Magic: The Gathering products overview

Magic: The Gathering has a wide range of products and knowing which is the right product to buy may be confusing for someone not invested in the game or just starting out. This article will provide an overview to help you choose the most suitable product.

In a year new Magic: The Gathering cards are released through a core set and three expansion sets. Each of these sets is sold in different kinds of booster packs, bundles and preconstructed decks. Additionally there are special sets being released but these sets don't offer a full range of products.

The most commonly bought products are boosters. There are several kinds of them.

Boosters

Draft Booster

Draft booster is a new name for what was formerly known only as 'booster packs'. These are the standard and most straightforward products. They are meant for drafting or sealed format play. Each pack always contains 1 Rare or a Mythic rare card (1 out of 8 boosters), 3 Uncommons and 9 Commons. There is also a shared slot for a either 1 Common or a foil card of any rarity. Foil cards are found randomly in 1 out of 3 booster packs. There are two additional slots that vary set by set. It used to be taken by a basic land card slot and 1 Token/rules tip slot but is currently mostly used for special kinds of cards. For example in Strixhaven it would be a 1 Mystical Archive card of any rarity or 1 Lesson card of any rarity.

Draft boosters can be bought in boxes, also called displays, that each contain 36 packs.

The usual Standard legal draft booster price is 75 CZK. Booster Box price is usually around 2500 CZK. (premium set boosters and boxes cost more)
 

Set Booster

Set Boosters are targeted to players that enjoy opening packs. These boosters contain 14 cards. There are 8 different slots for cards 1 Art card, 1 Land, 6 Commons/Uncommons, 1 Common/Uncommon in a special frame (Showcase card for example), 1 Wild card slot which can by a card of any rarity and treatment, 1 Rare/Mythic Rare, 1 Foil of any rarity, 1 Marketing Card/Token with a 25% chance on a card from The List. The List is a curated list of cards from the entire Magic history.

Set boosters can be bought in boxes, also called displays, that each contain 30 packs.

The usual Standard legal set booster price is 100 CZK. Booster Box price is usually around 2700 CZK. (premium set boosters and boxes cost more)
 

Theme Boosters

Theme boosters are targeted at players that have deckbuilding in mind. They provide cards of certain color or theme that varies from set to set. These boosters contain 35 cards, a mix of commons and uncommons, and 1 or 2 rare/mythic rares.

Theme boosters can be bought in boxes, also called displays, that each contain 10 packs.

Theme boosters can be usually bought for 130 CZK.

Collector Boosters

Collector boosters are targeted at collectors. Booster contains 15 cards and the contents are more diverse than in any of the other booster types. It features more rare cards, foils, extended art cards, borderless planeswalkers or showcase cards.

Collector boosters can be bought in boxes, also called displays, that each contain 12 packs.

The usual Standard legal collector booster price around 500 CZK. Booster Box price is usually around 5500 CZK. (premium set boosters and boxes cost more)

Bundles

A bundle is a product that was originally known as a 'fat pack' and is primarily targeted at beginner players. The contents of fat packs and bundles changed with time but all these products contain a certain amount of boosters, basic lands and a spin down counter. Current bundles contain 10 boosters of the respective set, 20 nonfoil basic lands, 20 foil basic lands, 1 card box, 1 oversized spin down counter, and a foil promo card.

Starting with Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Bundles will contain 8 set boosters instead of 10 draft booster.

Standard legal set bundles can be bought for around 800 CZK. 

Prerelease packs

Prerelease packs are special packages that players receive when they go to attend a Prerelease event. They come in boxes that contain 6 draft booster packs, a spin down counter and a foil promo card of any rare or mythic rare from the set. The promos have prerelease date printed on them.

Due to limited amount of the product, it is possible we will also limit how many prerelease packs of a set each customer can buy.   

Preconstructed Decks

Planeswalker decks

Planeswalker decks are preconstructed theme decks intended for players new to Magic. They should teach them more about the mechanics of the game. The players should play only against other planeswalker decks as those are of similar level. Each deck consists of a 60 card ready to play deck featuring 5 unique cards that are not available in booster packs including a unique foil planeswalker.

Planeswalker decks prices start at 200 CZK. 

