Last updated on March 15, 2023
Tin Street Market | Illustration by Noah Bradley
With over 100 sets spread across 30 years of Magic’s history, it can be daunting to figure out where to start when you’re looking to buy packs. There are lots of questions that you might have. What set should you draft with friends? Which set is best for collectors? What set makes the best gift for a newer Magic player? Which set should you never touch with a 10-foot pole (coughHomelandscough)?
As someone who has played Magic for nearly 9 years and devoted countless hours to this game, allow me to be your guide into the magical world of spending hundreds (thousands?) of dollars on cardboard. Everything that follows is just my opinion, but I at least did some Google searches for you first!
No One Size Fits All
Downsize | Illustration by Ryan Pancoast
When buying Magic products, you should ask yourself some key questions about what exactly you want from boosters. They don’t call this game “cardboard crack” for nothing; it’s easy to get sucked in and spend way too much money on cards you never really needed anyway.
The best way to avoid this temptation is to have a plan before you start buying stuff. I’ll detail some great sets for you to purchase for a variety of reasons to get you started!
If You Had to Just Pick One
Blossoming Calm | Illustration by Michael C. Hayes
Modern Horizons 2 is the best set of 2021 and my easy pick for what you should buy if you have to pick one set to rule them all. It’s exciting to draft, there’s good money to be opened, and many of the cards will retain their value for a very long time thanks to their strength in Modern.
- 36 Modern Horizons 2 (MH2) Magic: The Gathering Draft Boosters
- 1 New-to-Modern reprint in every pack
- 1–2 Rares and/or Mythic Rares in every pack
- Just add lands and draft with up to 12 players
- Introduces powerful cards and beloved reprints to the Modern format
Lots of the weaker Modern cards in the set like Cabal Coffers happen to be Commander all-stars, which is another plus. If you can’t pony up the $200 price for a box and don’t care about Standard, I’d recommend Jumpstart instead.
- Grab two boosters shuffle them together and you’re ready to go. Jumpstart is a unique way to play Magic The Gathering (MTG) that lets you assemble a 40-card deck and start battling in minutes
- The Jumpstart booster box includes 24 booster packs each with 20 cards—enough for you and your friends to open your packs and get straight into the action again and again
- Each booster pack has 20 cards and a theme Will you get Cats and Dragons vs Elves and Unicorns. Pirates and Angels vs Dogs and Dinosaurs. Open your boosters and find out
- Each booster pack contains one of 121 possible card lists so there are over 14 000 possible 40-card decks.
- Jumpstart booster packs are loaded with cards from throughout Magic The Gathering (MTG) history plus 37 cards that get their first-ever printing and dozens of cards from Core Set 2021 (M21)
Best Set for Standard 2022
Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients | Illustration by Anna Steinbauer
Looking to jump into Standard with the release of March of the Machine? Then you’ll want to get a mix of packs from the sets that are in the current Standard rotation: Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Innistrad: Crimson Vow, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, Streets of New Capenna, Dominaria United, The Brothers’ War, and Phyrexia: All Will Be One.
You can then just crack packs or draft with friends. Buy set boosters if you just want cards and fun or Draft Boosters for, well, drafting.
Best Set for Modern
Rise and Shine | Illustration by Franz Vohwinkel
Modern Horizons 2, as I already mentioned, is a slam dunk. The set overflows with powerful staples that have dramatically reshaped the Modern metagame since their release. Particular highlights include Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Murktide Regent, Endurance and its elemental brothers in crime, fetch lands, and Urza’s Saga.
- 36 Modern Horizons 2 (MH2) Magic: The Gathering Draft Boosters
- 1 New-to-Modern reprint in every pack
- 1–2 Rares and/or Mythic Rares in every pack
- Just add lands and draft with up to 12 players
- Introduces powerful cards and beloved reprints to the Modern format
You might also want to buy some of the recent Masters sets to fill the holes in your Modern collection since MH2 is missing some staples like Snapcaster Mage, Engineered Explosives, and Force of Vigor. And don’t forget that you can always just buy singles if you know exactly what you’re looking for!
Best Set for Commander
Obeka, Brute Chronologist | Illustration by Jesper Ejsing
Looking to stock up staples for future Commander brews? Well, if you aren’t just buying singles, my recommendation is easily Commander Legends.
Commander Legends is a weird “peanut butter and jelly” set, where peanut butter (Draft) and jelly (Commander, don’t ask) combine their forces for a Magic experience like no other. I drafted this one with friends quite a few times last year, which is why I have so many Arcane Signets, Three Visits, and Thought Vessels sitting on my desk, just waiting to be put into various decks.
A box of Commander Legends is roughly $150 right now. If you aren’t sure what you want out of Commander, you can’t really do better than drafting a box of this with some friends and then building a deck out of whatever you’ve opened that inspires you. I built a Nymris, Oona’s Trickster deck after seeing the card in action in a draft because it looked like a ton of fun.
