June 24, 2023

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Check Your LoL Time Investment: Total Gameplay Hours

24 June 2023

How much time have you spent as a Malphite main? Sometimes you get sucked into the world of League of Legends for hours on end, right? You enter a trance and forget that it’s been a total of five, six, or even seven hours, right? Especially when you’re in a rut and want to end your night on a win, you’ll continue to play even if it might not be healthy. So, if you’re like us and sometimes play without noticing how much time has passed, we’ve got the tool for you to become self-aware. It’s important to keep oneself in check, right? So, it’s time to find out just how much time you’ve spent playing League of Legends this season. How to Check Time Spent Playing League of Legends There is no official League of Legends tool from Riot that checks these stats, but there are third-party sites where you can simply put in your account and then you’ll be informed of everything you’ll want to know. One of those websites is Wasted on LoL – or wol.gg – with which you can see just how much time you’ve spent on League of Legends. Not only do you find out how much time you have spent, it also gives you a detailed rundown of the time in minutes, hours, and days. Not only that, but you also get to find out just how many books you could have read in that time, or how many kilometers you could have walked as well. Seriously, if that doesn’t make you self-aware, then I don’t know what else does. Seriously, I didn’t need to know how many movies I could have watched in that time. In order to view YouTube videos, please accept the Google Fonts cookies. These Steps Let You See How Much Time It’s pretty easy to figure out how to see the time you’ve spent on League of Legends. Just follow the steps below, and you’ll be good to go. Check the website wol.gg Put in your username Change the region to the correct one Click Enter to see how much time you’ve spent Once you’ve done that, you’ll be bombarded with the aforementioned information regarding your League of Legends account. How many hours have you spent already on League this season? If we take a look at Faker’s account ‘Hide on bush,’ we can see that he could have read 59 books, as well as walked 1,422 kilometers.

