Outlaws of Thunder Junction is Magic: The Gathering’s first Western-themed set, and its release includes more than the main card pool: several separately coded subsets, new mechanics, special treatments, and four Commander decks. The simplest way to make sense of it is to separate the setting, gameplay rules, and card products—and to remember that appearing in an OTJ Play Booster does not automatically make a card newly legal in Standard.
What is Outlaws of Thunder Junction?
Outlaws of Thunder Junction is a Magic set set on a frontier plane, with a story centered on Oko and a crew drawn to the plane’s vault. Wizards of the Coast described it as Magic’s first Western-themed set. Its tabletop release was April 19, 2024; the MTG Arena global release was April 16, 2024. Those are historical release dates, not upcoming events. Wizards’ set announcement provides the release context.
The set can feel especially busy because it brings together a frontier theme, several mechanics, cards from multiple set-code groups, collector variants, and four ready-to-play Commander decks. Those pieces overlap in the products, but they are not all one undifferentiated set for Constructed legality.
Why do Outlaws of Thunder Junction cards have different set codes?
The release has multiple card groups. Their codes help identify where a card belongs; they do not by themselves tell you that it is legal in a particular format. Wizards’ collecting guide and mechanics overview describe the groups and how they appear in products.
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- HERE COMES A SHOWDOWN THROWDOWN—Become the quickest draw in Thunder Junction, casting multiple spells per turn, and duel your friends with a Blue-Red deck that’s ready-to-play right out of the box
- EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
- INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering, including 2 foil Legendary Creature cards (one of which is Borderless!)
- COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 alt-border cards from the Outlaws of Thunder Junction set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- CONTENTS—1 ready-to-play Quick Draw Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander Deck, a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack, 10 double-sided tokens, 1 life tracker, and 1 deck box
| Code | What it identifies | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| OTJ | The main Outlaws of Thunder Junction set | The main set has 81 commons, 100 uncommons, 60 rares, and 20 mythic rares, according to Wizards’ 2024 collecting guide. |
| BIG | The Big Score, a 30-card subset | It is a distinct subset, not simply another name for the main OTJ set. |
| OTP | Breaking News, a bonus sheet of reprints | Wizards’ 2024 guide lists 65 cards: 20 uncommons, 30 rares, and 15 mythic rares. |
| SPG | Special Guests reprints | Wizards lists 10 SPG cards among the 40 cards on The List for OTJ; The List also includes 30 BIG cards. |
| OTC | Cards associated with the set’s Commander decks | Commander-specific cards are separate from the main OTJ set code. |
Play Boosters can include cards that are usable in the set’s Draft and Sealed card pool, but that is not the same as becoming newly legal in Standard or another Constructed format. Reprints keep the legality they already have, and legality depends on the individual card and format. Check the current Magic format pages before building a Constructed deck; a booster’s set association alone is not enough.
What do the new mechanics mean?
Several mechanics express the set’s outlaw theme, but they change gameplay in different ways. In particular, “outlaw” is a descriptive game term, “crime” depends on a target, and plot, spree, and saddle each have specific timing or payment rules. Wizards’ mechanics article and release notes give the official definitions.
Rank #2
- BRING LIFE TO THE DESERT—Discard Land cards, then rejuvenate them for a lively victory with this Red-Green-White deck that’s ready-to-play right out of the box
- EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
- INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering, including 2 foil Legendary Creature cards (one of which is Borderless!)
- COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 alt-border cards from the Outlaws of Thunder Junction set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- CONTENTS—1 ready-to-play Desert Bloom Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander Deck, a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack, 10 double-sided tokens, 1 life tracker, and 1 deck box
Outlaw: a group of creature types
An outlaw is a card with at least one of these creature types: Assassin, Mercenary, Pirate, Rogue, or Warlock. “Outlaw” is not itself a creature type. As Wizards puts it in the release notes, it refers to “any card with the Assassin, Mercenary, Pirate, Rogue, or Warlock creature type.” When an ability refers to an outlaw “you control,” it usually means a qualifying permanent on the battlefield; an ability can instead specify outlaw spells or cards in another zone.
Crime: the target matters
A crime is committed when you cast a spell, activate an ability, or put a triggered ability on the stack that targets one or more of these:
Rank #3
- WHAT’S THEIRS IS YOURS—Steal cards from your friends, then defeat them with all the shiny spells you’ve stolen with this Black-Green-Blue deck that’s ready-to-play right out of the box
- EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
- INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering, including 2 foil Legendary Creature cards (one of which is Borderless.)
- COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 alt-border cards from the Outlaws of Thunder Junction set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- CONTENTS—1 ready-to-play Grand Larceny Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander Deck, a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack, 10 double-sided tokens, 1 life tracker, and 1 deck box
- An opponent.
- A spell or ability an opponent controls.
- A permanent an opponent controls.
- A card in an opponent’s graveyard.
A card’s name, art, or flavor does not make an action a crime. The action counts when it goes on the stack, even if it is later countered or its target changes. A spell aimed at a card in your own graveyard, for example, does not qualify just because the card is in a graveyard.
