Magic players are always calling out for more interplay between the physical and digital games. Something akin to the approach Pokémon uses, where every product can be redeemed on their digital client. MTG Arena isn’t quite there yet, but the Arena Direct series, now returning for Foundations, has been a great step in the right direction.
These are high-stakes digital Sealed events, in which real physical prizes are on the line. If you can master a set’s Sealed format, then you can more than offset the high entry costs rewards-wise. These events have been very popular in the past, particularly the Modern Horizons 3 one. Given how well-received Foundations has been so far, it’s likely this will be the case again.
Arena Direct: MTG Foundations
The Arena Direct event for MTG Foundations will be running all weekend, from today, November 22nd, to Sunday, November 24th. The event is open to the majority of Arena players, but since physical product deliveries are involved regional restrictions do apply. You can check out a full list of included and excluded countries on the event page here. You’ll also need to be 18 or over to enter.
Once you’re in, Arena Direct is a Best-Of-One Sealed event. This is an Arena-only format variant and a much more high-stakes take on Sealed than usual. Dropping a single game costs you the round here, so you need to be on form at all times. As usual, you’re given six Foundations Play Boosters with which to build your 40-card Sealed deck.
You’ll then play six Best-Of-One rounds, with prizes scaling up as you win more games. Zero to three wins get you nothing, four gets you 2,000 Gems, five gets you 5,000 Gems, and six gets you the jackpot: two full, physical MTG Foundations Play Booster Boxes, delivered right to your door.
This Arena Direct event costs 5,000 Gems to enter, which is roughly $25 if you buy the best-value bundle. At most, if you buy the exact amount you need, it’ll cost $30 instead. Either way, that’s a pretty fantastic rate for two full Play Booster Boxes. At the moment these boxes will run you around $140 each. That’s $280 in total, meaning you save around $255 if you get your boxes via this Arena Direct event instead.
Of course, you can only take advantage of this deal if you’re capable of going 6-0 in Foundations Sealed, with no dropped games at all: Something that’s definitely easier said than done.
Going For Glory
The prize structure for the Arena Direct: MTG Foundations events is fairly ruthless. Unless you get more than three wins, you aren’t getting any prizes at all. This means you need to be performing pretty well to get anything out of these events.
If you have some experience playing Foundations Sealed already, be it at Prerelease or on Arena, then that will serve you well here. There are some great resources you can check out if you need a boost as well. We compiled a list of the best Sealed cards in MTG Foundations ahead of Prerelease, which still stands today. You can also check out Limited website 17Lands, which collates data on the best cards to play in the format.
Even with these resources, six straight wins is no mean feat. There’s a lot of luck involved in Sealed since you have no control over your card pool. Even the best players can have low rolls and strike out here, so it’s certainly not a reliable venture for new or even intermediate players. Basically, don’t expect to be able to win two boxes your first time, or even at all unless you have a lot of resources to spend.
One nice aspect of the event is the fact that there’s no limit on the number of entries. As long as it’s running, you can join again and again. Since you can win your entry fee back on five wins, this is a great option to have. It also means some particularly savvy players are going to be able to win four, six, or even more Booster Boxes. This makes the event one of the most exciting on Arena, but also one to be approached with due caution.