Groovy Memories: Wayne’s World NES Review

24 June 2023

Are you ready to take a trip down memory lane? In this review, we will travel back to the mid-90s and examine the iconic Wayne’s World NES video game. This game, based on the popular SNL sketch and subsequent movie franchise, was developed by Radical Entertainment and released by THQ in 1993. In this article, we will delve into the mechanics of the game, evaluate its graphics and audio, review its critical reception and lasting legacy, and compare it to other titles of its time. Let’s start by providing some context for the game and its origins in the Wayne’s World franchise. Gameplay Overview Wayne’s World NES game, released in 1993, is a 2D side-scrolling platformer game developed by Imagineering and published by THQ. The game features a storyline based on the popular Wayne’s World movie franchise. Players take control of Wayne Campbell, the main character, and have to navigate through different levels, defeat various enemies, and ultimately save the day. The game mechanics are relatively simple, and the controls are intuitive. Players move their character using the directional pad, jump, and use Wayne’s signature guitar to both defeat enemies and break barriers in the levels. The guitar can also be used to activate special features like opening hidden doors, pushing objects, and revealing secret items. The difficulty of the game can vary depending on the level, but overall, it is not too challenging. There are different power-ups, such as invincibility, extra lives, and improved guitar speed. There are bosses at the end of each level that provide unique challenges, requiring players to use different strategies to defeat them. The pacing of the game is also well-balanced, with a gradual increase in tension and difficulty as players progress through the various levels. In conclusion, Wayne’s World NES game is a relatively straightforward 2D side-scrolling platformer with a compelling storyline. The game mechanics are easy to pick up, and the controls are intuitive. The difficulty of the game is not too high, but there are enough challenges to keep players engaged. The pacing is well-balanced, making for an enjoyable gameplay experience. Graphics and Audio When it comes to video games, graphics and audio play an essential role in the overall experience. In Wayne’s World NES game, the graphics and audio are essential elements that contribute to the gameplay. Let’s start with the graphics. The game’s graphics are straightforward and simple. The character design is relatively basic, with the main characters of the franchise, Wayne and Garth, accurately depicted but with limited facial expressions. However, the game does an excellent job of recreating the animated characters’ look and feel from the popular Wayne’s World TV show. The levels or stages of Wayne’s World NES present a unique color palette, making each level visually distinct. The game’s backgrounds feature similar content settings as in the movies, such as the Donut Shop, Car Shop, Gas Works, and the Rec Center. Moving on to sound and music, Wayne’s World NES soundtrack features original compositions. The music is upbeat and stays true to the movie franchise’s spirit, with classic rock and heavy metal tunes. Wayne and Garth vocalize some catchphrases and quips from the film throughout the game. Still, the rest of the audio isn’t particularly noteworthy. The sound effects are standard for the platformer genre and do not bring anything new to the table. In conclusion, while the graphics and audio may not necessarily stand out as revolutionary, they do an excellent job of staying on the beat of the Wayne’s World franchise. The game designers put their focus on creating a visually distinct and musically delightful experience. The graphics and audio of Wayne’s World NES video game induce nostalgia because they accurately capture the essence of the movie. Reception and Legacy The Wayne’s World NES game was released in 1993 and received mixed reviews upon its debut. While some praised the game for capturing the humor and spirit of the movie, others criticized the game’s graphics, sound, and limited gameplay options. Despite its mixed reception, Wayne’s World NES game managed to sell well over 100,000 copies in its first year. This level of success was not surprising given the popularity of the Wayne’s World brand at the time, which had a young and enthusiastic fan base. Over the years, the Wayne’s World NES game has achieved a lasting legacy in the world of video game development. Many gamers fondly remember the game, and it even inspired a resurgence of interest in the film franchise when it was difficult to find on DVD or streaming sites. Beyond nostalgia, the game has earned a place in gaming history as an early example of a licensed movie to a video game adaptation. Although many such games have come and gone, Wayne’s World NES game retains a unique place in the gaming experience of the time. There have been notable cultural references to the game over the years, including a “Let’s Play” video by YouTube sensation JonTron, who praised the game’s hilarious cutscenes and quirky gameplay. Regardless of any criticism, the Wayne’s World NES game has indeed had a significant impact on the legacy of video games. Comparison to Other Titles When “Wayne’s World” was released in 1992, the movie’s popularity exploded, thanks to its quirky charm. The video game adaptation followed soon after, developed by THQ for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The movie to video game adaptation genre wasn’t new, but it was starting to catch on, with games like Robocop, Terminator 2, and Batman gaining popularity. Compared to other movie to video game adaptations of the era, the Wayne’s World NES game stood out in a few distinct ways. The game followed the movie’s plot, with players taking on the roles of metalheads Wayne and Garth as they tried to save their show from being canceled. Unlike other adaptations that digressed significantly from the storyline, Wayne’s World tried to incorporate as much of the movie’s humor and spirit as possible. The game’s unique features

