Business lessons from ‘Magic: The Gathering’
SET in a fantasy world of wizards, dragons, and other fantastic creatures, “Magic: The Gathering” is a competitive card game for YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE. IN THE EARLY 2000S, WE fiRST picked the game up and thought of it as nothing more than a hobby my brother and I could spend time playing during the summer break. Little did we know that the strategies and tactics involved in the gameplay could be something we could apply in real life over a decade down the road.
Before going into the details of how a card game has lessons for life and for business, let’s take a quick look at how Magic is played. The basic way to play a game of Magic is to have two players, each with a deck of 60 cards, take turns trying to whittle down their opponent’s life total to 0 from a beginning life total of 20. There are a variety of ways they could do that — from casting spells that could reduce the life total or by summoning creatures to do the dirty work, among others. In order to execute those winning plays though, we need to understand the currency used to take actions in the game.
A unique staple to Magic is the concept of spending “mana” to cast spells. Mana is derived from lands, a type of card that you could play once per turn. Each spell in your hand has a corresponding mana cost which could be paid for by the number of lands you control. Without getting into specifics, let’s just say that some spells are more expensive than others and could require different types of mana.
In the first few turns, the available mana for each player is limited. When you take a look at your hand of cards, the more powerful spells are usually more expensive. This makes it important for you to have things to do when you only have 1 or 2 mana available. Experienced players know how to make the most of each of their turns and that is something called mana efficiency.
In business, this is when we maximize our assets to create the most value. For example, an oil company may not have as many stations as others that have been around longer. As the business owner, how can you efficiently use your resources like a Magic player manages his mana? What can you do to stay competitive when your opponents have a leg up on resources? There are different approaches depending on how you like to play. Some would opt for multiple lower-cost spells while others would try to cast only one or two but with bigger payoffs. Each option has its pros and cons, but both could keep you in the game. The last thing you want to do is pass a turn with your assets not giving you any returns.
Speaking of your competition, it’s important for businesses and Magic players alike to understand where they stand in the game. In an article written by Mike Flores called “Who’s the Beatdown?” he explained how a player needs to determine if they should play as the aggressor or be on the defensive.
Generally speaking, decks that could deal more damage are usually the aggressor. Decks that could control what’s happening on the battlefield, on the other hand, are usually on the defensive, waiting for the dust to settle before they steamroll over their opponent who has exhausted all their resources. Is your company on the beatdown? Do you need to be aggressive to beat your competition or do you just need to keep in step to maintain your lead? The basic principle of understanding your own strengths and weaknesses could help you win in both business and in Magic.
“In Magic: The Gathering” lore, there is a classic example of understanding your strengths and weaknesses to come out on top. Set in ancient Dominaria, the latest release of Wizards of the Coast called The Brothers’ War tells the story of brothers Urza and Mishra in their fight for control of the Thran powerstones. If that story doesn’t sound like a fantasy lover’s dream, we don’t know what would.
The brothers are artificers, two of the most prominent inventors during their time. They created machines that could both build and destroy. In the modern business context, we could imagine them as tech giants.
In a cutthroat business where every advantage needs to be taken, we could learn a thing or two from this card game created by Dr. Richard Garfield in the classrooms of the University of Pennsylvania. Resource management, making sure every asset we have is maximized for the betterment of the company, takes a lot of planning and understanding of the industry. Companies need to know their strengths and weaknesses and how to apply that knowledge in competition.
While we may not always be dealt the best hand, we still need to make the most of it no matter what we draw. In life, business, or a game of Magic, wins and losses are determined by a little bit of luck and how well you play your cards.