MTG’s Starter Kits: Rankings and Your FAQs Answered

Last updated on June 25, 2025

Hullbreaker Horror | Illustration by Svetlin Velinov

Over the years Wizards has released a variety of products aimed at getting new players into Magic. They’ve come in several different forms, like Intro Decks, Planeswalker Decks, or Booster Battle Packs, but these products share some similar features. They’re usually inexpensive complete decks that can be played directly out of the box and are sometimes Standard-legal at the time of their release. The latest iteration of these products, first appearing in 2018, is Magic’s Starter Kits.

Thanks to their self-explanatory name, Starter Kits are likely one of the first products a new player looks at on the shelf at their local game store or big box retailer. If you’re looking to get into Magic, or transition from Magic Arena to paper Magic, it would be helpful for you to know exactly what you’re getting in a Starter Kit and whether they’re worth buying.

What Are the Starter Kits?

Start from Scratch | Illustration by Bayard Wu

Starter Kits are introductory Magic products designed to give two players everything they need to start playing the game. Magic has had a long tradition of two-player starter products dating all the way back to 1994’s Revised Gift Box, and Starter Kits are the latest version of that product line. These decks serve as a good and inexpensive way for new players to try out the hobby. If you’re trying to get your friends into Magic, this is a good product to consider.

What’s in Starter Kits?

Each Starter Kit includes two 60-card Magic decks and supplemental materials to help players learn the game. Each deck includes a foil card of one of the deck’s rares. The exact form of rulebooks has changed from product to product. For example, the original Starter Kits included rules cards that players can reference along with rulebooks. The booklet included in the 2022 Starter Kits also includes a guide to the world of Magic: The Gathering. It gives you some insight into the lore and how to play the game. This might signal a redoubled effort by Wizards to get new players invested in both the game and its narrative.

The first three Starter Kits included spin-down counters, but those have been replaced by deck boxes in the latest Kits. This is probably a change for the better because digital life tracking has become more popular. New players will appreciate having a place to store their cards. Another addition to the Kits from the 2020’s through the Final Fantasy release of the Magic Arena Starter Kit code for Magic Arena. They can be redeemed by two players and give each one a copy of both decks from the Starter Kit.

Starter Kits Decklists and Rankings

#10. 2021 Arena Starter Kit

Arena Starter Kits are about as basic as it gets. They're not heavily thematic, offering just a rare card or two per deck, and including mostly basic cards with simple interactions. The 2021 Arena Starter Kit comes with two competing decks: Rough and Tumble, and Sneak Attack.

Rough and Tumble

There isn’t a ton of synergy between the black and green cards in Rough and Tumble. It feels more like a Jumpstart deck with two colors randomly mixed. There also aren’t any dual tap lands to help with the mana base. The value of this deck is incredibly low: The cards are worth less than $2 collectively, so you’d end up paying more for shipping than the cards are worth if you wanted to grab this deck.

Sneak Attack

Sneak Attack is a little higgledy-piggledy when it comes to the theme. It seems more like it’s showing off everything that blue and red can do in Magic instead of focusing on being a well-crafted Izzet deck. This can be good for new players who want a sampler platter of mechanics, but it doesn’t make for the most cohesive deck.

Magic: The Gathering 2021 Arena Starter Kit

• 2 ready-to-play 60-card Magic decks (basic lands included)
• 1 traditional foil card in each deck—Cyclone Summoner and Dragonsguard Elite
• 1 Play Guide booklet
• 2 deck storage boxes
• 1 MTG Arena Code Card to unlock both decks for two people to play online at MTG Arena

Buy on Amazon

#9. Spellslinger Starter Kit

Don't be confused by the name: Spellslinger isn't referring to a deckstyle here. It's just a branding word used to sell the product, though it differs very little from its “Arena Starter Kit” brethren outside of not being associated with Arena. This Spellslinger Starter Kit doesn't even have fancy names for the two decks included.

Red-White

This Boros deck is a decently constructed aggro deck for playing against the other Starter Kit deck, but it has far too many vanilla creatures to be viable in any real format. The inclusion of 2-color tap lands is nice, and it comes with a handy board wipe. This is unfortunately one of the rare decks that doesn’t come with a legendary creature, so there’s no potential for branching off into Commander.

Black-Green

Ironically, this Golgari deck might be the best one for players who want to start playing mono-green decks. It has staples like Llanowar Elves and Reclamation Sage. Ghalta, Primal Hunger is a great way to show the payoff to green’s mana ramp and creature-heavy strategies. Including some black removal cards in this deck is also a great way to teach new players about the benefits of using a second color of mana to supplement a weak area of another.

