Build Your First Magic Deck in 5 Simple Steps
Beginner Guide
Welcome to Magic: The Gathering! Got a large box, a gifted collection, or a "Deck Builder's Toolkit"? This guide takes you from a pile of cardboard to a playable 60-card deck in less than an hour.
Don't panic. Every veteran player started exactly where you are.
Sort by Color (The Easiest Way)
The biggest mistake a beginner makes is trying to cram too many cards into one deck. The first step is to focus and simplify.
Sort your entire collection into five piles based on their main mana color:
- ⚪ White
- 🔵 Blue
- ⚫ Black
- 🔴 Red
- 🟢 Green
- ⬜ Colorless (Artifacts & Lands)
Learn What Your Colors Do
Magic is a game of strategy, and each color has a unique personality. Before you pick a deck, you need to know what play style you enjoy.
- White: Focuses on small armies, healing, and defense.
- Blue: Focuses on drawing cards, flying creatures, and countering opponent's spells.
- Black: Focuses on destroying creatures, forcing opponents to discard cards, and draining life.
- Red: Focuses on fast, aggressive creatures and direct damage (burn).
- Green: Focuses on massive creatures and quickly generating extra mana ("ramp").
Choose Your Primary 1 or 2 Colors
For your very first deck, we strongly recommend sticking to one or two colors. This ensures you always draw the right type of land (mana) to cast your spells. Three or more colors are a recipe for frustration.
- Look at the two colors you have the most cards in.
- Choose the one or two that sound the most fun to you.
- Gather only the cards from your chosen 1-2 colors, plus all the Basic Lands you need. The rest can go back in the box for now!
Build Your 60-Card Engine
In most casual and competitive formats, your deck must be at least 60 cards. For a beginner, 60 is the maximum. This is the secret to consistency—you want to see your best cards as often as possible!
| Card Type | Recommended Count |
|---|---|
| Lands (Mana Producers) | 24 |
| Creatures | 24–28 |
| Spells (Non-Creatures) | 8–12 |
| Total | 60 |
Pro Tip: You are allowed up to four copies of any non-Basic Land card. If you have four of a great 2-mana creature in your color, use all four!
Get Playing and Get Better!
You now have a deck! The only way to truly learn is to play. Find a friend, visit a local game store, or try an online simulator.
After a few games, you'll start to notice cards that are powerful and cards that feel useless. This is called Refinement.
Cards to Cut: Cards that sit in your hand because they cost too much mana, or cards that never seem to do anything.
Cards to Keep: Cards that win the game for you or solve your problems. Try to find more copies of these!
Ready to Skip the Counting?
Our collection-based Deck Builder Tool does all the hard work for you. Simply input your cards, and our algorithm will suggest an optimized 60-card deck using only what you own.
Access the Beginner Deck Builder Tool Now