Time Warp | Illustration by Dominik Mayer
As someone who’s somewhat magpie-coded, I love bonus sheets. I especially love sets that have a guaranteed bonus sheet slot, so much that I occasionally find myself buying a booster just because of what the bonus sheet contains (cough, Wilds of Eldraine).
Bonus sheets in Magic bring an extra kick to the collecting experience, and they can have a fun impact on their Sealed and Draft environments. But which are the best bonus sheets ever printed? And what even counts as a bonus sheet?
Let’s dive into it.
What Are Bonus Sheets in MTG?
Mox Amber | Illustration by Steven Belledin
Bonus sheets are subsets of cards that appear in boosters of some Magic sets. Most bonus sheets include thematic reprints of some of Magic’s most iconic spells, and many but not all bonus sheets have dedicated slots in their set’s boosters.
Bonus sheet cards are legal in their respective Limited environments, but it doesn’t change their legality in other formats. For example, Enchanting Tales reprinted Doubling Season in its bonus sheet, so you could play that enchantment in Wilds of Eldraine Limited. But Doubling Season didn’t return to Standard until it was reprinted about a year later in Foundations. On the other hand, The Big Score introduced many new cards to Magic, and those new cards and reprints like Grand Abolisher were added to Standard when Outlaws of Thunder Junction was released.
Don’t confuse bonus sheets with booster inserts or cards from The List. Booster insert sets include Transformers and Jurassic World Collection, which appear in Set boosters and Collector boosters of The Brothers’ War and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, respectively. They aren’t bonus sheets, so they aren’t included here.
Cards on The List are reprints that are thematically tied to a set, and they replace the marketing card in a quarter of that set’s Set boosters. In the Play booster era, these cards tend to replace one common in a fraction of their set’s Play boosters; over time, the List has been essentially replaced by Special Guests. The List and Special Guest cards aren’t bonus sheets.
Unranked: Digital-Only Bonus Sheets
Shadows of the Past and the Pioneer Masters bonus sheet (no really, it doesn’t have an actual name) are harder to rank against paper bonus sheets because of the difference in distribution. Packs that you get from the store have a guaranteed bonus sheet slot, while Draft and Sealed events for Shadows over Innistrad Remastered and Pioneer Masters were programmed to use only a specific subset of each bonus sheet. For example, the Pioneer Masters bonus sheet is separated in three themes: devotion, planeswalkers, and spells. Limited events used one theme for a two-week period, then rotated to another theme for two weeks, etc.
All cards in Shadows of the Past are from Innistrad block, so one of Innistrad, Avacyn Restored, or Dark Ascension. Cards from the Pioneer Masters bonus sheet are from a wider range of sets between 2012 and 2017.
Digital-only bonus sheets include non-physical reprints of cards to bring them to the Arena card pool. They also aren’t physical reprints, so they don’t affect the market for other prints; the Pioneer Masters inclusion of Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver doesn’t affect the value of its physical Theros printing.
Unranked: Stellar Sights – Edge of Eternities
Stellar Sights hasn’t been fully spoiled as I’m writing this, but let’s cover the basics. Or rather, nonbasics?
Bonus Sheet Logistics
Stellar Sights (EOS) contains only lands, and it features all new art to tie into Edge of Eternities. Stellar Sights also appear in a poster alternate art that’s only found in EOE Collector boosters.
Notable Cards
The only card that’s spoiled at the time of writing is Mutavault, shown in both its normal and poster variations. My heart goes out to dyslexic players; that Dune-esque font won’t do anyone any favors during the Edge of Eternities prerelease and other EOE Limited events.
#11. Timeshifted – Time Spiral
Timeshifted was the first Magic bonus sheet, and it shows. Most of these prints are worth about a dollar or less, likely due to a combination of power creep and later reprints. The age of these cards means that the sheet also includes some of the wordiest cards in all of Magic, like Gaea's Liege.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
Timeshifted cards in Time Spiral are all reprints of cards that had last appeared in Mirrodin or prior at the time that Time Spiral was released. The sheet contains 121 cards, and it appears once per booster, something that was replicated in Time Spiral Remastered.