Magic: The Gathering Spellslinger Starter Kit | 2 Starter Decks | 2 Dice | 2 Learn to Play Guides

• Learn to play magic. You and a friend can start playing Magic: The Gathering instantly with this two-player starter set.
• Just open and play. Everything you need is in the box. Follow the quick start guide to learn as you play.
• Choose your deck. Pick the red/white deck to command ferocious Dragon and righteous Angels, or go with black/green and lead vampires and dinosaurs into battle.
• Teach your friends. These two starter decks were designed as an intuitive way to learn magic. They're even arranged to guarantee a good Mana curve in game one.
• Play the original. The first modern collectible card game, Magic: The Gathering has inspired more than 20 million fans over 25 years.

Buy on Amazon

#8. Core Set 2021 Magic Arena Starter Kit

Quite the mouthful for this one. The Core Set 2021 Magic Arena Starter Kit was a tie-in to Core Set 2021 before it was common to have Commander precons with most set releases. As such, it's very much a product of its own year and something you're probably only picking up if you're trying to complete some sort of collection.

Mono-Green

This mono-green deck has 61 cards in it if you choose to include the foil Kogla, the Titan Ape that comes with it. It has some fun cards for Commander like Colossification and good mono-green support like Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig. It’s a good deck for learning what a mono-green deck likes to do.

Mono-Black

This mono-black deck is a good way to show off several black mechanics, but it falls short of doing any of them well. The inclusion of Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose is a good way to show off how a legendary creature can reshape the way a player uses a certain mechanic to their advantage. This shows players how to think creatively about the way cards interact. It can be a good gateway to the Commander format if they want to focus a deck around a specific legendary card.

Magic: The Gathering MTG-M21-SK-EN Arena Starter Kit Display

• Contains exciting new cards from Core Set 2021.
• A great introduction to the Magic Community.
• Contains two ready to play decks.
• Model number: MTG-M21-SK-EN

Buy on Amazon

#7. Core Set 2020 Spellslinger Starter Kit

Drakuseth

More Spellslinger action, but this time in relation to Core Set 2020, or as I like to call it, the good Core Set. The decks in the Core Set 2020 Spellslinger Starter Kit have some decent rares, and pretty much one card you're looking to draw each game. They do well enough in a head-to-head as a classic dragons vs. angels dynamic.

This mono-red deck with Drakuseth, Maw of Flames at the helm has a nice cohesive theme and feels very focused. Apart from its vanilla creatures, much of the deck is focused on flying creatures and doing direct damage. This deck does a good job of showing players how to build and play a deck around a few mechanics in a color rather than trying to cram them all in at once.

Sephara

Having small creatures supported by buffs from powerful angels is a classic mono-white deck style. Sephara, the Sky Blade is a good representation of a type of deck players will see in Constructed formats, but this deck also includes some good value. Sephara and Angelic Guardian are worth more than many of the Starter Kit decks in their entirety. This deck is an overall good learning tool. It’s well built and worth more than its cost (if you can find it for its original price).

Magic: The Gathering Spellslinger Starter Kit Core Set 2020 (M20) | 2 Starter Decks | 2 Dice | 2 Learn to Play Guides

• JUMP INTO MAGIC: THE GATHERING instantly with this two-player starter set.
• WELCOME THE CHALLENGE. Magic: The Gathering is the deepest strategy card game there is, with endless challenges for new players and veterans alike.
• PLAY FACE-TO-FACE OR DIGITAL with codes to unlock both decks on MTG ARENA.
• JUST OPEN AND PLAY. Everything you need is in the box. Follow the quick start guide to learn as you play.
• CHOOSE YOUR DECK. Pick the red deck to command ferocious dragons, or go with black/green and lead righteous angels into battle.

Buy on Amazon

#6. 2022 Starter Kit

Earth Shakers

The simply named 2022 Starter Kit is yet another in a long line of perfectly fine products that you'll ignore at this point unless you have a very specific reason to seek it out.

It’s not as well constructed as some of the previous decks, and this Gruul deck probably won’t do too well with the somewhat jumbled theme of the deck, but it gives players a starting place to build on. That’s the point of these Kits, isn’t it?

Up and Away

The Azorius deck from the same kit fairs a little better. It’s a decently focused control deck with a few strange outliers. It also includes the very good Hullbreaker Horror.