Future of the Past: F-Zero X N64 Review

24 June 2023

F-Zero X N64, a classic racing game released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 console, has firmly stood the test of time. Developed by Nintendo and Nintendo EAD, F-Zero X N64 takes players on an intergalactic journey where they can select from 30 unique hover-car racers and compete on various tracks with insane twists and turns. The game, the first F-Zero game of its kind, was widely received and generated significant buzz among gamers of all ages. Even though it’s been over two decades since the game’s release, F-Zero X N64 is still widely admired for its fast-paced gameplay and mechanics that influenced modern-day racing games. In this review, we will breakdown the different elements of F-Zero X N64 and dive into what made this game a classic. Background: F-Zero X N64 may be one of the lesser-known titles in the Nintendo 64 library, but it maintains a passionate fanbase to this day. This high-speed futuristic racing game was developed and published by Nintendo themselves, released in 1998 as a follow-up to the original F-Zero game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The F-Zero series was a pioneer in the racing genre, known for its fast-paced futuristic style and ability to create a sense of speed unrivaled by other racing games of the time. F-Zero X N64 continued this tradition with improved graphics, faster gameplay mechanics, and new gameplay elements. Developed during the “golden age” of Nintendo, F-Zero X N64 developed by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto himself with the guidance of Kazunobu Shimizu who directed several popular SNES titles. The design aimed for players who enjoyed more difficulty, focused on a high speed racer, which needed precision in maneuvering and skill. The game famously featured a large number of racers, each with unique abilities that required players to study and master if they wanted to be successful. Racing in F-Zero X N64 was not just a matter of driving in a straight line but involved dodging obstacles and avoiding your opponents who more times than not were also equipped to deal damage. Compared to its predecessor, F-Zero X N64 featured improved graphics, a smoother frame rate, and a better understanding of the requirements to make a racing game. The game was designed from the ground up, with entirely new graphical assets and some of the most impressive special effects seen in the console generation. Its custom-built game engine designed to provide fast gameplay that captured the intensity of the racing genre. Overall, F-Zero X N64 represented the pinnacle of the F-Zero series and set the standard for futuristic racing games to come. It was an instant hit with gaming enthusiasts, securing its place among the roster of Nintendo classics. Next, we will take a closer look at the gameplay mechanics that made F-Zero X N64 such a standout title. Gameplay F-Zero X N64 is a racing game that is all about speed and precision. The gameplay mechanics of F-Zero X N64 are smooth and responsive, making for a highly enjoyable gaming experience. Here is an overview of the game’s core gameplay mechanics. First and foremost, the game offers a variety of different vehicles to choose from, each with their own unique characteristics and advantages. These vehicles are divided into four distinct classes: Beginner, Standard, Advanced, and Expert. Each class offers a different level of challenge, allowing players of varying skill levels to enjoy the game. In addition to these vehicle classes, F-Zero X N64 also provides players with a variety of customization options. Players can modify everything from their vehicle’s acceleration to its overall stability, allowing for a truly personalized gaming experience. Finally, perhaps the best part of F-Zero X N64 is the variety of tracks available. Each track is unique both in terms of its design and layout. Some tracks offer high-speed straightaways, while others feature hairpin turns and narrow corridors that require precision driving. This variety ensures that the game never feels repetitive, and players are constantly being challenged. Overall, the gameplay mechanics of F-Zero X N64 are among the best in the racing genre. Graphics and Sound When it comes to the graphics in F-Zero X N64, it is easy to see how much effort and detail went into the creation of this game. The tracks and vehicles are beautifully crafted with intricate designs and vibrant colors that pop off the screen. Each vehicle has its own unique characteristics that make them stand out from one another. The textures of the track and vehicles add a level of depth that immerses the player in the game and enhances the overall experience. The sound design and music in F-Zero X N64 are equally impressive. The sound effects of the vehicles roaring around the track, and the music that accompanies each race increase the excitement and adrenaline that the game produces. The music tracks are catchy and memorable, with upbeat tempos that get the player pumped up for the next race. The sound and music work together to create an intense and immersive gaming experience that sets the standard for other racing games of the time. When compared to other racing games of the time, F-Zero X N64 was truly ahead of its time. The level of detail in the graphics and sound were virtually unparalleled, and the game pushed the limits of what the Nintendo 64 was capable of. It set a new standard for racing games, and its legacy can still be seen in modern racers of today. Legacy: F-Zero X N64 has left a strong and lasting legacy within the racing genre. The game’s unique mechanics and gameplay have inspired dozens of imitators and successors. Here, we explore the ways in which F-Zero X N64 has affected game development in general and Nintendo in particular. The impact of F-Zero X N64 on the racing genre cannot be understated. The game helped push the limits of what was possible on the N64 console, opening up a world of possibilities for future racing games. F-Zero X N64’s

