So, you're new to Magic: the Gathering
Do you like playing complicated games? How about simple ones? Do you like getting lost in the hows and the whys of character stories, or do you prefer looking at stunning visuals? A "yes" to anyone of these questions may lead you to Magic: the Gathering. This seemingly all encompassing game was made by Richard Garfield and eventually sold to Hasbro (yes the toy company), and while there seems to be a new update to the game every six weeks, you don't have to keep up with releases to learn or even enjoy the game.
It can feel overwhelming tying to understand the new dictionary being thrown at you to play the game. "Mulligan," "Artifact," "Gamble," "Intimidate," and "card advantage" are all terms used in Magic that have slightly or completely different meanings. Here are a few to get you started:
ABC's of Magic primer
- Ability - It's not a spell, but it still affects players and the battlefield.
- Battlefield/Board - Where creatures are, usually in front of all players to assess.
- Creature - A body that goes to the battlefield and stays there to attack your opponents or defend you.
- Deathtouch - If this creature deals damage to another creature, destroy it.
- Defender - This creature can’t attack.
- Destroy - Put the creature into the graveyard.
- Double strike - Deal damage first then deal damage normally.
- Equip - Attach the equipment to a creature. The creature gains the benefits of the equipment.
- Exile - A zone in which cards have been removed from the game.
- Fight - Creatures deal damage to each other equal to their power.
- First strike - Deal damage first.
- Flash - You may play this card any time.
- Flying - Can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.
- Graveyard - The zone where cards go when they are discarded, destroyed, sacrificed, etc. This is where the most shenanigans occur.
- Hand - The cards in your hand.
- Haste - Can attack or tap the turn it comes into play.
- Hexproof - Cannot be targeted by opponent.
- Indestructible - Cannot be destroyed.
- Library - Your deck.
- Lifelink - Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
- Menace - Must be blocked by two or more creatures.
- Power - How much damage a creature deals. On the right left side of the "/".
- Reach - Can block flying creatures.
- Scry - Look at the top card of your library then you may put that card on the bottom of your library or leave it on top.
- Spell - Anything except lands the moment before it goes to the battle or its effects occur.
- Surveil - Look at the top card of your library then you may put that card into your graveyard or leave it on top.
- Token - A placeholder permanent created by an effect.
- Toughness - How much damage a creature can take in a turn before it goes to the graveyard.
- Trample - Excess damage dealt by this creature is dealt to the opponent.
- Transform - Flip the card over.
- Vigilance - Attacking does not cause the creature to tap.
- Ward - Cannot be targeted unless you pay the Ward cost.
- Zone - The different areas cards can go to in the game. They are the library, hand, battlefield, graveyard, and exile.
