Magic: The Gathering is one of the most popular card games in the world. Magic is set in a fantasy world full of cunning wizards, gorgeous art and complex game play that’s enjoyed by kids and adults alike. It’s often compared to a game of chess, but one where the players can pick their own pieces. And with new sets introducing powerful cards coming out regularly there is never a shortage of Magic product for players to enjoy. So much so, that it can at times become overwhelming to decide which are the best gifts to give for Magic players. While you can never go wrong with giving a Magic player more cards, as collecting is a built-in aspect of the hobby, there is an assortment of accessories available players enjoy just as much. Our list of ten great Magic: The Gathering gift ideas is matched to player experience to help you find the right gift for their engagement.
1. Magic: The Gathering Booster Bundle
Experience level: Beginner to Expert
A Magic: The Gathering Booster Bundle is a great way to boost any player;s collection. Each box is loaded with ten booster packs full of fifteen cards each. In addition, each bundle comes with a pack of eighty basic lands, five of which are premium foil versions, which are essential to playing. On top of that the box comes with a Magic themed twenty sided dice used to track life when playing and a nice booklet showing every single card in the set. Players love these boxes because they deliver a lot of bang for the buck and even the box itself can be used to store and are collectible in themselves. A wide variety of boxes are available, each focused on a certain set of cards. Some examples of additional sets include historical Dominaria, dinosaur infested Ixalan, and the Egypt themed Amonkhet though new ones are released regulatory.
2. Magic: The Gathering Playmat
Experience level: Beginner to expert
Magic: The Gathering playmats make great gifts. Made of the same material as an old-fashioned mouse pad, but much bigger, playmats give players a level surface on which to play. The soft rubber backing helps to keep cards from shifting around during play and guarantees a clean surface. However, like so much of Magic, playmats give players a way to express themselves through the beautiful and sometimes hilarious art on each. Often players like to choose art that showcases a favorite character of theirs from the game. Or something totally off the wall for laughs. There are even playmats that help teach how to play the game itself. Though not necessary to play Magic, a nice playmat goes a long way to making games a much more enjoyable experience.
3. Ultra Pro Deck Boxes
Experience level: Beginner to expert
Besides actually playing Magic, a big part of the game involves deck building. Players are constantly testing, tweaking, and building new decks to play in hopes they end up unbeatable. Deck boxes provide a safe and secure way not only to store these decks but also transport them. This pack of five sturdy deck boxes from Ultra Pro are ideal as they have the space to hold a standard Magic: The Gathering deck of sixty cards with room to spare. The lids secure stay in place when pushed down and have room for names on top. The five colors of the pack also align to the five colors of magic in the game which is a nice touch.
4. Magic: The Gathering Guild Kit
Experience level: Beginner to expert
For new and experienced players alike, these Magic: The Gathering Guild Kits can’t be beat! Each kit is contains a fully built deck centered around one of the guilds of Ravnica. What makes these kits so impressive is the quality of the cards in the deck. Each is made up of powerful new cards and hard to find reprints from older sets, that are ultra desirable. Even better, each guild kit comes with premium basic lands featuring a new art style around the borders that are sure to become highly sought after by collectors in the future. In addition, each guild kit comes with a metal pin featuring each guild’s seal and a special twenty sided dice in guild colors. With so much value in each box, these guild kits are really great Magic: The Gathering gift ideas.
5. Magic: The Gathering Commander
Experience level: Expert
There are many ways to play Magic: The Gathering and the Commander format is one of the most popular. Commander uses the same rules as regular Magic, but has players using hundred card decks containing only one copy of each card. These super sized decks are all built around a player’s “Commander” who each have unique abilities that affect gameplay. Players are free to build their own Commander decks out of their own cards, or as many do, use these powerful preconstructed decks to do battle with. As these decks often contain some of the most powerful Magic cards ever created, players will often purchase them only to take apart and use as pieces for their own creations. New commander decks come out yearly and there are a wide variety available with some of the older becoming more expensive over time as the value of the rarer cards within go up in value.
6. Custom Dice
Experience level: Beginner to expert
In a typical game of Magic: The Gathering, it’s not uncommon to see players with piles of dice nearby. Dice are used frequently as a way to see who goes first, track life totals and to manipulate cards by placing counters on them. Though regular dice work fine, Magic players often like to express themselves with custom dice. Much like they would with a playmat. Luckily, there are tons of custom dice available that make great gifts. Dice can come in many different colors, materials, and shapes to fit any players preference. A nice set of dice makes it easy to keep them from getting mixed up with dice from other players. And have the added bonus in that they can be used for any other games players enjoy.
7. Magic: The Gathering Deck Builder’s Toolkit
Experience level: Beginner
Magic’s Deck Builder’s Toolkit is the perfect gift for new players. Specifically designed with new players in mind, the toolkit has everything they to start building fun decks of their own. Inside the box players will find over 250 cards for an instant collection. Included in these cards are a bundle of basics lands which every deck will need to function and new players often have a hard time getting enough of. Players will also find four assorted booster packs from previous Magic sets included to grow their collection. A super helpful addition is the toolkit’s guidebook which breaks down the strategy involved in building powerful decks. This is incredibly helpful for newer players as proper deck building is as much an art as it is a science. And of course the box itself is useful for new players as it provides valuable storage for their growing collection.
8. Magic: The Gathering Booster Box
Experience level: Expert
For enfranchised Magic players, you can never have enough cards. And for those players, a booster box is one of the better ways to get the rare and powerful cards they need to play with. No frills here, as cards are all you get. But with so many booster packs in a box, players have a greater chance of securing the rare and powerful cards they’d have to buy separately on their own. And with some of the rarest Magic cards being worth some serious money, its not uncommon to open a box that ends up being worth more than the price it was bought for! Talk about value. As with all Magic products, there’s a variety of booster boxes available for each new set released. However, special “Masters” boxes are available that feature nothing but high value reprints from older sets. At a higher cost.
9. Magic: The Gathering Card Sleeves
Experience level: Beginner to expert
They don’t call Magic: The Gathering a collectible card game for no reason. Many of the oldest cards from the game are worth serious amounts of money. With one of the rarest recently sold at auction for $87,000! Yikes! As many of these cards have real world value, players find it essential they protect them with high quality card sleeves. A good card sleeve will protect the card from the bends, creases and wear and tear that comes from regular use. After all, a mint condition card is worth quite a bit more than one that’s been heavily played. Again, there are a ton of card sleeve designs out there for players to further express themselves as they play. However those designer sleeves are typically for showing off and regular plain colored ones work just fine. Players can never have enough card sleeves so they always make great Magic: The Gathering gifts.
10. Magic: The Gathering Planeswalker Decks
Experience level: Beginner to intermediate
In the game of Magic: The Gathering, Planeswalkers are some of the most powerful allies and cards at your disposal. Their potent spells destroy an opponent’s army to turn the tide of battle in an instant towards victory. They are also some of the rarest and most expensive cards to collect. That means means many newer players don’t have access to them. These decks solve that problem by including one special Planeswalker card in each box’s sixty card deck. These special versions of the Planeswalkers can be found nowhere else. For added value, each Planeswalker Deck includes two fifteen card booster packs. Players can use these to customize their deck to make it even more powerful. Popular Planeswalkers like Liliana the Death Wielder and Jace the Ingenious Mind-Mage among others are available so players can play with their favorite characters.