There’s nothing quite like the feeling of cracking open a fresh pack of Magic cards. Every opening is a miniature rollercoaster of anticipation, slow-burning reveal, then elation or disappointment. Unfortunately, since buying singles is the best way to build decks, outside of drafting, it’s rare that established players engage in this intoxicating ritual.
That said, people have a way of returning to past pleasures over time. Today, thanks to a new video from Goblin_Ringleader, MTG players are getting reacquainted with Opening Ceremony, a card that brings the fun of pack opening into the game itself. While it requires a willing playgroup, the potential for shenanigans with this one is off the charts.
Opening Ceremony MTG
Originating in Unfinity, Opening Ceremony generates one mana of each color and lets you crack open a sealed MTG booster pack and cast its cards this turn. Fun as a rainbow ritual effect is, the big draw here is obviously getting to open a pack. In most cases, this will essentially Impulse draw you 14 cards. The mana will also help you cast a couple of them at least, or one particularly pricey card. The potential for card advantage here is huge, especially considering that the card is essentially “free.”
Naturally, being a card from an Un-set, Opening Ceremony is not legal in any sanctioned MTG format. That said, there are still a couple of ways you can try the card out if you’ve got that pack-cracking itch. Through the magic of rule zero conversations, you can add the card to your casual Commander deck. These apply at every level of Commander, but are particularly prominent at bracket one, so that’s your best bet if you want to run the card. While powerful, it’s not particularly consistent, so few players are likely to object to its inclusion. Alternatively, Opening Ceremony is a somewhat popular card within many Cubes, due to the antics it creates.
Interestingly, while the pack opening effect here is an Un-set effect through and through, the ritual effect is totally feasible in regular Magic. As Mark Rosewater has stated, red could definitely support a ritual that generated every color of mana like this. Whether we’ll get one or not remains to be seen, but it’s interesting to see Un-cards blaze legitimate design trails regardless.
Which Pack To Pick?
If you do end up in a position to cast Opening Ceremony, you’ll have to tackle the big question: which MTG pack should I open? There’s no one answer to this question, as the correct pick depends on your specific situation.
The best strategy here is probably to choose a pack whose themes support the Commander deck you’re playing. If you’re running a The Ur-Dragon deck, for example, something like Tarkir: Dragonstorm would complement it nicely. Conversely, Tom Bombadil players may want to crack a Final Fantasy instead. Choosing packs this way maximizes the chance that you’ll hit something relevant to your game plan.
If you’d prefer to lean more into sheer chaos rather than sensible synergy, there are some great options for that as well. The Mystery Booster series is essentially a total dice roll, with both sets being so huge that there’s no way of predicting what you’ll pull. If you opt for Mystery Booster 2, you’ll also get access to Playtest cards, which add a whole new layer of wackiness to proceedings. Given that you’ll only ever be playing Opening Ceremony in casual settings, these sets are great picks.
While choosing powerhouse sets like Modern Horizons 3 may be tempting, picking something on that level goes against the wacky spirit of Opening Ceremony somewhat. In that sense, it may even be best to just embrace the chaos and pick a pack entirely at random, and see where it takes you.
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