Magic: The Gathering 18830 225333200 2008-07-13T03:46:04Z Davewho2 1738583 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/72.224.141.238|72.224.141.238]] to last version by Paul August (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) <!-- This article is somewhat over-complete. Please do not add significant new content without first discussing it on the talk page. If in doubt, review [[WP:NOT|what Wikipedia is not]]. -->{{Cleanup|date=June 2008}} {{Infobox Game | image_link= [[Image:Magic the gathering-card back.jpg|200px|Magic: The Gathering card back]] | image_caption = ''Magic: The Gathering'''s card back design | designer= [[Richard Garfield]] | publisher= [[Wizards of the Coast]] | players= 2 or more | ages= 13+ | setup_time= < 2 minutes<ref>Excluding deck construction</ref> | playing_time= ~ 25 minutes<ref>Games may take much longer or shorter depending on a deck's play style and the number of players</ref> | complexity= High <!-- Please do not change these items. --> | strategy= High <!-- This has been discussed on [[Talk:Magic: The Gathering]]. --> | random_chance= Some | skills= [[Collectible card game|Card playing]]<br>[[Mathematics|Arithmetic]]<br>[[Reading]]<br>[[Logic]] | bggid=463 }} '''''Magic: The Gathering''''' (colloquially "'''''Magic'''''", "'''''MTG'''''", or "'''''Magic Cards'''''") is a [[collectible card game]] created by [[mathematics]] professor [[Richard Garfield]] and introduced in 1993 by [[Wizards of the Coast]]. ''Magic'' is the first example of the modern collectible card game genre and still thrives today, with an estimated six million players in over seventy countries.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/magiconline/news050903 | title = Press Release | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Wizards of the Coast | authorlink = Wizards of the Coast | date = 2006-05-03 | quote = There are more than six million ''Magic'' players in 52 countries }} Note that the "six million" figure is the one used by Wizards of the Coast; while they would be in the best position to know through tournament registrations and card sales, they also have an interest in presenting an optimistic estimate to the public.</ref> ''Magic'' can be played by two or more players each using a deck of printed cards or a deck of virtual cards through the [[Internet]]-based ''[[Magic: The Gathering Online]]'' or third-party programs. <!--Please see Discussion page before altering this paragraph.--> Each game represents a battle between powerful [[Planeswalker|wizards]] who use the magical spells, items, and fantastic creatures depicted on individual ''Magic'' cards to defeat their opponents. Although the original concept of the game drew heavily from the motifs of traditional [[fantasy]] [[role-playing game]]s such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', the gameplay of ''Magic'' bears little resemblance to pencil-and-paper adventure games, while having substantially more cards and more complex rules than many other card games. An [[Duelists' Convocation International|organized tournament system]] and a community of [[Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)|professional ''Magic'' players]] has developed, as has a [[secondary market]] for ''Magic'' cards. ''Magic'' cards can be valuable due to not only their scarcity, but also their utility in game play and the aesthetic qualities of their artwork. ==History== [[Peter Adkison]] (then [[CEO]] of [[Wizards of the Coast]] games company) first met with [[Richard Garfield]] to discuss Garfield's new game [[RoboRally]]. Adkison was not enthusiastic about the game, as board games are expensive to produce and difficult to market.<ref name="RPGnetWotC">{{cite web | url = http://www.rpg.net/columns/briefhistory/briefhistory1.phtml | title = A Brief History of Game #1: Wizards of the Coast, 1990-Present | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Shannon Appelcline | date = 2006-08-03 }}</ref> He did enjoy Garfield's ideas and mentioned that he was looking for a portable game that could be played in the downtime that frequently occurs at [[gaming convention]]s. Garfield returned later with a prototype he had been working with on and off over the last few years under the development name of ''Mana Clash''.<ref name="RPGnetWotC" /> Adkison immediately saw the potential of the game and agreed to produce it. The game was renamed ''Magic: The Gathering'' and underwent a general release on [[August 5]], [[1993]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/magic/advanced/1_2_3e/ABUnlim.asp |title=Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited Editions |accessdate=2007-02-15 |author=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref> [[Role-playing game|Role-players]] were enthusiastic early fans of ''Magic'', but the game achieved much wider popularity among strategy gamers. The commercial success of the game prompted a wave of other [[collectible card game]]s to flood the market in the mid-1990s. In 1996, [[Wizards of the Coast]] established the "[[Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)|Pro Tour]]",<ref name="PTHoF">{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/268 | title = The ''Magic'' Pro Tour Hall of Fame | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Chris Galvin | date = 2005-06-06}}</ref> a circuit of tournaments where players can compete for a top prize of [[United States dollar|US$]]40,000 for a single weekend-long tournament.<ref name="prize">{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=protour/default/prizes | title = 2006 Pro Tour Prize Structures | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Duelists' Convocation International | authorlink = Duelists' Convocation International}} The US$40,000 figure is as of 2006. The total prize purse is US$240,245 for individual tournaments.</ref> Sanctioned through the [[Duelists' Convocation International]], the tournaments added an element of prestige to the game by virtue of the cash payouts and media coverage from within the community. In 2002, an official online version of the game was released. While unofficial methods of online play existed previously,<ref>Notably, the [[Apprentice (software)|Apprentice]] program. See [[Magic: The Gathering video games|''Magic: The Gathering'' video games]].</ref> ''[[Magic: The Gathering Online]]'' quickly became a success for the company thanks to its rules enforcement, feature-rich environment, and accessible nature.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} A new, updated version of ''Magic Online'' was released in early 2008. As of 2003, Wizards has been giving out more than US$3,000,000 in awards and prizes, each season, to players on the Magic: Pro Tour circuit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/arcana/288 |title=10th Anniversary Press Release |accessdate=2008-01-17 |authorlink=Magic Arcana |date=2003-02-17 }}</ref> ===Awards=== *1994: [[Mensa]] Top Five mind games award<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mindgames.us.mensa.org/manufacturer/past_winners.php |title=American Mensa mind games past winners}}</ref> *1994: [[Origins Awards]] for ''Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Board game of 1993'' and ''Best Graphic Presentation of a Board game of 1993''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1993/list-of-winners| title=Origins Award Winners (1993)| publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> *1999: Inducted alongside Richard Garfield into the Origins Hall of Fame<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1998/list-of-winners| title=Origins Award Winners (1998)| publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design| accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> *2003: [[GAMES Magazine]] selected ''Magic'' for its [[GAMES 100#Hall of Fame|Games Hall of Fame]] ==Game play== {{main|Magic: The Gathering rules}} [[Image:MagicCards.jpg|thumb|314px|''Magic: The Gathering'' cards of various types and colors.]] In a game of ''Magic'', two or more players are engaged in a battle as powerful wizards. A player starts the game with twenty ''life'' points and—with a few exceptions—loses when he or she is reduced to zero or less. The most common method of reducing an opponent's life is to attack with summoned creatures, although numerous other methods exist. Reducing an opponent to zero