Magic: The Gathering Gameplay Principles

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These concepts are guidelines on how to win a Magic game and how a Magic game plays out. These often compete and at times even flat out disagree with each other. Currently, there is no circulated Theory of Everything on how to optimally play (or deck build for) Magic.

Who ever spends their mana best each turn will win

This means if someone really curves out. Hitting land drops early game, spending all their mana each turn, ect… is going to defeat someone who stumbles. And will flat out kick the ass out of someone that is mana screwed or mana flooded. This concept is closely tied to tempo.

Every game there is an aggressive deck and a controlling deck

This is a rule of thumb that generally holds true (in constructed) even if both decks are aggressive or controlling (more so with the former). In an aggressive match up, there usually will be a deck that isn’t faster than the other that game. Perhaps that deck is slower or maybe it’s just stumbling a bit. As such the pilot will have to do what his deck isn’t designed to do, control. He will likely lose, but if he tries to race he is going to lose. The aggressive deck and the controlling deck might switch roles during the game. As for limited, which deck is the controlling and which deck is the aggressive often goes back and forth so much (usually no more than once every few turns) that this rule arguably looses meaning.

Deck broad archetypes

These five are the following broad archetypes that most decks go into. A deck might contain elements of more than one of these archetypes. aggro, midrange, control, and combo:

  • Aggro: This deck is aggressive, consistent, and tries to win the game quickly mainly with creatures. If it doesn’t, it will probably lose.
  • Burn: Like aggro, but mostly direct damage spells to the face rather than cheap creatures.
  • Midrange: This deck runs mana acceleration early game and big creatures mid to late game. Or alternatively it is halfway between aggro and control.
  • Control: This deck stops other decks from doing what they want to do, typically until they have enough mana to play their win condition cards (of which there are typically very few). It then continues to use its control cards to protect and/or support its win condition.
  • Combo: This deck attempts to use cards that have such strong synergy it will likely win the game, if the combo is assembled. As such, they are typically vulnerable to disruption. They aren’t the most consistent deck and often use cards like serum visions to make themselves more consistent.

The only life point that matters is the last one.

Corollary: Life can be a resource that can help you win the game. Many cards, especially black ones, are powerful, but cost life.

Card advantage

Whoever has the most cards win. This is actually surprisingly bit messy and blurry. Tokens are often considered cards in their own right. Cards in hand are almost always considered cards for the sake of card advantage. Cards with flashback in a graveyard are sometimes considered cards in hand for the sake of card advantage. A card draw spell sets a player back in tempo but helps put that player ahead in card advantage. Arguably, looting (draw and discard, sometimes also refers to rummaging) and rummaging (discard and draw) is card advantage. Looting and rummaging do not help card quantity, but improve card quality. Same goes for scry (except of course the time between you decide the you like the card on top of your deck and getting scry:1, those are pretty much worthless). Certain interactions between players can put one ahead or behind in card advantage. For example, if a creature is double blocked, and all involved creatures die, this is a case of a “2 for 1” and it puts the blocked/attacking creature’s controller a head in card advantage. Card Advantage is considered less important in short games.

Tempo

Board State

Board State can refer to the state of an individual player’s side of the battlefield or the battlefield as a whole. This is usually very important in limited. It’s importance in constructed can vary considerably. (similar terms: board presence and board position)

How the game is divided up

Note that neither of these care about life.

Early game, mid game, and late game

How many turns are you in the game.

Quadrant theory

Quadrant theory is very useful in Limited because of the importance of the board state. Quadrant theory should be on a player’s mind both during drafting (assuming the player is playing some sort of draft) and deck construction (assuming the player is playing limited). The more quadrants a card helps you in, the better.

  • Developing: This is the state in which both players have almost no board presence. Typically the start of the game or just after a player played a board sweeper
  • Parity: Both players have considerable board presence. Generally if one attacks the other will likely establish favorable blocks and acquire superior board presence. Creatures with evasion are important in this board state.
  • Ahead/winning: You have a board presence that is kicking your opponent's ass. This is the least important board state to care about when deciding which cards should go in your deck.
  • Behind/losing: Your opponent’s board presence is kicking your ass. Cards that fit in this category aren't exactly common. Wrath effects can usually help you out in this situation.

External links

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