Magic: The Gathering 2022 Starter Kit | 2 Ready-to-Play Decks

• Magic: The Gathering Starter Kits are a great way to dive into a game of deep strategy, gorgeous art, fantastical stories, and a thriving fan community
• 2 decks designed for out-of-the-box play, with a Play Guide to get you started
• 2 boxes to store your decks—easy to bring to your next board game night or play at your local game store
• Includes redemption codes that unlock both decks on Magic: The Gathering Arena—letting you play both in person and online with your friends
• 5 Rare cards, including 1 rare in a shining Traditional Foil treatment, included in each deck

Buy on Amazon

#5. Assassin’s Creed Starter Kit

One of two Starter Kits released in 2024, No products found. is probably one of the most obscure given the way the main mini-set was marketed and squeezed between other major set releases. It seems like people are generally unfamiliar with the actual Assassin’s Creed set, let alone any supplementary products.

Still, there’s enough appeal here for fans of the IP, and the Universes Beyond marketing does some heavy lifting to make this feel like something more than “just another Starter Kit,” even though in actuality, it’s kind of just that.

Ancient Arsenal

Ancient Arsenal is a straightforward Boros equipment deck with an aggressive game plan of attacking and getting in chip damage via random burn effects stapled to its cards. There are a couple cards that generically care about historic spells, which gives them extra reach outside the context of just this deck and other equipment decks in formats like Commander. It’s pretty all-in on the strategy and committed to the bit, which can be great for a beginning player, but will likely feel lacking if you’re searching for a bit more depth.

Brotherhood Agents

This is a cool little Dimir deck focused on evasive assassin creatures, tricky interaction, and the freerunning mechanic to pull it all together. It’s fairly well-rounded with threats, removal, and card advantage. It’s definitely the more unique of the two decks, feeling like something you wouldn’t expect out of any other Starter Kit due to the assassin/freerunning focus. By comparison, an equipment deck doesn’t feel all that unique (case in point: The Final Fantasy Starter Kit has an equipment deck with the same exact color combination).

No products found.

#4. MTG 2023 Starter Kit

The No products found. is just like any of the other yearly offerings, and has slightly more competent card quality than starter kits from years before it.

Green-White Backup

This backup deck is your typical midrange filled with creatures and anthem effects. You’ll fill the board with little creatures like a white weenie strategy, using cards like Recruitment Officer and Quirion Beastcaller, and then pump them with Siege Veteran or In the Trenches. This is a very straightforward deck to play and it’s very fitting for beginners. Ancient Imperiosaur is awesome in a deck filled with creatures, since it can hit the board early and with a lot of counters. The mechanic backup shines here as a way to pump creatures and add abilities to them, and rares like Boon-Bringer Valkyrie and Silverback Elder are game-winning bombs.

Blue-Red

This deck plays as a typical blue-red aggro/tempo deck, with red aggressive creatures and burn, supported by some card draw in blue and late-game cards like Archive Dragon. It gets extra flavor points for actually winning with dragons. To win, you can attack with your smaller creatures while building your mana to cast your expensive cards, and win via a massive Shivan Devastator, Tyrant of Kher Ridges, or Dragonwing Glider. Kolaghan Warmonger carries a lot of weight here in delivering the beats. The decklist also contains some staple cards in mono-red aggro decks for Standard, like Goddric, Cloaked Reveler and Shivan Devastator. Finally, Sarkhan, Soul Aflame is a valuable card and an interesting commander to build a dragon deck around and get a mana discount while casting them. 

No products found.

#3. Lord of the Rings 2023 Starter Kit

I mean, it's LOTR! The Lord of the Rings 2023 Starter Kit is perfect for that Tolkien fan that you've been trying to edge into Magic. These are some of the most thematic decks in the line-up too, telling a sort of Gondor vs. Mordor story in the cards, courtesy of the Universes Beyond crossover.

Green-White Gondor

This GW deck is centered around Gondor, so you’ll have Aragorn, Hobbits, Gandalf and all the free peoples of Middle-earth united against the forces of Sauron. Mechanically there’s a food/token theme present, which is the archetype of this collection. Thematically, the deck plays very well and it has some interesting cards for Commander too. It’s not Standard-legal though, because the Lord of the Rings collection was designed to be played only in Eternal formats like Modern, Legacy, and EDH. Value cards from this deck include Gandalf, White Rider, Aragorn and Arwen, Wed, Galadriel, Gift-Giver, and Bilbo's Ring, cards that see some play in Commander and can be interesting to build around. 

