Editing Magic: The Gathering (section)

===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" />