Notable Cards
Coalition Victory is notable as a Commander Game Changer, and as an alternate win condition for 5-color decks. Undead Warchief and Lord of Atlantis are some of the best lords for their respective creature types.
Dandân is a fun inclusion in this bonus sheet given the rise of the Dandân format.
#10. Breaking News – Outlaws of Thunder Junction
I may not rank this bonus sheet highly compared to others, but I can’t say that I dislike it. It’s just that most of the cards have wound up in my binders rather than my decks.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
The conceit of the Breaking News bonus sheet is that every card commits a crime: It targets your opponent or something that they control. There’s instants, sorceries, enchantments, artifacts, and even a planeswalker, but no creatures. The Breaking News frame references old-timey, colonial era newspaper headlines, with art and flavor text to match.
Notable Cards
Mana Drain is such a good counterspell that it’s banned in Legacy and Historic, and it’s the most valuable card in the bonus sheet. Force of Vigor can be an effectively free removal spell, and it’s also banned in Historic. Oko, Thief of Crowns is also notable for appearances on multiple ban lists.
Reanimate is one of the most powerful reanimation spells in Magic. Mindbreak Trap is a powerful piece of blue interaction that lets you interact directly with spells on the stack.
#9. Horizons Reprints – Modern Horizons 3
The top-end of this bonus sheet is pretty good, but the bulk of it is rather middling, at least for my purposes. I can definitely see the power and utility of some of these cards. Modern players, sound off in the comments.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
This bonus sheet reprints 16 from Modern Horizons and Modern Horizons 2 in retro frames. It’s a small sheet that doesn’t appear in every Modern Horizons 3 booster.
Notable Cards
The incarnation cycle (Solitude, Subtlety, Grief, Fury, and Endurance) gets a full reprint in this bonus sheet.
Two of the best 1-drops in Magic also get a reprint in Esper Sentinel and Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer.
#8. Timeshifted – Time Spiral Remastered
We want another one! Just like the other one!
Bonus Sheet Logistics
The 121 timeshifted cards in Time Spiral Remastered are all cards that were only printed in a modern frame, but here they are in glorious retro. They all have the same rarity and have the Time Spiral set symbol, but purple. Later Remastered sets would use the retro frame as one of the alternate art treatments in their boosters.
All Timeshifted cards in Time Spiral Remastered are shifted to the same rarity. From a collecting perspective, this is a bonus sheet that has a lot of variability: Every TSR booster that you crack gives you a 1-in-121 dice roll on that one bonus sheet slot.
Notable Cards
Chalice of the Void is a powerful card if you need a free artifact to sacrifice and reanimate, and that’s without looking beyond the mana value. In multiples, you can use Chalice of the Void to nearly lock players out of the game.
Thoughtseize’s more recent Breaking News printing is worth about a third of its timeshifted appearance in Time Spiral Remastered. This black spell allows you to mess with your opponent’s plans, which can be a big momentum swing.
Path to Exile is notable here because it’s available in a foil printing. Most reprints of Path to Exile are in Commander precons, so they don’t always get foil treatments. A foil Path to Exile from TSR is worth roughly $30, while most prints of Path to Exile go for around a dollar.
#7. New-to-Modern – Modern Horizons 3
The New-to-Modern cards in Modern Horizons 3 don’t have a different set code or anything, but “New-to-Modern” describes this bonus sheet's purpose perfectly.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
While most bonus sheets offer reprints with new thematic card art and frames, the New-to-Modern cards in Modern Horizons 3 are a bit different. They don’t have any special art treatments, but they’re watermarked with their original set symbol: For example, Kappa Cannoneer has the Neon Dynasty Commander set symbol as its watermark.
These cards were all printed outside of sets that are legal in Modern: Either they were printed before Eighth Edition, or they were printed in supplemental products like Commander precons. This bonus sheet brings those cards to the Modern format, so it’s a bonus with a much more functional purpose.
Notable Cards
There are a lot of notable cost reduction cards in this bonus sheet: All of the Medallions are here, as are Phyrexian Tower and Urza's Incubator.
This was also a good bonus sheet to keep up with some of the demand for Toxic Deluge, and it’s an opportunity to pick up some good legendary creatures like Kaalia of the Vast, K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth, Breya, Etherium Shaper, and Laelia, the Blade Reforged.
