Magic: The Gathering (MTG), is one of the world's most well-known and popular trading card games, enjoyed by both strategists and card collectors alike. Whether you’re brand new to MTG, or you’ve played a little before, this complete guide aims to give you all the rules, tips and understanding you’ll need to play the game. Covering basic and more intricate gameplay, we’ll provide you with the tools you need to get to grips with a game you’re sure to enjoy.
What is Magic: The Gathering?
Within Magic: The Gathering, there is an expansive and continually growing multiverse, where participants play the role of a powerful Planeswalker. These characters can cast spells, summon creatures and use distinctive artifacts to outplay their opponents, along with a dash of intellect and strategic thinking.
Wizards of The Coast (WotC) have kept the game fresh and challenging for new and existing players alike by constant innovation in four key areas of the game: mechanics, storytelling, formats and collaborations. And in the set themes they carefully balance nostalgia for veteran players with new ideas to attract beginners - keeping the game evolving without losing its identity.
One of the most compelling parts of this game is that no two games are the same. As the card pool grows, and the multiverse expands, players will experience an ever-changing dynamic between them and their opponents, consistently building on their experience to improve their strategy, and hopefully gain more wins.
But first, let’s start with the basics.
Getting started
There are three core components you need to know before you move on to understanding the game, the characters and how to use strategic thinking to your best advantage.
The first one to get to grips with is your deck.
Deck basics
A deck in MTG is a collection of cards that you’ll bring to each game. Most people think of this as a combination of an army and spellbook. You’ll shuffle the deck before you start, and then you’ll draw your starting hand.
Typically, in most Magic formats, you’ll be expected to start with your own (basic) deck, usually made up of 60 cards. While there isn’t any maximum deck size, you’ll need to be able to shuffle your deck, so keep this in mind.
Your deck will have to be a mix of different card types. Primarily, you will need lands to produce mana, creatures and various spells. What cards you put in your deck will depend on your preferred play style and strategy. The more you play, the more you will evolve your play style and understand which cards will suit you best.
As mentioned, at the start of the game, you'll need to draw a starting hand from your deck, which consists of 7 cards. You can, if you’re not happy with it, choose to “Mulligan” your hand. This means you’ll put your 7 cards back and draw another 7. However, this comes with a penalty, so be aware of this. You’ll need to weigh up your chances of competing with the hand you’ve originally drawn against the risks of losing the number of cards you have for playing the game.
Essentially, if you are playing a game with the “Mulligan” rule, this means that you would have to draw an entirely new hand of 7 cards but forfeit one of those cards to the bottom of your library for every mulligan you’ve taken that game. This means it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.
As you can see, from the very beginning of the game, there is a certain amount of strategic thinking needed!
How does the mana system work?
Magic: The Gathering has five different mana colours. Each colour represents a different strategy. Your cards have casting costs that require the specific colour of mana, or generic mana, which is mana of any colour, to play them. You’ll generate your mana by tapping your lands. Once your land has been tapped, a permanent can’t be tapped again until it becomes untapped. It’s essential to manage your mana for casting your spells and executing your strategy.
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Magic Basics: What is Tapping?
Tapping is one of Magic’s core mechanics and represents using a card’s resource or ability.
Tapping involves turning a card sideways (usually by 90 degrees) to show that it's been used.
Once a card is tapped, it can’t be used again until it’s untapped, usually on your next turn.
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White is associated with healing, protection, order and justice. Your spells of this colour will often involve more defensive creatures, cards that gain life, or create smaller creature tokens. Essentially, you’ll also be able to remove multiple threats and tax your opponents while building a strong presence on the board.
Blue is the colour of trickery, illusion, control and knowledge. By drawing cards and counteracting spells, you gain an advantage. You can return permanents to their owner’s hand and manipulate the board to stave off your opponent’s strategies.
The colour of death, corruption, sacrifice and ambition. You’ll powerfully remove creatures, disrupt the hands of your opponents, bringing creatures back from the graveyard and sacrifice life to gain power.