Rolling Back the Years: A Review of Marble Madness on NES

24 June 2023

Marble Madness, first released on the NES in 1989, is a classic game that remains popular among avid gamers to this day. The game features a simple but intriguing storyline where players must guide their marble through a variety of challenging levels while avoiding numerous obstacles and hazards. Its popularity in the 80s and 90s is due to the game’s unique gameplay mechanics, immersive level design, and intriguing graphics and sound. Marble Madness was originally released as an arcade game in 1984 before being ported to different gaming consoles. However, it was the version released on the NES that garnered the most attention from gamers, with its 2D graphics and challenging gameplay capturing the hearts of many. As a classic game, Marble Madness has stood the test of time and is still played by gamers around the world. In the following sections, we’ll take a deeper dive into the gameplay mechanics, the good and the bad aspects of the game, its impact and legacy, and much more. Join us as we explore the world of Marble Madness, and why it’s still worth revisiting after all these years. Gameplay and Mechanics Marble Madness on NES has a simple but challenging objective. Players control a marble across various obstacle courses to reach the finish line within the time limit. The marble will shatter if it falls off the course or gets hit by the enemy elements. The game has six visually distinct levels with unique designs that require different strategies to reach the end. The gameplay mechanics are easy to pick up, but mastering them is a different story. By using a directional pad to move the marble and two buttons to make the marble jump and brake, players must navigate the treacherous levels and avoid enemy elements. The controls are challenging but are also responsive, making the experience feel solid and consistent. However, what stands out beyond the engaging controls is the level designs. Each level provides a unique and distinct appearance, from a slippery ice rink to a course constructed from familiar toy parts. Players must use different strategies to beat each level, which requires various skills, including recognizing the patterns in the level designs, learning to control the marble’s momentum effectively, and assessing potential threats and opportunities. Marble Madness’s level design is an icon for the era, which showcases the design and technical prowess of the game developers. The colorful and cavernous levels are stunning, and the music works well with the gameplay. The game is well-balanced in its difficulty, making the game enjoyable for both casual and experienced players. Overall, Marble Madness on NES provides an excellent gaming experience with its simple gameplay mechanics and challenging level designs. It is an enjoyable game that players of all ages can immediately understand and appreciate. The game’s fun objective coupled with its responsive controls and distinct level designs keep players engrossed for hours, making it an excellent classic game worth revisiting. The Good: What Makes Marble Madness Fun Marble Madness is a game that has stood the test of time due to its unique game design and innovative gameplay mechanics. Here are some of the elements that made the game a classic: – Level Variety and Creativity: Marble Madness consists of six levels, which all have distinct designs and themes. The players transport their marble throughout these levels while navigating through various obstacles, traps, and challenges. Each level’s unique obstacles and barriers add to the variety and excitement of gameplay. – Gameplay Mechanics: The game’s objective is simple: guide the marble to the end of each level as fast as possible; however, the gameplay mechanics are far from easy. The controls are intuitive yet challenging, where a slight mistake can cause the player to start over. Though it is not an easy game, players will be drawn to it nonetheless. – Visuals and Audio: As far as games from the 1980s go, the graphics are top-notch. Each level has its distinct look and feel, and the colors are vibrant and bright. The game’s audio design is also excellent, with exciting and fun sound effects that enhance the gameplay. Marble Madness was undoubtedly ahead of its time in terms of design, and it’s evident in the games that followed suit after its release. Games like Super Monkey Ball, Spindizzy and even mobile games like Rolling Sky, all took inspiration from Marble Madness. The game’s level of creativity, gameplay mechanics, visual and audio design made it an endearing classic still played and talked about today. The next section will touch upon some criticisms, so don’t put your retro console away just yet. The Bad: Criticisms of Marble Madness Marble Madness is undoubtedly a classic game that stands the test of time. However, it is not without its fair share of criticisms. Here are some of the flaws and weaknesses that detracted from the game’s overall experience: – The game can be incredibly challenging and frustrating. The steep difficulty curve, combined with the limited lives, means that players will find themselves starting over repeatedly. – The lack of co-op or multiplayer modes makes the game feel lonesome and isolating. Marble Madness can be a competitive game, and it feels like a missed opportunity not to include any multiplayer options. – The game was criticized for being an “arcade port,” with many users feeling like not enough changes were made to the game from the arcade version. Some players wanted more levels and more variety. – When compared to other games in the same genre, Marble Madness has a short playtime. For some players, the game’s limited content feels underwhelming. At the time of release, the game received a mixed reception from critics. Some praised the game’s unique concept and excellent execution, while others found it too difficult and frustrating. Regardless, the game has endured and has even had a significant influence on future titles in the genre. Overall, while Marble Madness has some significant flaws that may be a turn-off for some

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MTG Beginner Box Vs Starter Collection: Which Should New Players Buy?