Plot: set a card aside for a later turn
To plot a card, pay its plot cost and exile it from your hand. On a later turn, you may cast it from exile without paying its mana cost. Both plotting and casting a plotted card happen at sorcery timing, and you cannot cast it during the same turn you plotted it.
Rank #4
- CRIME ALWAYS PAYS—Amass treasure and hire fierce outlaws to overpower your foes with this Red-White-Black deck that’s ready-to-play right out of the box
- EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
- INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering, including 2 foil Legendary Creature cards (one of which is Borderless.)
- COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 alt-border cards from the Outlaws of Thunder Junction set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- CONTENTS—1 ready-to-play Most Wanted Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander Deck, a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack, 10 double-sided tokens, 1 life tracker, and 1 deck box
Spree: choose modes and pay for each
When casting a spree spell, choose one or more modes and pay the additional cost for every mode you select. You cannot choose the same mode more than once. The plus sign printed beside a mode is a reminder, not a separate rules symbol. A spree spell’s mana value is still determined by its mana cost alone, not by the additional costs paid for its modes.
Mount and saddle: tap other creatures to enable an ability
Mount is a creature type and has no rules meaning by itself. Saddle is an activated ability that you can activate only at sorcery timing. To pay its cost, tap other untapped creatures you control with total power at least equal to the saddle number. If the ability resolves, the Mount is saddled until end of turn; the card’s other text explains what being saddled does.
Best Value
- WELCOME TO THE MULTIVERSE—The perfect way to start playing Commander with your friends. Bring this 100-card deck to the table and square off against up to three other combatants!
- THRILLING MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Battle your friends with powerful creatures and spectacular spells in Commander, Magic’s most popular multiplayer format
- RULE FROM YOUR THRONE OF TREASURE—Your reign over the table begins with Lathliss, who creates a dragon when a non-token dragon enters. Use treasure tokens and cost-reduction effects to send out your fiercest dragons early and drown the world in fire!
- FOIL LEGENDARY CARD—Every Foundations Commander Deck includes 1 Mythic Rare Legendary Creature card with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment to command your deck in style
- CONTENTS—1 ready-to-play Reign of Dragons Foundations MTG Commander Deck (100 cards), 1 deck box, 10 double-sided token cards, 1 strategy guide, 1 reference card
Which Commander decks are in the set?
The release includes four preconstructed Commander decks, each a ready-to-play 100-card deck with two foil legendary creatures that can serve as commanders and ten cards that were new to Magic at publication. Wizards’ Commander decklists identify the decks and their contents.
| Deck | Color identity | Listed commander | Play style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Draw | Blue-red | Stella Lee, Wild Card | Spellslinger strategy built around casting multiple spells and copying spells. |
| Desert Bloom | Red-green-white | Yuma, Proud Protector | Desert and land-focused play, including land recursion and creature tokens. |
| Grand Larceny | Blue-black-green | Gonti, Canny Acquisitor | Steal or play cards from opponents’ libraries and use those cards for value. |
| Most Wanted | White-black-red | Kellan, the Kid | Outlaw-focused play, with a wanted theme and value from committing crimes. |
These are different starting points rather than a ranking: decklists show their themes, but the listed contents alone do not establish which deck performs best. The set also has an optional bounty minigame for Commander. It uses a shared deck of at least six of the 12 bounty cards, without duplicates. Each bounty has a capture condition and a reward that increases while it remains unclaimed; the minigame is an add-on, not a requirement for playing the decks.
Which product fits the way you want to play?
Wizards documented Play Booster displays, Collector Booster displays, Bundles, Prerelease Packs, and the four Commander decks for the original release. These descriptions are useful for identifying what each product was designed to do, but old release contents are not a guarantee about a resale listing today.
- For Draft or Sealed: Play Boosters are the set’s Limited-play boosters. Cards opened for those formats may come from more than the main OTJ card group.
- For premium treatments: Collector Boosters are the product aimed at foils and special treatments described in Wizards’ collecting guide. Slot information and odds published for the 2024 configuration are not a promise that any particular card will appear.
- For a sealed bundle of set materials: The original Bundle included nine Play Boosters, a foil promo, 30 basic lands split between foil and non-foil, a life counter, and a storage box.
- For a prerelease event: The original Prerelease Pack contained six Play Boosters, a foil-stamped rare or mythic promo, and accessories.
- For ready-to-play multiplayer: Choose one of the four Commander decks rather than assembling a deck from boosters.
Those Bundle and Prerelease Pack contents describe Wizards’ original release configuration. Check the exact contents and condition of any current resale product before buying; the official release materials do not establish current stock or prices.
Quick Recap
How to read the set without getting lost
- Start with your format. If you are playing Commander, compare the four decklists. If you want Draft or Sealed, focus on Play Boosters and Limited play.
- Check the card’s set code and printing. OTJ, BIG, OTP, SPG, and OTC identify distinct parts of the release, not one shared Constructed-legal pool.
- Look up the individual card’s current legality. Reprints retain existing legality; verify the card on the current format information rather than inferring from the booster it came from.
- Read mechanics literally. For crime, identify the target; for spree, count the chosen modes and their additional costs; for plot and saddle, observe their timing and costs.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
