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MTG frequently asked questions

50 quick answers to the questions new Magic: The Gathering players ask most.

Getting started

How do you play Magic: The Gathering?
In Magic: The Gathering, each player starts with 20 life and a deck, then takes turns drawing cards, playing lands for mana, and casting creatures and spells. The goal is to use your cards to reduce your opponent's life total to 0 before they do the same to you.
How many cards are in an MTG deck?
A standard constructed MTG deck has a minimum of 60 cards, with no more than 4 copies of any single card (except basic lands). In the Commander format, decks are exactly 100 cards and limited to one copy of each card.
How do I start playing Magic: The Gathering?
The easiest way to start playing Magic: The Gathering is to grab a preconstructed deck (like a Starter Kit or Commander deck) so you don't have to build one yourself. Learn the basics of mana, attacking, and blocking, then play against a friend or try the free MTG Arena app to practice.
How many players can play Magic at once?
Magic: The Gathering is most commonly played one-on-one between two players. However, multiplayer formats like Commander are designed for 3-4+ players, and free-for-all games can include even more.
How do you win in Magic: The Gathering?
The most common way to win in Magic: The Gathering is to reduce your opponent's life total from 20 to 0. You can also win if an opponent must draw from an empty deck, or by special card effects that state "you win the game."
What is mana and how does it work?
Mana is the resource you use to cast spells in Magic: The Gathering, and it comes in five colors: white, blue, black, red, and green. You produce mana mainly by tapping lands, then spend it to pay each spell's mana cost.
How many lands should I run in my deck?
A good rule of thumb is to run about 17-18 lands in a 40-card limited deck and roughly 24 lands in a 60-card constructed deck. Lower-curve aggressive decks can run slightly fewer, while spell-heavy or high-cost decks may want more.
What's the difference between a creature and a spell?
In Magic: The Gathering, a spell is any card you cast from your hand, while it is on the stack waiting to resolve. A creature is a type of permanent that stays on the battlefield after its spell resolves and can attack and block, whereas spells like instants and sorceries have a one-time effect and then go to the graveyard.
What is summoning sickness?
Summoning sickness means a creature can't attack or use abilities with the tap symbol during the turn it came under your control. The creature must start a turn under your control (since your most recent turn began) before it can attack, unless it has haste.
Can I play more than one land per turn?
No, by default you can play only one land per turn in Magic: The Gathering. Some cards specifically grant extra land plays, allowing you to play additional lands beyond the normal one.

Combat & interactions

How do deathtouch and trample work together?
When a creature has both deathtouch and trample, any amount of damage it deals to a blocker counts as lethal, so it only needs to assign 1 damage to each blocker before trampling the rest over to the player. This lets a deathtouch-trample creature push almost all of its power through to your opponent's life total.
Does first strike stop deathtouch?
Yes, if a creature has both first strike and deathtouch, it deals its damage first and destroys the other creature before that creature can deal damage back. A blocker or attacker with first strike and deathtouch can kill the opposing creature and take no damage in return, unless the opponent also has first strike or double strike.
Can I block a creature with flying?
A creature with flying can only be blocked by creatures that have flying or reach. However, a flying creature can itself block any attacker, including non-flying ones.
How do you block a creature with menace?
A creature with menace can't be blocked except by two or more creatures at once. If you only have one available blocker, the menace attacker will get through unblocked.
Does deathtouch kill an indestructible creature?
No, deathtouch does not destroy an indestructible creature. Indestructible means the creature can't be destroyed by damage or "destroy" effects, so even a single point of deathtouch damage won't kill it.
What happens when two creatures block each other in combat?
When a creature blocks an attacker, the two creatures deal damage to each other equal to their power at the same time. If a creature takes damage equal to or greater than its toughness, it is destroyed, so both, one, or neither may die depending on their stats.
Can I respond to a spell, and how does the stack work?
Yes, when a spell is cast it goes on the stack, and both players get a chance to respond before it resolves. The stack resolves in last-in, first-out order, meaning the most recently added spell or ability resolves first.
Can you counter a counterspell?
Yes, you can counter a counterspell. Because a counterspell is itself a spell that goes on the stack, you can respond with another counterspell to counter it before it resolves.
Does trample go through an indestructible blocker?
Yes, trample damage still goes through an indestructible blocker. You must assign damage equal to the blocker's toughness first, and any excess tramples over to the player, even though the indestructible creature itself won't be destroyed.
How do double strike and deathtouch work together?
A creature with both double strike and deathtouch deals deathtouch damage twice: once during the first strike step and once during the normal damage step. This means it can destroy a blocker in the first strike step, and if it also has trample, the second hit of damage can trample over to the player.

