Standard Showdown

Standard Showdown was a Magic: The Gathering pilot program, aimed at growing local Standard communities and providing a reliable weekly setting for this format. The tournament was played in local communities after a new block release. Events must be Ranked (i.e. include at least three rounds, and at least eight players).

History
Standard Showdown was introduced in November 2016 after the release of Kaladesh. The first Standard Showdowns were scheduled as 1 event per week, on eight consecutive weekends (excluding the week of Game Day). Starting with Ixalan, Game Day was abandoned and Standard Showdown would culminate in the Store Championship.

There was no Standard Showdown for Core Set 2020 or further sets.

Prize boosters
Wizards of the Coast announced that they would provide special promotional prize boosters to participating stores. Initially, each prize booster contained three cards. One was a premium card from a currently legal Standard set in any any rarity (which was, in low probability, replaced by a Masterpiece Series' card) The other two cards were non-premium cards that were either a rare or a mythic rare, also from a set currently legal in Standard.

For Amonkhet, a fourth card was added: a full-art land. Masterpiece Series were no longer included in prize packs.

For Hour of Devastation yet another card was added. There were now two premium foil cards: one common or uncommon and one rare or mythic rare.

Starting with Ixalan, the Standard Showdown booster prizes came with a foil promo land in each booster. Those lands would feature new or highly desirable art from Magic 's history.

Note
Double-faced cards and cards from Masterpiece Series do not appear as a part of prize booster packs (with the exception of Kaladesh's prize packs, which Masterpiece Series' cards might appear).

Misprint
Every foil Captain's Claws from Amonkhet standard showdown packs had Goldnight Castigator's foil pattern on it.