The world’s first trading card game (or TCG), Magic: The Gathering has been around since 1993. With over 30 years’ worth of cards having been released, it can be really daunting to know where to start. It’s certainly difficult to get involved without becoming overwhelmed. So let’s take a look at a few different, easy ways we’d suggest, to make learning how to play Magic: The Gathering an easier experience!
1. Ask a Friend to Teach You
You may have heard of Magic: The Gathering from friends who already play it. If that’s the case, the best way to start will be to ask your friends to teach you how to play; you’ll already be familiar with them, and it should be much easier to ask questions or take it at your own pace if you have a friend teaching you the basics. You can also familiarize yourself with how they play; for example, some groups only play the Commander format. Others may allow cards from any era of Magic: The Gathering to be used. You’ll find out how everything works and you’ll have a set of opponents to play with at the same time!
2. Speak to Staff at a Local Game Store
Having a healthy player base of fans for any game is important for local game stores to survive and thrive. So it’s in their interests to introduce new players to any game they ask about. Though this can be daunting at first, you’ll find many store staff are welcoming and helpful. They also tend to be gamers themselves, and will often have a wealth of knowledge and experience they can share. You can find your closest store using the official Magic store locator.
3. Use the Official Learn to Play Guide Online
Publisher Wizards of the Coast have some great resources, including video guides, to teach you how to play. You can find those on the official Magic: The Gathering website. You can also check out our own how to play Magic guide too!
4. Use the Magic: The Gathering Foundations Beginner Box
The Foundations set for Magic: The Gathering is an entry level collection of cards which is designed to ease new players into the game at their own pace. The Foundations Beginner Box is a natural starting point for any novice, containing two decks, player boards and tutorial elements which allow players to take every aspect of the game on board without being overwhelming. You can check out our review of the Beginner Box, and find out why we think this is one of the best ways to learn how to play Magic: The Gathering. The only downside we can see for complete newcomers is that you may be investing in a product that you ultimately don’t enjoy; it happens! This is why we’d suggest the first three methods of learning before buying the Beginner Box.
5. Use Magic: The Gathering Arena’s Tutorial
The Magic: The Gathering Arena app allowing players to take part in games online, there’s the opportunity to play Magic: The Gathering wherever and whenever you can, using your phone, tablet or computer. It’s not always ideal for complete newcomers to learn, given that all information is on a screen. A lot of effects happen at such a pace during the game that it can be confusing to work out what’s going on, but Arena’s tutorial is helpful and robust. Opponents can be unforgiving and have access to significantly larger card pools than you’ll start with, so this can be a difficult way of actually playing Magic: The Gathering when you’re starting out.
Check out our beginner’s guide to playing MTG Arena, and our review of RulesDeck, a very useful accessory for new and experienced Magic: The Gathering players.
