Outlaws of Thunder Junction: Release Date, Spoilers, Commander Decks

Much to the delight of MTG players, 2024 is an absolutely stacked year of releases. Between Modern Horizons 3, Assassin’s Creed, and Bloomburrow, this year really has it all. Before we get to all of that, however, Outlaws of Thunder Junction gets its time in the spotlight too!

Despite this year being so jam-packed with fantastic releases, Outlaws of Thunder Junction still manages to stand out. This is thanks to the set effectively containing four different products, rather than the usual measly two. Between the main set, Breaking News, The Big Score, and Commander, Outlaws of Thunder Junction has it all!

Having recently released in mid-April, all of Outlaws of Thunder Junction’s goodies are now available to play with. Between the ban-worthy new reprints, awesome combos, and countless Commander cards, there’s no end of fun stuff. In fact, there’s so much that knowing all there is to know is no easy feat!

Thankfully, we’re here to keep you informed and up to date on everything you need to know. No matter which formats you’re interested in or the information you require, we’ve got you covered. So, without any further ado, let’s dive deep into all things Outlaws of Thunder Junction!

Outlaws of Thunder Junction Release Date

Now that they’re all behind us, the release dates for Outlaws of Thunder Junction aren’t that important anymore. That being said, thanks to the blistering pace of modern MTG releases, it can be nice to look back. Whether you’re fondly reminiscing about dates gone by or searching for the one on the tip of your tongue, we’ve got them all.

Here are all the preview and play dates from Outlaws of Thunder Junction:

MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction Key Dates

Story Begins: March 18th
Debut and Previews Begin: March 26th
Card Image Gallery and Previews Complete: April 5th
MTG Arena Global Release: April 16th
Global Tabletop Release: April 19th

MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction Gameplay Events

Prerelease Events: April 12th – 18th
Open House: April 19th – 21st
Commander Party: April 26th – May 2nd
Store Championship: May 4th –12th
Standard Showdown: April 19th – July 25th

Outlaws of Thunder Junction Story

As you might expect from the set’s name and story, Outlaws of Thunder Junction was one big heist. Full of plots, intrigue, and double-crosses, it was a very typical Wild-West affair. As always, the story chapters always make for a great read or listen, so we highly encourage you to go and enjoy them.

Should you wish to skip to the end, there’s no shortage of important and interesting details to cover. For starters, Jace is back and un-compleated after briefly disguising themselves as Ashiok! Not only that, but Vraska is back too, so MTG’s most prominent power couple is back at long last!

Solidifying their spot as MTG’s best couple, in the Outlaws of Thunder Junction epilogue, Jace and Vraska adopt a child. Known as Loot, this adorable baby is a living map of the multiverse, charting all the Omenpaths in existence. In theory, Loot could allow any non-Planeswalker to travel the multiverse freely, which has huge implications for the future of MTG.

Unfortunately for MTG’s would-be multiverse travelers, Jace might not be the best parent. After the horrors of the Phyrexian invasion, Jace is now dead set on resetting the multiverse to start everything anew. This will all presumably happen over the next two major story arcs, Dragonstorm and REDACTED.

Currently, it’s unclear exactly which way the story is headed. If Jace succeeds, MTG may have The Mending 2.0, changing the game as we know it. Alternatively, if they fail, even more multiversal travel could be opened up. Right now, we just don’t know what’s going on, so we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction The Big Score

Curiously, Outlaws of Thunder Junction wasn’t originally just one set. Instead, according to Wizards, it was originally planned to have an Aftermath-style follow-up Micro Set. Dubbed The Big Score, this set would continue the set’s story and finish it with a flourish. Unfortunately, due to the reaction to March of the Machine: The Aftermath, this planned extra release was quickly scrapped.

In total, The Big Score contains 30 cards, all of which are Standard legal. One Big Score card can be found in roughly one out of every five Play Boosters. This spot is typically occupied by The List, which has been replaced for Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Despite this, Special Guest cards still exist in the set, and can also be found in this slot.

