Card Games 🇺🇸United States20th century

Magic: The Gathering

The world's first trading card game (TCG) — 2+ players build 60-card 'decks' (Modern/Legacy) or 100-card commander decks from ~25,000+ unique cards, then battle by casting spells + summoning creatures to reduce opponent's life total from 20 to 0.

📐playmat / table⏱~25 min🌤indoor

Photo · Wikipedia

What is Magic: The Gathering?

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is the world's first trading card game, invented by American mathematician Richard Garfield + published by Wizards of the Coast in 1993. Players build custom 'decks' from ~25,000+ unique cards released over 30+ years across 100+ sets. Standard game: 2 players start at 20 life; take turns 'casting' spells (using land cards to generate 'mana' currency); play creatures + spells; attack + block; first to reduce opponent to 0 life wins. Multiple formats: Standard (60-card, last ~18 months of cards), Modern (60-card, back to 2003), Legacy (60-card, everything), Commander/EDH (100-card singleton + Legendary commander, most popular casual), Draft/Sealed (limited). MTG has spawned Magic Pro Tour, Grand Prix, MagicFest, Mythic Championship — top tier tournaments with $1M+ prize pools. Deep strategy: card advantage, tempo, board state, mana curve, meta-game reading. Estimated 40+ million players globally. Owned by Hasbro since 1999.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Reduce opposing player's life total from 20 to 0 (or use alternate win conditions from specific cards). Achieved by casting creatures + spells that deal damage or drain life.

Match structure

Sanctioned tournaments: 5 rounds Swiss format + top 8 elimination. Each round = best of 3 games (add sideboard between games). Formats: Standard, Modern, Legacy, Pioneer, Modern, Vintage, Commander, Draft, Sealed.

Rules

Basic rules

Start at 20 life
First player to reduce opponent to 0 life wins (or alternate win condition).
Draw + play turn structure
Untap → Upkeep → Draw → Main phase 1 → Combat → Main phase 2 → End step.
Mana costs
Each spell has mana cost; tap land cards to generate mana; play spell by paying cost.
Creatures
Enter battlefield with 'summoning sickness' (can't attack until next turn); attack + block opponents.
Instants + Sorceries
Spells that resolve immediately. Instants can be played any time; Sorceries only in your main phase.
Enchantments + Artifacts
Persistent spells that stay on battlefield until destroyed.
Combat phase
Attacker declares attackers; defender declares blockers; damage dealt simultaneously.
Deck limit
Standard/Modern: 60 min deck + 15 sideboard. Commander: 100 exact deck + 1 commander.

Advanced rules

The Stack (priority)
Spells + abilities go on 'the Stack' resolving last-in-first-out (LIFO). Players can respond with instants.
Priority system
Active player has priority first; passes to opponents. Complex rules for interruption.
Mana curve
Balance of low-cost + high-cost cards; too many high-cost = slow, too many low-cost = weak late-game.
Format restrictions
Standard: 2 most recent sets. Modern: cards since 2003. Legacy: everything except banned. Vintage: even more permissive.
Banned + Restricted lists
Wizards of the Coast maintains ban list per format to keep meta healthy.
Commander (EDH) singleton
100-card decks with exactly 1 of each card (except basic lands); 40 starting life; commander in command zone.
Draft format
8 players open 3 packs each; pick 1 card + pass; construct 40+ card deck from picks.
Sideboard use
15 cards can be swapped between games in best-of-3 to counter specific opponents.

Scoring

Reduce opponent's life to 0 to win. Series: best of 3 games per round.

Action	Points
Damage opponent (via combat or spell)	Reduce life total
Opponent life at 0	Win game
Alternate win condition (cards like Approach of the Second Sun, mill deck to 0)	Win game
Best of 3 games (2 game wins)	Round won
5+ rounds Swiss + top 8 knockout	Tournament finish

Win condition · Reduce opponent to 0 life OR meet alternate win condition. Best of 3 games wins round. Top 8 in tournament advances to knockout playoff.

Playing area

Called

playmat / table

Dimensions

24 × 14 inch playmat with zones: Library (deck), Hand, Battlefield, Graveyard, Exile.

