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

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 comparing how they promote Standard Magic sets and supplemental sets.

Today we’re focusing on the Alchemy format, and more specifically on the Alchemy Packs. Are they good value? Should I spend my precious MTGA gold and gems on them? Are they even needed? 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 Alchemy format. Standard sets like Murders at Karlov Manor and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan 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 Alchemy: Lost Caverns of Ixalan based on these two sets.

Cards exclusive to these sets aren’t legal in Standard, but they are legal in MTGA formats like Alchemy, Timeless, and Historic, so in these formats you can also play with the digital-only cards that are released in Alchemy sets.
As we can see, Alchemy packs have the A symbol over them and they cost the same as a regular Standard Pack.

What Comes in an Alchemy Pack?

Regardless of the set you’re opening, an Alchemy Pack always comes with five common cards, two uncommon cards, and a rare or mythic rare. You can also get wildcards (WCs) in these slots, so you can get a common WC, an uncommon WC, and a rare or mythic rare WC. The commons will always be from the regular set since Alchemy sets don’t have commons. The uncommons and rares/mythics will always be from the Alchemy set.

Here’s an opening of an Alchemy pack on my MTGA account. 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 on the Arena Store (1000 gold or 200 gems). The only difference is that in Alchemy Packs, you’ll get uncommons and rares/mythics from the Alchemy set, while if you open a Standard Pack, you’ll get uncommons and rares/mythics from the regular set. Like Standard Packs, Alchemy Packs contribute toward Golden Pack progress and toward wildcard progress in the same way. 

Alchemy Packs vs. Mythic Packs

The comparison here is very similar to Alchemy packs vs. Standard Packs. Mythic Packs are like Standard packs, but the major difference is that it’s guaranteed that you’ll open a mythic rare from that Standard set. All the rest is the same: five commons, two uncommons, and progress towards the Golden Pack and wildcards. Mythic packs cost 1300 gold instead of 1000, or 260 gems instead of 200.   

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 today has a different metagame and rotation than Standard, because while sets like Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt are legal in Standard, they are not legal in Alchemy.  

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.

Are Alchemy Packs Worth Buying?

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. I just wanted to mention that the Alchemy One-time Bundle is great, even if you don’t like Alchemy. 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 probably better to craft some 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 have MTG Arena as their favorite way to play the game, and if you’re spending some money regularly to have more access to cards, you should definitely check MTGA Codes. You can get packs, bundles, cosmetics and much more, with a seamless and smooth pay system. And by opening these packs you’ll either get the cards you want or the wildcards you need to craft them.  

Draft Alchemy

Finally, if you’re a Draft/Limited enthusiast, you should definitely try to acquire most of your collection via drafting, and that’s true for both Standard sets and Alchemy sets. Let’s take Alchemy: Karlov Manor Premier Draft as an example. You’ll 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 2200 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 a new Draft.

Here you can see the beginning of the Draft. My first two picks are rares that share red as a color. I’m also looking at 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 tells me to go with Shock since it's a good card in my colors; it’s the more disciplined pick, if you will.

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

Wrap Up

Pack Attack | Illustration by Andrea Radeck

MTG Arena’s economy might be 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 going on 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’ll give 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 often get Alchemy Packs? Let me know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading, and join me and Arena Tutor in the Draft queues.