So I guess these were spoiled in a Twitch stream today. I'll provide a link, hopefully its not against Forum rules.
$12.99 MSRP (available in US and Japan) and at limited locations. 10 uncommons, 3 rares(and/or mythics) and 2 foils (any rarity) per pack. NO commons. Sounds like a Tournament deck without the commons and lands.
I'm torn, I have excitement, but some hesitations. Your thoughts?
Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
I like it. I'm a pack cracker, and I'm not going to change my habits anytime soon but I dislike getting so many chaff commons. I can see myself getting my usual bundle plus the planeswalker decks for RNA, but then instead of buying more loose packs from Target and such to fill out the collection, I'd just get a couple of these for more rares and uncommons (not to mention some sweet foils).
Plus they would make for some pretty wacky games of pack wars.
What this looks like is them creating a new masters 2013 type of product where a higher percentage of the cards are constructed playable. After doing a few trial runs of varying sets with differing public perceptions (6 packs of Masters 25, 6 packs of Battlebond, 6 packs of Theros, 6 packs of Core 2019), there is a consistent theme in percentage of cards being constructed playable based on how long a typical game lasts, and it isn't very pretty. Out of 6 packs tallying up to 13 potential cards each and 78 cards it usually is about 2 to 3 rares that are playable in some format, with battlebond scoring higher because they have the partners. Uncommons are so unreliable that it is pointless to consider, and commons are really only playable in standard as filler.
If all the commons are removed and there are 10 uncommons per pack with 3 rares and two premium foils, that does sweeten the deal somewhat. However, each one of those packs is the same cost as 3 regular packs, so we're talking realistically 30 cards, 6 rares, 20 uncommons, and 4 foils. Premium is a marketing buzzword so we really can only speculate on what that implies, but if it means those are rares and mythics only, than that can be considered 10 rares and 20 uncommons for the price of six packs. Going by the ratio of playable rares from the regular packs, that means 5 playable rares for the same price, roughly, and one of them has a good chance of being a foil.
So long story short, the premium packs should be better than a similar set of six normal packs. Kind of makes me wonder why they would only use them as a limited thing, as I'd gladly spend my money on those packs over a booster box any day. Even if someone could get two booster boxes worth of packs for some insane price from Sports and More (like 170 dollars shipped), the value may still be in favor of the special boosters if they can be purchased on discount. You get 13 packs for 170, which nets a total of 65 rares if the foils are also rare, with basically 26 of those rares being foil.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
First of all, I don't get what these are for. Cracking? 10 uncommons, 3 rares and 2 foils should not cost more than three boosters, since you almost get that plus the commons in three regular packs. On top of that, you can't use these for limited in any meaningful way. So yeah, I'll pass. This feels like more of them trying new things blindly just for the sake of it.
Edit: Big box stores only in the US? This is EXACTLY the kind of product that should be WPN store exclusive. They just recently went on a self-righteous rant about this being the era of feedback in Magic. I guess all the recent backlash about not doing enough to support the LGS while giving big business better business terms didn't reach them, huh? It doesn't really count as listening to feedback if you cherry pick what you pick up and what you ignore. Wow. All the content creators that thrive on complaining about WotC are going to have a field day with this.
First of all, I don't get what these are for. Cracking? 10 uncommons, 3 rares and 2 foils should not cost more than three boosters, since you almost get that plus the commons in three regular packs. On top of that, you can't use these for limited in any meaningful way. So yeah, I'll pass. This feels like more of them trying new things blindly just for the sake of it.
Edit: Big box stores only in the US? This is EXACTLY the kind of product that should be WPN store exclusive. They just recently went on a self-righteous rant about this being the era of feedback in Magic. I guess all the recent backlash about not doing enough to support the LGS while giving big business better business terms didn't reach them, huh? It doesn't really count as listening to feedback if you cherry pick what you pick up and what you ignore. Wow. All the content creators that thrive on complaining about WotC are going to have a field day with this.
They cost more than three boosters because wizards of the coast is pricing it based on the "value" they deem on the cards being put into the pack. The company knows darn well that the commons are completely worthless and they are giving people a much higher percentile chance of getting the few playable cards they use as chase rares. They want the pull per dollar to be close to the same or greater in order to prevent their own special product from cannibalizing the booster box sales. On top of which, they also don't want to set a precedent that throws more steam their way if people do like the item and demand more of it.
