Like most games, Magic: The Gathering also has an age rating. There are several reasons for age restrictions:
- Complex strategies;
- Illustrations not intended for children on cards;
- Older players with a mature mindset.
Before you figure out why MTG cards have age restrictions, it's worth finding out what the MTG game is, what the purpose of the game is, and how old Magic: The Gathering is.
What Is Magic: The Gathering (MTG)?
It is a strategy card game. It appeared in 1993 and since then, players have been trying to replenish their decks with new sets every year.
Let’s consider the main rules of this game. Two or more players are required to play. Each of them has a total number of hit points.
The goal of the MTG game is for each player to try to reduce their opponents' points to 0. There are a large number of ways to do this. For example, you can attack with fantasy creatures, use spells, or bypass life with cards that have special victory conditions written on them, like the Lab Maniac card. By using such cards, you fulfill the conditions that are written on them and this helps you win.
Let's take a closer look at why MTG cards have age restrictions and who can play with these cards.
Why Is MTG’s Appropriate Age 13+?
Let's start with the fact that such ratings are just recommendations. Magic: The Gathering can be a good game for kids if they want to play it and they are not very sensitive to visuals showing cruelty. Some children develop more quickly, and therefore they are not afraid of the complexity of the game and its many rules.
Let us consider in more detail the reasons for the age restriction of MTG.
Complex Strategies
When we deal with MTG cards, we understand that there are a large number of combinations with which players can win. Each player chooses for themselves the option that is most interesting to them and, in their opinion, can lead to victory. Some strategies may be difficult for children, who will find themselves at a disadvantage compared to their older rivals. Moreover, with the advent of new sets, more and more complex combinations appear. For example, every year, a new set of cards is released and experienced players are constantly learning new game patterns.
Despite the fact that Magic: The Gathering requires players of the appropriate age (13+), it does not mean that children will not be able to play MTG at all. But they may lose interest in learning due to the complexity of the combinations and the many rules.
In addition, game cards are quite expensive, so if parents bought a set of cards for a child and found out that the game has age restrictions, it would be quite wasteful to prohibit the child from playing MTG, especially if they want to.
Not Intended Illustrations On Cards For Children
Another thing that players love about maps in MTG is the illustrations on the maps. As a rule, artwork for drawing illustrations on cards is done professionally. Some people like the original card design so much - the spirit of angels, dragons, landscapes, and other images.
While card covers can be adorable, they may contain themes that are inappropriate for a child. For example, cards may show scenes of violent combat, erotic scenes, or other pictures that should not be shown to children.
Older Players
Although there are young MTG card players, it is mostly adults that take part in tournaments.
If children join the game, it can turn into an unequal competition. For example, this may be due to the fact that many of the fans who have been playing since the beginning are older people. Thus, it will be difficult for the child to play in the company of people much older than them. However, this does not mean that there are no groups for younger participants that children can join.
Is It Too Late Or Too Early To Start Playing MTG?
It's never too late or too early to play MTG cards or get to know them. You can absolutely do this at any age.
MTG is not only entertaining but also very useful for many reasons, such as:
It is a pretty good way to learn maths with MTG cards. It will help children learn more easily and understand why numbers are so important in life. If adults or older people play this game, this is a good opportunity to train their math skills. It is also a good form of constant brain training - it improves the brain’s activity and even prevents it from diseases associated with impaired cognitive functions in old age.
When playing MTG cards, players need to be decisive in order to make important moves to reflect the moves of their opponents and reduce their points as the game progresses. To do this, you need confidence in your actions and the ability to make decisions. These are important life traits for a person. Games with MTG cards help develop these traits.
The MTG game is not only interesting and useful, but it is also important for developing kids’ communication skills. During the game, it is needed to constantly contact other participants, which helps to learn to be more confident in communication. The child learns behavioral models and how people react to a certain action.
Last but not least, some funny moments and jokes are often generated during collective games, which cheer children up.
There are situations in life when people need to carefully consider a strategy in order to solve a life problem. Magic: The Gathering cards are great for developing these skills. During the game, kids are transported to a virtual world where they are faced with tasks that they need to cope with in order to win. Here they will have to develop schemes and steps of action in a short period of time. This skill will definitely come in handy in life.
Can Kids Play MTG?
Even though there are objective reasons why it is worth children waiting until they are over 13 years old to play MTG cards, this does not mean that the game is forbidden for younger children and they can not be introduced to the game at all. It is only necessary to observe the process of the game when children play it and gradually teach them more complex schemes and strategies of games. Also, you can find groups and clubs that include younger players who want to play MTG cards so they can connect with others. More experienced mates will teach them the basic rules and help them join the MTG world over time.
Can Adults Play MTG?
Some people mistakenly believe that MTG is a game for teenagers, but this is not so. Statistics show that MTG players are usually between 18 and 34 years old. Typically, 75% of people who play MTG are in this age range, while about 25% are youths and seniors.
Despite the fact that MTG has fantasy art, it is quite a difficult game. Some players have been studying complex strategy books for many years and trying to develop more and more unique and win-win game schemes.
Therefore, adults can certainly play card games. This game will be equally interesting for any age category because it has a large number of options for moves that need to be considered in advance, which makes it incredibly interesting and addictive.
Inspire Yourself To Learn Playing MTG With Brand New MTG Card Sleeves From Playmat!
Once you have decided to join the MTG club, saved up money, and bought cards, you begin to notice that the cards are vulnerable to contamination and damage. In order to keep the cards in good condition, you can order sleeves for them.
We would like to offer you Your PlayMat’s products, namely high-quality and demanded individual card sleeves. Ordering such an envelope from us is a great way to decorate any deck of cards with a custom design.
Advantages of card sleeves made by us:
- Chic design: matte back with a white border or custom choice, whatever you desire;
- Transparent facade and white interior;
- You can choose the quantity: 60, 100, 200 pcs;
- Availability of both standard and Japanese sizes;
- We use high-quality brightest coloring that is safe for your health;
- Dependable material that will allow you to shuffle your cards in any way as many times as you need.
On our site, you can upload the image you want to add to your card sleeves, then select the number of sleeves, specify the editing style you want, and optionally add text that we will put on the sleeves.
Visit our website, where you can place your order for individual sleeves for cards, as well as see our ready-made sleeves for sale.
Also, there is a blog tab where you can find many interesting and helpful articles.
FAQ
What Is The Age Limit For MTG Arena?
Adults can play with MTG Arena cards. In the United States, the age of the majority is 21. In most other countries, a person is considered an adult at 18; however, in some countries, 14, 16, or 19-year-olds are allowed to participate.
Does The MTG Trading Card Game Have Elements Of Violence?
Some cards show incidents of violence, blood, or mutilation. For example, there can be vampires or werewolves attacking people, zombies, or even severed body parts. Therefore, children are not recommended to play MTG because they may be frightened by the images.
Is It Easy To Learn MTG?
In fact, learning to play MTG is not so difficult. You can start with simple card sets before you start building your own deck of cards.
Where Can I Train To Play MTG?
You can draft on such sites as CCGdecks.com, tappedout.net, or drafts.in. The free Cockatrice client is great for playing. You can also use Magic Workstation, where you can always find players of different levels.
How Popular Is MTG?
Analyzing the statistics, the number of active MTG Arena players in 2021 was 10 million people. Gradually, the game of MTG in an online format begins to develop into one of the varieties of e-sports.