Magic: The Gathering's Planeswalker card type is well-known by players. Since 2007, planeswalkers have become mainstay card types in set releases. Several planeswalkers including The Wanderering Emperor and Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord have dominated various Constructed formats. More recently, Wizards of the Coast took a step back from introducing new planeswalkers due to many of them losing their spark in the March of the Machine storyline. However, planeswalkers continue to find their way into Standard sets and Commander Precon Decks.

In my TCGplayer Infinite article, 6 More Planeswalker MTG Cards You Should Be Playing in Commander, I discuss six planeswalkers worth considering in the 99 of Commander decks. You should not overlook the powerful Commander synergies of Lolth, Spider Queen, Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients, and other playable planeswalkers.

ConCarolinas is an annual convention held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Historically, it takes place at the Hilton Charlotte University Place over a three-day weekend. The convention focuses on science fiction, fantasy, and gaming and features a multitude of guest presenters, vendors, and performers. 

ConCarolinas offers a diverse range of themed tracks, each delving into unique and fascinating topics such as writing, paranormal, and geek life. These tracks host numerous scheduled panels and events, all led by engaging guest speakers. For my first ConCarolinas experience, I had the privilege of speaking and moderating several panels across these diverse tracks, each offering a new and exciting perspective.
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Following the panel, I had time to explore the convention more thoroughly. I spoke with my friend and author John G. Hartness at the Fallstaff Books vendor table, perused the vendor rooms, and stopped by the gaming room. Friday afternoon seemed light on attendees as there was little issue navigating the convention halls or waiting for the elevators to return to the lobby floor. Unfortunately, the escalator going up to the lobby remained broken all weekend.
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My next activity was the Banned Book Fair. Any attendees could walk into a large dining room and pick out a book for free. The catch is that each book got gift-wrapped with a label explaining why the mystery book received a ban in public libraries or schools. Some mystery books were well-known, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Lord of the Flies, while others were more niche. I selected a mystery children's book that turned out to be Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry. ConCarolina's Banned Book Fair is a great event that attendees should consider participating in.

As dinner time approached, I walked behind the hotel to try Pho@University. Upon entering the establishment, a friendly waitress greeted me. The inexpensive beers listed on the table tent stood out as I sat at an open table. I ordered a local beer for a few dollars and then reviewed the food menu. When the waitress came by with my beer, I asked for a pair of spring rolls and their pho combination option. Pho@University's spring rolls were tasty, and the pho met my expectations. If you like pho, bao buns, and Asian cuisine, visit Pho@University during your time at ConCarolinas.​

After dinner, I returned to ConCarolinas and stopped by their karaoke event. A member of a live-action role-playing group volunteered to run the karaoke event since he owned some equipment. Upon entering the room, I noticed a professional setup with a microphone, lighting, a DJ table, and a large television screen. Karaoke participants visited a website through a QR link to select a song and get in a queue. Once the event started, the list of karaoke singers quickly filled up. I sang (terribly) Torn by Natalie Imbruglia and stayed a while to watch other attendees perform various songs. To cap the night, I went to the game room, hoping to jump into a Magic: The Gathering Commander pod. Luckily, a game had ended, enabling me to join a three-person pod. Throughout the evening, I continued playing Commander and won two multiplayer games before leaving the convention. 

ConCarolinas 2024 - Day 2
Parking at ConCarolinas was challenging Saturday morning as no parking spots were available in the hotel's lot. I had to park on the other side of the boardwalk for the day, which worked out fine. When I arrived at the convention hall around 10 a.m., I immediately noticed a larger crowd of attendees. My first panel of the day was Geek Travel Destinations in a meeting room off the hotel lobby. Although the room was hot, attendees came and stayed for the panel. One of the panelists enjoyed visiting locations of famous movies filmed around the state of North Carolina, and another enjoyed visiting old graveyards while sightseeing. I discussed traveling to Japan to immerse oneself in video games, manga, and more. 

Following the morning panel, I strolled through Saturday's outdoor craft fair and stopped by Kevin J. Anderson's table. I only had an hour before my next panel, Business and Budgeting for Writers, started at 12:30 p.m. My lunchtime panel was interesting as an accountant moderated for myself, a contractor writer and blogger, and a successful author with many novel and anthology publications. Members of the audience heard two distinct perspectives on paying taxes, managing expenses, business licenses, etc. We both stressed the importance of tracking your expenses and tax obligations and being mindful of spending the first real money made from a creative endeavor. Afterward, I went to Cava nearby for lunch and departed for the afternoon as I had an offsite commitment for the rest of the day. 
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Bloomburrow is Magic: The Gathering's summer 2025 Standard set release. In Bloomburrow, players will venture to a new, all-animal plane called Valley. Animal adventurers, animal-centric spells, and much more await players in Bloomburrow following its official release on August 2nd, 2024.

My latest article, 4 MTG Cards Players Want from Bloomburrow, identifies four cards MTG players hope to see in Bloomburrow. A plane full of animals enables the opportunity for new kindred-synergizing spells, lands, artifacts, and enchantments. While players will have to wait for Bloomburrow's spoil season to see what is officially in the set, my article may provide a glimpse of Bloomburrow's card inclusions.

Wizards of the Coast introduced the Set Booster for Magic: The Gathering in 2020. Set Boosters were created to improve the player experience of opening booster packs. Various sets released between Zendikar Rising and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan offered Set Boosters. Unlike Draft Boosters, Set Boosters cannot used for Limited play due to its card slot design. 

​During the product run of Set Boosters, WOTC began adding exclusive, regular version cards only found in Set Boosters. These exclusive cards cater to MTG Commander players and provide a bevy of interesting abilities. In my recent article, 5 MTG Set Booster Exclusive Cards You Should Be Playing in Commander, I discuss five playable Set Booster exclusive cards worth trying in the 99 of Commander decks. Read the article to see which Set Booster exclusive cards stand out from the rest.