Uchon Elementary School English Magic: The Gathering Club

Magic is a collectible card game Its design is based on science fiction and fantasy It’s a great way for students to learn: English, strategy, creativity, critical thinking, and social skills. What is Magic: The Gathering?

You and your opponent are planeswalkers (like wizards) You start with 20 life points You have to use your creatures and magic spells to bring your opponents life to 0 You need magic power, called mana, to use your creatures and spells. Mana comes from your land How do you play Magic: The Gathering?

Most cards come in 5 basic colours White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green The Basics

White Order, light and healing Knights, soldiers, priests and angels Uses plains for mana Allies with blue and green Enemies with red and black The Colours

Blue Trickery and manipulation Wizards, strange beasts from the ocean and sky Uses islands for mana Allies with white and black Enemies with green and red The Colours

Black Death, disease, power, selfishness Minions, zombies, demons, the undead Uses swamps for mana Allies with red and blue Enemies with green and white The Colours

Red Fire, chaos, storms, rocks and lava, madness Dragons, goblins, pyromancers Uses mountains for mana Allies with black and green Enemies with blue and white The Colours

Green Life, nature, large creatures Beasts, ferocious animals, elves, druids Uses mountains for mana Allies with white and red Enemies with blue and black The Colours

Colorless Some cards have no colour Most common colourless cards = artifacts Any colour mana can be used to cast these spells The Colours

Land Creatures Instants Sorceries Artifacts Enchantments Card Types

Land Two types: Basic Non-basic Give mana Play 1 per turn Are a permanent (Stay on the battlefield) Card Types

All cards (except lands) have a casting cost We use mana to pay this Why do we need mana?

Creatures Can attack and block Have power and toughness Are a permanent Can’t attack first turn Card Types

Instants Spell Are not permanent Go to the graveyard after they are cast Can be played on your opponent’s turn Card Types

Sorceries Spell Are not permanent Go to the graveyard after they are cast Can only be played on your turn Card Types

Artifacts Are colorless Are permanent Some can be equipped to creatures Some ARE creatures Card Types

Enchantments Spells that stay around (are permanent) Some can be enchanted ON creatures Card Types

Tapping is one of the most important actions in the game. It shows a card has been used. You must tap lands to get mana from them. You must tap creatures to attack. To tap, turn the card sideways. Tapped cards can’t be used again Tapped creatures can’t block Tapping

Creatures and other permanents can have special abilities Keywords describe these abilities Let’s learn the most basic ones: Abilities and Keywords

Flying Cannot be blocked by creatures without flying Can block creatures without flying Abilities and Keywords

Haste Most creatures CANNOT attack the first turn they come into the game This is called summoning sickness Haste creatures can attack on their first turn Abilities and Keywords

First strike Normally, creatures deal damage to each other at the same time First strike creatures deal damage first Abilities and Keywords

Trample Normally, if a creature is blocked it doesn’t damage a player Trample creatures can destroy a blocking creature AND deal damage to the player Abilities and Keywords

Deathtouch In combat, ANY AMOUNT of damage kills the other creature Abilities and Keywords

Reach This creature can block flying creatures It’s not a flier - regular creatures can still block IT Abilities and Keywords

Hexproof This creature can’t be targeted by any spells or effects Abilities and Keywords

Vigilance You do not have to tap this creature when you attack Abilities and Keywords

ATTACK BLOCK

Indestructible For creatures and other permanents Cannot be destroyed by spells or in combat Abilities and Keywords

Lifelink When a creature deals damage, you gain that much life Abilities and Keywords

-2 life +4 life

1.Untap 1.Untap all your permanents 2.Upkeep 1.Pay upkeep mana costs 3.Draw 1.Draw one card 4.Main Phase 1 1.Play sorceries, creatures and other permanents 5.Combat 1.Attacking and blocking 2.Dealing damage 6.Main Phase 2 1.Play sorceries, creatures and other permanents 7.End 1.Pass the turn to the other player. Phases

THE BATTLEFIELD Land Zone Library Graveyard Exile Zone Combat Zone Main Zone

Shuffle your deck Cut your opponent’s deck Roll a dice. Highest roll plays first. Each player draws 7 cards. The first player doesn’t draw another card on the first turn After that, each player draws one card on their turn Starting the Game