A Beginners Guide to Magic: The Gathering

What is Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a hugely popular strategic trading card game, It blends deep strategy, fantasy, collectability, and a beautiful art style, which helps make it one of the most popular and enduring card games in the world. Players take on the role of ‘Planeswalkers’, using a deck of cards to defeat their opponents. The Game is constantly evolving, with new expansions keeping the game fresh, multiple play formats, and thriving competitive and casual scenes.

A Brief History of Magic: The Gathering 

Magic: The Gathering was first created by mathematician Richard Garfield and first published by Wizards of the Coast in 1993. It was the first-ever trading card game (TCG), pioneering a genre that would later inspire countless others. The game quickly gained popularity, selling out its first print run almost instantly. Over the years, Magic has evolved with hundreds of expansions, mechanics, and innovative formats. This long history can make the game a little bit confusing for new players with over 20 years of terminology to learn. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back!

 

Understanding the Basics

This long history can make the game a little bit confusing for new players, with over 20 years of terminology and game evolution to learn. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back!

What you need to start

1. A Deck Of Cards
   1. Depending on format you will either need a 60 card deck, or 100 card singleton (unique card) deck.
2. Basic Accessories
   
   1. Card Sleeves: Protect your cards from wear and tear during gameplay.
   2. Deck Box: Keeps your deck organized and safe when not in use.
   3. Playmat: Provides a clean surface for playing and helps protect your cards.
   4. Life Counter: Tracks your life total throughout the game.
   5. Tokens and Counters: Used to represent various in-game effects and statuses.
3. Rulebook or Digital App
   
   1. Official Rulebook: Familiarize yourself with the game's rules to understand gameplay mechanics.
   2. MTG Companion App: A digital tool that offers a life counter, card database, and other useful features.

How a typical game of Magic works

A standard game of Magic: The Gathering is played between two or more players (depending on format), each with their own deck, aiming to outsmart their opponents using creatures, spells, and pristine decision-making.

1. Starting the Game: Each player shuffles their deck and draws an initial hand of seven cards . Players can mulligan, which is an optional step where if you are not happy with your cards, you shuffle them back into your deck and draw a new hand. This is repeated until the player is happy. The player then chooses cards equal to the amount of times they mulliganed and puts them to the bottom of their deck.
2. Turn Structure:  Players take turns following a structured sequence of phases. Each turn consists of several key steps:
   1. Untap Step: Players ready their tapped cards
   2. Upkeep & Draw Step: Players resolve any upkeep triggers, then draw a card.
   3. Main Phase: Players can play a land and cast spells (creatures, enchantments etc.)
   4. Combat Phase: Players can attack their opponents with creatures and their opponents can choose whether or not to block.
   5. Second Main Phase: Players can cast additional spells or play another land if they haven’t already.
   6. End Step: Any end-of-turn effects resolve, and excess cards (above seven) must be discarded.

How to Win in Magic: The Gathering

Winning a game of Magic: The Gathering typically involves reducing your opponent’s life total to 0, but there are several other ways to best rival Planeswalkers. Some of the most common win conditions include:

• Reducing an opponent's life to 0: The most straightforward way to win, usually through combat damage or direct damage spells.
• Emptying your opponents deck: If a player attempts to draw a card from an empty library (deck), they lose the game.
• Poison Counters: Some cards apply poison counters to an opponent, if a player reaches 10 or more poison counters they lose the game.
• Alternate Win Conditions: Certain cards have unique effects that can immediately win the game under specific conditions.

O verview of Forma ts

One of the greatest strengths of Magic: The Gathering is its wide variety of formats, allowing players to experience the game in different ways. Some of the most popular formats include standard, Modern, Commander, draft and sealed.

Standard

Standard is one of MTG’s most accessible formats, featuring a rotating selection of most recent card sets. Typically, standard includes sets from the past two years , ensuring a fresh and ever-evolving metagame as new expansions are released. This format is popular for both casual and competitive play, since players can jump in without needing staple cards from older sets that can set you back a pretty penny.