life is the most common way of winning (or losing) the game; running out of cards and attempting to draw from an empty deck will also cause a player to lose, but it is usually more difficult to inflict this on an opponent. In addition, some cards specify other ways to win or lose the game, such as by accumulating poison counters. Players start with seven cards in hand. The two basic card types in ''Magic'' are "spells" and "lands". Lands provide ''[[Magic point|mana]]'', or magical energy, which is used as magical fuel when the player attempts to cast spells. Spells come in several varieties: "sorceries" and "instants" have a single, one-time effect before they go to the "graveyard"; "enchantments" provide a lasting magical effect; creature spells summon monsters that can attack and damage your opponent, or artifact which the player thereafter controls, and are sometimes creatures as well. As of the "Lorwyn" block, planeswalkers have become a new card type, powerful beings each with three abilities that can only be used once per turn. More powerful spells cost more mana, or other resources such as: cards which have not yet been played from one's deck or hand; lands, creatures, artifacts and enchantments which have ''already'' been played ("permanents"); or even life points. However, spells exist which result in a gain in or return of such resources instead. Some spells have effects that override normal game rules (e.g., allow a player to play more than one land per turn, which is restricted under normal circumstances). The "Golden Rule of ''Magic''" states that "Whenever a card's text directly contradicts the rules, the card takes precedence."<ref>Rule 103.1 of the [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules/tourneyplayer Comprehensive Rules].</ref> This allows Wizards of the Coast great flexibility in creating cards, but can cause problems when attempting to reconcile a card with the rules (or, even worse, ''two'' cards which separately alter the same rule). A detailed rulebook<ref name="rulebook">{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules/tourneyplayer | title = Magic Rules for Tourney Players | accessdate = 2006-09-30 }} This website will contain a link to the most up-to-date version of the Comprehensive Rules.</ref> exists to clarify these conflicts. ===Deck construction=== {{see also|Magic: The Gathering deck types}} A player needs a deck before he or she can play a game of ''Magic''. Beginners typically start with an initial [[Magic: The Gathering preconstructed theme decks|preconstructed deck]], known by many ''Magic'' players as a "precon". In most styles of game play, players may customize their decks with any of the cards they own based on the particular player's technique, playing style, or even the anticipated content of an opponent's deck. In general, decks are required to be a minimum of sixty cards. Players may use no more than four copies of any named card, with the exception of "basic lands", which act as a standard resource in ''Magic''.<ref>Note that the Golden Rule applies here as well, and one card exists that breaks the "four of" rule&nbsp;— {{mtgcard|Relentless Rats}}.</ref> Both these rules are loosened in "[[Magic: The Gathering#Limited|limited]]" formats where a small number of new cards are opened for play from [[booster pack]]s or preconstructed decks, with a minimum deck size of 40 cards and no four-of rule in such formats. Depending on the type of play some more powerful cards are "restricted", which means that only one of that card is allowed per deck, or "banned", meaning that card cannot be used at all. The decision on what colors to use is a key part of creating a deck. Spells in ''Magic'' come in five colors, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and playing more than one color can help create a more versatile and well-rounded deck. Nevertheless, reducing the number of colors used increases the [[statistics|statistical likelihood]] of drawing the lands one needs to cast one's most-important spells. One- and two-color decks are the most common, though three-, four- and even five-color decks can be successful if well-designed. ===The colors of ''Magic''=== Most spells come in one of five colors.<ref> An article on the consideration of "purple" for the set ''[[Planar Chaos]]'' is at [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/386 The Color Purple].</ref> The colors can be seen on the back of the cards, in a pentagonal design, called the "Color Wheel". Clockwise from the top, they are: white, blue, black, red, and green (abbreviated as W, U, B, R, G, respectively; "U" stands for "blue" because "B" denotes Black and "L" land<ref>[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/academy/2 Anatomy of a Magic Card]</ref>). To play a spell of a certain color, mana of that color is required. This mana is normally generated by a land with one of the basic land types: in order, plains, island, swamp, mountain, and forest. The balances and distinctions between the five colors form one of the defining aspects of the game. The various strengths and weaknesses of each color are attributed to the fact that each color represents a different "style" of magic.<ref>A series of articles written by [[Mark Rosewater]] describing each color in depth (as well as multicolor cards, artifact or colorless cards, and color-hybrid cards) can be found at the game's official site at [http://www.magicthegathering.com MagicTheGathering.com]: [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr57 The Great White Way], [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr84 True Blue], [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr109 In the Black], [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr133 Seeing Red], [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr43 It's Not Easy Being Green], [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr165 Just the Artifacts, Ma'am], and [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr202 Midas Touch].</ref> <!-- Reminder: This section speaks in generalities. No need to mention every exception to the rule. --> * '''White''' is the color of order, equality, righteousness, healing, law, community, absolutism and light (although not necessarily "good"). White's strengths are a roster of small but proportionally very powerful creatures that if used together in large groups can overwhelm an opponent quickly, such as soldiers, knights and paladins; protecting those creatures with enchantments; gaining life and/or preventing damage; imposing restrictions on players; destroying artifacts and enchantments; and the ability to "equalize" the playing field. White creatures are known for their "[[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords#Protection|Protection]]" from various other colors or even types of card, rendering them completely impervious to harm from those colors or cards. White's weaknesses include its difficulty in directly destroying opposing creatures, its inability to change game plans due to inflexible cards, and the fact that many of its most powerful spells affect all players equally: one of its signature spells, [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=276 Wrath of God], kills ''all'' creatures in play, including the player's own. * '''Blue''' is the color of intellect, reason, illusion, dreams, creativity, manipulation, and trickery, as well as the classical elements of [[Air (classical element)|air]] and [[Water (classical element)|water]]. Blue's cards are best at letting a player draw additional cards; permanently stealing control of an opponent's cards; returning ("bouncing") permanents to their owner's hands, thus forcing that opponent to replay them; and "countering" (canceling) an opponent's spells, causing the mana to go to waste while the spell itself has no effect. Blue's creatures, which include shapeshifters, sea creatures and wizards, tend to have weaker base statistics than other colors, but commonly have abilities and traits which make them difficult to hurt or block, particularly [[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords#Flying|Flying]]. Blue's weaknesses include having trouble permanently dealing with spells that have "resolved" without being counterspelled; the expensive nature of most of its spells (especially its creatures), which is exacerbated by its complete lack of