Magic the Gathering cards

Rules of the Magic Game

How many players play? From 2 and more.

Recommended age of players: 13+

Number of cards: a minimum of 40 or 60 cards depending on the type of tournament.

Who won? When your opponent has no more life points or runs out of cards.

Key card meanings

To get to grips with the rules of the game and learn how to play, you first need to get to know the cards. There are many types, names and meanings, so it may be a little difficult to get to grips with at first, but after a few games and a sense of the joy of the game, it will become easier.  

Each card has a name, which is indicated in the top left corner of the card. In addition, Magic: the Gathering cards can be divided into 6 types:

You can do this at (eng. creatures)

See (enchantments) 

Artefacts (artifacts) 

Kerai (sorceries)

Quick spells (instants)

Earth (land)

All cards except lands can cast spells.

Type of card (card type) is indicated below the card image. It symbolises which of the above spells has your card. If it does (creature) card,the type of the word is also given next to it, e.g. "dragon", so "creature dragon" means that your spell is a creature and its type is dragon. The type of card is always indicated next to symbol of the set  (An expansion symbol, which tells you which set/release/circuit your card is from. Each symbol comes in three colours - black to indicate that your card is a common card, silver for an extraordinary card and gold for a rare card. 

At the bottom of the page, you will find a text box describing the magical world of the card and the abilities of the card, which you need to activate and pay the activation amount indicated in the text box. In addition, the card's offensive power and defensive toughness are listed on the left-hand side of the card, and the numbers written on the card help you decide which creature will win in a fierce battle.

One of the most important attributes of a card is manna price (mana cost), which is the magical energy needed for enchantment. It is indicated in the top right-hand corner of the card. The mana can be colourless or of one of the magical colours we will talk about later (white, blue, black, red or green). The colour is indicated by the symbol next to it. In addition, if you want the spell to work, you must pay the indicated mana price. This is usually paid in land cards. If you need to pay coloured mana, you will see a coloured symbol next to it: 

• The Plains card creates white mana; 
• The Island card is blue;
• Swamp card - black ;
• The Mountain card is red;
• Forest card - green.

Turning over these cards will generate the mana you need.

Magical colours 

As we have already mentioned, there are five main suits of cards with their own meanings - green, red, blue, black and white. Each of these colours represents different things and means different things, which allow you to explore the colourful, unique and magical world of the game. In addition, The mana for each colour comes from different types of land cards - forests, mountains, islands, swamps and plains. Certain spells can also provide manna.

It's no secret that each colour has its own strengths and weaknesses, and decks are usually made of two or more colours. The aim is to reduce the dangers which, in principle, are not very defensible.

More about colours:

White The colour symbolises order, law-abidingness, the idea of community, healing and protection. It also embodies fanaticism and reckless devotion, which is reflected in the spells. They can destroy many enemies at the same time, stopping them and trying to explain their bad behaviour, trying to teach their opponents a lesson. Cards restore the player's life points, send armies of weaker creatures into battle, and white mages sometimes summon very strong heroes.

Black in many cultures, the colours of death, gloom and bad things. In this game, it is the colour of destruction, greed, loss of life and dirty dealings. This card comes from the scary, gloomy and dark swamps where unimaginable horrors live. Black cards can "knock" cards out of an opponent's hand, resurrect monstrous creatures from the dead and, of course, destroy all of an opponent's creatures. As fierce and mysterious as they may be, black card mages cannot deal with enchantments and artefacts.

Blue - the colour of clear skies and deep sea, symbolising the progress of science and the thirst for knowledge and learning. Of course, it has both positive and negative implications - it is characterised by manipulation, tricks and trickery. These blue magic cards can cancel an opponent's spells, summoning strange water and air creatures that destroy the enemy within a few turns of appearing.

Red, as you have probably guessed, is the colour of passion, of hot fire, of aggressiveness and impulsiveness, which emerges from the core of the world pulsating with unbearable heat. Red cards damage the opponent and their creatures (usually mountain dragons or goblins), destroy the opponent's lands, and have a number of spells that work on the flip of a coin, i.e. randomly. This passionate card is very effective and is the fastest to act and win with.