Modern

Modern is a non-rotating format that allows cards from the Eighth edition (2003) and onwards. This offers a huge amount of strategy and some really broken decks to be made. Unlike standard, cards in Modern remain legal indefinitely, making it a great format for players who want long term playability in their chosen decks. Whilst modern’s meta will evolve with new releases and bannings, it maintains a balance between established archetypes and innovation.

Commander

Commander is an extremely popular multiplayer format built around a 100-card deck with no duplicate cards (except for lands - which we will get to in a bit!) Each deck is led by its commander (a legendary creature) that defines the deck’s strategy and colour identity.

A typical commander game is played with four players , making it a multiplayer focused format focused on interaction, and long-term strategy. While 1v1 commander exists, the format is primarily designed for a free-for-all-multiplayer, where Planeswalkers battle until only one remains standing.

Draft

Draft is a limited format where players build their decks on the spot by selecting cards from booster packs rather than bringing a pre-constructed deck. Each player stats with three booster packs. They open one pack, choose one card and pass the remaining cards to the next player. This process continues until all cards have been chosen. It’s a great way to test your deck-building skills and cook up niche or existing strategies. Lands are provided separately in this gamemode.

Sealed

Sealed is another limited format, unlike Draft, players do not pick cards from booster packs in draft rotation, instead each play opens a set number of packs and builds a deck from the contents.

Game Mechanics by Format

The Core mechanics of Magic: The gathering such as turn structure, phases, and win conditions, remain consistent across all formats. However, different formats introduce unique rules and gameplay dynamics that can affect how a game plays out.

Key Differences by Format:

• Life Totals:
  • Most formats start with 20 life
  • Commander starts with 40 life due to its multiplayer nature
• Deck size & Construction rules
  • Most formats start with 20 life
  • Commander starts with 40 life due to its multiplayer nature.

Types of Magic: The Gathering Cards

• Lands
  • These are required in every deck, and in non-commander formats decks typically contain around 24 lands.
  • Provide mana , the resource needed to play non-land cards.
  • Basic Lands (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest) Produce a single type of mana corresponding to their colour.
  • Non-basic Lands may have special abilities, produce multiple colours, or come with drawbacks.

• Creatures
  • The main offensive and defensive units in the game.
  • Have Power (damage dealt) and toughness (health points).
  • Many have abilities like Flying, Trample, and Lifelink among other effects.

• Instants
  • Spells that can be cast at any time, even during an opponents turn.
  • Commonly used for counterspells, and removal effects.

• Sorceries
  • Powerful one-time effects that can only be cast during your own main phase.
  • Often include board wipes, direct damage, or card draw.

• Artifacts
  • Cards that provide utility, equipment, or mana acceleration.
  • Equipment artifacts can attach to creatures to boost their stats.

• Enchantments
  • Are persistent, non-creature spells that provide ongoing effects, buffs , or restrictions.
  • They can be global Auras which attach to specific permanents for targeted effects.

• Planeswalkers
  • Powerful characters with loyalty abilities that activate once per turn.
  • Can be targeted by creature attacks like actual players and have loyalty abilities, offering strong effects and game winning powers.

Each card type plays a different role, and mastering how they interact is key to becoming a skilled magic player.

Mana Cost & Colour Identity

Mana Cost

Every spell in MTG has a mana cost, which determines how much mana you need to spend to cast it. Mana is generated by Lands, which can typically be played once per turn at no cost. To cast a spell, you must have the necessary mana available, with the correct colours matching the spell’s requirements.

The mana cost is found in the top-right corner of a card and consists of:

• Coloured mana symbols : Represent specific colours of mana
• Generic Mana: A number inside a grey circle. This resource means mana of any colour.

For Example, a card with a manacost of 3W requires three mana of any colour, plus one white mana to cast.

