I. Equipment
A set of traditional 54 cards, two points markers (eg two 20-sided dice)

II. Goal of the game
Card game in which two opponents are engaged in a duel to break down the hitpoints of the other player from 20 to 0.

III. Rules
Inspired by Magic: The Gathering, Magic 54 includes mechanisms to fit the traditional game of 54 cards (heart, diamond, club, spade and two Jokers). Two players compete with creatures and spells in combat combining strategy and dirty tricks. The simplified rules allow fast, entertaining and balanced games (each player has the same cards at the start).

Each player chooses a team, RED or BLACK. RED team: Heart and Diamond cards, a Joker. BLACK team: Club and Spade cards, a Joker.
There are four types of cards: Mana, Creature, Action, Damage. Mana and Creature cards are permanent (they remain in play until they are eliminated). Damage and Action cards are instant (once activated they go on the discard pile)

Each player starts by shuffling his Deck, places it face down in front of him and pick the top 5 cards (Hand). Players take turns. A round consists of a series of actions, like playing a card or attack his opponent. The cards are placed face up in play, a play area between the two Decks of players facing each other. The discard pile is located next to the respective players' Decks and contains their permanent cards removed from play and their instant cards whose effects have been activated.
To indicate a card in play is used it is taped, that is to say it’s inclines to 90 °.

Golden rule: If the text of a card contradicts the rules of the game, the card text takes precedence.

IV. Summary:
Each player has a pack of 27 cards (all cards of Colors Red or Black plus one Joker) and uses it against his opponent. Goal is to inflict enough damage to reduce opponent hitpoints from 20 to 0.
You can play several types of cards, including Mana, which are the foundation of the game because they give you the energy you need to play all other cards.
Creature cards represent creatures that will fight for you by attacking your opponent directly, or by fighting against his creatures. Other cards symbolize Spells you can use to hurt your opponent or help your creatures.
With Magic 54, the basic strategy is to know how to choose when to play cards and when to use creatures to attack or protect. You'll discover other more complex tactics, based on combinations that amplify the power of certain cards.

V. Cards Description for a team (number of cards)

"Creature" (6): Jacks, Queens, Kings.

Jack = 1/1 (cost of invocation: 1 mana).
Special: Sacrifice (Cost: 1 mana) Damage done to a creature in play are redirected to the Jack.

Queen = 2/2 (cost of invocation: 2 mana).
Special: Protection (Cost: 2 Mana), Damage done to the Queen are redirected to the player who controls it.

King = 3/3 (cost of invocation: 3 mana).
Special: Knowledge (Cost: 3 mana) The player who controls the King draws a card from their Deck.

"Mana" (8): Cards with odd numbers except Ace (Three, Five, Seven, Nine)

Three: Produce 1 point of Mana when taped.

Five: Produce 1 point of Mana when taped.

Seven: Produce 1 point of Mana when taped.

Nine: Produce 1 point of Mana when taped.

A Mana card can be used in another way:
Growth (Cost: 0 Mana): During a fight between creatures you can use a mana card in Hand to increase the Main Attack / Defense of a creature. The value of the card indicates how many points his Attack / Defense is increased.
Example: a “seven” card played on a Queen increased its Attack / Defense to 9/9, 2 + 7.
This is only possible in case of combat between creatures, not if a creature attacks a player directly (Creature unblocked).
Mana cards played this way go directly to the discard pile after the end of combat.

"Damage" (6): Cards with even numbers except Eight and Ten (Two, Four, Six). Once a Damage card activated its effect it goes to the discard pile.

Two: one point of damage on a target (Cost: 1 mana)

Four: two points of damage on a target (Cost: 2 Mana)

Six: three point damage on a target (Cost: 3 mana)

"Action" (7): Joker, Ace, Eight and Ten. Once an Action card activated its effect it goes to the discard pile.

Joker: Choose a card in your deck and put it in your hand, then shuffle your Deck. (Cost: 1 mana)

Ace: Cancel all damage on a target. (Cost: 1 mana)

Eight: Put target creature in play in its owner's hand (Cost: 1 mana)

Ten: Put a random card from the hand of your opponent in his discard pile. (Cost: 1 mana)

VI. Phases of the game
Beginning of the game: Players choose a team and determine who will start. Each player shuffles their Deck. Each player draws five cards from his Deck.

1. Beginning of round
The player whose turn it is untap all his cards into play. Then he draws the top card of his Deck to add it to his Hand, except in the first round of the player who starts the game.
If the deck is empty, the player uses his Discard pile by turning it face down.

