10 Best Planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering
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If you’re on this page, chances are you’ve already played Magic: The Gathering at least once. Or you may be a player returning to the game after a long time. Or maybe you are just curious and want to get into this vast multiverse of fantastic creatures and mind-blowing sorcery. Whichever the case, you have arrived at the right place.
By now you must have realized that Planeswalker decks are essential if you really want to get into this game. In the storyline of Magic: The Gathering, planeswalkers are among the most powerful beings in the multiverse. Planeswalker card types were introduced in Lorwyn – the 43rd Magic: The Gathering expansion and was released on October 12, 2007. Planeswalker decks are designed with new players in mind. It is a pre-constructed theme deck designed to acquaint players who are interested in the game with basic strategy, the game’s settings, and characters.
However, with hundreds of decks to pick from, it is difficult to choose, especially if you are on a budget. So, in this review, we shall take a look at the ten best planeswalkers decks you could get in 2021.
10BestBuy.com selects
Magic: The Gathering Teferi Timeless Voyager Planeswalker Deck | Core Set 2021 (M21) | 60 Card Starter Deck
Teferi wields the lessons of the past to forge a better future. Clean your opponent’s clock with an overwhelming number of resources.
Magic: The Gathering Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst Planeswalker Deck | Core Set 2021 (M21) | 60 Card Starter Deck
Magic: The Gathering Garruk, Savage Herald Planeswalker Deck | Core Set 2021 (M21) | 60 Card Starter Deck
Magic: The Gathering Basri Ket, Devoted Paladin Planeswalker Deck | Core Set 2021 (M21) | 60 Card Starter Deck
Magic: The Gathering Liliana Death Mage Planeswalker Deck | Core Set 2021 (M21) | 60 Card Starter Deck
Magic The Gathering: MTG: Core Set 2020 Planeswalker Deck - Yanling w/Booster Pack (Blue)
Magic The Gathering: MTG: Core Set 2020 Planeswalker Deck - Sorin w/Booster Pack (Black)
Core Set 2019 Planeswalker Deck: Vivien (Original Version)
Magic: The Gathering Elspeth, Undaunted Hero Planeswalker Deck | Theros Beyond Death | 60-Card Starter Deck
Magic The Gathering Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears Planeswalker Deck | Theros Beyond Death | 60-Card Starter Deck
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10 Best Planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering Reviews & Buyer’s Guide
01.
Magic: The Gathering Teferi Timeless Voyager Planeswalker Deck
Teferi wields the lessons of the past to forge a better future. Clean your opponent’s clock with an overwhelming number of resources.
- 60 card deck
- One 15 card booster pack
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
- Cardboard deck box
- Strategy insert
- 2 reference cards
The Blue Planeswalker Deck features Teferi, Timeless Voyager. A master of time magic, Teferi has lived a long life and his abilities as a powerful mage have not waned in all that time. Teferi uses his time magic to help you play in fast forward. He uses lessons of the past to forge a better future. You can clean your opponent’s clock with an overwhelming number of resources.
Teferi will gain you a crucial advantage over your opponent by drawing lots of cards. This will help you always be ahead on resources. He works with time, and his deck can use phasing, bounce effects, card draw, and much more, to gain incremental advantages and control the tempo of the game. Teferi uses flash, card advantage, and prowess to win.
Flash – Some creatures are quicker than others. A spell with flash can be cast any time you could cast an instant – even during your opponent’s turn. A rare card in this deck, a merfolk wizard titled Teferi’s Wavecaster, is a 3/3 with flash that can tutor for the new Teferi when it appears.
Card Advantage – The key to Teferi’s deck is drawing extra cards, which helps you find a response to every threat from your opponent. Mystic Skyfish and Historian of Zhalfir work with extra card draw, where Blue sees ahead into the future. There are 16 cards in the Teferi Planeswalker deck that draws you more cards.
