Booster pack
From MTG Salvation Wiki
A booster pack, depending on the expansion set, contains 8 to 16 cards of that set. A Booster Pack Box consists of 36 booster packs. A Booster Case consists of 6 boxes or 216 booster packs. It is one of the ways to purchase cards.
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[edit] Contents and cost
Over the years booster packs have grown in size and cost:
- Arabian Nights was sold in 8-card booster packs for $1.45US per pack. Each pack contained:
- Antiquities was also sold in 8-card booster packs.
- Legends booster packs contain 15 cards.
- The Dark, Fallen Empires and Homelands boosters contain 8 cards; At least for Homelands, each pack contains 6 commons, and has 2 slots that can be either uncommon or rare. This makes a double rare or no rare pack possible, similar to the 6 card boosters in large retail stores. The ratio for each slot is roughly 2/3 for an uncommon, 1/3 for a rare. Usually you get 1 of each.
- Alliances and Chronicles booster packs contain 12 cards:
- From Mirage until Coldsnap, booster packs contain 15 cards:
- In Core set booster packs from 7th Edition to 9th Edition 1 common was replaced with a basic land card. These boosters contain 15 cards:
- 1 basic land, 10 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare.
- The price went up to $3.29 starting with 9th Edition.
- The Time Spiral block has "timeshifted" cards and due to this their rarities in booster packs are different, though each booster pack contains 15 cards.
- Time Spiral booster packs contain 10 commons, 3 uncommons, 1 rare, and 1 purple-rarity timeshifted card.
- Planar Chaos booster packs contain 8 commons, 2 uncommons, 1 rare, 3 timeshifted commons, and 1 uncommon or rare timeshifted card.
- Future Sight booster packs contain 11 commons, 3 uncommons, and 1 rare, any of which might be a timeshifted card.
- 10th Edition Core Set booster packs introduced an additional marketing card and thus contain 16 cards:
- 1 marketing card, 1 basic land, 10 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare.
- From Lorwyn to Eventide, booster packs contain 16 cards:
- 1 marketing card, 11 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare.
- From Shards of Alara on, both Core set and Expansion booster packs contain 16 cards:
- 1 marketing card, 1 basic land, 10 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare (occasionally, about 1 in 8 packs, replaced by a mythic rare).[1][2]
- In Innistrad, which has Double-faced cards:
- 1 marketing card, 1 basic land (or checklist card which appear in 3 out of 4 packs), 9 commons, 3 uncommons, 1 rare or mythic rare and 1 double faced card (which can be anything from a common to a mythic rare)
The latest expansion set's booster pack retails for $3.95US.
[edit] Packaging
Ice Age packs appear to be the first packs made of foil wrappers and the first with artwork on the wrappers.
Booster packs can be sold in blister packs. A blister pack is putting plastic and a cardboard backing around the booster pack, this is somewhat of a theft-deterrent. This kind of packing can add cost to the booster pack. Blister packs can hold one, two, or three booster packs.
[edit] Unique packages
These can be found at mass-market retailers like Target, Walmart.
- The Ravnica block has been sold as a "perfect for draft" piece. This includes one booster of Ravnica, Dissension, and Guildpact, and a spindown life counter. Retail price: US$11.99.
- An "Extreme Value Package" contains 2 booster packs and 8 "bonus cards" which can be any rarity cards including lands and foreign cards from any expansion or limited edition set. Recently the pack shown through the package is a Magic: The Gathering 2011 Core Set, Scars of Mirrodin or a Mirrodin Besieged pack. The "bonus cards" are between the two booster packs. The other booster pack is either a Shards of Alara, Rise of the Eldrazi or an Magic: The Gathering 2011 Core Set. Retail price: US$7.99 which is .01 more than the cost of 2 booster packs.
[edit] Artwork
[edit] Core Sets
- Alpha packs through Revised packs have no card artwork.
- 4th Edition packs have artwork from the card Hurloon Minotaur.
- 5th Edition packs have artwork from the cards Nightmare, Shivan Dragon, Wyluli Wolf, Black Knight, Craw Giant.
- 6th Edition packs have artwork from the card ?.
- 7th Edition packs have artwork from one of the cards: Northern Paladin, Western Paladin, Lord of Atlantis, Elvish Champion, Goblin King.
