Are you getting ready for your first Magic The Gathering Tournament this Friday night? I always make sure to go through my checklist before heading out. That way I have everything I need, and I am ready to dual!

Deck

Of anything on the list bringing your 60 card deck should always be your top priority otherwise how else are you going to join in if you don’t have your cards?

You can find premade decks for sale at your local card store to get yourself started.

If you’re looking to start crafting something more to your stlye, then make sure you have read my last blog post about the basics of deck building!

Magic The Gathering: Learning The Basics

Shelves & Deckbox

Make sure to have your cards shelved and stored in a deck box when not in use. Shelves help prevent wear and tear on your cards during games or when your showing off your favorite spell! Deck boxes are great places to stash away your deck when the match is over, and you can find all kinds of boxes to fit your style. I even built my own deck box out of Legos with a secret compartment for dice storage.

Dice

Dice are great for keeping track of your life total and for deciding who gets to play first when a match begins.

I have seen players use pen and paper, cell phone apps, and even custom made life cards for tracking their life points. 

Trad Binder

“Got any trades?” At tournaments is the best way to find new cards for your decks and if you have extra cards, you don’t want to keep then put them into a trade binder. Trade binders let you show off cards you are willing to trade off in exchange for more useful cards.

Most players choose to trade by price. Make sure you have the price guide app MTG Familiar downloaded onto your cell phone. This way you can quickly check prices and make a deal!

If you are going to do trading make sure to keep an on your binder because not everyone is a friendly trader. I have heard stories of players stealing cards when the owner is not looking or walking off with hundreds of dollars worth in cards. Keep your wits about you!

Play Mat

Play mats are best used as a layer between the table and your cards during a match. Plus they look cool, and some can get pretty wild looking.

I use mine as a mouse pad for my computer when I am not playing Magic.

Water and snacks

Hey, sometimes you are going to get hungry or need a drink of water. Just make sure you are not eating or drinking during a match just in case you spill otherwise a simple mess is going to become heartbreaking.

Backpack

You got everything you need? Great! But how are you going to carry all of this stuff? In a backpack of course! Just make sure not to leave your pack alone otherwise you may find it missing a few items or completely gone if you are not careful.

What are you still here for? Grab your stuff and go! The Tournament is about to start!