Prowess – Some of the creatures in Teferi’s deck get stronger when you cast spells. A creature with prowess gets +1/+1 until the end of turn whenever its controller casts a non-creature spell. The deck has only five prowess creatures, so you might want to add more.
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 3 rare cards
- Only 19 creatures
02.
Magic: The Gathering Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst Planeswalker Deck
Passionate and powerful, Chandra launches a burning barrage directly at the opponent’s life total.
- 60 card deck.
- One 15 card booster pack
- Strategy insert
- 2 reference cards
- Cardboard deck box
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
The Red Planeswalker Deck features Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst. Passionate and powerful, Chandra launches a burning barrage directly at the opponent’s life total. Her deck aims for a quick, all-or-nothing victory over the opponent and features such cards as Storm Caller, Keral Keep Disciples, and Chandra’s Firemaw. If Chandra gets enough loyalty, she can cast a one-time Omniscience effect and the Wheel of Fate effect at the same time. Chandra is a wildfire, spreading flames wherever she goes. A highly gifted pyromancer, she’s not one for subtlety or grace – she’s about lots of fire in your face. Chandra uses non-creature spells, +1/+1 counters, and non-combat damage to win.
Non-creature Spells – Some of the creatures in Chandra’s deck have powerful abilities that trigger whenever you cast a non-creature spell. non-creature spells include artifacts, enchantments, instants, planeswalkers, and sorceries.
+1/+1 counters – Sometimes counters are put onto a card to keep track of something during a game. Many are +1/+1 counters, which each give a creature +1 power and +1 toughness. Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst can deal a huge 3 damage to each opponent for +1 loyalty
Non-combat Damage – Combat damage is the damage that’s dealt with automatically by attacking and blocking creatures. Chandra wins with non-combat damage – dealt as a result of a spell or ability. Burn spell is such a spell that can deal damage directly to your opponent. Shock and Slaying Fire are such cards available in this deck. There are also nine creatures in the deck, like Storm Caller, that can deal damage without attacking
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 3 rare cards
- • No artefacts or sorcery
03.
Magic: The Gathering Garruk, Savage Herald Planeswalker Deck
Garruk stalks the multiverse for the prey of his choosing, charging opponents with a ceaseless stampede of really, really big creatures.
- 60 card deck
- One 15 card booster pack
- Cardboard deck box
- Strategy insert
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
The Green Planeswalker Deck features the beast-tamer Garruk, Savage Herald. Garruk stalks the multiverse for the prey of his choosing, charging opponents with a ceaseless stampede of humungous creatures. Garruk Wildspeaker is the ultimate hunter. He has an uncanny connection with wild animals – even absorbing the powers of the monsters he defeats. Garruk wins by using Trample, Fight, and +1/+1 counters.
Trample – Many of the creatures in Grarruk’s deck charge past the opposing creatures, trampling them and affecting the opponent’s life total. A creature with a trample can deal with excess damage to the defending player or planeswalker when it is blocked. It has eight creatures that have 4+ power and you can use these to smash your opponent.
Fight – Some spells or abilities can force two creatures to fight, where each deals damage equal to its power to the other. Damage dealt during a fight isn’t combat damage, and abilities such as flying and trample are ignored.
+1/+1 counters – Sometimes counters are put onto a card to keep track of something during a game. Many are +1/+1 counters, which each give a creature +1 power and +1 toughness. Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst can deal a huge 3 damage to each opponent for +1 loyalty
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 3 rare cards
- No artefacts and sorcery
04.
Magic: The Gathering Basri Ket, Devoted Paladin Planeswalker Deck
The entire multiverse has opened before Basri Ket, ready to test his unshakeable ideals. Take over the battlefield by permanently powering up an army of creatures.