ways to rush more mana into play; and the ''reactive'' nature of most of its spells, letting an opponent take the initiative that it may not be able to take back. Having said that, card-drawing and denial are critical elements found in all constructed formats. * '''Black''' is the color of power, ambition, death, corruption and amorality (although not necessarily "evil"). Black cards are best at removing creatures, making players discard cards from their hand, and raising creatures from the dead. Furthermore, because Black seeks to win at all costs, it has limited access to many abilities or effects that are normally restricted to the other colors (Green's mana acceleration in "[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=54 Dark Ritual];" both Red direct-damage and White life-gaining in "[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=61 Drain Life]"; Blue's card-drawing in the infamous [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=2478 Necropotence]), but these abilities are disproportionately expensive compared to the colors that normally feature them, often forcing payment of life, creatures, or other permanent resources. Black is known for having "[[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords#Fear|Fear]]" on its creatures, a trait that makes Red, White, Green and Blue creatures unable to block them in combat. Black's main weaknesses are an almost complete inability to deal with enchantments and artifacts, its tendency to hurt itself almost as badly as it hurts the opponent (especially when attempting to deal with White and Green, its ideological enemies), and difficulties in removing other ''black'' creatures (though this restriction has been lightened in recent years).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/cotd/0706 | title = Card of the Day&nbsp;— July, 2006 | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | date = 2006-07-27 | quote = Black removal spells like Terror or Dark Banishing that could take out large-sized creatures historically had the drawback of not being able to affect other black creatures, and sometimes not artifact creatures either. Since then this drawback has been tweaked in many ways that no longer limit the cards to just non-black or non-artifact.}}</ref> * '''Red''' is the color of freedom, chaos, passion, impulse and fury, as well as [[lightning]], the classical element of [[Fire (classical element)|fire]], and the non-living, geological aspects of the classical element [[Earth (classical element)|earth]] (the color Green representing Earth's living side).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/askwizards/0206#1 | title = Ask Wizards | accessdate = 2006-09-26 | author = Brady Dommermuth | date = 2006-02-01 | quote = The particular issue of red's connection to earth and stone has another aspect as well, though. Red has and will continue to have earth/stone-themed cards. But green wants to be connected to earth as well, in the soil sense. So red gives up a few of its 'earth' cards for green's sake. }} </ref> Red is one of the best colors for destroying opposing lands and artifacts; sacrificing permanent resources for temporary (but hopefully game-winning) power, such as with [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=3444 Final Fortune]; and playing spells that deal "direct damage" to creatures or players, like "[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=209 Lightning Bolt]" or "[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=197 Fireball]", which gave rise to another term for direct damage: "burn". Red has a wide array of creatures, but with the exception of the extremely powerful (and infamous) dragons, most of them are fast at the cost of being small and weak, or unbalanced with strong power and weak toughness, rendering them easily destroyed by a weak blocker; it has the vast majority of cards that involve random chance; and some of its cards can turn against or hurt their owner in return for being more powerful for their cost, such as the classic [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=4825 Jackal Pup]. Red also shares the trickery theme with Blue and can temporarily steal opponents' creatures or divert their spells, although generally not permanently. Many of Red's most famous creatures have the "[[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords#Haste|Haste]]" trait, which lets them attack and use many abilities a turn earlier than normal. Red's weaknesses include its inability to destroy enchantments, the random or self-destructive nature of many of its spells, and its generally weak late-game play: most of its cards are designed to win fast or not at all. * '''Green''' is the color of life, instinct, nature, evolution, ecology and interdependence. Green has a large number of creatures, which tend to have the strongest base statistics in the game for their cost. Many of its spells make them stronger still temporarily, such as [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=14683 Giant Growth]; these spells are often referred to as "pumps" or "tricks", as many of these can be played when an opponent believes his creature will win the combat. It can also destroy "unnatural" artifacts and enchantments, increase a player's life total, and accelerate its mana production by strengthening the output of its lands, drawing new ones directly from its deck, or even deploying creatures who themselves can generate mana, like the famous [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=166 Llanowar Elves]. Green also has ways to easily produce the other four colors of mana. Green creatures often have "[[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords#Trample|Trample]]," an ability which lets them deal attack damage to an opponent if blocked by a weaker creature. Green's biggest weakness is that it has few ways of destroying creatures directly, which usually forces it to rely upon the superior efficiency and flexibility of its own creatures in combat. It also has a distinct shortage of flying creatures, though some of its creatures, such as Spiders, can [[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords#Reach|block as though they had flying]], as well as having many very powerful cards that specifically target flying creatures. Finally, it has few gameplay options besides large creatures and "pump" spells, leaving it in dire straits if an opponent can somehow neutralize or destroy its army. The colors adjacent to each other on the pentagon are "allied" and often have similar, complementary abilities. For example, Blue has a relatively large number of flying creatures, which it shares with White and Black, which are next to it. The two non-adjacent colors to a particular color are "enemy" colors, and are thematically opposed. For instance, Red tends to be very aggressive, while White and Blue are often more defensive in nature. The R&D team at Wizards of the Coast balances the power among the five colors by using the [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mc3 Color Pie] to define the colors' differences.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr85 | title = The Value of Pie | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Mark Rosewater | authorlink = Mark Rosewater | date = 2003-08-18}}</ref> This guideline lays out the capabilities, themes, and mechanics of each color and allows for every color to have its own distinct attributes and philosophy. The pie is used to ensure new cards are thematically in the correct color and do not impede on the territory of other colors. Multi-color cards were introduced in the ''[[Legends (Magic: The Gathering)|Legends]]'' set and use a gold frame to distinguish them from mono-color cards. These cards require mana from two or more different colors to be played. Multi-color cards tend to combine the philosophy and mechanics of all the colors used in the spell's cost. More recently, two-color "hybrid" cards that can be paid with either of the card's colors (as opposed to both) were introduced in the ''[[Ravnica: City of Guilds|Ravnica]]'' set, and are appearing again in the Shadowmoor set. Hybrid cards are distinguished by a [[gradient]] frame with those two colors. Multi-color cards tend to be proportionally more powerful compared to single-color or hybrid cards as requiring all the mana colors in the card's casting cost is considered