🔄 The Mulligan in Magic: how, when and why to use it

🔄 The Mulligan in Magic: how, when and why to use it

If you're just starting out in Magic: The Gathering, you've probably already encountered a starting hand that doesn't quite suit you. Perhaps you have no lands, or all the cards are incredibly expensive and you have no way to play them. This is where the famous Mulligan comes in.

Relax, it's not a spell or a secret card. It's simply a rule that gives you a chance to try again if your initial hand isn't looking good. Let's see what this is all about and how to take advantage of it without falling behind from the start.

🃏 What is a Mulligan, in plain English?

Imagine you start a game, draw your seven cards... and they're a disaster. Just lands. Or none at all. Or no cards you can use to get started. That happens to everyone, even those who have been playing for years.

The Mulligan is the option the game gives you to shuffle those cards back into the deck and draw again. There is a small penalty, which I'll explain in a moment. But trust me, it's often worth it.

📜 The London rule (yes, like the city)

For some years now, we've all been playing with the same version of the Mulligan rule, known as the London rule . It's very simple:

  1. Shuffle your starting hand into the deck.

  2. You draw 7 new cards.

  3. If you decide to keep that hand, you put one card at the bottom of the deck for each time you made a Mulligan .

For example: you make a Mulligan → you draw 7 → you keep that hand → you choose 1 card and return it to the bottom.
If you make two Mulligans, you return two cards. And so on.

The good thing? You always see 7 cards before deciding. That gives you many more options to end up with a decent hand, even if you lose a card.

🎯 When should you do Mulligan?

The key here isn't whether making a Mulligan is good or bad, but when . It's not about finding a perfect hand, but a playable one . Here are some cases where it's usually a good idea:

  • You have no lands or only one, and your deck isn't ultra-fast.

  • You have 5 lands and 2 expensive spells . You'll be drawing cards without doing anything at the beginning.

  • Your deck needs certain cards to get off to a good start, and there's no sign of them in your starting hand.

  • You have many good cards but no synergy between them (for example, all removal and nothing to play on turn 1 or 2).

💡 Tips to avoid getting confused with the Mulligan

Here are some personal recommendations that have worked for me and that you'll also hear at any gaming table:

  • A hand with 2 or 3 lands is usually ideal, unless you have a very particular deck.

  • Know your deck . An aggressive deck needs to start strong. A control deck can afford slower hands.

  • Don't be afraid to keep 6 cards . It's often better than keeping 7 useless ones.

  • If you're playing a second game against the same opponent and you already know what they're carrying, use Mulligan thinking about what might come next .

And something important: don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake . We all mess up mulligans from time to time. It's part of the process of learning to play better.

Back to blog