How to Play
     To play a game of Magic you and a friend each need a deck, some way of keeping track of life-totals and a nice open table. To win the game a player must have their life total be reduced to zero or when a player goes to draw a card from their library and there are none left to draw. There are some spells that grant victory upon casting or reaching a specific condition, but they do not happen as often. Once you have found a nice place to play, have your decks and life set, the game can begin.
     When deciding who goes first, it is either the winner of a dice roll or coin toss. Unless you have just played the same opponent, then the loser gets to decide the order. Each player shuffles their deck and draws seven cards. If your opening hand is not to your liking you may shuffle the hand back into your deck and then draw six cards. This is called a mulligan and can be repeated, drawing one less card each time, until you are satisfied. Although it is not an official rule some players allow for a Gentleman's Mulligan, meaning that a player can mulligan at least once without reducing their opening hand size.
     Now that the hands have been draw and the player order chosen, it is time to take the first turn. And here is how it goes:
- Beginning Phase
     I. Untap Step:
     Untap all of your tapped permanents. No spells or abilities may be cast during this step.
     II. Upkeep Step:
     This step activates a number of cards, if something is supposed to happen just once per turn this is when it happens. Instants and abilities are now allowed to be cast.
     III. Draw Step:
     Time to draw a card. (The player who goes first skips this step to even out the advantage of going first.)
- Main Phase
     Any number of cards can be played during this phase, though only if the player has enough land to cast them. This is also the phase where a land can be played. Only one land is allowed to be played per turn, unless said otherwise by a card that was cast or that is currently on the field. Opponents may cast instants or activate abilities on this turn.
- Combat Phase
     I. Beginning of Combat Step:
     Players can cast instants and activate abilities and this is the last chance for your opponent to stop your creatures from attacking.
     II. Declare Attackers Step:
     Now is when you decide which untapped creatures of yours will attack which opposing player or Planeswalker. This taps the attacking creature. Instants can be cast and abilities can be activated.
     III. Declare Blockers Step:
     Your opponent now decides which untapped creatures of their control will block your attacking creatures. If multiple creatures block a single attacker you chose which is the first to receive the damage, which is second and so on. Instants can be cast and abilities can be activated.
     IV. Combat Damage Step:
     All attacking and blocking creatures that are still on the field deals its damage to its target. Whether that be another creature, player or Planeswalker. If an attacking creature is being blocked by multiple creatures then the attacking player divides the damage among the blockers, though enough damage must me assigned to the first blocker to kill it before damage can be assigned to the others. The attacking player chooses the order of the blockers. Once damage has been assigned it is all dealt at once. Players can then cast instants and activate abilities.
     V. End of Combat Step:
     Players can cast instants and activate abilities.
- Main Phase II
     Same as the first main phase, if a land wasn't played in the first main phase you can play it now.
- Ending Phase
     I. End Step:
     Abilities that trigger at the beginning of your end step now activate.
     II. Cleanup Step:
     If you have eight or more cards in your hand, now is when you choose which to discard until you are back down to seven. Next, all damage on creatures that did not kill is removed and all until end of turn and this turn effects end. No spells can be cast and only abilities that trigger during this step can be activated.
- Side Notes:
     Tapping means to literally turn a card sideways, and once a card is tapped it remains tapped until the Untap Step or another card allows you to untap it. In the case of land tapping adds the resource to your pool and any leftover resources in your pool are removed at the end of the turn.
     Another thing to always keep in mind is the
Golden Rule of Magic which states that if a rule on a card contradicts the rulebook itself, the card overrules it.
    
Resolving: When a spell is cast it goes into a sort of limbo where the opponent is able cast a counter to stop it from resolving. When a spell resolves, if it is an instant or sorcery, its effect activates, then the card goes to the graveyard. If the spell is a creature, artifact, enchantment or Planeswalker, you put the card on the table in front of you. The card is now on the battlefield.
     When a card is Exiled it is removed from the game and remains there forever unless whatever put it there is able to bring it back.