Print Runs

[ShuffleAndCut]

After playing a bit I have seen some noticible print runs. Will these runs exist in the actual product, or is this just a Beta thing? It's something important to know for the good draft/sealed players - it helps us make deductions about what our opponent may be playing.

Scott

[doc8466]

Scott,
Are you referring to packs that seem to have the same 10 cards in them?
If so, I've definitely seen that too.

[Century]

After playing a bit I have seen some noticible print runs. Will these runs exist in the actual product, or is this just a Beta thing? It's something important to know for the good draft/sealed players - it helps us make deductions about what our opponent may be playing.

Scott

We've actually started shuffling our packs up due to the runs. There are common runs, which can be a good thing if they are balanced. However, I don't see much balance in the current runs. Also, certain rares seem to be next to each other in the boxes.

[Great White Nothing]

Ugh, that's a real problem, I trust that Tenacious would fix that in the printing of the real deal.

[doc8466]

Wouldn't it actually be a collation problem? Since upon release there'll be 300 cards and 13 per pack vice the current 200 cards 10 per pack, shouldn't that alone take care of it?

[ShuffleAndCut]

Wouldn't it actually be a collation problem? Since upon release there'll be 300 cards and 13 per pack vice the current 200 cards 10 per pack, shouldn't that alone take care of it?

My sources kinda lead me to beleive that the main set will be considerably less than 300 cards.....

Scott

[doc8466]

My sources kinda lead me to beleive that the main set will be considerably less than 300 cards.....

Scott

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaly? Had it been announced that it'd be 300 and it's changed or am I pulling that number out of my poor old and very fallable memory?

[joshlytle]

Yes, there are print runs and yes they were intentional. And also, yes they were balanced. I'm not going to hand out all the details here, but you can rest assured that roughly 1/2 of the commons in any given pack are from the "less good" sequence and roughly 1/2 the commons are from the "more good" sequence.

These cards are layed out within their respective sequences in alternating trade order.

This is a good thing as it ensures a *roughly* even power level from pack to pack. Obviously there is no way to ensure perfect equality, but the variance is much lower with this technique. You can also be sure that we'll try several different ways of ensuring this low-variance pack power level in future print runs. And I won't be divulging the secrets then, either.

I'd encourage you to not shuffle the packs up, since that won't be how things will "really" be in tournament play.

Josh Lytle