Playing Your First Game
This content was originally included in an issue of The Duelist magazine. The original article can be accessed via Internet Archive here.
Main Magazine Page: The Duelist #0
By Victor K. Wertz
So you’ve just bought your first Magic deck, and now you want to play a game. Here’s a sort of step-by-step overview of the way Magic is played. Page numbers in parentheses tell you where to look in the rulebook for more information on each topic.
You begin the game by shuffling your deck. Then, cut your opponent’s deck, and turn over the top card as ante (p. 7). Draw seven cards from your own deck for your hand, and determine who goes first (p. 7).
Begin your turn by drawing a card. You’ll want to begin by playing a land card (a mountain, swamp, forest, plains, or island). Put that card on the table in front of you. Now, see if you can play any other cards in your hand. Compare the casting cost (p. 14) to the mana you can draw from your lands in play (p. 13). If you can play an appropriate card, tap your land (pp. 9-10) and put the card you’re casting onto the table.
Generally, it’s a good idea to summon creatures (p. 21) as soon as you can. Once you summon a creature, you have to wait a turn before you can attack with it.
You can also play any artifacts (pp. 16-17), enchantments (pp. 17-18), instants, interrupts, or sorceries (all p. 19).
If you can cast a spell, you’re doing well. If you can’t, that’s okay, too. It usually takes a few turns before you have enough mana to do anything. Meanwhile, you should figure out whether you need to discard (p. 11). Then announce the end of your turn, and let your opponent have a go.
Remember to untap any tapped cards at the start of your next turn. After you do that, perform any upkeep (p. 11), and draw a card.
If you managed to summon a creature last turn, you can now attack with it. To do this, tap the card and announce your attack. Your opponent must then decide whether and how to block your attacker (pp. 24-25). Next, either or both of you may use fast effects (p. 25). After all announcements have been made and all fast effects have been case, damage is dealt (p. 26). Any creatures that were damaged (p. 23) and defeated should be placed into the graveyard (p. 8). Keep track of any damage you suffered by you or your opponent. If you are the first to reduce your opponent’s life points from 20 to 0, you win!
Remember, Magic is a game of action and reaction, planning and improvisation. But in the beginning, it’s simply a matter of doing what you can do. You’ll probably have to play through a duel or two before you get the hang of it. Once you figure it out, though, you’ll see that the rules are simple; it’s the interactions between cards that are complex and interesting.