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Magic: The Gathering

The game that started the modern trading card genre in 1993.

About the game

Magic: The Gathering is the oldest major trading card game still in print. Designed by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast, it first reached stores in August 1993 with the set known as Alpha.

Players act as powerful wizards called planeswalkers. They build a deck, play land cards to produce mana in five colors, and cast spells and creatures to reduce the opponent's life total to zero. The color system gives each color a distinct personality, which is a big part of why the game is so deep.

Magic has far more sets and individual cards than most games, so this hub focuses on a curated group: a few landmark expansions, iconic cards, and the core mechanics that explain how the game works. Use it to move between sets, cards and ideas.

Published by Wizards of the Coast. Browse all Magic cards in the explorer →

Expansions

Limited Edition AlphaAugust 1993 · The first Magic expansionIt is where the entire genre started.Ravnica: City of GuildsOctober 2005 · A set built around ten guildsIt built an entire set around two-color guild identities.InnistradSeptember 2011 · A gothic-horror setIt tied theme and rules together with transforming cards.Modern Horizons 2June 2021 · A set made for non-rotating formatsIt shows how Magic now designs sets for different groups of players.

Featured cards

Card types

  • Creature. Cards that stay on the battlefield, attack and block.
  • Instant. A spell that can be cast almost any time and then goes to the graveyard.
  • Sorcery. A spell that can only be cast on your own turn, in the main phase.
  • Artifact. A permanent that often provides mana or a utility effect, and has no color of its own.
  • Enchantment. A permanent that creates an ongoing effect.
  • Land. The cards that produce mana. Most decks include a large number of them.
  • Planeswalker. A permanent with loyalty abilities, introduced in 2007.

Compare card types across games →

Mechanics & keywords

Mana & the Five ColorsThe resource system and the color pie behind every deck.FlyingA creature that can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach.FlashCasting a creature or spell at instant speed.FlashbackCasting spells again from the graveyard.Transform & Double-Faced CardsCards with two faces that change during the game.EvokePaying a smaller cost for a one-time effect.DashCasting a creature with haste, then returning it to hand.Instants & the StackHow spells can be cast in response to each other.

Rarities

  • Common. The most frequent cards in a pack. Often simple, and good for learning the game.
  • Uncommon. Less frequent than Commons, usually with more interesting effects.
  • Rare. The main rarity for powerful or complex cards.
  • Mythic Rare. A top rarity tier introduced in 2008 with Shards of Alara, used for the most striking cards in a set.

See the full rarity guide →

Archetypes and deck styles

  • Aggro. Aggressive decks that try to win quickly with cheap creatures and direct damage.
  • Control. Decks that answer the opponent's cards and win later. Blue and white often lead here.
  • Midrange. Decks that balance efficient creatures with removal and card advantage.
  • Ramp. Decks that make extra mana early to cast large threats sooner.

More about archetypes →

Historical periods

  • Early years (1993–1999)

    Alpha, Beta and Unlimited set the foundation. Sets were small and loosely connected, and the first rules for colors and spell timing took shape.

  • Card-frame and block era (2000s)

    A new card frame arrived with Eighth Edition in 2003. Ravnica: City of Guilds put the spotlight on a single city plane and on how pairs of colors work together.

  • Mythics and planeswalkers (2007–2011)

    Planeswalker cards appeared in 2007 and the Mythic Rare category in 2008. Innistrad in 2011 pushed the game toward gothic horror and transforming cards.

  • Eternal formats and crossovers (2012–)

    Commander grew into a major way to play, Modern became a core constructed format, and special sets such as Modern Horizons targeted formats where older cards stay legal.

Key moments

  • 1993 · Aug Magic: The Gathering debuts with Limited Edition Alpha, designed by Richard Garfield.
  • 2003 Eighth Edition introduces a new card frame that stays in use for more than a decade.
  • 2005 · Oct Ravnica: City of Guilds builds a whole set around ten two-color guilds.
  • 2007 Planeswalker cards appear for the first time.
  • 2008 Mythic Rare becomes a new rarity tier, first used in Shards of Alara.
  • 2011 · Sep Innistrad brings double-faced cards and a gothic-horror setting.
  • 2021 · Jun Modern Horizons 2 continues the line of sets designed for non-rotating formats.

Open the full timeline →

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