How to Play Magic: The Gathering

Magic has been around since 1993 and there are over 30,000 different cards. Don't let that put you off. You need about a dozen rules for your first game, and this page takes them in the order you'll use them.

What you need to play Magic

• A deck each. At least 60 cards for most formats, exactly 100 for Commander, or at least 40 when you build from packs opened at the table (Draft and Sealed).
• Something to track life. You start on 20, or 40 in Commander. A spindown die, pen and paper or a phone app all work.
• Tokens and counters. Lots of cards make creature tokens or add +1/+1 counters. Spare dice are fine.
• Sleeves and a playmat. Optional at the kitchen table.

Want to try it for free first? MTG Arena, the digital version, enforces the rules for you. Wizards of the Coast also runs Magic Academy, free learn-to-play sessions in local game stores with the cards provided.

How you win: life, poison or an empty library

Most games end the same way: somebody's life total hits 0. Strictly, you win when every opponent has lost, and a player loses when:

• their life total is 0 or less
• they have to draw a card from an empty library (running out isn't the loss; trying to draw is)
• they have 10 or more poison counters, from abilities like toxic and infect
• a card says they lose, or they concede, which you can do at any time

Commander adds one more: 21 or more combat damage from a single commander over the game knocks you out, whatever your life total. If both players would lose at the same moment, it's a draw.

The card types in Magic: The Gathering

The rules list 15 card types, but six only exist in special casual products. In normal play you'll meet nine. Eight are below. The ninth, kindred (it used to be called tribal), just gives creature types to cards that aren't creatures, so ignore it for now.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Six of those are permanents: land, creature, artifact, enchantment, planeswalker and battle. They stay on the battlefield until something removes them. Instants and sorceries happen once and go to your graveyard.

A planeswalker enters with the loyalty shown in its bottom corner. Each turn you may use one of its loyalty abilities, at sorcery speed. Plus abilities add loyalty, minus abilities spend it, and damage dealt to it takes loyalty off. At 0 it's gone.

A battle (new in 2023) is odder. As a Siege enters, you choose an opponent to protect it. You attack it, and they block for it. Damage removes defense counters, and when the last one goes you exile it and may cast its back face for free. Invasion of Zendikar becomes a 4/4 creature that's also a land.

How to read a Magic card

1. Name: the four-copy deck limit counts by this.
2. Mana cost: here, three mana of any kind plus two white.
3. Illustration: the art. No effect on play.
4. Type line: card type and subtype: Creature, Angel.
5. Set symbol: its colour shows rarity: black common, silver uncommon, gold rare, orange-red mythic.
6. Rules text: what it does. Italic text in brackets is a reminder.
7. Flavour text: story only, no rules effect.
8. Power and toughness: damage it deals, then damage it can take.
9. Information line: collector number, rarity, set code, language and artist.

So a 4/4 deals 4 damage in combat and dies once it has 4 or more damage on it in one turn. Planeswalkers show loyalty in that corner instead, and battles show defense.

Lands and mana: how you pay for spells

Nearly every spell costs mana, and most of yours will come from lands. You can play one land per turn, in one of your own main phases, when nothing is on the stack. It costs nothing and it isn't a spell, so nobody can respond to it.

To use a land, tap it: turn it sideways. Each basic land makes one colour. Plains make white, Islands blue, Swamps black, Mountains red and Forests green. It stays tapped until your next untap step.

Coloured symbols in a cost need that colour. A number is generic: pay it with any mana at all, coloured or colourless. The rarer {C} symbol is fussier and needs mana that is specifically colourless, like the two Sol Ring makes.

The five colours

White goes wide with small creatures and gains life. Blue draws cards and counters spells. Black kills things and pays for power with life. Red is fast: burn spells and dragons. Green has the biggest creatures and the most mana. Two colours is the sweet spot for a first deck: more options than one, without the misery of a hand full of blue cards and only Mountains.

The Magic play area

You don't need a mat. The zones are simply the places a card can be.

Library

Your deck, face down. You draw off the top, and the order doesn't change unless a card says so.

Hand

Hidden from your opponent. No limit during play, but you discard down to seven at the end of your turn.

Battlefield

Where permanents live. Shared and public. Most people keep lands nearest them and creatures in front.