to be a major handicap. [[Artifact (fantasy)|Artifacts]] are cards that exist without specific colors of magic. Within the story-telling milieu of ''Magic'', artifacts are magical machines or objects that are created by para-magical or technological means; as such, they do not require a specific color of mana to play (they are "colorless") and can be used by any color. Due to their object-based nature, as of yet there are no artifact sorceries, instants, or enchantments. Typically, artifacts provide abilities that are not unique to any color, or which the designers wished to make available to all colors. Many artifacts are also creatures, often with abilities reflecting their mechanical nature or having abilities from the colors such as flying and fear. However, while generally artifacts are completely colorless in terms of their mana requirements, since the ''Mirrodin'', ''Ravnica'' and ''Future Sight'' blocks, many artifacts have broken that rule for gameplay-interest purposes: some artifacts require certain colors of mana to use their abilities, though not to play, while others become more powerful or only have effect when different colors of mana, especially more than one or even all colors, are used to play them. ===Variant rules=== {{main|Variant Magic: The Gathering formats}} While the primary method of ''Magic'' play is one-on-one using standard deck construction rules, casual play groups as well as Wizards of the Coast have developed many alternative formats for playing the game. The most popular alternatives describe ways of playing with more than two players (with teams or free-for-all) or change the rules about how decks can be built. ==Organized play== [[Image:Magic Players.jpg|250px|thumb|Officially sanctioned ''Magic'' tournaments attract participants of all ages and are held around the world. These players in [[Rostock]], [[Germany]] competed for an invitation to a professional tournament in [[Nagoya]], [[Japan]].]] <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:GP-amsterdam.gif|right|thumb|300px|Officially sanctioned ''Magic'' tournaments attract participants of all ages and are held around the world. These players in [[Amsterdam]], [[Netherlands]] competed in a Grand Prix tournament on March 10th, 2007.]] --> {{main|Duelists' Convocation International}} ''Magic: The Gathering'' has grown tremendously since it was first introduced in 1993, and a large culture has developed around the game. ''Magic'' [[tournament]]s are arranged almost every weekend in gaming stores, schools, universities, and (in Europe) pubs and bars. Larger tournaments with hundreds of competitors from around the globe sponsored by Wizards of the Coast are arranged many times every year. Large sums of money are paid out to those players who place the best in the tournament.<ref name="prize" /> A number of websites report on tournament news, give complete lists for the most currently popular decks, and feature articles on current issues of debate about the game. The DCI (formerly known as the [[Duelists' Convocation International]]) is the organizing body for sanctioned ''Magic'' events. The DCI is owned and operated by Wizards of the Coast. The "I" came later after the organization went global. There are two types of organized play, ''Constructed'' and ''Limited''. ===Constructed=== In ''Constructed'' tournaments, each player arrives with a pre-built deck. These decks must abide by the 60-card minimum deck size and four-of card rules. Various tournament formats exist which define what card sets are allowed to be used, and which specific cards are disallowed. In addition to the main deck, players are allowed a 15-card sideboard. Following the first game of a match, each player is permitted to replace any number of cards in his or her deck with an equal number of cards from his or her sideboard. Thus a player may alter his or her deck to better deal with the opponent's strategy. Tournaments are normally structured so that the first player to win two games is the winner of the match. The original deck configuration is restored before the start of the next match. There are various formats in which Constructed tournaments can be held. They include ''Vintage'' (Type 1), ''Legacy'' (Type 1.5), ''Extended'' (Type 1.x), ''Standard'' (Type 2), and ''Block''. The DCI maintains a ''Banned and Restricted List'' for each format, which defines certain abusive cards as not allowed (banned) or restricted to only one copy in a deck (restricted). Banning has generally been rare in the more modern formats, but is considered necessary for some of the older formats to control their power level. Restricting was more common in ''Magic'''s past; currently the only format in which there is a Restricted List is Vintage, as the DCI now prefers to ban cards outright rather than restrict them.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr59 | title = Banned on the Run | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Mark Rosewater | authorlink = Mark Rosewater | date = 2003-02-17 | quote = Restricting a card makes games more swingy as the variance of drawing the powerful card has a huge impact on the game. We accept the swinginess in Vintage as we want players to have access to all the cards. But in other formats, we err on the side of making the formats a little less luck-based.}}</ref> Block formats are defined by the cycle of three sets of cards in a given block. For example, the ''Ravnica'' block format consists of ''[[Ravnica: City of Guilds]]'', ''[[Guildpact]]'', and ''[[Dissension (Magic: The Gathering)|Dissension]]''. Only cards that were printed in one of the sets in the appropriate block can be used in these formats. Standard is the format defined by the current block, the last completed block, and the most recent ''core set''. The current Standard card pool consists of ''Time Spiral'' block, ''[[Coldsnap]]'', the ''[[10th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)|Tenth Edition]]'' core set, and ''[[Lorwyn]]'' and ''[[Shadowmoor]]'' mini-blocks (which count as a single block).<ref>''Coldsnap'' is a special exception to the usual rule.</ref> Extended is the format where all Magic blocks and core sets issued during the last seven years are legal. Prior to March 1, 2008, Extended format rotation system was different and more complicated: three Magic blocks rotated out every three years. The current extended format consists of the ''Invasion'', ''Odyssey'', ''Onslaught'', ''Mirrodin'', ''Kamigawa'', ''Ravnica'', ''Time Spiral'', and ''Lorwyn'' blocks; the ''Seventh'', ''Eighth'', ''Ninth'', and ''Tenth'' edition core sets; and ''Coldsnap''. The first two blocks and ''Seventh'' will no longer be legal by late October 2008. Vintage is considered an ''eternal'' format because the card pool never rotates. This means that all the sets that are currently legal will continue to be legal and any new sets will automatically be included in the legal card pool. The only banned cards for Vintage are cards using the ''[[#Gambling|ante]]'' mechanic; {{mtgcard|Chaos Orb}} and {{mtgcard|Falling Star}}, two cards that must be flipped onto the table; and {{mtgcard|Shahrazad}}, a card that begins a ''subgame'', making tournament games take too much space and time to complete. Because of the expense in acquiring the old cards to play competitive Vintage, most Vintage tournaments held are unsanctioned ones where players are permitted to [[proxy card|proxy]] a certain number of cards.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/7614.html | title = Money, Proxies, and the Must-Have List&nbsp;— A Case for Vintage | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Avi Flamholz | date = 2004-07-13 | quote = More and more, the larger U.S. Vintage tournaments are unsanctioned and allow growing numbers of proxies (usually five to ten, sometimes unlimited). In fact, I would be hard pressed to find a sanctioned Type 1 tournament (A.K.A. proxy-free) in the last year or so that drew more than thirty people (other than major conventions like GenCon).}}</ref> Proxies are treated as stand-ins of existing cards. They are not normally permitted in tournaments sanctioned by the DCI.<ref>Proxies are permitted in sanctioned tournaments if a card is damaged or worn in the course of competition, however. They are also permitted in Limited if the opened cards are already damaged.