Magic: The Gathering Christmas gift guide
Gather round for some Christmas magic.
It's the most magical time of the year and you'll probably be gathering with friends and family soon to exchange gifts. Buying a gift for someone is a whole lot easier if they’re into something you understand, but plenty of hobbies can be a little impenetrable if you’re not also into it. This is very much the case with Magic: The Gathering; buying a gift for somebody who plays the card game can be tricky for a lot of reasons, not only because you might not know anything about it yourself.
Magic: The Gathering Christmas gift guide
- Cards: The obvious gift choice, but for a good reason.
- Booster boxes: When one or two cards isn't enough, how about a whole boxful?
- Card sleeves: Help keep precious cards safe - and looking stylish.
- Deck boxes: The best way to keep a collection neatly organised, and survive any travel.
- Dice: From tracking life to replacing counters, dice are the socks of MTG gifts: always useful.
- Artwork posters: Take artwork beyond those tiny cards and show off your fandom.
- Magic: The Gathering books: Read up on MTG lore, or explore the multiverse in D&D.
While there are definitely more than enough gift ideas out there for MTG fans, knowing exactly what they would enjoy or what they don’t have is a nearly impossible task. You need to have a rough idea of what cards they want, what formats they enjoy or if anything would have a greater meaning to that person.
That’s a tall order for sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. If you’re on the hunt for something to buy the MTG player in your life, stick with us and we’ll help you figure that all out with this guide to the best Magic: The Gathering gifts.
1. Cards
The obvious choice
Cards are nearly always the ideal gift to get an MTG player, but they’re also one of the hardest, and we’ve got no way of telling you exactly which cards to get. However, if you know a bit (or a lot) about the game, then you’ll be able to find out which cards the person has and doesn’t have. You’ll also know which cards would improve their collection or help them finish a deck.
It’s not just cards that will improve their decks that make for good gifts either. Sometimes a card will share the name of a child, or be the source of a tattoo. While MTG is just a game, that doesn’t mean that the characters won’t resonate with people. Buying a foil version of a card with sentimental value is sure to win you some big brownie points.
You could also try and get hold of the latest Commander decks. Most MTG players enjoy the format, and - assuming it’s a deck they don’t already have - it’ll go down a treat.
Knowledge required: High
Buy Magic: The Gathering Commander Legends Reap The Tides deck on Amazon US and Amazon UK.
2. Booster boxes
Everyone enjoys cracking packs
This option is a good one for all players. While more competitive players will swear by only buying single cards because opening packs is a waste of money, that doesn’t mean that they don’t enjoy opening packs. Buying a booster box of the latest MTG set is a great way to give them that satisfaction without them having to spend the money to get it.
You could also try and get your hands on a box of Unsanctioned, Jumpstart, Commander Legends or Conspiracy 2. All of these have some kind of special gameplay hook that means that buying them isn’t just opening up the packs, but also allowing for something repeatable that normal Magic: The Gathering doesn’t really offer. All of those are good choices in general if you can get your hands on them, which means you already have ideas to work with.
Knowledge required: None
Buy Magic: The Gathering Core Set 2021 Draft Booster Box on Amazon US and Amazon UK.
3. Card sleeves
You’ve got to keep those cards safe
When players start out, they might not understand why people use sleeves to protect their cards. That’s likely to change when they find out just how valuable some MTG cards are in good condition. It also means that this is one of the easiest and most thoughtful gifts you can get for an MTG player, because you can never have enough sleeves.
The chances are that the person in question has a preferred brand and colour, but if you’re looking for recommendations we’d suggest Dragon Shield. These sleeves are sturdy and very easy to handle, which makes them perfect for looking after MTG cards. They also come in a huge variety of colours and styles. We generally prefer the matte finish because it gives the cards enough grip to not result in a game of 52-card pickup whenever you try to grab your deck.
Knowledge required: None
Buy 100 Standard-Size Dragon Shield Matte Black Sleeves on Amazon US and Amazon UK.
4. Deck boxes
Keep your decks safe out on the road
If you’re looking for a standard deck box then you can’t really go wrong with the Ultra Pro series. These deck boxes are cheap and cheerful and will keep your cards in a box, which is kind of the point. However, the chances are that you’d rather choose something a bit more special, and a bit more luxurious.
If you’d rather splash out a little bit more on a deck box to get one with a bit more style, then we recommend Ultimate Guard’s XenoSkin 100 Plus Flip-n-Tray deck boxes. These can house a deck alongside some dice, and they’ve got a bit more presence than the Ultra Pro basic boxes. There are lots of options out there, but these ones are our favourites.
Knowledge required: None
Buy Ultimate Guard XenoSkin 100 Plus Flip-n-Tray Deck Case on Amazon US and Amazon UK.
5. Dice
A present you can count on
Dice in MTG can serve a lot of different purposes. Whether you’re using them to mark counters on a creature, the loyalty of a Planeswalker, your own health or some other kind of counter (there are so many), they’re essential. Generally speaking, any d20 will work, but if you can get a nice dice set then that’ll do wonders too.
You could also consider getting an Ultimate Guard Digital Life Pad. While it could easily be the kind of thing you give to a toddler to draw on, it also works very well for keeping track of life totals and things. It’s a lot more environmentally-friendly than carrying around stacks of paper and is easier to use than a dice, too.
Knowledge required: None
Buy Dice Counters for Magic: The Gathering from Kraken Dice and Ultimate Guard Digital Life Pad on Amazon US and Amazon UK.
6. Artwork posters
Decorate your room with more than doom and gloom
Given how stunning the artwork in Magic: The Gathering can be, it’s no surprise that you can find some incredibly cool pieces of artwork to hang up on some barren walls. Some of the best of these can be found on Displate. While these aren’t strictly posters, they have the same effect and the site actually plants trees whenever a plate is sold.
If you’d rather buy a proper paper poster then there are a few options, but GB Posters has a really nice selection of artwork on sale. For both these and the Displates you’ll need to know enough about the game to know what kind of cards the gift receiver will like - but nice artwork is nice artwork if all else fails.
Knowledge required: Low
Buy metal Magic: The Gathering prints Displate and MTG posters from GB Posters.
7. Magic: The Gathering books
It’s a nerdy hobby so you should lean into that
There are a few general flavours of Magic: The Gathering books around. The main one nowadays is fiction. These are the books that tell the stories of the current MTG storylines, and while they can be a bit hit and miss, they’re still a nice thing to have for players who adore the lore of the game.
The other main type of book that is worth investigating is Magic: The Gathering’s crossover with Dungeons & Dragons, including Guildmasters’ Guide To Ravnica and Mythic Odysseys of Theros. These are special D&D 5E sourcebooks that allow players to integrate the various planes of MTG into their own games, and are a great way to mix the two hobbies into one highly-enjoyable blob.
Knowledge required: None
Buy Dungeons & Dragons 5E: Guildmasters’ Guide To Ravnica on Amazon US and Amazon UK.
