Planechase Anthology: The Complete Guide (PCA)
What is Planechase Anthology?
Some of Magic's best experiences happen when you add a little chaos to the table - and Planechase Anthology (PCA) is essentially a boxed invitation to do exactly that. Released by Wizards of the Coast on November 25, 2016, it's a comprehensive collection that bundles together the content from both previous Planechase products - the original Planechase (2009) and Planechase 2012 - into a single, ready-to-play package.
If you've ever wanted to try the Planechase format but didn't want to hunt down two separate out-of-print products, this anthology was designed for you. Everything you need to run four simultaneous Planechase games is here in one box.
Format check: Planechase is its own casual multiplayer format, most commonly played as a layer on top of Commander or regular multiplayer games. The planar cards and planar die aren't legal in sanctioned Constructed or Limited formats - this is firmly a kitchen-table and game-night product.
What's inside Planechase Anthology?
The box is genuinely generous in scope. Here's what PCA contains:
- The four Planechase 2012 theme decks - prebuilt 60-card decks, ready to play straight out of the box
- 86 oversized Planar cards - the full collection from both Planechase and Planechase 2012, showcasing planes from across the Multiverse
- Four slide deck boxes - one per deck
- An oversize slide deck box for storing the planar cards
- 35 double-sided tokens
- A special edition planar die - the custom six-sided die with the planeswalker and chaos symbols that makes the format tick
- Four spindown life counters
- A strategy insert to help new players get into the format quickly
The 86 planar cards are the real centrepiece here. These oversized cards each represent a specific plane in the Magic Multiverse, and they do things that normal Magic cards simply don't - reshaping the rules of the game for everyone at the table while that plane is active.
How the Planechase format works
If you haven't played Planechase before, the core idea is beautifully simple: there's a shared deck of planar cards in the middle of the table, and the top card is always "active," applying its effect to everyone's game simultaneously.
On your turn, you can roll the special planar die. Most faces do nothing (the blank sides), but two matter:
- The chaos symbol triggers the chaos ability on the current plane
- The planeswalker symbol causes you to planeswalk - the current plane is moved to the bottom of the deck and a new one is revealed
Each additional roll on the same turn costs {1} more, so you're always making a real decision about whether pushing your luck is worth it. The result is a format where no two games feel the same, because the active plane can wildly accelerate, disrupt, or completely invert normal Magic gameplay.
Lore aside: Each planar card is tied to a specific location in Magic's Multiverse - Ravnica, Zendikar, Dominaria, and dozens more. They're a wonderful way to travel the planes without needing a full set release.
The Planechase series in context
Planechase Anthology is the third and final dedicated product in the Planechase line, which consists of:
- Planechase (2009)
- Planechase 2012
- Planechase Anthology (2016)
The format didn't disappear after PCA, though. When March of the Machine Commander decks released, each included 10 planar cards and a planar die - a semi-official return to the format. The Doctor Who Commander decks followed suit, each containing 10 non-canon planar cards of their own. So while PCA is the last standalone Planechase product, the format has quietly lived on in Commander releases.
In that sense, Planechase Anthology arrived at an interesting moment - a closing statement for one era of the format, and, it turned out, a bridge to how Planechase would be reintroduced years later.
Who is Planechase Anthology for?
Honestly, PCA is a product with a pretty clear audience, and it's worth being upfront about that.
If you play a lot of casual multiplayer Magic - especially Commander nights with a regular group - and you've been curious about Planechase but didn't want to track down two aging products separately, this anthology is the ideal entry point. Everything is consolidated, the decks are ready to play, and having four complete setups means your whole table can jump in at once.
If you already own both Planechase and Planechase 2012, the overlap is significant. The anthology doesn't add new planar cards beyond what those sets contained - it's a repackaging, not an expansion.
And if you're primarily a competitive or format-focused player, this one probably isn't for you. There are no Standard-legal, Modern-legal, or Pioneer-legal cards here that aren't already available elsewhere. The value is in the experience, not the individual card power level.
Set legacy
Planechase Anthology occupies a comfortable niche in Magic's product history: it's the kind of release that's easy to overlook in a busy release calendar, but genuinely appreciated by the players it's aimed at. As a one-stop collection for an entire beloved casual format, it did its job well.
The Planechase format itself has proven to have real staying power. The fact that Wizards returned to it with March of the Machine and Doctor Who Commander decks suggests the concept still resonates - there's something about the shared chaos of a shifting plane that brings out a particular kind of creativity and laughter at the table.
For anyone building out a comprehensive Magic collection with an eye toward fun multiplayer experiences, Planechase Anthology remains one of the more thoughtfully assembled boxed products of its era. ✨
