What is PMKM in Magic: The Gathering?

PMKM is the set code for Murders at Karlov Manor Promos, the official promo set accompanying Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM). It contains 180 cards — alternate printings of MKM cards distributed through prerelease kits, buy-a-box bonuses, store events, and other organised play channels around the set's February 9, 2024 release.

Are Murders at Karlov Manor Promo cards legal in Standard?

Yes. PMKM promo cards are legal in exactly the same formats as their base Murders at Karlov Manor versions. The promo designation only affects the card's collector number and physical treatment — it has no impact on format legality or rules text.

How do you get Murders at Karlov Manor promo cards?

PMKM cards are distributed through a variety of channels rather than booster packs. Common sources include prerelease event kits, buy-a-box promotions at local game stores, bundle promos, and store championship or game day rewards. The specific card you receive depends on the event or product.

When was Murders at Karlov Manor released?

Murders at Karlov Manor, along with its associated promo set PMKM and four Commander preconstructed decks, released on February 9, 2024.

What Commander decks came with Murders at Karlov Manor?

Four Commander decks launched alongside MKM: Deadly Disguise ({W}{R}{G}, led by Kaust, Eyes of the Glade), Revenant Recon ({U}{B}, led by Mirko, Obsessive Theorist), Deep Clue Sea ({W}{U}{G}, led by Morska, Undersea Sleuth), and Blame Game ({W}{R}, led by Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser).

What is the difference between an MKM card and a PMKM card?

A PMKM card and its MKM counterpart have identical rules text and format legality. The difference is purely physical: PMKM printings may feature alternate art, special frame treatments, prerelease date stamps, or different foiling. For gameplay, they are completely interchangeable.

Murders at Karlov Manor Promos (PMKM) Guide

Promo sets don't get their own booster packs or draft tables - they're the collection of alternate-version cards that accompany a main release through buy-a-box bonuses, prerelease kits, store championships, and other organised play events. Murders at Karlov Manor Promos (PMKM) is exactly that: a 180-card companion set to Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM), released on February 9, 2024, gathering together the promotional printings tied to that set.

If you've cracked a prerelease kit for MKM, picked up a buy-a-box promo, or earned a card at a local game store event around that launch window, there's a good chance you already have a PMKM card sitting in your binder.

What is Murders at Karlov Manor Promos?

Murders at Karlov Manor Promos is the official promo set associated with Murders at Karlov Manor, Magic's murder-mystery-themed expansion set on the plane of Ravnica. The set code PMKM distinguishes these printings from their standard MKM counterparts - same card, different treatment.

With 180 cards in the promo set, PMKM is a substantial collection of alternate printings. That number reflects the wide range of distribution channels modern Magic uses: prerelease promos, buy-a-box cards, bundle promos, store championship rewards, and judge or event foils all roll up under this single set code in databases like Scryfall.

Format check: Cards in PMKM are legal in exactly the same formats as their base MKM versions. The promo tag changes the collector number and sometimes the frame or treatment - it never changes the card's rules text or format legality.

Setting and themes

Murders at Karlov Manor is set on Ravnica, Magic's city-world of ten guilds, and leans hard into murder-mystery fiction as its creative lens. The set follows an investigation into a series of crimes at Karlov Manor, with mechanics built around gathering clues, disguising your identity, and solving cases.

The main MKM set introduced the Suspect and Case mechanics, alongside a returning emphasis on Clue tokens and the Disguise mechanic (a twist on the older Morph). All of that flavour carries through into the promo cards - you'll find the same mechanical identity in PMKM cards, just dressed up in alternate art or special frames.

Commander decks

Four Commander preconstructed decks released alongside Murders at Karlov Manor on February 9, 2024. Some promotional cards are associated with these products. The four decks are:

| Deck Name | Color Identity | Commander | |---|---|---| | Deadly Disguise | {W}{R}{G} | Kaust, Eyes of the Glade | | Revenant Recon | {U}{B} | Mirko, Obsessive Theorist | | Deep Clue Sea | {W}{U}{G} | Morska, Undersea Sleuth | | Blame Game | {W}{R} | Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser |

These decks each lean into one of the set's major themes - disguise and ambush creatures, graveyard recursion and investigation, Clue-token generation and big splashy payoffs, and chaotic multiplayer politicking respectively.

How promo sets work

It's worth a quick note on what a promo set is for players who are newer to how Magic organises its card catalogue.

When Wizards distributes special versions of cards through events, stores, or product bonuses, those printings need a home in the official set structure. Rather than scattering them across multiple codes, they're grouped under a single promo set code - in this case, PMKM. A card might appear in both MKM and PMKM with identical rules text but different collector numbers, frame treatments, or foiling.

Rules note: For all rules and format purposes, a PMKM printing of a card is identical to its MKM printing. Promo status has no effect on gameplay whatsoever.

The 180-card count for PMKM is relatively large, which reflects just how many different promotional channels feed into a modern Magic release - prerelease, launch, buy-a-box, bundle, game day, and organised play rewards can each contribute unique printings to the pool.

Set legacy

Murders at Karlov Manor landed in early 2024 as one of the more creatively ambitious sets of that year, trading on Ravnica nostalgia while giving it a fresh coat of noir fiction. The promo set, PMKM, is the collector-facing side of that - the layer of alternate treatments and special printings that rewards players who engage with the set through local game stores and organised play.

For collectors, PMKM is worth tracking because promo printings of format-relevant cards often carry a premium, and some treatments (particularly prerelease stamp foils) are the only way to get certain frame variations. For players who just want to sleeve up and play, the PMKM tag is mostly a detail in the set line of your card manager.

Either way, if you played Magic during the MKM launch window in early 2024, Murders at Karlov Manor Promos is probably already represented somewhere in your collection.