The fact is that the old wizards of the coast died completely once masters 2013 was printed and they saw how fast it sold.
All I'm going to say is that no matter what the pack looks like and no matter how good the pack sounds to be, you will likely not get anything one is looking for from booster packs. I know some people get a kick out of winning the gamble (and in fact that is actually a trait of people who are a strong E due to how the signal travels), but for people who just want the card to build with, these packs are as worthless as the normal ones and cost 3x as much.
There are games where this is not the case in the trading card game world and typically these are games that have fewer cards per set, such as Force of Will. Even if they have fewer cards per pack, there are more constructed cards in a small set typically than a bigger set designed to be more of a stand alone with tons of strategies.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
For those that like to "gamble" by buying packs and cracking them for monetary value, this is going to tickle their fancy and feed their desire to do so. I happen to be one of those people, and there are a lot of casuals out there with money as well. This isn't for the drafter for sure. Which I'm glad because 100% of packs are always designed with draft in mind, finally one isn't. Also it will be occurring on a limited basis. These aren't going to be in the realm of regular boosters, I see them in orders of magnitude far less, probably 100-fold more rare than a typical booster. I look at it this way. WotC has figured out a way to bring back Tournament Packs, with only 15 cards instead of 75 and in a mylar wrapper instead of a cardboard box all for the same $12.99 price point. Presented that way to the Hasbro overlords it looks pretty darned good I'm sure. Cut production costs by 80% and still charge the same price. Frankly I can't believe they offer 2 foils instead of just one, I am actually shocked they didn't skimp out/cheap out there.
For now I see more pros than cons. I'm glad this product will be offered. I like to see them think outside the box. If I can get my hands on these I will be purchasing some for sure. I don't think these are meant for all players. I'm just happy one of these products finally lines up with my style of purchasing. A lot of stuff has been coming out I have ZERO interest in, this one piques my interest for sure.
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Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
As a Magic fan and consumer, I personally am firmly against any change that pulls their customers towards the tempting yet treatcherous booster lottery. I dislike boosters like these and showdown boosters that are only made for cracking and hoping to get lucky, and I dislike masterpieces because they increase the value variance and at the same time tempt gullible people, those that are willing to take a chance even though they know that the house always wins, to buy boosters and hope to get a lottery card.
Why? Because not getting rewarded for those gambles, which is the average result, leads to disappointment and the feeling of having been duped, and those feelings do not create long lasting customers and new loyal Magic players. It provides a short term cash grab, but turns people away in the long term. That's not a good long term plan for the game as a whole.
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When I hit my 3000 post mark, I'm gone for good.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Can you imagine a very expensive, totally insane draft with 3 of these (w/o commons, might be tough). Each one still has 15 cards, so a 40 card deck is possible. I don't think there would be enough cards for draft variations, but I can imagine the hilarity of a high chance of getting 2-of's and 3-of's for certain rares.
Nothing is out of the possibility of reason. Think of it this way, one can split a box 3-ways w/ 2 friends, which would yield 12 rares each, or have a 3 player Rochester Draft, or bring in a 4 person (now it's $144+tax, waaayyy more than a single box) & have a pass-the-trash typical draft. A 3=person draft sounds like the middle ground between a regular set draft and a Masters Set draft (which is almost the same price).
I just hope shops don't jump the prices the way the prices jumped on the Masters sets. There were shops selling Master Sets booster packs way above MSRP.
Hold the phone... I thought product was moving out of the hands of the LGS and going to big box stores & Amazon... is this counter-productive to WotC's vision of distribution?
[Quote]$12.99 MSRP (available in US and Japan) and at limited locations.
I do find it interesting that many buyers in NA and Japan may be tut-tutting the product while those out of the target area are clamoring to have a shot at it. The grass is always greener on the other side they say. I'm hoping to find these at big box stores because most LGS aren't going to sell them at MSRP and will jack up the price to probably $14.99 or $15.99 a pack. My closest LGS is notorious for doing such.
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Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Dunno how I really feel about it. Probably it's fine. In the end of the day it's just extra option on how to buy sealed product and it's perfect tailored to those who likes to buy single boosters for the thrill.
Well, hey, you know... it's terrible and I hate everything about it.
Sure, not every product is meant for me, yadda yadda. I don't care.
