Last updated on April 23, 2024
Treetop Ambusher | Illustration by Randy Vargas
There have been plenty of products and features that have come and gone over Magic’s long and extensive history, never to return. One that seems to keep coming back from the dead every few years is the box topper.
Whether in the form of the old oversized cards from Eight Edition or the ultra-valuable box topper packs from Double Masters, these premium addons aren’t easy to come by. Today I’m going to go over the long and interesting history of box toppers.
Let’s jump in!
What Is a Box Topper?
Tarmogoyf | Illustration by Filip Burburan
A box topper is an extra card you get on top of a sealed booster box. It’s a sort of promo card similar to the buy-a-box promos, and they usually come in a foil version to act as an incentive to pick up a box when a new set releases.
What’s Included in the Box Topper Pack?
A box topper pack is a pack of promo cards that basically work the same as a box topper. They’re a pack of cards with special versions of art, usually an alternative style or naming, that can only be specifically found in box topper packs.
A recent example of this is the Dracula box topper packs from Crimson Vow. They had 17 cards including a foil reskinned Dracula card, and these packs were in every booster and collector box.
- 30 Innistrad: Crimson Vow Set Boosters
- 1 foil Dracula Series box topper card
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per booster
- 1 foil or nonfoil Showcase Eternal Night Land in every pack
- 1–4 Rares and/or Mythic Rares in every pack
Which MTG Products Have Box Toppers?
Box toppers originated as a product in Eighth Edition and Ninth Edition but were long forgotten until they arrived in Ultimate Masters in 2018. They’ve since been included in a number of Standard and Masters sets and can be found in any booster box from the sets in which they’re available in.
When Did Box Toppers Start?
Box toppers first appeared in Eighth Edition in the form of 33 cards that were never printed in a Core Set. These cards had normal art on the front with a unique backside featuring the full version of the art and what expansion it was from. These were discontinued until Ultimate Masters in 2018, with the concept being sporadically used in recent sets.
Oversized Box Toppers
There was a blown-up oversized box topper similar to the ones you’d receive in old preconstructed Commander decks. Among the many cards you could receive as a box topper in Eighth Edition were Diabolic Tutor, Phyrexian Arena, Underworld Dreams, and Curiosity.
Ninth Edition tried to carry on the box topper scheme from its predecessor but instead had 13 different possible box toppers. But they neglected to continue the full art backside present in Eighth Edition and instead opted to continue the oversized ones. Notable cards you could get include Llanowar Elves, Serra Angel, and Jester's Cap.
Regular Box Toppers
There aren’t currently any unconventional box toppers rolling around. Anything that you’re getting nowadays in your boxes of draft boosters are just foil rares from the set. You’ll sometimes get something special or a pack of cards, like in Crimson Vow, but the days of oversized cards seem to be over.
Are Box Toppers Valuable? How Much Are They Usually Worth?
Some box toppers, like the Double Masters ones, can be quite expensive at well over $100. The other pack box toppers seem to be much cheaper than that, with the second most expensive being the Zendikar Expeditions packs for just under $40.
Box Toppers vs. Buy-a-Box Promos
Buy-a-box promos are cards specifically given out at local game stores as a reward for buying a booster box of Magic cards. Buy-a-box is promo cards specifically from the set you’re buying while box toppers are actually inside the booster box and are meant to be an added bonus.
Do Set Boosters Come with a Box Topper?
Yes, you get a box topper with set booster boxes.
Do Collector Booster Boxes Come with a Box Topper?
Yes, you get a box topper with collector booster boxes. It won’t be anything different than the card you get with other boxes despite the massive price jump.
How Many Box Toppers Are in Double Masters?
There are 40 different box toppers from Double Masters that you can get in a box. They range greatly in price but including notable cards like Force of Will, Mana Crypt, and Jace, the Mind Sculptor.
- TWO RARES. Each of the 24 Double Masters Draft Booster Packs inside your booster box contains not 1 but 2 rare or mythic rare Magic cards—at least.
- TWO FOILS. All 24 packs have twice the shine, with 2 foils in each booster (can be any rarity).
- TWO BOX TOPPERS. Each Double Masters Draft Booster Box contains 2 special box topper cards with beautiful borderless treatments.
- TWO FIRST PICKS. Every pack of Double Masters has two rares—and when you booster draft, you can pick them both.
- TOO POWERFUL. Play with some of the most powerful Magic cards ever, whether you're into Commander, Pioneer, Legacy, or all of the above.
Does Double Masters 2022 Have Box Toppers?
No, Double Masters 2022 did not come with box toppers despite the previous iteration, Double Masters, having 40 different ones.
Does Ultimate Masters Have a Box Topper?
Yes, Ultimate Masters came with a box topper pack that could come a mythic or rare from the set in a foil extended version. You can receive any mythic from the set, 18 different rares, as well as Kitchen Finks or Eternal Witness.
- Ultimate Masters (uma) brings a host of powerful, sought-after cards—including some of the greatest cards from throughout magic's history.
What’s the Ultimate Box Topper?
The box toppers from the original Double Masters takes the cake as the most insane box topper out there. It has some of the most expensive cards in the game available in foil extended art versions, with only 6 of the 40 total cards going for under $20.
- TWO RARES. Each of the 24 Double Masters Draft Booster Packs inside your booster box contains not 1 but 2 rare or mythic rare Magic cards—at least.
- TWO FOILS. All 24 packs have twice the shine, with 2 foils in each booster (can be any rarity).
- TWO BOX TOPPERS. Each Double Masters Draft Booster Box contains 2 special box topper cards with beautiful borderless treatments.
- TWO FIRST PICKS. Every pack of Double Masters has two rares—and when you booster draft, you can pick them both.
- TOO POWERFUL. Play with some of the most powerful Magic cards ever, whether you're into Commander, Pioneer, Legacy, or all of the above.
Does Zendikar Rising Have Box Toppers?
Yes, Zendikar Rising had Magic: The Gathering Zendikar Rising Set Booster Box | 30 Packs (360 Cards) + 1 Box Topper | Foil in Every Pack, which had one non-foil Zendikar Rising card with special high-gloss varnish.
- THE BEST WAY TO OPEN PACKS JUST FOR THE FUN OF OPENING THEM. Zendikar Rising Set Boosters are the go-to if you're looking to rip open a Magic: The Gathering booster pack just to see what's inside.
- 30 PACKS + 1 BOX TOPPER. Get 30 Zendikar Rising Set Boosters plus 1 "Expedition Land" box topper—a celebrated land card with alternate art and a special frame inspired by the sky dungeons of Zendikar.
- A FOIL AND A FULL-ART LAND IN EVERY PACK. Zendikar Rising Set Boosters come with 1 full-art land card, plus at least one foil card. (The foil cards can be any rarity.)
- ART CARDS. Each Set Booster starts with an art card: a beautiful piece of borderless MTG art, some with the artist's signature across the front in shining gold.
- "THE LIST"— CARDS FROM MAGIC'S HISTORY. 1 in 4 Set Boosters includes a card from "The List"—a pool of reprints, ranging from powerful to flat-out wild, presented in their original art and frame.
Does Midnight Hunt Have a Box Topper?
No, unfortunately Midnight Hunt didn’t come with a box topper despite the other Innistrad set having one.
Are Crimson Vow Box Toppers Foil?
Yes, the Crimson Vow Dracula Series box toppers came with a foil card.
- 30 Innistrad: Crimson Vow Set Boosters
- 1 foil Dracula Series box topper card
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per booster
- 1 foil or nonfoil Showcase Eternal Night Land in every pack
- 1–4 Rares and/or Mythic Rares in every pack
What’s the New Capenna Box Topper?
The Streets of New Capenna box topper is Gala Greeters.
- 30 Streets of New Capenna Set Boosters + 1 foil box topper card
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per Set Booster—the best MTG booster to open just for fun
- Traditional or Gilded Foil card in every pack
- At least 1 Showcase card in every pack
- 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
Wrap Up
Gala Greeters | Illustration by Bud Cook
That wraps up all of the info on box toppers! They’re certainly an interesting and fun feature of booster boxes, and I hope they stick around for a long time.
What do you think of box toppers? Do you enjoy getting an extra pack in your boxes, or do you feel that they gatekeep already expensive cards? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or in the official Draftsim Discord.
Until next time, stay safe and stay healthy!
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