JustBeginning
Beginner's guide

So you're getting into Magic: The Gathering

Magic is thirty years old, sold in 70+ countries, and generates more new-player confusion per dollar than almost any hobby. The good news: you can play your first real game within an afternoon with the right starting product. Here's exactly what to buy — and how to ignore the mountain of stuff that won't matter until month two.

By Colin B. · Published May 23, 2026 · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
People playing a card game around a table

Photo by Akinyemi Gbadamosi on Unsplash

The 60-second version

If you only buy 3 things to start:

  1. Magic: The Gathering Commander Deck — Most Wanted — A Commander precon — 99 cards, ready to play, in the format everyone is actually playing.
  2. Dragon Shield Matte Sleeves (100 count) — Dragon Shield Matte sleeves — the field standard for protecting cards you care about.
  3. Magic: The Gathering Bloomburrow Starter Kit — The Magic Starter Kit — two decks for two players, the cleanest way to learn with a friend.
Budget total
$50
Typical total
$90
A Commander precon gets you playing for $50. Add sleeves and a deck box and you're fully kitted out for around $90.
At a glance

Our top pick in each category

The fastest path through this guide — each best-starter pick by category. Scroll for the budget and upgrade alternatives.

CategoryTop pickPriceWhere to buy
Starter DecksWizards of the CoastMagic: The Gathering Commander Deck — Most Wanted$$ See on Amazon →
Card SleevesDragon ShieldDragon Shield Matte Sleeves (100 count)$$ See on Amazon →
Deck BoxesUltra ProUltra Pro Satin Tower Deck Box$ See on Amazon →
Card StorageUltra ProUltra Pro 9-Pocket PRO-Binder$$ See on Amazon →
AccessoriesChessexChessex Pound-O-Dice Assorted Dice$$ See on Amazon →
Before you buy anything

A few things worth knowing first

Don't buy random booster packs first. This is the #1 new-player mistake. Booster packs give you random cards — exciting if you have a deck to put them in, useless if you don't. Buy a preconstructed deck first, learn to play it, then buy packs once you understand what you're looking for.

Commander format is what most people are actually playing. It's a 4-player format using 99-card decks where every card is a singleton. You play with a precon deck straight out of the box, and nobody expects you to optimize it. It's the friendliest format for beginners by a wide margin.

Sleeve your cards before your first game, not after. Card sleeves protect your cards from wear, and Magic cards in a precon are worth sleeving — some are worth $5-20 each. A $15 pack of sleeves is the best insurance you can buy before shuffling 99 times.

The gear

What you actually need

Starter Decks

The biggest mistake new players make is buying booster packs before they have a deck. Random packs give you random cards — exciting once you know the game, useless before you do. The right first purchase is a preconstructed Commander deck: 99 cards, ready to shuffle, ready to play that night. Commander is the most popular format because you always play with exactly the cards you own — no need for 4-of every card, no pressure to build a correct deck. Buy a precon, sleeve it, and start there. Everything else follows.

Starter Decks — what's the difference?

A few common shapes, each making a different trade.

Commander Precon

99-card ready-to-play deck. The format everyone is actually playing.

Price
~$50
Players
3–4
Deck size
99 cards

Best for Most beginners — jump straight into the format your local game store runs

Tradeoff Needs 2-3 other players to work as designed

↓ See our pick
Magic Starter Kit

Two 60-card decks, two players, one box. Pure learn-to-play.

Price
~$15
Players
2
Deck size
60 × 2

Best for Two complete beginners learning together — partners, friends, roommates

Tradeoff Simplified cards; you'll outgrow it quickly once you know the rules

↓ See our pick
Jumpstart Boosters

Open two packs, combine, play immediately. Zero deck-building.

