MTG Arena Alchemy Packs: What Are They? Are They Worth It?

Last updated on March 20, 2025

Alchemist's Refuge | Illustrated by Dan Scott

MTG Arena has so many formats woven inside it that it can get very confusing, both for new and veteran MTG players alike. It’s common to see the MTG community in doubt and raising questions when WotC announces new stuff regarding MTG Arena and digital content. It doesn’t help that WotC treats Alchemy as something very secondary too, especially when you compare how they promote Standard Magic sets and supplemental sets.

Today we focus on the Alchemy format, and more specifically on the Alchemy packs in Arena. Are they good value? Should I spend my precious MTGA gems or gold on them? Are they even necessary? Join me as we dive deep into Alchemy on MTG Arena to answer those questions.

What Is an Alchemy Pack in MTGA?

Gather the Pack | Illustration by Igor Kieryluk

Alchemy packs are the main way players can acquire cards designed exclusively for the Arena Alchemy format. Standard sets like Murders at Karlov Manor, Aetherdrift, and Tarkir: Dragonstorm are released both in paper and in digital formats with the same cards, so it doesn’t matter if you play tabletop or online MTG with these sets. WotC also designs Alchemy versions of these sets, so we have Alchemy: Karlov Manor and other small sets based on their main set.

Cards exclusive to these Alchemy sets are not legal in Standard, but they are legal in MTG Arena formats like Alchemy, Timeless, and Historic, so you can also play with the digital-only cards in these formats.
As you can see, Alchemy packs have the A symbol over them and they cost the same as a regular Arena pack.

What Comes in an Alchemy Pack?

Regardless of the set you open, an Alchemy pack always comes with five commons, two uncommons, and a rare or mythic rare. You can also get wildcards in these slots, so the pack can earn you a wildcard of any of these rarities. The commons will always be from the main set since Alchemy sets don’t have commons. The uncommons and rares/mythics will always be from the Alchemy set.

The set symbol of Arena-only cards is different than the cards that have exact physical counterparts.

Here’s an opening of an Alchemy pack on my MTGA account. In this example, five commons from MKM, two uncommons from Alchemy, and I’ve got a mythic: Tajic, Legion's Valor. Nice pull!

Alchemy Packs vs. Standard Packs

Alchemy Packs and Standard Arena packs have the same amount of cards and cost the same in the Arena Store (200 gems or 1,000 gold). The only difference is that in Alchemy packs, you’ll get uncommons, rares, or mythics from the Alchemy set, while if you open a Standard Pack, you’ll get uncommons, rares, or mythics from the main set. Both packs contribute toward Golden Pack progress and toward wildcard progress in the same way. 

Alchemy Packs vs. Mythic Packs

The comparison of Alchemy packs vs. Mythic packs is very similar to vs. Standard Packs. Mythic Packs are like Standard packs, but the major difference is that it’s almost guaranteed that you open a mythic rare from that Standard set. Mythic packs cost more at 260 gems instead of 200 and 1,300 gold instead of 1,000, and are generally worth it only if you're finishing off a full collection of a set. All the rest is the same: five commons, two uncommons, and progress towards the Golden Pack and wildcards.

Why Do Alchemy Packs Exist?

Alchemy packs exist to supply digital-only cards, which are cards that WotC consider a great fit to Historic and the digital environment overall. Alchemy's digital-only mechanics often offer a twist that can’t easily be implemented in paper. In the Alchemy format, digital-only cards offer little twists to strengthen underplayed strategies, and they can nerf dominant cards in top-tier decks. It’s also worth noting that Alchemy has a different metagame and rotation than Standard, because while sets like Wilds of Eldraine and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan are legal in Standard well into 2026, they become illegal in Alchemy on August 1, 2025 with Edge of Eternities.  

From an MTGA business standpoint, WotC wants players to acquire both the Standard version of the packs and the Alchemy version, compelling players to spend more on the client and purchase more gems and boosters.

What Format are Alchemy Packs Good for?