Green, Like many plants on earth, it symbolises life, life, growth and prosperity. This colour comes from the lungs of the earth - the lush forests. At the same time, this colour card symbolises primitiveness and brutality, and is rarely used to achieve a sophisticated strategy for victory. The goal of the magicians and creatures of this majestic element is to draw life and strength and to be the fastest to gather the necessary amount of the required colour mana to cast valuable spells.

Magic the Gathering is on!

Playing "Magic: the Gathering" strategy and luck become equivalent - not only perfect knowledge of the game, but also a certain percentage of successes have an impact on the final result. So here we go! 

Game It's all about duelling, and the strength of the players depends on their ability to assess the situation, choose the right strategy and cards. What cards each player has is what spells he knows. Each party represents a struggle between powerful and mysterious wizards/magicians (Duelists and Planeswalkers).

Start of the game

Each player, as we have already mentioned, has one deck of their own design, which means that they make their own strategy. The game starts with players drawing 7 cards from the top of the deck, which are drawn from their carefully shuffled deck. These 7 cards are called hand (hand, and the rest of the player's deck of cards is Library (lit. library). Sometimes a player doesn't like the cards they have drawn, so they can put them back into the deck, shuffle them and draw again from the top of the deck. Important! Only 6 cards can be selected when drawing again. This way, with each new draw, the number of cards decreases. Once the cards have been selected, the game begins.

The cards in the hand are kept face down, and the cards that are to be brought into play are turned over and placed on the table. The position of the cards on the table is called playing field. During the course of the game, if a card is used, it is tilted slightly to the side. During the course of the game, one used card goes into a pile of cards called the cemeteries (graveyard), while others are thrown into stack or steak (stack). The latter is a stack that is shared by all players, and is filled with spells, quick spells and ability cards. Important! The stacked cards are waiting to be used, in game parlance, "unloaded".

Each player also has 20 life points and is played until a player has 0 life points remaining. The game can also end when a player runs out of cards from their personal library and the library is already empty.

Special moves

Each move consists of 5 phases - initial, main, battle, second main and final.

Initial phase. This is the very first phase, during which the turned cards are turned back into place. In addition, no spells or abilities may be used during this phase. In the second part of the initial phase, the required cards go into the pile or stack. In this phase, players may play activated abilities (activated capability) and quick spells (instant), which will be introduced a little later. In the third part of the initial phase, players draw their missing cards.

The main phase. This phase follows the main phase. Land cards can be played in this phase, but keep in mind that only one land card can be introduced into the playing area during each turn. During the main phase, your opponent can only play activated abilities and quick spells, while you can play any spells and abilities.

Battle phase. The main phase is followed by the battle phase, which starts with the quick spells. After the quick spells, the attacker chooses which creature will attack or not attack at all. The card of the creature chosen to attack is turned over. When the attacker is announced, then the defender is chosen - the opponent determines which creature will withstand the attacking creature. When the opponent declares a defender, the game is played with fast spells and activated abilities. The rest of the game is a battle - attackers reduce the defending player's life points by the number of attacking creatures' attack power.

Key 2. After the third phase, the battle phase, is played again main phase.

Final Phase. In this phase, players can immediately play activated abilities and quick spells. Later on, the player has to choose which cards to "bury" in the graveyard and which 7 cards to keep in hand. This rule applies if there are more than 7 cards in the hand. This phase also removes all damage done to creatures, and effects that should have lasted until the end of the game cease to work. Abilities or spells may not be played during this phase unless a triggered ability is invoked.

Let the magic happen!

"Magic: the Gathering" special "hints" - magic tricks called spells and abilities. It is important to remember and know that there are several types of abilities:

Fixed abilities (static ability). Discarding this card means that your ability works immediately and provides continuity, i.e. a long-lasting ability. A static ability only becomes ineffective when the card is removed from the game.

