Does anyone know if there will be a choice of decks, or will we be getting a random deck out of the four?
Probably depends on your TO, and perhaps to a lesser extent on the event size. I can see TOs of smaller events being more flexible, and TOs of larger events deciding that they won't be able to cater to everyone's desires, so it'd be fairest to just randomly assign packs a la open dueling. Again, YMMV.
Looking at the info in the compiled info thread, I kinda wonder what the big deal is about the release event OTHER than the promo card. $40 entry for one $20 precon and a single promo card would be way too much if the promo card is just a premium/alt art version of a plane in one of the precons, but people who can't make it to the release event would be understandably miffed at being unable to pick up an exclusive promo card thanks to it being worth at least $20 just because of the release event entry fee.
I don't think it's $40 everywhere. I asked my local TO, and he said that the cost of entry was to buy a Planechase deck. But YMMV. Possibly there will be prizes given out where the cost of entry is higher?
I acquired toploaders that are sized almost perfectly for Vanguard cards. I got them off a serious collector who was liquidating back in 2000, and I have not seen their like since. But now at least you know that they exist!
I got my mailing today. And there was something a little odd. I know that you get "1 random NEW textless spell and 1 random OLDER card", but I assumed that the random older card would be either a leftover token or one of the common/uncommon textless spells. However, tucked in behind my Terminate, in the same sealed packet, was a shiny Damnation. This was in addition to the shiny Cryptic Command that was in its own sleeve. Did I just get lucky, or when they send you the new foil do you also get an older foil?
I know that it's an absurdly bad card, but I think that my favorite card is still Gabriel Angelfire. I remember when I first got one for my GW deck, before it was reprinted in Chronicles. I had a choice - for $17 I could get either Gabriel or the Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale. I was advised by the store owner to get the Tabernacle, and I kind of wish I'd followed that advice now, but I bought Gabriel and shuffled him into my 65 (60 card deck? What's that?). I don't know that I drew him in more than a handful of games, but I really liked playing with a Legend.
Probably depends on your TO, and perhaps to a lesser extent on the event size. I can see TOs of smaller events being more flexible, and TOs of larger events deciding that they won't be able to cater to everyone's desires, so it'd be fairest to just randomly assign packs a la open dueling. Again, YMMV.
I don't think it's $40 everywhere. I asked my local TO, and he said that the cost of entry was to buy a Planechase deck. But YMMV. Possibly there will be prizes given out where the cost of entry is higher?