Alchemy packs are best if you play Alchemy. Shocker, right? After the short 2-year Alchemy rotation, these Arena-exclusive cards are good in Historic, Brawl (which uses Historic's card pool), and Timeless which is for any cards on Arena.

Are Alchemy Packs Worth Buying?

In the long run, Alchemy packs are less valuable than regular Arena packs.

Here’s the most controversial part of Alchemy packs. MTG Arena players have limited resources, especially free-to-play players, and Standard packs offer more utility overall. After all, rares and mythic rares from Alchemy only see play in some formats like Historic Brawl, Timeless, and Historic. And even if you play some of these formats regularly, it’s probably more value to buy Standard packs and use your wildcards to craft whatever you need.

Is the Alchemy Bundle of Packs Worth it?

Yes, the Alchemist Bundle is worth it. I mention that the Alchemist One-time Bundle is great, even if you don’t like Alchemy. It's available around four weeks after a Standard set releases on Arena; you can get 20 packs for the price of 15, and that naturally results in wildcards, vault progression and Golden Pack progression as well.

Alternatives to Alchemy Packs

Buy Normal Packs and Crafting Cards

One possible way to get the Alchemy cards you need is to use your wildcards and craft them. It’s usually better to craft the singleton cards you need for a Historic Brawl deck than to spend your precious and limited resources on Alchemy packs.

Buy Codes on MTGA Codes

Many MTG players say MTG Arena is their favorite way to play the game, and if you spend some money regularly to access more cards, you should definitely check MTGA Codes. You can get packs, bundles, cosmetics and much more, with a seamless and smooth pay system. You then redeem those Arena codes in the MTGA store. And when you open these packs you either get the cards you want or the wildcards you need to craft them.  

Draft Alchemy

Finally, if you’re a Draft/Limited enthusiast, the rewards for Alchemy drafts are Alchemy packs, so you should definitely try to acquire most of your collection via drafting. Let’s take Alchemy: Karlov Manor Premier Draft as an example. You draft three packs containing mostly cards from Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) but with some cards from Alchemy: Karlov Manor mixed in, then you build your 40-card Draft deck and play. It’s an interesting way to see some cards from Alchemy in action, but at the same time you’re mostly playing with cards from MKM that should already be familiar to you.

If you manage to get seven wins, you’ll get 2,200 gems, more than enough to enter a new Draft event, plus six Alchemy Packs. Even if you manage to win 3-5 matches, you’ll get some Alchemy packs and gems to pay for 80-100% of another Draft.

Here you can see the beginning of the Draft. My first two picks are rares that share red as a color. I also see 2/4 on Lamplight Phoenix so I know how many copies of each card I have, which can help you complete your collection faster.

Here’s a pick that Arena Tutor helped me decide between: Galvanize, Gleaming Geardrake, and Makeshift Binding. Arena Tutor used my current colors and the card grades to narrow down my decision.

Here I want to show you that Roalesk, Prime Specimen is the better-graded card, but Arena Tutor suggested I go with Shock since it's a good card in my colors; it’s the more disciplined pick, if you will. It is hard to splash in Limited, so I'm grateful for any tips to maximize my gem spending.

My final deck uses mainly picks chosen by Arena Tutor. Drafting can be very hard, but here’s a good tool to help you improve your Drafts and win rate %. You can even get a Deck Suggestion from Arena Tutor once the Draft event is over.

Wrap Up

Pack Attack | Illustration by Andrea Radeck

MTG Arena’s economy is weird sometimes, as you get limited resources and there are so many cards to invest your money, gold and wildcards into. Outside of the Alchemy One-time bundle, opening Alchemy packs is bad EV, unless you primarily play Alchemy or Historic. Still, there’s positive changes like the Golden Pack, which is an incentive to get packs from the newest set.

Another tip that doesn’t get old is to draft the newest set a lot because it gives you the most bang for your buck. And if you’re an MTG Arena player or a Draft enthusiast, you’ve got to have Draftsim’s Arena Tutor for the reasons explained above.

What about you guys? Do you get Alchemy packs often? Let me know in the comments section. Thank you for reading, and join other draft enthusiasts on Draftsim's Discord and Arena Tutor in the Draft queues.