</ref> Legacy is the other eternal constructed format. It evolved from Type 1.5, a format defined by a banned list that merely consisted of all banned and restricted cards in the old Type 1. In 2004, the format was revitalized by separating the banned list from the rechristened Vintage and banning many old, powerful, and expensive cards such as {{mtgcard|Mishra's Workshop}}, {{mtgcard|Mana Drain}}, and {{mtgcard|Bazaar of Baghdad}}. The result is that Legacy has a lower power level than Vintage, which makes for longer games, and is considerably more affordable. The DCI has attempted to promote the format with the addition of a Legacy Grand Prix circuit. In 2007, the company announced that this format had selected for the final individual portion of the World Championships prior to the fixing a problem that they had made after moving the championships from summer/fall to fall/winter. ===Limited=== [[Duelists' Convocation International#Limited|''Limited'' tournaments]] are based on a pool of cards which the player receives at the time of the event. The decks in limited tournaments need only be 40 cards; all the unused cards function as the sideboard. In ''sealed deck'' tournaments, each player receives a 75-card Tournament Pack (containing 45 cards and 30 basic lands) and two booster packs (each with 15 cards) from which to build their deck, though exceptions exist.<ref>Sets without Tournament Packs such as Core Sets use five booster packs instead when playing sealed. Prerelease tournaments for expansion sets usually offer 1 Tournament Pack of the base-set for the block and 3 booster packs of the recently released expansion, so that the new expansion is prominently featured.</ref> In a ''booster draft'', several players (usually eight) are seated around a table and each player is given three booster packs. Each player opens a pack, selects a card from it and passes the remaining cards to his or her left. Each player then selects one of the 14 remaining cards from the pack that was just passed to him or her, and passes the remaining cards to the left again. This continues until all of the cards are depleted. The process is repeated with the second and third packs, except that the cards are passed to the right in the second pack. Players then build decks out of any of the cards that they selected during the drafting and add as many basic lands as they want. Booster draft tournaments are somewhat prone to collusion, as players can hold the cards their neighbors need at the expense of their own deck building. Talking, signaling, and showing cards is forbidden during the drafting process and may be penalized by disqualification from the tournament. [[Image:shadowmage infiltrator.jpg|thumb|200px|By winning a yearly Invitational tournament, Jon Finkel won the right for this card to feature his design and likeness.]] ===Tournament structure=== The DCI maintains a set of rules for being able to sanction tournaments, as well as runs its own circuit. Many hobby shops offer "Friday Night ''Magic''" tournaments as an entrance to casual competitive play usually organized by a local game store. A special tournament set called the Junior Super Series (now known in the US as the ''Magic'' Scholarship Series) was run for underage competitors. This allows for a very broad base of gameplay. The DCI runs the "[[Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)|Pro Tour]]" as a series of major tournaments to attract interest. The right to compete in a Pro Tour has to be earned by either winning a Pro Tour Qualifier Tournament or being successful in a previous tournament on a similar level. A Pro Tour is usually structured into two days of individual competition played in the Swiss format (players play rounds against opponents with similar success in previous rounds). On the final day, the top eight players compete with each other in an elimination format to select the winner. At the end of the competition in a Pro Tour, a player is awarded 'Pro Points' depending on his finishing place. If the player finishes high enough, he will also be awarded prize money. Invitation to a Pro Tour, Pro Points and prize money can also be earned in lesser tournaments called 'Grand Prix' that are open to the general public and are held more frequently throughout the year. Frequent winners of these events have made names for themselves in the ''Magic'' community, such as [[Kai Budde]] and [[Jon Finkel]]. As a promotional tool, the DCI launched the [[Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] in 2005 to honor these players after earning 100 lifetime Pro Points and spending nine-ten years on the scene.<ref name="PTHoF" /> At the end of the year the [[Magic: The Gathering World Championship|Magic World Championships]] are held. The World Championship functions like a Pro Tour but competitors have to present their skill in three different formats (usually Standard, booster draft and a second constructed format) rather than one. Another difference is that invitation to the World Championship can be gained not through Pro Tour Qualifiers, but via the national tournament of a country. Each country sends the top four players of the tournament as representatives. There are also other means to be invited to the tournament. As such, the World Championship also has a team competition which is comprised of the results the members of the national teams put up during the individual competition and the team based competition on the second to last day of the event. During the final day, the top two teams play each other to determine the winner. At the beginning of the World Championship, new members are inducted into the Hall of Fame. The tournament also concludes the current season of tournament play and at the end of the event, the player who earned the most Pro Points during the year is awarded the title 'Player of the Year'. Also the player who earned the most Pro Points and did not compete in any previous season is awarded the title 'Rookie of the Year'. ==Product and marketing== {{main|Magic: The Gathering sets}} ''Magic: The Gathering'' cards are produced in much the same way as normal [[playing card]]s. Each ''Magic'' card, approximately 63&nbsp;x&nbsp;88&nbsp;mm in size (2{{Fraction|15|32}} by 3{{Fraction|7|16}}&nbsp;[[inches]]), has a face which displays the card's name and rules text as well as an illustration appropriate to the card's concept. 9113 unique cards have been produced for the game, many of them with variant editions, artwork, or layouts, and 600–1000 new ones are added each year.<ref name="Gatherer">{{cite web | url = http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/Index.aspx | title = Gatherer | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}, the official ''Magic'' card database.</ref> The first ''Magic'' cards were printed exclusively in [[English language|English]], but current sets are also printed in [[Simplified Chinese]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Russian language|Russian]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr214b | title = Coldsnap Q & A | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | author = Mark Rosewater | authorlink = Mark Rosewater | date = 2006-02-06}} shows those 9 languages as of the summer of 2006. ''Magic'' was previously printed in [[Traditional Chinese]] (used in [[Taiwan]]) and [[Korean language|Korean]], but this stopped after ''[[Urza's Saga]]'', when [[Simplified Chinese]] was added, the official language of the [[People's Republic of China]]. See [http://www.magiclibrary.net/sets.html www.magiclibrary.net] for a language history, albeit one that is not updated any more.</ref> ''Magic'' cards are normally divided into three rarities, which can be differentiated by the color of the expansion symbol (in sets released after the [[Stronghold (Magic: the Gathering)|Stronghold]] expansion. For sets released prior to [[Stronghold (Magic: the Gathering)|Stronghold]], rarities must be checked against any number of databases). These are Common (Black), Uncommon (Silver), and Rare (Gold). Basic lands are their own rarity, and are colored black as commons. Most new cards are purchased in the form of "Booster Packs" or "Tournament Packs". A fifteen-card Booster Pack will typically contain one Rare, three Uncommons, and eleven Commons. A Tournament Pack typically contains three Rares, ten Uncommons, thirty-two Commons, and thirty Basic Lands.