Magic: The Gathering Starter Kit 2023 Review

With something as big as Magic: The Gathering, trying to figure out where and how to start is intimidating as hell. I bought and checked out Magic: The Gathering Game Night: Free-for-All 2022 and found it a great way to start playing with actual cards. I was sent the new Magic: The Gathering Starter Kit 2023 to test out, and there are ways this is pretty damn superior, especially when it comes to price.

So what’s in this kit?

This kit is nice and basic; it comes with two pre-built 60-card decks. Each deck contains 2 mythic rare cards, 6 rare cards, and a foil rare card. These are all pre-built, so they are “rare”, but shiny things are shiny, so fun.

There are 2 cardboard deck boxes, which are a great fit for the decks but lack the space for sleeves. Not a major if you’re starting out and don’t mind your cards being thrashed, but sleeves are fun and protect the cards, so that’s a bit meh.

Each deck has a reference card to remember your way through the turn structure and two double-sided token cards. There are also 2 MTG Arena cards, which you can use if you want to get these cards in your deck in the online game.

The obvious omissions are a couple of spin-down dice or cardboard life trackers. Given the price point and the fact that you can use many phone apps for tracking life, this is far from a major. Also, once you get further into this, you’ll have heaps of dice, so don’t panic there.

It also has a nice guide to get you through the first steps of the game.

How is it for a newbie?

As a newbie, pre-built decks make the start of your journey a hell of a lot easier. There is plenty about MTG that can get overwhelming fast, but these strip all of that out.

The decks are great for introducing you to mixing colours. One desk is green and white with the other being blue and red. Red and green are the easiest colours to start learning, and blue and white can be the littlest bit harder. The fifth colour black, is the hardest, so it’s OK to be omitted, as these four colours combined are pretty much the perfect option for newbies.

So to answer the question I wrote at the top, how is it for a newbie? The answer is bloody excellent. Grab the decks, grab a bit of paper to track your health, and get stuck in. The basics of the game aren’t overly difficult, but the further you get in, the harder it gets. This is a nice, balanced way to start.

Whether you are using it to get someone else into the game or for two newbies wanting to learn to play, this is a damn great tool to use.

Magic: The Gathering Starter Kit 2023 vs Magic: The Gathering Game Night: Free-for-All 2022. Which one should you start with as a newbie?

Honestly, you’ll be happy with either. They both have strengths. Game Night has a deck for each of the 5 colours which is pretty awesome. This means you will get introduced to each deck type and how they play. Also, the nice presentation in the box with spin-down dice can make it a game night regular for the casual fan. The starter kit, on the other hand, introduces you to using a deck with multiple colours. Also, it costs $35 vs. $90 to $110 for Game Night, which is a pretty damn significant win.

So in short, either will make you happy. At $35, Magic: The Gathering Starter Kit 2023 is a damn great place to be introduced to the game.