Editing Magic: The Gathering (section)

==Gameplay==
{{Main|Magic: The Gathering rules}}
[[File:MagicareaEnglish.png|thumb|''Magic: The Gathering'' zones]]

{{excerpt|Magic: The Gathering rules|Overview|hat=no}}

Cards in ''Magic: The Gathering'' generally have a consistent format, with half of the face of the card showing the card's art, and the other half listing the card's mechanics, often relying on commonly-reused [[List of Magic: The Gathering keywords|keywords]] to simplify the card's text.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knutson |first=Ted |date=October 21, 2006 |title=Anatomy of a Magic Card |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/anatomy-magic-card-2006-10-21 |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Magic: The Gathering |language=en-US}}</ref> Cards fall into two classes: lands and spells.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}} Lands produce [[Magic (gaming)|mana]], or magical energy. Players usually can only play one land card per turn, with most land providing a specific color of mana when they are "tapped", usually by rotating the card 90 degrees to show it has been used that turn. Each land can be tapped for mana only once per turn.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 1, 2021 |title=How to play Magic the Gathering Arena: getting started in MTG |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/magic-the-gathering-arena/how-to-play-mtg |access-date=2021-10-16 |website=[[PCGamesN]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=September 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901213713/https://www.pcgamesn.com/magic-the-gathering-arena/how-to-play-mtg |url-status=live }}</ref>

Meanwhile, spells consume mana, typically requiring at least one mana of a specific color. More powerful spells cost more, and more specifically colored, mana, so as the game progresses, more land will be in play, more mana will be available, and the quantity and relative power of the spells played tends to increase. Spells come in several varieties: non-permanents like "sorceries" and "instants" have a single, one-time effect before they go to the "graveyard" (discard pile); "enchantments" and "artifacts" that remain in play after being cast to provide a lasting magical effect; and "creature" spells summon creatures that can attack and damage an opponent as well as used to defend from the opponent's creature attacks; "planeswalker" spells that summon powerful allies that act similarly to other players.<ref name=":6" /><ref name="dot" /> Land, enchantments, artifacts, creature, planeswalker, and battle cards are considered "permanents" as they remain in play until removed by other spells, ability, or combat effects.<ref name="dot">{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Ferguson |date=2019-07-15 |title=MTG basics: Introduction to Magic: The Gathering |url=https://dotesports.com/news/mtg-basics-introduction-to-magic-the-gathering |access-date=2021-10-16 |website=[[Dot Esports]] |language=en-US |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808063838/https://dotesports.com/news/mtg-basics-introduction-to-magic-the-gathering |url-status=live }}</ref>

Players begin the game by shuffling their decks and then drawing seven cards.<ref>{{cite web| title = Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules| page = 7| date = July 8, 2022| access-date = August 22, 2022| url = https://media.wizards.com/2022/downloads/MagicCompRules%2020220708.pdf| archive-date = August 9, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220809175643/https://media.wizards.com/2022/downloads/MagicCompRules%2020220708.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> On each player's turn, following a set phase order, they draw a card, tap their lands and other permanents as necessary to gain mana as to cast spells, engage their creatures in a single attack round against their opponent who may use their own creatures to block the attack, and then complete other actions with any remaining mana.<ref name="wargamer howto">{{cite web|url=https://www.wargamer.com/magic-the-gathering/how-to-play|title=How to play Magic: The Gathering – your beginner's guide to mana, cards, and combat|website=Wargamer|first1=Matt|last1=Basil|date=May 26, 2022|access-date=August 30, 2022|archive-date=August 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819012300/https://www.wargamer.com/magic-the-gathering/how-to-play|url-status=live}}</ref> Most actions that a player can perform enter the "Stack", a concept similar to the [[Stack (abstract data type)|stack in computer programming]], as either player can react to these actions with other actions, such as counter-spells; the stack provides a method of resolving complex interactions that may result in certain scenarios.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/beyond-basics/stack-and-its-tricks-2017-11-30 | title = The Stack and Its Tricks | first = Gavin | last = Verhey | date = November 30, 2017 | access-date = February 28, 2020 | publisher = [[Wizards of the Coast]] | archive-date = November 25, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201125032215/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/beyond-basics/stack-and-its-tricks-2017-11-30 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="wargamer stack">{{cite web|url=https://www.wargamer.com/magic-the-gathering/mtg-the-stack|title=MTG: The Stack – what is it, and how does it work?|first1=Jason|last1=Coles|date=January 14, 2022|website=[[Wargamer (website)|Wargamer]]|access-date=August 30, 2022|archive-date=August 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819010914/https://www.wargamer.com/magic-the-gathering/mtg-the-stack|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Deck construction===
{{See also|Magic: The Gathering deck types|Magic: The Gathering formats}}
[[File:Magic The Gathering card disection.svg|right|thumb|Dissection of a ''Magic: The Gathering'' card]]
{{Excerpt|Magic: The Gathering rules|Deck construction|hat=no}}

