MTG - Booster Guide

Booster Packs are a core part of any TCG and they are perhaps one of the most loved and controversial parts of the hobby. On one hand, the randomness of booster packs adds an extra level of fun and excitement to opening products. On the other hand, this level of randomness can lead to unsatisfying openings and having to buy more and more packs to get the few cards you're after. The advent of Living Card Games sought to eliminate these negatives with their rejection of traditional booster packs but it still remained a problem for many TCG players and collectors, with many in the hobby turning to buying single cards instead of packs.

Magic the Gathering and Wizards of the Coast sought to revolutionise the way that booster packs are utilised with their introduction of new types of packs. They split the traditional booster packs into new different versions, starting primarily in Throne of Eldraine!

Draft Booster
The Draft Booster is the closest to the traditional pack and was first released as part of Throne of Eldraine! The pack is specifically designed for drafting, so includes a ton of synergies for the set and a load of commons and uncommons that would be needed in a draft setting. If players are interested in Drafting exclusively, then these are the perfect choice for them. If not, then there are other packs to satisfy any type of player or collector.

Each Draft Booster includes 16 cards:

• 1 Basic Land
• 10 Commons
• 3 Uncommons
• 1 Rare or Mythic Rare
• 1 Marketing card/token

Collector Booster
Also introduced in Throne of Eldraine, these packs are the premium products of any modern Magic expansion. They contain loads of Rares, Mythics, Full Arts, Borderless Cards and Foils! If you're a collector, then these are perfect for you. Be warned as these premium products carry a substantial price tag, but they're well worth it!

Each Collector Booster includes 16 cards:

• 1 Rare or Mythic Rare with extended art
• 1 Foil Rare or Mythic Rare
• 9 Foil Commons or Uncommons
• 3 Special-frame cards (Showcase cards or Borderless Planeswalkers)
• 1 Ancillary card (a new card that is connected to the set but doesn't appear in Draft Boosters. such as cards included in pre-con Commander decks)
• 1 Foil token

Set Booster
A happy medium between Draft Boosters and Collector Boosters, the Set Booster made its debut in Zendikar Rising! These boosters have arguably replaced draft boosters as the core or "basic" type of Booster, becoming significantly more popular. The boosters feature exclusive art cards and remove a lot of the "draft chaff" found in draft boosters. However, they still don't have the same number of rares and showcase cards as Collector Boosters. If you're looking to grab some cards for Standard or Modern, then you'll be very happy with Set Boosters!

Each Set Booster includes 14 cards:

• 1 Art Card - with a 5% chance of a gold signature version
• 1 Land Card - with a 15% chance of a foil version
• 6 Connected Cards - Commons and Uncommons with a common type or theme
• 1 Head-turner - a Common or Uncommon card with a unique treatment, such as a Showcase card
• 2 Wild Cards - Anything from Common to Mythic Rare
• 1 Rare or Mythic Rare card - with a 13.5% chance of a Mythic
• 1 Foil Card - anything from Common to Mythic Rare
• 1 Epilogue Card - a Marketing card, Token card or a 25% chance of a list card

Theme Booster
The first new booster to be introduced was the Theme Booster in Guilds of Ravnica. These boosters contain 35 cards, all based around a particular theme or colour! If you're a deckbuilding looking to run certain archetypes, then these are the best boosters for you! These booster have now been replaced by the Jumpstart booster and therefore are only available in older sets.

Each Theme Booster includes 35 cards:

• a variable amount of Commons and Uncommons
• 1 or 2 Rares or Mythic Rares

Jumpstart Booster
The Jumpstart booster made its first appearance in the eponymous Jumpstart expansion back in 2020, but became a main part of releases, starting with Dominaria United! They replaced Theme Boosters and give players the opportunity to easily make random decks without the hassle of deckbuilding! Each booster contains 20 cards, each based around a specific theme! Two booster can be placed together to form a fully playable 40 card deck! The original Jumpstart set proved to be super popular, not just for sealed players but also for collectors and players of other formats!

Each Jumpstart Booster includes 20 cards from its set, including:

• 1 Rare or Mythic Rare
• 2 Foil Basic Lands
• 1 mechanically unique rare especially designed for the Jumpstart pack

Check out the related products section below to place an order for some awesome booster packs and boxes! Alternatively, you can view our entire range of Magic the Gathering products by clicking the button below.