Flusterstorm is technically part of the New-to-Modern cards, but it’s a Buy-a-Box promo, so you won’t find it in boosters.
#6. The Big Score – Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Bonus sheets that contain mainly new cards are weird. Change my mind.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
The Big Score was initially going to be an Epilogue set in the same vein as March of the Machine: The Aftermath. After MAT’s poor reception, Wizards pivoted and repurposed most of that project’s cards into a second bonus sheet for Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Et voilà! The Big Score is born. It’s one of the only bonus sheets that contains new cards, although there are a few neat reprints to be found here.
Notable Cards
From a story perspective, the most notable card is Loot, the Key to Everything, the first appearance of what may be one of Magic’s most recognizable mascots going forward. (Yeah, they’re trying to give us our Pikachu… and it may have worked on some of us.)
Vaultborn Tyrant gives big-power decks, including dinosaurs, consistent lifegain and card draw. Simulacrum Synthesizer is the most valuable card in The Big Score. There are decks in Standard that are built around it, it works nicely with affinity decks, and it’s a good artifact to copy for value.
Grand Abolisher returns to Standard thanks to The Big Score, and it gets brand new art to boot!
#5. Multiverse Legends – March of the Machine
If you’re staging Magic’s version of an Infinite Crisis event, it makes sense to celebrate the most iconic legendary creatures from Magic’s annals. Overall, this sheet is good, but it contains a fair amount of bulk. Between Kaldheim, Multiverse Legends, and Commander Masters, I have way too many copies of Inga Rune-Eyes.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
Legendary creatures from across Magic’s history appear on the Multiverse Legends bonus sheet in March of the Machine in treatments that reflect their home planes. Aegar, the Freezing Flame and Fynn, the Fangbearer get frames and art that are reminiscent of the showcase frame in Kaldheim, while Kenrith, the Returned King gets art that looks like the showcase frame from Throne of Eldraine.
You can find serialized versions of Multiverse Legends cards, and they can also be found in an etched foil treatment that uses art from their original card.
Notable Cards
In terms of dollar value, the heavy hitters include Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, Sheoldred, Whispering One, and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite.
The reprint of Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit is notable because we didn’t have any showcase frames from Tarkir yet, but this mainly monochromatic treatment was reused on the showcase Sarkhan, Soul Aflame from March of the Machine: The Aftermath.
#4. Strixhaven Mystical Archive – Strixhaven: School of Mages
Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered may have gotten things started, but the Strixhaven Mystical Archive is the first of what I’d call the “contemporary” bonus sheets. It’s what we’ve come to expect: One bonus sheet slot (at least) per booster, with a sheet that’s tied together thematically by its art and the cards it contains.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA) is a collection of some of Magic’s most iconic instants and sorceries up until that time. There are Japanese alternate art printings that appear in Japanese Strixhaven boosters of every type and in global Collector boosters.
Strixhaven Mystical Archive is packed with some of the most tried and true spells in the game, including Counterspell, Swords to Plowshares, and Lightning Bolt.
Notable Cards
If this were a physical archive in a School for Mages, Demonic Tutor and Tainted Pact would be under lock and key in a Restricted section.
Teferi's Protection is a Game Changer that can save your bacon in a pinch, but it also works with combos that would cause you to lose life. You can’t pay life if your life total can’t change, but “draw a card and lose 2 life” effects, for example, become just “draw a card” effects.
Time Warp is notable among all these bonus sheet cards as a simple yet effective extra turn spell.
#3. Final Fantasy: Through the Ages – Final Fantasy
Through the Ages is our first Universes Beyond bonus sheet. While it has some really strong cards, its distribution leads me to believe that bonus sheets are going to become more exclusive over time. Yaaay….
Bonus Sheet Logistics
Final Fantasy: Through the Ages shines a spotlight on the artists like Yoshitaka Amano and Tetsyua Nomura by reprinting some iconic Magic cards using concept art from the Final Fantasy video games.
For gameplay purposes, etc., they retain their original name.