<ref>"Typically" is used due to a change in card distribution in ''[[Time Spiral]]'' which allows premium cards of any rarity to replace Common cards instead of cards of their own rarity. See [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr247 Purple Reign] for more information.</ref> This means that three Booster Packs are roughly equivalent to one Tournament Pack.<ref>Tournament Packs contain one more Uncommon and one less Common than would be acquired from three Booster Packs, so they aren't exactly equal.</ref> The vast majority of ''Magic'' cards are marketed to the public in the form of sets. The [[wiktionary:biennial|biennially]]-released <!-- Reminder: biennial = once every two years, biannual = twice a year (and wrong)--> Core Set currently consists of three-hundred and eighty-three reprinted cards, with a mixture of old and new artwork. ''[[10th Edition (Magic: The Gathering)|Tenth Edition]]'' is the most recent Core Set and was released on Saturday, July 14, 2007. Newly-designed cards are first sold in expansion sets with a "block" consisting of up to three theme-related expansion sets released over a period of a year. The first and largest part of a block is the set released in or around October and typically consists of three-hundred and six cards with eighty-eight Rares, eighty-eight Uncommons, one-hundred and ten Commons and twenty Basic Lands. At subsequent four-month intervals, the second and third expansion sets of the block are issued. These two smaller sets each typically consist of one-hundred and sixty-five cards divided into fifty-five Commons, fifty-five Uncommons, fifty-five Rares, and zero Basic Lands. The number of cards per set and the rarity distribution has varied over time. In 2003, starting with the ''Eighth Edition'' Core Set, the game went through its biggest visual change since its creation—a new card frame layout was developed to allow more rules text and larger art on the cards, while reducing the thick, colored border to a minimum.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/121 | title = Card Face Redesign FAQ | accessdate = 2006-09-30 | date = 2003-01-20 }}</ref> The new frame design aimed to improve contrast and readability using black type instead of the previous white, a new font, and partitioned areas for the name, card type, and power and toughness. ==Secondary market== There is an active secondary market in individual cards among players and game shops. For example, there are around 30,000 ''Magic: The Gathering'' card auctions running on [[eBay]] at any one time.<ref>{{cite web | title=eBay search page | url=http://buy.ebay.com/magic-the-gathering | accessdate=2008-05-14}}</ref> Many other physical and online stores also sell single cards or "playsets" of four of a card. Common cards rarely sell for more than a few cents and are usually sold in bulk. Uncommon cards and weak rares typically cost under US$1. The most expensive cards in Standard tournament play usually cost approximately US$10-20. On rare occasions if the cards are particularly powerful, some might even sell for US$25-50. [[Image:black lotus.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The [[Beta (Magic: The Gathering)|Beta]] version of the Black Lotus card is usually considered to be the most valuable non-promotional ''Magic'' card ever printed.<ref>Compare US$3000 price [http://sales.starcitygames.com//category.php?cat=1001&letter=B here] for Beta version to prices for other cards [http://sales.starcitygames.com//category.php?cat=1001 here].</ref><!---Can't say it's the MOST valuable overall because those cards that only have one printed in existence are likely worth much more---> ([[Unlimited (Magic: The Gathering)|Unlimited]] version shown.)]] The most expensive card which was in regular print (as opposed to being a promotional or special printing) is [[Power Nine#Black Lotus|Black Lotus]], with average prices as of 2007 above US$1,000 and high-quality "graded" copies rising above US$3,000—in 2005, a "Pristine 10 grade" Beckett Grading Services graded Beta Black Lotus was bought by Darren Adams, owner of West Coast Sports Cards & Gaming Distributors in Federal Way, Washington, for a record $20,000.<ref>Beckett Magic The Gathering Magazine, Issue 3, December 2005/January 2006, pg. 10, "Sold! $20,000!"</ref> A small number of cards of similar age, rarity, and playability—chiefly among them the other cards in the so-called "[[Power Nine]]"—routinely reach high prices as well. In 2003, after the rotation of the Extended tournament format and in combination with the first Type 1 Championships, the prices for such old, tournament-level cards underwent a large, unexpected increase.{{Verify source|date=April 2007}} As new sets come out, older cards are occasionally reprinted. If a card has high play value, reprinting will often increase the original version's price because of renewed demand among players. However, if the card is primarily attractive to collectors, reprinting will often decrease the original version's value. Wizards of the Coast formulated an official "Reprint Policy"<ref> [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/products/ReprintPolicy Official Reprint Policy] has Wizards of the Coast's Reprint Policy. Note, however, that important individuals such as Mark Rosewater have [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr218 indicated that the policy was a mistake]; nevertheless, they have also said that they will maintain the policy to insure Wizards' promises are taken seriously.</ref> in 1995 in an attempt to guarantee to collectors the value of many old cards. The Policy details certain cards that are unavailable to be printed again. Wholesale distributors are not allowed to ship product to foreign nationalities. Additionally, several countries still have import restrictions that could be construed to bar the import of ''Magic: The Gathering'' or other collectible card games ([[Italy]], for example, places restrictions on the importation of "playing cards").{{Fact|date=November 2007}} Shipping restrictions have been relaxed recently and it is now possible to ship sealed product to Europe. Non-English cards often have different prices on the secondary market than their English equivalents, depending on the desirability of the language. Certain languages, such as Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian, are less valuable than English cards, while Asian languages, along with Russian and German, are often worth more to the American or English-speaking collector. While this is a highly debated topic and often left to the opinion of the collector, a select number of people are willing to pay extremely high prices for foreign cards.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} ==Artwork== Each card has an illustration to represent the flavor of the card, often reflecting the setting of the expansion for which it was designed. ''Magic''’s initial few sets were a mixed bag in art quality; while Wizards of the Coast had hired some established and well-known artists, they also commissioned card art from newcomers to the industry with mixed results. Since that initial period, the quality of the artwork has generally stabilized, and many well-known fantasy and science-fiction illustrators have worked for ''Magic''. Wizards of the Coast's purchase of [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], and with it, the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' property, has led to some bleed between the games, with artists performing work for both. Notable artists who have contributed art for ''Magic'' cards include [[John Avon]], [[Melissa Benson]], [[Gerald Brom]], [[John Coulthart]], [[Tony DiTerlizzi]], [[Mike Dringenberg]], [[Kaja Foglio]], [[Phil Foglio]], [[Donato Giancola]], [[Rebecca Guay]], [[John Howe]], [[Todd Lockwood]], [[Keith Parkinson]], [[Mark Poole]], [[Quinton Hoover]], [[Ron Spencer]], [[Bryan Talbot]], [[Matt Cavotta]], [[Gary Ruddell]], [[Rob Alexander]], [[Nick Percival]],[[Kev Walker]] and [[Mark Zug]]. <!