Graveyard

Your face-up discard pile. Used spells and anything destroyed or sacrificed go here. Anyone can look through it.

Stack

Where spells and abilities wait before they happen. In practice, the middle of the table.

Exile

Cards removed from the game, usually for good.

Command zone

In Commander, your commander starts here. Some planeswalkers' emblems go here too.

How to set up a game of Magic

1. Decide who goes first Roll a die or flip a coin; the winner chooses who starts. In a best-of-three, whoever lost the previous game chooses.
2. Commander only: place your commander Face up in the command zone.
3. Shuffle Then offer your deck to your opponent, who can shuffle or cut it. It's now your library.
4. Set life totals 20 each, or 40 in Commander.
5. Draw seven That's your opening hand.
6. Keep or mulligan See below. Once you keep, it's final.
7. Play In a two-player game, the first player skips the draw on their first turn. Otherwise turn one is a normal turn.

How the mulligan works

No lands in your seven? Mulligan. Shuffle your hand into your library, draw a fresh seven, then put one card on the bottom for every mulligan you've taken so far. First mulligan: draw seven, bottom one. Second: draw seven, bottom two. This is the London mulligan. Most players keep any hand with two to four lands and something to cast. Six cards is fine. Four usually isn't.

The five phases of a Magic turn

Same five phases, same order, every turn. Most of them take seconds at the table.

1. BeginningUntap everything (nobody can cast anything yet), handle any "at the beginning of your upkeep" effects, then draw a card.
2. First main phasePlay your land and cast your spells: creatures, sorceries, artifacts, enchantments and the rest.
3. CombatAttack with your creatures. Your opponent blocks, then damage is dealt.
4. Second main phaseSame as the first. Play your land now if you didn't earlier.
5. EndingEnd-step effects happen. Then you discard down to seven, damage wears off and "until end of turn" effects stop.

Unless a card has flash, creatures, sorceries, artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers and battles can only be cast in your own main phases with the stack empty. Players call that "sorcery speed". Beginners tend to cast everything before combat, and that's fine. Later, try holding a creature until after combat so your opponent blocks without knowing it's coming.

The stack: playing on your opponent's turn

This is what makes Magic feel different. When someone casts a spell or activates an ability, it goes on the stack and every player gets a chance to respond. Responses go on top. When all players pass in a row, the top item resolves, then everyone gets another chance before the next. Last in, first out.

Say your opponent casts Lightning Bolt at your Llanowar Elves. You respond with Giant Growth. Giant Growth is on top, so it resolves first and the Elves become 4/4. Then the Bolt deals its 3 damage, and the Elves survive.

Only instants, cards with flash and activated abilities can be used in response. Playing a land and tapping for mana don't use the stack at all.

How combat works in Magic

Most games are won and lost here, over five steps.

1. Beginning of combat Last chance to act before attacks, for example tapping a would-be attacker with an instant.
2. Declare attackers Choose which untapped creatures attack and what each attacks: your opponent, one of their planeswalkers, or a battle they protect. Attackers tap unless they have vigilance. A creature you haven't controlled since the start of the turn can't attack unless it has haste.
3. Declare blockers Your opponent chooses which untapped creatures block. Each blocks one attacker, but several can gang up on one attacker. Blocking doesn't tap.
4. Combat damage All at once. Unblocked attackers hit what they're attacking; blocked attackers and blockers damage each other. A creature with damage equal to or more than its toughness is destroyed. First strike or double strike adds an extra damage step before this one.
5. End of combat "At end of combat" effects happen, and creatures stop attacking and blocking.

The defender picks the blocks, not you. If a blocker vanishes before damage, your attacker stays blocked and deals no damage unless it has trample. And when several creatures block one attacker, the attacking player splits its damage between them however they like.

The catch: Shivan Dragon has "{R}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn." With two untapped Mountains, your opponent would wait for Giant Growth to resolve, pump the Dragon to 7 power, and your Angel would die anyway. Always check what mana your opponent has open before you use a trick.

