State of the Game

This post considers the past few sets and state of the game from my perspective. First up, recent set reviews (going back one year):

Ikoria

When I heard this full name (Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths), I got excited- I love those big creatures. But this set underwhelmed me. Companions were immediately shown to be broken, and required a fast rule change to avoid 'canceling' the cards entirely. The mutate mechanic annoyed me and seemed more fit for digital (how can you keep track of abilities in paper cards if you've stacked five of them?). As with any set, there are a few fun cards in here, but on the whole, I'm glad I didn't collect this one.

Zendikar Rising

A return to the Zendikar plane was more fun than I expected. I didn't collect this one either, per se (I bought some singles of interest), but the landfall and kicker mechanics are fun, and the party concept foreshadows what I expect to see in the forthcoming D&D-themed set.

Kaldheim

Very much looked forward to this one, and I invested heavily in this Nordic-themed set. The boast and foretell mechanics are pretty good, but I really liked the theme here more- especially the focus on dwarves, angels, and elves.

Strixhaven

Magic does their take on Harry Potter . . . and I'm not a fan. Mostly. I can't put my finger on why- perhaps it feels too 'kiddish' in theme. But on the other hand, it's too complex in card abilities- lots of text, and I haven't been able to figure this set out (in part because I don't care enough to invest in learning). But I do like the lesson cards- and the colorless sorceries are most welcome (I like the idea of cards that could go in any deck).

State of the Game

My main concerns are how complex Magic is getting to collect. They used to release booster packs and starter decks for a given set; that was it. You could find any card in the booster packs outside of a few cards unique to the starter decks. There was not variant art or card frame, etc. Easy. But that's all changing, and (in my mind) not for the better:

• As previously posted, the card variants are increasing. I don't feel compelled to collect these alternate presentations, but they make the game more confusing for beginners.
• There are now four types of booster packs. Yes, four. Draft booster (which is the traditional type), set booster, theme booster, and collector booster. All with different price points, card quantity, rarity probability/distribution, and- this irks me the most- some cards are available only in certain types of booster. This deserves a post all its own. It makes it extremely confusing to collect, and seems like a money grab from Wizards.
• The releases are coming more frequently. I count seven expansions to be released in 2021- some are special (like the forthcoming Modern Horizons 2), but that's a lot of cards coming out every year, and I'm not even counting special products (like Commander decks) associated with some of those releases that feature more exclusive cards. Again, seems like a money grab.

So I am concerned, but here's the thing: nobody's forcing me (or you) to buy these things. Wizards will do what makes them money. If people don't buy into these new releases or booster pack types, Wizards will change their approach. I am looking forward to a few sets (the forthcoming D&D sounds fun, and more Innistrad-themed sets are coming), but also expect to sit quite a few out. And I can still have tons of fun with the cards I already own; that's the beauty of this game.