Activated abilities (activated ability). It is important to note that Activate the card and pay the activation amount specified in the description. This card also contains a colon, which indicates certain game conditions - if the colon is preceded by a rotated arrow, the card must be rotated. When a card is turned over, it is considered to have been used and with

 This card can only be played once. There are some cards that do not have a colon and can be played as many times as needed.

Provoked abilities (triggered ability). These cards have a condition - an event will only happen when the situation described in the card happens. For example, if a card appears in the game actor x, here get/get x extra lives, etc. Whenever the event described above happens (even multiple times), this card goes into the stack. Very important - the card's instructions, prompts and rules must be followed, otherwise penalties will apply!

To use a spell or ability in a game, you need to know and follow some specific rules:

• Tell your opponent what ability or spell card you will use.
• If is a draw, you must show this card to the other player.
• If the word is used in the description of an ability or spell Target (Target means that you have to choose a target - a specific card that the spell or ability will affect.
• If the card description starts with the words "choose one of...", you have to choose one of the available options.
• If your card is a charm, you must again choose which card you want to charm.
• If you play an ability, you will have to pay the activation cost, and if you play a spell, you will have to pay the mana cost.
• Once you have completed these steps, your card immediately goes into the stack. Exception! Cards with a mana-containing ability do not go to the stack, because the player immediately receives that mana. Cards with permanent abilities are also not put into the stack, as the ability takes effect immediately, and cards with no spells are not put into the stack.

Activated Abilities and Quick Spells can be played at any time, whether the stack is still full of cards or the opponent has priority - there are no exceptions or special rules for these spells. As already mentioned, other abilities and spells can only be played in the main and main phase 2 of the game, including when there are no cards in the stack and when the player has priority to make a move, discard a card or pass. Of course, if you pass, the turn goes to your opponent.

 When the turn goes to the opponent, they can cast their own spells on your abilities or spells in the stack. If he also chooses to pass, it is your turn to cast again. If both players pass, the ability or spell at the top of the stack is cast and benefits. It is important to note that the cards are discharged as they move from top to bottom, so the last card in the stack will be the first to be discharged. You should also check the target of the spell or ability that is being discharged to see if it is still valid (a target is invalid when it no longer meets the requirements of the ability or spell). After unloading spell (sorceries) or quick spells (instants, they go directly to the cemeteries. Other cards can remain in play, they just need to be turned over to indicate that they have already been used.

Magic the Gathering Cards - Extremely valuable card collections

Card enthusiasts not only play, go to tournaments and watch broadcasts with special cards, they also collect them. "Magic: the Gathering" A collection of cards is a matter of honour for anyone who loves this card game!

Interestingly, there are now more than 11,000 completely different titles, unique playing cards for the game, with 3-4 additional sets of cards being released each year, totalling around 700 cards. The Core Set is called the Core Set and is published every two years. In addition, the colourful cards were designed and illustrated by more than 400 renowned artists from different countries. Each card is a work of art created from magical inspiration.

Thanks to their artistry and meticulous work, many "Magic: the Gathering" Cards are very valuable and expensive - beautiful, old, rare and very carefully printed cards are sold for very high sums online. Here's a spectacular  Black Lotus  a card can cost upwards of 10,000 USD. Of course, very cheap cards costing as little as a few cents are also available, but they are also very important - the value of a card is assessed by its power, demand and rarity.

Collectors of these cards can buy them mainly from online shops, where they are sold one by one - the rarest cards are available. In addition, buying cards individually is cheaper than buying a themed deck (40 or 60 cards), a tournament pack (45 cards) or a replenishment pack (15 cards) to assemble a very powerful deck.

In addition, Magic: the Gathering has been translated into 11 languages - English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Common and Traditional Chinese.