You and a friend can play a great game of Magic with a dusty old box of last decade's reject commons. You can do it tonight. These products where WotC selects the "best" for you are nothing but whale bait, and make the game experience worse. Don't encourage them.
Can you imagine a very expensive, totally insane draft with 3 of these (w/o commons, might be tough). Each one still has 15 cards, so a 40 card deck is possible. I don't think there would be enough cards for draft variations, but I can imagine the hilarity of a high chance of getting 2-of's and 3-of's for certain rares.
That might be less fun than you think. They carefully design limited environments in sets by putting the meat and potatoes at common, that's the glue that holds the format together. Throwing that out of the window kind if tears the limited environment apart and probably makes it feel more like chaos draft.
This is probably a stupid comparison, but it's kind of like eating sliced bread with peanut butter. Sure, the peanut butter is the best part, but that doesn't mean that it will taste better to skip the bread and eat peanut butter with a spoon out of the jar.
Why not stop selling cards to the rest of the world altogether and be done with it?
How did you get ahold of Wizards Strategic Business Plan?
Seriously though I do feel your irritation. I suppose hope this "trial" goes well so they will be offered worldwide. They are always going to try limited product in the largest markets. All companies do it. You and me may not like it, but its good business.
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Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Why not stop selling cards to the rest of the world altogether and be done with it?
It's a test run product similar to the Master Edition Guilds of Ravnica boxes, the color fixed booster packs and guild booster packs, the world series decks, and the cross promotion stuff for MTG Arena. Generally, they don't make a global release of such products unless they are certain they are worth it. Japan does a ton of this stuff in the game industry and people have complained forever about it, but it is generally for the best.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Actually, this product has a weird tangent to it - I definitely know some people who simply like the very act of opening a booster pack and they'll stick with buying 3 boosters instead not because of the commons, but because it's simply 3 packs to open. These are the same people who also prefer opening Standard packs over Masters Packs because of pretty much the same reason.
That being said, these packs also guarantee 2 foils, which is more than what Masters packs offer. I rarely buy boosters and this product would definitely not suddenly push me out into a pack-buying frenzy either, but a huge deterrent for me is that regular packs don't guarantee a foil in a pack (essentially making most packs "worthless" intrinsically to open since it would contain nothing I want) and Masters Packs are way too much a risk for a single random foil. Two guaranteed foils and 3 rares is a greatly reduced risk level even at the slightly higher price (and that's taking MSRP at face value, although we have yet to see the impact of these packs, it's still a Standard Product, so I suspect Masters sets would still be more vulnerable to more volatile prices).
I'm not saying this is a fantastic product by any measure - any booster system is inherently a risk-taking system (and singles are always better), but I'm pointing out this might be the kind of product that might get me to buy a couple of boosters every time a new Standard set comes out to support the LGS before I move on to singles (as opposed to just going straight for the singles). Even if the packs I bought flubbed with 2 foil commons, it inherently is "better" than buying regular boosters of the same amount when it comes to foils (which in turn is the reason why I don't buy regular boosters).
If you're not the kind who cares for foils, I can see why the product feels extremely lackluster to you. I'm in no way saying players like myself (old, retired-to-EDH players who like foils) are in any way a majority, but I wouldn't be surprised after how long the game has been around, we could form a reasonable demographic in terms of size.
If you're not the kind who cares for foils, I can see why the product feels extremely lackluster to you. I'm in no way saying players like myself (old, retired-to-EDH players who like foils) are in any way a majority, but I wouldn't be surprised after how long the game has been around, we could form a reasonable demographic in terms of size.
This does seem to be targeted at "older" more financially well-off players/collectors. A 13 year old isn't probably going to make an impulse purchase of one of these when a $3.99 pack is sitting next to it. Just a thought.
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Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Collector's Sealed Tournaments when? I mean, 60 uncommons, 18 rares/mythics, and 12 foils seems like an appetizing premise for a $75 box.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Not targeted at me, but I'm curious how many people it is targeted toward - I didn't think there were a lot of serious players or collectors who opened boosters for fun or resale.
So will the foils all be uncommon/rare as well? Doesn't really say.
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Currently Playing: Standard:
Nothing, the format Bores me! Legacy: RBurn (Made on the Cheap!)R RGBelcherRG WSoldier StompyW BReanimatorB EDH: BUGRWSliver OverlordWRGUB BGeth, Lord of the VaultB
Call me crazy but I would rather not get 50% of the content of a booster box (plus a couple shinies) for 75% of the price.
