Last updated on February 19, 2024
Pack Guardian | Illustration by Filip Burburan
MTG is a collectible card game, and collecting has always been the heart of the game. Magic has recently grown to a wider than-ever audience with differing card needs. Wizards quickly realized that some MTG players weren’t satisfied with the limited offering of products and were willing to buy premium products, so they ran with it to their heart’s content.
WotC has shifted gears on “product variety” since 2018, and the plethora of products in each set can be overwhelming for casual and veteran fans alike. But fear not! Today I'm going to go through every booster option available.
Maybe you’re looking for the latest collection’s play booster to fire a Draft, or you’re aiming to get the most expensive Constructed chase rare or mythic in the shiniest foil treatment. Let’s dive right into all the different MTG booster offerings!
Quick note: All prices are quoted in U.S. dollar figures.
Play Booster
My pick: Murders at Karlov Manor
Play boosters are the packs, whether you are cracking packs for fun or drafting. They're specifically made to replace set and draft boosters. In short, play boosters have the added rare counts of Set boosters, making them more optimal to open than Draft, but with a pack structure and design intent to be played in Limited!
Play boosters have the following contents:
- Slots 1-6 are commons.
- Slot 7 is another common, with a 1/8 chance of being a card of any rarity from “The List.”
- Slots 8-10 are uncommons.
- Slot 11 is a rare/mythic, your “normal rare” from the pack.
- Slot 12 is a non-foil “wildcard,” which can be any card from the set.
- Slot 13 is a foil “wildcard,” which means every pack includes a foil.
- Slot 14 is a basic land.
- Slot 15 is an ad, token, art card, or helper card.
Time will tell if players buy as many play boosters as they did set and draft boosters. With the potential for four rares in a single pack, the price of play boosters generally matches what set boosters have been, around $6.
- INTRODUCING PLAY BOOSTERS—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 multiple Rares and at least 1 shining foil card in every pack
- TRACK THE CLUES. CRACK THE CASE—Play detective as you collect evidence, don disguises, and identify suspects to decipher the deadly murder mystery at the heart of Ravnica
- PACKS MAY CONTAIN MULTIPLE RARES—Each MKM Play Booster contains 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher, including the possibility of a special Borderless Mythic Rare card from Magic’s history
- SHINING FOIL CARD IN EVERY PACK—Every Play Booster contains 1 shining Traditional Foil card of any rarity; in 20% of packs you’ll also find a Traditional Foil Land card (which may even be Full-Art!)
- MAY CONTAIN ART CARDS, A PLAY BOOSTER EXCLUSIVE—Now found only in Play Boosters, some packs also contain an Art Card showcasing a piece of art from the Murders at Karlov Manor set, sometimes with a foil signature from the artist
Jumpstart Booster
My pick: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earch Jumpstart Vol. 2
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earch Jumpstart Vol. 2 (really, volume one or two is good) is my pack because Tolkien provides a great starting point in magic and fantasy themes, it is classic MTG all around and includes some nice reprints.
Jumpstart boosters are a different product aimed at highlighting easy deck building. The point is to buy two boosters and shuffle them together for a deck that’s ready to go! They’re thematic, so a given collection can have an angel booster, a dragon booster, a soldier booster, or in this set, hobbits, elves, or dwarves. You’ll only know the theme after you’ve opened it, so you can’t ask your LGS for the dragon-themed Jumpstart booster.
You can open a dragon booster and a halfling booster, shuffle them, and now you have a dragon hobbit deck! Jumpstart is perfect for playing with friends that don’t have MTG cards, or to introduce new players to the game.
Jumpstart boosters usually sell for $6.99 and contain 20 cards: one rare from the theme (sometimes two), some uncommons, commons, and basic lands. Combine two of these and you’ll have a 40-card deck with around 16 lands and 24 non-land cards.
