3 Downs. 2 Boxes.

 

With the set reduced this year from 200 to 100, and with there probably being 75ish base cards per box, taking inserts/parallels into consideration, I figured I'd be able to put a complete base set together.

I am so naive. I still need 7 cards.

But instead of focusing on what I didn't get, here's what I did get. The base set is, like in previous seasons, just a swap of the hockey design. 

Players don't get photoshopped over into their new uniforms. Just a small update to the team name and colours on the bottom of the card, and the back. Look at some Bowman Draft, and this is probably for the best. 

But at least we get the best thing about the set and its checklist: Despite the smaller card count, there are still cards for Special Teams/OL guys.

Speaking of checklists - they're rather odd this year. I'd complain that they re-used a photo from the main set on the checklist for Dennis' appearances, but it almost makes sense that would be a place to re-use a photo. The other oddness? Bethel-Thompson isn't on the main checklist, but does appear on the front of a checklist card.

There are parallels, as expected from any modern release. Golds are the most common, and I ended up with about a dozen of these.

Exclusives have come over from the hockey releases. Just like in there, these are /100.

As were the /10 High Gloss parallels, which really don't seem glossier than the regular base cards. Unlike with Exclusives, these were available in a previous release before their return last year. You could find them in 2016.

I guess I can consider the Autographs portion to also be parallels, since they keep the numbering scheme/photos from the regular set. The best name here is Adam Bighill, being a 3-time Most Outstanding Defensive player winner. But that Tanner Doll is easily my favourite of the bunch - a long snapper autograph! 

There's an actual non-hit insert set this season, for the first time since O-Pee-Chee retros vanished from the set. CFL Greatness is pretty generic, but I'll take what I can get.

Yup, there's parallels to these as well. As always, the colour-match ones look really nice. Although the golds fall at the same rate as the blues, the latter are numbered and the others aren't. Why? Who am I, a mere collector to ask?

The Greatness insert set has also been repurposed for the relics portion of the set. And they don't forget about the OL guys here either! I'm probably one of a handful of people happy to get an OL guy as a hit.

Patch! 10/35! That's his jersey number! Ebay1/1! WOO-HOO!

The 7 guys I still need cards of have been added to my wantlist over at the linked side list.

There you have it!