Quick Answer
The hardest part of growing your Commander pod isn't finding people. it's getting them through the first game. Most people who try MTG for the first time and don't enjoy it had a bad introduction: too many rules at once, decks too complex, someone correcting them every turn. See current prices at /cards/mtg.
The hardest part of growing your Commander pod isn't finding people. it's getting them through the first game. Most people who try MTG for the first time and don't enjoy it had a bad introduction: too many rules at once, decks too complex, someone correcting them every turn.
This guide covers how to introduce MTG to friends who have never played. Done right, a first game produces people who ask to play again.
The Wrong Way to Introduce MTG
Lending them your tuned Commander deck: your 100-card improved deck is not a teaching tool. It has triggers and interactions they won't understand and will require you to explain everything on every card. They'll feel stupid and lost.
Explaining all the rules before a single card is drawn: a 20-minute rules explanation before the first card is played produces confusion and glazed eyes. Rules learned in context stick. Rules learned in the abstract evaporate.
Playing against them with your own tuned deck: if you win by turn 5 through a combo they didn't understand, the experience is "I played a game I don't understand and lost in a way I couldn't prevent." Not compelling.
The Right Way
Step 1: Buy the MTG Starter Kit (AU$22)
The Starter Kit has two 60-card decks designed for teaching. They're simplified, thematically coherent, and balanced against each other. Hand your friend one deck and play with the other.
Step 2: Teach exactly five rules before the first turn
- You start with 20 life. Get your opponent to 0.
- Play one land per turn. Lands make mana.
- Spend mana to cast spells.
- Creatures attack. They deal their power in damage.
- Creatures die when they take damage equal to their toughness.
That is enough to start a game. Everything else: instants, the stack, triggers, activated abilities. teach as it comes up during play.
Step 3: Talk through your turns out loud
As you take your turns: "I'm playing my land here, that gives me two mana now. I'm going to cast this creature. it costs two mana. Next turn I'll be able to attack with it once summoning sickness wears off."
Narrating your own turns teaches passively. Your friend learns what each phase is for by watching you play them.
Step 4: Answer questions during their turn, not during yours
When they're taking their turn and they ask "can I do X?", answer directly and let them do it. Don't tell them whether it's a good idea. Let them make decisions and see what happens.
Step 5: Don't correct play mistakes that don't affect the game state materially
If they attack in a suboptimal way that doesn't affect whether they win or lose this turn: let it go. Correct mistakes that would materially confuse the game (wrong damage calculation, forgetting to draw). Let strategic mistakes stand.
After the First Game
Win or lose, the first game teaches the structure. Ask: "What was confusing? What do you want to know more about?"
The second game with the same decks is dramatically smoother. The third is where they start making actual strategic decisions rather than just executing mechanics.
Introducing Commander: The Jump
If they enjoy the Starter Kit experience and you want to introduce Commander:
Don't build them a complex deck. Buy one preconstructed Commander deck that matches a theme they'd enjoy. Fantasy, dinosaurs, artifacts, dragons: the thematic hook matters for engagement.
Play at least 3 games before upgrading. Precon decks are intentionally below optimum power. Upgrading before they've played the game is putting paint on a house that's still under construction.
Find them a pod that will teach, not crush. Your most experienced friend's high-powered deck is not the right table for their first Commander game.
Where to Get Teaching Materials
The C3 shop stocks MTG Starter Kits and Commander precons. The What Is Commander format guide is written for complete beginners and shareable with new players. The how to play MTG rules guide covers the full rules once someone is ready for them.
What to Actually Say When You Introduce MTG
The most common mistake is leading with the history ("Magic is 33 years old and has 27,000 cards"). That is overwhelming before someone has played a single game.
Lead with the format, not the game. "We're going to play Commander: each of us picks a legendary creature as our general and builds a 100-card deck around them." This is specific and manageable. Not "you're learning Magic."
Second, match the entry format to their personality. If your friend likes strategy games and complex decisions, frame Commander's depth as a feature. If they want something social and low-stakes, lead with the casual atmosphere and the fact that you don't need to know every card to have fun.
The Precon Setup: Remove the Deckbuilding Barrier
The single biggest barrier to introducing MTG is deckbuilding. New players shouldn't build a deck before their first game. Remove this completely.
Buy two different Commander preconstructed decks from the same recent set. Let your friend choose which one they want. You play the other. Done. Both are immediately balanced against each other and tuned for a reasonable game experience without needing modification.
Current options from Tarkir: Dragonstorm give five distinct Commander precon decks at roughly the same power level. Let them pick the art or the character description rather than the mechanical breakdown: they don't know enough yet to evaluate mechanics.
Teaching the Rules in Order
Don't explain everything before the first game. Teach in order of when things come up:
Before the game starts: Zones (hand, deck, battlefield, graveyard), card types (creature, spell, land), and the goal (reduce opponent's life from 40 to 0 or win another way).
During the game: Explain phases as they arrive. Explain specific cards as they're played. Answer questions when they arise rather than front-loading rules.
After the game: Explain anything that came up and was confusing. Discuss what each deck was trying to do.
Most people learn better by doing than by listening. A 20-minute explanation before a game means they've forgotten the first half by the time they need it.
The Most Common New Player Frustration: Analysis Paralysis
New players with Commander precons often face decision paralysis because they don't know what their cards do or which is best in any situation. Normalise this.
Tell them upfront: "You're not going to play optimally and that's fine. Neither of us will know every card in your deck. Just do what seems interesting and we'll figure out interactions as they come up."
Removing the expectation of good play removes the fear of looking stupid. Magic games played in this spirit are more fun for everyone.
After the First Game: What Next
If they enjoyed it, offer to play again immediately. Enthusiasm drops quickly if the next game is weeks away.
If they want to build their own deck, start with the C3 Random Commander Generator to pick a Commander they find interesting, then use the C3 Card Compare tool to check prices on the singles they'll need.
If they want to know more about the game in general, our MTG beginner guide covers everything without overwhelming context.
The C3 Take
The decisions you make with your TCG collection matter more than most guides suggest. Whether you are buying, selling, or holding, the difference between a good outcome and a poor one almost always comes down to checking current AUD prices before you act. Use the live data at /cards/mtg to make price-informed decisions every time.
What to Read Next
- Browse MTG singles and prices at /cards/mtg
- Find your MTG colour identity at /quizzes/mtg-colour
- Calculate booster box expected value at /tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I check current TCG card prices in Australia?
The C3 Card Vault shows live AUD pricing from eBay AU sold data across MTG, Pokemon, Lorcana, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh, Dragon Ball Super, Star Wars Unlimited, and Riftbound.
How do I compare card prices in Australia?
The C3 Card Compare tool lets you put up to four cards side by side and see current AUD buy prices, sell prices, and 14-day price trends simultaneously.
Where can I buy singles and sealed TCG products in Australia?
The C3 eBay store stocks singles across all 8 TCGs with Australian shipping. Sealed products are linked from the C3 shop.