Magic: The Gathering Play Booster vs Collector Booster

Magic: The Gathering has a lot of different products for every set, and the names can be confusing if you're new or coming back after a few years. Here's what each one is and who it's for.

Play Boosters

Play Boosters are the standard pack for most sets now. Each one has 14 cards: commons, uncommons, at least one rare or mythic rare, a land and a couple of wildcard slots that can be anything. They're built for drafting and for opening casually.

A Play Booster box usually holds 30 to 36 packs depending on the set. It's the best value per pack if you want to open a lot.

Collector Boosters

Collector Boosters are the premium pack. They cost a lot more per pack, and they're packed with foils, alternate art, borderless and extended art versions, and special treatments you can't get anywhere else. A Collector Booster box has 12 packs.

These are for collectors who want the best-looking versions of cards, or players chasing a specific premium card. They're not designed for drafting.

Bundles

A Bundle includes nine Play Boosters plus basic lands, a foil promo card, a life counter and a storage box with the set's art. It's a good middle option and makes a great gift, especially for someone who plays.

Commander decks

Commander is the most popular way to play Magic casually. Preconstructed Commander decks are 100-card decks that are ready to play out of the box, and they're a great starting point if you want to play with friends without building a deck from scratch.

Quick picks

• Drafting or opening lots of packs: a Play Booster box
• Chasing premium versions: Collector Boosters
• A gift or a casual player: a Bundle or a Commander deck
• Getting into the game: a Commander deck

Keep it in good shape

Whatever you open, sleeve the good stuff, and store sealed product somewhere cool, dry and out of the sun. Our guide on storing and protecting trading cards covers the basics.

Shop sealed product in our Magic: The Gathering section.