Our Community Panel Preview!

With thousands of Magic fans converging on Vegas, the convention center will become a hub of Magic knowledge, lore, and passion, and one of the best ways to experience it all is by making your way to a community panel!

Community panels are exactly what they sound like – panels put together by members of the Magic community. MagicCon: Las Vegas will be teeming with people who are so enthusiastic about their niche Magic passion that they’ve put together an hour all about it, just for you. Topics can range from Limited Edition (Alpha) to Duskmourn: House of Horror, and the vibe will vary from goofy and fun to introspective and serious.

Prepare for fun, fright, and friendship in the Community Panel room at MagicCon: Las Vegas by reading about a few panels we’ve highlighted below!

But first, if you don’t have a MagicCon: Las Vegas badge yet, grab one before they’re gone.

New York Magic Unsleeved, 1-2pm

There are a lot of ways to learn about Magic’s origins as a game, and there’s tons of stories and lore out there for those curious. It’s much more difficult, however, to find records of the early days of tournament Magic. For the lucky people who want to hear wild stories about it, there’s Brian David-Marshall.

No one, and we mean no one, tells the wild stories of Magic’s past with more enthusiasm than longtime player, Magic historian, and top tabletop enthusiast Brian David-Marshall, so I’ll let him take it from here:

“Thirty years ago from this November, I ran my first ever Magic tournament,” he says. “It looked a lot like what you would think a modern Magic tournament might look like -- there were dealers, there were Magic illustrators, there were side events. What there weren't? Sleeves.”

“Do NOT attend this panel presentation of video from the very first event if you can't handle the sight of hundreds upon hundreds of Moxen, dual lands, and all the rest of the power 9 being vigorously riffle shuffled. Without sleeves.”

“You should attend if you want a glimpse into one of the earliest large-scale events run by an independent TO, watch some games being played years before the Pro Tour event existed, and even the first winner's interview. I believe it is the oldest video footage of a high-level Magic tournament that still exists.”

You heard him! Don’t miss this one if you: want to dive into Magic history that you’re not going to hear about (or see!) anywhere else, want to feel some schadenfreude while you watch unknowing players shuffle Black Lotuses, or love listening to someone get carried away while they tell you a great story.

An Unholy Hour of Vampires!!!, 2:30-3:30pm

The legend of the vampire has been around for hundreds of years across many incarnations. They can be moody, sparkly, sinister, terrifying, very good at counting, and so much more.

And just as many kinds of vampires wander the many planes of Magic! This panel will dive into Magic’s vampires, comparing them both to each other and to vampires in other media and cultures. Is Sorin more of a Dracula, or an Edward? Exactly how mad will people get that I just asked that question? Find out in this panel, but maybe pack a clove of garlic, just to be on the safe side.

"Come to this panel if you love fangs, fancy clothes and the sort of flavor that gets you flying, deathtouch, and lifelink,” says cosplayer and vampire panelist (as in, on this panel about vampires, not a vampire who is on the panel . . . we think) Tappy ToeClaws.

Don’t miss this one if you: are interested in Magic’s vampires from Sorin to Sengir, wish you could make your home on Innistrad, or RSVPed yes to Olivia Voldaren’s wedding.

100 Standard-Legal Magic Expansions: A Commander Perspective, 11am-12pm

Outlaws of Thunder Junction marked a milestone that might have flown under your radar: as of that release, there have been one hundred (and now more than one hundred) Standard-legal Magic expansions.

Panelists include members of the Commander Rules Committee and iconic content creators, and they’ll be taking this chance to look back over those hundred sets and tell stories about Commander’s history, highlight cards, strategies, or other hidden gems that have flown under the radar, and daydream about Commander’s future.

“Come to this panel to see members of the Commander Rules Committee and Commander Advisory Group talk about their favorite cards for Commander through the lens of the last 100 Standard-legal sets!” says Commander Advisory Group member, podcaster, and  Magic personality Shivam Bhatt.

Don’t miss this one if you: want to find a fresh Commander that might have been lost to time, promised to bring home some cool stories for your Commander pod, or if you just don’t believe there have been over one hundred Magic expansions and you need to hear about it for yourself.

A History of Horror in the Art of Magic, 4-5pm

The visual language of horror is every bit as deep as the written language of the genre, and Magic art has long played its own role in that visual language. From original creations to interpretations of horror classics like Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula,  artists have long been an important part of horror.

Can you trace a line from John Carpenter to the art of Duskmourn? Do you want to discover the visual ties that link Aliens to Magic’s own monsters? Find out if it’s possible with some of the most passionate Magic horror fans in the game.

Panelists include Concepts & Legends host Alper Markov, alongside special guests Nitpicking Nerds, Magic art expert Vorthos Mike, and Magic artists Anson Maddocks, Chris Rahn, and Victor Adame Minguez.

This panel will also feature live displays of the original Anson Maddocks Alpha painting for Llanowar Elves and Volkan Baga’s Vampire token from Commander 2017’s Vampiric Bloodlust.

Don’t miss this one if you: are a fan or horror on the page, screen, or canvas, want to see original Magic art in person, or would love to hear directly from Magic artists about their work!

Shivam and Wheeler Live!, 11:30am-12:30pm

Is the number one thing you love about Magic: MAGIC?! Because the hosts of this panel, Shivam Bhatt of the Casual Magic podcast and Ben Wheeler of LoadingReadyRun, LOVE Magic.

At MagicCon: Las Vegas, they SPECIFICALLY love Bloomburrow Commander, and they’re going to be talking about it with Wizards of the Coast designer Ellie Rice. With Halloween right around the corner and Duskmourn already upon us at the event, find a moment of respite from the scary and frolic once again in the gorgeous meadows of adorable rabbits and mice.

“Come to this panel to see pure unabashed love of Bloomburrow and everything Magic: The Gathering,” says host Ben Wheeler.

Don’t miss this one if you: are looking for the warm fuzzies instead of the creepy crawlies, aren’t done with Bloomburrow yet, or just want to have a nice time with some pretty great people!

Magic Fan Artists Present: D00-dls 4 Laughs!, 2:30-3:30pm

There’s no more surefire recipe for comedy than complex art, the pressure of a VERY restrictive time limit, and drawing from memory. Those are the three elements brought together in this panel that’s all about fun!

In this panel, the audience will pick a legendary creature and the Magic fan artists there will have to draw the character from memory in two minutes or less. Once the drawings are presented, attendees will get to vote on awards for the most accurate, the silliest, and the least accurate.

“Come to this panel if you want to see what happens when people try to draw cards from memory! But it will be silly drawing based on a lot of guessing about what certain Magic cards look like!” says panel member Infinitokens.

Don’t miss this one if you: laugh until you cry every time you play a game like Pictionary, need a moment of lighthearted relaxation at the end of a long weekend, or want to see your favorite legendary creature given an unfortunate artistic makeover.

And if none of these panels are quite what you’re looking for, then check out the entire schedule of offerings here!

With thousands of people at MagicCon: Las Vegas, you’re sure to find someone who wants to talk about that exact same niche Commander, art, rules interaction, or anything else at all with you.