Magic: The Gathering games involve constant bookkeeping — life totals swing by large amounts, multiple counters accumulate, and with Commander in particular a single mis-remembered damage value can decide a four-hour game. This MTG Life Counter handles all of it in one screen, for 2 to 6 players, entirely in your browser.
What it tracks
Each player card tracks six distinct game-state values:
- Life total — the primary win/loss condition. Reaches zero means elimination.
- Poison counters — reaching 10 poisons eliminates the player instantly, regardless of life total. Cards with Infect and Wither use this mechanic.
- Commander damage — in EDH/Commander, 21 combat damage from a single commander is its own lose condition, tracked per source.
- Energy counters — a floating resource introduced in Kaladesh, consumed by abilities of specific cards.
- Experience counters — a persistent power-up mechanic from Commander 2015 that sticks even when the commander changes zones.
Elimination logic
The tool automatically detects and marks eliminated players using the three official Magic rules:
- Life total ≤ 0
- Poison counters ≥ 10
- Commander damage from any single source ≥ 21
The reason is shown on the card (“0 life”, “10 poison”, “21 commander damage”), and the card dims. When exactly one active player remains, a winner banner is displayed.
Quick life adjustment
The four ±1 / ±5 buttons cover the vast majority of in-game changes. For big swings — a Fireball for 23, an Exsanguinate resolving, a big Commander swing — type the number in the input field and either press Set (to land on that exact value) or ± (to apply it as a signed delta). This catches both “I’m going to 7” and “I take 23”.
Worked example — four-player Commander
A standard four-player Commander (EDH) game starts at 40 life.
| Event | Change |
|---|---|
| Player 2 swings with commander for 7 | Player 1 commander damage from P2: 0 → 7 |
| Player 1 is hit by Phyrexian Arena, pays 1 life | Player 1 life: 40 → 39 |
| Toxic Infect deals 3 damage to Player 3 | Player 3 poison: 0 → 3 |
| Commander deals 14 more to Player 1 | Player 1 commander damage from P2: 7 → 21 — ELIMINATED |
| Exsanguinate for 10 hits all opponents | Players 2, 3, 4 each lose 10 life |
After all of this, Player 1 is out (21 commander damage), Player 3 may be at risk (3 poison, reduced life), and the history panel gives a timestamped record of every change.
Formula note
There is no single formula for Magic life calculation — the game uses discrete integer arithmetic. What this tool implements are the three official state-based actions from the Comprehensive Rules that check for player loss:
- Rule 704.5a: player with 0 or fewer life points loses.
- Rule 704.5c: player with 10 or more poison counters loses.
- Rule 704.5v: player who has been dealt 21 or more combat damage by a single commander loses.
All three are evaluated continuously after each state change.