- 60 card deck
- One 15 card booster pack
- Cardboard deck box
- Strategy insert
- 2 reference cards
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
This White Planeswalker Deck features a new mono-white planeswalker – Basri, Devoted Paladin. Basri Ket is a Human Planeswalker and sand-mage from Amonkhet. He believes in fighting for the people around him – and has the perfect set of powers to do so. He protects himself and others with a golden aura of sand and can take damage in place of his allies. Basri is a battlefield commander, and his deck, which features Basri’s Aegis, Sigiled Contender, and Adherent of Hope emphasizes going wide while putting +1/+1 counters on soldiers. Basri uses +1/+1 counters, flying, and lifelink to win.
+1/+1 counters – +1/+1 counters are the major theme of the deck. It helps you make your small, cheap creatures bigger with +1/+1 creatures. Sometimes counters are put onto a card to keep track of something during a game. Many are +1/+1 counters, which each give a creature +1 power and +1 toughness.
Flying – Many of Basri’s allies take to the sky and fly past the opponent’s forces. A creature with flying can be blocked only by creatures with flying or reach.
Lifelink – Basri keeps an advantage by padding your life total throughout the game. When creatures have lifelink, you gain life equal to the amount of damage done by those creatures. Twelve cards in the Basri Planeswalker deck gain life in one way or another.
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 3 rare cards
- No Artefacts
05.
Magic: The Gathering Liliana Death Mage Planeswalker Deck
- 60 card deck
- One 15 card booster pack
- Cardboard deck box
- Strategy insert
- 2 reference cards
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
This Black Planeswalker Deck features Liliana Vess, a death mage from Dominaria who was one of the five planeswalkers to ever appear! Liliana made a pact with four demons for eternal youth and beauty – contracts from which she has now been freed. The Multiverse’s dead heed the call of Liliana Vess. A master necromancer, she believes the best way to deal with a problem is with a horde of zombies. The new planeswalker Liliana, Death Mage, can bring creatures back from the graveyard to your hand while gaining loyalty. Her middle ability can kill a creature and make its owner lose a life, and her ultimate ability makes an opponent lose two life for each creature in their graveyard. Liliana uses Deathtouch, flash, and indestructible to win.
Deathtouch – It is a static ability that causes damage dealt by an object to be especially effective against creatures. Some creatures are so deadly, the slightest contact is devastating. Any amount of damage a creature with Deathtouch deals with another creature is lethal.
Flash – Some creatures are quicker than others. A spell with flash can be cast any time you could cast an instant – even during your opponent’s turn.
Indestructible – A creature with indestructible can’t be destroyed by damage or by spells and abilities that say “destroy,” such as “destroy target creature.”
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 3 rare cards
- No Artefacts
06.
Magic The Gathering: MTG: Planeswalker Deck - Yanling w/Booster Pack
Mu Yanling is a human planeswalker from the Plane of Mountains and Seas. Control air elementals with this hydromancer.
- 60 card deck
- One 15 card booster pack
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
This blue planeswalker deck features Mu Yanling. Yanling relies on her quick and elemental magic to travel safely through strange and dangerous worlds. Disrupt your opponents with spells as your creatures fly over their defenses.
Costing 4 mana to cast Mu Yanling, gives a target creature -5/-0 until the end of turn. The card also lets you return up to two target creatures to their owner’s hands. Creatures you control with flying also get +5/+5 until end of turn.
Mu Yanling’s last ability affects only creature you control with flying at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in turn (or creatures that gain flying later in turn) won’t get +5/+5. In a multiplayer game, if you leave the game after Mu Yanling’s first ability resolves but before your next turn begins, its effect lasts until your next turn would have begun. It neither expires immediately nor lasts indefinitely.
In addition to Mu Yanling, Celestial Wind, the deck contains twenty seven creatures including Riddlemaster Sphinx, Dungeon Geists, Air Elemental, Frost Lynx, Warden of Evos Isle, Brineborn Cutthroat, Cloudkin Seer, Spectral Sailor, Celestial Messenger, Waterkin Shaman, and Yanling’s Harbinger. The deck also contains four instants, three sorceries and twenty five land cards.
