Playing White in Magic: The Gathering

Of the 5 colors in Magic: The Gathering, White is one of the easiest to play by itself. The color white is focused around tactics that even novice players of the game can master, and experts can perfect. In regards to Flavor, White signifies justice, goodness and Holiness. The color should appeal most to those who are new to the game of Magic, and those who don't wish to deal with the pressure of playing more complex colors, such as black and blue.

White's biggest mechanic is Protection. White is great at stopping Damage from being dealt, stopping the Opponent from attacking, and protecting Creatures. Similar to this is the ability to gain Life. While life gain is not one of it's primary features, there are enough powerful Life gain abilities to be able to fit it in to any deck you would want to play.

White creatures are entirely focused around Tribe. A majority of White creatures provide benefits to other White creatures that share a type with it, such as Wizened Cenn, which gives other Kithkin you control +1/+1. While White creatures by themselves are not typically overwhelming, together they form a very formidable force.

That's not to say that White doesn't have it's share of big creatures. Most of White's power creatures are Angels, generally with power and toughness at three or higher. Angels also have Flying, making them more difficult to block. These creatures normally have alternate abilities as well, such as giving you life when they come into play or deal damage, preventing the first point of any damage that would be dealt to you, or being able to attack without becoming tapped.

When it comes to tactics, White's major strategy is to summon a multitude of small, similar-tribe creatures that make each other stronger. Soldiers, Kithkin, and Clerics are the most popular Tribes that White focuses on. To support said creatures, you need to have plenty of ways to keep them alive, whether by stopping your opponent from casting spells, or by making their Destruction and Damage-dealing spells ineffective.

Attack every chance you get. White can't sit there and win a game, you have to play aggressive every chance that you can get. At the same time, try to avoid losing any creatures at all. In doing that, you will help to assure that you will not run out of gas in the game, since White has no real means of card draw. Keep your mana curve low, play fast, and batter your enemy under the righteous hammer of justice. That's what playing White in Magic means.