- 8th Edition packs have artwork from one of the cards: Blinding Angel, Lhurgoyf, Phyrexian Plaguelord, Two-Headed Dragon, Tidal Kraken.
- 9th Edition packs have artwork from one of the cards: Serra Angel, Hell's Caretaker, Rathi Dragon, Mahamoti Djinn.
- 10th Edition packs have artwork from one of the cards: Paladin en-Vec (with white background), Denizen of the Deep (with blue background), Lord of the Pit (with black background), Shivan Hellkite (with red background), Quirion Dryad (with green background).
- Magic 2010 packs have artwork from one of the cards: Captain of the Watch (with white background), Sphinx Ambassador (with blue background), Xathrid Demon (with black background), Kindled Fury (with red background), Cudgel Troll (with green background).
- Magic 2011 packs have artwork from one of the cards: Sun Titan (with white background), Maritime Guard (with blue background), Phylactery Lich (with black background), Hoarding Dragon (with red background), Obstinate Baloth (with green background).
- Magic 2012 packs have artwork from one of the cards: Grand Abolisher (with white background), Sphinx of Uthuun (with blue background), Rune-Scarred Demon (with black background), Chandra, the Firebrand (with red background), Garruk, Primal Hunter (with green background).
[edit] Expert Level early sets
- Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, The Dark and Fallen Empires packs have no card artwork.
- Homelands packs have no card artwork, but have a green and red textured frame.
- Chronicles packs have no card artwork, but have the Chronicles globe graphic.
[edit] Expert Level block expansion sets
- Ice Age block
- Ice Age packs have artwork from one of five cards: Jester's Cap, Dire Wolves, Scaled Wurm, Pygmy Allosaurus, Karplusan Yeti.
- Alliances packs all have artwork from the card Benthic Explorers.
- Coldsnap packs have artwork from one of the cards: Adarkar Valkyrie, Rimescale Dragon, Allosaurus Rider.
- Mirage block
- Mirage packs have artwork from one of the cards: Maro, Polymorph, Taniwha, Jungle Troll.
- Visions packs have artwork from the card Teferi's Puzzle Box.
- Weatherlight packs have artwork from the card Steel Golem.
- Tempest block
- Tempest packs have artwork from one of the cards: Auratog, Volrath's Curse, Commander Greven il-Vec.
- Stronghold packs have artwork from the card Warrior Angel.
- Exodus packs have artwork from the card Exalted Dragon.
- Urza block
- Urza's Saga packs have artwork from one of the cards: Herald of Serra, Chimeric Staff, Phyrexian Colossus.
- Urza's Legacy packs have artwork from the card Beast of Burden.
- Urza's Destiny packs have artwork from the card Emperor Crocodile.
- Masques block
- Mercadian Masques packs have artwork from the cards: Squee, Goblin Nabob, Cateran Slaver, Saprazzan Legate.
- Nemesis packs have artwork from the card Sliptide Serpent.
- Prophecy packs have artwork from the card Avatar of Hope.
- Invasion block
- Invasion packs have artwork from the card Captain Sisay, Dromar, the Banisher, Kavu Titan.
- Planeshift packs have artwork from the card Draco.
- Apocalypse packs have artwork from the card Anavolver.
- Odyssey block
- Odyssey packs have artwork from one of the cards: Seton, Krosan Protector, Mirari, Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor.
- Torment packs have artwork from the card Sengir Vampire.
- Judgment packs have artwork from the card Phantom Nishoba.
- Onslaught block
- Onslaught packs have artwork from one of the cards: Jareth, Leonine Titan, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, Blistering Firecat, Grinning Demon.
- Legions packs have artwork from one of the cards: Riptide Mangler, Scion of Darkness, Phage the Untouchable.
- Scourge packs have artwork from one of the cards: Dragonstorm, Dragon Tyrant, Bladewing the Risen.
- Mirrodin block
- Mirrodin packs have artwork from one of the cards: Mindslaver, Icy Manipulator, Worldslayer.
- Darksteel packs have artwork from one of the cards: Shield of Kaldra, Arcbound Ravager, Eater of Days.