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 3 rare cards
- No artefacts or enchantments
07.
Magic The Gathering: MTG: Planeswalker Deck - Sorin w/Booster Pack
Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord is a black vampire. Turn other creatures into Vampires, and sacrifice them to drain life from your target.
- 60 card deck
- One 15 card booster pack Pack Plus Strategy Insert
- Includes Deck Box,
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
This black planeswalker deck features Sorin Markov. Sorin is the lord of a proud, ancient lineage of vampire aristocrats. Gather an army of loyal vampires to drain the life from your opponents.
Costing six mana to cast, Sorin, Vampire Lord gives a target creature +2/+0 until the end of turn with his +1 loyalty counter. Sorin’s -2 loyalty does provide some usefulness, dealing out +4 damage to any target while providing +4 life.
If the chosen target is an illegal target by the time Sorin’s second ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn’t resolve. You won’t gain 4 life. Also, the control-change effect from ability granted by Sorin’s last ability lasts indefinitely. It doesn’t wear off during the cleanup step, and it doesn’t expire if Sorin or a Vampire whose ability was activated leaves the battlefield. In a multiplayer game, it does expire if you leave the game.
Beginning with +4 loyalty counters, Sorin, Vampire Lord has -8 ultimate. Until the end of turn, each vampire you control can tap to gain control of an opponent’s target creature. The ultimate only lasts until the end of the turn.
In addition to Sorin, Vampire Lord, the deck contains 25 creatures including Blood Burglar, Bloodthirsty Aerialist, Dread Presence, Gravewaker, Savage Gorger, Thirsting Bloodlord, Vampire Opportunist, Vampire of the Dire Moon and Sorin’s Guide.
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 3 rare cards
- No artefacts, enchantments or sorcery
08.
Core Set 2019 Planeswalker Deck: Vivien
Elspeth is a renowned warrior who has defeated everything from gods to death itself With Elspeth’s deck you’ll build up a battalion of devoted soldiers and lead them fearlessly to a glorious victory
- 60 card deck
- One 15 card booster pack
- Online code to redeem deck in Magic: The Gathering Arena
This green planeswalker deck features Vivien of the Arkbow. Vivien is a friend to the wild beasts of every world she visits. Her magical Arkbow holds the essence of many creatures she has encountered – including those preserved from her destroyed home plane. In combat, she can call forth their spirits from the bow and unleash them on her enemies. Call larger and larger creatures to your side as the game goes on and power them up with spells to make sure they dominate the battlefield.
Vivien enters with three loyalty counters and her +1 lets you put three +1/+1 counters on up to one target creature. She also has a -1 that will let you see through the top cards of your library until you reveal a creature card that then goes into your hand. Her -6, however, is the game-winner as it gives a creature +10/+10 and tramples till the end of turn.
Like the other Vivien on this list, Vivien of the Arkbow is a creature support Planeswalker with a powerful final ability. By the time you activate it, you’ll have used her +1 at least three times, meaning that you’ve already got a dangerous threat that will be made even more intimidating.
- Includes 3 rare cards
- Vivid colors and crisp texts
- No artefacts
09.
Magic: The Gathering Elspeth, Undaunted Hero Planeswalker Deck
This Magic: The Gathering starter deck is ready to play right out of the box. Battle a few times to master your deck’s strategy, then open the 2 included booster packs to customize it.
- 60 card deck
- 2 booster packs
Theros is a mythical world filled with Gods and warriors and honor to be had. Inspired by the ancient—reek legends on one hand and Magic: The Gathering’s own underworld twist that finds Elspeth. This is a great set for a beginner as you get an archetypal set to play the game.
Elspeth is a renowned warrior of surpassing skill and unshakeable willpower, who has defeated everything from Gods to death itself. With Elspeth’s deck, you’ll build up a battalion of devoted soldiers and lead them fearlessly to a glorious victory.
