MTG Essentials - Upgraded version of the WOTC Basic Rulebook
General forum
Posted on Nov. 6, 2017, 7:14 p.m. by mtguser2000
Hi
I've posted this before but now that there's a new version, I'm making a new post.I've been working on a book containing everything there is to know about MTG since about 2012.
It was fun to make and lately I've made a complete new design for the rulebook.The latest version of the document is available over here.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/79zyh0fkaao5wgi/AABAPXx5ymAiyo9qEkQRGJW1a?dl=0
(a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/79zyh0fkaao5wgi/AABAPXx5ymAiyo9qEkQRGJW1a?dl=0")Link(/a)
The document is available in Word and PDF format and is as large as 136 pages.It is 212 megs in word format while it has been tone down to 45 megs in PDF.
It was made as an image of the Basic Rulebook offered by MTG. As a comparaison, the M14 Rulebook has 36 pages.
Here is a quick overview of the document:
Section 1: The Basics
1.1 Five Colors Mana
1.2 Parts Of A Card
1.3 Card Types
1.4 Game Zones
Section 2: The Game Mechanism
2.1 Making Mana
2.2 Spells
2.3 Abilities
2.4 Attacking And Blocking
2.5 Steps And Phases Of A Turn
Section 3: Playing A Game
3.1 Get A Deck
3.2 Protect Your Cards
3.3 Get A Friend
3.4 Start The Game
3.5 Shuffling Your Cards
3.6 Mulligan
3.7 The Beginning
3.8 The Ever-Changing Game
3.9 The Golden Rule
Section 4: Building Your Own Deck
4.1 Choose Colors Wisely
4.2 Choosing your Decks color
4.3 Mana Curve
4.4 Mana Fixing
4.5 Spells vs Creatures
4.6 Deck Archetypes
4.7 Building Your Sideboard
4.8 Name Your Deck
Section 5: Different Ways To Play
5.1 Formats
5.2 Sanctioned Constructed
5.3 Sanctioned Limited
5.4 Sanctioned Multiplayer
5.5 Casual Constructed
5.6 Casual Limited
5.7 Casual Multiplayer
5.8 Casual Variant
5.9 Other Casual Formats
Section 6: Glossary
6.1 General
6.2 Ability Words
6.3 Keyword Abilities
6.4 Keyword Actions
Section 7: Sets
Section 8: The Storyline
8.1 Our Own Universe
8.2 The Multiverse
8.3 The Planets
Section 9: Banned And Restricted
Section 10: Questions?
Section 11: Rulebook Credit
Section 12: Notes
If you have any comments, suggestion or remark, feel free to leave it in the forum.
Enjoy the reading!
mtguser2000 says... #3
Hi cgomes. Well the Basic Rulebook by WOTC is kind of a misleading name as it is really a how to play the game...
It has nothing to do with the "competition rulebook"
November 6, 2017 8:32 p.m.
mtguser2000 says... #4
This is the "https://www.wizards.com/magic/rules/EN_MTGM11_Rulebook_LR_Web.pdf" basic rulebook by WOTC
November 6, 2017 8:33 p.m.
mtguser2000 says... #5
Or this one "http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/resources/rules/EN_MTGM14_PrintedRulebook_LR.pdf"
November 6, 2017 11:46 p.m.
chaosumbreon87 says... #6
not sure if i'm misinterpreting your purpose. Magic already has a comprehensive rulebook for rules and is a recommended source for judge training. Were you trying to simplify this or were you trying to remake it? I'm sure you could probably make a better intro guide if you take out like 120 pages of history and stick to the important parts for beginners.
November 7, 2017 6 p.m.
mtguser2000 says... #7
My purpose is simple. Have at disposal as a collector/player, everything i want to know about MTG without going into techinical details...
Lets put it this way, its like a scrapbook but organise in way that could be published...
It has the same purpose as the MTG basic rulebook that ive shared the link to....but more advance
November 8, 2017 5:13 a.m.
I still don't understand the purpose of the material you created. It seems to be something in between the basic rules guide and the comprehensive rules book. I don't see the need for it and therefore, I'm out.
Now, if you were making a book about, say, the history of rule changes and how they affected the way the game plays, now that's something I'd enjoy reading.
November 8, 2017 8:09 a.m.
mtguser2000 says... #9
cgomes, its ok, I understand not everybody will enjoy this but some will....
The basic rule guide represents Section 1.1, 1.4, 2, 3.1, 3.8, 3.9, 6.1 (and 10 to 11 witch is irrelevant)So all the other sections are added....now you may find them relevant such the list of formats...archetypes...how to shuffle or protect your cards....mana curve... different abilities or the entire list the MTG sets....even the magic universe... or you may find that irrelevant to you and prefer if need be just search on the web.... it is up to you...
To me, that's what I've searched on the web...some information were easier to get than others....and I've decided to agglomerate everything into a book the basic rulebook that WOTC offers to beginners....making it a more advance and more complete version as to what's interesting to know about the game...
Thanks for the suggestion but it's not something I'm interested in; It would involve a lot of search and diagnose that I don't feel interesting to me (don't care about tournament related) or relevant as to play now (casual) or the whole understanding of the Magic universe...
November 8, 2017 2:23 p.m.
Hi mtguser2000!
I played mtg for a long time around 2000, and I wanted to come back to play casually with my friends, with pre-constructed decks or with boxed games such as Explorers of Ixalan. Many of my friends don't know how to play. Even with starter kits, Wizard of the Coasts is very negligent with rules, the basic rulebooks do not come with the games, and the one available on the internet is very superficial. I found yours pretty great to present the rules to new players for a casual game, with a complete glossary (so my friends can look at the cards' abilities without showing their hand) and with an intro into Magic Story so, who knows, maybe myself or some of my friends while reading the rules might get interested in playing more.
Some suggestions if you want to make it even more readable for the intro player. You could make two parts, the first one being the basic things (sections 1,2,6, some basic stuff from the others sections), and the second one the supplement: Section 4, 5(some parts), 8...
Thank you for your work!
cgomes says... #2
Would you mind clarifying the purpose of such a book? The rules are already available online (https://media.wizards.com/2017/downloads/MagicCompRules_20170119.pdf). I'm a bit confused tbh... Thanks!
November 6, 2017 8:01 p.m.