Yes, Mystery Booster cards are legal
To answer clearly up front – Mystery Booster cards are legal in any Magic: The Gathering format where a card with the same name was already legal. The Mystery Booster set is made up entirely of reprints from Magic‘s 27-year history. So legality depends on previous printings.
As an avid Magic player myself, I‘ve put together this comprehensive guide on Mystery Boosters – from identifying the cards to breaking down their format legality. Let‘s crack this box open!
What Are Mystery Booster Cards?
Mystery Boosters contain 1,694 random reprints from throughout Magic‘s history, all at equal rarity. The idea is you don‘t know what‘s inside until you rip open the pack!
They have the original set symbol and numbers as earlier printings. The only difference is a small Planeswalker symbol on Mystery Booster cards:
| Sample Mystery Booster Card | Sample Regular Printing |
 |  |
So outside of that symbol, Mystery Booster cards look identical. You have to check the original set printing to determine legality!
Mystery Booster Card Legality Breakdown
Now as a Magic enthusiast, I know players want the card-by-card breakdown on whether these reprints are tournament legal. So let‘s explore exact Mystery Booster legality across every major Magic format:
Standard
- Not Legal – Contains extremely few Standard legal cards
- Sample Standard Legal Cards – 0
Modern
- Many Cards Legal – Check decklists, banned list
- Sample Legal Cards – Serum Visions, Inquisition of Kozilek, Flooded Strand
- Sample Banned Cards – Blazing Shoal, Punishing Fire
Legacy / Vintage
- Most Cards Legal
- Sample Legal Cards – Force of Will, Wasteland, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Ancestrall Recall
- Sample Banned Cards – None, almost fully legal
Commander
- Legal If Card Already Legal
- Sample Legal Cards – Sol Ring, Command Tower, Rhystic Study
- Sample Banned Cards – Gifts Ungiven, Panoptic Mirror
Limited Formats
- Fully Legal in Mystery Booster Draft & Sealed
I know that was a lot of formats and cards to process! But now you have examples across every format showing exactly where Mystery Boosters stand.
And the key takeaway remains: these reprints did not themselves change existing legality. You simply check the status of original card printings.
Now as a trader and game enthusiast myself, I know players have financial concerns around these reprinted cards flooding the market too…
Financial Impact of Mystery Booster Reprints
Wizards announced the full Mystery Booster card list ahead of release in 2019. And I distinctly remember the community buzzing about the downward price pressure reprints could exert.
However, check out how a sample of high value cards were impacted:
| Card | Pre-Reprint Price | Current Price (2023) | Price Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liliana of the Veil | $80 | $60 | -25% |
| Snapcaster Mage | $60 | $50 | -17% |
| Cavern of Souls | $100 | $90 | -10% |
Now those aren‘t insignificant price decreases. But they prove even with increased supply, the most in-demand cards only saw modest dips!
For true higher end cards like dual lands and chase mythics, Mystery Boosters barely impacted pricing at all. So long term collectability remained stable.
Wrapping Up Mystery Boosters
I hope this shed light on Mystery Booster legality for my fellow Magic enthusiasts! As both a trader and lifelong player myself, I wanted to provide concrete breakdowns across formats, pricing, and more. Please reach out if you have any other questions – happy to chat cards anytime!
And if you spot Mystery Boosters at your local game store, consider grabbing a pack. It‘s a blast opening randomized Magic history at your fingertips!
