How to Play Magic: The Gathering: A Beginner's Guide

At its simplest, two players each need their own Magic deck.

For many traditional one-on-one formats, a deck contains at least 60 cards.

You may also want:

• Dice or counters
• A way to track life totals
• Tokens, where required
• A playmat, if desired
• Sleeves to protect your cards

Preconstructed decks and beginner products are often the easiest way to start because you can begin playing without having to build a deck from scratch.

Magic has several different formats with their own deck-building rules, so the exact deck size and card restrictions can depend on the format you are playing.

For this guide, we will focus primarily on the fundamental rules shared across a typical game of Magic.

In a standard one-on-one game, each player normally begins with 20 life.

The most common way to win is to reduce your opponent's life total from 20 to 0 or less.

You can do this by attacking with creatures and using spells or abilities that deal damage.

However, reducing life is not the only way to win.

A player can also lose if they are required to draw a card but have no cards remaining in their library.

Certain cards can also create alternative ways to win or lose the game.

For a beginner, however, think of the main objective as: Play lands → generate mana → cast creatures and spells → attack your opponent → reduce their life to zero.

Before playing, it helps to understand where your cards go.

Magic contains several major card types.

Understanding these is one of the most important steps when learning the game.

Magic is built around five colours.

Each colour has its own themes, mechanics and style of play.

Mana is the resource used to cast spells.

Most cards have a mana cost in the upper-right corner.

For example, a creature might cost 2G.

This means you need to pay 2 mana of any type + 1 green mana, for a total of three mana.

Mana is most commonly generated by lands.

A Forest, for example, can normally be tapped to produce green mana.

You will frequently hear Magic players say they are going to tap a card.

Tapping means turning the card sideways, usually 90 degrees, to show that it has been used for a particular purpose.

For example: You tap a Forest → it produces green mana.

Creatures also normally tap when they attack.

A tapped permanent generally cannot be tapped again until it becomes untapped.

At the beginning of your next turn, your tapped permanents normally untap during your untap step.

The symbol commonly used for tapping is {T}.

If an ability includes the tap symbol as part of its cost, the permanent must be untapped for you to pay that cost.

Lands are one of the foundations of Magic.

During one of your main phases, you may normally play one land per turn.

Playing a land is not the same as casting a spell.

Once the land is on the battlefield, you can usually tap it for mana.

For example:

• Turn 1: Play a land → potentially have 1 mana available.
• Turn 2: Play another land → potentially have 2 mana available.
• Turn 3: Play a third land → potentially have 3 mana available.

As the game progresses, you gain access to more mana and can cast increasingly expensive spells.

Some cards allow you to play additional lands or generate mana in other ways.

The mana cost of a card tells you what you must pay to cast it.

Imagine a creature has a mana cost of 3R.

You need:

• 3 mana of any appropriate type
• 1 red mana for a total of four mana.

If another spell costs 1UU, you need:

• 1 mana of any appropriate type
• 2 blue mana for a total of three mana.

This is why the colours of the lands in your deck need to match the spells you want to cast.

For a typical one-on-one game:

• Each player shuffles their deck.
• Determine which player goes first.
• Each player normally begins with 20 life.
• Each player draws seven cards.
• Players decide whether to keep their opening hand or take a mulligan.
• The game begins.

The player going first normally does not draw a card during their first draw step in a two-player game.

After that, players normally draw one card during the draw step of each turn.

Sometimes your opening seven cards are not suitable.

Perhaps you have no lands.

Perhaps you have too many lands.

Magic allows you to take a mulligan.

Under the commonly used London Mulligan system, you shuffle your hand back into your library and draw seven new cards.

Once you decide to keep a hand, you put a number of cards from your hand equal to the number of mulligans you have taken onto the bottom of your library.

For example:

• No mulligans: Keep 7 cards.
• One mulligan: Draw 7, then put 1 card on the bottom.
• Two mulligans: Draw 7, then put 2 cards on the bottom.

Mulligans help reduce the chance that a game is decided immediately because of an unusable opening hand.

A Magic turn is divided into several phases and steps.

The main structure is:

• Beginning Phase
• Untap Step
• Upkeep Step
• Draw Step
• First Main Phase
• Combat Phase
• Beginning of Combat
• Declare Attackers
• Declare Blockers
• Combat Damage
• End of Combat
• Second Main Phase
• Ending Phase
• End Step
• Cleanup Step

This may look complicated, but the flow becomes natural after playing a few games.

