Heavier boosters yield better units.

[dakrotee]

I charted the weight and contents of 30 booster boxes and I've discovered that in almost every case the heavier boxes contain better units.

Here is the story:

I purchased two cases of AAM set II then carefully weighed every box and
it's individual contents and recorded the results. I used a Flipscale 125 (see Ebay). The Flipscale is a pocket-sized scale that measures to 125 grams with a resolution of .05 grams.

After I compiled the data I went out to the game store and purchased the 4 heaviest booster packs out of the 24 that were on display. Yes I took the scale right into the store. The shop owner didn't care and why should he? I bought 4 boosters.

Three of the boosters contained 4 vehicles each. The other booster only contained two vehicles because one was a King Tiger.

In summary, the booster boxes that I weighed were between 79.50g and 102.10g. There were two King Tigers in boxes that weighed 102.10g and 99.95g. I did get a Soviet IS-2 Model 1944 in a box that weighed 85.60g however, there was little else in the box.

[Muenchausen]

There was a similiar thread shortly after the first set release. Their conclusion was the same as yours. The heavier the box, the better the mini's. Now if I could just figure a way to weigh my boosters before my online vendor sends them to me. :D

[tomster]

I charted the weight and contents of 30 booster boxes and I've discovered that in almost every case the heavier boxes contain better units.

Here is the story:

I purchased two cases of AAM set II then carefully weighed every box and
it's individual contents and recorded the results. I used a Flipscale 125 (see Ebay). The Flipscale is a pocket-sized scale that measures to 125 grams with a resolution of .05 grams.

After I compiled the data I went out to the game store and purchased the 4 heaviest booster packs out of the 24 that were on display. Yes I took the scale right into the store. The shop owner didn't care and why should he? I bought 4 boosters.

Three of the boosters contained 4 vehicles each. The other booster only contained two vehicles because one was a King Tiger.

In summary, the booster boxes that I weighed were between 79.50g and 102.10g. There were two King Tigers in boxes that weighed 102.10g and 99.95g. I did get a Soviet IS-2 Model 1944 in a box that weighed 85.60g however, there was little else in the box.
yes at are hobbie store we do the feel and shake. and we did it for lighter tanks like the ha-go's with the lightest method i got 2 ha-go's from 3 boosters.

[Autarch]

Seems like the glue is thicker and heavier, too. So much so I took to opening the boosters from the bottom.

[Andras]

I noticed that also, the Set 1 boosters popped right open. I had to tear the bottom off the Set II boosters.

[Nylore]

I haven't bought a set II booster yet, however when it deals with set I I know that when I pick up boosters I can feel (not using a scale) and also the shaking method, and seeing how much movement is in a a booster.

That being said I am not sure if I am just lucky or not but with buying 1 starter and twelve boosters, at four different LGS, I have 11 different rares. What I do know is that I am getting more vehicles, and bigger tanks since I started feeling and shaking boosters.

Brian

PS Does anyone know if the Crusader II, M3 Lee, Panzer II Ausf. G and Renault R-35 are light or heavy ;)

[NEVjr]

dont have a renault, lee is about the same as a sherman, crusader is lighter, panzer 2 is about the same as crusader

[Stojakovic]

Known as "cherry picking" :cool:

[fenyan]

I was readin the Axis & Allies forum and an old Mechwarrior thread popped up :)

[madwill]

actually weighing boosters will get you kicked out fo some game stores i know hehe

[CdtWeasel]

Nylore most of those tanks fall under the lighter side, the R-35 is tiny.

[TheFoeHammer]

I would have to say that heavier boosters just yield heavier units. But heavier is not always "better". And I certainly have little use in getting multiples of most of the heavy tanks. And costwise some very light units are "better" for army building.

[Remember-OWS-]

I really don't see myself going to my prefer shop with a scale... I was lucky, like most of my friend in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The store where we all go is full of good clerk, but I'd doubt they let us come in with a scale.

Like TheFoeHammer stated, the heavier is not always the better. I do like to play a lot of infantry lately, so no need for the Big PzVIB or the IS-2, but better with PzIV Ausf. F2 and PzIII (that did well the other night).

I had so many Archer in my boxes of Boosters that I don't think it would be useful anyway to bring a scale...

I also like to trade, so better have some units not useful for me and useful for others, like the M3 Lee that I was able to exchange for a Carro Armato and a Panzergrenadier.

[The Haunted Tank]

It does work to a point. You can “feel” what might be heavier, but if looking for vehicles you want to shake it also. Less movement in the booster could lead to larger pieces. I got 4 boosters over the week using the weight and shaking theory and yielded these for the rares.

King Tiger
SS-Panzer IV Ausf. F2
Guards T-34/85
R-2 LT-35

Plus 5 other vehicles (3 being Archers) bring to total yield to 9 plus 3 pieces of artillery. So over 25% of the 36 where the larger units. So I was happy with the results, particularly with the KT. :D


So shake, shake, shake….shake, shake, shake….shake your boosters, shake your boosters...