Elspeth, Undaunted Hero puts a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target creatures. Until end of turn, creatures you control gain flying and get +X/+X, where X is your devotion to White. This ability, however, affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in turn won’t get +X/+X or gain flying. The value of X is determined only as Elspeth’s last ability resolves. Once that happens, the value of X won’t change later in the turn even if your devotion to white changes.
In addition to Elspeth, Undaunted Hero, the deck also contains twenty three theatres including Taranika, Akroan Veteran, Daxos, Blessed by the Sun, Archon of Falling Stars, Daybreak Chimera, Hero of the Winds, Leonin of the Lost Pride, Eidolon of Inspiration, Sunlit Hoplite and Elspeth’s Devotee.
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 2 rare cards
- Includes 1 showcase frame
- No artefacts and sorcery
10.
Magic The Gathering Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears Planeswalker Deck
Ashiok has power to torment foes by conjuring their darkest memories, fears, and regrets. With Ashiok’s deck, you’ll fill your graveyard along with your opponent’s for massive value as you slowly drive them insane.
- 60 card deck
- 2 booster packs
Theros is a mythical world filled with Gods and warriors and honor to be had. Inspired by the ancient—reek legends on one hand and Magic: The Gathering’s own underworld twist that finds Ashiok. This is a great set for a beginner as you get an archetypal set to play the game.
Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears, is a strange, enigmatic being with the power to torment foes by conjuring their darkest memories, fears, and regrets. With Ashiok’s deck, you’ll fill your graveyard along with your opponent’s for massive value as you slowly drive them insane.
Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears allows you to gain control of all creatures target opponent controls. The effect of Ashiok’s last ability lasts indefinitely. It doesn’t expire as the turn ends or if Ashiok leaves the battlefield. In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any permanents you control from Ashiok’s second ability are exiled, and the control effect of Ashiok’s last ability ends.
In addition to Ashiok, Sculptor of Fears, the deck also contains twenty three creatures including Gravebreaker Lamia, Tymaret, Chosen from Death, Towering-Wave Mystic, Devourer of Memory, Swimmer in Nightmares, Elite Instructor, Underworld Charger, Mindwrack Harpy, Pharika’s Spawn, and Ashiok’s Forerunner.
- Includes 1 mythic card
- Includes 2 rare cards
- Includes 1 showcase frame
- No artefacts
Everything You Need To Know About Magic: The Gathering
Once you’ve got the best set of cards and created your own deck, the next step is to get right into the game. But that is not as easy as it sounds. There is so much stuff available on the internet about Magic: The Gathering, that all at once, it could be quite overwhelming. You might not know where to begin, and that’s perfectly understandable. Stepping into a game that has been going on for more than 25 years is a daunting task in itself. But it’s not just a game that has been going on for almost three decades – it is a dynamic game that is ever-changing.
So whether you are new to the game or a returning player, here’s everything you need to know about getting started without drowning in the game’s quarter-century of rules:
What is Magic: The Gathering?
Magic: The Gathering, also known as Magic or just MTG, is what you call a trading card game or a collectible card game and was originally released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. It was created by designer Richard Garfield and is widely considered the first-ever trading card!
How to play Magic: The Gathering
The goal
There are different formats in which you can play the game. In the standard format, each player builds a 60-card deck, using the cards in their collection. Each player begins the game with 20 life. You defeat your opponent and win the game by reducing your opponent’s life total from 20 to 0.
As per the storyline, you and your opponent are Planeswalkers, highly powerful beings who can traverse different planes of existence in the multiverse. You battle your opponent by summoning powerful spells. The goal is to win by summoning powerful spells and creatures that can lower your opponent’s life total until it reaches zero.
Mana
To summon spells, you have to rely on mana or land cards. These lands and their corresponding colors and symbols constitute the basic building blocks of Magic: The Gathering. Each mana represents a natural landscape that determines the flavor of that particular spell. There are five different types of lands which each produce different colors of mana represents a different:
- The Plains, or White lands, which produce white mana. The white mana is associated with protection and order. The symbol of the white lands is a white orb. White’s strengths area a host of small creatures like clerics, knights, and soldiers that become powerful collectively.