While cracking boosters for a normal seal offers a similarly poor rate, the price point of $75 is much closer to box price than the typical $20
In other word, it makes sense to play sealed if you don't want to spend a lot of money. If you're already spending a bunch of money on a collector's sealed, however...
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$12.99 MSRP (available in US and Japan) and at limited locations. 10 uncommons, 3 rares(and/or mythics) and 2 foils (any rarity) per pack. NO commons. Sounds like a Tournament deck without the commons and lands.
I'm torn, I have excitement, but some hesitations. Your thoughts?
https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgfinance/comments/9rpmlg/thoughts_on_ravnica_allegiance_collector_boosters/
PS: Sorry for the mispelling in the title. Wish I could correct it.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Plus they would make for some pretty wacky games of pack wars.
If all the commons are removed and there are 10 uncommons per pack with 3 rares and two premium foils, that does sweeten the deal somewhat. However, each one of those packs is the same cost as 3 regular packs, so we're talking realistically 30 cards, 6 rares, 20 uncommons, and 4 foils. Premium is a marketing buzzword so we really can only speculate on what that implies, but if it means those are rares and mythics only, than that can be considered 10 rares and 20 uncommons for the price of six packs. Going by the ratio of playable rares from the regular packs, that means 5 playable rares for the same price, roughly, and one of them has a good chance of being a foil.
So long story short, the premium packs should be better than a similar set of six normal packs. Kind of makes me wonder why they would only use them as a limited thing, as I'd gladly spend my money on those packs over a booster box any day. Even if someone could get two booster boxes worth of packs for some insane price from Sports and More (like 170 dollars shipped), the value may still be in favor of the special boosters if they can be purchased on discount. You get 13 packs for 170, which nets a total of 65 rares if the foils are also rare, with basically 26 of those rares being foil.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Edit: Big box stores only in the US? This is EXACTLY the kind of product that should be WPN store exclusive. They just recently went on a self-righteous rant about this being the era of feedback in Magic. I guess all the recent backlash about not doing enough to support the LGS while giving big business better business terms didn't reach them, huh? It doesn't really count as listening to feedback if you cherry pick what you pick up and what you ignore. Wow. All the content creators that thrive on complaining about WotC are going to have a field day with this.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
They cost more than three boosters because wizards of the coast is pricing it based on the "value" they deem on the cards being put into the pack. The company knows darn well that the commons are completely worthless and they are giving people a much higher percentile chance of getting the few playable cards they use as chase rares. They want the pull per dollar to be close to the same or greater in order to prevent their own special product from cannibalizing the booster box sales. On top of which, they also don't want to set a precedent that throws more steam their way if people do like the item and demand more of it.
The fact is that the old wizards of the coast died completely once masters 2013 was printed and they saw how fast it sold.
All I'm going to say is that no matter what the pack looks like and no matter how good the pack sounds to be, you will likely not get anything one is looking for from booster packs. I know some people get a kick out of winning the gamble (and in fact that is actually a trait of people who are a strong E due to how the signal travels), but for people who just want the card to build with, these packs are as worthless as the normal ones and cost 3x as much.
There are games where this is not the case in the trading card game world and typically these are games that have fewer cards per set, such as Force of Will. Even if they have fewer cards per pack, there are more constructed cards in a small set typically than a bigger set designed to be more of a stand alone with tons of strategies.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
For now I see more pros than cons. I'm glad this product will be offered. I like to see them think outside the box. If I can get my hands on these I will be purchasing some for sure. I don't think these are meant for all players. I'm just happy one of these products finally lines up with my style of purchasing. A lot of stuff has been coming out I have ZERO interest in, this one piques my interest for sure.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Why? Because not getting rewarded for those gambles, which is the average result, leads to disappointment and the feeling of having been duped, and those feelings do not create long lasting customers and new loyal Magic players. It provides a short term cash grab, but turns people away in the long term. That's not a good long term plan for the game as a whole.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
Nothing is out of the possibility of reason. Think of it this way, one can split a box 3-ways w/ 2 friends, which would yield 12 rares each, or have a 3 player Rochester Draft, or bring in a 4 person (now it's $144+tax, waaayyy more than a single box) & have a pass-the-trash typical draft. A 3=person draft sounds like the middle ground between a regular set draft and a Masters Set draft (which is almost the same price).