Overall, there are quite a few cards in The Big Score which are worth getting excited about. Offering combo and constructed potential, The Big Score should be a fun boost to opening packs. Unfortunately, players on MTG Arena may stuffer somewhat as every The Big Score card is mythic rarity. This means only the most prized and expensive Wildcards can be used to craft them.

Despite the potential problems on MTG Arena, The Big Score could set a new trend. Depending on how well it does, the format of this release could be used to resurrect Aftermath-style sets in the future. Whether or not this will happen, however, remains to be seen for now.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction Breaking News

As if one extra set wasn’t enough, Outlaws of Thunder Junction also has its very own Bonus Sheet! Known as Breaking News, this Bonus Sheet offers a bounty of reprints that can be played in Draft. Found in Play Boosters, the Breaking News cards will have their own dedicated slot. This means you will find one in every single pack.

As you can see above, the Breaking News cards are styled after old-timey newspaper articles. Specifically, these articles come from the Prosperity Post which is the local newspaper of Thunder Junction. Alongside this normal variant, there are also textured foil borderless versions which can be found in Collector Boosters.

Unfortunately, while some MTG players may love the old-timey aesthetic, others have taken issue with it. Once the cards were released, complaints arose about how similar the cards looked to one another. Sadly, on paper, this can cause rather frustrating gameplay issues, however, it shouldn’t dampen their effectiveness as reprints.

Boasting a smorgasbord of constructed and Commander staples, Breaking News should be a spectacular bonus sheet. Between the $70 Mindbreak Trap to the $50 Mana Drain this bonus sheet has a lot of gems. Unfortunately, while fantastic reprints, some of these cards are so good that they’ve been pre-banned in Historic.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction Spoilers

Unsurprisingly, considering it’s a premier MTG set, Outlaws of Thunder Junction contains a lot of great cards. There are so many interesting, entertaining, and meme-worthy cards, in fact, that we can’t cover them all in one place! Thankfully, while this article can’t fit them all, we’ve written plenty of others highlighting all the best bits!

Whether you’re curious about the best, most expensive, or most interesting cards, we’ve got you covered! Just click or tap on the links below and you’ll be whisked away to a land of spoilers and value!

Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander Decks

Since it is a premier set and tentpole release in 2024, Outlaws of Thunder Junction unsurprisingly has Commander decks. As usual for a modern release, four decks will be available at launch. Each offering a unique and mostly crime-based strategy, the latest quarter of decks make a great accompaniment to the main set. Here’s a little bit about each new Commander deck.

Desert Bloom – Unsurprisingly focused on lands and Deserts, this deck is all about sacrificing and reanimating lands. Leaning into the deck’s theme, Desert Bloom also contains a fair few Plant creatures and Cactusfolk for maximum flavor! As if that wasn’t enough, there are also some Landfall cards to maximize the deck’s potential while providing extra financial value!

Quick Draw – Undeniably the most interesting of the new Commander decks, Quick Draw is a spell-slinging masterclass. Capable of casting and copying multiple spells each turn, this deck provides oodles of draw, buffs, and damage to opponents. If you’re looking for one of the most unique precons Wizards has ever made, Quick Draw might just be for you.

Most Wanted – Given the theme of Outlaws of Thunder Junction, it’s very fitting one Commander deck is very Treasure and Token-focused. Offering Treasure, Mercenaries, and good times all around, this deck is a whale of a time. From right out of the box, the Most Wanted deck is a fantastic time that gets, and it only gets better with upgrades!

Grand Larceny – Last but not least, the Grand Larceny deck is all about stealing your opponent’s stuff. Helmed by Gonti, Canny Acquisitor, this deck offers another thoroughly entertaining strategy that’s rather unique to boot. If you’re tired of playing against your opponent’s overpowered cards, this is your opportunity to steal them and play them instead!

There’s a Lot More to Come

Now that Outlaws of Thunder Junction has been released, its time in the sun may be drawing to a close. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean we’ll be without content for long, as the 2024 release calendar is absolutely stacked. Next up on the horizon, Modern Horizons 3 is the next major set to release, which is sure to be a massive deal. Before that release happens Outlaws of Thunder Junction still has plenty of metas to warp and cards to enjoy.