Magic: The Gathering pioneered a lot of tabletop mechanics that have since been iterated on endlessly, with the most obvious example being its mana system. While it may seem like MTG’s Color Pie, or Color Wheel, might be little more than a way of dividing up archetypes and themes in Limited, it’s actually a fundamental philosophy in its design. Colors in Magic have rules associated with them, like which keywords can be found on them or what they can do functionally, and belong to specific philosophies and factions in the game’s lore.
For that reason, becoming familiar with what to expect from each color in Magic: The Gathering is crucial to leveling up your game. Not only will you have an edge on figuring out Draft and Sealed decks faster since there are often similar themes to color pairs, but you’ll also be able to identify really powerful cards during spoiler season - if a Green card has an extra keyword it doesn’t normally have, for instance, that could make it a huge player in the upcoming Standard format.
Source: Fandom
“Allies” and “Enemies”
One concept in MTG’s color Pie that’s worth getting to know is the pairings of allies and enemies. Essentially, colors beside each other on the color Pie are “allies,” philosophies that can play well together. White’s concepts of order work well with Blue’s adherence to logic, while Red’s chaos and Black’s amorality are a symbiotic pair. Enemies are those colors that are not directly beside each other - so Red’s chaos conflicts directly with Blue’s logic, while White’s morality and Black’s amorality naturally clash with each other.
When you hear players say lands are “allied” colors, this refers to 5 pairings: RG, GW, WU, UB, and BR. When players say lands are “enemy” colors, this refers to the other 5 pairings: WB, WR, UR, UG, and BG.
White
White represents the philosophies of morality and order, and can be characterized by lawful, peace-abiding, and inflexible ways of thinking. In broader fantasy terms, think of the archetypal Church-state in a high fantasy setting, maintaining peace through authoritarian means while justifying it as the greater good. White’s allies are Green and Blue, while its enemies are Black and Red.
Mechanically, White often has keywords like lifelink, +1/+1 counters, vigilance, double-strike, first-strike, board-wipes, and flying (there are a lot of people riding griffons and the like in White!) Thematically, White decks often include small creatures getting bigger with counter-placing effects, lifegain, or, when paired with Blue or Black, control effects - White is also home to the most amount of “sweepers,” cards that wipe the board of creatures (and sometimes other permanents, too, such as Farewell).
Blue
Blue represents the philosophies of logic and technology, and can be characterized as an obsession with intellect and progress, to the point of inaction at times. Think of Blue as the sci-fi fantasy laboratory that pours all of its staff into one all-encompassing project - only to accidentally kickstart the apocalypse because they pushed too hard without thinking of the consequences. That pursuit of perfection is Blue. Blue’s allies are White and Black, while its enemies are Red and Green.
Mechanically, Blue is most notoriously known for its counterspells (like Counterspell, instant cards that basically tell your opponent they aren’t allowed to do the thing they wanted to do that turn. It’s a divisive color among casual players especially, but it isn’t just the color for “no” in Magic: The Gathering, as Blue also has keywords like “draw x cards,” “mill x cards,” and prowess. Thematically, Blue decks are often control or midrange strategies that look to build card advantage before burying an opponent in the number of options they have.
Black
Black represents the philosophies of selfishness and amorality, and can be characterized best by the flavor text of the color’s most famous creature - “greatness at any cost.” Black is like the archetypal necromantic cult in high fantasy, relentlessly seeking to increase its power through means that are disgusting or outright evil in the eyes of others. Black is the color where the ends justify the means. Black’s allies are Blue and Red, while its enemies are White and Green.
Mechanically, Black often features keywords like deathtouch and discard, while many cards will cause you to lose life to access powerful abilities. Thematically, Black decks often synergize with life loss to progress your gameplan, accessing the graveyard through discard and reanimation cards to “cheat” big creatures into play, or combining with Blue or White to create a midrange strategy that grinds the game out.
Red
Red represents the philosophies of chaos and impulsiveness, and can be characterized as the color best representing freedom. Think of Red as the classic fantasy archetype of a wandering warrior who only wants to find better and bigger fights; one day they might save a village to challenge its mayor, and another they might cut down a well-meaning soldier to get to his general. Red’s allies are Black and Green, while its enemies are Blue and White.
Mechanically, Red is most often associated with the “burn” strategy - spells that can deal direct damage to an opponent. However, it’s also a color that loves to battle with creatures, featuring haste, prowess, first-strike, and other combat-oriented keywords. Thematically, Red is often a hyper-aggressive strategy on its own, employing a mix of small creatures and burn spells (hello, Lightning Bolt. That changes depending on what it’s paired with, though - with Green, it can be big, fast creatures, or with Black it can be sacrifice-based tricks. It’s a flexible part of Magic: The Gathering’s color Pie.
Green
Green represents the philosophies of instinct and independence and can be characterized as the color of nature. Green is the forest-dwelling hermit who is one with the ecology around them, or the harsh hunter who subscribes only to survival of the fittest. Green’s allies are Red and White, while its enemies are Blue and Black.
Mechanically, Green is the color of the most powerful creatures in Magic: The Gathering, and gets keywords to match, like trample, vigilance, indestructible, and more. It’s also the color of “ramp,” cards that accelerate the amount of mana you have access to by searching out lands or tapping creatures to produce mana. Thematically, Green almost always wants to deploy game-changing creatures (like Ghalta, Primal Hunger), and can do so using its ramp spells. It’s rarely paired with colors in a control strategy, instead best suiting midrange or aggressive decks.
MTG’s Color Pie Is Always Changing
All of that being said, Magic: The Gathering is not a game that follows its own rules all the time. Sometimes cards are printed that fly in the face of the way we understand the MTG Color Pie, and those cards are called “color breaks.” A Black creature with haste and indestructible, for instance, would be a surprise; an even bigger one would be a Red counterspell (and these do exist!)
It’s best to think of the MTG Color Pie as a guide to understanding the way cards are made, and if you’re an aspiring Commander player or want to find the best Standard deck to suit you, the philosophies behind these colors and the keywords they often include will be an excellent way to help figure out what you’ll enjoy the most.
Comments