Jorie McKibbin 
MTG Arena offers many ways to build out a digital card collection for free, which is particularly helpful for new players in need of a strong deck.
When a new player first launches the game, they’ll be bombarded by one tutorial after another. This can feel a little overwhelming, and the temptation to skip them all might be strong. However, savvy MTG Arena players wanting to obtain as many free cards as possible should think twice. Sticking with the tutorials, overbearing as they may be, has its rewards.
Beyond the tutorials, there are several ways to continue building a collection for free. Here are all the major ways players can snag free cards in MTG Arena.
Color Challenges offer free mono-color starter decks in MTG Arena
Color Challenges are optional MTG Arena tutorials that, once completed, award players with a free starter deck.
The first thing a new player will have to do is play a basic “how to play” tutorial. Once it’s over, additional tutorials called Color Challenges are available. Each one teaches the player how to effectively play decks of a specific color. There are five challenges, one for each color of MTG card.
To complete the challenge, a player must win several games against an AI opponent. From there, they’ll need to play one game against a real human. That completes the challenge and earns the reward, win or lose.
Upon completing a color challenge, the player is awarded a free starter deck of that color. Starter decks are the fastest way to build a new collection. Even if a player doesn’t care about using the deck, getting it adds a large number of cards to their collection instantly.
Dual-color starter decks are obtainable through daily quests
MTG Arena offers daily quests that can earn players more free cards.
These objectives are referred to as “quests” and usually have requirements like “cast 10 red spells.” To fulfill them, play any kind of match against a human opponent and play the relevant cards during those matches. Players get one quest per day until they’ve completed them all, so it’ll take just under a week to get all the decks.
Completing these quests awards additional starter decks, with these ones being dual-color. Just like the mono-color decks, they flesh out a new player’s collection right away
Get free MTG Arena codes
Players can get codes that can be redeemed for booster packs in MTG Arena. The primary way to get these codes is actually buying physical Magic: The Gathering booster packs, decks, and other items. While that’s not technically “free” there are also promotions and giveaways.
Free codes for MTG Arena are handed out in a number of different ways through official newsletters, social media accounts, and more. Though these opportunities are limited, players should make the most of them.
What are Wildcards in MTG Arena?
MTG Arena Wildcards are tokens redeemable for one card of a specific rarity.
Wildcards are very valuable because they can be redeemed for any card of a player’s choice. They come in every rarity that actual cards do and are mostly awarded by opening booster packs. To get several booster packs right away, players can redeem codes from physical Magic: The Gathering card purchases or other promotions.
Every pack has a chance to contain one or more wildcards. For every so many packs a player opens, they’ll be awarded with additional wildcards. As such, it’s wise to open as many as possible.
Mastery tracks provide more free packs and cards
Mastery Tracks grant additional rewards over time as one plays MTG Arena.
Mastery Tracks are seasonal reward systems that offer cards, packs, and other items over time. Players advance through a mastery track by accumulating experience. Experience can be earned by winning games, completing daily objectives, and more. While there is a paid “Mastery Pass” there are also plenty of free rewards that can be earned this way.
The booster packs and wildcards obtained through the Mastery Track allow players to continue building their collections indefinitely.