Notable Cards
Ancient Copper Dragon is the most valuable of the elder dragons from Baldur’s Gate (and the only one reprinted here), but this bonus sheet also includes Game Changers like Rhystic Study, Urza, Lord High Artificer, Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow, and Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy.
Atraxa, Grand Unifier gets a reprint as Sephiroth, the Savior, and Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer makes a third bonus sheet appearance.
Ranger-Captain of Eos is such a silly good card that works well in multiples, great to tutor up creatures like Esper Sentinel, protect your game plan, or disrupt your opponents’.
FCA also reprinted some of the most popular and powerful partner commanders, like Thrasios, Triton Hero and Tymna the Weaver.
#2. Retro Artifacts – The Brothers’ War
A note: These cards are the Retro Artifacts found in The Brothers’ War boosters. Many cards in the Brothers’ War Commander decks have retro frames, but those are separate from the bonus sheet.
Bonus Sheet Logistics
Retro Artifacts contains all artifacts, all the time. This bonus sheet recontextualizes iconic Magic artifacts in the brown artifact frames from days of yore. You can also find these artifacts with alternate art, where the card art is replaced with an artist’s rendition of design schematics, and you can find the schematics in serialized prints.
There’re mana rocks, sacrifice outlets, equipment, and even a few artifact creatures in this bonus sheet.
Notable Cards
Mox Amber is the star of the bonus sheet, though there’s plenty of power and utility to be found. Altar of Dementia and Ashnod's Altar are some of the more useful sacrifice outlets in the game, while Mesmeric Orb and Unwinding Clock combine for an incredible self-mill engine. You also have lifegain payoffs like Aetherflux Reservoir.
There’s value further down the price list in staples like Swiftfoot Boots, Blackblade Reforged, and Foundry Inspector, just to name a few.
#1. Enchanting Tales – Wilds of Eldraine
Yeah, I kind of spoiled this one in the intro, didn’t I?
Bonus Sheet Logistics
As it says on the tin, it’s all about enchantments with Enchanting Tales. These Magic enchantments come with vivid storybook art that hammers home the fairytale aesthetic tied into the plane of Eldraine.
Some, but not all Enchanting Tales cards are also available in anime printings.
Notable Cards
This bonus sheet is so good. The highlights include Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, Doubling Season, Grave Pact, Bitterblossom, Blood Moon, and so much more.
Even aside from the heavy hitters, there’s staples like Impact Tremors, Intangible Virtue, and Curiosity, so you’re almost always guaranteed a card that’s useful to you somewhere.
Which Sets Have the Best Bonus Sheets?
Wilds of Eldraine’s Enchanting Tales bonus sheet has a lot of game play value going for it. You get a chance at anime art on some of them, and its card selection includes Commander Game Changers and some of the game’s best token doublers. Even the lower-rarity slots have useful material, and I find the hit-to-miss ratio is rather high. If you just want to load up on enchantments with striking, thematic artwork, Enchanting Tales is hard to beat.
Retro Artifacts contains many cards that you can use all over the place. Almost every card in this sheet has a colorless color identify for Commander deckbuilding, and there’s so many staple cards for both specific strategies (Mesmeric Orb) and generic use (Swiftfoot Boots).
Final Fantasy’s Through the Ages bonus sheet has lots of very powerful cards like Ancient Copper Dragon, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Akroma's Will… and yes, Rhystic Study, too. The art is also really good on these cards, especially if you’re into the Final Fantasy property.
What Kinds of Packs Have Bonus Sheet Cards?
The rule of thumb is that you can find bonus sheet cards in every type of pack in that set. Timeshifted cards each appear once per pack in Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered boosters.
In the Draft/Set/Collector booster era (Strixhaven, The Brothers’ War, March of the Machine, and Wilds of Eldraine), you can find one bonus sheet card per booster in Draft boosters, while Collector boosters contain multiple bonus sheet cards. Set boosters are more variable, but they’re guaranteed at least one bonus sheet card.
In the Play/Collector booster era, things get a little more complicated:
Outlaws of Thunder Junction
In Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Play boosters contain at least one Breaking News card, while The Big Score shows up as part of The List. You can get multiple Breaking News cards in a Collector booster, but you aren’t guaranteed a Big Score card.