2. pre-attack actions
The player whose turn it is can do the following in order of their choice, as many times as he wants, paying the necessary Mana costs:
- Put a Mana card into play (once per round),
- Put a creature into play,
- Play an Action or Damage card,
- Activate Special of one of his creature in play
The opposing player may play Action or Damage cards or activate a Special of his creatures in play, paying the necessary Mana costs.

3. Attack
- Declaration of the attackers. The player whose turn it is may indicate which of his creatures attack. Attacking creatures are then taped.
Reminder: Creatures that came into play during the current turn cannot attack (Summoning sickness).
- Defenders Declaration. The opponent may indicate which of his untaped creatures block.  
- Combat. Starting with the Attacker everyone can play an Action card alternatively, or Damage, or Special or Growth. This phase continues until both players pass.
- Resolution. Effects of the cards are solved in the order of "Last come, first solved". Damage are applied to the Creatures and then apply to Players. Dead Creatures are put in the discard pile.

4. post-attack actions
The player whose turn it is can do the following in order of their choice, as many times as he wants, paying the necessary Mana costs:
- Put a Mana card into play (once per round),
- Put a creature into play,
- Play an Action or Damage card,
- Activate Special of one of his creature in play
The opposing player may play Action or Damage cards or activate a Special of his creatures in play, paying the necessary Mana costs.

5. End of turn
The player whose turn it is discards the cards of his choice if he has more than 5 cards in hand. He can then choose one card (and only one) in his Hand to place it under his Deck and draw one card from his Deck. Then he announces the end of turn.

End of the game: Once a player reaches 0 Life Point, he loses the game.

VII. Definitions
- Deck: The package includes all cards from the player's team, 27 cards. The Deck is shuffled at the start of each game. It's placed face down in front of the player. If during the game a deck is empty, the player turns his discard pile face down and use it as Deck.

- Hand: The cards a player has in hand. If at the end of his round a player has over five cards in hand, he must discard cards of his choice in excess.

- Discard pile: Cards removed from the game. They are placed face up next to the Deck.

- Taped / Untaped: State of a card. A card untaped (right position) is available. Taped card (turned 90 degree) is used. Card already taped cannot be used for anything else if it requires taping.

- Mana: Cards with odd numbers (3, 5, 7, 9, except Ace). Energy required to play other cards. A Mana card in play produce 1 Mana point when taped.

- Growth: Mana Card played from Hand on a Creature and used only in combat between creatures. The value of the card indicates how many points the Attack / Defense of Creature  is increased. Once activated, a Mana Card played as Growth goes to Discard pile.

- Creature cards : Jacks, Queens and Kings. A Creature has a Summoning Cost, Points of Attack and Defense as well as a Special move.

- Attack / Defense: Strength and Endurance of a Creature. Presented in the form X / Y, with X = Damage inflicted by the creature and Y = Damage received by the Creature. If the damage done to a creature equal or exceed its defense, the creature dies and goes to the discard pile.

- Special: Competence that can be activated when the creature is in play (not in Hand or in the discard pile). Mana cost must be paid for Special to be activated. Using a Special move does not tap the Creature. Playing a Special is considered as playing an Action card, so it can be activated during the same phases of play

- Summoning Sickness: A creature that came into play during the current turn cannot attack.

- Action: Joker, Ace, Eight and Ten. Allows for specific actions during the game, Action card costs 1 Mana to play. Once activated an Action card goes in the Discard pile.

- Damage: Two, Four and Six. Inflict damage to a target. Once activated its effect, goes to the discard pile.

- Target: Creature or Player.

- Cost: Mana required to use a card or effect. Summoning Cost is the Mana needed to put a creature into play. The cost to use a Special move must be paid before activating it.

- Solving Effects pile: The effects are solved in the order "Last played, first solved".

- Permanent / Instant: The Permanent cards remain in play once played (Creature and Mana). Instant cards go to the discard pile once its effect activated (Action, Damage and Growth).

- Attack. Once during his turn a player can attack his opponent. For this he uses his untaped creatures in play and without summoning sickness.
A creature designated as Attacker taps immediately.
If it is blocked by a creature in defense, it deals its damage to this creature. If it is not blocked it inflicts its damage to the opponent.
If multiple creatures block the Attacker, its owner chooses how to divide up the damage of his attacking creature.

- Block. When attacked by an opponent, a player can use its own creatures to defend himself. For each attacking creature the defending player can designate one or more of its untaped Creatures in play as Blockers.
Several blocking creatures can block one attacking creature, in this case the damage they inflict on the Attacker are added.