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 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).

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.

Artwork

• Booster packs from Alpha until Fallen Empires have no card artwork
  • Homelands packs have no card artwork

• Core Sets
  • 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)

• 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
  • Judgement 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: Godsire, Steward of Valeron, Sedris, the Traitor King, Sphinx Sovereign, Hellkite Overlord
  • 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 yet to be revealed, but seem to be Tezzeret 2.0, and Mirran or Phyrexian marks
  • Action packs have yet to be revealed

External links

• 6 card booster pack for mass market stores