How to play Magic: The Gathering
The basics in a few minutes: what is in a deck, how lands and mana work, the kinds of card, what a turn looks like and how a game is won, then the Commander decks to begin with and what they cost in your market. For anything more precise, the Magic Comprehensive Rules are the authority.
The deck, lands and mana
Each player starts with a shuffled deck, called a library, draws seven cards and may mulligan: draw seven new cards, then put cards from the hand on the bottom of the library, one for each time you mulliganed. A deck is built from lands, which produce mana, and spells, which you pay for with it. Mana comes in five colours (white, blue, black, red and green) and a card's cost shows which you need. You may play one land per turn.
Players begin at 20 life (40 in Commander). Browse the colours, find a commander, or see how a whole list prices out in the deck calculator.
Kinds of card
Creatures attack and block. Instants and sorceries have a one-time effect, and only instants can be cast at any time. Artifacts and enchantments stay in play with an ongoing effect. Planeswalkers are allies you activate once a turn, and opponents can attack them. Lands make mana. Keyword abilities such as flying and trample are explained on the keywords pages.
A turn
- 1Untap. Untap all your tapped permanents.
- 2Upkeep. Abilities that trigger at the start of your turn happen now.
- 3Draw. Draw a card (the player who goes first skips this on their first turn in a two-player game).
- 4First main phase. Play a land (one per turn), cast creatures, artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers and sorceries.
- 5Combat. Attack with your creatures; the defending player chooses blockers; damage is dealt.
- 6Second main phase. Play anything you held back, including the land if you have not played one.
- 7End. Abilities that trigger at the end of the turn happen, then you discard down to seven cards in hand if you hold more.
Spells and abilities go on the stack and resolve one at a time, last in first out, and each player gets the chance to respond before the top one resolves. Most game states you will meet are settled by that one rule.
How you win
Reduce your opponent's life total to 0 with combat damage and spells. You also win if they must draw from an empty library, or if they have ten or more poison counters. In Commander, 21 combat damage from one commander is enough, and most games are multiplayer.
Commander decks to begin with
Each is a complete, ready-to-play 100-card deck. Prices are the cheapest in-stock offer we track in your market; tap a tile for every store.
Reality Fracture Commander Deck - Multiverse Reforged
FRC
from
US$42.95
29 stores
Marvel Super Heroes Commander Deck - Avengers Assemble (Collector's Edition)
MSC
from
US$92.69
16 stores
Marvel Super Heroes Commander Deck - Doom Prevails (Collector's Edition)
MSC
from
US$150.00
8 stores
Marvel Super Heroes Commander Deck - The Fantastic Four (Collector's Edition)
MSC
from
US$80.10
20 stores
Marvel Super Heroes Commander Deck - Wakanda Forever (Collector's Edition)
MSC
from
US$84.99
16 stores
Marvel Super Heroes Commander Deck - Avengers Assemble
MSC
from
US$34.99
26 stores
Marvel Super Heroes Commander Deck - Doom Prevails
MSC
from
US$59.95
16 stores
Marvel Super Heroes Commander Deck - The Fantastic Four
MSC
from
US$30.99
31 stores
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a Magic deck?
In most formats a deck has at least 60 cards, with no more than four copies of any card except basic lands. Commander is different: exactly 100 cards, including your commander, and only one copy of any card except basic lands.
How do you win?
You win when your opponent's life total reaches 0 or less, when they have to draw from an empty library, or when they have ten or more poison counters. In Commander, a player who takes 21 or more combat damage from a single commander also loses. A card can also say you win or an opponent loses.
What is mana?
Mana is the resource that pays for spells. Lands produce it: you may play one land on each of your turns, and tap lands for mana of their colour. The five colours are white, blue, black, red and green, and some cards are colourless.
What should a new player buy first?
A Commander precon is a complete, ready-to-play 100-card deck. The prices below are the cheapest in-stock offers we track in your market. For a 60-card format, a theme or starter product is the usual first step.
Where do I look up a card's rules text?
Every card page shows the Oracle text, the current wording of the card. The keywords pages explain each keyword ability, and the Comprehensive Rules are the final word.