Magic the Gathering

What is Magic: The Gathering?

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is the world's most popular Trading Card Game.

As a new player, it can be very confusing on where to start and how things are run so that you can take part in the action in many different ways.

We at Critical Hit Gaming Lounge are here to guide you on the right path for this fantastic game.

Want to get into MTG?

Get a free welcome deck!

All you have to do is ask one of our staff and if they are in stock and you can have one.

With one of these decks, you get the rules on how to play and two premade ready to go 30 card decks for you and a friend to go head to head and learn.

When can I play?

We host weekly events.

Although you can play Magic anywhere, the best place to find new opponents to challenge are the events we host for you.

We suggest our DRAFT events every Thursday night at 6:30pm.

Draft is a fantastic format to sink into because everyone is on the same playing field in terms of cards.

How long does it take?

Idividual games of MTG can run from 15 mins to 2 hours.

Game times can vary a lot based on the number of players and format being played.

The Draft format also takes additional time for deck building at the table (more on that below).

Formats of play

There are different formats of Magic you can play: Draft, Standard, Commander, Modern, Legacy, Pauper.

The first four are the most played at the store but all the formats are fun to get into. As a new player, we filter it down to the first three, Draft, Standard, and Commander.

Draft
3 packs upon entry, with a 40 card deck.

Standard
The newest 5 sets of Magic available, with a 60 card deck.

Commander
100 card deck, only one of any card in the deck with the exception of lands being as many as you like in the deck. You will also need a legendary creature or planeswalker card as your commander off to the side.

More specifics on these formats below.

DCI Card

The DCI card is your personal ID number that allows you to join events on a casual or competitive level.

You need your DCI card to gather event points, win to loss ratio, and it allows our event organizers to add you to pair you against opponents to track scores of your matches.

Once you receive a card you should create an account at dci.wizards.com to officially be inducted into the Wizards of The Coast worldwide servers.

This card should be one of the very first things you receive for the total experience to happen.

Draft Format

When you come to draft you pay your entry and receive three packs of 15 cards each.

The store organizer for the event and they will seat you in a “POD”. A pod is just a group of people sitting at the table with you that will also be drafting.

To draft all you have to do is open one pack of cards, select ONE card and pass the rest to your left, everyone else will do the same. Once the first pack of cards is fully depleted then the next pack begins and you will alternate pass direction. Do the same with the last pack and you’re done!

Now that you have a pool of cards the final stage before gameplay is … you guessed it, build a deck. Build a 40 card deck including land cards for mana (provided in store, we recommend 17-23) and you will then be paired with an opponent and begin your FIRST GAME!

The Draft format is a great way to build your collection of cards over weeks of play, enhances your knowledge of the game and provides a mastery of the current set of newest cards.

Standard Format

In the Standard Format players make 60 card decks using the newest 5 sets of Magic available.

This is the classic way to play Magic.

Prebuilt starter decks are also available, and an easy way to get started.

Commander Format

100 card deck, only one of any card in the deck with the exception of lands being as many as you like in the deck. You will also need a legendary creature or planeswalker card as your commander off to the side.