Last updated on May 17, 2024
Obsessive Collector | Illustration by Reiko Murakami
Wizards of the Coast consolidated Draft boosters and Set boosters into a single product called Play boosters. The Play booster packs are designed to solve some of the inventory and sales issues that stores have when there are three different boosters to choose from.
According to Wizards, players overwhelmingly chose to buy Set boosters over Draft boosters because of the increased possible value in each pack. However, stores still need to stock Draft boosters to run Limited games. The result is that some stores got stuck with leftover Draft boosters. Play boosters take what players like about Set boosters and add it to a draftable pack. This appeals to players and saves stores the trouble of buying two different products.
It’s great to see Wizards make a move to try and help out stores and also give players what they want. With more chances to get rare cards in draftable boosters, some wonder if it’s still worth buying the more expensive Collector boosters. I break down the differences between these packs, go over what’s inside, and talk about which is better between Play boosters and Collector boosters.
The Difference Between Play and Collector Boosters
Collector Ouphe | Illustration by Filip Burburan
Play boosters are the up-to-date draftable booster pack. These packs are color balanced to ensure a good Limited play environment. They can contain up to four rares. Unlike Draft boosters, they have a chance to get cards from The List and art cards.
Collector boosters are premium-priced booster packs with more guaranteed rares. Though Collector boosters are tweaked with each set, most recently they contain five rare cards, sometimes with a chance at more. These packs also include more foil cards, special art treatments, and chances at set-specific art styles like the anime style Enchanting Tales from Wilds of Eldraine or the Brothers Hildebrandt cards from the Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Special Edition.
Play Booster Contents
Play boosters contain 13 playable cards and one card which is either an ad, a token, a helper, or an art card. The contents of each pack are as follows:
- Slot 1-6: Commons: These are six guaranteed common cards from the main set. They have a chance of being Booster Fun styles from the given set. These are no longer thematically connected to uncommons the way they are in Set boosters in favor of color balancing the packs for drafts.
- Slot 7: Common or The List: This slot has an 87.5% chance of being another common from the main set. The remaining 12.5% of the time, this will be a card from The List. The List cards are reprints that remain illegal in Standard. This slot may also be a Special Guest which is a subset of The List. Special Guest cards are reprints with new art to fit the world of the set in which they’re found, and this slot is adjusted from set to set.
- Slot 8-10: Uncommons: This slot is three uncommons from the main set. These aren’t connected to any commons like in Set boosters, but they’re possibly Booster Fun versions.
- Slot 11: Rare or Mythic: You’re guaranteed one rare or mythic in each Play booster. About 86% of the time, this slot contains a rare, and around 14% of the time you get a mythic rare. These are from the main set and may be a Booster Fun variant.
- Slot 12: Land: You get one basic land or common land in each Play booster. 80% of the time this land is non-foil, while it’s a traditional foil 20% of the time.
- Slot 13: Non-Foil Wildcard Slot: Wizards says that this card can be “almost anything from the main set.” It can be any rarity, so it’s hard to say what they mean by “almost anything,” but reading between the lines it seems as though certain cards won’t be available in wild card slots. These can also be Booster Fun variants.
- Slot 14: Traditional Foil Wildcard: This card is the same as the previous slot except in all the Pringley goodness of traditional foils.
- Slot 15: Miscellaneous Helper Cards/Ads: This is where you’ll find things like tokens, instructions, or placeholder cards for double-faced cards. 65% of the time it’s a token, helper card, or an ad. 30% of the time this is an art card. There’s a 5% chance for this slot to hold a signed art card.
Collector Booster Contents
The exact contents of Collector boosters change subtly from set to set, though there are some elements that seem pretty locked in at this point. Collector boosters have five guaranteed rares, some with the chance of getting another in a certain slot. Most also dedicate three slots to the set’s specific bonus cards. For example, March of the Machine Collector boosters give three slots to Multiverse Legends cards, and Wilds of Eldraine Collector boosters include three dedicated slots to Enchanting Tales, with an additional chance to get a fourth.
When you need to know exactly what is in each Collector booster, you should check out the “Collecting” articles that Wizards releases for each product. The article is titled “Collecting [insert set name here]” and gives highly detailed breakdowns of what each Collector booster contains. For example: Collecting Outlaws of Thunder Junction.
Which Is Better? Play or Collector Boosters?
I love drafting, so Play boosters are better for me. Now, do I want a Collector booster as my prize for a pack-per-win prize structure, absolutely! If you primarily collect or do MTG finance, Collector boosters are better for more reliably getting shiny and showstopping cards.
The price per pack of Play boosters is more than draft boosters, but not as much or as fluid as Collector boosters.