- COMMANDER DRAFT IS HERE. Draft with the first ever booster packs designed for Commander—a Magic format all about battling your friends in epic multiplayer games.
- 24 DRAFT BOOSTERS. Grab 3 packs, pick 2 cards at a time, and add in some lands for a 60-card Commander deck—then show it off in exciting free-for-all games with up to 8 friends.
- 2 LEGENDS PER PACK. Every Commander Legends Draft Booster pack contains 2 legendary cards—enhance your deck with reprints of classic MTG commanders or 1 of the 71 commanders introduced in the set.
- INTRODUCING FOIL ETCHED CARDS. Commander Legends debuts a special kind of foil—foil etched cards with beautiful metallic frames. In some Commander Legends Draft Boosters you can find a foil etched showcase legend or regular foil borderless planeswalker.
- CONTENTS: 24 Commander Legends Draft Booster packs—20 Magic cards + 1 ad/token per pack, with 2 legends, at least 1 rare, and 1 foil each.
If drafting isn’t your thing, I’d avoid Commander Legends and just buy singles or any of the recent Commander precons. You may also want to check out the Innistrad: Midnight Hunt decks. Precons are always a fantastic and affordable way to dip your foot into EDH if you’re new to the format.
Best Sets for Draft
Best of the Best
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar | Illustration by Ryan Pancoast
I’m biased, but I whole-heartedly endorse Modern Horizons 2 as an all-star draft set. I’ve personally played over 200+ drafts on Magic Online and will probably be doing more later tonight! MH2 is a very enjoyable Draft experience with compelling archetypes, lots of options in Draft, strong balance between aggro and control, and interesting gameplay with lots of room for skilled players to win games. There are also some money cards in the set that you can’t help but grin when you open.
The only drawback of the set is its price point. As a premium set with a higher MSRP than normal, a box will cost you over $200. This is a bit more than two times as much as a normal Standard-legal set, so don’t buy anything you can’t afford!
- 36 Modern Horizons 2 (MH2) Magic: The Gathering Draft Boosters
- 1 New-to-Modern reprint in every pack
- 1–2 Rares and/or Mythic Rares in every pack
- Just add lands and draft with up to 12 players
- Introduces powerful cards and beloved reprints to the Modern format
Standard 2022
Firja, Judge of Valor | Illustration by Livia Prima
Of the recent Standard sets, I’d rank the Draft formats:
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Midnight Hunt
- The Brothers’ War
- Dominaria United
- Streets of New Capenna
- Crimson Vow
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty has quickly become one of my favorite sets to draft in recent history. There aren’t any color combinations that are especially weak, which lets me breathe a sigh of relief after drafting Rakdos 250 times back in Adventures into the Forgotten Realms. The heavy emphasis on artifacts and enchantments is refreshing, too.
- 36 Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty MTG Draft Boosters
- 15 Magic cards per booster
- Ukiyo-e Land in 33% of Draft Boosters
- Just draft, add lands, and play
- With cyberpunk cards full of color and chrome—the future is bright in Kamigawa
Midnight Hunt is a fun Draft format that is probably the most aggressive Standard-legal Draft set. Most decks in Midnight Hunt have fairly cheap mana curves, and lean on flashback effects for long-term card advantage. The color balance of Midnight Hunt is probably my biggest complaint, as Gruul is underpowered and Dimir is almost always good. Still, it’s an enjoyable format so give it a try!
- 30 Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Set Boosters
- Best MTG booster to open just for fun
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per pack
- 1–4 Rares and/or Mythic Rares plus at least 1 foil in every pack
- May contain Commander cards—get 1–2 in 14% of packs
The Brothers' War has so far been pretty good to draft. I’ve yet to draft it nearly as much on the others on this list, but from what I can tell, it’s got solid fixing and some fun interaction packed inside.
- 36 The Brothers’ War MTG Draft Boosters—the best boosters for drafting The Brothers’ War
- 15 Magic cards per booster
- At least 1 Retro-Frame Artifact card in every pack
- At least 1 card of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
- 1 Traditional Foil card in 33% of packs
Dominaria United has had a fairly-smooth Draft experience thus far. Defender decks are, interestingly. really good. We’ve also seen domain-based decks become incredibly powerful, regardless of how many colors they’re actually playing. This has led to the dual-lands becoming exceptionally worthwhile to pick up.
- 30 Dominaria United Set Boosters + 1 foil Box Topper card
- Best MTG boosters to open just for fun
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per booster
- 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
- At least 1 Legendary Creature and 1 Traditional Foil card in every pack
New Capenna, while relatively heavy on drafting non-green/red decks, still provided an enjoyable drafting experience. Nearly every deck goes three-colors, and that’s well supported through both the three-color lands as well as the dual-lands in nearly every pack.
