Overall Value Booster Boxes (Shadowmoor, Mornigtide, Lorwyn)

[Observer]

Hello,

so I am pondering to buy a booster box of either Shadowmoor, Mornigtide or Lorwyn, since my friends and I want to play some limited. I am going to write up a few thoughts of mine and any input from your side is much appreciated.

I know that it is hardly ever a good investment to buy boosters, but since I am going to buy a box anyway, I would like to buy one that has good value.


I crunched some numbers and simply looking at the expected value of those boxes Morningtide does best. But this is mainly thanks to Bitterblossom and Mutavault as well as Chameleon Colossus. What I mean by that, there are 2-3 really high value card and the rest is rather below average. Therefore we can get really lucky... or not.

In Lorwyn there are also a few really high value cards (Thoughtseize, Garruk) but since the set is even bigger the chance to get those is smaller. Overall the value of cards is more even than Morningtide though. But I would really like to get my hands on some Planeswalkers (Garruk! Be mine! - seriously this would go in so many casual decks of mine)

Shadowmoor is a lot more average in terms of rare value, since there is hardly a big chase rare. I really like those dual lands, but I would prefer the eventide ones (but that appears to have bad financial value)


Is there anything I should particularly consider from a legacy point of view?
Morningtide seems to be so expensive because of standard (I am looking at you Mutavault), but few cards are legacy viable (countryside crusher)
Lorwyn on the other hand had more impact (ok mainly thoughtseize)
I believe its still too early to tell about shadowmoor's or even eventide's impact...

Lastly we drafted once before - Lorwyn. My friends did not enjoy that set much...

So I am looking forward to your replies...

[Aggro_zombies]

Well, if you're going at it strictly from a value standpoint, get the Morningtide box and cash in your rares while they're still heinously expensive. If you want a good limited experience, though, I'd draft Shadowmoor. It has to be one of the most interesting limited formats in a while - reminiscent of Ravnica, but with less restrictions (since there you had to do Rav Guild- 'pact Guild - Dis. Guild or you'd spend an entire pack hate drafting).

Did you ask for their opinions? Might also be helpful choosing between Morningtide and Shadowmoor, dontcha know.

[Observer]

Thanks for your input.

Yes, I did indeed ask for opinions.

Is Shadowmoor so interesting in limited? Because of its Hybrid nature?
I personally enjoyed the Lorwyn draft, since I built a kick-ass BR Goblin deck, which was dominating.

I am still undecided, thats why I posted in the first place...

[SuckerPunch]

Get your hands on a Future Sight box if you can.

Lots of great cards. Goyf, Tombstalker etc.

I wish bought loads of those boxes.

[DeathwingZERO]

Get your hands on a Future Sight box if you can.

Lots of great cards. Goyf, Tombstalker etc.

I wish bought loads of those boxes.

The overall cost of Future Sight compared to what you will get out of it is pretty much garbage now. Goyf is the only card that's worth any value, and it's average is 1 in 1 3/4 boxes, roughly. Hardly worth the money at this point.

I'd say Shadowmoor or Morningtide, Morningtide if you want more value, Shadowmoor if you want more flavorful limited.

[Lego]

As far as drafting it, Shadowmoor is such an amazing experience. I really recommend it. If you're going for money, then like they said, pick up Morningtide and offload it immediately. You could potentially make back the money you spent on the box, if you pick one up cheap and get lucky. But seriously, if you're doing it for the drafting, I really recommend trying Shadowmoor on for size. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

[PowrDragn]

Shadowmoor has a lot of high quality uncommons that sell for the low end price of some rares.

All of that being said, I like Lorwyn from a "bang for your buck" position.

Rares of significant value:
Auntie's Hovel
Cloudthresher
Cryptic Command
Doran, the Siege Tower
Gaddok Teeg
Garruk Wildspeaker
Gilt-Leaf Palace
Incandescent Soulstoke
Liliana Vess
Mistbind Clique
Oona's Prowler
Primal Command
Profane Command
Scion of oona
Secluded Glen
Thoughtseize


Uncommons/Commons of significant value:
Barrenton Forge-tender
Crib Swap
Imperious Perfect
Knight of Meadowgrain
Lash Out
Mulldrifter
Nameless Inversion
Oblivion ring
Ponder
Shriekmaw
Tarfire
Vivid Lands
Wren's Run Vanquisher


That's a good list of cards. Some of those are even useful in multiple formats. So, again, if you want the most for your money, this is the way to go I think.

But a Lorwyn box.

[Skeggi]

Yeah but Morningtide has:

Mutavault
Countryside Crusher
Chameleon Colossus
Bitterblossom
Leaf-Crowned Elder
Murmuring Bosk
Reveillark
Taurean Mauler

And alot less other rares. Percentagewise it's better. And ofcourse Bitterblossom and Mutavault are really really really overpriced atm.

[Lego]

And alot less other rares. Percentagewise it's better. And ofcourse Bitterblossom and Mutavault are really really really overpriced atm.

Like, STUPIDLY so. Bitterblossom is at $30, and Mutavault is at FIFTY DOLLARS in some places. Seriously, Fuck T2.

[arsenalpow]

Get your hands on a Future Sight box if you can.

Lots of great cards. Goyf, Tombstalker etc.

I wish bought loads of those boxes.

Out of 72 packs of future sight i can say that i never once popped a goyf or even a korlash when he was hot for a while.

Worst.
Set.
Ever.

[Observer]

Thanks everyone for the input.

So after several of you recommended the limited quality of shadowmoor I think I am going to go with that.
I know I asked for "value" and morningtide seems the best but I am seriously turned down by the possibility of not opening a single big money rare. Since my friends did not enjoy Lorwyn limited so much, I doubt it will be very different for Morningtide.

@PowrDragn
I agree I really like Lorwyn from a card quality and value perspective. But as I said my friends did not enjoy it so much and doing the same edition twice in a row for our second draft ever seems like something they would not enjoy either. If I picked this up for myself only, I would pick Lorwyn (I might have lobbyed a lot for our first draft to be Lorwyn too, ahem...)

To everyone adressing Futuresight:

I really would like some goyfs. But apart from that the set has the pacts bridge from below and not an awful lot more. Also I really don't know the math behind the timeshifted cards, so going for goyf seems a huge gamble.

I lean towards Shadowmoor as I said, due to its limited quality and I also really like those Duals (even more so in Eventide)

[Timmy, Power Gamer]

I would add two things in support of the Shadowmoor plan:
1) I personally don't like small set drafts. There just is not much variation in the cards that you are going to see.
2) From a value perspective, the average box of Morningtide may be higher, but given that almost all of the value is in two cards, I imagine it has a much larger variance. If you open a box with Bitterblossom and Mutavault, you win. If you miss on those two, the box is worth maybe half of what you paid.

And lastly, I agree with Lego_Army_Man; I can't imagine playing serious T2 where I am paying nearly $50 for something that is so close to a Factory. Especially knowing that the price will drop like a rock in about a year.

[TrialByFire]

And lastly, I agree with Lego_Army_Man; I can't imagine playing serious T2 where I am paying nearly $50 for something that is so close to a Factory. Especially knowing that the price will drop like a rock in about a year.

More likely it will probably drop to about 30 once Block season is over

[Maagler]

Out of 72 packs of future sight i can say that i never once popped a goyf or even a korlash when he was hot for a while.

Worst.
Set.
Ever.

that sucks, I opened probably 10 packs, with 2 goyfs. Unfortunately I got rid of them before they hit $50. I have always been pack lucky though.