How to Play Magic: The Gathering: Beginner Rules & First Game Guide
Posted by Magic Madhouse on 17th Aug 2026
Magic: The Gathering is played by building decks, taking turns casting magical spells, and using strategy to outwit your opponent. Players use land cards to generate mana, cast creatures and spells, and try to reduce their opponent’s life total to zero. There are a few different ways to play (formats), but in most one-on-one games players start on 20 life.
In short:
Magic: The Gathering is played by building decks, taking turns casting magical spells, and using strategy to outwit your opponent. Players use land cards to generate mana, cast creatures and spells, and try to reduce their opponent’s life total to zero. There are a few different ways to play (formats), but in most one-on-one games players start on 20 life.
What is Magic: The Gathering?
Magic: The Gathering is a TCG (trading card game) where players act as powerful spellcasters (Planeswakers, which is also a card type) using decks of cards to represent the spells they cast and the resources needed to cast them.
It’s a brilliant combination of collecting, deck-building, and high-strategy, all wrapped up in an engaging fantasy setting. You use ‘land’ cards to produce mana, and that mana to cast spells, aiming to disrupt your opponent’s plan while furthering your own, ultimately winning the game by reducing their life to zero, or a few fun other ways, like running them out of cards, or even poisoning them!
What Do You Need to Start Playing MTG?
How to play MTG? You start with a deck! Advanced players build their own, but thankfully for beginners you can purchase them pre-constructed. As the cards can carry significant value (which can change over time), it’s best to keep the cards in sleeves when you play, and keep the deck in a deck box for storage. Dice and counters are useful for keeping track of things (as are token cards), and of course you need a clear play space. Some players use playmats too for further protection, but it’s not essential.
Beginner Starter Checklist
| Item | Why It Helps |
| Starter Deck | Gives beginners a ready-to-play deck |
| Card Sleeves | Protects cards from damage |
| Dice or Counters | Tracks life totals and card effects |
| Deck Box | Keeps cards safe between games |
| Playmat | Creates a clean space for play |
What Is the Goal of a Magic Game?
Ultimately you’re trying to reduce your opponents life total to 0, typically from 20 for one-on-one games. The most efficient way to do this is to cast creatures, which can attack each turn and deal damage equal to their power, however some other spells have ways of dealing damage too.
It’s worth also touching on other ways to win, because they are quite fun. If your opponent would draw a card from their deck but can’t because there are none left, they lose, while some cards allow you to give an opponent poison counters – 10 of which is enough to defeat them. Some cards themselves even outline specific conditions which, if met, means you win.
How Mana and Lands Work
‘Mana’ is the resource of the game. As the game goes on, you get access to more mana, which lets you cast spells with bigger effects or bigger creatures. There’s a few ways to get mana, but the most common way is via land cards. A deck should be made up of around 40% land cards, and you are allowed to play one each turn. Each land can be ‘tapped’ (turned sideways) to indicate it’s been used for its mana for the turn. There are five colours in the game, and lands produce one or more of those colours, enabling you to play spells of that type. Some produce mana that has no colour. In short, in MTG, lands make mana, and mana is used to cast spells.
The Main MTG Card Types Explained
There are seven major card types in the game. Lands we’ve discussed. Creatures can repeatedly attack and block, making them very efficient at dealing damage. Instant and sorceries are spells that you use once and have a variety of effects, the key difference being that instants can be played at any time, while sorceries can only be cast on your turn. Enchantment and artifacts are similar in that they are permanents that hang around, like creatures, and have a general effect on the game. Planeswalkers are powerful cards that are like summoning a fellow player, with a number of abilities you can activate once each turn for an effect. Creatures can attack Planeswalker cards to get rid of them.
Card Type Table
| Card Type | What It Does |
| Land | Produces mana |
| Creature | Attacks and blocks |
| Instant | Can be played at many times |
| Sorcery | Usually played on your own turn |
| Enchantment | Creates an ongoing effect |
| Artefact | Represents tools, items, or machines |
| Planeswalker | A powerful ally with special abilities |
How a Turn Works in Magic: The Gathering
Understanding how a turn works is a fundamental part of Magic, as timing really matters:
- The Untap Step is first, which is where you untap all the permanents you tapped on your last turn to show they are ready to be used again
- Next is Upkeep. This is where most ‘start of turn’ effects happen. If something happens during this phase, the card will have it written on it
- Draw is where you draw a card. You draw one card per turn as standard
- Main phase is where you play lands and cast spells
- Combat phase is where you attack and block
- Second main phase is the same as the first main phase (NB – having a second post-combat main phase enables you to bluff you may have a spell to cast when you attack)
- The End Step is when the turn finishes. You can still cast instants here
Turn Order Table
| Turn Step | What Happens |
| Untap | Ready your tapped cards |
| Upkeep | Resolve start-of-turn effects |
| Draw | Draw one card |
| Main Phase | Play lands and cast spells |
| Combat | Attack and block |
| Second Main Phase | Cast more spells if needed |
| End Step | Finish the turn |
How Combat Works
Magic: The Gathering rules can be complicated, and combat is a big part of that, but at its heart it’s simple and intuitive. If you have a creature and it’s your turn, you can attack in the combat step. Note, you always have to attack the player (you can’t attack another creature). To show the creature is attacking, you tap it. The opponent then needs to decide whether to let the creature damage them, or to use one of their own creatures to block the attack (or, they may also have a spell that could do something to the creature, such as destroy it).
