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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dire Bare" data-source="post: 8081511" data-attributes="member: 18182">WotC has been experimenting with Magic releases, so your info is a little out of date.Planeswalker decks (60-card preconstructed) are now sometimes swapped out for Commander decks (100-card singleton preconstructed). Which we'll get with the AitFR set (or something completely different), who knows? The Planeswalker decks usually contain only cards from the new set, while the Commander decks often include reprints from older sets.Deckbuilder's Toolkits are good deals for those new to the game, but often include cards from older sets. So not so great if you're trying for ONLY AitFR cards. Also, not every set has a themed Deckbuilder's Toolkit.These continue to be favorites with Magic fans. The "spindown life counter" is a 20-sided die, now they are super-sized compared to the older spindowns. Spindowns are numbered sequentially, rather than the numbers being all over the die faces. Good for life-tracking, less good for random d20 rolls.Gift Boxes are released with the fall sets, AitFR is a summer set. So, unlikely there will be a Gift Box. Gift Boxes are different now, they are essentially Bundles with a fancy-schmancy box and a collector booster thrown in, with a significant uptick in price over the Bundle.Yup.Can't speak to the outside-of-the-US experience, but for those in the US . . . .If you are looking to collect the entire set, or close to . . . . if  you aren't worried about special foils, alternate art, alternate border cards . . . .Purchase one each of the pre-constructed decks (usually contain unique cards) and one booster box ($100-ish), of either the draft boosters or set boosters. Then purchase the rest of the cards you want on the secondary market.This is complicated by the new types of boosters WotC has been experimenting with. In addition to the traditional draft boosters, we also now have box toppers, set boosters, collector boosters, welcome boosters, and theme boosters, each with a different price point, number, and mix of cards. Some of the special alt-art/border cards are only available in certain types of boosters. There's also usually a number of special promo cards (unique art and/or treatment, but from the main set) only available in certain products or at certain events. And of course, by the time we get to summer 2021, WotC might have some new options available.If you want to collect the special cards too . . . oh god, that can be quite the expensive journey . . . . there are currently extended-art cards, alternate art cards, alternate border cards, special promo cards . . . and most often foil and non-foil versions of each.And if you want a complete play set, 4 copies of each named card . . . .Plus, WotC is also playing around with sets within sets. For the upcoming Zendikar Rising set, in addition to the ZR set of cards, you will also find "Zendikar Expeditions" cards, a side-set of special border land reprints. You will also find what they are calling "The List" a collection of 300 reprints from classic sets. The Expeditions and "The List" cards can be found in certain types of ZR boosters.It's hard to give a good recommendation of what to pre-order . . . . I'd wait until WotC starts previewing set contents (possibly as early as late spring 2021).Pelor! WotC certainly makes it simple to collect the game nowadays . . . . . ergh.EDIT: Clean up . . . and again . . .EDIT: FUBAR'd some terminology . . . . a booster box ($100-ish) is a box of booster packs, usually 36 (but varies by booster type). A booster case is a case of booster boxes, much more expensive (although, a good deal per booster pack). Each booster pack usually contains 15 cards, but again that varies by the type of booster pack we're talking; draft, set, collector's . . . .</blockquote>

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