Starting life by format
| Format | Starting life | Other ways to lose |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper | 20 | 10 poison |
| Draft & Sealed (Limited) | 20 | 10 poison |
| Commander (EDH) | 40 | 10 poison · 21 commander damage |
| Pauper Commander (PDH) | 30 | 10 poison · 16 commander damage |
| Brawl | 25 (1 vs 1) · 30 (multiplayer) | 10 poison · no commander damage |
| Oathbreaker | 20 | 10 poison · no commander damage |
| Two-Headed Giant | 30 per team (shared) | 15 poison per team |
Ready to play? The MTG life counter sets the right starting life when you pick a format.
Ways to lose a game of Magic
- Your life total is 0 or less.
- You have 10 or more poison counters (15 for a Two-Headed Giant team).
- You've taken 21 combat damage from one commander in Commander (16 in Pauper Commander).
- You have to draw a card from an empty library.
- A card says you lose, or you concede.
Poison counters
Poison counters come from cards with infect, toxic and poisonous, and from effects that give poison directly. They're tracked separately from life: gaining life doesn't remove them, and they don't change your life total. With infect, damage to players becomes poison counters instead of life loss.
Commander damage
In Commander, if a single commander has dealt you 21 or more combat damage over the game, you lose. It's tracked per commander, gaining life doesn't undo it, and the damage also comes off your life total as normal. The Commander life counter tracks it for each opponent.
Life gain and life loss
- Lifelink: damage dealt by a source with lifelink also makes its controller gain that much life, at the same moment.
- Life loss isn't damage. Effects that make you "lose life" can't be prevented like damage can.
- Paying life: you can only pay life if your total is at least that amount.
- Setting life: when an effect sets your life to a number, you gain or lose the difference.
Life total FAQ
How much life do you start with in MTG?
20 in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper and Limited. Commander starts at 40, Pauper Commander at 30, Brawl at 25 (1 vs 1) or 30 (multiplayer), and Two-Headed Giant teams share 30.
How many poison counters kill you?
Ten in almost every format. In Two-Headed Giant, the team shares poison counters and loses at 15.
How much commander damage do you need?
21 combat damage from a single commander in Commander. Pauper Commander uses 16. Brawl and Oathbreaker don't use commander damage.
Can your life go below zero?
Yes. Life can be negative, but a player at 0 or less loses the next time state-based actions are checked, which happens almost immediately.
Can you pay life you don't have?
No. You can only pay life if your life total is at least the amount. Paying 0 life is always allowed.