Magic the Gathering: The Color Wheel

While being familiar with all the color pair names is not a necessity, it does help a lot with following the daily MTG conversations. We have therefore put together a summary of all the pairs and shards, what they are named and a short little summary of what they represent. 

Shoutout to /u/IAmTheClayman on Reddit for this beautiful color wheel

  Peace, law, structured, selflessness, equality

White looks around and sees a world of suffering. There are so many individuals that struggle day to day, but the world has the resources to address this suffering. There is enough for everyone to have what they need (as opposed to what they want). Suffering is a by-product of individuals not prioritizing the good of the group.

White wants to create a world where there is no unnecessary suffering, a world where life is as good as it can be for each individual. The key to making this happen is teaching individuals the importance of taking actions that benefit the group as a whole, even if those actions might not benefit them personally.

Knowledge, deceit, cautious, deliberate, perfecting

Blue believes that each and every one of us is born a blank slate with the potential to become anything. The entire point of life is figuring out what you could achieve with the right education, experience, and tools. Note that this is not a task with an end goal, but one that continues throughout your life. There will always be things you can do to improve, change, or adapt. The journey of life is one of constant discovery as you keep seeking to better yourself.

For individuals to do this, there has to be a society that accepts and encourages this behavior. Opportunities for education are vital. Places to experience things through trial and error are mandatory. Access to the top-of-the-line tools must be the right of every citizen.

Power, self-interest, death, sacrifice, uninhibited

Black looks at all the other colors and feels that each of them sees the world as they wish it to be. Black is the only realist, the only color to look and see the world as it is. An individual is free to have whatever they want, provided they have the power to obtain and keep it. This makes power the most important resource because it's the one thing that can guarantee your ability to control your life and thus your happiness.

It's important for everyone to understand that black didn't make the world greedy. The world was already greedy; black has just learned how to thrive within it. Black has two big things on its side. One, it understands and accepts the system better than anyone else. And two, black doesn't place any restrictions on itself that make its success more difficult.

Freedom, emotion, active, impulsive, destructive

Everyone seems preoccupied with the meaning of life. Red's not, because red already knows the answer. You see, your heart tells you what it needs to be fulfilled. All you have to do is listen to it and act accordingly. It's not a mystery. You are literally bombarded with constant feelings that guide you down the correct path. The problem is all the other colors ignore the message.

Life's an adventure, and it's up to each individual to experience it. The key is to embrace your emotions and let them guide you. If you're happy, laugh. If you're sad, cry. If you're angry, hit something. If you're scared, run away. Listen to your inner voice and you will have the opportunity to experience all that life has to offer.

Nature, wildlife, connected, spiritual, tradition

The other colors are all focused on how they'd change the world to make it better. Green is the one color that doesn't want to change the world because green is convinced that the world already got everything right. The natural order is a thing of beauty and has all the answers to life's problems. The key is learning to sit back and recognize what is right in front of you.

Each individual is born with all the potential they need. The secret to a happy life is to recognize the role you were born into and then embrace it. Do what you were destined to do. The world is this elaborate system, and each one of us gets to play a part. And it's not something we have to guess about; it's imprinted on us; it's in our genes. Just look within.

Allied Duals

Azorius

 White/Blue: Structure, law, protection

Dimir

 Blue/Black: Secrecy, deceit, trickery

Rakdos

 (Black/Red): Hedonism, pain, depravity

Gruul

Red/Green: Primality, natural selection, rage

Selesnya

Green/White: Community, expansion, holistic

Enemy Duals

Orzhov

White/Black: Self-preservation, persecution, gray morality

Izzet

Blue/Red: Experimentation, improvisation, mad science

Golgari

Black/Green: Rot, undeath, cancerous growth

Boros

Red/White: Zealotry, vigilanteism, war

Simic

Green/Blue: Adaptation, flexibility, amphibian

Shards

Esper

White/Blue/Black: Brilliance, structure, strictness

Grixis

Blue/Black/Red: Cruelty, tyranny, authority

Jund

Black/Red/Green: Violence, cannibalism, removal

Naya

Red/Green/White: Titanic, unfettered, natural

Bant

Green/White/Blue: Nobility, chivalry, glory