Magic the Gathering

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a collectible card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. MTG is a strategy game where players use decks of cards representing fantasy spells, creatures, and artifacts to defeat their opponents.

The goal of a typical MTG game is to reduce your opponent's life total from 20 to zero. Players take turns playing cards from their hand, including spells, creatures, and artifacts. Each card has a set of rules that determine how it can be played and what it can do. Players may also use their cards to block and attack, with combat being an important part of the game.

To build an MTG deck, players choose a specific format and then select cards to include in their deck. In most formats, decks must contain at least 60 cards with no more than four of any given card (excluding basic lands). Players must also follow other format-specific rules, such as color restrictions or card bans.

MTG features five different colors: white, blue, black, red, and green. Each color has its own theme and playstyle. White focuses on defense and life gain, blue on manipulation and control, black on sacrifice and discard, red on direct damage and aggression, and green on ramping up to big creatures.

Mana is the resource used to pay for spells and abilities in MTG. Players use lands (such as Forests or Islands) to generate mana, which they then use to pay for spells and abilities in the game.

Planeswalkers are powerful allies in MTG that represent different characters and creatures from across the game's story. Players can use their planeswalkers to cast spells, fight creatures, and support their overall strategy. Each planeswalker has a set of loyalty abilities that can help turn the tide of a game.

The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour is a series of invitation-only tournaments held throughout the year in various locations around the world. These tournaments feature top MTG players from around the globe competing for cash prizes and invitations to other high-level events.

A booster box is a package of MTG cards that contains multiple booster packs (typically 36). Booster boxes are often used by players to build their collections or prepare for tournaments by opening a large number of packs to increase their chances of finding rare or powerful cards.

The Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame is an honor awarded by Wizards of the Coast to recognize exceptional MTG players and contributors. Inductees are chosen through a vote by past Hall of Fame members, tournament organizers, and selected members of the press.

The Reserved List is a list of MTG cards that Wizards of the Coast has promised never to reprint. These cards are typically very powerful and highly sought-after by collectors, so their value can be very high. The Reserved List is controversial among MTG players, as it limits the availability of some very rare and powerful cards for use in competitive play.