Return to Ravnica

The hardcore be warned: I will be discussing feelings over mechanics. As Magic the Gathering players will know, yesterday was the final day of the pre-release weekend for Return to Ravnica. I attended the Sunday tournament and played Selesnya. I was surprised by how balanced the guilds were and what a great time everyone had (MTG tournaments are always a good time, but this one especially so).  This set is incredibly polished, unlike Innistrad which felt like an afterthought. The pre-existing lore is intricate and the marketing for the set has been excellently done. The pre-release boasted guild specific packages for players including a guild coloured spin down die, sticker, acceptance letter and one pack of cards suited to the guild. There was also an achievement list which went far to achieving a sense of guild spirit. Frankly, I think the only thing Wizards could have done to better this would have been to recommend to the organizers that they have people stand with their guild while the match lists were put up. It would have been simple, but I think the mere act of standing surrounded by guild members  facing your collective opponents would have  sealed the sense of camaraderie. As it was, the set is so (from a Selesnyan angle) elegant. The the green and white cards just dovetail beautifully and discreetly- nearly all my wins were cases where my opponent believed he had already won. I didn't win any matches due to some serious mana issues in my construction, but it was a delightful day. Also, I am entirely pleased with the design of the box. As someone sitting near me put it, "I have my deck, my dice and my sideboard." I think it will be better suited to a grab box when Magic is possible but not certain and you just want a pair of decks and some dice, but judge for yourself. Release date is Friday and you will not want to miss this one.