Two major TCG sets land on the same day — April 24 — and the preview season for both is in full swing. If you’ve got money in your wallet and a love of new cards, this is a big week. Here’s everything you need to know.
Magic: The Gathering — Secrets of Strixhaven Preview Season Is Live
Spoiler season for Secrets of Strixhaven is running right now through April 10, with prereleases kicking off April 17 and the full release on April 24. The set also hits MTG Arena on April 21. Between the Mystical Archive bonus sheet, five Commander precons, and the headliner card that lets you cast a literal Power Nine spell, this set is generating more conversation than anything since March of the Machine.
The Headliner: Emeritus of Ideation // Ancestral Recall
The most-talked-about card of the set is Emeritus of Ideation, a creature whose ability enters him “prepared” — a new keyword that exiles a copy of the attached spell (in this case, Ancestral Recall) for you to cast as long as he stays on board. Once you cast it, he becomes unprepared until you invest the mana to ready him again. It’s a brilliantly designed safety valve that lets Wizards put one of the most broken spells in Magic history into a playable card without breaking every format.
The original Ancestral Recall art by Mark Poole was tapped for the illustration — a fantastic callback. There are also 500 serialized textless versions exclusive to Collector Boosters for the collectors among you.
Mystical Archives Are Back
One of the most beloved features of the original Strixhaven set returns: the Mystical Archive bonus sheet. Every Play Booster contains one guaranteed Mystical Archive card — classic instants and sorceries reprinted with brand-new commissioned artwork. A full box gives you approximately 30 of them. Wizards hasn’t confirmed the full list yet, but expect a mix of staples and surprises, given how aggressively they’ve been teasing the sheet on social media.
Five Commander Precons — The Biggest Precon Drop in Years
Secrets of Strixhaven is shipping with five Commander preconstructed decks, one for each of the five Strixhaven colleges. That’s the largest Commander precon release we’ve seen in years — most recent sets have shipped with just two. Each deck is tied to a college’s color pair and thematic identity, making them excellent for players who want a ready-to-play deck straight out of the box. Details on decklists are still filtering through the spoiler season, but expect college-flavored mechanics and plenty of new Commander-legal cards.
New Mechanics to Know
Beyond Ancestral Recall, the set introduces two global mechanics — Prepared and Paradigm — plus college-specific ones. Prismari (Izzet) gets Opus, rewarding you for casting instants and sorceries and granting a bonus when you spend five or more mana on them. Silverquill (Orzhov) gets Repartee, which rewards you for targeting your own creatures with spells. Full spoiler season wraps April 10, so there’s plenty more to come.
Prerelease starts April 17 — if you want to play early, check in with us about event details.
Gundam Card Game — Phantom Aria (GD04) Drops April 24
The Gundam Card Game’s fourth booster set, Phantom Aria [GD04], hits the same day as Secrets of Strixhaven — April 24. For Gundam players, this is a landmark release: it introduces several major series that haven’t been in the game yet.
New series making their debut: Victory Gundam arrives as Blue cards, while the iconic ∀ Gundam (Turn A) enters as White. Gundam DX and the fan-favourite Zeong from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series also join the set. Perhaps most exciting for anime fans, characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury — including Suletta Mercury and Sophie Pulone — appear as Green cards for the first time, expanding the colour identity of that faction.
The set contains 50 commons, 36 uncommons, 32 rares, 12 Legend Rares, and 5 special cards, with packs running 12 cards plus a token. If you’ve been holding out on Gundam TCG, Phantom Aria looks like an excellent jumping-on point given the breadth of new series represented.
Also on the Radar
Star Wars: Unlimited — A Lawless Time (released March 13) is fully legal and being played at local and regional events. The meta is still developing, with three booster sets and four Twin Suns format precon decks still to come in 2026. If you haven’t cracked a pack of A Lawless Time yet, now is a great time to try it while prices are stable.
Flesh & Blood — Omens of the Third Age is on the horizon (June 5 retail release), focusing on lightning heroes across Runeblade, Illusionist, and Wizard. Keep an eye out as previews should be ramping up through May.
Mark Your Calendar: April 24 Is Stacked
Two major releases on the same day is unusual, and it’s worth planning your budget accordingly. Secrets of Strixhaven is shaping up to be one of the most collectible MTG sets in recent memory — the serialized Emeritus of Ideation alone will drive Collector Booster demand through the roof. On the Gundam side, Phantom Aria is a strong expansion that Gundam fans won’t want to miss.
Prerelease for Secrets of Strixhaven is April 17 — stop by, play some sealed, and get your hands on new cards a week early. We’ll have details on our upcoming events posted shortly.
Questions about what to preorder or how to prep for prerelease? Drop us a message — we’re always happy to talk cards.