Price
~$8/pack
Players
2+
Deck size
40 cards

Best for Curious explorers who want to try cards without committing to a deck

Tradeoff Smaller format; experience doesn't translate directly to Commander

Best starter
Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering Commander Deck — Most Wanted

$$

Most Wanted is one of the more straightforward Commander precons for new players — an aggressive, go-wide strategy that's easy to pilot without deep rules knowledge. It plays well on its own out of the box, has a clear gameplan, and the Outlaws of Thunder Junction flavor pulls you into the story immediately. At ~$50, it's the standard entry point.

What we like

  • Ready to play the moment you open the box — no assembly required
  • Commander is the most popular and beginner-welcoming format
  • Aggressive gameplan is easy to pilot without knowing 15,000 cards

What to know

  • Needs 3-4 players — not great if you're learning solo or with one friend
  • You'll want to swap out a few weaker cards after a couple months of play
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering Bloomburrow Starter Kit

$

Two complete 60-card decks for two players at $15. The Starter Kit is explicitly designed for people who have never played — each deck comes with a learn-to-play guide that walks through the turn sequence, and the decks are balanced against each other. If you're learning with a friend or partner who's also new, start here before anything else.

What we like

  • Two complete decks for $15 — the cheapest way to learn with a friend
  • Built-in learn-to-play guide walks through every step of a turn
  • Balanced matchup out of the box — neither player has the advantage

What to know

  • Simplified cards don't prepare you for full Commander complexity
  • You'll outgrow it quickly once you know the rules
See on Amazon →
Specialty pick
Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering Jumpstart 2022 Booster Box

$$

Jumpstart lets you skip deck-building entirely: open two booster packs, combine them, and you have a playable 40-card deck in 30 seconds. The booster box (24 packs) gives you enough variety to play many different combinations and is actually the most economical way to buy Jumpstart. Great for people who want the thrill of opening packs without the commitment of building from scratch.

What we like

  • Instant 40-card deck in 30 seconds — open, combine, play
  • Each pack is theme-based, so combined decks always make narrative sense
  • Great for exploring different card types and playstyles cheaply

What to know

  • Smaller 40-card format — not the same experience as real Commander
  • Card quality varies; some packs are noticeably stronger than others
See on Amazon →

Card Sleeves

Sleeve your cards before your first game, not after. Magic cards in a Commander precon include some worth $5-20 each, and unsleeved cards pick up shuffle wear in one session. The right sleeves fit snugly (not loose, not so tight they're hard to put on), have an opaque back so you can't see through them, and shuffle smoothly without clumping. Dragon Shield Matte is the field standard for a reason — thick enough to protect, slippery enough to shuffle well, priced where losing one doesn't hurt.

Best starter
Dragon Shield

Dragon Shield Matte Sleeves (100 count)

$$

The sleeve most serious players use. Matte finish shuffles without clumping, the material is thick enough to survive real use, and 100-count is exactly right for a Commander deck. Dragon Shield's manufacturing consistency means every sleeve in the pack is the same size, which matters more than it sounds when you're shuffling 99 cards.

What we like

  • The field standard — most serious players at local game stores use these
  • Matte finish shuffles smoothly without the clumping glossy sleeves get
  • Consistent sizing across every sleeve in the pack — no odd loose ones

What to know

  • More expensive than budget sleeves, but they last proportionally longer
  • 100-count is exact for Commander — buy two packs if double-sleeving
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Ultra Pro

Ultra Pro Standard Gaming Sleeves (100 count)

$

Under $10 and widely available. Glossy finish shuffles a bit clumpy when new but breaks in after a few sessions. Fine for learning on, or for bulk cards you don't care about protecting long-term. Not as durable as Dragon Shield, but perfectly acceptable until you decide how serious you're getting.

What we like

  • Under $10 — the safe choice when you're not sure the hobby will stick
  • Widely available in game stores and online alike

What to know

  • Glossy finish clumps when new — needs a break-in period of a few shuffles
  • Thinner material wears faster than Dragon Shield under heavy use
See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
KMC

KMC Hyper Mat Sleeves (100 count)

$$

KMC's Hyper Mat sleeves compete directly with Dragon Shield at a slight price advantage. The matte texture is slightly grippier during shuffling and the material holds up well for daily players. If you're playing Commander 3+ times a week, KMC is what the committed players reach for.