- Fifth Dawn packs have artwork from one of the cards: Etched Oracle, Fist of Suns, Bringer of the Red Dawn.
- Kamigawa block
- Champions of Kamigawa packs have artwork from one of the cards: Myojin of Cleansing Fire, Myojin of Seeing Winds, Myojin of Infinite Rage.
- Betrayers of Kamigawa packs have artwork from one of the cards: Opal-Eye, Konda's Yojimbo, Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, Isao, Enlightened Bushi.
- Saviors of Kamigawa packs have artwork from one of the cards: Infernal Kirin, Maga, Traitor to Mortals, Adamaro, First to Desire.
- Ravnica block
- Ravnica: City of Guilds packs have artwork from one of the cards: Savra, Queen of the Golgari, Moroii, Loxodon Hierarch, Helldozer, Circu, Dimir Lobotomist.
- Guildpact packs have artwork from one of the cards: Djinn Illuminatus, Rumbling Slum, Graven Dominator.
- Dissension packs have artwork from one of the cards: Isperia the Inscrutable, Lyzolda, the Blood Witch, Cytoplast Root-Kin.
- Time Spiral block
- Time Spiral packs have artwork from one of the cards: Serra Avenger, Sengir Nosferatu, Mishra, Artificer Prodigy, Undying Rage, Bogardan Hellkite.
- Planar Chaos packs have artwork from one of the cards: Radha, Heir to Keld, Jedit Ojanen of Efrava, Darkheart Sliver.
- Future Sight packs have artwork from one of the cards: Korlash, Heir to Blackblade, Tarox Bladewing, Akroma's Memorial.
- Lorwyn block
- Lorwyn packs have artwork from one of the cards: Doran, the Siege Tower, Goldmeadow Stalwart, Vigor, Ashling the Pilgrim, Silvergill Adept.
- Morningtide packs have artwork from one of the cards: Sigil Tracer, Pyroclast Consul, Earthbrawn.
- Shadowmoor block
- Shadowmoor packs have artwork from one of the cards: Murderous Redcap, Grief Tyrant, Ashenmoor Gouger, Reaper King, Faerie Macabre.
- Eventide packs have artwork from one of the cards: Archon of Justice, Cold-Eyed Selkie, Overbeing of Myth.
- Alara block
- Shards of Alara packs have artwork from one of the cards: Steward of Valeron (with white background), Sphinx Sovereign (with blue background), Sedris, the Traitor King (with black background), Hellkite Overlord (with red background), Godsire (with green background).
- Conflux packs have artwork from one of the cards: Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, Maelstrom Archangel, Nyxathid.
- Alara Reborn packs have artwork from one of the cards: Slave of Bolas, Vedalken Heretic, Knotvine Paladin.
- Premium foil booster packs containing cards from the entire block have artwork from Slave of Bolas.
- Zendikar block
- Zendikar packs have artwork from one of the cards: Ob Nixilis, the Fallen, Vampire Lacerator, Nissa Revane, Chandra Ablaze, Sorin Markov.
- Worldwake packs have artwork from one of the cards: Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Kalastria Highborn, Admonition Angel.
- Rise of the Eldrazi packs have artwork from one of the cards: Gideon Jura, Sarkhan the Mad, Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, Kargan Dragonlord.
- Scars of Mirrodin block
- Scars of Mirrodin packs have artwork from one of the cards: Elspeth Tirel, Venser, the Sojourner, Koth of the Hammer, Etched Champion, Platinum Emperion.
- Mirrodin Besieged packs have artwork from one of the cards: Mirran Crusader, Phyrexian Crusader, Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas.
- New Phyrexia packs have artwork from one of the cards: Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, Sheoldred, Whispering One, Suture Priest
- Innistrad block
- Innistrad packs have artwork from one of the cards: Liliana of the Veil, Garruk Relentless, Terror of Kruin Pass, Olivia Voldaren, Bloodgift Demon
- Dark Ascension packs have artwork from one of the cards: Havengul Lich, Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, Werewolf Ransacker
[edit] References
- ↑ "The Year of Living Changerously", by Mark Rosewater, MTG.com, Monday, June 2, 2008.
- ↑ "Changes as of Shards of Alara", by Wizards of the Coast, MTG.com, Monday, June 2, 2008.