MTG Beginner Box vs Starter Collection is one of the most useful product questions a new player can ask right now, mostly because the names sound related but the jobs are different. One product teaches you how to play. The other gives you a bigger pile of cards so you can start building decks. Mix those up, and your first purchase can feel either too shallow or way too messy. For the broader learning path, MTG Beginner Guide 2026: How to Start Playing Without Feeling Behind lays out the big-picture onboarding plan, and Which Magic: The Gathering Format Should You Start With Right Now? helps once you are deciding where to actually play after the rules click. The Beginner Box Is A Teaching Tool First The Beginner Box is built for learning, and Wizards is not subtle about that. It is designed to walk players through early games step by step. That matters because a lot of Magic products are technically playable by beginners, but not actually friendly to beginners. Those are different things. The Beginner Box uses themed Jumpstart-style packs, simple onboarding materials, and a setup that is clearly aimed at getting two people from zero to “okay, i think i get combat now.” It also comes with the kind of practical extras new players actually use right away, like playmats, how-to-play guides, and life counters. That makes it the better product for people in these situations: In other words, the Beginner Box is not trying to be your forever card pool. It is trying to make sure your first few games are not miserable. That is a very good thing. Too many new players buy product as if the first goal is “owning cards.” The first goal is understanding the game. Until that part is real, extra cards mostly create extra confusion. The Starter Collection Is Better Once The Basics Already Make Sense The Starter Collection does a different job. Instead of walking you through the rules, it gives you a larger stack of cards, basic lands, boosters, and a deckbuilding booklet so you can start making your own lists. That makes it more of a bridge product. It sits between “i just learned the game” and “i am ready to build with intention.” That difference is huge. The Starter Collection is stronger for players who already know: It is also better for people who get more excitement from deckbuilding than from tutorial structure. Some players are happiest once they can spread out a card pool on the table and start brewing. The Starter Collection is for that crowd. It also helps that the product is fairly substantial. You are not just getting a tiny sampler. You are getting a real base to start building from, plus some boosters, plus a deckbuilding guide. Wizards has also said Foundations stays in Standard until at least 2029, though some Starter Collection support cards are Commander-focused rather than Standard legal. That gives the product more runway than the average beginner purchase. So yes, there is a real case for it. Just not as the first thing for every single new player. MTG Beginner Box Vs Starter Collection Comes Down To Your Actual Situation This comparison gets much easier once you stop asking which box is “better” in the abstract. The real question is which box matches where you are. Buy the Beginner Box when learning the rules is still the main job. That includes players who have watched some videos, played a tutorial, or know what tapping lands means but still need a clean first paper experience. Buy the Starter Collection when the rules are already stable and the next step is building decks from a bigger pool. That is the cleanest way to split it. I think a lot of disappointment comes from buying the Starter Collection too early. New players open a big stack of cards and assume that means more value. Sometimes it does. But when the rules are not settled yet, more cards can just mean more paralysis. You end up sorting, reading, and guessing instead of playing. The reverse mistake happens too. Some players buy the Beginner Box when what they really want is deckbuilding freedom. In that case, the product can feel a little too guided. Not bad. Just too structured for the stage they are already at. What About Welcome Decks, Arena, And Magic Academy? This is where the product decision gets more interesting. Wizards has more than two lanes for new players now. As of April 2026, new mono-color Welcome Decks tied to Secrets of Strixhaven have been announced for participating WPN stores, and Wizards is also offering 60-card Theme Decks with that release. Magic Academy continues to exist as the official learn-to-play event path. And, of course, MTG Arena is still the cleanest solo learning tool for a lot of players. So the better question may be this: What kind of beginner are you? A totally solo beginner often does well starting on Arena first, then moving into the Beginner Box or an in-store learning path. A player with a friend at home does well with the Beginner Box almost immediately. A player who already understands the rules and just needs cardboard to start building is a better match for the Starter Collection. A local-store learner might not need either one first if Welcome Decks or Magic Academy already cover that first step. That is actually good news. It means there is less pressure to force one product to solve every problem. The Most Common Buying Mistakes The first mistake is skipping learning products and going straight to random boosters. Packs are fun. They are not a plan. New players who start there usually end up with a small pile of cards, a foggy idea of deckbuilding, and no real path from point A to point B. The second mistake is treating card count like the same thing as value. A bigger box is not automatically the better beginner purchase. Sometimes

