The Magic Lexicon

Playing a game like MTG with a 20 year history, means players have developed their own lexicon.   Here are some of the more commonly heard terms and expressions assembled in one place, defined as I understand them.   This list does include slang and lesser known terms that I've come across.   As I'm always learning, this list will be updated as I come across new terms.

Ultimately, this is to serve as a personal reminder and to help my youngest learn and use terms correctly.   I hope sharing this list benefits you as well.


Aggro - 1. A deck designed to turn creatures sideways early and often. 2. In BREAD, Aggro represents a card type - creatures that can be brought out to attack.

America - Slang term for playing the colors red, white and blue.

Alternate Win Condition - Winning by a method other than reducing a player's life total to 0.   Poison Counters, Mill, and specific cards such as Battle of Wits.   Getting a player to concede may also, by some players, be considered an alternate win condition but it is not an official one.

Azorius - Color combination blue and white.

Bant - A color shard.   Colors are green, white, blue.

Bear - A slang term for any basic 2/2 create for 2 mana.  A MTG staple and an important unit of measurement when comparing creature casting costs versus abilities.

Block - 1. To prevent creatures your opponent controls attacking with creatures you control. 2. A group of 2, 3, or 4 sets released between annual editions (the most recent block is Return to Ravnica and includes RTR, GTC, and DMZ). 3. To not get playable or strong cards in the color you are drafting (as in, "I was into the second pack and was blocked from red and white").

Bombs - Cards that in most cases can end a game on their own - ie, a big, bad bomb - or are powerful enough to send your opponent back to the drawing board.   Every drafter hopes for 2-3, but is often satisfied with finding one.   In Constructed, many decks are built around the concept of getting bombs out as early as possible (particularly Aggro decks).

Boros - Color combination red and white.

Bounce - To send a card from the battlefield back to a player's hand.

BREAD - An acronym that refers to drafting priority.  Bombs, Removal, Evasion/Efficiency, Aggro, Duds.

BUG - Color combination Black, blue, and green.

Casual - Apparently, most MTG games are 'casual'.   The rules are what two players decide.  Decks may be constructed using established guidelines or some other mutually agreed upon system.   A good way to learn the game and enjoy oneself, but not necessarily a good way to prepare for regulation play.

Catacomb Slug - I'll go ahead an say it.   The art is offensive.   The card cost is too high.   I can't imagine a situation where I'm playing black where I need a wall that there isn't a better option out there.   So...this is probably the card I personally dislike the most, and it will be an ongoing butt of jokes for as long as I write about Magic.   I know it's not the worst card ever, but it's the worst card I know.   One day, I shall write a poem explaining how much I loathe thee.

Combat Tricks - Cards that work to create advantage over an opponent using methods other than outright removal.

Control - A deck designed to prevent your opponent from playing to their strengths.   Many players enjoy playing this deck, even more hate playing against it. (Fact, you can look it up).

Counters - Bring them in quantity and variety enough for you and your opponent.   Counters can be small flat glass beads, coins, smaller sized d6 dice, or many other items.   The idea here is they should be, you guessed it, small. (see Dice and Tokens).

Curve - Casting cost per card for your deck.   If you have more 1 and 2 drops than 3 or more drops, you have a 'low' curve.   If you have more higher casting cost cards, then you have a 'high' curve.   For a format such as limited, you want to have in most cases a lower curve (ie, you can get cards out earlier in the game).

Dice - Bring them in quantity and variety enough for you and your opponent.   (see Counters and Tokens).

Dimir - Color combination black and blue.   Often the source of in jokes, as House Dimir is said to be highly secretive.   In-jokes run the gamut from 'There is no such thing as House Dimir' to 'I'm not playing Dimir' (when you actually are).

Draft - Often argued as being the 'purest' form of the game.   Everyone seated is on equal footing when the packs are opened, everyone has a chance at great cards.   Anyone can develop a winning strategy.   This is where luck meets skill and results in an overwhelming challenge of play styles.

Draft Droppings - Cards left behind after a draft on the tables, often by players that have full sets already of the cards left behind.   Most often, draft droppings are lands, commons and tokens, although sometimes they include uncommons or 'junk' rares.

Duds - Cards no one wants.   (see Catacomb Slug).

Edge Cases - Situations and card combinations that very rarely occur.   ie - Picking up Possibility Storm may  work in one edge case, but most of the time it's garbage.

EDH - Elder Dragon Highlander, aka Commander.   An increasingly popular format for players based on a 99 card deck with an additional Legendary Creature card that serves as your 'commander'.   Claimed to be the only format that Magic Judges play or play well (wholly untrue - more of a slanderous claim at this point than in-joke, but the truth is this is a format many Judges love - likely because of the strange rules interactions that this format encourages).