Using passion, creating chaos and deploying aggressive attacks that deal direct damage is what red is for. Often synonymous with the destruction of lands and artifacts, it aims to overwhelm quickly and use terrifying force.
The colour of strength and abundance, growth and nature, you’ll use powerful creatures to ramp up your mana and naturally grow your presence to overwhelm other players with large threats.
Most MTG decks will use one or more of these colours, and the choice of colours will typically influence your overall strategy.
Deck Types
The deck you build will need to align with how you want to play the game. There are a variety of types of deck, such as:
With a control deck, you’ll want to control the game. You will do so by surviving the early part of the game, neutralising threats and disrupting your opponent’s plans. Typically, control decks contain plenty of counterspells and removal spells. You’ll need to use the game’s ebbs and flows, choose your timing carefully, and watch and wait for moments to act. If you’re impatient, maybe this is not the best deck type for you. However, learning patience will help you last longer in the game whatever your preferred deck type and play style.
As the name suggests, these are aggressive decks which try and take early advantage, applying relentless attacks, designed to cause damage quickly. By optimising your mana carefully, you’ll be able to overwhelm your opponent quickly. Ideally, you’ll want to win between turns 4-6 with this type of deck.
Using specific card interactions, you’ll attempt to win the game in a single turn. You’ll need to know your cards well and plan your strategy to assemble the right combinations so you can pull off your combo. You’ll need to formulate a backup plan, however, as a combo deck can be fragile if key cards are removed.
Balancing aggression and control, you’ll need to pull together a mix of spells and creatures that will help you match your opponents and evolve with the game. You’ll need to be a flexible thinker to be able to capitalise on this, as you’ll play aggressively against a slower deck or use control strategies to play against faster decks.
When you understand deck types, you’ll be able to predict your opponent’s actions. For example, if you’re playing against someone with an Aggro deck, you’ll need to make sure you prioritise survival. Removal spells can help to stabilise your life totals. Likewise, if your opponent has a control deck, you may need to focus on disrupting counterspells.
Magic Basics: Life Totals
The most popular way of achieving victory in a game of Magic: The Gathering is by reducing all of your opponent’s life totals to 0. Typically, you’ll begin with 20 life points. However, this starting amount can vary, depending on which game you’re playing. For example, Commander format games allow you to commence with 40 life points.
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Card Types
Perhaps the most important section of this guide, here we explain the types of cards, and the rules that guide your use of them during the game.
Lands are your primary source of mana, which is the resource used in MTG to allow you to cast spells. Typically, you will play one land card per turn. The basic lands are:
Each produces a specific colour of mana, when you tap them.
Creatures are your army on the Magic battlefield. They allow you to deal damage to your opponents by using their power; and can withstand a certain amount of damage if their toughness level is high enough. Your creatures will help you attack your opponents and block attacks against you. Some creatures have special abilities, including Haste and Flying. Haste, for example, allows a creature to attack on the same turn that it enters the battlefield. While Flying means it can only be blocked by creatures with Flying or Reach ability.
Spells can be used to do damage or restore health, and can be cast in a variety of ways. For example, instants allow you to cast your spells in response to another spell or during an opponent's turn.
Alternatively, sorceries can only be cast during your turn, when there is an empty stack.
Then, you have enchantments, which are permanent spells. These provide a continuous effect or modification. There are also enchantments called auras that attach to other permanents.
Then, we have planeswalkers, which are mages with loyalty counters. They have activated abilities that generate effects and can be attacked by different creatures.
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Magic Basics: What is the Stack?
The stack is the game's way of handling spells and abilities in order - a bit like a virtual pile that works as "last-in, first-out". When you cast a spell or activate an ability, it goes on the stack. Then both players have the chance to respond by casting instants or activating abilities.
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Understanding when the stack is empty is crucial because that's when:
- Players can move to the the next phase
- Combat damage can happen
- State-based actions resolve (e.g. creatures with 0 toughness die)
The stack is empty when:
- All spells and abilities on the stack have resolved or been countered
- No new spells or abilities are waiting to resolve
- No player is taking an action or responding
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Finally, we have artifacts, which are permanent spells that represent magical items with a variety of effects. For example, equipment is an artifact that would attach to a creature.