Magic keywords explained: the ones you'll meet first

• FlyingCan only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach.
• ReachCan block flyers.
• VigilanceDoesn't tap to attack.
• HasteNo summoning sickness: attack and use {T} abilities straight away.
• TrampleDamage beyond what's lethal to its blockers goes through to what it's attacking.
• DeathtouchAny damage it deals to a creature destroys it.
• LifelinkDamage it deals gains you that much life.
• First strikeDeals combat damage before creatures without it.
• Double strikeDeals combat damage twice, in both damage steps.
• MenaceNeeds two or more blockers.
• FlashCast it any time you could cast an instant.
• HexproofYour opponents' spells and abilities can't target it.
• WardIf an opponent targets it, their spell or ability is countered unless they pay the ward cost.
• IndestructibleDamage and "destroy" can't kill it. Exile and sacrifice still can.
• EquipPay to attach Equipment to your creature. Sorcery speed only.
• ScryScry 2: look at your top two cards, put any on the bottom and the rest back on top in any order.

Deathtouch plus trample is nasty: 1 damage counts as lethal, so the attacker assigns 1 to each blocker and the rest tramples over. Without deathtouch, a 5/5 trampler blocked by a 2/2 can put 2 into the blocker and 3 into you.

Magic deck building rules (and your first deck)

For Standard, Pioneer and Modern, a deck is at least 60 cards, with no more than four copies of any card by English name. Basic lands are exempt, as is the odd card that says you can run any number. You can add a sideboard of up to 15 to swap in between games, and the four-copy limit counts deck and sideboard together. Draft and Sealed decks are at least 40 cards, with any number of basic lands and as many copies as you opened.

Don't build your first deck from nothing. Play a ready-made deck ten times, then swap out the cards that keep sitting in your hand. When you do build your own, most players start with these land counts:

Those are habits, not rules. Fast decks go a bit lower, decks full of expensive spells go higher. Then check your mana curve, meaning how many cards you have at each cost. You want plenty to cast on turns two and three and only a handful at five mana or more. For a first deck we'd stick to two colours, aim for roughly 15 to 20 creatures, and pick one plan (flyers, lots of small creatures, burn) rather than twenty good cards that don't work together.

Mistakes everyone makes once

• Tapping a creature for mana the turn it arrives. Summoning sickness covers {T} abilities.
• Thinking blocking taps. It doesn't. But a creature that tapped to attack can't block on your opponent's turn unless it has vigilance.
• Tracking damage across turns. It wears off in cleanup.
• Casting a sorcery "in response". Only instants, flash cards and activated abilities can. Equip and loyalty abilities are sorcery speed too.
• Trusting indestructible too far. It doesn't stop exile, sacrifice or a -X/-X effect.
• Bouncing a token to hand. A token that leaves the battlefield ceases to exist.
• Two copies of the same legend. Control two legendary permanents with the same name and you pick one to keep. The other goes to the graveyard.
• Mixing up generic and colourless. {3} takes any mana. Only {C} needs colourless.
• Forgetting your land. Not a rule, just the most common way to lose a game you should have won. Land first, every turn.

Magic formats: Standard, Commander and what's legal

A format decides which cards you can use. At home, play what you've got. Formats matter at events.

Banned lists change, and the next announcement is due on 12 October 2026, so check Wizards' current list before an event.

Standard rotation in 2026 and 2027

Once a year, after the prerelease of the year's first premier set, the six oldest sets leave Standard. There's no rotation in 2026. The next comes at the prerelease for Nauctis: The Sunken Realm, which is out on 5 February 2027. Prereleases usually run the week before, so expect late January (the exact date isn't out yet). Leaving then: Wilds of Eldraine, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Murders at Karlov Manor, Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Bloomburrow and Duskmourn: House of Horror.

Foundations is set to stay in Standard until at least 2029, which makes it a safe place to start. Universes Beyond sets count too: Final Fantasy, Marvel Super Heroes and The Hobbit are all Standard-legal. Reality Fracture joins on 2 October 2026.

Commander: where most new players end up

• You cast your commander from the command zone, and it costs two more for each previous cast from there.
• If it would go to the graveyard, exile, your hand or library, you can move it back to the command zone instead.
• You can attack any opponent, or split attackers between several.

Wizards' Commander Brackets (still in beta) rate decks 1 to 5 so a table can agree a power level before playing. They're a conversation tool, not a rule. Ready-built Commander decks are the easiest way in.