- EVEN MORE THEMES TO MIX & MATCH—This second volume of The Lord of the Rings Jumpstart Boosters features 5 more themes to explore Middle-earth: Mortals, Cunning, Orcish, Riders, and Elven
- MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
- JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP—Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with unique game mechanics and stunning art that draw you into this epic tale
- BEST BOOSTERS TO JUMP RIGHT IN—Jumpstart Boosters are a fast, fun way to jump into the game; just grab a friend, open 2 packs each, shuffle them together, and play
- 2 RARES + 2 FOIL LANDS IN EVERY PACK—Every pack contains 1 thematic Rare card designed specifically for Jumpstart Vol. 2 Boosters, 1 Rare or Mythic Rare from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth main set, and 2 Land cards with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment
Collector Booster
My pick: Murders at Karlov Manor
Collector boosters are the most expensive packs, and this is where the higher chances of getting premium cards lie. You might as well spin the wheel and get a nice prize, so there’s definitely a lot of luck involved.
Collector booster contents vary wildly between sets, so here’s what you can expect from a Murders at Karlov Manor collector booster as an example:
- 4 Traditional foil commons
- 3 Traditional foil uncommons
- 1 Traditional foil full-art impossible basic land
- 1 Non-foil showcase magnified or showcase dossier common or uncommon (37.7% chance of Booster Fun)
- 1 Traditional foil showcase magnified or showcase dossier common or uncommon (37.7% chance of Booster Fun)
- 1 Traditional foil rare or mythic rare (12.5% chance of being a dual land, 12.5% chance of being mythic)
- 1 Non-foil extended-art rare or mythic rare (6.45% chance of being extended-art mythic rares)
- 1 Non-foil or traditional foil extended-art rare or mythic rare from the Murders at Karlov Manor Commander decks
- 1 Non-foil Booster Fun rare or mythic rare—this can have the showcase magnified, showcase dossier, Ravnica City, or borderless treatment, or it can be a borderless rare dual land.
- 1 Traditional foil Booster Fun rare or mythic rare—this can be a serialized Ravnica City card, a showcase dossier mythic rare with invisible ink, an extended-art rare or mythic rare, a card with the showcase magnified, showcase dossier, Ravnica City, or borderless treatment, or a borderless rare dual land.
- 1 Traditional foil double-sided token
Collector boosters have premium content but also come at a premium price, most retailing for around $20 to $30. They're your best chance to find the prettiest version of the collection’s most desired cards.
This is the right product for you if you’re looking to play with the shiniest new toys and pimp out your Cube or Commander decks.
- CHASE DOWN RAVNICA’S KILLER CARDS—Track down the city’s most notorious cards as you collect evidence, don disguises, and identify suspects to decipher the deadly murder mystery at the heart of Ravnica
- BEST BOOSTERS 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
- EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL TREATMENTS—Found only in Collector Boosters, every pack contains at least 2 Extended-Art card and may contain a card with a special new type of foil treatment
- MORE RARE CARDS—Collector Boosters contain more hard-to-find cards than any other Murders at Karlov Manor booster, with 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher in each pack
- PLAY A GAME THAT FUSES ART, STORIES & STRATEGY—Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game that weaves deep strategy with art and mechanics that explore the themes of a particular world and story—whether you want to play a casual game with friends, collect cool cards, or get competitive, Magic welcomes you to The Gathering
Draft Booster
My pick: Ravnica Remastered
Draft boosters used to be simply known as “booster packs,” and they were the main way to get MTG cards. They’ve been renamed “draft boosters” as more booster types have been introduced, and for years they were the only sanctioned and balanced way to play Limited.
Draft boosters come with 15 cards (one rare, three uncommons, and 10 commons) alongside a basic land or extra token card/ad card. The fact that the rarities are fixed makes them balanced for Limited play, while other boosters (set boosters, collector boosters) aren’t.
The draft boosters are the cheapest pack to buy. Ravnica Remastered looks to have the last draft boosters. You’ll want a few of these if you want to play lots of Limited, be it to Draft, play Sealed, or Pack Wars. An average MTG player usually plays around two or three drafts per collection and keeps the cards they’ve opened this way. Some players also get a draft booster box for each set, maybe to open the cards and see what they can find or to play Limited. Draft boosters usually sell for about $4.
