Tag
beginner
14 posts with this tag.
Guides
MTG Turn Phases Explained: Every Phase and Step in Order
MTG turn phases in order: beginning, first main, combat, second main and ending, with each step, when you can act, and which steps Standard cards use most.
· 10 min read
Guides
MTG Zones Explained: Every Zone and Your Board Layout
MTG zones explained: library, hand, battlefield, graveyard, stack, exile and command, which ones are hidden, and the tournament layout for your board.
· 11 min read
Guides
Partner Commanders in MTG: Rules for Every Partner Type
Partner commanders explained: how partner, partner with, Friends forever, Choose a Background and Doctor's companion work, and why you can't mix them.
· 7 min read
Guides
Commander Tax in MTG: How It Works, Partners and Reducers
Commander tax explained: each cast from the command zone costs 2 more than the last. Partners, mana value, cost reducers, dash and Command Beacon covered.
· 9 min read
Guides
MTG Stack Explained: How Priority and Responses Work
The MTG stack in plain terms. Spells and abilities wait on it, the last one added resolves first, and priority decides who can respond and when.
· 8 min read
Guides
Commander Damage Rules in MTG: What Counts and What Doesn't
Commander damage rules explained. Only combat damage from one commander counts toward 21, with partners, stolen commanders, infect and Vehicles covered.
· 8 min read
Guides
MTG Color Combinations: Names, Playstyles and How to Pick
MTG color combinations, all 26 named from Azorius to WUBRG, with what each one plays like, how many commanders it has and how to pick your own colors.
· 10 min read
Guides
How to Build Your First Commander Deck: Lands, Ramp, Removal
How to build your first Commander deck, using what EDHREC's 100 most popular commanders actually run: 35 lands, Sol Ring and Arcane Signet, 10 removal.
· 7 min read
Guides
cEDH Meaning in MTG: What Competitive Commander Actually Is
cEDH meaning: Competitive Elder Dragon Highlander, a high power approach to Commander using the same rules. How these decks win and differ from casual EDH.
· 8 min read
Guides
MTG Keyword Abilities Explained: Combat and Protection
MTG keyword abilities explained: flying, menace, deathtouch, trample, hexproof, and ward, with worked combat examples for how they actually interact.
· 7 min read
Guides
MTG Format Legality Explained: Standard vs Commander
MTG format legality explained: a card must be in the format's card pool AND not on its banned list. 2026 Standard has no rotation, 20 sets legal at once.
· 11 min read
Guides
MTG Mana Base Guide: The Land Count Formula Explained
MTG mana base guide using Frank Karsten's land count formula: 19.59 plus 1.90 times Average Mana Value. Real math, not just a flat rule of thumb.
· 10 min read