OverviewIf you're new to Magic: The Gathering, welcome! This page is just a very quick primer on the basics of Magic. You can find more in-depth information at the links listed at the end. Magic: The Gathering is a trading card game created by Richard Garfield and produced by Wizards of the Coast.In Magic, the players represent powerful wizards battling each other with a wide range of powerful spells. Players begin with 20 life each. You win if your opponent's life total drops to 0 or less or if your opponent can no longer draw a card. Getting StartedTo play, each player needs a deck of at least 60 cards, and a large, flat area like a table for laying out cards. Each player also needs a way to keep score. Many players like to use dice or simply pen and paper.To begin the game, both players shuffle their decks. Each player then draws an opening hand of seven cards from his or her deck. The rest of your deck becomes your draw pile, or library. Near your library is space for a graveyard, or discard pile. Most of the cards you play go into your territory, or your half of the playing surface. A few of your cards may go into your opponent's territory instead. Determine randomly who gets the choice. If you get the choice, you can choose whether to play first or draw first. If you play first, you take the first turn of the game without drawing a card. If you draw first, you take the second turn of the game but you get to draw a card. The CardsThere are two basic types of cards, spells and lands, which provide the mana, or magical energy, for your spells. You can lay out one land per turn and use it as soon as it's in play.To get mana from a land, tap that land by turning it sideways. Cards untap at the beginning of your next turn. There are five different types of basic lands, each of which produces mana of a different colour. Colour ChartBlack Magic: Its power thrives on death and decay, and its traditional foils are green and white.Blue Magic: It thrives on mental energy and uses the elemental forces of air and water. Its traditional foils are red and green. Green Magic: It gets life from the forest and can bring both peace and destruction. Its traditional foils are blue and black. Red Magic: Masters of earth and fire, red magicians specialize in the violence of chaos and combat. Red's traditional foils are blue and white. White Magic: It focuses on spells of healing and protection, and also on the chivalrous arts of war. Its traditional foils are black and red. Types of CardsInstants are one-time effects that go to the graveyard right after casting. You can cast instants during your turn and your opponent's turn. Boomerang is an instant card.Sorceries are also one-time effects that go to the graveyard right after casting. However, you can only cast them during your turn. For example, if you had a Creeping Mold, you couldn't play it during your opponent's turn. Enchantments are permanent spells that remain in play when cast, like Glorious Anthem. Once a permanent is in play, you don't have to pay the casting cost again. You can play permanents only during your turn.
Phases and Steps
During your first and second main phases, which are separated by the combat phase, you may do any or all of the following, in any order:
The end phase has two steps: end of turn and cleanup. The end-of-turn step works just like the upkeep step. When it begins, abilities that start with "At end of turn" occur. When the cleanup step begins, discard down to seven cards. Then all damage on creatures is removed and effects that last "until end of turn" end. Rules LinksCrystal Keep - Magic: The Gathering - Some of the information includes rulings summaries, tournament rules, banned/restricted lists, and the comprehensive rules.Magic Rules Center - Rules for new, casual, and tournament players. |