- BECOME A CARD-CARRYING GUILD MEMBER—There’s no place like Ravnica; walk through familiar streets with a bustling crowd of reprinted favorites from Ravnica’s past and the ten unique guilds that keep the city running
- RETRO CARD IN EVERY PACK—Take a turn down memory lane with the inclusion of a special Retro card in every booster!
- RARE OR MYTHIC RARE IN EVERY PACK—Every pack contains at least 1 card of rarity Rare or higher and may contain up to 3, including 1 possible Rare or Mythic Rare with a shining Traditional Foil treatment
- BEST BOOSTERS FOR DRAFTING—Draft Boosters are designed to draft a deck and play with friends; everyone grabs 3 packs and passes them around to pick cards. Add some lands and you're ready for epic 2-player battles
- PLAY A GAME THAT FUSES ART, STORIES & STRATEGY—Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game that weaves deep strategy with art and mechanics that explore the themes of a particular world and story—whether you want to play a casual game with friends, collect cool cards, or get competitive, Magic welcomes you to The Gathering
Set Booster
My pick: March of the Machine
March of the Machine gets the nod because you can open a bunch of valuable cards like Etali, Primal Conqueror, Sheoldred, and Urabrask.
Set boosters come with fewer cards than draft boosters (12 vs. 15), but there’s an increased chance of having more rares/mythics and more premium cards like foil and extended art cards. It usually retails for around $5-$6. Since set boosters aren’t balanced for Limited they usually have two rares or more, and there’s also the chance of there being reprinted card from The List, which can also be an extra rare.
Let’s see what you can find in March of the Machine set boosters as an example:
- 1 Multiverse Legends card
- At least 1 battle card
- 1 traditional foil/foil-etched card of any rarity including Multiverse Legends in traditional foil and the foil-etched treatment
- 2 wildcards of any rarity (opportunity to open MOM Commander cards, Jumpstart booster rares, or Multiverse Legends)
- 1 basic land/full-art harbinger basic land in traditional foil or non-foil
- 1 double-faced Phyrexian common/uncommon
- 2 connected uncommons
- 2 connected commons
- 1 art card
- 1 token/ad card, double-faced Helper card, or The List card
I’d look for old set boosters if Limited play isn’t your jam and you’re buying cards to increase your collection. There’s a possibility of finding a couple rare or mythic rare cards in a single booster and a guaranteed foil card.
- 30 March of the Machine Set Boosters—the best MTG boosters to open just for fun
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per booster
- At least 1 Multiverse Legend card in every pack
- 1–5 cards of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
- Foil card and Art Card in every pack
Epilogue Boosters
My Pick: March of the Machine: The Aftermath
Epilogue boosters are special boosters released in the March of the Machine: The Aftermath micro set. They contain only five cards, with a combination of 1-3 card(s) of rarity rare or higher and 2-4 uncommon cards. There’s also a guaranteed foil in each pack, with a maximum of two.
Expect some high-value boosters with nice and powerful cards. Epilogue boosters are currently exclusive to The Aftermath.
- THE FIRST STEPS AFTER THE LAST STAND—Rebuild the Multiverse while building up your collection in this epic conclusion to the March of the Machine storyline
- INTRODUCING EPILOGUE BOOSTERS—These special boosters fill in the story between sets with 5 Magic: The Gathering cards in each pack
- RARES & UNCOMMONS ONLY—Small but mighty, all 5 cards in each booster are of rarity Uncommon or higher, including 1–3 cards of rarity Rare or higher
- FOILS & SHOWCASE CARDS—Each Epilogue Booster contains 1 Showcase or Retro-Frame card and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- CONTENTS—1 Epilogue Booster Box containing 24 March of the Machine: The Aftermath MTG Epilogue Boosters
Compleat Edition Boosters
My pick: Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Compleat edition boosters are exclusive to Phyrexia: All Will Be One and contain two of each basic land along with two mythics from the set. These 12 cards also come with the exclusive oil slick raised foil treatment.
The only way to get a Compleat edition booster is in the Phyrexia: All Will Be One: Compleat Edition bundle, which comes with compleat boosters alongside 12 All Will Be One set boosters.