Most sanctioned games for ''Magic: The Gathering'' under the [[Wizards Play Network]] (WPN) use the based Constructed format that require players to create their decks from their own library of cards. In general, this requires a minimum of sixty cards in the deck, and, except for basic land cards, no more than four cards of the same named card.<ref>{{cite web| title = Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules| page = 5| date = July 8, 2022| access-date = August 22, 2022| url = https://media.wizards.com/2022/downloads/MagicCompRules%2020220708.pdf| archive-date = August 9, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220809175643/https://media.wizards.com/2022/downloads/MagicCompRules%2020220708.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Standard Format Deck Construction|date=May 29, 2013|url=http://www.mtgoacademy.com/deckbuilding-rules-and-banned-restricted-lists/|publisher=mtgoacademy|access-date=July 25, 2013|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125025653/http://www.mtgoacademy.com/deckbuilding-rules-and-banned-restricted-lists/|url-status=live}}</ref> The pool of cards is also typically limited to the Standard rotation, which consists of only recently released cards.<ref name="formats">{{cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/news/mtg-basics-competitive-formats|title=MTG Basics: Competitive formats|first1=Ferguson|last1=Mitchell|date=October 17, 2019|website=Dot Esports|access-date=August 30, 2022|archive-date=August 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830025744/https://dotesports.com/news/mtg-basics-competitive-formats|url-status=live}}</ref> The Standard format helps to prevent "power creep" that can be difficult to predict with the size of the ''Magic'' card library and help give newer players a fair advantage with long-term players. Other Constructed formats exist that allow for use of older expansions to give more variety for decks.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/latest-developments/dealing-power-creep-2013-08-09 | title = Dealing with Power Creep | first = Sam | last = Stoddard | date = August 9, 2013 | access-date = February 28, 2020 | publisher = [[Wizards of the Coast]] | archive-date = December 22, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201222065821/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/latest-developments/dealing-power-creep-2013-08-09 | url-status = live }}</ref> A large variety of formats have been defined by the [[Wizards Play Network|WPN]] which allows different pools of expansions to be used or alter deck construction rules for special events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Formats {{!}} WPN |url=https://wpn.wizards.com/en/formats |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=Wizards Play Network |language=en}}</ref>

[[Commander (Magic: The Gathering)|Commander]] is a one hundred card constructed format that makes many changes to typical deck construction rules. In Commander, each of the one hundred cards must be uniquely named, excluding basic lands and cards that have text that supersede that rule. Additionally, Commander is also a ''historic'' format, denoting that any cards from any set release can be used, excluding any specific cards that have been banned from play. Commander as a format has a separate ban list than other Constructed formats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MTG Commander Format |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/formats/commander |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING |language=en-US |archive-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312134740/https://magic.wizards.com/en/formats/commander |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[Magic: The Gathering formats#Limited|Limited]] format, a small number of cards are opened for play from booster packs or tournament packs, and generally a minimum deck size of forty cards is enforced. One of the most popular limited formats is Booster Draft, in which players open a booster pack, choose a card from it, and pass it to the player seated next to them. This continues until all the cards have been picked, and then a new pack is opened. Three packs are opened in total, and the direction of passing alternates left-right-left.<ref name="formats" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/formats/booster-draft|title=Booster Draft|work=Magic: The Gathering|access-date=October 8, 2017|language=en|archive-date=November 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113053640/https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/formats/booster-draft|url-status=live}}</ref> Once the draft is done, players create decks out of the cards they picked, basic land cards being provided for free, and play games with the players they drafted with.<ref name="formats" />