:o sorry I don't know what came over me

[elbowsanchez]

I noticed that also, the Set 1 boosters popped right open. I had to tear the bottom off the Set II boosters.


done for theft issues no less...

ES

[dakrotee]

actually weighing boosters will get you kicked out fo some game stores i know hehe

All three game stores I go to have no problem with me weighing the booster packs. If they did I wouldn't shop there. The bottom line is they are making money and I have some control over the units I purchase.

[Iceking]

I picked the ehaviest of threee boosters and picked out a king tiger.

[XAos]

The heavier boosters are usually the ones with multiple uncommon vehicles. And since I much prefer another Pzkw-III to another koumingtang officer. I agree that (mostly) the heavier boosters are better. The exception would be boosters with the over-weight Pak-40.
In set-3 the heavier boosters may be the ones with the twin-engine ground attack planes. Conversly light weight boosters may have the motobike-sidecar :cool:

[dakrotee]

The heavier boosters are usually the ones with multiple uncommon vehicles. And since I much prefer another Pzkw-III to another koumingtang officer. I agree that (mostly) the heavier boosters are better. The exception would be boosters with the over-weight Pak-40.
In set-3 the heavier boosters may be the ones with the twin-engine ground attack planes. Conversly light weight boosters may have the motobike-sidecar :cool:

My data does not support your theory. Statistically, the heavier boosters have one heavy tank and two or three uncommon vehicles. I will publish my data shortly. If you actually weighed your boosters and found multiple uncommons I would like to add your data to mine. The greater the sample the more accurate the conclusion.

[dakrotee]

My goal is to predict the rare and uncommon contents of an unopened booster pack. The accuracy of my perdictions improves with every booster pack I open. Unfortunatlly, just like weather forcasting the booster pack predictions will never be 100% perfect but it's close.

It's all very simple if you think about it:
1) There are always a fixed number of rare, uncommon and common game pieces in each booster pack.
2) Except for the actual miniatures everything is packaged mechanically right down to the amount of glue used to seal the box (empty box weight varies less than .1%, n=75) so everything except the miniatures is the same.
3) Identical units are so close in weight that the difference doesn't enter into the equation.
4) Statisticlly no one case (most stores don't display much more than one or two cases at a time) has more than two booster packs with duplicate rares.

Use these parameters and a few others I have found, crunch the numbers and eventually the rare and uncommon contents will be purely a function of weight.

Realize, this is not stealing or illegal (at least where I live) and I doubt if it's going to cost WotC a dime. It will however, arm the consumer with the same information that's included on every other product for sale in the US...the contents of the box! If you are the type of person that likes to be surprised don't weigh them, it's your choice.

[Standanko]

All three game stores I go to have no problem with me weighing the booster packs. If they did I wouldn't shop there. The bottom line is they are making money and I have some control over the units I purchase.

I'm sorry, but that is just wrong on the part of the store. Local retailers expect a certain amount of shaking and hand weighing, but if it became known that we allowed someone to bring in a scale and weigh boosters before purchasing that would be the end of selling that particular case. It would also slow sales of newly opened cases because there would always be the nagging suspicion that it had been searched already.

This is a topic that goes around on every collectible game from Magic till now.

[dakrotee]

I'm sorry, but that is just wrong on the part of the store. Local retailers expect a certain amount of shaking and hand weighing, but if it became known that we allowed someone to bring in a scale and weigh boosters before purchasing that would be the end of selling that particular case. It would also slow sales of newly opened cases because there would always be the nagging suspicion that it had been searched already.

This is a topic that goes around on every collectible game from Magic till now.

I have this portable X-ray machine.... :) Just kidding!
Remember, all this booster pack weighing is academic. It's as much a part of the game (at least to me) as collecting the game pieces or playing the game. WotC is making more money from me doing this exercise then they could ever lose. I almost never go into a game store without buying at least a half case. The funny thing is I learn more from buying the light boxes then I do the heavy ones.

[jiminy_fatal]

this really works!! If you want vehicles!!! I did this the other day and got 4 tanks!! My friend only got 1!!!! (he didn't weigh)

[tomster]

yeh, but the guy who shown me the owns the hobbie store. but it gets him more sales he picks up a booster and tell you whats in it, he has a 75% passing on his prodictins. and i seen him open fresh cases after they get droped off and do the shake and prodict, so i know theres no funny stuff 2 out of three for ha-go's. you get the lightest and shake if the tank bounces around its a ha-go or a renult, the staurt and other lights dont bounce becuase of the cardboard. the hobbie shop i play and wargame at is a good shop and gamer friendly. i think he makes more sales this way, what good is it kicking people out they will go other places there lose and other hobbie shops gain.

[Mako Sharkz]

i went to the store with my friend today and we were hand weighing packs.

there were only two that stood out as heavy to me and him.
One had a King Tiger and Archer and the tiny type 97 tank.
The other had the Amphibious Tank, Valentine II and a PAK 40

Bigger is only better if those larger units happen to be good to begin with.