MTG Arena Free To Play Guide - How To Play Arena For Free

Magic: The Gathering Arena is a "free-to-play" game, but many players feel like they have to get off of some money to build a collection. I say nonsense! This guide will show you some tips and tricks to navigate MTG Arena's free-to-play ecosystem and build a powerful card collection without spending a dime.

How To Play MTG Arena Without Spending Money

1. Use Free Codes

If you're looking to play MTG Arena without spending money free codes are exactly where you want to start. Check out our regularly updated article on all MTG Arena Codes for free packs and card styles. It's a quick and easy way to get a head start on your collection.

2. Complete Daily Quests

You'll receive a quest worth 500 or 750 Gold daily. The key here is to wait a few days to stack up to three quests. Remember to keep at least one quest slot open for the next day, though, so you don't lose out. Aside from Gold, daily quests also grant you 500 XP, which is vital for leveling up your Mastery Pass, which I'll cover later.

Optimizing Quest Rewards

Let's delve into a secret to maximize your daily quest rewards. You can "re-roll" a quest, which could earn you an extra 250 Gold. Here's how to do it:

Click on a quest that offers 500 Gold, and you'll have a chance to exchange it for a slightly more challenging quest that rewards 750 Gold.

This additional Gold might seem small initially, but it significantly impacts your long-term progress on Arena for very little work. Don't underestimate the value of those extra 250 Gold pieces; keep an eye on your quests and seize every opportunity to boost your Gold earnings. It's an easy, free way to get ahead.

Quick Tips for Quests

• Build mono-colored decks to complete quests efficiently.
• Focus on casting colored spells and creatures, attacking and killing creatures, as most quests like this don't require wins.
• Use the Play queue to face decks with lower power levels, giving you more time to complete quests.

3. Get At Least Four Wins Daily

You get rewarded for your first 15 wins every day. However, there's a significant dropoff in gold after just four wins. So, I recommend four wins per day as the best number for building gold while not having to play more than you want. Even just one win per day is 250 Gold; I would consider that the minimum. But don't burn yourself out; choose a pace that suits you.

4. Advance The Mastery Pass

The Mastery Pass is a seasonal progression system with (usually) around 100 levels. Players advance in rank by earning "Mastery Experience Points (XP)." You build XP by completing daily quests, winning games, and participating in events. You'll level up once you get enough Mastery XP and be rewarded. These rewards include in-game items, including booster packs, card styles, avatars, and sleeves.

Here's a deep dive on the Mastery Pass - MTG Arena Mastery Pass Guide

5. Build A Collection With Limited

Limited events like Draft and Sealed are your secret weapons for collecting cards. Drafting offers a unique challenge, requiring deck-building skills, set knowledge, and gameplay. That said, Draft is the best way to acquire cards for your collection. There are three different kinds of Draft events:

• Quick Draft:
  • Entry fee: 5,000 Gold or 750 Gems
  • Drafting with bots
  • Playing Until: 7 wins or 3 loses
  • Best of one
  • Rewards: 1 Pack + 50 Gems for 0 wins, up to 1 Pack + 950 Gems for 7 wins
• Traditional Draft:
  • Entry fee: 10,000 Gold or 1,500 Gems
  • Drafting with humans
  • Playing Until: 3 matches finish (regardless of wins or losses)
  • Best of three (with sideboard)
  • Rewards: 1 Pack for 0-1 wins, up to 6 Packs + 3,000 Gems for 3 wins
• Premier Draft:
  • Entry fee: 10,000 Gold or 1,500 Gems
  • Drafting with humans
  • Playing Until: 7 wins or 3 loses
  • Best of one
  • Rewards: 1 Pack + 50 Gems for 0 wins, up to 6 Packs + 2200 Gems for 7 wins

How to Optimize Your Drafting

Drafting is a great way to build your collection because you get to keep all the cards you draft. However, duplicate protection does not work the same way in draft as in booster packs. If you draft the fourth copy of a mythic or rare card, you will receive 20 gems after the draft portion. Fourth copy common and uncommon cards go to Vault progress.

Value Drafting

Value drafting is a strategy where you focus on drafting cards worth more than their cost. This is an excellent way to build your collection, but it is important not to sacrifice too much of the deck quality during the draft. Don't go too far to pick a "useless" rare card when you have other good options that improve your deck. Concentrate on building the best deck possible and going further in the event. This will get you more rewards, enabling you to draft more.

The MTG Arena Assistant app can offer advice on draft picks in real time, which is great for beginners. Beyond that, I recommend How To Draft Better - Five Tips To Improve Your MTG Draft Skills.

Conclusion

I see the question asked always, "Can you really play Arena for free?" And yes, you can play and succeed on MTG Arena without spending a dime... It just takes more time. If you like the grind, you'll be right at home. If you have money you are comfortable spending, things like the "starter packs" are great investments. That said, you can do just fine without it.

If you're looking for an enjoyable free-to-play experience, I hope you've found this guide helpful. If you have any questions or comments, drop them below.