>>57423373It's mostly irrelevant. Since all anyone cares about are illustration rares, the base rarity versions of playable cards are always dirt cheap. Most playable cards have been reprinted in special sets or battle decks, driving their price down further. Prize Packs give players an abundance of staples and the recently released Series 6 includes Shrouded Fable cards like Fezandipiti and Night Stretcher. Even a staple like Budew, which is only available in Prismatic, is little more than a dollar compared to the $.50 it probably would be if the set was readily available. Overall the difference to players is little more than the already low cost of a deck.
I'd say the most significant effect on players is the prizing at leagues. I can't speak for other regions, but the standard in shops for my area was to give out something in the realm of $10 entry for 3 standard packs + 1 Prize Pack for playing. Now most shops are out of standard packs period. Some shops have been giving out solely prize packs. Some have cut their entry fees and prizing in half. Some offer free play with only a prize pack for participation. And some just offer store credit for singles and sleeves. It sucks, but it doesn't affect a lot of competitive players who care more about the points than collecting.
