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You’ve heard of the great game Magic The Gathering, which is filled with inspiring moments, endless excitement, and escalating challenges. So how to play magic the gathering MTG?
For those just starting out, you may find the rules and variants of MTG as numerous and complex as an astronomy textbook, and want to back off.
To ease your worries, this article will teach you the basics of everything you need to play Magic The Gathering for the first time, from the very beginning to the very end.
How To Play Magic The Gathering?
Table of Contents
Step 1: Have Your First Magic The Gathering Starter Kit
When you search for MTG decks, you’ll see hundreds of results – thanks to the manufacturer Wizards of the Coast, which has been releasing new products for years. But of all the choices so far, Magic The Gathering Starter Kit is the easiest series to recognize.
Buying an MTG game card for the first time is not difficult. First of all, there is the price: for only $15 you can fully start playing. This lower threshold allows you to try it without burden and decide whether to continue or not.
Secondly, there are already two balanced decks selected in this kit, which allows you and your friends to start playing straight away, without having to go into a challenging session about deck building.
While organizing new decks is the most exciting part of MTG, if you’re a complete newbie, trying to build an MTG deck can be like trying to climb a huge mountain.
Finally, there are two popular MTG plays you can run with the decks in the starter kit. One deck is more cleverly played and can stall your opponent with spell attacks until you gain victory, while the other is more aggressive and will push you to keep throwing big monsters at your enemies.
So, having the Magic The Gathering Starter Kit will give you a great experience of the breadth that MTG can offer. It can be a starting point to help you find ways to play that really interest you.
Step 2: Began To Play Magic The Gathering
Okay, now that you have two suitable decks of game cards, the next thing to do is to start playing the game. Generally, Magic The Gathering Starter Kit comes with an instruction booklet that tells you in detail how to play, but you can also easily find the basic rules online.
As you begin to learn how to play, always remember: MTG is far easier than it looks. While it has a lot of rules and jargon, only a small part of it relates to a specific game. So, with a few general rules, you’ll be able to get through your first game with ease.
In a nutshell, MTG is for both players to take turns sending out armies of creatures to attack each other and use mystical magic to make their armies stronger and stronger, until the total life value of the other player drops to 0.
When one player attacks with his creatures, the other player has the opportunity to block. In addition to creatures, there are a variety of cards that allow you to play tricks and traps.
For example, you can attack your opponent with the Lightning skill, or turn a puppy into a giant beast at the start of a battle. Then, the opponent can also counterattack with a shield skill, or a more powerful monster.
With that said, you will find that one of the biggest reasons why Magic: The Gathering is so much fun is unpredictability. You never know what your opponent will play, so you can only rely on using your cards effectively to interact with your opponent’s cards and overcome their strategies.
If you are unsure about something during the game, don’t worry because it’s normal. In fact, few players can fully master every rule in MTG, and those who succeed rely more on their own experience.
If you’re all ready to play on your own, but can’t find a friend to play with? Don’t worry, you can start by finding someone who is willing to participate in more casual games.
You can also start by learning about MTG with someone you know, or find a local magic store or gaming group near you.
Step 3: Explore, practice and enjoy
Once you have mastered the introductory gameplay of MTG, the multiverse is your oyster. Next you can take many different paths depending on your interests.
For example, you may want to learn how to build an MTG Commander deck. It is a popular format, usually played in groups of four, and is one of the easiest ways to find playmates in MTG. However, it requires you to invest more money and effort.
You can keep trying different formats and practice a lot so that before long, you’ll have a towering stack of MTG decks and be comfortable in all game situations.
In the end, play Magic The Gathering with an enjoyable mindset. Everything about the game is for your pleasure and you don’t have to be as tense as a professional tournament player at all times. Just focus on the excitement and joy of the moment.
