MTGX Season 1

Quickstart

You can watch the following video for a quickstart on how an MTG game is played:

Another great way to get started is to play MTG Arena. It's a free video game, available on multiple platform, that will allow you to play against an AI or a real opponent online. It also has a great in-game tutorial that will quickly get you up to speed with the basics.

Check it out here!

What do you need to play?

To play Magic, you only need the following:

• One Magic deck (40 cards or more)
• A way to keep track of your and your opponent's health points (e.g. a sheet and a pen)
• A couple of D6 or some pieces of paper and a pen

At the beginning of a Magic game, both players start with 20 health points. They then play a round of rock, paper, scissor and the winner decides which player will go first.

Once this is done, both players shuffle their own deck and put it face down on the table next to them.

Starting hand

Every player then pick 7 cards from the top of their own deck. This is their starting hand. If a player isn't happy with this hand, they can mulligan.

To mulligan, a player shuffles the cards in their hand back into their library, draws a new hand of cards equal to their starting hand size, then puts a number of those cards equal to the number of times that player has taken a mulligan on the bottom of their library in any order.

In other words:

• Draw seven cards every time you mulligan
• When you are satisfied, put a card back from your hand at the bottom of your library for each time you have mulliganed

The players will then start playing their turn one at a time, until the end of the match.

The first turns

During their very first turn, the first player does not draw a card , but the second player does.

At the beginning of their own turn, each player untap all of their cards and draw one from the top of their deck. They can then put one land card in play, if they have one in their hand.

To tap, or not to tap, that is the question. -Shakespeare.

When you want to "use" a card that is in play, you tap it. To do so, turn it 90 degrees from an upright position. At the beginning of your turn, return all tapped cards to their upright position; they're ready to be used again.

After few turns, one player will have enough lands in play to cast their first spell! Each spell has a price to pay in the top right corner of the card, which can be paid by taping a land. Taping a land produces one mana of the same color as the land that was tapped.

If a player casts a creature spell (i.e. if they summon a creature), the creature won't be able to attack the very same turn because it suffers from summoning sickness, but it will be able to block any attack during its opponent turn.

Combat phase

It's time to show your opponent what you're made of!

Once during their turn, a player can designate creatures that will attack the opponent. The creatures that attack must then be tapped. The opponent can then choose if they want to block, and with which creature. A tapped creature can't block. Once they chose how they'll block, the creatures will fight. A player does not need to tap a creature that blocks an attack.

It's possible to block one attacking creature with more than one defending creature. If this is the case, the attacker assigns the order of the blockers. The creatures will then deal each other damage equal to their power. If a creature receives more damage than it has toughness, it goes in the graveyard.

In the image above, the attacker declared that their Woolly Thoctar creature is going to attack and then tapped it. The opponent then decided to block with 2 of their own creatures; Cylian Elf and Deadshot Minotaur. The attacker decided of the order of the blocking creatures, placing the weaker elf first. Here's how the fight happened:

• Woolly Thoctar does 5 points damage to Cylian Elf and receives 2 points of damage from it.
• Woolly Thoctar now has 2 toughness remaining, while Cylian Elf has -3 toughness, meaning it died during the fight and goes to the graveyard.
• Woolly Thoctar then does 3 (5-2) points of damage to Deadshot Minotaur and receives 3 points of damage from it.
• Woolly Thoctar now have -1 toughness, effectly dying, while Deadshot Minotaur has 1 toughness, surviving.

Creatures that were not blocked assign their damage points to the opponent's health points. Ouch!

At the end of the attacking player's turn, all creatures that are still alive regenerate their health points.

Turn phases

Typically, a player's turn would you go like this:

• Play a land.
• Cast one or more spells.
• Declare which creature will attack, if any.
• The opponent declares which creatures will block, if any.
• Resolve the creatures fights.
• Cast some other spells, if any.
• End turn.

Other spell types

Other than instant spells, spells can only be played during a player's own turn.

• Sorcery - This is a "One Time Use" card. For example, a sweet fireball sent straight to your opponent's face.
• Instant - Identical to a sorcery spell, but it can be played at any time of the game, during any player's turn.
• Aura - It adds a permanent bonus on a creature.
• Enchantment - It adds some kind of effect to the battlefield.
• Artifact - A card with a unique mechanic! It could be a weapon, or even some kind of creature.

There are also some other, rarer spell types, so feel free to google them if you're not sure of their mechanics!

Win!

The player that manages to bring their opponent's health point to 0 wins!