A simplified version is: Untap → draw → play cards → attack → play more cards → end turn.

Your turn begins with the Beginning Phase.

Your main phases are where you will usually develop your board.

During your main phase, you may be able to:

• Play a land
• Cast creatures
• Cast sorceries
• Cast artifacts
• Cast enchantments
• Cast planeswalkers
• Activate abilities
• Cast instants

Remember that you can normally play only one land per turn, even though you may cast multiple spells if you have enough mana.

You have a second main phase after combat, so you do not necessarily need to cast everything before attacking.

Suppose you want to cast a creature costing 2G.

You need three mana, including at least one green mana.

You might tap:

• 1 Forest
• 2 other lands

You pay the mana cost and cast the creature spell.

The spell then goes onto something called the stack.

If nobody responds, the spell resolves.

The creature enters the battlefield.

The same basic process applies to many other spells.

The stack is one of the most important concepts in Magic.

When players cast spells or activate many types of abilities, they do not necessarily happen immediately.

Instead, they go onto the stack.

Players then have an opportunity to respond.

The stack resolves in reverse order. The most recently added spell or ability resolves first.

For example: You cast a spell.

Your opponent responds with another spell.

You respond with a third spell.

If nobody adds anything else, the third spell resolves first, then the second, then the original spell.

This is sometimes described as: Last in, first out.

You do not need to master every stack interaction before playing your first game, but understanding that players can respond to each other is fundamental to Magic.

Priority determines which player has the opportunity to cast spells or activate abilities at a particular moment.

The active player, the player whose turn it is, generally receives priority first at appropriate times.

After a player takes an action, other players may receive an opportunity to respond.

When all players pass priority in succession while something is on the stack, the top object on the stack resolves.

When everyone passes with the stack empty, the game moves to the next step or phase.

Priority is one of Magic's more technical rules, so beginners do not need to memorise every detail immediately.

The important concept is: Your opponent may have an opportunity to respond to what you do, and you may have an opportunity to respond to them.

Combat is one of the main ways to damage your opponent.

During your combat phase, you decide which eligible creatures will attack.

Your opponent then decides how they will block.

Combat generally follows this sequence:

• Beginning of combat
• Declare attackers
• Declare blockers
• Combat damage
• End of combat

Understanding attacking and blocking is the foundation of creature combat in Magic.

During your declare attackers step, you choose which eligible creatures you control will attack.

You then tap those creatures unless an effect says otherwise.

You may attack with:

• One creature
• Several creatures
• All eligible creatures
• No creatures

You also determine what each creature is attacking where the rules allow multiple possible defenders, such as an opposing planeswalker.

Your opponent does not choose which of your creatures attack.

You do.

A creature normally cannot attack immediately after it enters the battlefield under your control.

This is commonly called summoning sickness.

A creature also normally cannot use an activated ability containing the tap or untap symbol until it has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn.

For example: You cast a creature during your turn.

It enters the battlefield.

It normally cannot attack that turn.

When your next turn begins, assuming you have continuously controlled it, it can normally attack.

Some creatures have haste, which allows them to ignore these restrictions.

After attackers are declared, the defending player chooses blockers.

An untapped creature can normally block one attacking creature.

For example: You attack with a 3/3 creature.

Your opponent controls a 2/2 creature.

They can choose to block your 3/3 with their 2/2.

The creatures then normally deal combat damage to each other simultaneously.

Your 3/3 deals 3 damage to the 2/2.

The 2/2 deals 2 damage to your 3/3.

The 2/2 has taken lethal damage and is destroyed.

Your 3/3 survives because 2 damage is less than its 3 toughness.

If an attacking creature is not blocked, it normally deals its combat damage to whatever it is attacking.

If your 4/4 creature attacks your opponent and is not blocked: Your opponent takes 4 damage.

If they started at 20 life, they move to 16 life.

This is the basic way creatures reduce an opponent's life total.

Creature cards show two numbers separated by a slash, for example 5/3.

The first number is power.

The second is toughness.

A 5/3 creature:

• Normally deals 5 combat damage
• Has 3 toughness

If it receives 3 or more damage during the same turn, it will normally be destroyed as a state-based action.