How To Upgrade A Commander Precon Without Wasting Money

Last updated: April 10, 2026 The fastest way to waste money in Commander is to upgrade a commander precon by buying the loudest cards first. That feels fun for about ten minutes. Then you play the deck, miss land drops, do nothing on turn three, and die with a hand full of expensive “upgrades” that never got cast. A precon does not become better because the singles got pricier. It becomes better because the deck functions more often. For social context, Commander Brackets Explained for Regular Players is worth reading before you tune too hard, and MTG Custom Proxies for Commander: What to Personalize First is a nice follow-up once the deck actually feels like yours. Start By Figuring Out What The Deck Is Supposed To Do This sounds obvious, but it is where a lot of upgrade plans quietly fall apart. A precon usually has one clear center of gravity. Maybe it wants to make tokens. Maybe it wants to recur artifacts. Maybe it wants to pile counters on creatures. Maybe it wants to cast big splashy spells after a ramp-heavy start. Whatever the plan is, your first job is to name it in one sentence. Not three sentences. One. “This deck floods the board with tokens, then wins with anthem effects.”“This deck fills the graveyard and reuses value creatures.”“This deck ramps, copies spells, and closes with big turns.” Once you can say that clearly, cuts get easier. Cards that are merely “fine” but do not serve the plan become obvious cuts. A lot of stock precons include those cards on purpose. They need to be broad enough to play decently out of the box and interesting enough for a range of players. That means some slots are there for flavor, range, or variety, not because they are the most efficient thing possible. That is okay. It also means they are the first cards you should be willing to replace. Fix The Mana Base Before Buying Fancy Toys Nobody likes hearing this because lands are boring and splashy mythics are not. But the mana base is where smart upgrades start. When you upgrade a commander precon, the first real jump in quality usually comes from making the deck cast spells on time. Not from making the spells themselves more dramatic. That means looking at three things: A lot of precons can stand to lose their clunkiest lands first. Lands that always enter tapped and do very little else are common cut candidates. The same goes for cute utility lands that look fun but quietly make your opening hands worse. You do not need an absurdly expensive land package to improve a precon. You just need lands that let the deck play its first few turns without tripping over itself. Even budget-friendly duals, better color balance, and a cleaner count of basics can do real work. And here is the annoying truth. Those changes are not glamorous, but they show up every single game. That matters more than a single shiny finisher you draw once every four matches. Ramp And Card Draw Are Usually The Next Upgrades After mana, the next upgrade tier is almost always the engine package. That means ramp and card draw. Precons often include enough of both to function, but not always enough of the right kind. Some lists lean too hard on clunky four-mana ramp. Others give you card draw that is technically present but awkward, slow, or tied to board states you do not always have. Try to ask two questions: How soon does this deck start accelerating?How often can it refill after the first wave of plays? A good precon upgrade path makes both answers cleaner. For ramp, lower-cost options usually matter more than cute late-game burst. You want to spend early turns getting ahead, not casting a card on turn five that says you should have fixed your mana three turns ago. For card draw, repeatable engines usually beat random one-shot fluff. A deck that sees more cards finds its lands, removal, payoffs, and recovery pieces more consistently. That is how you stop a decent precon from running out of steam after one board wipe. I think this is one of the biggest differences between a stock list and a tuned casual list. Tuned decks do not just have stronger cards. They see more of the cards that matter, more often. Tighten The Removal, Not Just The Threats New Commander players love upgrading threats because threats are easy to notice. Bigger creature. Cooler legend. Nicer art. Cleaner story. Removal feels less exciting, so it gets neglected. That is a mistake. A better precon needs a tighter answer package. That means more cards that can remove the things that actually stop your deck from functioning. You do not need to jam the most ruthless interaction possible. But you do need enough of it, and it needs to be flexible enough to matter. That usually means improving: A precon with good threats and weak answers often feels strong only when it is already winning. A better-tuned list still has game when somebody else sticks the scary permanent first. And that is what real improvement looks like. More live draws, more recoverable games, fewer hands where you stare at the board and mutter, “well, that resolves, i guess.” Protect The Deck’s Actual Plan The next smart place to spend money is protection. Not every deck needs a huge protection suite, but most Commander decks benefit from some mix of protection spells, recursion, indestructible effects, counterplay, or ways to survive a wipe and rebuild. This matters even more when your commander is central to the deck. Some precons are basically commander-delivery systems. Without that card in play, the deck becomes a pile of medium cards pretending to be a strategy. When that is your list, protection is not a luxury upgrade. It is structural. The goal is not to become impossible to interact with. The goal is to stop losing the whole game because your

