Pick The Color That's Right For You MTG Guide
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Pick The Color That's Right For You MTG Guide

When you first decided you wanted to play magic the gathering you probably noticed one of its key features right away, the color pie. In many ways it’s what makes this game what it is and why it’s so special. At first glance it may seem like an arbitrary way to divide up factions but the more you investigate it the more you realize it’s so much more. When you first choose to play magic, it can be a daunting task to pick a set of colors to focus on.



If you are new, I would recommend choosing just two colors at first to build your collection around, as it can be hard to have a robust collection of cards at first and spreading yourself thin will limit your deck building options. So, what do you pick? Well, that’s the question every player must ask themselves when they decide to start playing this wonderful game, and its why you decided to click on this article. It’s very important to pick a set of colors that resonate with you on a person level. Don’t just grab some deck because its strong and then be stuck with colors you don’t really like playing. As strength in Magic fluctuates. My suggestion is to pick the colors whose art, flavor, themes and philosophies mirror your idea of what Planeswalker you want to be.


But how do I do that you may ask; this all sounds complicated. Well, that’s where I come in. As a certified color pie expert, I believe I am in a special position to help you with this decision. To get the right colors into your hand we will go through each color and discuss what they represent from a top-down perspective. By showcasing what philosophies, themes and ideals each color brings to the table and how those things effect mechanics. Then by the end of the video I am confident that you will be sure of what colors you want to play. Alright let’s not waste any more time Planeswalker! We will begin with the top of the color pie and make our way around starting with White.


White

White represents the ideals of humanity, of order and of peace. It attempts to create a world free from chaos. Fighting for peace isn’t easy though and requires dedicated and gallant warriors to put their life on the line for what they believe in. Because of this White fills its battlefield with selfless soldiers and noble knights. Classes that stand for everything that makes white what it is. But what does it do when it’s confronted by the darkness of chaos, well it imprisons them so they cannot harm anyone else, which is reflected in the enchantments it uses to banish enemy creatures while the enchantment remains on the field?


If things get out of hand and it looks like the day is lost White is not afraid to wipe the battlefield clean, utilizing the most effective mass creature removal spells in the game, also known as wrath spells. White doesn’t always wish to fight though, it simply does as it must, if it could set rules in place to maintain order it will and thus within magic White uses enchantments which dictate the rules of the game, changing how the game is played in order to place the enemy at a disadvantage. Order isn’t only propped up by law though, in a world where gods and angels do exist piety and faith are a tangible part of life and is something White leans into heavily. With this mind it’s no surprise that White is the color that breeds the most angels, angels that hold darkness at bay and prop up the weak.



But what good are angels without anyone to worship them, therefore you will see many clerics in white as well. Men and women of faith who bridge the gap between humanity and the gods and angels above. I would suggest you play White if the idea of standing for what is right is in your DNA, if you think order is all that stands between peace and chaos. If you want to fight for what is right with an army of soldiers and knights at your side, then be sure to add this color into your decks.

Blue

Blue is an interesting case, here we have a color that is all about perfection, logic, control and knowledge. A mindset that shows itself in interesting ways within the game of Magic the Gathering. That thirst for knowledge is displayed in blues ability to dig through its library using the most efficient draw spells in the game. With the library representing the mind we can see how this is a perfect thematic fit for Blue. What does all this knowledge mean without a way to apply it though, and for that Blue puts its wealth of knowledge into intricate strategies and levels of control.


Blue will spend its time countering its opponents moves, digging for the right card through scrying and drawing then to finally pull off its master plan in a combo that it had built up over the course of a match. It can be hard to read a blue player because many of their abilities can be played on their opponents turn. Do they plan to draw, counter, or bounce a card back to your hand, you can never be sure?



This goes double for what Blue plans to accomplish in order to win, Blue can often be the color of unconventional win conditions, it could use its mastery over time to take multiple turns in a row, it can mill its opponents deck until they are left with nothing, or it can slowly whittle its opponent down, all while leaving no room for them to respond by utilizing well times counters, draws, bounces, and enhancements which render their opponents creatures useless. Play this color if you are the kind of Planeswalker that wishes to always remain one step ahead of your opponent.


