Had the Foundations Beginner Box been around when I started, how much easier would my journey into Magic: The Gathering have been? I haven’t been covering Magic: The Gathering that long, and in that vein, I haven’t been playing that long, either. At this point, I still make the mistake of picking a monster to attack like I would in my Yu-Gi-Oh days. That said, I have fallen in love with the game, the lore, the art, and everything in the world of Magic.
But the only issue I’ve had with my newfound love of the game is that no one around me plays, and as a green player, well, I’m not the best at teaching. That’s where the Foundations set comes in. The arrival of the Foundations Beginner Box serves as a bright and shining example of the kind of open arms I hope other games will meet new players with.
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Despite the game’s long and storied history, Magic: The Gathering is constantly creating new avenues for new players to come into it. While a lot of this has been through the Universe Beyond sets that tap into fans of existing franchises, enticing them to play, the Foundations set doesn’t walk people up to the MtG door. It busts it open.
Removing barriers can be difficult for any property, especially when they’ve been around for as long as Magic: The Gathering. One of the primary ways the game has done that is by giving local shops selling the cards free packs to get people involved. Those environments offer everything you need to learn, including a person to teach you.
That said, those spaces, often through no fault of their own, aren’t accessible to everyone. Whether a person is traditionally not represented in the gaming space (tabletop or otherwise), you don’t have one near you, or you just don’t like talking to strangers, barriers still exist with this avenue of engagement.
The Foundations set, specifically the Foundations Beginner Box, lowers those barriers to entry and allows you to learn by yourself and with others with everything you need. From a user experience perspective, the design of the tutorial materials is astounding. The booklet lists the exact order in which you should play cards from pre-picked decks, and explains how to tap, untap, the spells, and ultimately makes the different phases of the game digestible.
That attack phase has consistently been where I’ve stumbled, but reading through the booklet and playing in a prescribed order helped me understand it better. I should add that my first time with the Foundations Beginner Box was in late August during PAX West. That said, I’ve since played through the tutorial more than a few times, trying to teach every friend who has visited our house since it arrived how to play. Heck, my dog is lucky she doesn’t have thumbs to hold the cards.
Is the Foundations Beginner Box Set the best way to learn Magic?
Marketed as “The best way to learn Magic,” the truth is that the Foundations Beginner Box is exactly that. The box has two guided deck experiences: Spindowns, reference booklets, playmats, and bonus packs. The guided experience begins with 20-card decks (Cats and Vampires). Once you have your bearings, you’re encouraged to grab two Jumpstarts packets included with the game, create a 40-card deck, and start playing.
In addition to the Instant-Play decks, the Foundations Beginner Box has eight themed Jumpstart packets that encourage you to mix and match themes and colors to find the way to play that works for you. And all of that will run you just $30.99 USD from retailers.
The most exciting thing about the Foundations Beginners Box is that you don’t need someone who knows how to play at the table. You truly have everything you need to step into the game. While the oral tradition and tactile learning that comes with being brought into the Magic: The Gathering can’t be replaced, it doesn’t have to be necessary. And that’s the key.
During a Q&A with developers when I first saw the Beginners Box and the Duskmourn set, someone said, “There isn’t anyone that Magic isn’t for.” I’ve carried that with me. While it’s a privilege to have that experience guide me when I start to get self-conscious after a string of losses with friends, the Foundations Beginners Box brings that same comfort to its players. Or at least, it did for the folks I played with and for me the first time I played with it. Sometimes, you just need to know that you’re invited to the game to take the first step in learning how to play.
It may sound cheesy and maybe repetitive of how I’ve talked about my other experiences this year, but the Magic: The Gathering Team‘s dedication to bringing more people to the game through the love of it all is inspiring. The Foundations Beginner Box is truly everything we need in any game; it’s a pathway to learn and do so without judgment. Whether it’s friends bringing friends into their hobby, parents teaching their kids, or even spouses teaching spouses, the communal possibilities of the Foundations Beginners Box are everything.
And, of course, if you’re not new to the game, Magic has the wider Foundations set that covers the greatest hits across the game’s history, allowing players to start, return to, or continue their Magic card collection. In addition to the Foundations Beginners Box, the Starter Collection provides all the tools you need to build your first decks, boasting over 350 cards across Magic‘s history, with essential staples for any color.
The world of Magic: The Gathering truly is at your feet.
Magic: The Gathering Foundations Beginner Box and Set are available now from retailers.
