Booster pack

A booster pack is a sealed package of random Magic cards from a particular expansion set, designed to add to a player's collection. They have a fixed distribution based on rarity. A regular booster pack nowadays contains 15 playing cards and a marketing card.

An Antiquities booster pack

Fourth Edition Booster Pack

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:
  • 6 commons and 2 uncommons (there were no rares).
• 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. The ratio for each slot is roughly 2/3 for an uncommon, 1/3 for a rare.
• Alliances and Chronicles booster packs contain 12 cards:
  • 8 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare.
• From Mirage until Coldsnap, booster packs contain 15 cards:
  • 11 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare.
• Unglued boosters contain 10 cards:
  • 1 land card, 6 commons, 2 uncommons and 1 rare.
• In core set booster packs from Seventh Edition to Ninth 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.
• Tenth Edition 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 (one maybe premium card in any rarity), 3 uncommons and 1 rare (occasionally, about 1 in 8 packs, replaced by a mythic rare).. However, some of the sets may contain different configurations on particular cards:
    • Sets having double-faced cards (except Magic Origins): The basic land slot contained 1 basic land as usual, or 1 checklist card, which appear in 3 out of 4 packs.
    • Innistrad, Dark Ascension: one common slot was replaced by a double faced card (which can be anything from a common to a mythic rare).
    • Shadows over Innistrad, Eldritch Moon: one common slot was replaced by a common or uncommon double faced card. And, occasionally, about 1 in 8 packs, one additional common slot was replaced by a rare or mythic rare double faced card.
    • Dragon's Maze, Fate Reforged(excluding languages that has no Entry Set nor Fat pack): The basic land slot contained only nonbasic lands.. For Fate Reforged, booster packs in languages that has no Entry Set nor Fat pack, most of the cards in land slots are basic lands.

The latest expansion set's booster pack retails for $3.95US.

Non-regular boosters

Six card boosters

Conflux 6-card booster

Conflux was the first set to be sold in 6-card booster packs containing a tips/token card, 1 land, 3 commons, 1 uncommon, and 1 slot that had an equal chance of being rare/mythic, uncommon, or common. These packs are exclusively available from Gravity Feeds. These could be found at mass-market retailers like Target and Walmart. 6-card boosters were at least available up until Dragons Maze. They seem to have been abandoned for Magic 2014, Theros block and further sets.

Demogame boosters

Free 24-card Demogame boosters were available for several starter-level sets and Core Sets.

Sample Packs

Free 10-card Sample Packs were available for several starter-level sets and Core Sets. 6-card Sample Packs were given available for Duels of the Planeswalkers-users.

Seeded boosters

A seeded booster is a special set of cards that is made available at prereleases. It consists of playable cards that help to create a coherent deck, so that way more people (especially newer players) have a good time. There are limited combinations of cards that can appear in a seeded booster,

Standard Showdown prize boosters

Special promotional prize boosters introduced in 2016 for the Standard Showdown, containing three cards each. One is a premium card from a currently legal Standard set, including Masterpiece Series, and two are non-premium cards that are either a rare or a mythic rare from a set currently legal in Standard.

Holiday Buy-a-Box Promotion

As a holiday promotion, purchasers of a booster display box of Kaladesh received two bonus holiday packs. These boosters have the same content as the previously announced Standard Showdown prixe boosters.

Packaging

Planar Chaos blister pack

Magic 2013 booster sleeve

The first booster packs had a fairly simple packaging, where the sets only were differentiated by the color. Core sets were brown, Arabian Nights was purple, Antiquities was silver grey and so on. A problem was that this early packaging was slightly transparent.

Fourth Edition was the first Core Set, and Ice Age the first expansion, with packs made of foil flow wrap and the first with artwork on the wrappers.

From the Time Spiral block on, Booster packs could 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 and adds the possiblity of hanging the boosters on pegs (usually found in mass-market venues like Wall Mart, Target etc.). This kind of packing can add cost to the booster pack. Blister packs can hold one, two, or three booster packs. Starting with Magic 2013, the blister packs were replaced with cardboard booster sleeves. and about printing and collation issues.

With Modern Masters 2015 WotC experimented with recyclable paperboard booster wrappers. Soon rumors abounded about the ease with which these new cardboard packs could be repacked. Also, the cards had room to move and could be damaged during transport. Mark Rosewater later admitted that some challenges had to be solved, before the experiment would be repeated.