Red-Black Mordor

If the green-white deck represents the forces of good, this BR deck represents Mordor and the forces of evil. You’ll have not only Sauron at your disposal, but also orcs, goblins, spiders and more. The main mechanic for this deck is the amass orcs mechanic, which allows you to make an orc army token and grow it over time. There are interesting cards for Commander like Gollum, Scheming Guide, Sauron, the Lidless Eye, and The Balrog, Flame of Udûn. Just keep in mind that, like the green-white deck, this deck is aimed at Eternal formats, so you’ll not be able to play these cards in Standard. 

Magic The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Starter Kit | Learn to Play with 2 Ready-to-Play Decks | 2 Codes to Play Online | Ages 13+ | 2 Players

Buy on Amazon

#2. Final Fantasy Starter Kit

Final Fantasy is epic in its Magic crossover. The flavor of the games is evident in decks led by Sephiroth, Planet's Heir and Cloud, Planet's Champion. Though these characters represent Final Fantasy 7, their decks include a mix of cards that represent several games throughout the main 16. Some of these cards are only found in this starter kit, plus these are the first Universes Beyond cards that are also legal in one of the main competitive formats, Standard.

Blue-Black

Sephiroth has a high mana cost and to help make up for it, an effect that can shrink or kill many creatures. One counterintuitive strategy of this control themed deck is to happy to put cards in the graveyard. Several of these cards can still see use like Shambling Cie'th, and Dreams of Laguna.

One of most powerful and intriguing cards is Seymour Flux which is a slightly more expensive Phyrexian Arena that is flexible because you don't have to pay the life. It potentially grows and draws you an extra card each turn and that's when it gets really good.

Red-White

Red and white decks are rarely shy about how they plan to win. Cloud, Planet's Champion says it loud and clear, equip and attack.

Samurai's Katana represents a creature to attack with right away and will remain a relevant equipment even if the hero token dies. Item Shopkeep makes it harder for your equipped creature to get blocked. Removal like Suplex is especially important against decks that use the graveyard because exiled cards are much more difficult to regain access to (and the opposite blue-black deck as no such capability). White Auracite is a different sort of removal because if it is somehow removed, the card exiled by the Auracite re-enters your opponent's side of the battlefield.

Don't expect to get far in a Standard tournament with these. The decks are designed to introduce you to Magic: The Gathering, whether you've been to a Starting Town or not.

Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Starter Kit

• EXPERIENCE FINAL FANTASY IN A WHOLE NEW WAY—Step into unforgettable stories from FINAL FANTASY games brought to your tabletop with the strategic gameplay of the Magic: The Gathering trading card game
• LEARN TO PLAY MAGIC—Everything you need to play your first games of Magic is here. Enter the fray with two pre-built 60-card decks and learn the essentials with the included guide booklet. You’ll be ready to play in no time.
• 2 FINAL FANTASY-THEMED DECKS—Cast powerful spells, meet iconic characters, and visit familiar locales; each deck contains 60 cards featuring FINAL FANTASY-themed art, including 10 cards entirely new to Magic (5 in each deck)
• ARE YOU A HERO OR A VILLAIN—Challenge a friend, choose your deck, and face off in epic 2-player battles; will you join Cloud, the beloved hero, or side with his nemesis, Sephiroth
• KICK OFF YOUR COLLECTION—Start your collection with Rare cards and shiny foils; each deck includes 5 Rare cards and 1 Mythic Rare Legendary Creature card with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment

Buy on Amazon

#1. Bloomburrow Starter Kit

The Bloomburrow Starter Kit is the one I’d recommend to someone if I was trying to get them into Magic and didn’t have a reason to think one of the Universes Beyond offerings was a better fit for that person. Something about Bloomburrow’s woodland critter aesthetic has mass appeal, and the otters vs. rabbits dynamic on the box cover is fun and interesting.

Hare Raising

The deck names basically do my work for me. “Hare Raising” is a Selesnya rabbits deck feature a nice suite of rares like Fecund Greenshell, Finneas, Ace Archer, and the deck exclusive Byrke, Long Ear of the Law.

The deck feels just short of full-committing to the rabbit theme, with cards like Pileated Provisioner and Clifftop Lookout filling parts of the curve where I’d expect to see Head of the Homesteads and Intrepid Rabbits instead. No matter, this is a hare-bones bare-bones preconstructed deck, so I suppose room for improvement is something the designers were looking for.

Otter Limits

Hmm… wonder what Otter Limits could be about.

Here we have an Izzet otter deck that basically has all the same pros and cons as Hare Raising. It’s about 75% committed to being an otter deck (why are there three copies of Waterspout Warden here?), and the rares aren’t half-bad, with the exclusive Bria, Riptide Rogue being an actual house of a card.