Each player has designated zones: Library (face-down deck), Battlefield (played cards in play), Graveyard (used spells), Hand (drawn cards), Exile (removed from game).

Equipment

Deck
Standard: 60 cards minimum + sideboard 15 cards. Commander: 100 cards + 1 commander card.
Life counter
Dice, spindown, phone app; tracks life total starting 20.
Card sleeves
Plastic sleeves to protect cards; mandatory in tournaments.
Playmat
24 × 14 inch mat with zones printed on it.
Dice / tokens
For +1/+1 counters, creature tokens, mana pool tracking.
Deck box
For carrying deck + sleeved cards safely.

Officiating

Wizards of the Coast trains + certifies Judges (Level 1-5); Head Judge is final ruling authority.

Judges (L1 through L5)
Head Judge (tournament chief)
Floor Judges (roving)
Scorekeeper

Strategies

Aggro (aggressive) — quick damage
Low-cost creatures + burn spells; win by turn 5-6.
Control — defensive + card advantage
Removal spells + counterspells; win late-game.
Midrange — flexible mid-cost
3-5 mana threats; balance between aggro + control.
Combo — assemble winning combination
Multi-card combo (e.g., Splinter Twin + Deceiver Exarch).
Ramp — quick mana acceleration
Get large threats out faster than opponent.
Tempo — pressure + disruption
Cheap threats + cheap disruption; deny opponent's plays.
Draft strategy
Pick synergistic cards for BREAD (Bombs Removal Evasion Advantage Duds); average ~40-45 min per draft.

Terminology

Deck: 60+ card collection you play with (Constructed) or 100 (Commander).
Sideboard: 15 additional cards for game 2 + 3 substitutions.
Mana: Casting currency; generated by tapping land cards.
Land: Card that generates mana; typically 22-26 in 60-card deck.
Creature: Card representing summoned beings; attack + block.
Spell: Card that has an immediate effect; goes to graveyard after resolving.
Instant: Spell playable any time.
Sorcery: Spell playable only in your main phase.
Enchantment / Artifact: Persistent card that stays on battlefield.
Planeswalker: Powerful ally that enters + uses loyalty abilities.
Stack: Order in which spells + abilities resolve (LIFO).
Tap / Untap: Rotate card 90° = 'used' this turn; untap next turn.
Graveyard: Discard pile — used spells + destroyed creatures go here.
Exile: Removed from game entirely (harder to bring back).
Mulligan: Re-shuffle + redraw opening hand (with penalty).
Bolt / Path / Wrath: Common card names: Lightning Bolt (3 damage), Path to Exile (removal), Wrath of God (board wipe).
Cube: Custom draft format using curated 360-720 card 'cube'.
Commander / EDH: 100-card singleton casual format; most popular casual.
Meta / Metagame: Current dominant strategies + decks in the format.

Major competitions

Magic World Championship
annual · worldwide · since 1994
Pro Tour (later Mythic Championship)
quarterly (4 per year) · worldwide · since 1996
Grand Prix / MagicFest
monthly (~40 per year) · worldwide · since 1997
Magic Online Championship Series (MOCS)
annual · online · since 2003
MagicCon (community + Grand Prix)
3-4 per year · worldwide · since 2023

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Wizards of the Coast (publisher/organizer)
Founded 1990 · Renton, WA, USA
Official site ↗
Magic Pro Tour (MPT)
Founded 1996 · worldwide
DCI (Duelist's Convocation International)
Founded 1990 · USA (tournament rankings)

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Kai Budde (Germany, b. 1979) — 'The German Juggernaut'; 7 Pro Tour wins; Player of the Year 2× consecutive
Jon Finkel (USA, b. 1978) — 3 Pro Tour titles + 3 Player of the Year; Hall of Fame first inductee
Kenji Tsumura (Japan) — 1 Pro Tour + 1 Player of the Year
Shuhei Nakamura (Japan) — Player of the Year 2008; 'The Blue Mage' — long career
Luis Scott-Vargas (USA) — Pro Tour Berlin winner; MagicFest host + commentator legend
Reid Duke (USA) — Multi-time PT/Grand Prix winner; commentator + Magic content creator
Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa (Brazil) — 2× Player of the Year; PT winner
Owen Turtenwald (USA) — Hall of Fame; 3× PT top 8
Craig Wescoe (USA) — Multi-time Pro Tour winner
Sam Black (USA) — Multi-time PT top 8; deckbuilder legend