==== Limitations ====
{{excerpt|Magic: The Gathering rules|Banned and restricted cards}}

===Colors of ''Magic''===
[[File:Magic the gathering pentagon.png|thumb|The five colors of ''Magic: The Gathering'']]

Most cards in ''Magic'' are based on one of five colors that make up the game's "Color Wheel" or "Color Pie", shown on the back of each card, and each representing a school or realm of magic: white, blue, black, red, and green. The arrangement of these colors on the wheel describes relationships between the schools, which can broadly affect deck construction and game execution. For a given color such as white, the two colors immediately adjacent to it, green and blue, are considered complementary, while the two colors on the opposite side, black and red, are its opposing schools.<ref name="Mark Rosewater">{{cite web |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/value-pie-2003-08-18-0|title=The Value of Pie |access-date=September 30, 2006 |publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]] |author=Mark Rosewater |author-link=Mark Rosewater |date=August 18, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304223314/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom%2Fdaily%2Fmr85 |archive-date=March 4, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":7" />

The Research and Development (R&D) team at Wizards of the Coast aimed to balance power and abilities among the five colors by using the Color Pie to differentiate the strengths and weaknesses of each. This guideline lays out the capabilities, themes, and mechanics of each color and allows for every color to have its own distinct attributes and gameplay. The Color Pie is used to ensure new cards are thematically in the correct color and do not infringe on the territory of other colors.<ref name="Mark Rosewater"/><ref name=":7" />

The concepts behind each of the colors on the Color Wheel, based on a series of articles written by [[Mark Rosewater]], are as follows:<ref name="marocolor">As part of the ''Making Magic'' (2003-2005) article series on the game's official site, [[Mark Rosewater]] described each color in depth (as well as multicolor cards, artifact or colorless cards, and color-hybrid cards). [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/great-white-way-2003-02-03 The Great White Way] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822160021/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/great-white-way-2003-02-03 |date=August 22, 2022 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/true-blue-2003-08-11 True Blue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822160104/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/true-blue-2003-08-11 |date=August 22, 2022 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/black-2004-02-02 In the Black] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822160046/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/black-2004-02-02 |date=August 22, 2022 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/seeing-red-2004-07-19-0 Seeing Red], [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/its-not-easy-being-green-2002-10-21-0 It's Not Easy Being Green] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822160049/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/its-not-easy-being-green-2002-10-21-0 |date=August 22, 2022 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/just-artifacts-ma%E2%80%99am-2005-02-28 Just the Artifacts, Ma'am] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822160042/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/just-artifacts-ma%E2%80%99am-2005-02-28 |date=August 22, 2022 }}, and [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/midas-touch-2005-11-14 Midas Touch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822160027/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/midas-touch-2005-11-14 |date=August 22, 2022 }}.

