When on a budget...
The Kitchen Table forum
Posted on Oct. 26, 2020, 1:45 p.m. by StardustDragon11
Do you buy booster packs or singles?
FormOverFunction says... #3
I buy singles almost exclusively, and always from my local spot. I don’t buy stuff online at all. There are a few times I’ll buy a pack or two for fun, but usually the closest I get to that is when I would do two-headed giant and get a mess of cards that way. Can’t wait to get back to the normal world again... ))longing gaze at the horizon((
To be fair, the cards I usually want for my screw-ball decks aren’t all that hard to crack...maybe I should be buying more packs...
October 26, 2020 2:11 p.m.
VampDemigod says... #4
When on a budget? Always singles. It is strictly better. It’s not often you’ll get the pack’s value out of them, and you’re highly unlikely to get the cards you want. There are 2 exceptions I make.
1: When I don’t have any decks I’m working on, but need more magic in my life, I crack a pack of Dominaria build a Brawl-style deck based around the pack’s legendary creature, using my collection that’s not part of decks.
2: If there’s a deck I’m working on where I need an uncommon or common from a set, I’ll bring 3 packs of that set to my weekly chaos draft. (I do this more because it spices up the draft to have packs of some random set than because I want the card. The card is just a bonus). I’ll also do this to get tokens BTW.
October 26, 2020 2:36 p.m.
Agree with all of the above comments. When money’s tight, better to be prudent and selective. My only stipulation would be if standard just rotated and you primarily play that format, then packs might be a better short term investment (particularly if you’d like to experiment with a few different build strategies). Hope this helps.
October 26, 2020 3:59 p.m.
StardustDragon11 says... #6
I never buy packs. I usually only spend 20 bucks on 60 card decks and that is the price of 4-5 packs. They are simply a poor investment.
Unless drafting or prereleases
October 26, 2020 6:28 p.m.
I mostly buy singles.
But I also like opening packs. So every set I will get a booster box when I can afford it. This also gives me stuff for trades.
And I also like collecting some of the pre-constructed stuff. Like the commander pre-cons, spellbooks, some of the secret lairs. Those are just for collecting though. I don't expect to reap a lot of value out of them.When I open packs, I get to read the cards for the first time and see the art. They will give me deck ideas.
I will then see how many of the cards for the deck I already have and then order singles for the rest of the deck.
October 26, 2020 9:04 p.m.
RNR_Gaming says... #8
Proxies lol. Try before you buy. Play the deck you imagine instead of the deck you can afford. At some point your fiances will change enough to allow you to buy frivolous things like fine collectable cardboard rectangles or you'll make friends and just be able to lend cards assuming you form some strong friendships at the gatherings ;)
October 27, 2020 10:49 a.m.
StasisAbuser says... #9
I'll usually buy 3-6 packs per set for fun's sakes just so I can diversify my collection. If I whiff, oh well, but hitting feels so much sweeter, especially when I get better pulls than my friends who buy boxes.
Bought 6 THB packs earlier this year and got Thassa's Oracle, Thassa, Deep-Dwelling, and Dryad of the Elysian Grove, the latter two now in my Golos deck.
I'll sometimes play the booster pack game ala The Professor for fun, and I managed to go three rounds buying single packs of Double Masters before I finally lost money on one.
For deck building though, I buy singles. I try to support my two LGS's but if they don't have what I need I'll go online.
Omniscience_is_life says... #2
Singles. Always. Although I am going to break that rule when Commander Legends drops, I really want to crack those packs
October 26, 2020 1:51 p.m.