Learn to play Magic: The Gathering with the Avatar: The Last Airbender set

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony, then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of the four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished...

With this quote, taken from the opening sequence of the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, we get an idea not only of the universe in which Katara, Sokka, Aang, Zuko, Toph, Azula and the others live. It also reflects a rather obvious similarity to the colour wheel of Magic: The Gathering. It made perfect sense, then, that Wizards of the Coast would offer a large collection of Avatar: The Last Airbender cards to close out 2025, the 20th anniversary of the original TV premiere.

But Avatar: The Last Airbender is intergenerational entertainment; a perfect opportunity to encourage new players to experience Magic: The Gathering the way they want to. Playing with friends, building a championship Commander deck, or simply getting into collecting and completing the entire set (which is no easy feat, believe me).

The best way to dive into Magic: The Gathering is to understand how Magic: The Gathering works, and that's why the starting point will be the Starter Box, which contains not only an updated rules reference, but also two decks: One of Aang (white) and one of Zuko (red). Each of them is based on a colour of the wheel, and has a different play style, as well as special rules depending on its control element.

In Magic: The Gathering, each card is made up of several essential parts that define its function in the game. At the top is its name, and to the right is its mana cost, which indicates how much mana you must pay to play it. Mana is the fundamental resource of the game: the magical energy that players use to cast spells and activate abilities. It is primarily drawn from lands and comes in different colours, each associated with different play styles and philosophies.

Below the name and land cost (another name for mana) is the card type (creature, instant, spell, land, etc.) and, in some cases, subtypes. In the middle of the card is the rules text, which explains its abilities and effects, and also the optional setting text, which adds a narrative touch. The creature cards also include strength and toughness. Finally, at the bottom are the rarity, artist, and collection number.

Back to the starter box, you'll need a friend to enjoy it, and each player will choose a premade pack of cards to learn how to play, taking the quick-start guide from the deck's main character to follow along. This will be the first game of Magic: The Gathering, so it is fully scripted, but by the end of it you will have a very good idea of how at least both decks work, where and when to use spells, instant spells.

Aang focuses on the use and combination of spells and creatures, improving and enhancing them to "break through" the opponent's defences. Zuko and his red deck rely on speed to arm and hit hard with everything in quick succession, constantly wearing down the opponent. Firebending adds extra red mana each time the creature attacks, so you can even hit with the thought of sacrificing that creature if it's going to get you enough resources to get a better one down on the playmat, or perhaps a spell that destroys enemy creatures or enchantments. In fact, you'll almost always notice that the colours play similarly in every MTG set, save for the special quirks of each set.

Of course, Standardised decks are just the start to get you started, and after a couple of games you'll find that you'll need to open a few play and collector booster packs if you want to get the best cards to bolster your deck. Collector Boosters come in English only, and contain cards of a Rare or Mythic nature, even. The cards also often have special patterns or designs that make them even less common and (now you'll understand much of the current TGC boom) much more valuable on the retail market.

In addition to the starter box and a couple of Collector Boosters, Wizards of the Coast sent us a set presentation booster, a box containing a Spindown die (a specially designed d20 with the set's emblem, in this case the image of Aang's head) and six game booster packs with which you should be able to build a presentation deck. Presentation decks are used at in-store set launch events in a kind of special tournament and we won't go too much into that right now. The best way to learn how to use them is to attend one of these events in future collections and open the booster packs on the spot and talk with other players about the best strategy.

I have been playing Magic: The Gathering for over 20 years. I've seen the game's lore change, its experience expand and twist, sometimes for the better and sometimes less fortunately. But I think in recent times, they seem to have found a balance between the consistent release of new sets and collections, which will appeal to a wider and wider spectrum of people (whether they've played before or not), and the way they elevate each game to a competitive level, be it friendly or professional. MTG x Avatar: The Last Airbender is a great way for kids who were introduced to this animated magic universe to get back into a long-lived and ever-changing hobby, where there's always room for one more player at the table.