- 30 Streets of New Capenna Set Boosters + 1 foil box topper card
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per Set Booster—the best MTG booster to open just for fun
- Traditional or Gilded Foil card in every pack
- At least 1 Showcase card in every pack
- 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
Crimson Vow has some of the most broken rares we’ve seen in any Standard-legal set in a long time: Dreadfeast Demon, Avabruck Caretaker, and Toxrill, the Corrosive all being in the same set is something else! When you get past the broken rares though, you have what is actually a surprisingly aggressive set. Blood tokens also play better than I expected and are one of the most effective anti-flood mechanics I’ve seen in a while.
- 36 Innistrad: Crimson Vow MTG Draft Boosters
- 1 foil Dracula Series box topper card
- 15 Magic cards per Draft Booster, including 1 Showcase Eternal Night Land
- At least 2 double-faced cards in every pack
- Return to the gothic horror plane of Innistrad for a sumptuous vampire wedding—as honored guest or delicious entrée
Update! I now have a list of my favorite Draft formats ever, right here.
All-Time Greats
Manamorphose | Illustration by Adam Paquette
If you want a classic draft experience with some of the all-time best sets in Magic history, well, you’ll be paying for it! Original Innistrad and Modern Masters are widely considered to be some of the best Draft formats of all time, and they both have money staples like Liliana of the Veil, Snapcaster Mage, and Tarmogoyf too.
The catch though is that a box of Innistrad will cost you (gulp) over $800. Modern Masters is surprisingly slightly cheaper at over $700, though that’s still the price of over three boxes of Modern Horizons 2! Given this terrible value, I can’t really recommend going classic unless you’re a true high roller. Recent Draft formats have been decent to great quality, and I’d suggest you play those three to six times instead.
Best Gift Set
Dinrova Horror | Illustration by Johann Bodin
The best set to give as a gift is going to vary depending on the giftee, because only you know what your friend really wants and what they play. If they’re an FNM Standard- or Draft-focused player, a gift bundle from a recent set would be a great buy. If they’re an older, more experienced player, then you could consider going all-out with an MH2 collector box.
- 12 Modern Horizons 2 (MH2) Magic: The Gathering Collector Boosters
- Shortcut to the coolest cards in Modern Horizons 2
- Only Modern Horizons 2 boosters with Foil Etched cards and Extended-Art
- 4 Rares and/or Mythic Rares per pack (max. of 3 Mythics)
- Introduces powerful cards and beloved reprints to the Modern format
A solid in-between with some great casual cards to open would be Jumpstart, a unique product that mixes Sealed and Draft together for fun, fast-paced gameplay. Jumpstart is my recommendation if you’re unsure, but keep in mind that the cards don’t have much value for a Standard-focused player.
- Grab two boosters shuffle them together and you’re ready to go. Jumpstart is a unique way to play Magic The Gathering (MTG) that lets you assemble a 40-card deck and start battling in minutes
- The Jumpstart booster box includes 24 booster packs each with 20 cards—enough for you and your friends to open your packs and get straight into the action again and again
- Each booster pack has 20 cards and a theme Will you get Cats and Dragons vs Elves and Unicorns. Pirates and Angels vs Dogs and Dinosaurs. Open your boosters and find out
- Each booster pack contains one of 121 possible card lists so there are over 14 000 possible 40-card decks.
- Jumpstart booster packs are loaded with cards from throughout Magic The Gathering (MTG) history plus 37 cards that get their first-ever printing and dozens of cards from Core Set 2021 (M21)
Best Set for Casual Play
Jumpstart is my recommendation for casual players, both as a gift or just as something to buy for yourself and play with friends. Useful kitchen table and Commander cards plus a board game-style gameplay model that comes right out of the box can’t be beat, and the price point isn’t exceptionally high either.
Best EV Set
Deflecting Palm | Illustration by Eric Deschamps
This isn’t really my personal ballpark, honestly (#mtgfinance). There’s certainly money to be made in Magic by stockpiling away Sealed product and selling it later. Beloved sets like Khans of Tarkir sell for double what they used to, and Innistrad is eight times the price it was back when it was released.
If you just want to crack packs with an eye towards value, Modern Horizons 2 is the best option because of how many powerful and expensive cards it contains, but you could get burned by opening too many junk rares. If you’re interested in learning more about this, I highly recommend checking out this community.
Wrap Up
Aven of Enduring Hope | Illustration by James Ryman
Even after nearly 9 years of playing this game, I still can’t help but smile when I hear the familiar sound of a pack opening. There’s something about opening boosters that just can’t be matched buying singles, so I hope that my advice helps you make some sound purchases!
What’s your all-time favorite set to open? Do you have any other suggestions on what to buy and what to avoid? Let us know in the comments below, or head over to Twitter if that’s more your style. And don’t forget to check out our blog if you’re looking for more content like this.
Until next time, may your packs always contain Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer.
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2 Comments
If I just wanted to purchase a set- or more- to set aside unsealed for 15 years for my two great grandchildren which ones should I buy? Thanks.
This is incredibly hard to predict, but I would probably say one with a limited print run might have the best chance of being worth a lot. But if you’re not looking to do that, of the current sets, Modern Horizons 2 is definitely the most “special” feeling.
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