- The Islands, or Blue lands, which produce blue mana. The blue mana is associated with foresight and knowledge. The symbol of the blue lands is a blue water drop. Blue’s strengths include casting spells that interrupt your opponent and help you draw cards faster.
- The Swamps, or Black lands, which produce black mana. The black mana is associate with death and decay. The symbol of the black lands is a black skull. Black’s strengths include demons, zombies, and other hellish creatures with spells capable of leeching away your opponent’s health.
- The Mountains, or Red lands, which produce red mana. The red mana is associated with fury and chaos. The symbol of the red lands is a red fireball. Red’s strengths include aggressive spells like lightning bolt and fireball and creatures like warriors and goblins, meant to defeat your opponent by the quickest means necessary.
- The Forests, or Green lands, which produce green mana. The green mana is associated with nature and life. The symbol of the green lands is a green tree. Green’s strengths include aggressive buffs and various humungous beasts that can trample your opponent and also other creatures like elves and druids of the wood, who can help defeat your opponent.
The Play Area
A game starts with only players’ decks and life counters on the table. But once each player has had a few turns to play mana, cast spells, and attack with creatures, a virtual game board begins to take shape. The game board is divided into different game zones:
- Library: Your draw pile is called your library. It remains face down throughout the game. If you are forced to draw a card, but cannot because your library is out of cards, you lose the game.
- Hand: You start the game by drawing a hand of seven cards. If you have more than seven cards in your hand as your turn ends, you must discard down to seven.
- Battlefield: You and your opponents share the battlefield. Cards that go onto the battlefield (including lands, creatures, artifacts, and enchantments) are called permanents. Instants and sorceries are never on the battlefield. You can arrange your permanents however you want (we recommend putting your lands closest to you), but your opponent must be able to see all of them.
- Graveyard: Your graveyard is your discard pile: creatures that die, artifacts and enchantments that are destroyed, and cards you discard from your hand go here. The cards in your graveyard should always be face-up, and anyone can look at them at any time. Each player has their own graveyard.
- Exile: If a spell or ability exiles a card, that card is set apart from the rest of the game. Cards in exile are normally face up.
In-Game Actions
The actions you’ll take during a game, include tapping and untapping your cards, casting spells, and attacking and blocking with creatures in combat.
Tapping and Untapping
To tap a card means to turn it sideways to show that it has been used for that particular turn. You do this when you use a land to make mana, when you attack using a creature, or when you activate an ability that is permanent. When a permanent is tapped, you can’t tap it again until it has been untapped. To untap means to turn the card back upright. As your turn begins, untap your tapped cards so you can use them again.
Casting Spells
To cast a spell, you must pay its mana cost by tapping lands to make the amount and type of mana which that spell requires. Once a spell has been cast, one of two things happens. If the spell is an instant or a sorcery, follow the instructions on the card, and then put the card into your graveyard. If the spell is a creature, artifact, or enchantment, put the card on the table/floor. The card is now on the battlefield.
Cards on the battlefield are called permanents to differentiate them from instants and sorceries, which are never on the battlefield.
Attacking and Blocking
The most common way to win the game is to attack with your creatures. If a creature that is attacking an opponent isn’t blocked, it deals damage equal to its power to that opponent.
The middle phase of each turn is the combat phase. In your combat phase, you choose which of your creatures will attack, and you choose which opponents they will attack. Tap your creatures to show that they are attacking. Your opponents then choose which of their creatures will block, if any. Tapped creatures can’t be declared as blockers.
Once all blockers have been chosen, each creature – both attackers and blockers – simultaneously deals damage equal to its power (the number on the left side of the slash in the lower right corner of the card).
An attacking creature that isn’t blocked deals damage to the player it’s attacking.