- 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)
Modern Horizons 3
In Modern Horizons 3, you’re guaranteed a New-to-Modern card in every Play booster. There are no guaranteed New-to-Modern slots in MH3 Collector boosters, but multiple slots may contain New-to-Modern slots. Neither booster type guarantees a Horizons Reprints card, though both Play and Collector boosters may contain them.
- YOUR NEW FOREVER FAVORITES—Introducing a heaping helping of exciting cards for Modern, one of Magic’s most celebrated formats, plus the return of competitive favorites, there’s something for everyone to love in Modern Horizons 3
- POWERFUL CARDS FOR MODERN CONSTRUCTED, LIMITED & COMMANDER PLAY—Spice up your deck with powerful New-to-Modern cards, host a supercharged Booster Draft with friends, or discover Legendary Creatures with striking special treatments to inspire your next Commander Deck
- MODERN’S NEVER BEEN MORE MARVELOUS—Expand your horizons with novel twists on classic mechanics and more cards for beloved Modern strategies
- 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, striking alt-frame cards, and more
- MODERN MIGHT THAT SHINES BRIGHT—Both powerful and flashy, every MH3 Play Booster includes 1-5 cards of rarity Rare or higher and 1-2 shining Traditional Foil cards
Final Fantasy
In Final Fantasy, you can find a Through the Ages card in about 1 in every 3 Play boosters, but you won’t find any foil Through the Ages cards. You can find those in Collector boosters, which also have a guaranteed bonus sheet slot.
- THE ENTIRE FINAL FANTASY SAGA IS HERE—Step into the unforgettable stories of all 16 FINAL FANTASY core games brought to your tabletop with the strategic gameplay of the Magic: The Gathering trading card game
- CUE THE VICTORY FANFARE—Cast powerful spells, meet iconic characters, and visit familiar locales on the back of a Chocobo with cards featuring FINAL FANTASY-themed art and mechanics
- BEST BOOSTERS FOR PLAYING WITH FRIENDS—Play Boosters are the best way to discover what Magic has to offer; they're perfect for building decks, playing Limited games with friends, and are tons of fun to open
- COLLECT RARE CARDS—Each Play Booster contains 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher, including the possibility of special cards featuring beautiful borderless alternate art
- SHINING FOIL CARD IN EVERY PACK—Every Play Booster also includes at least 1 card with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment; in 20% of packs you’ll also get a Traditional Foil Land card
Edge of Eternities
In Edge of Eternities, you’ll find a Stellar Sights card in about 1 in every 8 Play boosters. Edge of Eternities Collector boosters have a guaranteed Stellar Sights slot. You can find foil Stellar Sights lands in EOE Play boosters, but the Poster Stellar Sights cards are limited to Collector boosters.
- BATTLE FOR THE FATE OF A DYING STAR—Explore distant planets, wield dazzling magic, and wage war with alien factions
- BEST BOOSTERS FOR PLAYING WITH FRIENDS—Play Boosters are the best way to discover what Magic: The Gathering has to offer; they're perfect for building decks, playing Limited games with friends, and are tons of fun to open
- LAUNCH YOUR COSMIC COLLECTION—Each Play Booster contains 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher, including the possibility of Special Guest Mythic Rare from Magic’s history featuring new Borderless art
- 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
- PLAY BOOSTER BOX CONTENTS—30 Edge of Eternities Play Boosters, each containing 14 MTG cards and 1 Token
Wrap Up
Bitterblossom | Illustration by Serena Malyon
And there we have it! All the bonus sheets in Magic, based on my humble opinions. Not every set gets a bonus sheet, but we’re likely to continue to see them for the next while. As a somewhat budget-minded collector (and noted booster gremlin), I’m disappointed that bonus sheets seem to be moving away from the one-per-pack rate that w qe’ve seen in years past. But hey, since we’ve had so many bonus sheets so far, I guess you need to add some artificial scarcity when you start reprinting killer cards.
What are your thoughts? Which is your favorite bonus sheet, either in terms of aesthetics or the cards that it contains? Let me know in the comments below or over on the Draftsim Discord.
Until next time, happy hunting!
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