MTG Mulligan Rules Explained For Beginners And Commander

Last updated: April 10, 2026 MTG mulligan rules sound harsher than they really are. New players hear “go down a card” and assume a mulligan means something went wrong. But a mulligan is just part of starting a real game of Magic instead of pretending a bad opener is “probably fine” and then doing nothing for three turns. That is not courage. That is just losing slowly. For a broader new-player path, MTG Beginner Guide 2026: How to Start Playing Without Feeling Behind is a strong companion piece, and Best MTG Arena Modes for New Players in 2026 helps once you are learning on the client instead of at the kitchen table. How MTG Mulligan Rules Actually Work The current system is the London mulligan. In plain English, every time you mulligan, you draw back up to seven cards, then put a number of cards equal to your mulligans on the bottom of your library. So the first mulligan works like this: You draw seven.You do not like it.You shuffle it away and draw seven again.Then, after you decide to keep, you put one card on the bottom. Take another mulligan and you still draw seven, but now you bottom two after keeping. That keeps the process from feeling hopeless, because every new hand still starts at seven cards. You are choosing from a full opener, not staring at a six-card hand and praying. That matters more than people admit. Old mulligan systems could feel brutal. The London version is cleaner. It lets you look for a functional hand, not a fantasy hand, and that is an important difference. There is also one Commander wrinkle people often hear about in half-correct form. In multiplayer games, the first mulligan does not cost you a card. That means in a normal multiplayer Commander pod, your first mulligan is effectively free. You still reshuffle and redraw, but you do not bottom an extra card for that first one. After that, normal London mulligan math kicks in. That is why Commander mulligans often feel gentler than one-on-one Standard, Modern, or most other two-player games. They are gentler. At least at first. What A Keepable Hand Really Looks Like This is where beginners usually make the game harder than it needs to be. A keepable hand is not “a hand with my best card.” It is not “a hand with something cool.” And it is definitely not “a hand that might work if i topdeck exactly one Plains, one red source, and a miracle.” A keepable hand usually has four things: For a lot of decks, that means two to four lands, at least one early play, and access to your main colors. That is it. Nothing glamorous. Just functional. Here is the trap, though. A hand can have lands and still be bad. Five lands plus two expensive spells is usually not a keep unless your deck is built for that sort of nonsense. One land plus six amazing cards is usually still a mulligan. A hand full of cards you technically can cast, but in the wrong order, can also be a trap. MTG mulligan rules reward honesty. If your hand does not meaningfully function in the first few turns, send it back. Commander Mulligan Tips That Actually Help Commander players get into trouble because the format is slower and splashier. That makes people too forgiving. They keep hands like: “Three lands, but wrong colors.”“One land, but Sol Ring fixes everything.”“Two lands, no ramp, and every spell costs five.”“This hand is bad, but my commander is awesome.” That last one gets a lot of people. In Commander, your opening hand should answer a few boring questions before it gets to be clever: Can i make my first three land drops, or at least reasonably expect to?Can i cast ramp, draw, or setup pieces early?Do i have the colors that matter?Am i doing anything before the table has already pulled ahead? Because your first mulligan in multiplayer is free, you do not need to marry a sketchy seven. Use that rule. That is what it is there for. At the same time, do not abuse it by chasing a perfect opener. Commander players sometimes mulligan like they are trying to assemble a highlight reel. That is a good way to turn a decent hand into a desperate six. You are not looking for the nuts. You are looking for a hand that plays Magic. I think this simple Commander test works well: if your hand gives you mana, colors, and one useful thing to do in the first three turns, it is probably keepable. Not exciting. Keepable. That is enough. One-On-One Mulligans Need A Stricter Eye In two-player Magic, especially Standard or Arena, you usually need to be less sentimental. Games are faster. Punishment is quicker. Missing your second land drop or keeping a clunky hand gets exposed harder because there are fewer players to slow the pace and fewer turns for the table to reset the game for you. That means your one-on-one opener should care more about: A two-land hand can be fine. But it depends on what those lands do and what the rest of the hand asks of you. A two-land hand with cheap spells and a smooth curve is normal. A two-land hand where your third color matters on turn three and your first real spell costs four is not nearly as cute as it looks. This is also why beginners tend to learn good habits faster in formats like Standard. Mulligans, curve, and sequencing all matter in a more obvious way. Bad keeps get punished. Good keeps feel stable. The lesson arrives fast. For that bigger format question, Which Magic: The Gathering Format Should You Start With Right Now? helps sort out where those mulligan decisions matter most. The Biggest Mulligan Mistakes New Players Make The first mistake is keeping a bad seven because going to six feels scary. That fear is understandable. It is also wrong