Black

black zombie mtg art

Perhaps the first two colors aren’t ruthless enough for you, maybe they lack the darker perspective that you desire, well then maybe Black is for you. Black is the color which has no flimsy moral compass, it is only concerned with how it can get the most out of this life and will use anything at its disposal to achieve this. Black is the color most at ease with the use of dark and forbidden magic, magic which would cause a moral panic in others, such as raising the dead from either their graveyard or its opponent’s graveyard. The shambling zombies will now do as you say no matter what their allegiances once were. You must be willing to sacrifice the weak to find victory as Black though and discarding those creatures who do not server a greater purpose is all part of your road to victory.


This mindset may be hard for some but not for black, those who cannot stomach what it takes to win are weak. As I have said Black is resourceful and will use anything at its disposal to win not just its own creatures but even its very own lifeforce. Trading its own life points in order to gain stronger effects is also part of Blacks toolbelt. Some might stand in your way, they may think themselves brave, but you pay them no mind, with some of the best single target removal spells in the game you will easily cut down those foolish enough to think they can hinder your victory.



The creatures of Black hold the same sentiment as you do and are always hiding their own crafty tricks, poisoning their blades in order to kill no matter the outcome of battle, this is reflected in abilities such as death touch. Zombies, Demons and many other horrors stand at your side so be sure to always show them that you are strong Planeswalker and never back down. Play Black if you want to win at any cost and aren’t afraid to let morality hinder your climb to the top.


Red

Perhaps you are the honest kind, one who is pure of heart and action, a Planeswalker who wears their heart on their sleeves, well then Red might be for you. Red is direct and acts in kind. To Red the only road worth taking is the one that leads straight through, and this is displayed perfectly in its gameplay. Red is the color of direct damage, centering strategies on winning fast. Using instant spells like the iconic lightning bolt or shock to either zap the opponent’s life to zero or using them on their opponents’ creatures. Red simply gains joy from the explosive use of elemental forces. The creatures of Red also mirror its ideals.


You will usually see keywords like haste or first strike, abilities that represents Red’s brash and aggressive fighting style. A Red Planeswalker is one that is honest with itself and knows that life is as simple as following your heart and even though it can get you in trouble sometimes, it will always lead you where you need to go. This can be seen in hop red takes card advantage in a different direction, often having to discard cards to draw, having access to the cards it drew for a limited time or simply playing whatever card is sitting on the top of their library at any given time.



Making for gameplay that can either explode with potential or fizzle out. Play Red if you are the kind of Planeswalker that likes to bring a bit of chaos to the table. Just be sure to expect that you will either win or lose rather quickly, but hey if this is your playstyle, you’ll have fun either way.


Green

You may disagree with the other colors and feel that they enforce themselves on the world around them and that just isn’t how things should be. We should listen the earth and its inhabitants for guidance, if this is how you fell then you might be a Green Planeswalker. Green is the colors of balance, perspective, growth and destiny. Green believes that the world is perfect the way it is and it’s our job to protect it, preserve it and help it grow.


Because of this Green has a oneness with the land, which is reflected in its ability to fetch land from its library, play extra lands on its turn or even animate the land itself to fight by its side. With the room to grow and reach their potential the creatures of Green are no pushovers, boasting the largest creatures in the game, it really does pay to head natures call. Being that green fights for nature it should be no surprise that it despises artificial things and so will destroy enchantments and artifacts with ease. To live this way, takes a special connection and there are creature types and classes that you will see an abundance of in Green, that being the beasts and elves and the classes of shamans and druids.



These races, creature types and classes are connected deeply with everything that Green believes. You will need to be patient when you play as green, because nature takes time to grow. As the match drags on you will confront your opponent with an ever-growing army of elves or larger and larger beasts until no army can stand in the shadow of your onslaught. Play green if you are at harmony with the natural world and are willing to stand at her side and crush any outsider in your way.


Conclusion


As you can see the five colors of magic the gathering each bring something unique to the table and it’s really what makes it the best game there is. Your choice of colors is a major one and will dictate how much you enjoy the game for different reasons. Perhaps there is a color that resonates with you on a philosophical level, or maybe you just vibe with the way a color is played. Either way picking the right color for you will dictate the lens in which you view magic so don’t take this decision lightly. Magic is a game after all, but it can be so much more, and the more you play and dive into its many worlds the more you will realize that the color pie is at the heart of what makes magic what it is and why it’s so special to so many people.


I hope this guide helped you in picking the right color for you. If you want to learn more about the color pie then check out the vast array of articles on this site or head over to my Youtube channel. If this sort of thing interests you then consider becoming a site member that way you can be notified when my next article goes live


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