Welcome back to the How To Play Magic: The Gathering series from Star City Games. If you need to catch up, you can check out the previous article on Magic formats or start at the beginning with The Basics.
Today’s article covers the many different products available to buy to start or supplement your Magic collection. You just started playing Magic and you are looking to get your hands on some new cards, but where do you begin? There are all kinds of different products and packs to sort through, so it can be a bit overwhelming at first. We’ll break down the most popular products and ways to jumpstart your collection.
Booster Packs
First up are the many different types of booster packs. Booster packs are sealed packs of a varying number of cards and rarities. Each Magic expansion uses four types of boosters: Set Boosters, Draft Boosters, and Collector Boosters. The type of booster packs you will want to open will depend on the experience you are looking to have when opening packs.
Set Boosters
If you just want to crack some packs and are looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of getting new cards and the likelihood that they can immediately go into your decks or help you start new decks, Set Boosters are the place to start.
Set Boosters contain twelve Magic cards, an art card, and either a token or ad card. Set Boosters are designed to be exciting as you go through the whole pack, seeing themes and concepts of the set it is from. They also have one guaranteed foil card and one guaranteed rare or mythic rare, with the chance of opening more rares or mythic rares. The commons and uncommons will typically have something in common, giving you a good idea of the set’s mechanics and potential ideas for decks.
Draft Boosters
Draft Boosters are a bit different, but equally fun to bust open. Draft Boosters are designed to be the packs used when drafting or playing Sealed Magic. They have fifteen Magic cards, breaking down to eleven commons, three uncommons, and a rare or mythic rare, plus an ad or token card. The commons and uncommons in Draft Boosters aren’t themed like in Set Boosters, so you will get a more random selection of cards from the set.
Collector Boosters
Collector Boosters are a whole other experience for cracking packs. Collector Boosters are aimed at players looking to collect as many alternate art and foil cards as possible. Only nine of the fifteen cards are common or uncommon, and they are all foil, while the rest of the pack is made up of rares or mythic rares, alternate art or frame cards, and any special versions of cards in the set. For example, Ikoria Collector Boosters gave you a good chance of opening the Godzilla cards, Kaldheim included the special Viking framed cards, and Strixhaven had cards from the Mystical Archive.
Booster Boxes and Displays
All booster packs are available separately, or you can purchase a box or display of the desired packs. Set Boosters come in a box of 30 packs, Draft Boosters come in a box of 36 packs, and Collector Boosters come in a display of twelve packs.
Set Bundles
Another option for those looking to open some packs and start their collection with a little boost is a Set Bundle. Each set has a bundle that includes Set Boosters; a foil promo card; 40 basic lands, half of which are foil; a spindown twenty-sided die; and a storage box for the cards.
Preconstructed Decks
Another way to get right into playing Magic is a preconstructed deck, or “precon.” Preconstructed decks come in a variety of offerings and are ready to shuffle up and play right out of the box.
Commander Preconstructed Decks
First up are the Commander precons. Each new set has a varying number of preconstructed decks specifically made for the Commander format to get you right into the multiplayer action. Each deck includes 99 cards and a specific legendary creature the deck is built around, some tokens, a life tracker, and a “learn to play Commander” insert.
Challenger Decks
Perhaps you are looking to scratch a more competitive itch? Then Challenger Decks will be right up your alley. Challenger Decks are preconstructed 60-card Standard decks with a 15-card sideboard that can hold their own at FNM or a Standard event at your local game store. The decks also come with tokens, tip cards, and a deck box. These decks are packed with competitive-playable rares and offer a cohesive strategy that can be customized later with additional cards. Challenger Decks are offered each year and cater to a variety of styles.
This guide should give you a pretty good idea of what kinds of products to consider buying to build your Magic collection. Thanks for reading, and we look forward to teaching you more in our other How To Play articles from Star City Games.
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