The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Magic: The Gathering
If you’re looking for a fun new hobby, Magic: The Gathering could be your solution! This collectible and digital collectible card game has taken the world by storm and has been a popular pastime for almost 20 years. Currently more than 20 million players are active in Magic, so you’ll be in good company! Here, we’ll tell you all the basics you need to get started with Magic, including the history, basics of the game, and how to find the best Magic: The Gathering cards.
History
Magic: The Gathering saw its beginnings in 1991. Peter Adkison, owner and CEO of Wizards of the Coast, was approached by Dr. Richard Garfield to have Garfield’s “RoboRally” board game design published. Adkison liked the concept but didn’t feel that Wizards had the resources to produce a board game. He instead asked Garfield to create a simpler game, and thus Magic: The Gathering was born!
Magic as we know it today debuted in 1993 at the Origins Game Fair in Dallas, Texas. The success was immediate. Players bought the entirety of the stock (believed to be a year’s supply), causing a reprint to be ordered right away. Since then, Magic has grown to an audience of more than 20 million players. Tournaments like those held by DCI are popular with players, and the game truly exploded with the introduction of Magic Online in 2002.
Game Basics
Whether you play with Magic trading cards or you opt for the online version, you can play with two or more people. In each game, wizards called planeswalkers cast spells, summon creatures, and use artifacts to try to defeat their opponents. Typically, these actions are in an attempt to drain opponents of their 20 starting life points.
Every player starts with seven cards from a shuffled deck. Decks must have at least 60 cards, but there is typically no maximum deck size. Cards can be located in a number of zones, including “Library,” “Hand,” “Battlefield,” “Graveyard,” and more. Players then cast cards on their opponents for each turn to attempt to make the other players’ games weaker. A player can win by eliminating every other opponent, and a player loses by either having their life points reduced to zero or by having to draw from an empty deck.
Cards generally fall into the “lands” or “spells” classes. Cards are printed with varying degrees of rarity, from “Common” to “Uncommon,” “Rare,” and “Mythic.” Most cards are also based on one of the five colors from the game’s Color Wheel: white, blue, black, red, and green. Each color has its own distinct advantages and can work differently with cards of other colors.
Where to Buy Magic: The Gathering Cards
Magic: The Gathering can be an incredibly complex game, so how do you get started? Even if you’re on a budget, you can find Magic cards for sale to suit your needs. You might start your search at your local gaming store or big chain retailer. These are the best places to find the classic cards to build your deck. Once you get more involved with the game, you might consider looking for rarer or more specialty cards.
Of course, you can also turn to the internet. Big selling websites like Amazon, eBay, and Craiglist can be gold mines for finding cards. You can also visit card websites that are specific to Magic such as Card Kingdom or TCGplayer. Regardless of your method, make sure you’re working with a reputable dealer to get the best price.
Once you’ve amassed a collection of Magic: The Gathering cards, you might consider selling some. Collectibles Investment Group has expertise in Magic cards and all sorts of other collectibles, and we’re proud to offer free appraisals of your items. All you have to do is upload a photo of your collection to our website, and our experts will provide a free and accurate valuation. Contact us today to get started!