These articles were updated and republished in 2015: [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/great-white-way-revisited-2015-07-13 The Great White Way Revisited] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607084016/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/great-white-way-revisited-2015-07-13 |date=June 7, 2021 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/true-blue-revisited-2015-07-20 True Blue Revisited] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606113020/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/true-blue-revisited-2015-07-20 |date=June 6, 2021 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/black-revisited-2015-07-27 In the Black Revisited] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531043206/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/black-revisited-2015-07-27 |date=May 31, 2021 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/seeing-red-revisited-2015-08-03 Seeing Red Revisited] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531043547/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/seeing-red-revisited-2015-08-03 |date=May 31, 2021 }}, [https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/its-not-easy-being-green-revisited-2015-08-10 It's Not Easy Being Green Revisited] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531043337/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/its-not-easy-being-green-revisited-2015-08-10 |date=May 31, 2021 }}.</ref>
* White represents order, peace, and light, and draws mana from plains. White planeswalkers can summon individually weak creatures that are collectively strong as a group such as soldiers, as well as powerful creatures and leaders that can strengthen all of the player's creatures with additional abilities or strength. Their spells tend to focus on healing or preventing damage, protecting their allies, and neutralizing an opponent's advantages on the battlefield.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2020-03-02|title=What do the different Magic: The Gathering mana colours mean?|url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/series/magic-the-gathering/how-to/what-do-the-different-magic-the-gathering-mana-colours-mean|access-date=2020-10-26|website=Dicebreaker|language=en|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031032403/https://www.dicebreaker.com/series/magic-the-gathering/how-to/what-do-the-different-magic-the-gathering-mana-colours-mean|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|date=2018-06-06|title=Getting into Magic: The Gathering – Color Profiles and Archetypes|url=https://nerdist.com/article/getting-into-magic-the-gathering-color-profiles-and-archetypes/|access-date=2020-10-26|website=Nerdist|language=en|archive-date=January 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128122351/https://nerdist.com/article/getting-into-magic-the-gathering-color-profiles-and-archetypes/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Orf|first=Darren|date=2020-08-11|title=So You Want to Play 'Magic: The Gathering'|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/gaming/a26331076/how-to-play-magic-the-gathering/|access-date=2020-10-26|website=Popular Mechanics|language=en-US|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112022332/https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/gaming/a26331076/how-to-play-magic-the-gathering/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Blue represents intellect, logic, manipulation, and trickery, and pulls its mana from islands. Its magic is typically associated with the classical elements of [[Air (classical element)|air]] and [[Water (classical element)|water]]. Many of Blue's spells can interact or interfere with the opponent's spells as well as with the general flow of the game. Blue's magic is also associated with control, allowing the player to gain temporary or full control of the opponent's creatures. Blue creatures often tend to be weak but evasive and difficult to target.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />
* Black represents power, death, corruption, and sacrifice, drawing mana from swamps. Many of Black's creatures are [[undead]], and several can be sacrificed to make other creatures more powerful, destroy opponent's creatures or permanents, or other effects. Black creatures may be able to draw the life taken in an attack back to their caster, or may even be able to kill creatures through a deathtouch effect. Black's spells similarly coerce sacrifice by the player or their opponent through cards or life.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />
* Red represents freedom, chaos, fury, and warfare, pulling its power from mountains. Its powers are associated with the classical [[Fire (classical element)|fire]] and [[Earth (classical element)|earth]] elements, and tends to have the strongest spells such as fireballs that can be powered-up by tapping additional mana when cast. Red is an offense-oriented class: in addition to powerful creatures like dragons, red planeswalkers can summon weak creatures that can strike quickly to gain the short-term edge.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />
* Green is the color of life, [[nature]], evolution, and indulgence, drawing mana from forests. Green has the widest array of creatures to draw upon, ranging across all power levels, and generally is able to dominate the battlefield with many creatures in play at once. Green creatures and spells can generate life points and mana, and can also gain massive strength through spells.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />

Most cards in ''Magic: The Gathering'' are based on a single color, shown along the card's border. The cost to play them requires some mana of that color and potentially any amount of mana from any other color. Multicolored cards were introduced in the ''[[Legends (Magic: The Gathering)|Legends]]'' expansion and typically use a gold border. Their casting cost includes mana from at least two colors plus additional mana from any color. Hybrid cards, included with ''[[Ravnica: City of Guilds|Ravnica]]'', use a two-color gradient border. These cards can be cast using mana from either color shown, in addition to other mana costs. Finally, colorless cards, such as some artifacts, do not have any colored mana requirements but still require a general amount of mana to be spent to play.

