Magic: The Gathering facts for kids
Magic: The Gathering is a super popular trading card game where players collect and trade cards to build their own unique decks. Each deck needs at least 60 cards. Players can join exciting tournaments, and some people even play Magic professionally! Most players just call the game Magic. It's set in a cool fantasy world filled with magic. Richard Garfield created the game in 1993, and it's thought to be the very first trading card game ever. The main person who designs the game now is Mark Rosewater. He also writes a weekly article about how the game is made, called "Making Magic."
Two or more people can play Magic. Players try to attack each other to make them lose "life points." Everyone starts with 20 life points. There are many different kinds of cards you can use to lower another player's life. You can attack with a creature or use a spell to deal direct damage. You win the game by reducing your opponent's life to 0. You can also win if your opponent runs out of cards to draw, or if a special card says you win.
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History of Magic: The Gathering
Richard Garfield first started creating the game while he was at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1993, he showed his game to a company called Wizards of the Coast. They really liked it and decided to start making it.
The first Magic cards were printed in 1993. New cards are released in groups called "sets." The first sets were a huge hit, so more and more sets were made. About four new sets come out every year. Cards made before 2003 look a bit different from newer ones. But don't worry, most old cards can still be played with modern cards!
Professional Magic tournaments started in 1996. Pro players travel the world to compete in the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. A player can win as much as $40,000 in just one tournament!
Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO) was launched in 2002. This allowed Magic players to play their favorite game over the internet. A newer version of MTGO came out in 2008. Also, a brand new online game called MTG Arena was released in 2019.
How to Play Magic: The Gathering
A game of Magic is played by two or more people. Each player begins the game with 20 "life points." You lose the game if your life points drop to zero or below. There are different ways to lose life points. Players can use "creature" cards to attack others, or they can play "spells" that hurt opponents. You can also lose if you run out of cards in your deck, get 10 "poison counters," or if a specific card says you lose.
To start, players shuffle their decks (mix up their cards) and then draw seven cards. Every card has a different power or ability. Players draw one new card at the beginning of each turn. However, the first player in the game does not draw a card on their very first turn. A turn has many different steps. Some cards can only be played during certain steps. At the end of your turn, you can only have seven cards in your hand. If you have more, you must put extra cards into your "graveyard" (a discard pile next to your deck) until you only have seven.
There are two main types of cards: "spells" and "lands." Lands give their player "mana," which is like magical energy. Mana is used to cast spells (play them). You can only play one land card each turn. More powerful spells need more mana to play. Spells also come in different kinds. "Sorceries" and "instants" are played, and then they go straight to the "graveyard" after their effects happen. "Permanents" stay on the table after you play them, and their effects continue. "Creatures" are a special type of permanent that can attack and damage other players.
Legendary creatures and planeswalkers are also very special types of cards with unique rules.
The Five Colors of Magic
Most spells in Magic belong to one of five colors: white, blue, black, red, and green. To play a spell, you need at least one mana that matches the spell's color. Players usually get this mana from "basic lands." These are "plains" for white, "island" for blue, "swamp" for black, "mountain" for red, and "forest" for green. Each color has its own strengths and weaknesses:
- White magic focuses on protection and defense.
- Blue magic is about manipulation, tricks, and thinking.
- Black magic deals with death and greed.
- Red magic is all about fire, speed, and strong emotions.
- Green magic represents strength, growth, and nature.
Artwork on Cards
Every Magic card has a cool picture that helps show what the card does. Card sets are often made with exciting stories in mind. The pictures on the cards usually show actions, events, or characters from these stories.
Awards Won by Magic: The Gathering
- 1994: Mensa Select Award winner
- 1994: Origins Awards for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Board game of 1993 and Best Graphic Presentation of a Board game of 1993
- 1994: Origins Award for the Legends set as Best Game Accessory
- 1995: Deutscher Spiele Preis special award for new gameplay
- 1995: Italian Gaming Society Gioco dell'Anno award winner
- 1996: Super As d'Or award for "Best New Game Concept and Genre Introduced in France"
- 1997: InQuest Fan Award for Best CCG Expansion for the Weatherlight expansion
- 1998 Origins Award for the Urza's Saga set as Collectible Card Game Expansion of the Year
- 1999: Inducted alongside Richard Garfield into the Origins Hall of Fame
- 2003: Games Magazine selected Magic for its Games Hall of Fame
- 2005: Origins Award for the Ravnica: City of Guilds expansion as Collectible Card Game Expansion of the Year
- 2009: Origins Award for the Shards of Alara set as Collectible Card Game Expansion of the Year
Richard Garfield (the creator) and Donato Giancola (an artist) have also won their own personal awards for their work on Magic.
Images for kids
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A game of Magic in progress
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Magic: The Gathering zones.
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The five colors of Magic: The Gathering
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By winning a yearly Invitational tournament, Jon Finkel won the right for this card to feature his design and likeness.
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Garfield in 2014
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See also
In Spanish: Magic: El encuentro para niños