An attacking creature that is blocked deals damage to the creature or creatures that are blocking it, and vice versa.
If the damage is dealt with by your opponent, they lose that much life.
If one of your attacking creatures is blocked by multiple creatures, you decide how to divide its combat damage among them. You must assign at least enough damage to the first blocking creature to destroy it before you can assign damage to the second one, and so on.
If a creature is dealt damage equal to or greater than its toughness over the course of a single turn (whether it be combat damage, damage from spells or abilities, or a combination of both), that creature is destroyed, and it goes to its owner’s graveyard. If a creature takes damage that isn’t enough to destroy it in a single turn, which creature stays on the battlefield, and the damage wears off at the end of the turn.
The phases of your turn
According to the instructions, each turn proceeds in the same sequence. Whenever you enter a new phase or step, any triggered abilities that occur during that step are put on the stack. The player, whose turn it is, starts activating abilities and casting spells. Then each other player follows in turn order. When all the players decline to do anything more and nothing is left on the stack waiting to be resolved, the game will move to the next phase or step.
There are five phases in each player’s turn:
Beginning Phase
- Untap step: The player untaps all tapped permanents. On the first turn of the game, you don’t have any permanents, so you just skip this step. No one can cast spells or activate abilities during this step.
- Upkeep step: Players can cast instants and activate abilities. This part of the turn is mentioned on a number of cards. If something is supposed to happen just once per turn, right at the beginning, and ability will trigger “at the beginning of your upkeep.
- Draw step: You must draw a card from your library (even if you don’t want to). The player who goes first in a two-player game skips the draw step on their first turn
First main phase
You can cast any number of sorceries, instants, creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers, and you can activate abilities. You can play a land during this phase, but remember that you can play only one land during your turn. Your opponent can cast instants and activate abilities.
Combat phase
- Beginning of combat step: Players can cast instants and activate abilities.
- Declare attackers step: You decide which, if any, of your untapped creatures will attack, and which player or planeswalker they will attack. This taps the attacking creatures. Players can then cast instants and activate abilities.
- Declare blockers step: Your opponent decides which, if any, of their untapped creatures will block your attacking creatures. If multiple creatures block a single attacker, you order the blockers to show which will be first to receive damage, which will be second, and so on. Players can then cast instants and activate abilities.
- Combat damage step: Each attacking or blocking creature that’s still on the battlefield assigns its combat damage to the defending player (if it’s attacking that player and wasn’t blocked), to a planeswalker (if it’s attacking that planeswalker and wasn’t blocked), to the creature or creatures blocking it, or to the creature it’s blocking.
If an attacking creature is blocked by multiple creatures, you divide its combat damage among them by assigning at least enough damage to the first blocking creature to destroy it, then by assigning damage to the second one, and so on. Once players decide how the creatures they control will deal their combat damage, the damage is all dealt at the same time. Players can then cast instants and activate abilities.
- End of combat step: Players can cast instants and activate abilities.
Second main phase
Your second main phase is just like your first main phase. You can cast any type of spell and activate abilities, but your opponent can only cast instants and activate abilities. You can play a land during this phase if you didn’t play one during your first main phase.
Ending phase
- End step: Abilities that trigger “at the beginning of your end step” go on the stack. Players can cast instants and activate abilities.
- Cleanup step: If you have more than seven cards in your hand, choose and discard cards until you have only seven. Next, all damage on creatures is removed and all “until end of turn” effects end. No one can cast instants or activate abilities unless an ability triggers during this step.
The Cards you need to buy begin playing the Game
As unbelievable as it sounds, you don’t have to buy any cards to begin playing. You can get a 30 card sample deck completely free, and so you can get to playing straightaway. All you need to do is go to a local gaming store and simply ask for one. Most local gaming stores will have these free decks.
