Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart — 34 Down, 17 to Go

A newbie’s love letter to Magic’s fastest way to play

I’ll be upfront: I’m a novice Magic collector. I only started in August, and I came in through the Marvel Spider-Man set. Maybe that makes me the right person to talk about Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart, because it’s one of the friendliest ways to get into the game, whether you’re brand new or a seasoned player.

What is Jumpstart?

Jumpstart packs are small, themed, 20-card decks. Grab two, shuffle them together, and you have a 40-card deck ready to play. There’s no deckbuilding homework and no spreadsheet of card pools, just open, shuffle, and go.

What are the themes?

Each pack is built around a theme, and in the Marvel Super Heroes set that means the heroes and villains you already know, each with its own flavor and play style. The set has 51 themes in all.

What makes it so fun?

• Mix and match. Combining two themes creates decks nobody planned, so every game feels a little different.
• Easy to learn. New players can jump in without building a deck from scratch, which is exactly what I needed as a beginner.
• Great for the table. Hand a few packs to friends or family and everyone is playing in minutes. It’s a perfect fit for game night with my kids.
• Collector-friendly. With 51 themes to find, there’s a real chase. That’s the collector in me talking.

My progress: 34 of 51

I currently have 34 of the 51 themes, which means I’m hunting the last 17. Anyone who collects knows the final stretch is the hardest and the most satisfying. If you have a lead on any of the missing ones, I’d love to hear from you.

I’ll keep updating my progress on the site as the list shrinks. And if you’re new to Magic like I am, grab a couple of Jumpstart packs and give it a try. It might hook you the way it hooked me.