Commander Brackets Explained for Regular Players

Commander brackets explained in plain English is something a lot of regular players needed way sooner than they got it. For years, pregame power conversations in Commander were built on vibes, optimism, and the famous “this is probably like a seven” line, which usually meant absolutely nothing. Then the game starts, one player is casting a goofy tribal deck, another player is tutoring on turn two, and now everybody is pretending they are still having a good time. That is the problem Commander brackets are trying to fix. Not rules confusion. Not deck legality in the usual banned-list sense. Just the very human problem of four people sitting down with wildly different expectations and calling it a match anyway. The short version is that the system is meant to give regular players better language. Not perfect language. Better language. And honestly, that already makes it more useful than the old 1-to-10 power scale. What Commander Brackets Are Actually Trying to Do If you strip away the rollout drama, Commander brackets are a matchmaking tool for expectations. That matters because Commander has always had a weird identity problem. It is casual, but people tune their decks hard. It is social, but people still want to win. It is full of splashy nonsense, but some nonsense is fun and some nonsense means three players stop participating while one player takes a five-minute turn. The bracket system gives that mess some shared vocabulary. Wizards has been pretty direct that this is not supposed to replace Rule Zero. It is supposed to make Rule Zero conversations less useless. That is a big difference. The brackets are not a judge call, and they are not a magic lie detector. If somebody wants to mislabel a deck, the system cannot stop them. But for regular players trying in good faith to find a fair pod, the brackets are a real improvement. And as of the February 2026 update, Wizards said adoption keeps growing in actual pregame conversations. That tracks with what a lot of players are seeing. Even if people do not remember every detail, they at least now have a more useful way to say, “this deck is basically a precon plus upgrades” or “this thing is not cEDH, but it is still coming for your throat.” The Five Brackets in Plain English Here is the version regular players actually need. Exhibition This is the super casual lane. Theme decks, flavor decks, goofy deckbuilding restrictions, and games where the point is more “look what i built” than “watch me assemble the cleanest win line.” If your deck is trying to tell a story more than optimize every slot, you are probably here. Core Core is the average modern precon neighborhood. This is where a lot of regular Commander lives. Decks function, have a plan, produce big turns, and absolutely try to win, but they are not built like a machine looking for the shortest route to the table’s misery. Upgraded This is where a lot of people actually sit, even if they do not love admitting it. These decks are stronger than average precons, more tuned, and more intentional. Your mana is better. Your card quality is tighter. Your deck is doing the thing on purpose. But you are not fully in no-restraints territory. Optimized Now we are in high-power Commander. Faster starts, stronger tutors, cheap combos, and much less patience for clunky pet cards. If your deck is built to fire on all cylinders and you are not really making sentimental cuts anymore, this is probably your lane. cEDH This is not just “very strong Commander.” It is Commander with a competitive mindset. The metagame matters. Card choices are ruthlessly defended. The game is being approached like an actual competitive environment, not just a spicy casual pod. That last distinction matters more than people think. One of the best things the system did was admit that “high power” and “cEDH” are not automatically the same thing. cEDH is a great place to use mtg proxies by the way. What Game Changers Actually Mean Game Changers are the part people obsess over because they are easy to count. The idea is simple. Some cards have such a strong effect on the shape of a Commander game that they deserve special attention even if they are not banned. These are not just “good cards.” They are cards that warp expectations, accelerate too hard, tutor too cleanly, or create play patterns a lot of casual tables actively do not enjoy. That is why the list matters. In practice, the easiest way to think about it is this: Brackets 1 and 2 do not want them. Bracket 3 can include a small number of them. Brackets 4 and 5 are where they stop being a special warning and start being part of the furniture. What catches people off guard is that Game Changers are not the whole system. You cannot just count them and call it a day. Wizards was explicit about that. A deck with zero Game Changers can still belong in a higher bracket if the deck is obviously built to run hot. And a weird theme deck with one unusual card might still belong lower if the table is fine with it and the intent is casual. That is why the brackets work best as language, not math homework. How to Use Commander Brackets at a Real Table This is the part that matters most, because regular players are not writing policy documents. They are trying to start a game. A good bracket conversation does not need to be long. It just needs to be honest. “This is Core, basically a precon with a cleaner mana base.” “This is Upgraded, no fast combo but definitely stronger than a stock precon.” “This is Optimized, lots of tutors, game can end fast.” That is already more useful than “it is like a seven, maybe a seven-and-a-half if i draw well.” You also do not need to