Challenger decks

Challenger deck series is a line of products meant for constructed tournament play. They contain a 75 card deck ready for the deck's release date Standard format, competitive enough for a local Friday Night Magic level - they are good as an entry point for tournament play. Similarly to Event decks, Challenger decks are build with tournament play in mind so they are built to be powerful and efficient containing Standard staples (good rares and some mythic rares). The decks can be upgraded to a top-tier Standard deck since Challenger decks are practically watered down versions of top-tier Standard decks.

While these decks are meant for more competitive players or those that are looking for a bridge to Standard format they can be bought for more casual play with friends.

The price of a Challenger deck is dependent on the deck's contents. The price usually starts at 500 CZK. 

Event decks

Event decks is a line of products meant for competitive play. They contain a 75 card deck ready to play for the deck's release Standard format. The decks feature some of the format staple rares, mythics (7 to 10 cards in total), and contain a playset of staple commons and uncommons for the specific deck archetype. This product line was discontinued. A similar product line currently exists though - Challenger decks.

While these decks are meant for more competitive players or those that are looking for a bridge to Standard format they can be bought for more casual play with friends.

Duel Decks

Duel Decks series is a line of products containing two theme 60 card decks meant to be played against each other. Duel decks are themed and feature two natural rivals or faction that fight each other. For example there Elves vs Goblins or Mind vs. Might. This product line was discontinued and replaced with Challenger decks.

Duel Decks are good for newer players that like to explore the game more but they are also great for casual players that are looking for a preconstructed deck they could play with a friend from time to time.

Multiplayer sets

Commander series

Commander series is a line of preconstructed decks for a Commander format. Commander, also known as Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH), is a very popular casual player-made multiplayer format. The allure of the format is that you have a Commander that you can play at any time, around which you can build your deck, and then you have a deck of 99 singleton cards.

Wizards of the Coast started to support this format and releases new products intended for it. With each release there are several different Commander decks that each contains a 100 card deck ready to play. Commander sets usually feature around 50 new cards that are legal in Commander, Legacy and Vintage. New commons can be found in all decks, uncommons only in decks of the card's color, rares and mythic rares only in one deck.

Commander as a format is rather complex format as it requires a good knowledge of many cards and interactions and is not intended for new players. It is recommended to have already a good knowledge of a more limited format (Standard or Modern) before venturing into Commander.

MTG Arena allows players to play "Historic Brawl" which is a format very similar to Commander. Brawl is played with 60 card decks and the pool is limited to Historic which means that there is less broken cards like Sol Ring.

Commander decks prices are dependent on the decks' contents. The price usually starts at 600 to 700 CZK. 

Planechase

Planechase and Planechase 2012 are sets that were distributed in several theme decks. The first set introduced Planechase format that is primarily meant for casual multiplayer players. It uses oversized plane cards that affect the game and a 6-sided die that features 2 distinct symbols and 4 blank sides - one symbol allows player to move to another plane and the other one allows them to use the plane's second ability. A Theme deck product features a 60 card ready-to-play deck , 10 oversized plane cards and a planar die.

Archenemy

Archenemy is a first casual multiplayer set and introduced Archenemy format. In this format one player fights a team of other players. That one player becomes the Archenemy, has 40 life at the beginning of the game, and uses their deck along with another deck featuring powerful oversized cards. The opposing players form a team and try to defeat the archenemy using their regular decks. 

Archenemy products contain 4 theme decks and 20 oversized scheme cards.

Special Sets

Signature Spellbooks

Signature Spellbooks are special themed products intended for collectors. They feature cards linked to a planeswalker with fitting new illustrations and new design that is unique to each character/Spellbook.

From the Vault

From the Vault are special themed products intended for collectors. Cards in these products use different foiling process making them more shiny (and also heavier than regular foil cards). Some of the cards feature a new alternate art. This product line was discontinued and replaced by Signature Spellbooks.

Deck Builder's Toolkit

Deck Builder's Toolkit is aimed at beginners who would like to delve into deckbuilding. The product features semi-randomized cards of all kinds that can be used to build different decks or upgrade Planeswalker decks from the same set. The Toolkit also contains several booster packs of Standard sets of the Toolkit's release date. While this product line was not officially discontinued the product does not accompany sets since Core 2021.

Secret Lair

Secret Lair are direct to player products that are released in drops. Each drop brings a new spin on curated cards. This product line started with reprints with alternate arts by different artist. The drops can also feature cards stylized in way never seen before in Magic.

There is a special edition of Secret Lair titled 'Ultimate Edition' which is distributed through local game stores.