Draft, Sealed and prereleases

In Draft, everyone opens three packs in turn, takes a card and passes the rest (left, right, left), then builds a deck of at least 40 cards. In Sealed you build from six packs you open. Both use Play Boosters, which replaced Draft and Set Boosters in 2024. Prereleases are Sealed events the week before a set comes out, and Reality Fracture's run 25 September to 1 October 2026. If you only try one event, make it a prerelease. Nobody has played with the new cards yet, so the regulars are working them out too.

Questions people ask

How many cards are in a Magic: The Gathering deck?

It depends on the format. Standard, Pioneer and Modern decks need at least 60 cards, with an optional sideboard of up to 15. Draft and Sealed decks need at least 40, and basic lands count towards that. A Commander deck is exactly 100 cards, counting the commander.

How many cards do you start with in Magic?

Seven. If you don't like them you can mulligan: shuffle them away, draw a new seven and put one card on the bottom for each mulligan so far. Your maximum hand size is also seven, but you only discard down to it at the end of your own turn.

Does the player who goes first draw a card in Magic?

Not in a two-player game: the starting player skips the draw on their first turn. In multiplayer games such as Commander, nobody skips it, so the first player draws as normal. The one exception is Two-Headed Giant, where the team going first skips its first draw.

How many lands should I put in my deck?

There's no rule, but most players start at 24 lands in a 60-card deck, 17 in a 40-card Draft or Sealed deck, and 36 to 38 in a 100-card Commander deck. Adjust after a few games: if you keep getting stuck on two lands, add one.

Can you block one attacker with more than one creature?

Yes. Any number of your untapped creatures can block the same attacker, and the attacking player splits its damage between them however they like. Each of your creatures can only block one attacker unless a card says otherwise.

Can you equip at instant speed?

No. Equip can only be activated during your own main phase when the stack is empty, the same timing as casting a sorcery. Moving Equipment in the middle of combat isn't allowed unless a card specifically lets you.

Can you sacrifice an indestructible creature?

Yes. Indestructible only protects against effects that say "destroy" and against lethal damage. Sacrifice, exile, bouncing it to hand and lowering its toughness to 0 all still work.

Is there a Standard rotation in 2026?

No. Standard now rotates once a year, after the prerelease of the year's first premier set. The next rotation is in early 2027, after the prerelease for Nauctis: The Sunken Realm, when Wilds of Eldraine, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Murders at Karlov Manor, Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Bloomburrow and Duskmourn leave.

What's the easiest way to learn Magic?

Play a guided game. A Beginner Box walks two players through their first match, and MTG Arena (free) teaches you with the rules enforced for you. Wizards' Magic Academy sessions in game stores are free too. Once the basics click, a ready-built Commander deck is a good next step, especially if your friends already play.

How many people can play Magic: The Gathering?

Two or more. Standard and most tournament formats are one against one, while Commander is designed for three to five players around one table.

Where to start

The easiest ways in. Prices and stock on this list are live.

• Magic The Gathering: Marvel Super Heroes - Beginner Box £24.45
• Magic The Gathering: Universes Beyond - Final Fantasy - Starter Kit £16.49
• Magic The Gathering: Lorwyn Eclipsed - 60-card Theme Deck - Angels £18.00
• Magic The Gathering: Marvel Super Heroes - Commander Deck - Avengers Assemble £54.95

See everything for Magic: The Gathering

Where these rules come from

Checked against Wizards of the Coast's Comprehensive Rules effective 25 September 2026, the official format pages and the Banned and Restricted list as of 24 September 2026.

• Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, effective 25 September 2026 (Wizards of the Coast, PDF)
• Comprehensive Rules page (Wizards of the Coast)
• How to Play Magic: The Gathering (Wizards of the Coast)
• Keyword Glossary (Wizards of the Coast)
• Standard format and rotation (Wizards of the Coast)
• Commander format (Wizards of the Coast)
• Banned and Restricted List (Wizards of the Coast)
• Booster Draft format (Wizards of the Coast)
• Sealed Deck format (Wizards of the Coast)
• Marvel Super Heroes products, including the Beginner Box (Wizards of the Coast)
• Nauctis: The Sunken Realm release date (Wizards of the Coast)
• Magic Academy (Wizards of the Coast)