Keywords

What does flying do in MTG?
Flying is an evasion keyword that means a creature can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach. Creatures without those abilities simply can't block it, so flyers are great for getting damage through. A flying creature can still block any creature, whether it flies or not.
What does trample do?
Trample lets a creature deal excess combat damage to the player (or planeswalker) when it's blocked. You assign lethal damage to the blockers, and any leftover damage spills over to the defending player. It's a great way to push damage through chump blockers.
What does lifelink do?
Lifelink means that whenever a creature or source with this ability deals damage, you gain that much life. This works with combat damage and non-combat damage alike. It's a strong way to stabilize your life total while still being aggressive.
What does ward do?
Ward forces an opponent to pay an extra cost (often mana, life, or discarding a card) whenever they target the permanent with a spell or ability. If they don't pay, that spell or ability is countered. Ward protects a creature but still lets it be targeted if the opponent pays the price.
Does hexproof protect against board wipes?
No. Hexproof only stops your opponents from targeting that permanent with spells and abilities. Board wipes like "destroy all creatures" don't target anything, so a hexproof creature is destroyed just like the rest.
Is ward the same as hexproof?
No. Hexproof completely prevents your opponents from targeting the permanent. Ward still allows targeting, but the opponent must pay an extra cost or their spell or ability is countered.

Deckbuilding

How many copies of a card can I have in a deck?
In most formats you can have up to 4 copies of any single card (counted by name). The exception is basic lands, which you can include in unlimited quantities. Some formats differ: Commander is singleton (1 copy of each nonbasic), and limited formats let you run as many as you open.
How do I build my first MTG deck?
Start with a 60-card deck and pick one or two colors so your mana stays consistent. Aim for roughly 17 lands, 24 creatures, and 19 other spells, then add cards that share a clear theme or goal. Keep it simple, build around a strategy you enjoy, and refine it as you play.
What is the ratio of creatures, spells and lands in a deck?
A common beginner guideline for a 60-card deck is about 17 lands, 24 creatures, and 19 other spells. A frequently cited rule of thumb is roughly 40% lands (around 24 in a 60-card deck), adjusting up or down based on your mana curve. Aggressive decks run fewer lands while control decks run more.
How do I build a sideboard?
A sideboard is up to 15 extra cards you can swap in between games of a match to adapt to your opponent. Fill it with answers to problem cards and matchups your main deck struggles against, such as artifact or enchantment removal. Between games you swap cards one-for-one, keeping your deck at its minimum size.
How do I build an MTG deck on a budget?
Pick a single color or two-color aggro deck, since cheap creatures and low curves keep card prices down. Buy commons and uncommons in bulk, lean on basic lands instead of expensive duals, and consider formats like Pauper that only allow commons. Precon decks and online deckbuilding sites are great starting points for affordable lists.

Formats

What's the difference between Standard and Modern?
Standard is a rotating format that only allows cards from the most recent few years of sets, keeping the card pool small and fresh. Modern is a non-rotating format spanning sets from 2003 onward, so its card pool is huge and decks are far more powerful. Modern games are faster and the format is more expensive than Standard.
What is the most popular MTG format?
Commander (also called EDH) is widely considered the most popular Magic: The Gathering format. It's a casual, multiplayer, 100-card singleton format built around a legendary creature as your commander. Its social, multiplayer feel and deck variety make it the go-to format for many players.
What is Pauper in MTG?
Pauper is a format where every card in your deck must have been printed at common rarity. This keeps decks very affordable while still allowing competitive, powerful strategies. It's a popular choice for budget-minded players who want a deep, balanced format.
Which MTG format should a beginner play?
Commander is a great entry point because it's casual, social, and forgiving for new players. If you prefer a smaller, cheaper card pool, Standard is also beginner-friendly since it rotates and uses recent sets. Starting with a preconstructed deck in either format is the easiest way to learn.

