both the Stafford and the Birmingham tournaments. Pick
and choose the information that you need.

[2] We will be continuing to use deck pool registration at all pre-
release events.

[3] Price for admission is £20.00 for two reasons. Firstly, it falls
in line with Wizards of the Coast pricing guidelines and secondly
because the product given to each player to use on the day is six [6]
Magic 2010 Core Set boosters.

[4] To encourage players to attend both events, I will be continuing
with the £2.00 deduction in the cost of entry to any player enrolling
in the Stafford Pre-Release who played in the Birmingham Pre-Release
the previous day. I realise that this isn’t an enormous saving, but I
received positive feedback for this at previous Pre-Release weekends
so I’m happy to continue to offer this discount.

[5] As usual I’ll be filling the traditional Grab Bag with the
contents of some Magic 2010 Core Set boosters as additional prizes.

[6] Again as usual, I have had winner’s trophies engraved. The
trophies are a popular part of the Pre-Release events and everybody
wants to win one!

[7] The Birmingham event will be limited to 60 players; the Stafford
event will be limited to 48 players. Please pre-register to ensure
that you can guarantee your place in the event.

Here are the usual event details:

BIRMINGHAM MAGIC 2010 CORE SET PRE-RELEASE SATURDAY 11th OF JULY 2009

VENUE: Quality Hotel Birmingham, 166 Hagley Road, Birmingham, West
Midlands, England B16 9NZ

The venue is probably only about 15 minutes from the city centre
easily accessible from New Street Station. Road links are very good
from the M6 and the M5 as you will see on the map.
If you are travelling by car, there is parking for over a hundred cars
but most of the spaces are at the back of the hotel. Drive towards the
red barrier at the right hand side of the venue and it will
automatically open. All you need to do when leaving is pick up a
parking token from the hotel reception. Parking is free if you have
used the hotel facilities, so there will be no parking charge for
players attending the event.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: According to locals, as far as trains are concerned,
it's quicker to go to Five Ways station if possible, walk to the Five
Ways shopping centre and then just walk down Hagley Road. From New
Street Station the 128 and the 129 buses from Corporation Street (1
min walk from New Street) go down the Hagley Road (and I'm sure there
must be others too). If you are travelling by train and you are
running late I'd suggest just getting a taxi to the venue. I suspect
that it is less than a 10 minute drive from New Street Station.

Website: http://www.quality-hotels-birmingham.com/

Directions: These are available from the Hotel's website:

http://www.quality-hotels-birmingham.com/details/GB605%20large%20map.jpg

START TIME: Enrolment from 9:30am till 10:30am. Deck construction will
start at about 11:00am.

FORMAT: The format for each Pre-release tournament is DCITM-sanctioned
Magic 2010 Core Set TM Sealed Deck.

Rules Enforcement Level: Competitive

ENTRY FEE: £20.00 for main event

Cost of entry includes six (6) Magic 2010 Core Set TM boosters.

PRIZES: As per Wizards of the Coast premier event prize structure.

A special commemorative Magic 2010 Core Set card is available for each
tournament participant, while supplies last.

SIDE EVENTS: Booster Draft side events available all day long.

ENTRY FEE:  £10.00 for Booster Drafts (12 Boosters as prizes split
5/3/2/2)

STAFFORD MAGIC 2010 CORE SET PRE-RELEASE SUNDAY 12th OF JULY 2009

VENUE: Oddfellows Hall, Greengate Street, Stafford, ST16 2HP.

Please contact me for more directions if you haven’t been to this
venue before.

START TIME: Enrolment from 9:30am till 10:30am. Deck construction will
start at about 11:00am.

FORMAT: The format for each Pre-release tournament is DCITM-sanctioned
Magic 2010 Core Set TM Sealed Deck.

Rules Enforcement Level: 1

ENTRY FEE: £20.00 for main event

Cost of entry includes six (6) Magic 2010 Core Set TM boosters.

PRIZES: As per Wizards of the Coast premier event prize structure.

A special commemorative Magic 2010 Core Set card is available for each
tournament participant, while supplies last.

SIDE EVENTS: Booster Draft side events available all day long.

ENTRY FEE:  £10.00 for Booster Drafts (12 Boosters as prizes split
5/3/2/2)

TO PRE-REGISTER FOR AN EVENT:

Send an e-mail to this address: stephen DOT avann AT ntlworld DOT com
with your FULL NAME and DCI NUMBER (If you have one) BEFORE 5:30PM on
the FRIDAY NIGHT before the events, as this is the last time that I
will check my e-mail before the tournament. Alternatively I can be
contacted on my mobile from 6:30pm until 10pm on the following number:
07989201808. Please don't try to phone me before 6:30pm as I will be
busy.

Hope to see you at the events over the weekend,

Steve

Future Events 2009

July – Saturday 11th – Birmingham – Magic 2010 Pre Release
July – Sunday 12th – Stafford – Magic 2010 Pre Release

As you all probably know, the new Magic core set will be released in
July and will be called Magic 2010. It will feature brand new cards
for almost half the set, along with some classic re-prints. As it
contains brand new cards, the core set will have Pre-Release events
just like any usual set release. I’ll be running an event at each
venue as usual.

July – Sunday 19th – Stafford – Magic 2010 Launch Party

Back again to Stafford for the second time in July! The Magic 2010
Release event will happen the following weekend at Stafford. This is
the first chance to buy Magic 2010 singles, boosters, boxes, intro
packs and fat packs.

August – NO EVENTS

September – Saturday 26th – Birmingham – Zendikar Pre Release
September – Sunday 27th – Stafford – Zendikar Pre Release

Zendikar Pre-Releases are scheduled for the end of September. More
details to follow as they are announced.

October – Sunday 4th – Stafford – Zendikar Launch Party

The Zendikar Launch Party event will happen the following weekend at
Stafford. This is the first chance to buy Zendikar singles, boosters,
boxes, intro packs and fat packs.