What we like

  • Competitive with Dragon Shield on durability at a slight price advantage
  • Matte texture grips cards firmly without sticking during riffle shuffles

What to know

  • Runs slightly tighter than Dragon Shield — verify fit before double-sleeving
  • Harder to find in stores than Dragon Shield or Ultra Pro
See on Amazon →

Deck Boxes

A deck box protects your sleeved deck during transport and keeps cards from warping or bending. For a sleeved Commander deck — 99 cards in Dragon Shield Matte sleeves — you need a box rated for 100 sleeved cards. Most generic 'standard' boxes are undersized and won't fit. Look for a snap-tight closure, room for a few tokens, and a size that actually fits your cards. The Ultra Pro Satin Tower has been the no-brainer pick for years.

Best starter
Ultra Pro

Ultra Pro Satin Tower Deck Box

$

Holds 100 sleeved cards comfortably, magnetic closure, two compartments for tokens and dice, and costs under $15. The Satin Tower has been the budget-category winner for years and nothing has dislodged it. Exactly what you need, nothing you don't.

What we like

  • Fits 100 single-sleeved cards with room — exact for a Commander deck
  • Magnetic closure keeps cards secure without wrestling the lid open
  • Two-compartment design holds tokens and dice separately from your deck

What to know

  • Tight fit for double-sleeved cards — upgrade if you plan to double-sleeve
  • Plastic hinges wear under heavy daily use after 6-12 months
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
BCW

BCW Deck Guard Pack

$

A deck guard pack is the economical answer for players with multiple Commander decks — each unit slides snugly over a sleeved deck to keep cards together for storage. At this price, you can cover every deck in your collection without the per-deck cost of individual tower boxes. Fine for home storage; not as protective for transport.

What we like

  • Pennies per deck when buying multiple — great for a growing stable of decks
  • Slim profile stacks easily on a shelf or in a drawer

What to know

  • No closure — deck slides out if tipped; not designed for transport
  • No room for tokens or dice; you'll need a separate bag
See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
Gamegenic

Gamegenic Dungeon 1100+ Card Box

$$$

If you end up building 6-8 Commander decks (it happens), the Dungeon 1100 holds them all in one organized box. Gamegenic's build quality is legitimately better than budget plastic — solid dividers, tight magnetic closure, everything fits cleanly. This is the box people buy after they've outgrown four smaller ones.

What we like

  • Holds 6-8 sleeved Commander decks in one organized, portable box
  • Gamegenic build quality noticeably better than budget plastic boxes

What to know

  • Way too large for a first purchase — buy when you have 4+ decks
  • Pricier than individual deck boxes if you only build 2-3 decks total
See on Amazon →

Card Storage

Once you've been playing for a month, you'll have extra cards. Booster pack opens, trades, and gifts accumulate fast. A binder is the best way to organize and browse your collection — easier than a pile, and you can see card art at a glance. Long cardboard boxes handle bulk storage for hundreds of commons and uncommons you'll want to keep but probably never put in a deck. Both are cheap and both serve different purposes.

Best starter
Ultra Pro

Ultra Pro 9-Pocket PRO-Binder

$$

The standard binder format for Magic collections. Nine-pocket pages hold cards side-by-side and are easy to flip through. D-ring construction (not O-ring) means cards at the spine don't curve over time. Holds 360 cards in a compact format. This is the binder your local game store regulars are using.