- Bundle: Compleat Edition—contains cards with an Oil Slick Raised Foil treatment exclusive to the Compleat Edition
- 1 Compleat Edition booster—12 Oil Slick Raised Foil cards, with 2 Mythic Rares + 10 Basic Lands (2 of each type)
- 1 Exclusive Phyrexian Language Traditional Foil Rare promo card—Phyrexian Arena
- 40 Traditional Foil Land cards that celebrate the glory of Phyrexia—20 Phyrexianized Lands + 20 Panorama Full-Art Lands
- 12 Phyrexia: All Will Be One Set Boosters—the best MTG boosters to open just for fun
Welcome Booster
Welcome boosters were introduced in 2020, and there's been one for each set since. Their contents vary with each set, and they show off different aspects of the game.
Unlike the other boosters from this list, you can get these for free at your LGS. They're not for sale and are meant to be free “samples” to welcome and entice players to the game.
Discontinued Booster Pack Types
8-Card Packs
Older sets like Arabian Nights, Antiquities, The Dark, and Fallen Empires from the early ’90s were sold in 8-card booster packs. They contained 1 rare, 2 uncommons, and 5 commons.
12-Card Packs
Chronicles was sold in 12-card booster packs in 1995, with 1 rare, 3 uncommons, and 8 commons. This is the only 12 card-booster in MTG history.
Starter Decks
Starter decks were sold in early MTG sets. It came with 60 cards including two or three rares, with the rest typically being 20 basic lands, 25 commons, and 5 uncommons depending on the set.
The sets that offered starter decks started with Alpha, MTG’s first set all the way through the Tempest block. After that the starter decks changed to “tournament packs.”
Tournament Packs
Tournament packs were packs that contained a huge number of MTG cards from the same set: 75 cards. A good chunk of these cards were basic lands, usually 30, with around 25 common cards, some uncommons and rares mixed in between.
Tournament packs were sold in Urza’s Saga in 1999 through Shards of Alara in 2009, and they were commonly used to play Sealed deck or in prereleases.
Theme Booster
Theme boosters are boosters with 35 cards from a single theme. They debuted in Dominaria in 2018, and each of those theme boosters had cards of a specific color theme. The themes varied between sets, with sets like Strixhaven and Guilds of Ravnica having guild-based themes, while sets like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt had mono-color themes and a special werewolf-themed deck. The last set to offer theme boosters was Streets of New Capenna in April 2022.
Most of the 35 cards from theme boosters were commons, with a few uncommons and one or two rares/mythics. They’re recommended for players who prefer a certain color (or color combination) and want to boost a specific deck or themed deck.
VIP Edition Boosters
VIP edition were a special version of collector boosters only released for Double Masters in 2020. It contained 30 cards and at least 4 foil rares or mythics. It’s the only possible way to open foil Double Masters borderless cards, each pack containing two of them. I'm talking premium cards like Mana Crypt, Force of Will, and Atraxa, Praetors' Voice.
You can also find two foil rares or mythics alongside 17 foil commons and uncommons. It’s the most expensive product on this list with prices in the $170 range. They also make for excellent MTG-related gifts and presents.
While not officially discontinued, the VIP edition boosters didn’t reappear in Double Masters 2022.
Wrap Up
Lord Xander, the Collector (Streets of New Capenna) | Illustration by Martina Fackova
WotC releases lots of different products, which can be overwhelming to average and veteran players alike.
The fact is that there’s no wrong booster or product, but there is something for everybody and that’s the important part. Introductory packs like Jumpstart are great for beginners but still have value for Limited players and collectors. Play boosters simplify and satisfy the vast majority of what players want in opening packs. Those of us who expect more value from pack-openings or want a higher risk-reward situation should spring for collector boosters.
What’s your go-to MTG booster product? Are you more like me and prefer the excitement of drafting play boosters, or do you go straight to value-filled products like collector boosters? Let me know in the comments below, or join the conversation over in the Draftsim Discord.
Stay safe folks, and go crack some packs!
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