It’s a common thing that most people do. And it’s super tempting, so it’s an easy trap to fall into. But it is a trap to be avoided if you’re in it for the long haul.
The caution is simply that you want to be able to get somewhere between 50-70 packs when a new set drops. Now - some people don’t mind doing this with cash. But I’m cheap, so I prefer doing it with free in-game gold. So I make sure I’ve saved up at least 7,000 for every new set when it drops.
If I was spending all my gold as soon as I got it then I’d have 0 gold on Expansion Day and I wouldn’t have a choice except to get cards with cash. That can be frustrating sometimes because it’s possible to get a bad run of cards … and when that happens with cash? Yeah - bitter pill to swallow. But if I’ve saved my gold on Expansion Day then I get 70-80 packs for free and good run or bad run of packs it’s all the same.
Some people don’t mind spending the cash on Expansion bundles though, and if you’re one of those types of persons then free free to get packs with free gold as it drips in. But if you’re more trying to F2P the game, then you definitely want to save up a fair amount so you aren’t forced to spend cash when the next set drops.
This thread might also be helpful. It’s a primer on the “Value” of 20 packs…
Knowing when to stop getting packs from a set is critically important and most people don’t think along those lines. The above thread gives you the convenient mathematical breaking points for a person to decide whether to stop getting packs from a set or to keep going.
The TLDR version is this…
- Your first 20 packs will give you an ROI of 4.2 to 1. Butter zone.
- After you have all the Commons from a set the ROI will be 2.5 to 1. OK returns.
- After you have all the Rares from a set the ROI will be 1.8 to 1. Low returns per pack at this point. When you get here you’re essentially spinning your wheels and trading gold for crafting dust.
In an average Hearthstone set you will get 100% of Commons after opening about 25-30 packs.
You will have 100% of the Rares after you’ve opened somewhere around 70-80 packs.
It will take you somewhere around 230+ packs before you’ll get all the Epics & Legendaries.
With this information you can decide how many packs in each set you want to shoot for and then stop after you get there. When you know that after 70-80 packs that every pack beyond that is just turning into 100 dust on average then that’s decision-making time.