Last updated on January 22, 2024
Pack Leader | Illustration by Rudy Siswanto
I know picking the right booster pack to buy is almost an impossible task. You’re essentially trying your chance to get the one card you need, and sometimes you end up with totally useless junk. Of course, every seasoned player would say that buying singles is much more effective than opening packs, but it just doesn’t have the same pure joy or unmitigated fun of opening a fresh, new booster.
This is a no-brainer, but there’s just no “best” booster to buy because it all depends on your need. Are you looking for a booster to draft with friends? Fun cards for Commander? Maybe you’re thinking about collecting the cards and selling them later? Then you have to consider the pack’s EV (expected value), but it’s really tedious to calculate.
Whatever your reasons, I’ll try to help you pick the best booster for you and give a small list of packs to consider buying across a few pack types. But if you can only buy one right now, the answer is the Commander Masters Collector Booster. Let me tell you why.
- FIRST MASTERS SET FOR COMMANDER—Masters boosters are super-charged packs full of the finest Magic: The Gathering reprints; Commander Masters brings the first Masters packs specifically designed for Commander, Magic’s most popular format
- GET THE BEST OF THE BEST—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in an already extraordinary set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- COLLECTOR BOOSTER-EXCLUSIVE TREATMENTS—Collector Boosters are the only boosters where you'll find Extended-Art, Foil-Etched, and possible Textured Foil treatment cards
- 5 BORDERLESS CARDS IN EVERY PACK—every pack contains 5 Borderless cards, 1 of which may be a Textured Foil Borderless Rare or Mythic Rare card destined for a starring role in your collection
- PACKED FULL OF RARES & FOILS—each booster contains a total of 9–11 Traditional Foil cards, 1 Foil-Etched card, a possible Textured Foil Borderless card (1 in 25 of packs), and a total of 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher
Reasons to Buy
Reason // Believe | Illustration by Daarken
Now, as I said, there are many reasons why you’d buy a booster pack. It might be a gift, you might be new to MTG and want to build a collection, or you might want to boost your EDH deck… Before buying any pack, you need to consider a couple of things.
First, the price. Similar to single card prices, the price tag on booster packs varies greatly. Some of them are no longer printed and some are really easy to come across. Newer sets are usually cheaper, except for some special or collectible releases.
The second thing you need to consider is the set’s overall strength. The price alone shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. There are some sets where the cards are significantly better, flexible (used in more formats), or just plain stronger than others.
The third and final factor is the expected value. “EV” is a term used to refer to the future value you might get for buying any card or pack. You already know that there are some cards that can cost hundreds of dollars while some go for mere cents. If the set already has several powerful cards, the EV you’ll get will increase. Otherwise, it’ll drop. This goes for the prices card may have in future, so it’s a tricky one.
Okay, now that the basics are out of the way, let’s list some packs you might want to buy for different situations.
Best as a Gift
If you’re buying a pack as a gift, you’ll want to play it safe. Of course, if you know about your friends’ playstyle, you can pick the most suitable booster pack for their decks, but chances are you don’t. So, if you want to buy a pack from a set that is solid and has the most value and relevancy to their playstyle and Magic tastes, here are three solid options:
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is one of the older sets in Standard, but it’s definitely one of the best. Players gave it a long deserved welcome after about 17 years from when the Kamigawa plane was first introduced. And while it has complex mechanics like ninjitsu and reconfigure, it brought back Rat Ninjas and Samurai. Plus it combines science fiction, balanced limited play, and format-impacting cards, so it would be a great gift.
Dragons of Tarkir
Dragons of Tarkir is a timeless set that was and is a favorite for many Magic players The set has a lot to offer. It’s one of the best tri-colored sets out there, has a decent number of powerful cards, and is relatively cheap compared to some other older sets. It may not be that cheap, but it’s still within the affordable range.
The set features the incredibly fun megamorph mechanic, where you can play with cards face down on the table.
- Age range: 13 and up / Number of players: 2
Innistrad
Perhaps the greatest set in MTG, Innistrad is a great choice as a gift. Each pack has a rather high price tag, but you just can’t go wrong with it. Any Magic player has heard or will eventually hear of Innistrad, and I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be overjoyed to get an Innistrad booster pack. One of the greatest draft formats of all time, and amazing gothic horror flavor.
- Contains 15 cards per pack
Best for Commander
Commander is one of the most beloved and fun ways to play Magic, and almost every set has something to offer to Commander. That said, there are some sets that offer a lot more than others with a reasonable price.
Dominaria
No products found.No products found. for Commander because of its theme. The set revolves around legendary creatures, so it’ll give you a lot of options to choose from. You can always get a potential commander when you open a Dominaria pack because each pack is guaranteed one! It’s also fairly cheap and you can easily find Dominaria boosters.
