The rules, simply put
No rulebook, no wall of text. Just the six things you actually need to understand before your first game.
Turn structure
Every turn has phases: Untap → Upkeep → Draw → Main → Combat → Main again → End. You’ll feel the rhythm within a few games — then it becomes automatic.
How combat works
Declare attackers, then your opponent declares blockers, then damage is dealt simultaneously. A creature whose toughness hits zero dies. Simple — until combat tricks show up.
The Stack
Spells and abilities wait in a queue before resolving. The last one added resolves first. This is why you can respond to an opponent’s spell before it happens — and why instants exist.
Card types
Lands make mana. Creatures fight. Sorceries and instants are one-shot spells (instants can be cast anytime). Enchantments and artifacts are persistent effects that stay on the battlefield.
Winning the game
Each player starts at 20 life. Reduce your opponent’s life to zero — or force them to draw from an empty library. There are other win conditions, but these two cover 99% of games.
Keywords at a glance
Flying — only blocked by flyers. Trample — excess damage spills over. Haste — attack right away. First Strike — deals damage before normal creatures. Learn one a game.
Rules, explained properly
Each of these guides takes one rule apart slowly, with examples and no jargon.