The Magic sets and products a beginner should have
With 84 expansions over the history of the game and hundreds of decks to choose from, the sheer volume of cards can be breathtaking. However, Magic has always tried to make newcomers feel welcome, which is one of the reasons why the game is still popular. In the words of the game’s creator Richard Garfield himself the game is “easy to learn, difficult to master”.
For a beginner, it is always best to purchase cards from Magic’s annual Core Sets, with the latest being Core Set 2021. The Core Set helps you collect powerful cards and also explains some of the rules.
If you’re already acquainted with the game and feel ready to play something that needs a bit more skill, it would be ideal if you buy one of the new Planeswalker Decks. Planeswalker Decks – which this review focuses on – are pre-constructed decks that you can crack open and play immediately.
In addition, you’ll have to purchase a Deckbuilder’s Toolkit and also a Gift Box Bundle. These will get you the additional cards that you need or build on the deck you already have. The Deckbuilder’s Toolkit will have all the staple cards that you’ll be needing, a storage box, and also some booster packs. The Gift Box Bundle will contain 10 booster packs, a storage box, dice, and a player’s guide which will give you an idea about all the cards in that set.
The next step is to buy booster packs till you have a good number of commons and uncommons, which you can trade for the singles that you need. Additionally, you can also purchase the singles that you need.
The different types of cards in the deck
Magic: The Gathering cards are both collectible cards and also a strategy game. Cards are classified from most rare to least rare – mythic rare, rare, uncommon, and common. You can also get a glossy version of each card, which is called a foil version that is slightly more valuable.
In the game, there are various types of cards – each with its own rules and mechanics.
Creature – The creature is your most basic attacker and defender. Each creature has an attack and defense rating which can be seen in the bottom right corner of the card. This signals how powerful the creature is, along with other abilities listed on the card.
Sorcery – Sorcery is a spell you cast on your opponent directly from your hand. You can play sorceries only on your turn. It has a one-time effect that is then discarded.
Instant – Instant as the name suggests can be played instantly without waiting for your turn. Much like sorcery, it is also a spell that can be cast on your opponent directly from your hand. This card can also be played on your turn and has a one-time effect.
Enchantment – Enchantment is similar to sorcery. However, it stays in play indefinitely until your opponent can find a way to dispel it. There are also enchantments, like creature enchantments, which continually buff a card until it is dispelled or the creature is destroyed.
Artifact – Artifact works just like enchantment. The only difference is that it usually represents a physical object, rather than a magic spell. Some artifacts may also include equipment that can make creatures even stronger.
Planeswalker – Planeswalkers cards represent highly powerful planeswalkers who have come to help you in your battle. These cards come with tokens and work much differently than other Magic cards. A planeswalker card acts as another player, who has come to help you. So, when an opponent attacks you, he or she should specify if they are attacking you or your summoned Planeswalker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Priced between $80 and $100, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, is the most expensive planeswalker.
Yes. You can activate planeswalkers' loyalty abilities on the same turn you play. They do not have summoning sickness unless they become a creature on their first turn.
Deathtouch destroys creatures by inflicting one point of damage. Planeswalkers are not creatures so they are not affected by Deathtouch. The fact that it doesn’t work is why some cards like Vraska’s and Swarm’s Eminence’s tokens have additional texts for killing planeswalkers.
Best Planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering - Final Verdict
Planeswalker decks are designed with new players in mind. They familiarize players who are interested in Magic with basic strategy, the game’s setting, characters, and mechanics. You get a deck that you can play right out of the box. If you are just starting out with Magic: The Gathering, Planeswalker Decks are a perfect choice. If you’re a deeply enfranchised player, the Planeswalker Decks probably aren’t for you. But you can always improve them by getting some booster packs.
However, most Planeswalker Decks are similar in power level. You probably cannot choose one that is better than the rest – they are designed that way. We’ve reviewed the ten best planeswalkers decks available in the market today and found that each one of them is fairly balanced against each other. Any of them will get you to enjoy the game. After all, that’s the most important thing! So get your deck, and start playing!