A week ago a new premium set for Magic: The Gathering Arena was announced. The big-box will feature very special boosters with two rare and two foil cards each. In addition, two alternate version box toppers will be included in every box. This sure sounds great, but instead, the community has been angered by the news. Here’s why.
You may or may not be familiar with the Masters series of MTG. These are special sets of represented cards from throughout Magic’s history, designed to play together - think of them like official cube sets designed to be drafted.
The Masters line is definitely a premium product targeted at serious players. The high power level of the cards raises the difficulty of play and the price of admission. That being said, veterans of the game are always delighted to see their favorite cards reprinted and sometimes given fresh new artwork. Double Masters is no exception. The official info reads:
Release Date: August 7, 2020332 cards24 packs per booster box15-card booster packs, with two rares and two foil cards per pack! (And, yes, those foils can be up to two additional rares.)Two non-foil borderless showcase box topper cards included in each booster boxAvailable in English, French, German, Simplified Chinese, and JapaneseDouble Masters will be available on Magic Online starting August 6 for $6.99 per booster. It will not be redeemable.
So where’s the problem? After all, rares are what players get the most excited about, and two rares in a Draft means two first-picks.The problem, of course, is the price. Wizards of the Coast does not publish MSRP anymore, but these sets are expected to come at about $16 per pack. Wow! We get that this is a premium set, but even these need to be reasonably priced.
Speaking of unreasonable, Double Masters will also have a VIP version with 4 packs coming at about $90… per pack! That’s right, according to some early reports and browsing of preorder listings online, this fancy-schmancy box with 4 packs will cost about $370.
Sure, some of these packs will have incredible cards in them, but even a playset of Tarmogoyfs is every box will have a hard time justifying a price tag this exorbitant.
Oh, and just to add fuel to the Fireball, Wizards made sure to clarify that no fetch lands will be included in the set. Sheesh.
We expect to see fewer people gathering to draft this luxurious set - definitely a sad development for all lovers of Limited.
For more MTG news, keep reading EarlyGame!
