Kickstart Your Magic Journey: Top MTG Starter Decks Reviewed

Getting into Magic: The Gathering can be a daunting task. There’s over 30 years of sets, tens of thousands of cards, and everyone’s telling you play Commander this, Modern that, and who knows what the heck a Standard rotation is at first?

Fortunately, there’s an easier way to start out your Magic journey: Starter decks. Containing everything you need to shuffle up and play, they can include some great cards and a simple, guided way into this fantastic game.

MTG Starter Decks Overview

As the name suggests, starter decks are designed to be simpler, beginner-friendly decks for your first outing into Magic. Compared to some of the constructed decks you see elsewhere, these decks are relatively uncomplex in which mechanics they use and their strategies.

Starter decks are bought in Starter Kits, which contain two preconstructed decks and, most of the time, a code to redeem both decks on the digital client, Magic: The Gathering Arena. You don’t have to have anyone to play with in-person thanks to this – buy the kit, redeem the code, and you can learn through Arena instead!

Starter decks won’t stand toe-to-toe with a regular deck, but, when played against the other deck in the kit, they provide a balanced and more controlled way to learn how to play.

A Note On Older Starter Deck Products

In the past, Wizards of the Coast has tried numerous Starter deck products. These include Planeswalker decks, which were built around a specific Planeswalker card, Guild Kits to tie in to the ten guilds of Ravnica, and Challenger decks, which provide an easy in to formats like Pioneer and Standard.

Though these all gave you a hefty chunk of cards to get started with, and are great for more advanced players for the cards they contain (one of the Throne of Eldraine Brawl decks has a Smothering Tithe in it, for example), they’re not good ways to get in to Magic. The Starter kits are by far the best way to learn how to play and kickstart your collection and, most importantly, they contain newer cards you’re more likely to actually put into your first hand-made decks.

The Top MTG Starter Decks

There are lots of Starter Kits out there to choose from. Usually they can be split in to two categories: Universes Beyond Starter Kits, which are tied into a specific third party crossover, and the annual Standard-legal Starter Kits that come with the third set of the year.

The Lord Of The Rings: Tales Of Middle-earth Starter Kit

Last year’s Lord of the Rings crossover brought so many new people to the game, and so this is a great way to be introduced to Magic’s rules with a backdrop of characters you already know and love.

The two decks are a white/green deck featuring Aragorn and Arwen, Wed; which focuses on going wide and putting +1/+1 counters on creatures, and Sauron, the Lidless Eye, a black/red deck that wants to steal creatures and sacrifice them for the dark lord’s evil machinations.

Each pack includes both 60-card decks, a booklet on how to play, two deck boxes, and a code for two people to redeem both decks to play against each other.

Universes Beyond: Assassin’s Creed Starter Kit

This year, we had a crossover with one of my personal favourite video game series, Assassin’s Creed. Pulling together characters from across the games, these two dicks are wildly different, and include some sought-after cards.

The kit includes two 60-card decks, a booklet on how to play, and two deckboxes. The first deck is a blue/black one with Assassin’s Creed 2’s star Ezio, Blade of Vengeance in an Assassin-matters deck. Meanwhile, Valhalla gets some love in the red/white Equipment deck featuring Eivor, Battle-Ready.

Though it does include cards not seen anywhere else, like Raven Clan War-Axe and Auditore Ambush, it doesn’t come with a code to redeem them on Arena. If you love Assassin’s Creed and have local friends to try them out with, though, they are a total blast to play.

Bloomburrow Starter Kit

Each year, we get a new Starter Kit for the incoming Standard format. This year, the honour goes to one of the most charming sets of the year: Bloomburrow. A cottagecore world of anthropomorphic woodland creatures, it’s been a smash hit with Magic fans, and these Starter decks give you just a glimpse into what makes it so special.

The first deck is another white/green go-wide deck, but this time you’ve got the rabbit Byrke, Long Ear of the Law doubling the counters whenever they attack. The second deck is Otter-centric with an instant and sorcery theme thanks to the rather sought-after Bria, Riptide Rogue.

Both of these decks are fully Standard-legal, and come with a code to redeem them for two players on Magic Arena. Even if you’re already invested in Magic, these are a great way to kick off your Bloomburrow collection for a whole new era of the Standard format.

Guide To Choosing Your First Starter Deck

Honestly, any of these starter kits will give you everything you need to learn Magic. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

The Assassin’s Creed starter kit doesn’t come with Arena code, so is good for people who love Assassin’s Creed but maybe not as great a way to learn to play as the other two.

Lord of the Rings was a smash hit of a set, and anyone into their Middle-earth will appreciate the cards. With an Arena code it’s also good for learning digitally, but it isn’t Standard-legal, keeping you away from one of Magic’s premiere formats.

Bloomburrow is charming as anything, but it doesn’t have the same name recognition as the other two. It is Standard-legal and comes with a digital code though, making it your ideal way into the wider Magic game.

Tips For Learning MTG With Starter Decks

Starter decks all include a booklet to walk you through your first game, and all the basics. That being said, by far the best way to learn to play is through Magic Arena. It’s got a digital, narrated, and interactive walkthrough on how to play, which fully translates over into the paper game.

If you’ve got a friend who already knows Magic, though, using the Starter kit decks themselves can be a great way in. As mentioned, they’re balanced against each other so you won’t get trounced, and nothing beats the feel of shuffling a physical deck of cards and drawing your first hand.

Regardless of how you choose to learn, take it slow. Magic is a complicated game, even in a starter product like this. Refer to the booklet if you get stuck, and Google anything else you don’t understand. The magic of Magic is that in its 31 years, someone else is bound to have asked any questions you have, and an answer is just waiting for you online.

Purchasing MTG Starter Decks At Magic Madhouse

Magic Madhouse can help you out before you’ve even paid for your first starter kit. With discounts and plenty of user reviews, you won’t be left disappointed no matter how you choose to get into the game.

You can buy the Lord of the Rings Starter Kit, Assassin’s Creed Starter Kit, and Bloomburrow Starter Kit on Magic Madhouse today!