There are so many MTG accessories that significantly improve your Magic the Gathering experience. However, the market is crowded with subpar products. Some items aren’t durable, while others just look bad. That’s why it’s important to pick the right ones, and this article can help you with that.
Below you’ll find the most essential MTG accessories, and recommendations for the best ones in each category — from sleeves to dice, and more. So without further ado, let’s get started!
MTG Sleeves
Can you believe that once upon a time (30 years or so ago) everyone used to play without sleeves? Nowadays, you’ll basically never notice an unsleeved deck. That shouldn’t be too surprising as using sleeves is amazing.
They protect your cards, which is important. Magic cards can be worth a lot, but their value drops significantly when they’re damaged. Thus, if you own some valuable cards, buying sleeves can actually save you money in the long run.
Furthermore, sleeves will make your deck easier to shuffle. Now, that’s not the case with all sleeves. Some of the worst ones actually make it even harder to do so.
That’s why you want to pick really great sleeves. Not only will they improve the ease of shuffling, they should also last you for a long time.
Our recommendation is the Dragon Shield sleeves. They have been on the market for ages, and are one of the most durable sleeves ever. You could easily use them for 5 years or longer. While you might want to clean them occasionally, they are really hard to split.
Perhaps you want something a bit more exciting as far as the design goes. In that case, you could pick up some of their art sleeves, as they have quite a large selection of them.
While these are the gold Standard of card sleeves, they aren’t the only good option. Perhaps you want to explore your other options? In that case, check the article about the best MTG sleeves, and find the ones best suited to your needs.
MTG Deck Boxes
Deck boxes are essential for storing and transporting your decks. The best ones will stay closed and protect your cards even if they’re moving around in your backpack.
When you’re buying a deck box, you should pay attention to its advertised size. Commander players will need larger boxes, in order to store at least 100 cards and perhaps some tokens. On the other hand, if you’re playing a 60-card format, like Standard or Modern, you don’t want too large of a deck box. This way, you’ll prevent cards from moving around, and potentially getting damaged.
With that in mind, take a look at a couple of options for you.
Deck Box For Commander
Your best choice for Commander is probably Flip’n’Tray 100+ XenoSkin from Ultimate Guard.
It’s sturdy and durable, so it will last you a long time. Perhaps even for multiple decades. Its surface is also quite nice on touch, and the box is held together by strong magnets. No need to worry that it will suddenly open in your backpack and squish your cards.
Finally, there’s also an extra compartment for dice and tokens. Now this always comes in handy. If you don’t like the red color, no problem. Flip’n’Tray deck boxes are available in a wide variety of colors, so there’s bound to be one that you’ll like.
Deck Box for Standard, Modern (and other 60-card formats)
As for sixty card formats (or 75, if you’re using a sideboard), our recommendation is Sidewinder 80+ XenoSkin. It’s made from the same quality material as the previous deck box, as it also comes from the Ultimate Guard.
Besides the different size, there’s another distinction compared to the previous deck box. Its design allows you to store your deck sideways, giving you an easier access. That comes with all of the upsides we mentioned previously. (Firm closing, neat surface, a wide selection of colors.)
If you want to explore other options, you can find more great MTG deck boxes here.
MTG Binders
Do you want to keep your valuable cards organized, easily accessible, and ready to showcase? In that case, you probably need a card binder. They come in various sizes, with the two most common ones being 2×2 and 3×3 binder.
The latter one fits 9 cards per page, and perhaps the best one in such size is XenoSkin Zipfoilo (with 9 Pockets) from Ultimate Guard.
It contains 20 pages with 9 pockets, meaning you can fit 180 cards in this bad boy. Another neat feature is closing with a zipper, which isn’t usual for most Magic binders. As you can imagine, it offers better protection for your cards. The side-loading pockets also contribute to the safety of your cards.
As with all the other products, this certainly isn’t the only good binder out there. If you’re interested you can browse through other MTG binders recommendations.
Dice for MTG
Dice certainly belong in the group of the must-have MTG accessories, especially if you’re playing Commander. You can use them for various purposes, like:
- representing creature tokens
- +1/+1 or other counters
- keeping track of life totals (though this is discouraged at tournaments)
Our favorite choice for dice are Chessex Dice, as they are both elegant and simple. Plus, you get 36 of them, which is more than you’ll ever need. (Unless you’re playing some crazy brew.) Anyway, it’s fine to own extra dice in case you lose some. The price is also very affordable, making it a great purchase.
Would you maybe want different dice? Check for other MTG dice here.
Playmat for Magic the Gathering
Don’t like playing on sticky or dirty tables? It can sometimes be hard to tap your cards around at some game stores, as the surface isn’t optimal. Playmats are a great solution to this.
Not only do they keep your sleeves clean for a long time, they also come with various artworks, so you can easily find the one you like. The one below, features Sneak Attack, for example.
Ultra Pro is one of the biggest manufacturer of quality playmats with all sorts of different Magic art. They have an enormous selection, and you can find it on Amazon.
Want to know more about playmats? Find the best MTG playmats here.
Backpack for Magic Cards
Finally, if you won’t just be playing at home, you need a backpack. Of course, if you already have one, it will surely serve you perfectly fine. Nevertheless, if you do need to get a new one, there are some that are made with MTG players in mind.
For example, Enhance MTG backpack is designed in a way that it easily fits various deck boxes, as well as a playmat and a binder. It offers plenty of benefits like:
- adjustable shelves that will fit your deck boxes perfectly
- water-resistant material
- great zippers
However, this is certainly a premium product and its price reflects that. If you’d like to get a more budget friendly option, you can find more MTG backpacks here.
Conclusion
And that’s all about MTG accessories for today. Hopefully, you now know which products you need. Of course, if you feel like there’s a type of product we missed or if you have any questions at all, let us know in the comments below, we’ll be happy to help you.
In case you’re looking for more card related products, you can find best buys for MTG beginners here. Until next time, have fun and may your new products serve you for a very long time.