What we like

  • D-ring design doesn't bend spine cards — critical for long-term storage
  • 360-card capacity handles a solid collection without needing multiple binders
  • Nine-pocket pages let you compare cards side-by-side while organizing

What to know

  • Pages not removable — can't reorganize sections without moving every card
  • Not acid-free; for cards worth $50+, use individual rigid top-loaders
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
BCW

BCW 1000-Count Gaming Card Storage Box

$

A 1,600-card cardboard box for bulk commons and uncommons. When you've opened a few booster packs and have hundreds of cards to keep but not display, a BCW Long Box is the answer — cheap, stackable, and standard enough that dividers from any brand fit. Serious players have stacks of these under their desks.

What we like

  • Holds 1,600 cards — months of booster packs in one box
  • Stackable and standardized — BCW dividers fit perfectly

What to know

  • Cardboard only — keep away from humidity and don't stack heavy items on top
  • No display; not a substitute for a binder when you want to browse
See on Amazon →
a pile of dice sitting on top of a pile of cards

Photo by Nika Benedictova on Unsplash

Accessories

Magic needs more tracking than most card games. Life totals start at 40 in Commander (not 20), cards generate 'counters' that sit on permanents, and some spells create token creatures that need physical representation. At minimum, you need a life counter and six-sided dice for effects. A playmat protects your cards from rough table surfaces. None of this is expensive — $25-35 covers everything here and most of it lasts indefinitely.

Best starter
Chessex

Chessex Pound-O-Dice Assorted Dice

$$

A pound of assorted dice for $30 — an absurd quantity that covers every dice need in Magic and every tabletop game you'll ever play. Commander uses d20s for life tracking, d6s for damage and counters, and occasionally d10s. One Pound-O-Dice means you never need to buy dice again, and you'll always have extras to lend the table.

What we like

  • Massive quantity covers life tracking, counters, and tokens for the whole table
  • Enough extras to lend when someone inevitably forgets their dice

What to know

  • Random assortment — no matching set; not ideal if aesthetics matter to you
  • Many sizes you'll rarely use specifically in Magic
See on Amazon →
Specialty pick
Ultra Pro

Ultra Pro Gaming Playmat

$$

A playmat keeps cards from skidding across rough table surfaces and protects sleeves from the grit that slowly scratches them. In Commander, where a full game lasts 1-2 hours, a comfortable foam-rubber mat makes a real difference. Art-backed playmats from Ultra Pro run $20-25 and are noticeably better than playing on bare wood.

What we like

  • Foam rubber backing stops cards from sliding during combat or big spell turns
  • Protects sleeves from the table grit that slowly abrades them over months

What to know

  • Not required — skip until you're sure the hobby will stick around
  • Full-size (24" x 13.5") is bulkier than expected to carry to game nights
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering Theros Spindown Life Counter d20

$

An official Wizards of the Coast spindown life counter die — the same format every Commander player uses. Sequentially numbered faces (going 20-19-18... in order) make it trivial to track your life total by rotating the die. One counter tracks tens, one tracks ones, covering the full 40-life Commander start.

What we like

  • Sequential faces make it trivial to see your current life total at a glance
  • Two spindowns cover Commander's 40-life start without needing a phone app

What to know

  • Not a substitute for a full dice set — get the Chessex if you need both
  • Cheap plastic — loses its grip over heavy play, consider upgrading eventually
See on Amazon →
Going deeper

Your first month of Magic: The Gathering

Magic has a reputation for being complicated. It earns that reputation — but the complexity is concentrated in places that don't matter on day one. Here's how to learn without drowning in rules text.

Read the guide →
Save your money

What you don't need yet

Beginners get pressured to buy a lot of stuff that doesn't help them play better. Here's what we'd skip on day one.