The color wheel can influence deck construction choices. Cards from colors that are aligned such as red and green often provide synergistic effects, either due to the core nature of the schools or through designs of cards, but may leave the deck vulnerable to the magic of the common color in conflict, blue in the case of red and green. Alternatively, decks constructed with opposing colors like green and blue may not have many favorable combinations but will be capable of dealing with decks based on any other colors. There are no limits to how many colors can be in a deck, but the more colors in a deck, the more difficult it may be to provide mana of the right color.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|last=Rosewater|first=Mark|date=November 14, 2016|title=Pie Fights|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/pie-fights-2016-11-14|access-date=February 28, 2020|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|archive-date=February 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207114928/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/pie-fights-2016-11-14|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Luck vs. skill===
''Magic'', like many other games, combines chance and skill. One frequent complaint about the game involves the notion that there is too much luck involved, especially concerning drawing too many or too few lands.<ref>{{cite web | title = Magic Jargon | publisher = [[Wizards of the Coast]] | last = Knutson | first = Ted | date = September 9, 2006 | access-date = July 24, 2009 | url = http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom%2Facademy%2F9 | archive-date = July 3, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130703173311/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom%2Facademy%2F9 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Early in the game especially, too many or too few lands could ruin a player's chance at victory without the player having made a mistake. This in-game statistical variance can be minimized by proper deck construction, as an appropriate land count can reduce mana problems. In ''[[Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012]]'', the land count is automatically adjusted to 40% of the total deck size.<ref>{{cite web | title = Mmmmmmmmmana...Five Rules For Avoiding Mana-Screw | publisher = starcitygames.com | last = Moldenhauer-Salazar | first = Jay | date = March 23, 2000 | access-date = July 24, 2009 | url = http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/890.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090720032550/http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/890.html | archive-date = July 20, 2009 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}</ref>

A "[[mulligan (games)|mulligan]]" rule was introduced into the game, first informally in casual play and then in the official game rules.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/new-mulligan-rule-starting-battle-zendikar-prereleases-2015-08-20 |title=New Mulligan Rule Starting from Battle for Zendikar Prereleases |access-date=November 26, 2015 |date=August 20, 2015 |first=Aaron |last=Forsythe |publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]] |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031445/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/new-mulligan-rule-starting-battle-zendikar-prereleases-2015-08-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In multiplayer, a player may take one mulligan without penalty, while subsequent mulligans will cost one card (a rule known as "Partial Paris mulligan").<ref>{{cite web |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/starting-over-2004-02-20 |title=Starting Over |access-date=February 11, 2007 |last=Rosewater |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Rosewater |publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]] |date=February 23, 2004 |archive-date=August 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815100922/http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/starting-over-2004-02-20 |url-status=live }}</ref> The original mulligan allowed 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 called a "forced mulligan" 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=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/nephilim-are-prismatastic-2006-04-27 |title=Nephilim Are Prismatastic! |access-date=February 11, 2007 |publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]] |last=Smith |first=Bennie |date=April 27, 2006 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104152413/http://boards1.wizards.com/archive/index.php/t-295147.html|archive-date=January 4, 2009}} 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.</ref>

With the release of the Core Set 2020, a new mulligan system was introduced for competitive play known as the [[Magic: The Gathering rules#London Mulligan|London Mulligan]]. Under this rule, after taking a mulligan, the player redraws 7 new cards, and then chooses 1 card to place on the bottom of their library for each mulligan they have taken (or chooses to mulligan again, drawing another 7 cards.) This mulligan rule is generally considered less punishing to mulligans than the prior mulligan rule, in which a player would simply draw one less card each time they mulliganed, rather than drawing 7 new cards after each mulligan, and subsequently choosing to "bottom" one card per mulligan taken.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/london-mulligan-2019-06-03|title=The London Mulligan|website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING|language=en|access-date=July 30, 2019|archive-date=February 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207121509/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/london-mulligan-2019-06-03|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":04">{{Cite web|date=2020-07-10|title=Magic: The Gathering - When & Why to Mulligan Your Hand|url=https://www.cbr.com/magic-the-gathering-when-why-mulligan-hand/|access-date=2021-10-16|website=CBR|language=en-US|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019204134/https://www.cbr.com/magic-the-gathering-when-why-mulligan-hand/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Forster|first=Danny|date=2019-06-03|title=Magic: The Gathering will implement London Mulligan rule across all formats|url=https://dotesports.com/mtg/news/mtg-implement-london-mulligan-rule-across-all-formats|access-date=2021-10-16|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019184910/https://dotesports.com/mtg/news/mtg-implement-london-mulligan-rule-across-all-formats|url-status=live}}</ref>