Commander / EDH

What is Commander (EDH) in Magic: The Gathering?
Commander (also called EDH) is a multiplayer Magic: The Gathering format built around a single legendary creature, your "commander," who leads a 100-card singleton deck. Games are usually free-for-all with 3-4 players, and the format is known for its social, casual, and highly creative deckbuilding.
How many cards are in a Commander deck?
A Commander deck has exactly 100 cards, including your commander. It is a singleton format, so apart from basic lands you may include only one copy of each card.
What is color identity in Commander?
Color identity is the set of all mana colors in a card's mana cost AND in its rules text (including mana symbols in abilities). In Commander, every card in your deck must fit within your commander's color identity, or it isn't legal in that deck.
What is commander damage?
Commander damage is combat damage dealt to a player specifically by a commander. A player loses the game if they take 21 or more combat damage from a single commander over the course of the game.
How much life do you start with in Commander?
In Commander you start with 40 life, instead of the standard 20 used in most other formats. The higher total supports the longer, multiplayer games the format is built around.
What is commander tax?
Commander tax is the extra cost to recast your commander from the command zone. Each time it has been cast from the command zone before, it costs an additional 2 generic mana, so the second cast costs +2, the third +4, and so on.
What are the best commanders for beginners?
Good beginner commanders give clear direction and forgiving gameplay, such as Krenko, Mob Boss (goblins), Atraxa, Praetors' Voice (counters/good-stuff), Edgar Markov (vampires), or The Ur-Dragon (dragons). The easiest path is often just picking a preconstructed (precon) deck whose theme you enjoy.
How do I upgrade a Commander precon deck?
Start small: cut the weakest cards and add better ramp, card draw, removal, and a stronger mana base (lands) within your commander's color identity. Focus the deck on one main theme and aim for around 36-38 lands plus a smooth mana curve before chasing expensive staples.

Collecting & buying

Where can I buy MTG cards?
You can buy Magic: The Gathering cards at local game stores, big retailers, and online marketplaces like TCGplayer, Card Kingdom, and Cardmarket (popular in Europe). Local game stores are also great for singles, sealed product, and finding a playgroup.
How do I spot a fake (counterfeit) MTG card?
Check the print quality, color, and the blue core revealed by the "rip test" (real cards have a thin blue layer between the paper). Compare a suspect card side by side with a known genuine card, feel the cardstock and rosette dot pattern under magnification, and check the light/bend test.
What is the Reserved List in MTG?
The Reserved List is an official list of older Magic: The Gathering cards that Wizards of the Coast has promised never to reprint in a functionally identical, tournament-legal form. Because supply is fixed, many Reserved List cards (like dual lands and Power 9) are rare and very expensive.
What do the rarity symbols mean in MTG?
The set symbol's color shows a card's rarity: black for common, silver for uncommon, gold for rare, and orange/bronze for mythic rare. Rarity reflects how often a card appears in booster packs, not necessarily how powerful or valuable it is.

MTG Arena

Is MTG Arena free to play?
Yes, MTG Arena is free to download and play, and you can earn cards, gold, and packs without spending money. You can optionally buy gems with real money to speed up collecting cards or enter premium events, but it isn't required to play and compete.
How do I get cards and wildcards in MTG Arena?
You get cards mainly by opening booster packs, earning daily and weekly rewards, and completing the in-game progression tracks. Wildcards drop from packs and can be exchanged for any card of the matching rarity, which is the main way to craft specific cards you want.
What's the difference between MTG Arena and paper Magic?
MTG Arena is the digital version that automates the rules and focuses on formats like Standard and Alchemy, while paper Magic is played in person with physical cards and supports every format, including Commander. Cards and collections do not transfer between the two, so they are separate ecosystems.