Modern Masters 2015 paperboard booster

Booster box

A booster pack box (or simply “booster box”) nowadays consists of 36 (12 × 3) booster packs, with the exception of sets like Conspiracy, whose booster boxes consist of 24 (8 × 3) booster packs. Earlier sets had different sizes for booster boxes, depending on the size of the booster packs. This wasn't very efficient in view of production costs. Each booster box can be flipped open to adverize the set with an appropiate piece of art.

Booster case

A booster case nowadays consists of 6 booster boxes, or 216 booster packs. Local game stores usually buy new sets by case.

Draft Packs

Conspiracy: Take the Crown draft pack

Conspiracy: Take the Crown introduced Draft Packs for sale in North American mass-market stores. The Draft Pack features three Booster Packs.

Unique packages

Resale pack

• 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" availabale at stores like Wallmart and Target contained 2 booster packs and 8 "bonus cards" repacked into a blister pack. The "bonus cards" could be any cards from any rarity, including lands and foreign cards from any expansion or limited edition set. Retail price: US$7.99 (which is .01 more than the cost of 2 booster packs). Another variant was 1 booster pack and 30 random cards.
• More modern versions of a repackaging include three booster packs and replace the "bonus cards" with the "Resale" promotional foil card. There are also
• The Alara Premium Foil Booster pack contained fifteen foil, black-bordered cards from Shards of Alara, Conflux, and Alara Reborn. It was released on January 8, 2010 at an MSRP of $11.99.

Additions

Wizards of the Coast toyed with the idea of scratch-off cards in boosters of Unglued 2. Another idea they explored was having it come with pieces of bubble gum. But it turned out that putting something edible in the booster packs created a whole series of stricter rules, and it turned out to not be feasible.

Artwork

A Mirage booster pack

Magic 2011 Booster Pack

A Gatecrash booster pack

A Chronicles booster pack

Core sets

• Alpha packs through Revised packs have no card artwork.
• 4th Edition packs have artwork from the cards Brass Man, Hurloon Minotaur, Mana Vault, Mesa Pegasus and Spirit Link.
• 5th Edition packs have artwork from the cards Nightmare, Shivan Dragon, Wyluli Wolf, Black Knight, Craw Giant.
• 6th Edition packs have all the same promotional artwork.
• 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: Elvish Champion, Serra Angel, Hell's Caretaker, Rathi Dragon, and 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).
  • The 6-card booster features Borderland Ranger
• 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).
  • The 6-card booster features War Priest of Thune
• 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).
  • The 6-card booster features Jace, Memory Adept.
• Magic 2013 packs have artwork from one of the cards: Liliana of the Dark Realms, Augur of Bolas, Spiked Baloth, Mindclaw Shaman, Ajani, Caller of the Pride.
  • The 6-card booster features Diabolic Revelation
• Magic 2014 packs have artwork from one of the cards: Archangel of Thune, Chandra, Pyromaster, Garruk, Caller of Beasts, Syphon Sliver, Fiendslayer Paladin.
• Magic 2015 packs have artwork from one of the cards: Ajani Steadfast, Jace, the Living Guildpact, Nightfire Giant, Soul of Shandalar and Nissa, Worldwaker.
• Magic Origins packs have original artwork of five planeswalker by Chase Stone : Gideon Jura / Kytheon Iora, Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar, Liliana Vess and Nissa Revane. The art for these packages is not found on any card of the set.

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.

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's 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, and Graven Dominator.
  • Dissension packs have artwork from one of the cards: Isperia the Inscrutable, Lyzolda, the Blood Witch, and Cytoplast Root-Kin.

• Time Spiral block
  • Time Spiral packs have artwork from one of the cards: Serra Avenger, Sengir Nosferatu, Mishra, Artificer Prodigy, and Bogardan Hellkite.
  • Planar Chaos packs have artwork from one of the cards: Radha, Heir to Keld, Jedit Ojanen of Efrava, and Darkheart Sliver.
  • Future Sight packs have artwork from one of the cards: Korlash, Heir to Blackblade, Tarox Bladewing, and Akroma's Memorial.

• Lorwyn block
  • Lorwyn packs have artwork from one of the cards: Doran, the Siege Tower, Goldmeadow Stalwart, Vigor, Ashling the Pilgrim, and 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, and Faerie Macabre.
  • Eventide packs have artwork from one of the cards: Archon of Justice, Cold-Eyed Selkie, and 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), and Godsire (with green background).
  • Conflux packs have artwork from one of the cards: Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, Maelstrom Archangel, and Nyxathid.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Apocalypse Hydra.
  • Alara Reborn packs have artwork from one of the cards: Slave of Bolas, Vedalken Heretic, and Knotvine Paladin.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from the Alara Reborn fat pack packaging.
  • 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, and Sorin Markov.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Nissa Revane.
  • Worldwake packs have artwork from one of the cards: Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Kalastria Highborn, and Admonition Angel.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Harabaz Druid
  • 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, and Kargan Dragonlord.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Induce Despair.

