Build your first Magic deck: step by step

Never played, or out of the game for years? How to turn your cards into a playable Magic deck: colours, 24 lands, mana curve and the most common beginner mistakes.

Many collectors own hundreds of Magic cards but have never built a deck of their own. Or their last game was decades ago. This guide takes you in 7 steps from “I have cards” to “I have a playable deck”. No prior knowledge needed.

Magic in one minute

• Each player starts with 20 life. Whoever reaches 0 first loses.
• Lands produce mana, the currency of the game. You may play 1 land per turn.
• Every other card costs mana. The cost is printed in the top right: a number for generic mana and coloured symbols for mana of a specific colour.
• Creatures attack and block. Instants and sorceries have their effect once and go to the graveyard. Artifacts, enchantments and planeswalkers stay on the battlefield.

What changed since the 90s

If you last played in 1995, most of it will feel familiar. A few things are different today:

• Interrupts no longer exist. They count as instants now.
• Mana burn is gone: unused mana no longer costs life.
• Planeswalkers are a newer card type: powerful allies that use abilities and can be attacked.
• Mulligan: if you don't like your opening hand, shuffle and draw 7 cards again. Then put 1 card on the bottom of your library for each mulligan you took.

Your old cards are still fine for playing. In a casual game with friends you can play anything you own.

Step 1: How and with whom do you want to play?

Magic has many formats, rules about which cards are allowed. Two are enough to start:

• Casual 60-card play (“kitchen table”): at least 60 cards, no more than 4 copies of any card. Anything you agree on is allowed. This is where we recommend you start.
• Commander: 100 cards, each only once (except basic lands), a legendary creature as your commander and 40 life. The most popular format for relaxed four-player games, but a lot for a first deck.

Tournament formats such as Standard or Modern only allow certain sets. You only need them once you want to play at a store.

Step 2: Pick 1 or 2 colours

Each of the 5 colours plays differently:

Tip for collectors: first check which colour you have the most playable cards in. Two colours give you more choice, one colour makes the deck more reliable. More than two colours is not worth it at the start, because you will often lack the right mana.

Step 3: Give the deck a plan

A deck doesn't win because it has the strongest single cards, but because all its cards want the same thing. The easiest plan for a first deck: play creatures and attack. Red-green or white-green work especially well. Later there are decks that defend for a long time and win late, or decks built around a specific combination.

Step 4: The 60-card skeleton

With two colours, split the lands according to the coloured symbols on your cards. Roughly equal symbols: 12 and 12. One colour dominates: more like 14 and 10.

24 lands sounds like a lot. But too few lands is the most common reason beginners lose: a full hand and nothing you can pay for.

Step 5: The mana curve

The mana curve shows how many cards cost how much. It makes sure you can act early and still have power later. A good guideline for a creature deck:

The typical collector's mistake: lots of impressive cards for 6 or 7 mana. They sit in your hand while your opponent is already attacking.

Step 6: 4 copies beat 4 different cards

Each card may be in your deck at most 4 times, only basic lands (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest) as often as you like. Use it: your best cards belong in the deck 3 or 4 times, so you actually draw them. A deck of 36 different single cards plays differently every time and rarely well.

Step 7: Test and adjust

• Shuffle and draw 7 cards. A good opening hand has 2 to 4 lands and something you can play early. Do this 10 times.
• Play a few games against friends or against yourself.
• Cards that never did anything go. Replace them with cheaper cards or another copy of your best card.

An example: red-green for beginners

This is how a first deck could look. The names are examples, use what your collection offers:

• 12 Mountains, 12 Forests
• 18 creatures, many for 2 and 3 mana, a few bigger ones for 4 and 5 (for example Llanowar Elves for fast mana or a dragon to finish)
• 6 damage spells to remove opposing creatures (for example Lightning Bolt)
• 6 combat tricks like Giant Growth that win a fight

The shortcut: a ready-made deck as a template

The fastest way into the game is a ready-made deck. Wizards publishes starter decks and preconstructed Commander decks whose card lists are online. Take such a list as a template and see what is already in your collection. That is exactly what the deck builder in TCG-Completist is for.

How TCG-Completist helps

1. Open 🃏 Decks in the account menu and click “New deck”.
2. Paste a list (one card per line, for example “4 Lightning Bolt”) or search the cards one by one.
3. You see right away which cards you own, which are missing and roughly what the rest costs. Any language and any print counts.
4. If you want to play a card as foil or from a specific set, set the print with one click.
5. Add missing cards to your wishlist with one click.

The deck builder is free. How to record your collection quickly is explained in Scan your collection instead of typing it.

The 5 most common beginner mistakes

1. Too few lands. 24 in 60 cards, not 16.
2. Too many colours. Stick to 1 or 2.
3. Too many expensive cards. Follow the mana curve.
4. Only single copies. Better 4 copies of your best cards.
5. No removal. Without answers to opposing creatures you lose to every big one.

That's all your first deck needs. Build it, play it and improve it after every game. That's how everyone learns Magic, the pros included.