The amount of damage the creature deals depends on its power. In the bottom right of a creature card, there are two numbers displayed like this: 3/3. The first is its power, the damage it deals, the second is its toughness, the amount of damage it can receive before it is destroyed.
So if my 3/3 attacks and isn’t blocked, it would deal 3 damage to the opponent. Now let’s say they have a 2/2. If they block, my 3/3 would deal 3 damage to it (and it would be destroyed, seeing it’s toughness is 2), whereas it would only deal 2 damage to my 3/3 (so my 3/3 would survive). Any creatures that are destroyed go to the graveyard.
What Do the Five MTG Colours Mean?
A key part of the Magic identity and flavour are the five colours of the game: white, blue, black, red and green. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
What MTG Format Should Beginners Try First?
If you’ve got friends who know how to play, the best thing to do is to get them to run you through it with whatever format they play. If you’re the one instigating it, it’s best to go for a simple starter product, like a starter deck or two, to play against each other. There are pre-constructed Commander decks, which are great products and worth exploring, however because Commander is singleton (no more than one copy of any card, apart from basic lands), there can be a lot to take in. It might be best to avoid competitive formats, such as Standard, while you’re learning the ropes, and similarly Limited formats (where you open sealed packs and play with what you open) can be a little overwhelming for new players.
But you don’t need to master them all straight away! Just pick something you like the look of or know your friends play, and read up on articles or watch content to help guide you through it.
Recommended Starting Points
- Best for learning the basics: Starter decks
- Best for casual multiplayer: Commander precons
- Best for collecting and pack opening: Bundles and boosters
- Best for learning deck-building: Draft and Sealed
Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
Magic is a rich and varied game, which also means it can be a little complex! Even the professionals make mistakes, some rather infamously! Here’s a few tips to bear in mind:
- Be disciplined with deck building, especially when it comes to including lands and the number of colours you play. Adding colours can up the power level, but can also hurt the consistency
- Remember to play your lands! Mana is everything, and forgetting a land drop could make the difference in a tight game
- Attacking without thinking. The board state can change quickly, and what was a good attack last turn may not be this turn. Remember to scan the opponent’s board before you launch an attack
- Ignoring card text. Yes, cards can be wordy, especially when you’re jumping into Limited for the first time and there’s a lot to read, but missing lines of rules text can cost games. Do read everything
- Not using sleeves. Magic cards are collectible and valuable, and sleeves are the best way to protect your collection
What Should Beginners Buy First?
There are a LOT of Magic products out there, so keep it simple. Buy a deck, whether a starter deck, or Commander deck if interested in that format, and then get the sleeves and deck box to go with it for protection. Dice are really useful to represent counters, and playmats can add another level of protection.
If you want to get your collection going, booster packs are a great way to go – they give you cards at a low cost, and you could open something amazing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play Magic: The Gathering with two players?
Answer: Yes! Two-players is what the game was designed around and is still a very common way to play, and ideal for learning the rules
How long does a game of Magic: The Gathering take?
Beginner games can vary, but many casual games take around 20 to 45 minutes depending on deck type and experience level. It can be shorter, or longer!
Do you need to build your own deck to start playing?
Beginners can start with a ready-made deck before learning deck-building just to get the hang of the game. However once you understand the game, deck building is one of the most interesting parts!
What is the easiest MTG colour for beginners?
Green and white are the most creature-focused colours and so can be seen as beginner-friendly, whereas black and blue are more controlling and therefore require a bit more game knowledge. But really, the best colour depends on the player’s preferred style.
Can you play MTG without spending a lot of money?
Casual play (e.g. playing with cards you open from boosters or just own), starter decks, and preconstructed products are good budget-friendly ways to start
There’s even formats such as Pauper which was made with price in mind, where you can only play with common cards (typically the cheapest to purchase).
Start Playing Magic: The Gathering with Magic Madhouse
Now you know how to play MTG and you sampled the Magic The Gathering Rules, you couldn’t be at a better place! Magic Madhouse has everything a beginner needs with single Magic: The Gathering cards, starter decks, Commander decks, card sleeves, deck boxes, and accessories.
The best place to start? Grab a starter deck, sleeve it up, and get playing!