Magic: the Gathering Color Combinations

MTG App Staff

12 Jan 2023

In Magic: The Gathering (MTG), there are 10 two-color, 10 three-color, and 5 four-color combinations. Each combination has its unique name and playstyle, with some being more prevalent in specific formats. The five primary colors in MTG are Red, Blue, Green, Black, and White. When all five colors are combined in one deck, it is referred to as “five-colored” and abbreviated as “WUBRG.” The names for the two-color combinations are based on the lore of the MTG plane Ravnica, where each combo is named after one of the plane’s guilds.

Here are the two-color combos in MTG:

  • Azorius: White/Blue
  • Boros: Red/White
  • Dimir: Blue/Black
  • Golgari: Black/Green
  • Gruul: Red/Green
  • Izzet: Blue/Red
  • Orzhov: White/Black
  • Rakdos: Black/Red
  • Selesnya: White/Green
  • Simic: Blue/Green

Azorius: A combination of White and Blue, Azorius focuses on control, law, and order. They tend to focus on abilities to tap creatures and counter spells.

Boros: A combination of Red and White, Boros focuses on aggression, combat and token generation to disrupt the opponent’s strategy, and have abilities to grant bonuses to attacking creatures and grant haste.

Dimir: A combination of Blue and Black, Dimir focuses on secrecy, manipulation and control. They have access to powerful spells and creatures that can be used to disrupt the opponent’s strategy, and have abilities to draw extra cards, mill cards and make creatures unblockable.

Golgari: A combination of Black and Green, Golgari focuses on death, sacrifice, and growth. They have abilities to destroy creatures, drain life, and put big creatures into play early.

Gruul: A combination of Red and Green, Gruul focuses on aggression, power, and unpredictability. They generally use abilities that deal damage to players or creatures, grant trample, and grant bonuses to creatures.

Before and for a short time after the signing of the Guildpact, the Gruul Clans were a wild and noble guild charged with maintaining the wild places on Ravnica. They were supposed to keep civilization in check. Civilization and the other nine guilds overran every wild place on the plane. This changed the Gruul.

The Gruul decentralized, lacking any real leadership. The guild became nothing but a loose affiliation of clans. Exploited and ignored, they started to take any reason to cause chaos or destroy a symbol of civilization. Most Gruul hold contempt for those outside the Clans, referring to them as “cobble roaches”.

Izzet: A combination of Blue and Red, Izzet focuses on direct damage, speed and unpredictability. They have access to powerful spells and creatures and have abilities to deal damage to players or creatures, grant haste, and grant bonuses to creatures.

Orzhov: A combination of White and Black, Orzhov focuses on life gain, sacrifice, and control. They have abilities to gain life, destroy creatures, and exile permanents.

Rakdos: A combination of Black and Red, Rakdos focuses on death, sacrifice, and aggression. They have abilities to destroy creatures, drain life, and grant haste.

Selesnya: A combination of White and Green, Selesnya focuses on growth, protection, and token generation. They have access to powerful spells and creatures that have abilities to create tokens, gain life, and grant bonuses to creatures.

Simic: A combination of Blue and Green, Simic focuses on growth, nature and manipulation. They have abilities to put big creatures into play early, ramp up mana production, and grant bonuses to creatures.

Here are the 10 three-color combos in MTG:

  • Abzan: White/Black/Green
  • Bant: White/Blue/Green
  • Esper: White/Blue/Black
  • Grixis: Blue/Black/Red
  • Jeskai: White/Blue/Red
  • Jund: Black/Red/Green
  • Mardu: White/Black/Red
  • Naya: White/Red/Green
  • Sultai: Blue/Black/Green
  • Temur: Blue/Red/Green

Abzan: One of the five Clans of Tarkir, the Abzan clan admires the ancient dragons’ aspect of endurance. Their color wedge is white (focus color), black and green.

Abzan embodies the spirit of endurance, sacrifice and power through its combination of White, Green and Black colors. They possess an arsenal of powerful spells and creatures that can be used to disrupt the opponent’s strategy, and have abilities to gain life, destroy creatures and exile permanents. They are known for their tenacity and perseverance in the battlefield.

Bant: Bant in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a combination of White, Blue and Green color, representing order, growth, and protection. Decks often focus on the ability to create tokens, gain life, and exile permanents. They are known for their efficient and defensive playstyle, and their ability to create a strong board state.

Esper: Esper is one of five Shards of Alara. It is primarily blue-aligned, with white and black as secondary colors. Esper represents knowledge, precision, and control. They have access to powerful creatures and spells that can be used to disrupt the opponent’s strategy, and have abilities to draw extra cards, counter spells and exile permanents.

Grixis: Grixis is a world of death, darkness, undead, hatred, and envy. It is dominated by demons, horrors, necromancers and other forms of undead. They have abilities to deal damage, drain life and put big creatures into play early.

Jeskai: One of the five Clans of Tarkir, the Jeskai Way admires the ancient dragons’ aspect of cunning. The dragon’s eye is their symbol, and their color wedge is blue (focus color), red and white. Jeskai represents knowledge, speed, and unpredictability and tends to focus on card draw, damage, and haste.

Jund: Jund is one of five shards of Alara. It is primarily red-aligned, with black and green as secondary colors. They have abilities to destroy creatures, drain life, and put big creatures into play early.

Mardu: One of the five Clans of Tarkir, the Mardu Horde clan admires the ancient dragons’ aspect of speed. Their color wedge is red (focus color), white and black. The wing of the dragon symbolizes their swiftness. They have abilities to deal damage, destroy creatures, and grant haste.

Naya: Naya is one of five Shards of Alara. It is primarily green-aligned, with red and white as secondary colors. Naya is Ajani’s birthplace. Naya represents growth, power and aggression. They have access to powerful creatures and spells that can be used to disrupt the opponent’s strategy, and have abilities to deal damage, put big creatures into play early and grant bonuses to creatures.

Sultai: One of the five Clans of Tarkir, the Sultai Brood admires the ancient dragons’ aspect of ruthlessness. The fang of the dragon is its symbol. Their color wedge is black (focus color), green and blue. Typical strategy includes drawing extra cards, destroying creatures, and putting big creatures into play early.

Temur: Temur represents nature, speed and unpredictability. This is evidenced by abilities to deal damage, ramp up mana production and grant bonuses to creatures. One of the five Clans of Tarkir, the Temur Frontier admires the ancient dragons’ aspect of savagery. Their color wedge is green (focus color), blue and red.

Four Color Combinations in MTG:

Four-color combinations are named after the four-color Nephilim creatures of Guildpact. Each different one had all but one of the colors in MTG in it.

  • Glint: No White
  • Dune: No Blue
  • Ink: No Black
  • Witch: No Red
  • Yore: No Green

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