The deck has decent card draw and removal, though in a heads-up match against the rabbit menace, it could struggle dealing with go-wide token-makers like Hop to It. Maybe that’s why they left out some of the better common rabbits in the GW deck?

Magic: The Gathering - Bloomburrow Starter Kit | Learn to Play Magic with 2 Bloomburrow-Themed Decks | 2 Player Collectible Card Game for Ages 13+ casual

• LOOKING TO HOP INTO MAGIC—Everything you need to play your first game of Magic: The Gathering is right here. Shrink down to critter size and battle for the Valley with two pre-built 60-card decks.
• TINY TAILS, BIG ADVENTURE—Put your best paw forward and enter the world of Bloomburrow; fight beside adorable critters and prove that bravery comes in all sizes
• LEARN TO PLAY MAGIC WITH A FRIEND—Perfect for your first Magic game, teaching friends and family, or just a fun game night, learn how to play with the included Play Guide or the interactive online tutorial in Magic: The Gathering Arena
• TWO READY-TO-PLAY 60-CARD DECKS—Buff up an army of woodland creatures to overpower your opponents with the Hare Raising deck or send your Otter friends surfing past your foe’s defenses with the Otter Limits deck
• COLLECT RARE CARDS—Kick off your collection with 2 Mythic Rare cards that gleam with a shining Traditional Foil treatment, plus 8 Rare cards (1 Mythic Rare and 4 Rares in each deck)

Buy on Amazon

Does MTG Still Make Starter Kits?

Yes! Starter kits have released consistently up through mid-2025, which fits into Wizards’ pattern of releasing at least one two-player introductory product per year.

What's the MSRP of Starter Kits?

The MSRP of the Final Fantasy Starter Kit is $19.99, which is the first one to sell after the return of MSRP to Magic products.

Depending on what product you get, the price may vary. For example, the Lord of the Rings starter kit was retailing for around $25, while a typical Starter Kit will sell for around $20. You can occasionally get discounts when you buy older products, though. While the demand for Final Fantasy spills over to its starter kit, some of the other kits can be found for their MSRP or less at local stores or big box retailers.

Are Magic: The Gathering Starter Kits Worth It?

Starter Kits are a perfectly fine deal if you snag them for their usual $20 pricetag. Anything beyond that and I’d say no, you shouldn’t invest in these.

Remember, these are extremely basic, non-competitive decks that are good for teaching people how to play or just playing kitchen table Magic with a friend, but they won’t get you anywhere towards building a competitive Constructed deck or a viable Commander deck. Each deck offers a handful of rares, sometimes exclusive cards that you can’t get in any other product, but I wouldn’t buy an entire Starter Kit for those.

If you’re looking for a teaching tool or something to play casually with a friend, significant other, or highly intellectual pet, these are less convoluted than something like a Commander precon.

Starter Kits Vs. Starter Decks

The difference between Magic Starter Kits and Starter Decks is that Starter Kits come with two playable decks. Conversely, Starter Deck products like Planeswalker Decks or Intro Decks only have one preconstructed deck. Some Starter Deck products had slightly more powerful decklists because they were a single deck for around the same price. Players who were willing to spend a little more might prefer to just grab two of those instead of a Starter Kit.

Where Can You Get Old Starter Kits?

The Starter Kits are currently available on Amazon, and are linked in the product images for each of the Starter Kits in the rankings above. Some big box stores will have leftovers, and TCGplayer is a consistent provider of many older starter kits.

Are Starter Kit Cards Legal?

All cards in Starter Kits are legal to play in Constructed formats, there aren’t any silver bordered cards or anything like that. WotC usually makes Starter Kits that are Standard-legal at the time of their release, and naturally they’ll rotate out of Standard at a given point. However, with the release of Lord of the Rings Starter Kits, they signaled that not all Starter Kits will be Standard-legal at the time of the release, so that’s something to be on the lookout for. So, most (but not all) Starter Kit cards are legal in Standard until they rotate out.

Wrap Up

Inspired Charge | Illustration by Willian Murai

Magic’s Starter Kits are a great way to get newer players into the game. The decks aren’t competitive, but they’re an inexpensive way to give players a good understanding of what the different colors do well. If you’re looking to get a friend into Magic, these are a good way to go.

Did you get started with Starter Kits? Are there other entry products that you think are better? How did you feel about Planeswalker and Intro Decks? Let me know in the comments or over on the Draftsim Twitter.

Thank you for reading and don't go too easy on the rookie 😉

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