Damage marked on creatures normally disappears during the cleanup step at the end of the turn.

This means damage does not normally remain permanently on a creature.

When a creature is destroyed or otherwise dies, it is normally placed into its owner's graveyard.

Cards attached to it may also be affected depending on their type and the applicable rules.

Some cards have abilities that trigger when:

• The creature dies
• Another creature dies
• A card enters the graveyard
• A creature leaves the battlefield

This means losing a creature is not always purely negative. Some decks are specifically designed to benefit from creatures dying.

Instants are important because they can usually be cast during another player's turn.

Imagine your opponent attacks with a 4/4 creature.

Before combat damage, you cast an instant that gives your blocker +3/+3 until end of turn.

Your opponent may then have an opportunity to respond with another spell.

This back-and-forth interaction is one of the defining features of Magic.

You are not simply waiting for your opponent to finish their turn.

You may be able to interact while their actions are happening.

Some spells, particularly in blue, can counter another spell.

When a spell is countered, it does not resolve.

It is normally placed into its owner's graveyard instead.

For example: You cast a powerful creature spell.

Your opponent casts a spell that says: Counter target spell.

If the counterspell resolves successfully, your creature spell is countered and the creature never enters the battlefield.

This is different from destroying a creature.

Destroying affects a creature that is already on the battlefield.

Countering a creature spell can stop it from entering the battlefield in the first place.

Many Magic cards have abilities.

These generally fall into categories such as:

• Activated abilities
• Triggered abilities
• Static abilities

Magic contains many keyword abilities.

You do not need to learn all of them immediately, but several appear frequently.

Deck-building rules depend on the format.

For many traditional constructed formats, your deck must contain at least 60 cards.

Except for basic lands and cards whose text specifically says otherwise, you generally cannot have more than four copies of a card with the same English name across your deck and sideboard.

There is no universal number of lands that every deck should use.

However, a beginner 60-card deck might start somewhere around 24 lands + 36 nonland cards.

This is only a starting point.

Fast decks with inexpensive spells may use fewer lands, while decks with expensive spells or different strategies may use more.

The important thing is having enough mana sources to cast your cards consistently.

The mana curve describes the distribution of mana costs in your deck.

Imagine your deck contains only cards costing six or seven mana.

Those cards may be powerful, but you could spend the first several turns unable to cast anything.

A more balanced deck might contain:

• Low-cost cards for the early game
• Medium-cost cards for the middle game
• A smaller number of expensive cards for later turns

This creates a smoother mana curve.

A good deck is not simply a collection of the most powerful cards you own.

The cards need to work together and be playable at useful points during the game.

Many competitive Magic formats allow players to use a sideboard.

A sideboard is a separate group of cards that can be exchanged with cards in your main deck between games of a match, subject to the rules of the format.

For example, your opponent may be playing a strategy that relies heavily on artifacts.

After the first game, you could bring in cards from your sideboard that are particularly effective against artifacts.

Sideboarding becomes more important once you begin playing matches competitively.

For your first casual games, you do not need to worry about building an advanced sideboard.

The most common way to win is to reduce your opponent's life total to 0 or less.

However, there are several other ways a game can end.

Imagine you have already played two lands during previous turns.

Your turn begins.

When building your first Magic deck, keep the strategy relatively simple.

Try to answer a few questions:

• How does my deck plan to win?
• Which creatures are my main threats?
• Do I have enough lands?
• Can I cast spells during the early turns?
• Do my cards work together?
• Do I have ways to interact with my opponent?
• Am I using too many expensive cards?
• Are my colours supported by the lands in my deck?

For a first deck, using one or two colours is often easier than trying to build around four or five colours.

More colours give you access to more cards, but they also make producing the correct mana more difficult.

One of the most common beginner mistakes is building a deck from individually powerful cards without considering how they work together.

Suppose you own several strong cards requiring:

• Double white mana
• Double blue mana
• Triple black mana
• Double red mana
• Double green mana

Putting all of them into the same deck may make it extremely difficult to produce the right mana at the right time.

A focused deck with slightly weaker cards can often perform better because it executes its strategy more consistently.

Magic deck building is largely about synergy and consistency, not simply individual card strength.

Magic can be played in many different formats.