Abilities on Creatures

Creatures in MTG can have a wide range of abilities that enhance their combat potential or provide various advantages. These abilities can be static (always in effect) or triggered (activating under certain conditions). Here are some of the most common creature abilities.

Examples

These abilities are always active as long as the creature is on the battlefield.

• Flying: The creature can only be blocked from attacking by other creatures with Flying or Reach.
• Trample: When attacking, if the creature's power is greater than the toughness of the blocking creature, the extra damage "tramples" over to the defending player or planeswalker.
• Lifelink: The creature's controller gains life equal to the amount of damage it deals in combat (You can overcap your total health in MTG!)
• Deathtouch: Any amount of damage dealt by this creature is enough to destroy another creature regardless of it's toughness.
• Vigilance: The creature doesn't tap when attacking, meaning it can still block during your opponent's turn.
• Reach: This creature can block creatures with Flying.
• Haste: Allows the creature to attack and tap as soon as it enters the battlefield (otherwise creatures cannot attack the turn they are played).
• First Strike: This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike or double strike during the combat damage step.
• Double Strike: The creature deals both first strike and regular combat damage, effectively striking twice.
• Prowess: This ability triggers when you cast a non-creature spell, temporarily boosting the creature's power until the end of the turn.
• Sacrifice: Some creatures allow the player to sacrifice them to activate powerful effects, such as dealing damage or drawing cards.

These are some of the more common abilities but there are several more that you will encounter as you play. The best way to learn them is to get playing and interact with as many decks as you can!

The Five Colours of Magic and Their Philosophy

In Magic: The Gathering, each colour of mana represents a distinct philosophy, mindset, and approach to magic. There five colours are White, Blue, Black, Red and Green, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and themes. Understanding these philosophies can help you grasp different playstyles and deck archetypes.

White (Plains) - Order, Justice  and Protection

Philosophy

White represents order, justice, and community. It seeks balance and harmony, often prioritising the greater good over individual desires. White is concerned with fairness, law, and protection, striving to maintain peace and unity.

Core Themes

• Law & Structure: White enforces rules, often spells to control or restrict other players actions.
• Creatures & Defence: White is known for having many small, efficient creatures that work together, often gaining additional benefits through cooperation.
• Lifegain & Protection: White can gain life, protect creatures, and offer a variety of defensive tools.

Blue (Island) - Knowledge, Manipulation, and Control

Philosophy

Blue values knowledge, intelligence, and manipulation. It believes in using logic, intellect, and understanding to control the flow of the game. Blue seeks to outsmart opponents to gain an advantage through careful planning and foresight.

Core Themes

• Card Advantage: Blue excels at drawing cards, gaining knowledge of the opponent's strategy, and using that to plan accordingly.
• Counterspells and manipulation: Blue excels at drawing cards, gaining knowledge of the opponent's strategy, and using that to plan accordingly.
• Flying Creatures & Illusions: Blue creatures often have Flying and are more likely to have complex, often evasive abilities. 

Black (Swamp) - Power, Sacrifice, and Ambition

Philosophy

Black is the colour of self-interest, power, and ambition. It seeks ultimate control and is willing to make sacrifices to achieve its goals. Black is often viewed as morally neutral or evil, but it also represents personal freedom and uncompromising pursuit of power.

Core Themes

• Death & Reanimation: Black is closely associated with death, often using sacrifice and reanimation to manipulate the graveyard for its advantage.
• Discard & Oppression: Black spells often make opponents discard cards, or help with clearing creatures.
• Demonic Power: Black is known for dealing with dark powers and often features creatures like zombies, demons, and vampires.

Red (Mountain) - Passion, Chaos, and Freedom

Philosophy

Red is the colour of emotion, chaos, and freedom. It embodies spontaneity, destruction and passion. Red values individuality, preferring action over caution, and it ofen acts on impulse or desire.

Core Themes

• Aggression & Speed: Red decks are often aggressive, favouring direct damage and fast-paced gameplay.
• Spontaneity & Chaos: Red values unpredictability, with spells that often produce random outcomes, such as damage dealt to random targets.
  
• Creatures & Burns: Red focuses on creatures with haste, able to attack immediately, and is famous for burn spells that deal direct damage to players or creatures.

Green (Forest) - Growth, Nature, and Life

Philosophy

Green is the colour of nature, growth and life. It believes in the power of life and the natural order, emphasising growth and strength through untamed forces of the world. Green is about working with nature, rather than against it.

Core Themes

• Ramp & Growth: Green excels at mana ramp and growth, enabling it to cast big creatures and spells faster than other colours.
• Creatures & Power: Green is known for its large creatures and creature-based combat relying on big creatures to overwhelm their opponents.
• Nature & Instinct: Green favours creature synergies and creatures that represent animals, beasts, or elementals.

Which MTG colour is right for you?

Choosing the right Magic: The Gathering colour (or combination of colours) depends on your personal playstyle and strategic perferences. Here’s a brief guide to help you identify which colour aligns with you.

White

• Aggro: Utilises efficient, low-cost creatures to quickly overwhelm opponents.
• Control: Focuses on neutralising threats and maintaining board presence through removal and countermeasures.
• Tokens: Generate numerous creature tokens to swarm opponents
• Life Gain: Centers on gaining life to outlast opponents and trigger synergistic effects.

White decks often focus on creating a strong board presence with efficient creatures and spells that promote synergy and cooperation. They employ strategies that involve controlling the battlefield through combat and maintaining a steady life total advantage. If you fancy yourself the leader of an army then white is the right colour for you.

Blue

• Control: Utilises counterspells and card draw to outlast opponents.
• Tempo: Seeks to disrupt opponents, whilst advancing your own game plan.
• Mill: Focuses on depleting opponents' decks to win.
• Combo: Assembles specific card combinations to achieve victory.

Blue decks excel at controlling the flow of the game by countering opponents spells, and drawing cards to maintain options. If you want to flex your brain, or play intricate combos, then blue might be the perfect colour for you.

Black

• Control: Utilises removal and discard to disrupt opponents.
• Reanimator:  Bring powerful creatures back from the graveyard.
• Aggro: Employs efficient creatures to apply early pressure.
  
• Combo: Focuses on aseembling specific card combinations for victory.

Black decks often utilise strategies that involve sacrificing their own resources for greater powers, reanimating creatures from the graveyard, and disrupting opponents plans through discard and removal spells. They embrace the philosophy of achieving goals at any cost. If you’ll do whatever it takes to win, then black might be the right colour for you.

Green

• Ramp: Accelerates mana product to cast large creatures early.
• Aggro: Deploys creatures to overwhelm and dominate your opponent.
  
• Midrange: Balances between early aggression and late-game power.
  

Green decks focus on ramping up mana to cast large creatures and spells, overwhelming opponents with sheer size and power. They often employ strategies that involve enhancing creatures' strengths and toughness.

Now you don’t have to start with a mono-colour deck when beginning your magic the gathering journey, but it is definitely easier to manage. You can play as many colours as you want in a deck - but you have to remember you need the right Lands to play cards of different colours.

Building your first deck

Building your first Magic: The Gathering (MTG) deck is an exciting journey that introduces you to the game and puts you on the path. It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time and you can tinker it as you go until you make a deck that personifies you! Here's a structured approach to guide you through the process:

Precon vs. Custom Built

• Preconstructed Decks: These ready-made decks come pre-built, offering a balanced mix of cards and cohesive strategy. They provide a cost-effective way to start playing and can serve as a foundation for customisation as you gain experience. This is the perfect way to learn the game if you aren’t wanting to create your own deck and want to jump straight into playing!
• Custom-Built Decks: Crafting your own deck allows for personalisation and a deeper understanding of deck-building principles. It enables you to tailor the deck to your preferred playstyle and explore various strategies and mechanics. This does require a more substantial card collection and a good grasp of game mechanics to make a deck that can compete against more staple ones. If you are wanting to play for fun casually you can start off making your own based off a card, colour or mechanic that you like and make improvements as you go. You can upgrade your custom built deck by buying packs and singles for specific cards.