Confessing his love for games combining both luck and skill, ''Magic'' creator Richard Garfield admitted its influence in his design of ''Magic''. In addressing the complaint about luck influencing a game, Garfield states that new and casual players tend to appreciate luck as a leveling effect, since randomness can increase their chances of winning against a more skilled player. Meanwhile, a player with higher skills appreciates a game with less chance, as the higher degree of control increases their chances of winning. According to Garfield, ''Magic'' has and would likely continue decreasing its degree of luck as the game matured.<ref name="Garfieldcruise">{{cite video
 | people = Garfield, Richard
 | year = 2012
 | title = Magic TV: Extra&nbsp;– Dr. Richard Garfield on "Luck Versus Skill" (Magic Cruise 2012)
 | url = http://www.channelfireball.com/home/magic-tv-extra-dr-richard-garfield-on-luck-versus-skill-magic-cruise-2012/
 | format = Video
 | medium = Lecture
 | publisher = channelfireball.com
 | location = Seattle to Alaska cruise
 | access-date = July 14, 2012
 | time = July 10, 2012
 | archive-date = April 24, 2020
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200424104955/https://www.channelfireball.com/home/magic-tv-extra-dr-richard-garfield-on-luck-versus-skill-magic-cruise-2012/
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> The "Mulligan rule", as well as card design, past vs. present, are good examples of this trend. He feels that this is a universal trend for maturing games. Garfield explained using chess as an example, that unlike modern chess, in predecessors, players would use dice to determine which chess piece to move.<ref name="Garfieldcruise" />

===Gambling===
The original set of rules prescribed that all games were to be played for [[Betting in poker#Ante|ante]]. Garfield was partly inspired by the game of [[Marble (toy)|marbles]] and added this rule because he wanted the players to play with the cards rather than simply collect them.<ref name="OWENS">{{Citation| last1 =Owens| first1 =Thomas S.| title =What did you eat for breakfast | first2 =Diana | last2 =Star| journal =Inside Collectible Card Games| year =1996| page =142}}</ref> The ante rule stated that each player must remove a card at random from the deck they wished to play with before the game began, and the two cards would be set aside together as the ante. 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 ownership of cards in play. The ante concept became controversial because many regions had restrictions on [[games of chance]]. The ante rule was soon made optional because of these restrictions and because of players' reluctance to possibly lose a card that they owned. The gambling rule was also forbidden at sanctioned events. The last card to mention ante was printed in the 1995 expansion set ''[[Homelands (Magic: The Gathering)|Homelands]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ante? You Can Bet on It! {{!}} Cardmarket Insight|url=https://www.cardmarket.com/en/Magic/Insight/Articles/Ante-You-Can-Bet-on-It|access-date=2021-10-16|website=www.cardmarket.com|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016114919/https://www.cardmarket.com/en/Magic/Insight/Articles/Ante-You-Can-Bet-on-It|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web|date=2020-12-05|title=Magic: The Gathering - Early on, the Game Was Just Plain WEIRD|url=https://www.cbr.com/magic-the-gathering-weird-early-game/|access-date=2021-10-16|website=CBR|language=en-US|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016114917/https://www.cbr.com/magic-the-gathering-weird-early-game/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Symon|first=Evan|title=Magic Untapped - Upping the Ante: Remembering when your opponent's Magic cards were the prize|url=https://magicuntapped.com/index.php/articles/item/389-upping-the-ante-remembering-when-your-opponent-s-magic-cards-were-the-prize|access-date=2021-10-16|website=magicuntapped.com|language=en-gb|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016114918/https://magicuntapped.com/index.php/articles/item/389-upping-the-ante-remembering-when-your-opponent-s-magic-cards-were-the-prize|url-status=live}}</ref>