Chasing Legends: The Ultimate Goal in GDS

In the competitive world of GDS, every coach has one primary goal: to chase the Legends. These players aren’t just any regular card. They are the pinnacle of rarity and power, and every serious coach wants to pack them.

For new players, understanding the rarity structure of cards is essential. The higher the rarity, the more challenging it is to pack. Here's a breakdown of how these rarities stack up:

Bronze – Unlimited packs, only available from starter packs.

Silver – Limited to 5000 cards (1.1 multiplier).

Gold – Limited to 2500 cards (1.2 multiplier).

Platinum – Limited to 500 cards (1.3 multiplier).

Diamond – Limited to 100 cards (1.4 multiplier).

Allstar – Limited to 20 cards per year (1.35 multiplier).

Prize card – Limited to 1 per year per player, awarded to the winners of the various competition (1.4 multiplier).

Legend – The Holy Grail: 1/1 card total, ever for that player - truly a one of a kind (1.5 multiplier).

Chasing legends:

The top coaches in GDS know that obtaining Legends is essential to gaining an edge in the competition. If you’re playing with five Legends in your team and your competitors only have Diamonds, you’re immediately at a .5 advantage. It might sound small, but this advantage adds up over time, especially when the top players are often separated by fewer than 50 points each week. Every point counts in the long run.

The Investment: Risk vs. Reward

The downside to chasing legends is clearly the investment. Whether you’re opening packs or purchasing from others, the cost can pile up quickly. Luck is as much a factor as strategy, and that’s something all of us coaches know all too well. But when you finally pack that elusive Legend, the payoff feels like it’s worth every dollar spent

The statistics behind packing a legend

In GameDay Squad,

player packs are priced in Australian Dollars (AUD) as follows:

Common 9-Player Pack: AUD $6.99

Rare 9-Player Pack: AUD $19.99

Unique 9-Player Pack: AUD $49.99

Each card within these packs has a specific chance of being a Legendary card:

 Common Pack: 0.01% chance per card

Rare Pack: 0.03% chance per card

Unique Pack: 0.17% chance per card

Given that each pack contains 9 cards, the probability of not pulling a Legendary card in a single pack is:

Common Pack: (1 - 0.0001)^9 ≈ 0.9991

Rare Pack: (1 - 0.0003)^9 ≈ 0.9973

Unique Pack: (1 - 0.0017)^9 ≈ 0.9842

To determine the expected number of packs needed to pull at least one Legendary card, we calculate the reciprocal of the probability of pulling a Legendary card in a single pack:

Common Pack: 1 / (1 - 0.9991) ≈ 1,111 packs

Rare Pack: 1 / (1 - 0.9973) ≈ 370 packs

Unique Pack: 1 / (1 - 0.9842) ≈ 63 packs

Multiplying the number of packs by the cost per pack gives the total expected cost:

Common Pack: 1,111 packs × AUD $6.99 ≈ AUD $7,761

Rare Pack: 370 packs × AUD $19.99 ≈ AUD $7,396

Unique Pack: 63 packs × AUD $49.99 ≈ AUD $3,149

These calculations indicate that, despite the higher individual pack cost, Unique Packs offer the most cost-effective method for obtaining a Legendary card in GameDay Squad. These figures are based on probabilities and provide an expected value. Actual results may vary due to the random nature of pack contents.

As of February 1, 2025, only 211 AFL Legends have been packed. Many of these Legends are retired or delisted players, but there are still some fresh, relevant faces on the list:

Daniel Rioli

Liam Duggan

Marcus Bontempelli

Mason Wood

Matt Roberts

Max Holmes

Nic Martin

Rowan Marshall

Sam Flanders

Sam Walsh

Tim English

Tom Green

Will Ashcroft

Zach Merrett

Zak Butters

Dayne Zorko

Errol Gulden

Harry Sheezel

Jackson Macrae

Some of the biggest stars like Nick Daicos, Andrew Brayshaw, and Lachie Whitfield have yet to be packed, and these are the players that many coaches dream of getting. If you’re lucky enough to pack one of these superstars, you could trade it for multiple top-tier Diamonds or sell it for a substantial profit on the market.

My Own Legendary Journey

Personally, I’ve had some luck with packing Legends, but not always the best results. I packed Noah Balta and Nick Vlastuin, and while neither of them were game-changers, I managed to trade Nick for some Diamonds and sold Noah for $100. This all happened before one of the biggest changes in the community: the card exchange.

The Card Exchange: A Game Changer

In January 2025, the ability to exchange one Legend for five unique packs worth $50 each was introduced to the Discord community. This instantly changed the value of "useless" Legend cards. A player like me, who had a dud like Noah Balta, was able to sell it for $100, while the buyer got $250 worth of packs in return. This created a lot of excitement but also some risks. If you exchange a Legend that later becomes a superstar, you might regret your decision.

It’s a double-edged sword: the potential to gain valuable packs is great, but the risk of losing out on a future legend is always looming.

Conclusion: The Thrill of the Chase

At the end of the day, chasing Legends in GDS isn’t just about the cards—it’s about strategy, risk, and the rush that comes with every pack you open. The pursuit is what keeps us on the edge of our seats, whether you’re a seasoned coach or just getting started. Every pack is a new chapter in the chase, and the real reward is in the journey itself.

Cheers

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