Above are the main types of cards you can use in MTG, but there are a few extras.
Depending on the format you’re playing, you may come across Scheme, Battle, Conspiracy, Dungeon, Phenomenon and Vanguard. We’ll explain these in later guides, but it may be worth keeping this in mind once you’ve begun to play, as you may come across them.
Now we’ve taken you through the main cards and object of the game, it’s time to see how the game works. Next, we’ll explain the different formats you may wish to play and take you through a single turn.
Playing the Game - Which Format to Choose
There are a variety of different formats (ways to play) Magic: The Gathering.
These will dictate how you can build your deck, what life total you’ll start with, and how many players can join the game.
Constructed Formats
You will more than likely begin to play in standard format. This is considered the best for beginners, and you’ll be able to play with the most recent MTG sets.
In Modern, you’ll have a much larger card pool to draw from. Typically, you’ll be able to play with any sets of cards printed from 2003 onwards. The only time cards will be banned from this format is if they become too powerful or disruptive.
This is somewhat of a balance between Standard and Modern. Pioneer allows cards from 2012 onwards, which means you won’t have to spend so much on older cards, but you’ll still have a large card pool to draw from.
This is one of the formats you’ll hear about (and play) most often. It’s usually played with 3-5 players. You’ll benefit from a 100-card deck, and no two cards can be the same. You’ll choose an initial commander, which will be either a legendary creature or Planeswalker, and your deck must follow its colour. You’ll also start with 40 life points, which makes for longer and, arguably, more strategic games.
Evoking incredible power, and being expensive to play, Legacy or Vintage allows almost any card printed to be used. One for the ultimate collectors.
In Pauper format you can only use common cards (making it an inexpensive option), but with the right deck you can craft intricate and powerful attacks.
In Limited formats, for more experienced players, you’ll be expected to build your deck on the spot. You’ll be provided with a limited pool of cards, so you’ll have to think quickly to build the strongest deck from what’s available. There are a variety of different subformats within Limited.
Each player around the table opens a booster pack, choosing one card before passing the booster pack to the next player. Once all cards are chosen, or drafted, a second pack will be opened, but in the opposite direction, then a third in the original direction. Once all cards are drafted, you’ll need to quickly build a deck with a minimum of 40 cards.
You’ll receive a set number of sealed booster packs. Typically, this will be 6 packs in total, but this can vary. You’ll then need to build your deck from basic lands and the packs you’ve just opened. Quick strategic thinking is vital here; you’ll need to make the best of what could be a very good, or very messy set of cards.
While these are the main types of games playable in MTG, there are other niche and casual formats that you may end up playing. This is often what makes the game so interesting; with so many ways to play, you’ll never get bored, and you’ll develop further strategic experience if you try all types.
A Guide to Taking your Turn
When taking your turn, there is a strict pathway of steps you must adhere to.
In the beginning phase, you need to untap your permanents, resolve any upkeep triggers and draw a card.
The first part of your main phase is where you may play a land and cast spells. The combat phase which follows is where you will attack with creatures and deal combat damage.
Much like the first main phase, the second main phase allows you to play a land, if you haven’t already, and/or cast more spells.
Finally, the ending phase is where you will resolve your end step triggers, remove damage and discard your hand down to 7 cards if you have more than that number.
The table below illustrates this in an easy-to-follow format. It may be worth referring to this when you’re getting started.
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Resolve "at upkeep" triggers
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Play a land, cast non-instant spells
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Cast instants, activate abilities
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Choose and tap attacking creatures
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Choose blocking creatures
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Cast instants, activate abilities
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Play a land (if not already), cast non-instant spells
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Resolve "at end of turn" triggers
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Remove damage. This is where end-of-turn effects wear off
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What’s Next?
Hopefully now, you’ll have a good idea of getting started and taking your first turns in a game of Magic: The Gathering.
Look out for our next guide where we’ll delve into the deeper strategies, explaining play by play how you can overcome your opponents and win your first game of Magic: The Gathering.