-- Please don't add artists to this section unless they have an existing article on Wikipedia. Artists in this section should be well-known for work -outside- ''Magic'' as well as work -inside- ''Magic''. Keep the list short and high-quality. --> Much of ''Magic''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s early artwork was commissioned with little specific direction or concern for visual cohesion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/askwizards/0107 |title=Ask Wizards |accessdate=2007-04-21 |last=Jarvis |first=Jeremy |date=2007-01-01 |quote=In the ‘old days’, art descriptions were vague suggestions of images... Neither continuity nor the idea of worldbuilding (creating distinctive and unique worlds and settings) would become issues until some time later.}}</ref> However, after a few years of submissions featuring beings with wings on creatures unable to fly,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mc3 |title=Flight of Fancy |accessdate=2007-04-21 |last=Buehler |first=Randy |date=2003-11-21}}</ref> or multiple creatures in the art of what was intended to be a single creature, the art direction team decided to impose a few constraints so that the artistic vision more closely aligned with the design and development of the cards. Each block of cards now has its own [[style guide]] with sketches and descriptions of the various races and places featured in the setting.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mc3 |title=The Magic Style Guide |accessdate=2007-04-21 |last=Cavotta |first=Matt |date=2005-09-07}}</ref> A few early sets experimented with alternate art for cards. However, Wizards came to believe that this impeded easy recognition of a card and that having multiple versions caused confusion when identifying a card at a glance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/askwizards/0602 |title=Ask Wizards |accessdate=2007-02-15 |last=Chase |first=Elaine |date=2002-06-17 |quote=While we don't like to completely rule anything out, there currently aren't any plans to repeat the alternate art within a set model. The main reason is that most players recognize cards through the artwork.}}</ref> Consequently, alternate art is now only used sparingly and mostly for promotional cards.<ref>A notable exception are Basic Land cards, but those are easily identifiable due to the oversized mana symbol in their text boxes.</ref> That said, when older cards are reprinted in new (non-Core Edition, and not "timeshifted" reprints in the ''[[Time Spiral]]'' set) sets, Wizards of the Coast has guaranteed that they will be printed with new art to make them more collectible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr121 |title=Collecting My Thoughts |accessdate=2006-06-30 |last=Rosewater |first=Mark |authorlink=Mark Rosewater |date=2004-04-26 }}</ref> Ever since 1995, the copyright on all artwork commissioned is transferred to Wizards of the Coast once a contract is signed. However, the artist is allowed to sell the original piece and printed reproductions of it, and for established and prolific ''Magic'' artists, this can be a lucrative source of revenue. <!--Relevance? In 1998, Wizards published a coffee-table book of Magic artwork entitled ''The Art of Magic : a fantasy of world building and the art of the Rath Cycle'' by Lizz Baldwin and Anthony Waters. --> As ''Magic'' has expanded across the globe, its artwork has had to change for its international audience. Artwork has been edited or given alternate art to comply with the governmental standards. For example, the portrayal of skeletons and most undead in artwork is prohibited by the [[Government of the People's Republic of China|Chinese government]].<ref>[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/arcana/50 Chinese Skeletons] by Magic Arcana, ''MTG.com'', March 2002</ref><ref>[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/arcana/948 Alternate Chinese Art in Ravnica, Part 1] by Magic Arcana, ''MTG.com'', November 2005</ref> ==Storyline== {{main|Magic: The Gathering storylines}} An intricate storyline underlies the cards released in each expansion and is shown in the art and [[flavor text]] of the cards, as well as in novels and anthologies published by [[Wizards of the Coast]] (and formerly by HarperPrism). It takes place in the [[Parallel universe (fiction)|multiverse]], originally named Dominia but changed to avoid confusion with [[Dominaria]],<ref>{{cite web | title=February 15, 2007 | work=Ask Wizards | url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/askwizards/0207 | first=Brady | last=Dommermuth | publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]] | date=[[2007-02-15]] | accessdate=2007-12-30}}</ref> which consists of an infinite number of [[plane (Magic: The Gathering)|planes]]. Important storyline characters or objects often appear as cards in ''Magic'' sets as "Legendary" creatures, unique cards of which there can only be one in play at a time. The expansion sets from ''[[Antiquities (Magic: The Gathering)|Antiquities]]'' through ''[[Scourge (Magic: The Gathering)|Scourge]]'' (with the exception of ''[[Homelands (Magic: The Gathering)|Homelands]]'') are set on the plane of [[Dominaria]] and are a roughly chronological timeline of that plane's history (with the exception of the ''[[Urza's Saga]]'' Block). Major recurring characters include [[Urza]] and his brother [[Mishra (Magic: The Gathering)|Mishra]]. The sets from ''[[Weatherlight]]'' through ''[[Apocalypse (Magic: The Gathering)|Apocalypse]]'' follow in particular the story of the crew of the ''Weatherlight'', allies of Urza against [[Yawgmoth]]. ''Magic'' began to venture out of Dominaria and into several new planes such as [[Mirrodin (plane)|Mirrodin]], [[Kamigawa]], and [[Ravnica (plane)|Ravnica]]. The ''Magic'' storyline returned to Dominaria with the ''[[Time Spiral]]'' block, and visited [[Lorwyn (plane)|Lorwyn]] with the ''[[Lorwyn]]'' block. ==Controversial aspects== ===Expense=== With the release of four sets per year and a minimum of 800<ref name="SetsPerYear"> Magic releases four sets per year, at least one of those sets a "large set". (currently 306 cards for expert-level sets, 350 cards for core sets) Estimated number comes from a rounding of 306 + 165 + 165 + 165; one large set + at least 3 sets of "normal set size". </ref> new cards released in those sets, there is a large amount of investment to maintain a ''Magic'' collection that is complete. In addition, many events are run using the ''Standard'', ''Block Constructed'', or ''Limited'' formats, all of which either require you to purchase product to enter or require the procurement of cards no older than two years old. As such, Wizards of the Coast has in place a sort of de-facto policy of [[planned obsolescence]], wherein players that wish to maintain competitive in these formats must purchase large amounts of product regularly. Older formats such as ''Extended'', ''Legacy'', and ''Vintage'' utilize a much larger portion of the total number of ''Magic'' cards as part of their legality. However, these sets incur additional expense by the nature of the cards that are popular for use in their formats. Since many of the cards have not been printed in a set for many years, the cards can become very difficult to find, and therefore very expensive. This is negated to some extent with some cards depending on the number of sets the card has been printed in; if a card has been reprinted several times, the total number of those cards is much larger, bringing supply higher and costs lower. Many players mitigate this by building decks based on a budget, rather than keep up-to-date on the most recent sets. These decks sometimes are significantly hindered by their lack of expensive cards, depending on the format and what cards are legal at the time. For instance, when the ''Block Constructed'' format was new for Ravnica block, the cycle of rare lands within the block forced many decks in the format to exceed $100 alone for the lands. These costs can be avoided while maintaining a competitive environment by playing in many casual formats, such as ''Peasant'', which only allows the playing of decks with no more than 5 uncommon cards and no rare cards. In a casual environment, players also utilize [[Proxy Card|proxy cards]] or cards from decks in the "World Championship" preconstructed decks, which are gold-bordered; these cards are not allowed in sanctioned tournaments, but are generally accepted for use in casual play. Some players also play using free software clients such as ''[[Magic Workstation]]'' and ''[[Apprentice (software)|Apprentice]]'', which allow you to play without owning any cards. ===Luck vs. skill=== ''Magic'', like many other games, combines chance and skill. A common complaint, however, is that there is too much luck involved with the basic resource of the game: land. Too much land (mana flood) or too little (mana drought or mana screw), especially early in the game, can ruin a player's chance at victory without the player having made a mistake. A common response is to say that the luck in the game can be minimized by proper deck construction, as a higher land count can reduce mana problems. The standard land count in most decks ranges from 18 to 26, although the use of special spells or lands (such as {{mtgcard|Land Tax}}, {{mtgcard|Harrow}}, and {{mtgcard|Brushland}}) and the relative costs of the main spells within the deck can substantially increase or decrease the number of lands required. Other cards can minimize the player's dependence on mana. A "[[mulligan]]" rule was later introduced into the game, first informally in casual play and then in the official game rules. The modern "Paris mulligan" allows players to shuffle an unsatisfactory opening hand back into the deck at the start of the game, draw a new hand with one less card, and repeat until satisfied.