  • Random booster packs — Exciting once you have a deck to put cards into, useless before then. Wait until month two.
  • Individual card singles — Buying singles to upgrade a deck requires knowing what your deck is missing. You won't know that yet.
  • A custom-built Commander deck from scratch — Building from scratch means choosing from 15,000+ cards. Play a precon for a month first, then start swapping.
  • Double-sleeving — Double-sleeving (inner + outer sleeve) is for cards worth $50+. Nothing in your precon needs it yet.
  • Commander life tracker apps or specialty trackers — Two spindown dice or a phone app handles life tracking fine. The dedicated gadgets are a luxury.
  • A large card grading / protective case collection — Unless you pull a valuable card ($100+), basic binder storage and sleeving is sufficient. Grading comes later.
First week

Your first seven days

A short, real plan to get from gear-on-doorstep to actually playing.

  1. Order a Commander precon deck — it arrives in two days and you can play that evening. · Buy
  2. Order sleeves while you wait. A 100-count pack fits a Commander deck exactly. · Buy
  3. Learn the basics of Commander — the turn structure is simpler than it looks once you see it written out. · Learn
  4. Sleeve your deck before your first game. Go through every card while you do — best way to learn what's in your deck. · Action
  5. Find a local game store running Commander nights. Most run them weekly, usually free to enter. · Action
  6. Play your first game and expect to lose. The goal is learning which cards you played, what they did, and what you'd do differently. · Action
FAQ

Common questions

Should I start with Commander or a different format?

Commander for almost everyone. It's the most popular format, the most welcoming to new players, and the one your local game store is most likely running. The one exception: if you have exactly one friend who wants to learn with you, the Magic Starter Kit is a better two-player starting point.

How much does Magic actually cost to play?

A Commander precon is $50, sleeves are $10-15, and a deck box is $10-15. You're at $75-90 for a complete setup. The expense grows if you start buying singles to upgrade your deck or chasing booster packs — which you shouldn't do in month one.

How do I know which Commander precon to buy?

Pick one whose strategy sounds fun to you — aggressive (deal damage fast), control (stop opponents from doing things), or combo (build toward a big payoff). Any recent precon from Wizards is designed to be playable and beginner-friendly. Don't over-research your first one.

Is Magic hard to learn?

The basics take about 30 minutes to absorb. The depth takes years. Start with the core turn structure (untap, draw, main phase, combat, end step), the five colors and their broad playstyles, and what 'tapping' means. That's enough to play your first Commander game without being completely lost.

Where do I find other people to play with?

Local game stores are the primary social hub. Most run Commander nights weekly, usually free to play. Use the Wizards store locator at locator.wizards.com. College gaming clubs and community Discord servers are also active.

Should I worry about card value?

Not in month one. Some cards in your precon will be worth $5-20, which is exactly why you sleeve them. But tracking card prices before you know how to play is a rabbit hole that distracts from learning the game. Play for a month, then look up prices if you're curious.

Going further

Where to next

Related hobbies

Browse by category

Authoritative sources

  • Magic: The Gathering — Learn to Play — Wizards of the Coast's official introduction. Good for turn-structure basics and rule terminology.
  • Commander Format Rules — The official Commander rules site, maintained by the format's Rules Committee. Shorter than you expect.
  • EDHREC — The best deckbuilding resource for Commander. Shows which cards players add to any Commander, sorted by inclusion rate. Essential once you start upgrading your precon.
  • Tolarian Community College (YouTube) — The Professor's channel — the most trusted equipment reviews (sleeves, boxes, binders) in the hobby. Watch his reviews before buying any accessories.
  • Commander's Brew (YouTube/Podcast) — Deckbuilding strategy focused on budget and creative builds. Unusually good at explaining WHY cards are chosen, not just which ones to include.
  • r/EDH (Reddit) — The Commander subreddit. Best for finding local game stores, getting deck feedback, and learning community etiquette — important in Commander.
  • Scryfall — The best card search engine. Free, fast, indexes every card ever printed. Use it to look up rulings, read card text, and search by mechanic or keyword.
  • MTGGoldfish — Price tracker and metagame resource. Come here in month two to compare prices for singles before upgrading your deck. Not for week one.
two men sitting at a table playing cards

Photo by 2H Media on Unsplash

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