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Commander Masters
Commander Masters is a set specifically tailored to Commander, so it’s obviously a great choice if you’re planning to expand your EDH collection. Commander is the most popular format and this set has new cards and highly sought reprints. It has a good number of useful legendary creatures to choose from including some of the most legendary characters like Chandra, Eldrazi, Jace, Narset, and Slivers.
- FIRST MASTERS SET FOR COMMANDER—Masters boosters are super-charged packs full of the finest Magic: The Gathering reprints; Commander Masters brings the first Masters packs specifically designed for Commander, Magic’s most popular format
- GET THE BEST OF THE BEST—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in an already extraordinary set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- COLLECTOR BOOSTER-EXCLUSIVE TREATMENTS—Collector Boosters are the only boosters where you'll find Extended-Art, Foil-Etched, and possible Textured Foil treatment cards
- 5 BORDERLESS CARDS IN EVERY PACK—every pack contains 5 Borderless cards, 1 of which may be a Textured Foil Borderless Rare or Mythic Rare card destined for a starring role in your collection
- PACKED FULL OF RARES & FOILS—each booster contains a total of 9–11 Traditional Foil cards, 1 Foil-Etched card, a possible Textured Foil Borderless card (1 in 25 of packs), and a total of 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher
Commander Legends
Commander Legends is simply the best choice for EDH. It has a lot of partner cards, which allows you to have two commanders instead of one. There are a lot of good rares, like Opposition Agent, mythics, like Jeweled Lotus, and also some very useful uncommons, like Cultivate. It’s a very well-rounded set for EDH and what better way to expand your Commander options than choosing the set named after it?
- COMMANDER DRAFT IS HERE.
Best for New Players
If you’re a new player and want to join the fray, you might get frustrated with the sheer number of choices. Different sets, formats, legalities, and tens of thousands of cards can be very confusing. I’d suggest you keep things simple and get one of the more recent sets. Chances are you’ll be playing Standard for a while before any other format, and new releases will be legal in Standard for a while.
Other than that, newer sets will be more available and generally cheaper than older sets. This is also appealing because it's like you don't have an established playstyle yet. It doesn't necessarily make sense to choose from among older sets before even finding out how do you like to play MTG.
Dominaria United
Dominaria United has the core characters and some returning mechanics that are easily recognizable as Magic. The colors in this set are generally true to the color pie. Packs should have a reasonable cost, and each one includes a legendary.
- 3 Dominaria United MTG Draft Boosters—best boosters for drafting Dominaria United
- 15 Magic: The Gathering cards per booster
- 1 Legendary Creature in every pack
- 1 Traditional Foil card in 33% of packs
- Return to Magic’s home plane in a set full of your favorite MTG legends and heroes
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is such a balanced play experience and very imaginative in design. Few sets will pull new and returning players in like Neon Dynasty.
- 3 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
Jumpstart March of the Machines
Get into March of the Machines with cards from a current set. These boosters reduce the mental load it takes to build decks and quickly get players to the action. New players can go deeper later on about building mana bases, how to use archetypes and craft synergies – just check out our articles or Arena Tutor.
- Coming Soon!
- Unknown (Publication Language)
Best for Collecting
This is where it gets personal. The reason why we collect cards is because of their collection value. If you’re looking for a deck that you’ll show to your children in future, stick with the sets you like playing. That nostalgia value wins every time. But material value is also important, so if you want to build a collection that’ll gain value over time, here are some options for you.
Commander Masters Collector Booster
Yes, Commander Masters is great for Commander and for collecting. The special treatment given to some of these reprints is astonishing. One thing is sure in any collectible: the cooler it looks, the more attention it’ll get. This might not be entirely applicable to MTG, but it’s a fact that foil cards or those with special art are much more valuable than their regular counterparts. Plus, the collector boosters for the set have at least 5 rares each and several borderless, foil and foil-etched cards, which do not appear in other packs, look fantastic and will probably gain more value over time.
- FIRST MASTERS SET FOR COMMANDER—Masters boosters are super-charged packs full of the finest Magic: The Gathering reprints; Commander Masters brings the first Masters packs specifically designed for Commander, Magic’s most popular format
- GET THE BEST OF THE BEST—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in an already extraordinary set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- COLLECTOR BOOSTER-EXCLUSIVE TREATMENTS—Collector Boosters are the only boosters where you'll find Extended-Art, Foil-Etched, and possible Textured Foil treatment cards
- 5 BORDERLESS CARDS IN EVERY PACK—every pack contains 5 Borderless cards, 1 of which may be a Textured Foil Borderless Rare or Mythic Rare card destined for a starring role in your collection
- PACKED FULL OF RARES & FOILS—each booster contains a total of 9–11 Traditional Foil cards, 1 Foil-Etched card, a possible Textured Foil Borderless card (1 in 25 of packs), and a total of 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher
Commander Legends
Let’s go with a safe choice. Commander Legends is relatively cheap, you’ll get a lot of valuable cards, and they’ll stay relevant for as long as EDH is still played frequently. So yes, Commander Legends will most probably keep its value or rise over time.
