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How to Play Magic: The Card Game
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Overview
Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game where you employ a variety of spells, creatures and artifacts to overpower and outwit your opponents; the possible strategies and combinations are almost limitless. Use them in casual play with friends, or venture into the realm of competitions and win prizes. This article will introduce you to the basic expectations of card collection and game mechanics. However you decide to play, Magic is an exciting game that will remain a part of your recreation for years to come.
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Begin Your Collection
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Local game stores and comic shops provide the best selection of Magic products; an array that, for a first-time player, can be confusing. The starter set, however, provides a well-balanced introduction by including over 170 cards, a detailed rulebook, and basic strategies.
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Once you have played with your starter set and gained a feel for the game, you can begin adding to your collection. This can be done through booster packs, booster decks, trading, and buying individual cards. Boosters are generally sold as fifteen card packs, though certain editions do include multiple packs per box. There is no way to know what cards you may get, and many powerful cards can only be found in booster packs. On-line venues and game shops frequently have rare cards for sale, but at higher prices, and the availability there is also dependent on chance.
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Because Magic has been running for so long, many different editions have been released, each based on a new theme with creatures and spells to reflect said theme. Subsequent additions can often be powerful complements to your cards, but may also introduce devastating strategies against you. This progression keeps the game interesting and its enjoyment high.
Building Your Deck
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Cards in Magic are divided into five color categories, each with its own strengths and strategies. Your deck is constructed according to your style and preference. White focuses on efficiency and protection. Black decks use overwhelming power at the cost of personal points. Superior tactics and battle control allow blues to gradually gain the upper hand. Nature aids green oriented decks, enhancing your creatures and summoning others to help you win. Red decks employ speed and power to quickly take the lead.
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Each color is represented by a land type which comes in the form of land cards. In order to gain the power to play spell and creature cards, corresponding land cards must first be in play. If you want to play a green spell card that has a cost of two, you must have at least two forest cards on the table in play. Thus, your deck needs to include a decent number of land cards; the exact number is your choice.
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Creature cards are your main defense. When you have no creatures in play, your opponent can attack your points directly, which is the object of the game. Add a healthy amount of creatures to keep your army well-stocked.
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Artifact cards are permanent items that can be used in various ways. They may be stand alone entities providing you with their benefits, or equipment that enhances only the creature they are attributed to. The number of artifacts needed will vary by deck.
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To effectively use your creatures, spell cards will be needed. These come in two forms: sorcery and enchantments. The first is a single use spell that is discarded after its effect has ended. The second stays in play, altering some aspect of your own cards or your opponents. Judicial use of spells can mean victory or defeat, so spend some time getting to know them and how they can be used in different situations and choose a handful of your most versatile.
Playing the Game
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Each player begins with twenty life, and the game ends when you or your opponent loses all life points. Keeping track of your points can be done with a number of methods: coins and colored fish tank rocks being popular choices.
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In the first phase, you untap any cards that were used last turn (this refers to "tapping" a card or turning it sideways to indicate it has been used) and draw until you have seven cards in your hand.
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The main phase is where you play any creatures, artifacts, or spells by tapping the required lands as indicated on the card. Every card has its own land requirement, the more powerful cards needing more land in order to play.
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The combat phase gives you the chance to remove your enemy's creatures and reduce their life points. This is done by your own creatures attacking, spells, multiple round enchantments like poisons, or a combination of all of the above. When there are no creatures left, life points are taken. Some cards are even able to attack life points directly regardless of enemy defenses.
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After all actions have been completed, the end phase allows you to discard excess cards, tally up any damages, and prepare your own defenses.
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- One (or more) opponent.
Clean, clear playing surface.
Deck of at least sixty Magic: The Gathering cards.
Point Counters (coins, colored stones, paper, etc.) to keep track of health.
- One (or more) opponent.
- Clean, clear playing surface.
- Deck of at least sixty Magic: The Gathering cards.
- Point Counters (coins, colored stones, paper, etc.) to keep track of health.
- While having more than sixty cards in your deck offers more play options, the chances of drawing useful combinations is reduced. Selecting your strategy before playing helps control your deck size.
Each color has its strengths and weaknesses. Study each and decide which bests suits your style, then find ways to anticipate or make up for your decks shortcomings. This will prevent you from being caught with a hole in your defense.
- While having more than sixty cards in your deck offers more play options, the chances of drawing useful combinations is reduced. Selecting your strategy before playing helps control your deck size.
- Each color has its strengths and weaknesses. Study each and decide which bests suits your style, then find ways to anticipate or make up for your decks shortcomings. This will prevent you from being caught with a hole in your defense.
