Magic: The Gathering: A Beginner’s Guide
Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is one of the world's most popular trading card games, combining strategy, collecting and competitive play. Whether you're completely new to MTG or looking to learn more about the game, this beginner's guide covers the basics and explains how to get started.
What Is Magic: The Gathering?
Magic: The Gathering is a strategy-based trading card game where players use decks of cards to battle against each other. Each player builds a deck using different types of cards, creating their own strategy and style of play.
Unlike many other trading card games, Magic gives players a huge amount of freedom when building a deck, making every game different.
How Does Magic: The Gathering Work?
Players use cards to cast spells, summon creatures and use abilities to reduce their opponent's life total to zero.
The main types of Magic cards include:
- Creature cards – Summon creatures that can attack and defend.
- Instant and Sorcery cards – Cast spells that create different effects.
- Enchantment cards – Provide ongoing effects and abilities.
- Artifact cards – Powerful permanent cards with a wide range of abilities.
- Planeswalker cards – Powerful characters with unique abilities.
- Land cards – Provide the mana needed to cast spells.
Understanding how these cards work together is an important part of learning Magic: The Gathering.
What Is Mana in MTG?
Mana is the resource used to cast spells in Magic: The Gathering.
Most mana comes from Land cards, with the five basic land types being:
- Plains
- Island
- Swamp
- Mountain
- Forest
Each colour represents different strategies and styles of play. Building a deck around the right combination of colours is one of the most important decisions for a Magic player.
Magic: The Gathering Formats
One of the things that makes MTG unique is the number of ways to play.
Popular Magic: The Gathering formats include:
- Standard – Uses a selection of newer card sets.
- Commander – A popular multiplayer format built around a legendary creature.
- Modern – Uses a much larger card pool from across Magic's history.
- Pioneer – Offers another extensive card pool with its own rules.
- Limited – Players build decks from cards opened during an event.
Different formats offer different experiences, so new players can choose the style of Magic that suits them best.
Magic: The Gathering Cards and Collecting
MTG isn't just about playing. Collecting Magic cards is a major part of the hobby.
Players and collectors can find cards in booster packs, booster boxes, Commander decks, bundles and other sealed products. Some cards are highly sought after because of their rarity, artwork, age, power or popularity.
For collectors, discovering a valuable or particularly rare card can be one of the most exciting parts of opening a pack.
How to Get Started With Magic: The Gathering
If you're new to MTG, starting with a beginner-friendly or preconstructed deck can be an easy way to learn the basics.
Once you understand the fundamentals, you can begin building your own decks, experimenting with different colours and strategies, and exploring different Magic formats.
Whether you're interested in competitive play, casual games or collecting, there's a place for you in the Magic: The Gathering community.
Magic: The Gathering in the UK
Looking for Magic: The Gathering cards in the UK? Attic Eight is a UK-based trading card game store specialising in MTG alongside Pokémon, Flesh and Blood and Riftbound.
From sealed MTG products and booster packs to other trading card game products and accessories, Attic Eight aims to make buying and collecting TCG products simple, secure and enjoyable.