Magic: The GatheringHow to play

Magic

Lands make mana. Spells win games. Life starts at 20 — or 40 in Commander.

How it feels

Magic is a resource puzzle that turns into a fight. You play lands, hold up instants, and try to empty someone’s life total before they empty yours. Commander is a longer, social version of the same bones. Limited is the version where the pack in front of you is the whole card pool.

How you win

In most games you win when an opponent’s life hits 0, they cannot draw, or a card says you win. Commander uses 40 life and a 21-damage commander-damage clock.

What you need

Sit down with this

A shuffled deck, a way to track life, and space for lands plus everything else. Dice or an app for life. Sleeves if you care about the cards. You do not need a playmat. A Jumpstart or Commander precon is a complete first kit — random boosters are not.

Shuffle, draw seven, track life (20 in most constructed, 40 in Commander). You may mulligan: shuffle the hand back, draw seven, then put one card on the bottom per mulligan. The starting player skips their first draw.

The table

Where cards live

  • Library (deck)

    Face-down. You draw from here. An empty library when you would draw is a loss.

  • Hand

    Hidden. Seven at the start. Soft max of seven at the end of your turn — discard the extras.

  • Battlefield

    Lands, creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers you have in play.

  • Graveyard

    Used instants and sorceries, dead creatures, discarded cards. Face-up. Some decks live here.

  • Stack

    The invisible line where spells and abilities wait. Last one on the stack resolves first. Instants can answer what is on it.

  • Exile / command

    Exile is a removed-from-play zone. In Commander, your commander can sit in the command zone and be recast for more mana.

A turn

Do these in order

  1. 01

    Untap

    Turn your tapped permanents upright so they can make mana or attack again.

  2. 02

    Upkeep / draw

    Pay any upkeep costs, then draw a card (except on the very first turn of the game).

  3. 03

    Main

    Play one land and cast creatures, sorceries, artifacts, enchantments, or planeswalkers. Instants too.

  4. 04

    Combat

    Declare attackers, then blockers. Damage happens. Then you get a second main phase.

  5. 05

    End

    “Until end of turn” effects wear off. Discard down to seven if your hand is bigger.

The cards

What you are looking at

  • Land

    Not a spell. Tap for mana. One land per turn is the usual rule.

    What it does
    Your mana source. Lands are how you pay for everything else.
    When you play it
    Once on each of your turns, during a main phase, when the stack is empty. Some cards let you cheat extra lands.
    Beginner trap
    Treating a land like a spell you cast, or forgetting to play one because you were busy attacking.

    Go deeper on Land →

  • Creature

    Attacks and blocks. Power / toughness is the bottom-right box.

    What it does
    The bodies that fight. Power is damage they deal. Toughness is how much they can take.
    When you play it
    On your main phase, for their mana cost, when you have priority and the stack is empty — same window as a sorcery, unless they have flash.
    Beginner trap
    Attacking with a creature you just cast (it has summoning sickness unless it has haste) or blocking with a creature that is already tapped.

    Go deeper on Creature →

  • Instant

    A one-shot you can cast on either turn, as long as you have priority.

    What it does
    Your reaction. Counterspells, pumps, and removal that wait until someone does something.
    When you play it
    Any time you have priority — your turn, their turn, in the middle of combat, in response to a spell.
    Beginner trap
    Tapping out every main phase so you cannot cast the instant in your hand when they attack.

    Go deeper on Instant →

  • Sorcery

    A one-shot that waits for your main phase. Bigger effects, slower door.

    What it does
    A planned spell. Board wipes, tutors, extra turns — things that should not happen in combat.
    When you play it
    Only during your main phase, when the stack is empty. You cannot sorcery on their turn.
    Beginner trap
    Trying to cast a sorcery as if it were an instant after they attack. The type line is the rule.

    Go deeper on Sorcery →

  • Artifact

    A permanent, usually colorless. Equipment, rocks, and machines.

    What it does
    A lasting tool. Some make mana, some equip to creatures, some just sit and do a job.
    When you play it
    On your main phase like a sorcery, unless it has flash.
    Beginner trap
    Forgetting Equipment needs a tap-and-pay to attach, or assuming every artifact is a creature.

    Go deeper on Artifact →

  • Enchantment

    A lasting spell on the table — a rule that stays, or an Aura on one thing.

    What it does
    A persistent effect. Auras stick to a creature, land, or player. Other enchantments just sit there.
    When you play it
    Main phase, empty stack, unless it has flash.
    Beginner trap
    Putting an Aura on a creature that is about to die, or thinking the Aura survives when the creature leaves.

    Go deeper on Enchantment →

  • Planeswalker

    A legendary ally with loyalty. You may activate one ability on your turn.

    What it does
    A character on the battlefield who is not a creature. Opponents can attack them instead of you.
    When you play it
    Cast on your main phase. Then you may use one loyalty ability each turn, on your turn, as a sorcery.
    Beginner trap
    Using more than one loyalty ability in a turn, or blocking for a planeswalker with a creature that was already tapped.

    Go deeper on Planeswalker →

Combat and keywords

The verbs

  • Tap and mana

    Turn a land (or rock) sideways, add mana, spend it on a cost. Unused mana empties at the end of each step or phase.

  • Attack and block

    You tap attackers. They choose which of your untapped creatures block. Unblocked damage hits life or a planeswalker.

  • The stack

    Spells wait. Anyone can instant in response. Last in, first out. When both players pass, the top object resolves.

  • Summoning sickness

    A creature you just got cannot attack or use tap abilities until your next turn. Haste skips this. Blocking is still allowed.

  • Commander damage

    In Commander only: 21 combat damage from one commander to one player is a win, even if they still have life.

Ways to play

Pick a table

  • Commander

    Kitchen tables, most game stores on a weeknight, anyone who bought a precon.

    100-card singleton, 40 life, a legendary commander in the command zone.

    How this table works →

  • Standard

    Friday Night Magic, Arena, anyone who wants the “now” cards.

    60-card constructed with a rotating set list. Fast, current, tournament-ready.

    How this table works →

  • Limited

    Prereleases, people learning a new set, anyone tired of constructed netdecks.

    Draft or Sealed — you build from the packs in front of you.

    How this table works →

Print finish

Same card, different row

Treatments do not change the rules text. They do change the catalog row — tap a finish to shop it, or open the desk note to see why collectors pay extra.

  • Set printing

    Each row is one set printing. Foil and showcase treatments of the same number usually share this row.

    If the card is legal in your format, this printing is legal. Finish does not change the Oracle text.

    Finish note →See printings →

Watch someone play

Official table

Start learning to play Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering · 8 min

Keep going

Official rules and teaching tools

These are publisher pages — not recaps. Use them when the video is not enough.

Go deeper

Desk notes

Same map for every game on TCSell. Open a card type, a way to play, a finish, or a how-it-works note.

Card type

How it works

Way to play

Print finish

How to play Magic · TCSell