• 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, and Platinum Emperion.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Tainted Strike
  • Mirrodin Besieged packs have artwork from one of the cards: Mirran Crusader, Phyrexian Crusader, and Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from ....?
  • New Phyrexia packs have artwork from one of the cards: Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, Sheoldred, Whispering One, and Suture Priest.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Etched Monstrosity.

• Innistrad block
  • Innistrad packs have artwork from one of the cards: Liliana of the Veil, Garruk Relentless, Terror of Kruin Pass, Olivia Voldaren, and Bloodgift Demon.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
  • Dark Ascension packs have artwork from one of the cards: Havengul Lich, Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, and Werewolf Ransacker.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Beguiler of Wills.
  • Avacyn Restored packs have artwork from one of the cards: Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Griselbrand, Archangel, Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded, and Gisela, Blade of Goldnight.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Herald of War.

• Return to Ravnica block
  • Return to Ravnica packs have artwork from one of the cards: Korozda Guildmage, New Prahv Guildmage, Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius, Rix Maadi Guildmage, and Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Vraska, the Unseen.
  • Gatecrash packs have artwork from one of the cards: Duskmantle Guildmage, Prime Speaker Zegana, Skarrg Guildmage, Vizkopa Guildmage, and Sunhome Guildmage.
    • the 6-card booster features artwork from Domri Rade.
  • Dragon's Maze packs have artwork from one of the cards: Emmara Tandris, Melek, Izzet Paragon, and Tajic, Blade of the Legion.
    • The the 6-card booster features artwork from Ral Zarek.

• Theros block
  • Theros packs have artwork from one of the cards: Thassa, God of the Sea, Erebos, God of the Dead, Purphoros, God of the Forge, Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Arena Athlete.
  • Born of the Gods packs have artwork from one of the cards: Mogis, God of Slaughter, Ephara, God of the Polis and Phenax, God of Deception.
  • Journey into Nyx packs have artwork from one of the cards: Ajani, Mentor of Heroes, Pharika, God of Affliction and Cyclops of Eternal Fury .

• Khans of Tarkir block
  • Khans of Tarkir packs have artwork from Sidisi, Brood Tyrant, Narset, Enlightened Master, Unyielding Krumar, War-Name Aspirant, or Dragon Grip.
  • Fate Reforged packs have artwork from Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, Temporal Trespass or Vaultbreaker
  • Dragons of Tarkir packs have artwork from one of the cards: Dragonlord Atarka, Dragonlord Kolaghan, Icefall Regent, Sarkhan, Unbroken and Narset Transcendant.
• Battle for Zendikar block
  • Battle for Zendikar packs feature art from Ob Nixilis Reignited, Kiora, Master of the Depths, Ulamog's Despoiler, Veteran Warleader or Gideon, Ally of Zendikar.
  • Oath of the Gatewatch packs feature art depicting the four members of the Gatewatch: Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar and Nissa Revane.
• Shadows over Innistrad block
  • Shadows over Innistrad packs feature artwork from Falkenrath Gorger, Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon, Avacyn, the Purifier, Sorin, Grim Nemesis and Jace, Unraveler of Secrets.
  • Eldritch Moon packs feature artwork from Lunar Force and Smoldering Werewolf, and non-card artwork of Liliana.

Compilation sets

• Chronicles packs have no card artwork, but have the Chronicles globe graphic.
• Modern Masters (2013) packs have artwork from one of the cards: Vedalken Shackles, Sword of Fire and Ice and Dark Confidant.
• Modern Masters 2015 feature artwork from Noble Hierarch, Karn Liberated and Vendilion Clique.

Starter sets

• Portal packs feature artwork from one of the cards: Merfolk of the Pearl Trident, Elvish Ranger and Spined Wurm.
• Portal Second Age packs feature art from Relentless Assault.
• Portal Three Kingdoms packs feature art from Riding Red Hare.
• Starter 1999 packs featured the art from Denizen of the Deep.

Supplemental sets

• Unglued was the first set to feature horizontal art on the packs. It featured Jester's Sombrero.

• Unhinged boosters featured art from Richard Garfield, Ph.D., Mana Screw and Gleemax.
• Conspiracy was the second set to feature horizontal art. The boosters featured artwork from Dack Fayden, Magister of Worth and Scourge of the Throne.
• Conspiracy: Take the Crown features horizontal artwork from Queen Marchesa, Kaya, Ghost Assassin (foil alternate art version) and Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast.