Last updated on February 19, 2024
Component Collector | Illustration by Mark Behm
Wizards offers plenty of options for collectors and players to buy booster packs. Going forward the options start with collector boosters or play boosters. Set boosters and draft boosters are folded into play boosters and there's word of the beyond booster coming later in 2024.
Considering that one of the best parts of play and set boosters are that you can find more than one rare inside, there is simply better rare collecting going on even as they’re balanced for Limited play. But which ones should you get?
Today I’ll walk you through set and collector boosters including the main differences. I’ll also rank the best you can get of each. Let’s get into it!
The Difference Between Set and Collector Boosters
Echoing Equation | Illustration by Volkan Baga
The main difference between set and collector boosters is that collector boosters have more rares and are more expensive, and every card has a different treatment, be it unique/alternate art or foil. You’ll get more extended art versions or alternate art versions this way.
Set boosters have a guaranteed foil and up to four rares, but it’s the normal version of the card and they usually only have one or two rares.
Set Booster Contents
Set boosters have 12 cards, and there’s a guaranteed rare or mythic card. Every set booster also has a foil card.
Some of these packs also can have an extra rare or two. Around 27% of the set boosters have two rares, around 3% have three, and 1% of them have four rares. It’s possible to get art cards, rules/token cards, and a basic land or full-art land as usual.
Set boosters are recommended for players who want the most rares from a given set and don't care too much about commons or Limited balance. Each set booster also has a card from “The List,” a collection of curated cards from Magic’s history.
Collector Booster Contents
Collector boosters are your best bet if all you care about are pimped versions of new cards, if you’re looking to add new foils to a Commander deck or cube, or if you want to take a shot at open a chase mythic from the set in the shiniest frame possible. Using Murders at Karlov Manor as a reference, here’s what you can find in a collector booster:
- 4 Traditional foil commons
- 3 Traditional foil uncommons
- 1 Traditional foil full-art impossible basic land—one each of the five basic land types
- 1 Non-foil showcase magnified or showcase dossier common or uncommon
- 1 Traditional foil showcase magnified or showcase dossier common or uncommon
- 1 Traditional foil rare or mythic rare
- 1 Non-foil extended-art rare or mythic rare
- 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
- 1 Traditional foil Booster Fun rare or mythic rare
- 1 Traditional foil double-sided token
Which is Better? Set or Collector Boosters?
If you’re looking to expand your collection with rares/mythics and get staples for Constructed play, then the set booster is the best booster, and the most budget-friendly one. But if you want to spin the lottery wheel, have a chance to find a premium card from the newest set, or just get prettier foil versions of the cards from a given set, then collector boosters are the way to go!
The best between set and collector boosters depends on your budget, intentions, and what you expect from each product.
Best Set Boosters
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
These are the last set boosters added to Standard for the foreseeable future. If you need some staples from this set for Standard, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan set boosters are a good idea for that. There are also Jurassic World cards and borderless cards in these boosters, which are very nice.
- JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF IXALAN—Discover powerful relics and craft tools to give you an edge against the deadly dinosaurs, cunning traps, and ancient gods at the center of the world
- EXPLORE WITH SET BOOSTERS—Set Boosters are specifically designed for a fun pack-opening experience, with at least 1 Rare or Mythic Rare card and at least 1 card with a shining foil treatment in every pack
- 1 IN 12 BOOSTERS INCLUDES A JURASSIC WORLD CARD—Be on the lookout for Universes Beyond Jurassic World Collection cards featuring the Jurassic World franchise’s iconic characters and ferocious dinosaurs!
- TREASURE TROVE BOX TOPPER—Every box contains hidden treasure, with 1 Artifact reprint Box Topper card featuring exclusive Borderless alt-art
- 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
Wilds of Eldraine
One of the recent sets with very powerful cards that are impacting Standard and other Constructed formats, this set has anime enchanting tales on some of your ripe reprints. The Wilds of Eldraine set boosters are your chance to get Commander staples in foil or with a different art treatment.
- A TALE ONLY YOU CAN TELL—Venture into the untamed Wilds of Eldraine, a fairy tale-inspired world in the Magic multiverse, and free the kingdom from a curse of endless slumber
- EXPLORE WITH SET BOOSTERS—Set Boosters are specifically designed for a fun pack-opening experience, with at least 1 Rare or Mythic Rare card and at least 1 card with a shining foil treatment in every pack
- FAIRY-TALE INSPIRED CARDS + ART CARD—Each Set Booster contains 12 cards with art and mechanics inspired by storybook themes plus an Art Card showcasing a piece of art from the set, sometimes featuring a foil signature from the artist
- BEWITCHING BORDERLESS CARDS—Every pack includes at least 1 Borderless Enchanting Tales card with alt-art that looks right out of a storybook or may even feature special anime-inspired art
- 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
The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth
An amazing part of this set is fresh art, a bunch of these cards are borderless scene cards that can be put together to form a mural of a key scene in Lord of the Rings. You get at least one foil and at least one alternate art card. Maybe you get Saruman of Many Colors, Orcish Bowmasters, or The One Ring for your Constructed decks!
- 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
- EXPLORE WITH SET BOOSTERS—Designed for a fun pack-opening experience, if you want to explore the set by opening packs just to see what you get, Set Boosters are for you
- ART CARD, RARE CARD, AND FOIL IN EVERY PACK—Every Set Booster includes at least 1 shining Traditional Foil card, at least 1 card of rarity Rare or higher (with up to 4!), and 1 Art Card showcasing a piece of art from the set
- ALTERNATE-ART CARD IN EVERY PACK—Whether it’s a Borderless Scene card with art that’s one piece of a larger, multi-card scene or a Showcase Ring card with art circled by the inscription from the One Ring, every Set Booster contains at least 1 special alt-art, alt-frame card
March of the Machine
March of the Machine set boosters offer a host of powerful cards like Faerie Mastermind, Breach the Multiverse, and Tribute to the World Tree. The set also has Magic's own cross over legendaries like Drana and Linvala, Ghalta and Mavren, and Kogla and Yidaro.
- 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
Innistrad: Crimson Vow
Crimson Vow set boosters offers a lot of rares that are seeing play like Sorin the Mirthless, Hullbreaker Horror, and Chandra, Dressed to Kill. The set also has cards like Toxrill, the Corrosive, Cultivator Colossus, and Avabruck Caretaker.
- 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
Best Collector Boosters
Murders at Karlov Manor
Murders at Karlov Manor collector boosters have a chance at serialized Ravnica city cards, foil special guests and rares with invisible ink. The showcase magnified treatment is really unique, a style that highlights key moments in the story and something I'd love to see more of.
- 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
Ravnica Remastered
Your nostalgia can come from multiple levels with so many sets being funneled into the reprints of Ravnica Remastered. There are a bunch of retro-framed cards and anime art treatments that throw off the whole look of what's playable in Modern. Then there are the full cycle of shock lands that interest nearly every Magic player. It’s possible to open Birds of Paradise, Cyclonic Rift, and Chromatic Lantern.
- RENEW YOUR VIP GUILD MEMBERSHIP—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
- COLLECT RETRO CARDS—Honor Ravnica’s treasured past with Retro cards overflowing with nostalgic charm; every Collector Booster contains 4–5 Retro-Frame cards, one of which may be a unique Serialized Retro card
- MAY CONTAIN BORDERLESS SHOCK LANDS—Every pack also contains 1–2 Borderless reprints, each of which may be either a Borderless Shock Land (a Collector Booster exclusive!) or Borderless card with anime-inspired alternate art
- 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
- 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
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Neon Dynasty has a cool anime/Japanese art theme if you’re into that kind of art. Cards like the channel lands and powerful planeswalkers like The Wandering Emperor along with Urabrask the Hidden and Greasefang are interesting pulls from the Neon Dynasty collector boosters. The Tamiyo, Compleated Sage and the cycle of Marches like March of Otherworldly Light are also interesting.
- 15 Magic: The Gathering cards + 1 foil token
- Shortcut to the coolest cards in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Only NEO packs that may contain a Neon Ink Foil or Foil-Etched card
- Only MTG boosters with Extended-Art cards—get 1–3 in every pack
- 9–10 traditional foil cards and 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
Modern Horizons 2
Here you can find the Zendikar fetch lands like Scalding Tarn as well as Modern Constructed staples like Murktide Regent, Urza's Saga, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, and Solitude. The prices of the cards in Modern Horizons 2 collector boosters vary wildly since there are lots of desired cards for eternal formats in this set, so the lottery is on!
- 15 Modern Horizons 2 (MH2) Magic: The Gathering cards + 1 foil token
- Shortcut to the coolest cards in Modern Horizons 2
- Only Modern Horizons 2 boosters with Foil Etched cards and Extended-Art
- 4 Rares and/or Mythic Rares per pack (max. of 3 Mythics)
- Introduces powerful cards and beloved reprints to the Modern format
Commander Legends
Another set with a lot of expensive cards like Vampiric Tutor and Mana Drain along with commanders like Nekusar, the Mindrazer, Prossh, Skyraider of Kher, and more. A Jeweled Lotus costs about $100, so Commander Legends collector boosters might just be worth the risk.
- 15 CARDS, NOTHING BUT THE BEST. Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in Commander Legends—rares, foils, alternate art, special card styles, and more.
- THE FIRST FULL SET SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMANDER.
- Open the first ever booster packs designed for Commander—a Magic format all about battling your friends in epic multiplayer games.
- CONTENTS: 15 Magic cards + 1 foil token
Wrap Up
Commence the Endgame | Illustration by Noah Bradley
There are a lot of options when it comes to buying boosters and MTG products, and the options can be daunting sometimes. The average value of a set booster is higher because you’ll typically get more rares and more foil cards, and it's great that play boosters look to be about the same cost going forward. And if you want to see beautiful and unique cards with different frames, collector boosters are really the way to go.
As usual, thanks for your time and attention. Let me know what boosters you’re buying and cracking in the comments section below over or over on the Draftsim's X account.
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