Records

Total unique MTG cards printed
Wizards of the Coast — ~28,000 (through 2024) (2024)
Most expensive MTG card ever sold
Black Lotus 'Alpha' PSA 10 — $540,000 (2023) (2023)
Largest MTG tournament
Grand Prix Las Vegas 2015 — 7,551 players (2015)
Longest MTG tournament game
Legacy 5-hour turn — 18 min single turn (2018) (2018)
Total MTG players worldwide
Wizards of the Coast estimate — 40+ million (2024)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Free digital MTG Arena
Free download; comprehensive tutorial; play against AI + humans.
2
First 50-100 games
Play Standard mode; learn basic strategy + card interactions.
3
Understand mana curve + deckbuilding
22-26 lands + spread of 1-2-3-4-5+ mana costs.
4
Attend Friday Night Magic (FNM)
Local game store weekly casual tournament; friendly + welcoming.

intermediate

1
Learn top 3 archetypes
Aggro, Control, Midrange — play + practice each.
2
Sideboarding fundamentals
Best-of-3 requires adjusting deck between games.
3
Local + regional tournaments
Compete at Store Championship, Regional Championship Qualifier.

advanced

1
Regional Championship + Pro Tour Qualifier
Top-16 at Regional = invitation to Pro Tour.
2
Pro Tour (quarterly)
Top players compete for $1M+ prize pool.
3
Magic World Championship
Invite-only for top-16 Pro Tour + qualifiers; ~$500k prize.

Frequently asked

How many cards are in Magic: The Gathering?+

Approximately 28,000+ unique cards printed since 1993 across 100+ expansion sets. New set releases every 3-4 months. Deck construction from these cards depends on format: Standard uses most recent 8 sets (~2500 cards); Modern uses cards from Eighth Edition (2003) onwards; Commander/Legacy uses nearly all cards.

What are the popular MTG formats?+

Standard (last 2 years of cards, tournament rotation), Modern (post-2003), Pioneer (post-2012), Legacy (everything except banned), Vintage (nearly everything), Commander/EDH (100-card singleton casual, most popular), Draft/Sealed (limited card pool), Pauper (common cards only).

How expensive is MTG?+

Casual: $30-50 preconstructed deck. Competitive Standard: $200-400 deck. Modern: $500-1500 top-tier deck. Legacy: $2000-8000. Vintage: $5000-30,000+. Individual cards can cost $100-540,000 (Black Lotus). Digital MTG Arena is free-to-play with option to purchase card packs.

Who invented Magic: The Gathering?+

Richard Garfield — American mathematician + game designer. Created MTG in 1990 for Wizards of the Coast as first trading card game concept. Published August 1993 (Alpha set, only 2.6 million cards printed). Now owned by Hasbro (Wizards acquired 1999). Garfield still consults occasionally but no longer daily involved.

Who is the greatest MTG player?+

Debated: Kai Budde (Germany, 7 Pro Tour wins, most all-time), Jon Finkel (USA, 3 PT wins + first Hall of Fame inductee), Kenji Tsumura (Japan, Player of the Year), or Shuhei Nakamura (Japan, career-long dominance). Modern era: Luis Scott-Vargas, Owen Turtenwald, Reid Duke are commonly cited.

What is Commander/EDH?+

Commander (formerly EDH = Elder Dragon Highlander) is the most popular casual MTG format. 100-card decks with EXACTLY 1 of each card (except basic lands) + 1 'Commander' Legendary Creature in Command Zone (usable each turn for +2 mana cost per casting). 40 starting life instead of 20. Typically 4-player free-for-all games. Casual + social + creative.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Magic: The Gathering— Wikipedia
Wizards of the Coast — MTG official— Wizards of the Coast

Last verified 2026-08-24.community