I just hope shops don't jump the prices the way the prices jumped on the Masters sets. There were shops selling Master Sets booster packs way above MSRP.
Hold the phone... I thought product was moving out of the hands of the LGS and going to big box stores & Amazon... is this counter-productive to WotC's vision of distribution?
Awesome. Second fantastic sounding product I can't buy due to where I live in 6 months. That's awesome.
I do find it interesting that many buyers in NA and Japan may be tut-tutting the product while those out of the target area are clamoring to have a shot at it. The grass is always greener on the other side they say. I'm hoping to find these at big box stores because most LGS aren't going to sell them at MSRP and will jack up the price to probably $14.99 or $15.99 a pack. My closest LGS is notorious for doing such.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Sure, not every product is meant for me, yadda yadda. I don't care.
You and a friend can play a great game of Magic with a dusty old box of last decade's reject commons. You can do it tonight. These products where WotC selects the "best" for you are nothing but whale bait, and make the game experience worse. Don't encourage them.
This is probably a stupid comparison, but it's kind of like eating sliced bread with peanut butter. Sure, the peanut butter is the best part, but that doesn't mean that it will taste better to skip the bread and eat peanut butter with a spoon out of the jar.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
Why not stop selling cards to the rest of the world altogether and be done with it?
Marath, Will of the Wild
Friendly Kess Twin Combo
Tatyova - Sir Bounce A Lot
Gonti's Luxury Pie
Prime (Eldrazi) Speaker Zegana (Retired)
How did you get ahold of Wizards Strategic Business Plan?
Seriously though I do feel your irritation. I suppose hope this "trial" goes well so they will be offered worldwide. They are always going to try limited product in the largest markets. All companies do it. You and me may not like it, but its good business.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
It's a test run product similar to the Master Edition Guilds of Ravnica boxes, the color fixed booster packs and guild booster packs, the world series decks, and the cross promotion stuff for MTG Arena. Generally, they don't make a global release of such products unless they are certain they are worth it. Japan does a ton of this stuff in the game industry and people have complained forever about it, but it is generally for the best.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
That being said, these packs also guarantee 2 foils, which is more than what Masters packs offer. I rarely buy boosters and this product would definitely not suddenly push me out into a pack-buying frenzy either, but a huge deterrent for me is that regular packs don't guarantee a foil in a pack (essentially making most packs "worthless" intrinsically to open since it would contain nothing I want) and Masters Packs are way too much a risk for a single random foil. Two guaranteed foils and 3 rares is a greatly reduced risk level even at the slightly higher price (and that's taking MSRP at face value, although we have yet to see the impact of these packs, it's still a Standard Product, so I suspect Masters sets would still be more vulnerable to more volatile prices).
I'm not saying this is a fantastic product by any measure - any booster system is inherently a risk-taking system (and singles are always better), but I'm pointing out this might be the kind of product that might get me to buy a couple of boosters every time a new Standard set comes out to support the LGS before I move on to singles (as opposed to just going straight for the singles). Even if the packs I bought flubbed with 2 foil commons, it inherently is "better" than buying regular boosters of the same amount when it comes to foils (which in turn is the reason why I don't buy regular boosters).
If you're not the kind who cares for foils, I can see why the product feels extremely lackluster to you. I'm in no way saying players like myself (old, retired-to-EDH players who like foils) are in any way a majority, but I wouldn't be surprised after how long the game has been around, we could form a reasonable demographic in terms of size.
This does seem to be targeted at "older" more financially well-off players/collectors. A 13 year old isn't probably going to make an impulse purchase of one of these when a $3.99 pack is sitting next to it. Just a thought.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Currently Playing:
Standard:
Nothing, the format Bores me!
Legacy:
RBurn (Made on the Cheap!)R
RGBelcherRG
WSoldier StompyW
BReanimatorB
EDH:
BUGRWSliver OverlordWRGUB
BGeth, Lord of the VaultB
Call me crazy but I would rather not get 50% of the content of a booster box (plus a couple shinies) for 75% of the price.
While cracking boosters for a normal seal offers a similarly poor rate, the price point of $75 is much closer to box price than the typical $20
In other word, it makes sense to play sealed if you don't want to spend a lot of money. If you're already spending a bunch of money on a collector's sealed, however...