A Collector booster guarantees five rare or mythics, whereas a Play booster guarantees one, with a possibility of more. If I estimate that a Collector booster costs roughly five times the amount of a Play booster, my recommendation is to stick with Play boosters. You’ll have a shot at more rares, and you can still play Limited with them. I personally buy a box of Draft boosters from sets I enjoy and keep them around to redraft once they’ve gone out of print, an added value you can’t really get out of Collector boosters.
If you’re strictly into collecting Magic and not playing it, Collector boosters can be a nice alternative. You do get fewer slots of draft chaff in a Collector booster, so if card storage is an issue and you’re just chasing value, these may be the best option for you.
Collector boosters are a fun gamble if you want to chase serialized cards and you have the money to do so. At the end of the day, you’re gambling, and you’re very likely to lose. If you want to open it for the thrill, that makes sense, but I wouldn’t call it a smart purchase.
Ultimately, there’s a level of subjectivity here. I know some players love Collector boosters and as someone who bought multiples of the Ponies: The Galloping 2 Secret Lair, I can’t lecture anyone about their money. But if you’re struggling to make the decision, I’d recommend Play boosters.
Best Play Boosters
Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Thunder Junction is a crossroads of cards with great rarity. Outlaws of Thunder Junction Play boosters can include cards from three different “mini sets”: Breaking News, The Big Score, and Special Guests. While they're really exciting if you are drafting, some of these are not only the most expensive cards from OTJ but also reprints that continue to make an impact in eternal formats, which makes it much more likely they'll hold their trade value.
- SADDLE UP FOR A WILD RIDE—Join Oko’s crew of deadly desperados as they plot a brazen heist in the frontier world of Thunder Junction, Magic’s first western-themed setting
- FUN TO OPEN. FUN TO PLAY—Get the best of Draft and Set Boosters, combined into one! Play Boosters are great for Limited play and fun to open, with a possibility of Art cards, Showcase cards, additional Rares, and a foil card in every pack
- THE BEST OF THE WEST—Each Play Booster contains 1–5 cards of rarity Rare or higher, including the possibility of a Borderless Mythic Rare card from Magic’s history
- BREAKING NEWS CARD IN EVERY PACK—Every Play Booster contains at least 1 Breaking News card, a reprint featuring new art and a front page news-style frame reporting the spell as a crime; do you dare become that spell-casting outlaw?
- SHINING FOIL IN EVERY PACK—Every booster also includes at least 1 shining Traditional Foil card of any rarity; in 20% of packs you’ll also find a Traditional Foil Land card (which may even feature a Full-Art Western Landscape)
Murders at Karlov Manor
Murders at Karlov Manor has some unique treatments on its rarest cards, and as the first set with Play boosters, it offers quite the experience of picking from up to four rares in one pack. Some of the coolest pieces of Booster Fun are the showcase magnified cards which are directly tied to the story of the set. The card frame is cool like dark mode and not nearly as dizzying as the impossible full-art lands that can show up in the land slot. Dare I say, there's a lot to investigate when it comes to Murders at Karlov Manor Play boosters.
- INTRODUCING PLAY BOOSTERS—Get the best of Draft and Set Boosters, combined into one! Play Boosters are great for Limited play and fun to open, with a possibility of multiple Rares and at least 1 shining foil card in every pack
- TRACK THE CLUES. CRACK THE CASE—Play detective as you collect evidence, don disguises, and identify suspects to decipher the deadly murder mystery at the heart of Ravnica
- PACKS MAY CONTAIN MULTIPLE RARES—Each MKM Play Booster contains 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher, including the possibility of a special Borderless Mythic Rare card from Magic’s history
- SHINING FOIL CARD IN EVERY PACK—Every Play Booster contains 1 shining Traditional Foil card of any rarity; in 20% of packs you’ll also find a Traditional Foil Land card (which may even be Full-Art!)
- MAY CONTAIN ART CARDS, A PLAY BOOSTER EXCLUSIVE—Now found only in Play Boosters, some packs also contain an Art Card showcasing a piece of art from the Murders at Karlov Manor set, sometimes with a foil signature from the artist
Best Collector Boosters
Ravnica Remastered
Ravnica Remastered Collector boosters tap into the nostalgic nerve in many Magic players. These are filled with 4-5 retro frame cards, just imagine Seventh Edition card frames and older. One of the biggest draws to Ravnica are the borderless shock lands, which are highly prized by players and collectors alike.