Importance of Lands

• Mana Base: Lands are essential for generating mana, the resource needed to cast spells. A balanced mana base ensures you can play your cards consistently.
• Land Count: A typical deck includes about 24 lands, but this can vary based on your deck's curve and strategy. Some decks may require more or fewer lands.
• Mana Curve: Distribute your cards across different mana costs to maintain a smooth progression from early to late game.

Common Terms used by Players

1. Mana Curve: The distribution of a deck's cards across different mana costs. A well-balanced mana curve ensures you can play cards consistently throughout the game.
2. Topdeck: Drawing the top card of your library, often used to describe drawing a card that significantly impacts the game.
3. Mulligan: The act of reshuffling your hand back into your library and drawing a new hand, typically done if your initial hand is unplayable.
4. Aggro: Short for "aggressive," referring to a deck or strategy focused on dealing damage quickly to overwhelm the opponent.
5. Control: A deck or strategy that focuses on managing the game by countering spells, removing threats, and drawing cards.
6. Combo: A strategy that relies on assembling specific cards to achieve a game-winning effect, often in a single turn.
7. Burn: A strategy that uses direct damage spells to reduce an opponent's life total.
8. Mana Curve: The distribution of a deck's cards across different mana costs. A well-balanced mana curve ensures you can play cards consistently throughout the game.
9. Mill: A strategy that involves forcing your opponent to put cards from their library into their graveyard, aiming to deplete their deck.
10. Ramp: A strategy that accelerates mana production to cast spells and creatures ahead of the curve.
11. Token: A marker used to represent a creature that is not represented by a card, often created by spells or abilities.
12. Aggro-Control: A hybrid deck that combines aggressive creatures with control elements to disrupt the opponent while applying pressure.
13. Sideboard: A set of additional cards that can be swapped into your main deck between games in a match to adjust your strategy against specific opponents.
14. Sleeves: Protective covers used to shield cards from wear and tear during play.
15. Tilt: A state of frustration or agitation that negatively affects a player's performance.
16. Scoop: Informal term for conceding a game.

Where to Play

Engage with the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) community and keep improving and you’ll be a great player. Here’s where to play and how to get better:

Local Game Stores: If you’re in the North-East of England then pop over and visit us at The Gamers Lodge! You can also search for local TCG shops near you and pop in - The MTG community is very welcoming so you won’t have any trouble getting started.

Community Groups: You can join our discord at the Lodge where all our loyal planeswalkers will be able to give you a helping hand! Alternatively search for groups local to you.

How to Improve

Play Regularly: Consistency is key. Playing formats like Best-of-Three (BO3) can help you understand the meta, improve sideboarding and learn to counter strategies. A good place to get started with this would be MTG Arena, an official platform for playing Magic online. MTG Arena is available in its own client or on Steam.

Study and Reflect: After each match take time to look at your gameplay. What worked, what didn’t and how can you adjust your strategy. Reflecting on your decisions will help you improve a lot. 

Connect with Other Players: Building relationships with other MTG players will give you knowledge-share, feedback and collaborative learning. Playing with others who have similar goals will speed up your progress as a player. 

Stay Informed: Keep up to date with the latest sets, mechanics and strategies by reading articles, watching videos and participating in forums. Knowing the MTG landscape will give you an edge. We hope to be putting out meta reports, and new set analysis, so keep in touch with us by subscribing to our mailing list and checking back on us.

By being part of the local MTG community and dedicating time to play and study you’ll find fun and improvement in your Magic: The Gathering journey. 

We hope this blog helped you find your footing a little bit! If you're stuck or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us or get in touch with our discord community to get involved!

So Long Gamers! The Gamers Lodge  

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