- COMMANDER DRAFT IS HERE.
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth Collector Booster
The fan base for Magic is broad, and the fans for Lord of the Rings even more so. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth delivered a legends-matter theme that brought beloved and behated characters to Magic. The fact that there was a single card with a single print, ensured this would be one of the best collector boosters ever. While the rarest-ring-ever has been found, there are many serialized cards that can only be found in these packs. Consider the 100+ legendary cards that were inspired by books and movies and you should get people seeking this set for a long time.
- 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 BOOSTER 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
Best for Value
We’re nearing the end and it all comes to the big question: what’s the best booster pack you can get right now with the most positive EV? If you buy just one pack today and want the most value whether for play or for pay, we've got a pack for you.
I think the recommendation is the Commander Masters Collector booster pack. Commander Masters is so full of high-price and highly playable cards, the uncommons feel super valuable.
Yes, I know there are great sets out there (Commander Legends for EDH, Modern Horizons for, well Modern, and some fantastic olden sets like Khans of Tarkir), but let’s be real. Booster packs are meant to build the core of your deck, not the finer parts. If you have a half-complete deck, you’d have to buy dozens of packs to make it work and you might still not get what you want. Commander Masters makes the cut with its density of cards to build around: it’ll help build the core of your incomplete decks. The collector boosters have some very neat cards, and they have a lot of different cards that can be used in multiplayer and 1v1 formats.
- FIRST MASTERS SET FOR COMMANDER—Masters boosters are super-charged packs full of the finest Magic: The Gathering reprints; Commander Masters brings the first Masters packs specifically designed for Commander, Magic’s most popular format
- GET THE BEST OF THE BEST—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in an already extraordinary set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- COLLECTOR BOOSTER-EXCLUSIVE TREATMENTS—Collector Boosters are the only boosters where you'll find Extended-Art, Foil-Etched, and possible Textured Foil treatment cards
- 5 BORDERLESS CARDS IN EVERY PACK—every pack contains 5 Borderless cards, 1 of which may be a Textured Foil Borderless Rare or Mythic Rare card destined for a starring role in your collection
- PACKED FULL OF RARES & FOILS—each booster contains a total of 9–11 Traditional Foil cards, 1 Foil-Etched card, a possible Textured Foil Borderless card (1 in 25 of packs), and a total of 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher
There Can Only Be One
Of One Mind | Illustration by Matt Stewart
“Best” is a relative term, but as you can see, there are some options that are objectively better than others. Before wrapping up everything, I want to highlight something anyone ranting about MTG should say: do not buy packs for long term investment. This is almost definitely considered gambling and you might end up with nothing.
I know opening a new pack feels great, especially when drafting with friends (check out our article about the best draft formats), but don’t overdo it. You never know what you’ll get out and all this ranting is aimed to give you an idea about what you should expect. Buy them as a gift, maybe as a way to supplement your collection, but don’t be one of those guys or gals who spend all their money on boxes and packs. Speaking of boxes, if you do want to buy a lot of packs, you may get a way better deal if you buy a booster box instead.
There are a lot of fancy sets out there with new releases and collections and whatnots, and a Commander Masters Collector Booster is most likely to deliver something great. Naturally, if you just want to open a new set for fun or want to gamble, that’s cool. But if you’re going for a more calculated approach, it’s just a consistently dependable set with solid cards. If you disagree, feel free to comment below! See you all around.
- FIRST MASTERS SET FOR COMMANDER—Masters boosters are super-charged packs full of the finest Magic: The Gathering reprints; Commander Masters brings the first Masters packs specifically designed for Commander, Magic’s most popular format
- GET THE BEST OF THE BEST—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in an already extraordinary set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
- COLLECTOR BOOSTER-EXCLUSIVE TREATMENTS—Collector Boosters are the only boosters where you'll find Extended-Art, Foil-Etched, and possible Textured Foil treatment cards
- 5 BORDERLESS CARDS IN EVERY PACK—every pack contains 5 Borderless cards, 1 of which may be a Textured Foil Borderless Rare or Mythic Rare card destined for a starring role in your collection
- PACKED FULL OF RARES & FOILS—each booster contains a total of 9–11 Traditional Foil cards, 1 Foil-Etched card, a possible Textured Foil Borderless card (1 in 25 of packs), and a total of 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher
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1 Comment
Thanks for the recommendations! Collector boosters of core look really cool.
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