A format determines things such as:

• Which cards are legal
• Deck size
• Number of copies allowed
• Whether cards rotate
• Whether a sideboard is used
• Other deck-building restrictions

Common Magic formats include:

• Standard
• Pioneer
• Modern
• Legacy
• Vintage
• Commander
• Pauper
• Limited formats such as Draft and Sealed

You do not need to learn all of these to start playing.

Choose the format that the people you intend to play with are using.

Standard is a rotating constructed Magic format.

Players build decks using cards from currently Standard-legal releases.

As new sets are released and older sets eventually rotate out, the pool of legal cards changes.

Because format legality changes over time, always check the current Standard card pool and banned list before entering a tournament.

For casual games, you and your opponent can simply agree on what cards and format you want to use.

Commander is one of Magic's most popular multiplayer formats.

It works differently from a traditional 60-card one-on-one game.

A Commander deck normally contains 100 cards, including a legendary creature or other eligible card that serves as your commander.

Commander also generally follows a singleton rule, meaning you may only use one copy of each card other than basic lands, unless a card specifically allows otherwise.

Players normally begin with 40 life in a multiplayer Commander game.

The commander's colour identity also determines which cards can be included in the deck.

Commander has additional rules, including the command zone and commander damage, so it is best treated as its own way of playing Magic rather than applying every rule from a traditional 60-card game directly.

Not every Magic format requires you to arrive with a prebuilt deck.

In Limited formats, players build decks from cards opened as part of the event.

Magic contains tens of thousands of different cards and a huge number of interactions.

You are not expected to memorise them.

When a card does something unusual, read the card carefully.

A useful principle for beginners is: Specific card text can modify the normal rules.

For example, the normal rule may say you can play one land per turn.

A card may specifically allow you to play an additional land.

The card creates an exception to the normal rule.

Learning to read Magic cards precisely is one of the most important skills in the game.

Reading the rules provides a foundation, but Magic becomes much easier once you start playing.

For a new player, a good approach is:

• Start with a beginner-friendly or preconstructed deck.
• Learn how lands and mana work.
• Practice casting creatures.
• Learn attacking and blocking.
• Introduce instants and responses.
• Learn the stack gradually.
• Experiment with deck building once the basic turn structure feels natural.

You do not need to understand every keyword, format or unusual card interaction before playing your first game.

Magic has accumulated decades of cards and mechanics.

Even experienced players regularly encounter cards and interactions they need to check.

Magic can be enjoyed both as a competitive game and as a collectible card hobby.

Some players primarily build competitive decks.

Others collect:

• Favourite artists
• Specific sets
• Foils
• Showcase cards
• Borderless cards
• Serialized cards
• Older cards
• Professionally graded cards
• Sealed products

Many people do both.

A card being powerful in the game does not automatically make it highly collectible, and a valuable collector card is not necessarily useful in a competitive deck.

If you are buying cards to play, focus on the exact cards required for your deck and the format you intend to play.

If you are collecting, factors such as rarity, artwork, printing, condition and personal preference may be more important.

Sleevd allows collectors and players to discover Magic: The Gathering cards from marketplace sellers alongside other trading card games.

Players can search for individual cards they need for their decks, while collectors can browse raw cards, professionally graded cards and sealed Magic products.

When buying an individual card, always check the exact:

• Card name
• Set
• Collector number
• Language
• Printing or treatment
• Condition

Magic cards can have many different printings, artworks and treatments, so two versions of the same card can have very different market values.

For more information about evaluating raw card condition, see our Trading Card Condition Guide.

If you are unsure about the difference between raw and professionally graded cards, see our Raw vs Graded Trading Cards guide.

On Sleevd today there are 54 different Magic cards on sale, 58 copies between them, at a median of AED 1. 44 of those cards are AED 10 or less, which is where most of a deck comes from.

Magic: The Gathering has enormous strategic depth, but you do not need to understand all of it to begin playing.

The fundamental game loop is relatively straightforward: Play lands → generate mana → cast spells and creatures → attack and defend → reduce your opponent's life to zero.

Once you understand lands, mana, creatures, attacking and blocking, you already understand the foundation of Magic.

From there, you can gradually learn more advanced concepts such as the stack, priority, card advantage, deck archetypes and complex card interactions.

Start with a simple deck and play.

The deeper strategy will make much more sense once you see the rules happening on the battlefield.