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cards in magic the gathering arena

How to Build A Deck in Magic the Gathering Arena

These are the steps for deck building in Magic the Gathering Arena.

Starting a new card game where you aren’t familiar with the theme or characters can seem daunting, especially in a game like Magic the Gathering Arena where there are a lot of choices. This is important though, as building a solid deck is your first step into learning the game. This is how to build a deck in Magic the Gathering Arena.

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Pick A Single Deck Theme And Color

a beast in magic the gathering arena
Screenshot from the official game trailer.

The first thing you want to do is collect some cards through drafting. After that, the goal is to start simple so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. You want to start with one deck theme picking from one of the color schemes. The colors are basically how the cards are organized, there’s red, green, blue, white, and black. Each one has a different philosophy and theme, so choose the one you feel aligned with the most. We’ll explain the most practical ways to choose cards as well.

Choose Properly Balanced Cards

Something really important to know when deck building, before making any final choices is to check the mana cost of the cards. Picking the wrong combination can really mess up your chances of winning matches if the cards are all too weak or too powerful. Mana cost determines certain factors, like how powerful of spells you can use.


You don’t want too many too powerful cards or too many low-cost cards, try to find a good balance between them. Pick everything for your deck, high cost, low cost, medium cost, they are all helpful and vital. It’s a lot like building a sandwich, you wouldn’t just eat ham and bread without any condiments to flavor it.

Pick The Attack and Style That Works For You

If you go in knowing what you want, you’ll have an easier time and not feel overwhelmed. For example, think about if you want something ninja-themed, werewolf-themed, witches, etc. Once, you have that determined, you’ve essentially eliminated a ton of excess bulk.


Now instead of going through finding cards that use certain spells or certain attacks, you’re looking for specific creatures in your color scheme that do those things. It’s not a bad option (and you probably should) to choose cards that all do the same or similar thing so that you can start out with one mechanic to learn. During this, you should determine what size deck you want as well. It might be best to start with a large size so that you have a lot of options as a new player.

Play Matches With Your New Deck

Now, the best thing is to take the cards that you’ve chosen that share a like mechanic and practice with them. This will be the best way for you to learn the game in a concentrated approach. Remember, we’re going with the theme of one here – one color, one mechanic, one theme, one battle approach.

By following these methods, you’ll be an experienced Magic player in no time!

Author
Image of Erin O’Gorman
Erin O’Gorman
A graduate of Pace University, Erin O'Gorman is a freelance guide writer that has been making content for Touch Tap Play since 2021 and writing for the media years before. They specialize in content such as tier lists, how-to's, listicles, reviews, and best ofs. Erin is also an experienced self-taught proofreader and editor, a skill that they polished with years of experience. They aspire to make it far in the world of writing.