Storing and Playing Planechase

Released on September 4, 2009, Planechase is a casual, multiplayer friendly format for Magic the Gathering. While it wasn’t the most popular format at the time, it did spawn a new set in 2012, as well as a Planechase Anthology collection in 2016. Over the years, the format has grown in popularity, with many variants popping up. The March of the Machines commander decks each include 10 Planechase cards and Planar die, resurrecting the format and showcasing commander Planechase as a new way to play.

Like every game of Magic, you start with a deck. There are two basic deck types to use; a standard 60 card deck or a 100 card commander deck. Since it is a casual format, the exact sets you can or can’t use depends on your playgroup. Next, you need your Plane deck, which consists of oversized Plane and Phenomenon cards. Usually, you will have 10 cards in this deck. Some variants will simply use one of each Plane and Phenomenon for everybody to use.

During setup, each player will have their Plane deck shuffled and placed face-down in the command zone, with the first player turning the top card of their deck face-up. Play proceeds like normal, however, each Plane has an effect that is active as long as it is face-up. During their main phase, a player can roll the planar die. Most of the sides are blank, but 2 have special effects. The Chaos symbol triggers an effect on the active Plane, which is noted on the card. The Planeswalker symbol means play turns to another Plane. The current plane goes to the bottom of the deck. Then, the active player reveals the top of their Plane deck. You get 1 roll a turn for free, and additional rolls cost 1 for each previous roll. Phenomenon cards resolve effects immediately, then reveals the top card of the deck.

Storing and transporting Planechase cards gives more challenges compared to standard cards. While there are only 111 unique Planechase cards, they are about as large as 2 regular cards placed side by side. The Prime X4 deckbox holds a collection unsleeved or with sleeves, although a Prime X4 XL works best if the cards are in toploaders. Just as a warning, the sleeves and toploaders are not compatible. You should use one or the other as best fits your preferences. Both boxes also have space for the Planar die as well as other dice or counters you may need. They are also ideal for games where a Planar deck is shared between all players, where a complete collection is almost a requirement. These boxes can also be used to hold dedicated Planechase decks along with the planes needed for them.

The March of the Machines preconstructed commander decks include Planechase cards. This means you can make your own game night box by using a Prime X4 along with a Prime X4 XL. Four of the decks go into the Prime X4 XL, while the remaining deck and the Planechase cards use the Prime X4. There is plenty of space for dice, tokens, and counters in this setup, making it a complete all-in-one option.

Casual formats for Magic become more popular year after year, and Planechase is no exception. While the future of the format is still in question, the currently-available collection has enough variety to inject some new life into any group. If you enjoy unpredictable games with ever-changing conditions, Planechase may become your favorite format.