Booster pack

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.

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.
• 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.
• 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 will contain 16 cards:
  • 1 marketing card, 1 basic land, 10 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare (occasionaly, about 1 in 8 packs, replaced by a mythic rare).

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

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.

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.