- RENEW YOUR VIP GUILD MEMBERSHIP—There’s no place like Ravnica; walk through familiar streets with a bustling crowd of reprinted favorites from Ravnica’s past and the ten unique guilds that keep the city running
- COLLECT RETRO CARDS—Honor Ravnica’s treasured past with Retro cards overflowing with nostalgic charm; every Collector Booster contains 4–5 Retro-Frame cards, one of which may be a unique Serialized Retro card
- MAY CONTAIN BORDERLESS SHOCK LANDS—Every pack also contains 1–2 Borderless reprints, each of which may be either a Borderless Shock Land (a Collector Booster exclusive!) or Borderless card with anime-inspired alternate art
- BEST BOOSTERS FOR COLLECTORS—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in a set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- PLAY A GAME THAT FUSES ART, STORIES & STRATEGY—Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game that weaves deep strategy with art and mechanics that explore the themes of a particular world and story—whether you want to play a casual game with friends, collect cool cards, or get competitive, Magic welcomes you to The Gathering
Wilds of Eldraine
Wilds of Eldraine Collector boosters gather at least one extended art, alternate art, and alternate frame cards. These are the finest cards, and you should expect 10-12 foils.
- A TALE ONLY YOU CAN TELL—Venture into the untamed Wilds of Eldraine, a fairy tale-inspired world in the Magic multiverse, and free the kingdom from a curse of endless slumber.
- BEST BOOSTERS FOR COLLECTORS—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in a set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- BEWITCHING BORDERLESS CARDS—Every Collector Booster contains at least 3 Enchanting Tales cards with alt-art that looks right out of a storybook; you may even find some with special anime-inspired art
- EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL TREATMENTS—Found only in Collector Boosters, every pack contains at least 1 Extended-Art card and may even contain a special Confetti Foil Enchanting Tales card
- PLAY A GAME THAT FUSES ART, STORIES & STRATEGY—Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game that weaves deep strategy with art and mechanics that explore the themes of a particular world and story—whether you want to play a casual game with friends, collect cool cards, or get competitive, Magic welcomes you to The Gathering
March of Machine
March of the Machine Collector boosters are a good choice for Collector boosters thanks to the special cards in the set. There are some very solid gets from the Multiverse Legends like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer. These packs also have three slots that possibly contain serialized cards. You can get serialized versions of Multiverse Legends cards or praetors.
- 12 March of the Machine MTG Collector Boosters—get direct access to the coolest cards
- 15 Magic cards + 1 foil token in each booster—including 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher and a total of 10–12 Traditional Foil cards
- 1 special foil in every pack—get at least 1 Halo Foil, Foil-Etched, or Double Rainbow Serialized card in every pack
- 3 foil Multiverse Legends in every Collector Booster, including 1 of rarity Rare or higher
- 1–3 Extended-Art cards and a legion of other special treatments in every pack
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Collector boosters were the boosters that could have contained the one-of-one, serialized The One Ring, and while that card is no longer in such a pack, there are so many cards that spark emotional connections to fans, that these will remain collectibles for a long time.
There are also a lot of goodies in these packs. You have the Lord of the Rings box toppers with awesome reprints like Ancient Tomb. There are the elven rings, serialized or otherwise, which are both really cool and valuable. There are also scene cards which are fun collectible pieces from this set, especially if you’re a LOTR fan. These also have two slots that might give you the very sought after Nazgûl. This set also has pretty decent value thanks to cards like The One Ring and Orcish Bowmasters which have made a splash in Modern.
- MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings through the gorgeous art and thrilling gameplay of the Magic: The Gathering collectible trading card game
- JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP—Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with unique game mechanics and stunning art that draw you into this epic tale
- BEST BOOSTERS FOR COLLECTORS—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in a set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- FIND YOUR OWN RING OF POWER—Collector Boosters are the only boosters that may include Serialized Elven, Dwarven, or Human Sol Ring cards. These cards have the same play mechanics as their non-serialized versions. The Serialized 1 of 1 Ring was originally in an English Collector Booster but was found on June 30, 2023.
- COLLECT BORDERLESS SCENE CARDS—Every Collector Booster contains at least 1 Scene card with Borderless art that’s one piece of a larger, multi-card scene; collect them all to piece together a full view of the most iconic moments from The Lord of the Rings
Wrap Up
Sin Collector | Illustration by Mike Bierek
Whenever a new booster type is introduced, it’s worth taking stock of whether to change your buying habits. Personally, I think anyone who bought Draft and Set boosters can be perfectly happy with the new Play boosters, and I don’t mind a slight price increase.
What do you think of Play boosters? What other moves could Wizards make to help stores? Let me know in the comments or on Draftsim’s X (formerly Twitter).
Thank you for reading and see you next time!
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