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr112b |title=Starting Over |accessdate=2007-02-11 |last=Rosewater |first=Mark |authorlink=Mark Rosewater |date=2004-02-23}}</ref> The "standard mulligan" allows a player a single redraw of seven new cards if that player's initial hand contained seven or zero lands. A variation of this rule is still used in some casual play circles and in multiplayer formats on ''Magic Online'', and allows a single "free" redraw of seven new cards if a player's initial hand contains seven, six, one or zero lands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/bs58 |title=Nephilim Are Prismatastic! |accessdate=2007-02-11 |last=Smith |first=Bennie |date=2006-04-27}} This article explains this mulligan rule in the Prismatic format, where it is called a "big deck" mulligan. The rule was added to all multiplayer ''Magic Online'' later, as explained in this [http://boards1.wizards.com/archive/index.php/t-295147.html official announcement].</ref> ===Net decking=== The [[Internet]] has played an important role in competitive ''Magic''. Strategy discussions and tournament reports frequently include a listing of the exact contents of a deck and descriptions of its performance against others. Some players will take this information and construct a similar (or even the same) deck, relying on the expertise and experience of other players. This strategy, referred to as "net decking," is often a good one, but it is not a guarantee that the player will be able to repeat the deck's earlier success. The player may be inexperienced, unfamiliar with the operation of the deck, or enter an event where a large number of other players have also "net decked". In such a tournament, a metagamed-deck (a deck designed to defeat common builds in an environment) may be a superior choice. Some players advocate Limited formats of competitive ''Magic'' over Constructed formats because of this phenomenon. ===Demonic themes=== [[Image:lord of the pit.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Demonic imagery in card art.]] For the first few years of its production, ''Magic: The Gathering'' featured a small number of cards with names or artwork that implied [[demon]]ic or [[occult]]ist themes (such as [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=60 ''Demonic Tutor''] and [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=87 ''Unholy Strength''], which both featured [[pentagram]]s in their artwork). Although such cards were in a minority, their presence led to some criticism from religious groups, and in 1995 the company elected to remove such references from the game. In 2002, believing that the depiction of demons was becoming less controversial and that the game had established itself sufficiently, Wizards of the Coast reversed this policy and began to reprint cards with "demon" in their names.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr131 | title = Where Have All The Demons Gone Today | author = Mark Rosewater}}</ref> ===Gambling=== The original set of rules prescribed that all games were to be played for [[betting (poker)|ante]]. Each player would remove a card at random from the deck they wished to play with and the two cards would be set aside. At the end of the match, the winner would take and keep both cards. Early sets included a few cards with rules designed to interact with this [[gambling]] aspect, allowing replacements of cards up for ante, adding more cards to the ante, or even permanently trading cards in play. The cards came with the instruction that they should be removed from the deck in a game that wasn't being played for ante. The ante concept became controversial because many regions had restrictions on [[games of chance]]. The rule was later made optional because of these restrictions and because of most players' reluctance to possibly lose a card that they owned. The gambling rule is forbidden at sanctioned events and is now mostly a relic of the past, though it still sees occasional usage in friendly games as well as the "five color" format. The last card to mention ante, Timmerian Fiends,<ref>{{mtgcard|Timmerian Fiends}}</ref> was printed in the 1995 expansion set [[Homelands (Magic: The Gathering)|Homelands]]. ===Patent=== {{main|Collectible card game#Patent}} A [[patent]] was granted to [[Wizards of the Coast]] in 1997 for "a novel method of game play and game components that in one embodiment are in the form of trading cards" that includes claims covering games whose rules include many of Magic's elements in combination, including concepts such as changing orientation of a game component to indicate use (referred to in the Magic and [[Vampire: The Eternal Struggle]] rules as "tapping") and constructing a deck by selecting cards from a larger pool.<ref>{{cite patent|US|5662332}}</ref> The patent has aroused criticism from some observers, who believe some of its claims to be invalid.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol17/issue18/screens.gaming.html | title = The Year in Gaming | accessdate = 2007-06-03 | last = Varney | first = Allen | publisher = [[The Austin Chronicle]] | date = 2006-05-03 }}</ref> In 2003, the patent was an element of a larger legal dispute between Wizards of the Coast and [[Nintendo]], regarding trade secrets related to Nintendo's [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]]. The legal action was settled out of court, and its terms were not disclosed.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_Dec_29/ai_111705013 | title = Pokemon USA, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Resolve Dispute | accessdate = 2007-09-21 | publisher = [[FindArticles]] | date = 2003-12-29 }}</ref> ==Notes and references== {{reflist|2}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book | last = Moursund | first = Beth | title = The Complete Encyclopedia of ''Magic: The Gathering'' | location = New York, NY | publisher = Thunder's Mouth Press | year = 2002 | id = ISBN 1-56025-443-2 }} * {{cite book | last = Baldwin & Waters | title = The Art of ''Magic'': A fantasy of world building and the art of the Rath Cycle | location = Renton, WA | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | year = 1998 | id = ISBN 0-7869-1178-6 }} ==See also== {{commons}} {{wikibooks}} * [[Magic: The Gathering rules]] ** [[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords]] * [[Magic: The Gathering sets]], also called "expansions" ** [[Magic: The Gathering preconstructed theme decks]] * [[Magic: The Gathering storylines]] ** [[List of characters in Magic: The Gathering]] ** [[List of Magic: The Gathering novels]] * [[Magic: The Gathering video games]] * [[Duelists' Convocation International]], the official ''Magic'' tournament sanctioning body ** [[Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)]] ** [[Magic: The Gathering World Championship]] * [[Magic: The Gathering deck types]] * ''[[The Duelist]]'', at one time a monthly magazine that was produced by Wizards * ''[[The Sideboard]]'', a now defunct magazine dedicated to tournament play * ''[[Duel Masters]]'', a spin-off game by Wizards of the Coast based on ''Magic'' ==External links== <!-- NOTE TO EDITORS: Fair warning, this section is watched closely. 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