How to Read a Card
Guides · beginner
Every Magic card has the same parts in (mostly) the same places. Once you can read one card, you can read all of them.
The parts of a card
- Name -- top left. Two cards with the same name are functionally identical.
- Mana cost -- top right. Tells you what mana you need to spend to cast it. {2}{R} means "two of any mana plus one red mana."
- Type line -- middle of the card. Tells you what kind of card it is: Creature, Instant, Sorcery, Land, Artifact, Enchantment, Planeswalker, Battle.
- Set symbol -- right side of the type line. Tells you which set it's from. Often colored to indicate rarity.
- Rules text -- the box below the art. The actual abilities and effects.
- Flavor text -- italic text below the rules text. Story flavor only -- never game-relevant.
- Power/toughness -- bottom right of creatures. P/T like 3/2 means "deals 3 damage, dies at 2 damage."
- Loyalty -- bottom right of planeswalkers. Starting loyalty.
- Defense -- bottom right of battles. Like loyalty for the new Battle type.
Card types you'll see
| Type | When you cast it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Creature | Sorcery speed | Stays on the battlefield as a permanent. Can attack/block. |
| Instant | Any time you have priority | Goes to graveyard after resolving. |
| Sorcery | Sorcery speed only | Goes to graveyard after resolving. |
| Land | Sorcery speed, once per turn (special action) | Stays on the battlefield. Provides mana. |
| Artifact | Sorcery speed (unless flash) | Stays on the battlefield. |
| Enchantment | Sorcery speed (unless flash) | Stays on the battlefield. |
| Planeswalker | Sorcery speed (unless flash) | Has loyalty abilities. |
| Battle | Sorcery speed | New type from MOM (2023). Has defense counters. |
"Sorcery speed" means
You can cast it during your own main phase when the stack is empty. Instants don't have this restriction.
What "the stack" is
When you cast a spell, it goes onto a list called the stack. Other players can respond before it resolves. See the Stack & Priority section.
Tips
- Don't worry about memorizing every keyword. Look them up as they come up.
- When in doubt about what a card does, ask the table. Casual Commander encourages this.
- If a card's text and your interpretation conflict, the rules text wins. Flavor and art are decorative.