Magic: The Gathering (MTG) offers many ways to play the game. While this variety is great for longtime players, it can be confusing for newcomers. This guide will help you find your best way to play MTG and show how to get deeper into the game.
Just Starting Out? Get a Starter Kit
A Starter Kit has everything you need to play your first game of MTG.
Each Starter Kit contains two 60-card decks designed to play well against each other and introduce new players to the game. A Starter Kit also has a rulebook for easy reference and boxes to store the decks. For players who are curious about the digital side of MTG, a Starter Kit also contains two Redemption Cards that can help you get started playing online with MTG Arena.
Meet Others with Commander
Commander is a multiplayer (usually four-player) MTG format that uses 100-card decks. A Commander deck can only have one of any card, except for the basic lands, and it must have a commander, a legendary creature whose color identity, or colors of mana in its mana cost and text box, decides what colors can appear in the deck.
Commander is one of the most popular casual formats of MTG, and most MTG sets sell pre-made Commander decks that you can play right out of the box or customize according to the Commander rules. Because Commander is both casual and popular, it makes a great way to start out meeting other MTG players, such as at a Commander night at a local game store (LGS).
Discover Competition at a Prerelease
Prereleases are special events that celebrate the arrival of a new set. At a Prerelease, you’ll receive a special Prerelease kit containing six Play Boosters of the new set. You’ll use those cards, plus basic lands provided by the host, to build a 40-card deck that you’ll then play against assigned opponents in timed rounds.
Prereleases are among the friendliest MTG competitions for newcomers. While they are run the same way as other tournaments, the emphasis is on discovering new cards and having fun while staying within the rules. Prizes are small, such as more Play Boosters, but still worth competing for. And because everything you need to compete is in your Prerelease kit, you don’t need to own any cards. Just come as you are and join the fun!
Explore Competitive Formats at Friday Night Magic
Some game stores host regular competitive MTG events each week. The commonest is Friday Night Magic, a program MTG supports with special promotional cards. Stores running Friday Night Magic have several formats to choose from.
For Constructed formats, you build your own deck to play with. Constructed formats include:
- Standard uses cards from the past two to three years. Once a year, Standard rotates, removing the oldest sets from the format as a new set comes in. If you also play on MTG Arena, Standard is the most common format there.
- Pioneer uses cards from approximately the past ten years.
- Modern uses cards from approximately the past twenty years.
For Limited formats, you receive cards and must build a deck using only those cards and basic lands. Limited formats include:
- Sealed Deck (“Sealed”), in which you receive six Play Boosters with which to build your deck. A Prerelease is an example of a Sealed Deck event.
- Booster Draft (“Draft”), in which a group of players (usually eight) open Play Boosters, choose one card, and then pass the booster to the next person.
Friday Night Magic and similar events offer friendly competition on a predictable schedule. Attending these events is a great way to compete while having fun.
The Same Formats, but Seriously
Here’s where the competition heats up. The events are larger, the prizes are bigger, and the path to the elite levels of MTG begins.
Most competitive Constructed events will be either Standard, Pioneer, or Modern, with players using the same deck throughout the event. Limited events often start with several rounds of Sealed Deck before the Top 8 players in the rankings have a Booster Draft together.
Even More MTG Formats
The fun doesn’t stop there! Here are even more MTG formats to explore:
- Vintage lets players use MTG’s most powerful cards from across over 30 years of history.
- Legacy also lets players use MTG’s earliest cards, though some are banned for being too powerful.
- Competitive EDH (“cEDH”) applies competitive principles to Commander decks as players try to win no-holds-barred games of multiplayer MTG.
- Cube is a version of Draft in which players pick cards from a custom set assembled by one player.
***
SCG CON is coming to Tampa, FL on September 6-8! The world’s premier trading card game convention features three full days of Magic: The Gathering, Flesh and Blood, Disney Lorcana, and Star Wars Unlimited action:
- Magic: The Gathering Modern $10Ks on Friday and Saturday; cEDH $5K; Super Sunday Regional Championship Qualifiers in Standard, Pioneer, and Modern; and Commander Celebration
- Flesh and Blood Rosetta World Premiere, Calling, and Battle Hardened events
- Disney Lorcana Core Constructed $2K and $1K events
- Star Wars Unlimited Premier Constructed $2K and $1K events
- Side events all weekend long
And so much more!
Plus, meet fan-favorite special guests and artists!
Best of all, SCG CON is free to attend!
Make your plans for SCG CON Tampa!