Magic: the Gathering and the game's secret history

"Magic: the Gathering" (English: magic: gathering) - the most popular the world's most magical card game, sometimes referred to as "Magic" or using the abbreviation MTG.  Magical fiction style collectible card game "Wizards of the Coast" was released by the company in the last century - 1993. It developed then a PhD student in mathematics - Richard Garfield, who originally called the game "Mana Clash".

Since the first sets of cards appeared, the game has become extremely popular

It first gained popularity among role-playing games (in them the player identifies with a fantastic, imaginary the protagonist, travelling, fighting and otherwise acting for him in a fictional, fantasy world) fans, and later on it became a favourite among many other game fans, especially those who love games of all kinds that require a clear, logical and strong strategy. Thus, fiction and a clear plan for winning the game are key aspects of the game.

"Magic" The popularity of the game led to the emergence of many other similar games, both physical and computer-based. Apparently, gamers were attracted by the rather unusual genre of the game at that time - magical fiction, which The aim is to create a unique and mysterious space for the work, and the action takes place somewhere in the ancient times - the Middle Ages, where technology is replaced by fiction, magic, spells and incantations. Various techniques are often used to create a mysterious mood mythologies elements, magic, depiction of supernatural phenomena and in contrast to the in science fiction - abandoning modern technology. It is not at all surprising that 1994 the game scored the award for the best film of 1993 magical fiction via science fiction Game. 

After a few years, the popularity of the game only grew, and in order to satisfy the wishes of the game enthusiasts, international "Magic: the Gathering" Pro Tour tournaments, with prize money today reaching as much as €1 million. USD 1 million! In 2002, the rise of information technology brought the game into the virtual world.

Thus, theIt is a bit of a mystery that this fantasy game was the first and remains the most popular non-computer game in the world, with an estimated 20 million+ players and card sales that are simply beyond the realms of common sense - In 2018, the company issuing these cards "Wizards of the Coast" announced that they had printed a total of over 20 billion "Magic: the Gathering" cards in just 8 years.

Breathtaking Magic the Gathering tournaments

This strategy game attracts thousands of players from all over the world to try their hand at international tournaments - some play and strategise, others simply watch the broadcasts and learn the secrets of the game. In addition, a special organisation has been set up to organise, supervise, plan, referee and provide all the information for this magical collectible card game tournament "Duelists Convocation International" is also known by the acronym DCI. In 2005, the first tournament was held in Lithuania, which attracted as many as 1000 enthusiasts from all over the country.

There are two main types of tournaments - Constructed and Limited. In addition, there are Standard, Vintage, Legacy, Extended and others.

More about tournaments:

•  "Constructed tournaments have a special tournament format, which means that each player plays with his or her own deck of cards, assembled according to certain restrictions. The main restriction is that very old cards are excluded from the game. Most"Constructed" The deck must contain at least 60 cards. In addition, no more than 4 cards with the same English name may be in a special, self-assembled deck. This rule does not apply to basic lands cards.
•  "Limited" In tournaments, players are dealt a variety of different cards and have to build their own deck of at least 40 cards of impressive value to play with.
• Another tournament format, Standard, allows only cards from the last two card blocks released and the last Core Set of the Core Deck. As we have already mentioned, With at least three or four new editions of cards coming out every year, tournament players need to keep investing and renewing themselves if they want to play well and have a deck that meets all the requirements.
• Some tournaments, such as Vintage and Legacy, allow the use of almost all cards. This brings up another problem: really strong decks use very old, out-of-print cards, which, due to their collectible value, rarity and strength in the game, tend to be extremely expensive, and can cost tens or even hundreds of dollars per piece.

Sometimes it happens that players who want to win copy the decks of the tournament champions - the professionals - to learn their playing strategy and take credit for things that are not theirs. This is a phenomenon in the game "Magic: the Gathering" known worldwide as "Net Decking"

You've probably seen that the game is magical and magically enticing for all card game lovers - beginners and professionals alike. Don't hesitate to try the game online, and if you like it and are impressed - Be sure to get your hands on these beautiful, colourful, wonder-inspired cards and immerse yourself in the magical and unique world of the game!

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