Esper - A color shard.   Colors are white, blue, black.

Evasion/Efficiency - Depending on the set, this may mean more of one than the other.   Evasion creatures/spells allow you to bypass blockers in some way and Efficiency spells are those that get you a strong return for limited cost.

FNM - Friday Night Magic.   Game stores offer different formats, but the most common seem to be Standard and Draft.

Golgari - Color combination of black and green.

Grixis - A color shard.   Colors are black, red, blue.

Grok - A synonym of the word understand.   ie, "Do you grok how Searing Spear kills a creature?   It's not the spear, it's a state based action."

Gruul - Color combination of red and green.

Guilds - Two color combinations from Ravinica.

Hate Draft - To select a card that you don't believe you'll use to keep other players from using it.   Often done to select a powerful, low-value card, pick up a card you don't have an answer for, or to choose one that you simply have had bad luck opposing in the past.   Unless you have a good reason to do this (such as you know you'll do poorly against it AND you don't see anything else you need), it's bad form to draft this way.

Homebrew - To develop a constructed deck based around principles you determine.   The opposite of 'netdecking'.

Izzet - Color combination red and blue.

Johnny - A middle of the road skill level player.   Spell slinging is important.   Often plays decks that include control schemes are a favorite of Johnnies.

Jank - A poor hand or deck.

Judge - The Men in Black.  They know the rules, they enforce the rules, they play EDH (sorry, had to do it).   Seriously, Magic Judges are your friends.   Respect them for their willingness to give up their time playing so you an enjoy your game more.   Thank them for their devotion to the game.   Remember, as bad as your day is, oftentimes Judges have had a worse day.

Judge! - The call of a confused, threatened, or ticked off MTG player (or one who suddenly has to run to the bathroom).

Jund - A color shard.   Colors are red, black, and green.

Junk - A color grouping.   Colors are white, black, and green.

Junk Rares - Rare cards that have little to no replay or resale value.   They never see play in any of the constructed formats.

LGS - Local Game Store, a place to play Magic with complete strangers and lose in a humiliating fashion.   They are your supplier to the greater world that is MTG.   Make friends with the owners, help other people who play there and generally try to make yourself useful.

Life Counter - A device to track you life total in a game.  Often a 20-sided die that descends in a sequential pattern, a program on a smartphone or iPad, or a pad of paper & pen.   Other methods exist.   Optimal method is to use pen and paper.

Limited - Any of the sealed or draft formats, where the pool of cards available come from packs opened at the time of the event.

Mana Fixing - Cards that help supply mana in colors that you need to splash or run multiple colors.  Dual lands, some artifacts and creatures can all help supply mana in colors needed.

Mana Flood - Top decking mana instead of spells to play.   Often results in game loss.

Mana Screw - Not getting enough land to play cards in your hand and/or not getting mana in the right color to support your hand.   Often results in game loss.

Melvin - Someone who looks at MTG purely as a card game and evaluates it as such.   Personally, I think this is a bit of a mythological creature - surely if you play MTG, you were drawn to it for a reason other than this creature is a 2/2 and has a special ability.

Melvin/Vorthos - A means of identifying player types beyond the typical Timmy/Johnny/Spike method.   A player can be a Melvin, or he/she can be a Timmy/Melvin or a Johnny/Melvin.

Mid-Range - Used to describe a deck that tries to be both aggressive and controlling, sometimes doing neither well and other times frustrating opponents until a killing move can be made with what is typically a larger creature.

Mill - An action that results in cards being moved from the library directly to the graveyard.   This can be at the disadvantage of the opponent (to win by an alternate win condition) or at the advantage of the player (to put cards in the graveyard for later use).   Also a term used to describe a deck whose purpose is to remove cards from the library to the graveyard.

Mono (COLOR) - A deck type that focuses on one color.   Sometimes a 'mono' deck may splash a second color, but true 'mono' decks are only one of the five colors uses in MTG.

Mothership, The - In default usage this refers to Wizards of the Coast.   Depending on context, can also make reference to companies such as Star City Games, TCG, and more.

MTG - Magic: The Gathering.

Naya - A color shard.   Colors are red, green, white.

Netdecking - Taking a deck list from the Internet and building your own deck from the list.   Used in reference to constructed play.   This manner of deck development lacks originality.   Folks, this is a fine way to create a deck - but it's more fun to create something for yourself that fits your play style and abilities.

Opponent - A person invested enough in the game to play with you.   Regardless of the results, they deserve your respect for playing with you, buttercup.

Orzhov - Color combination black and white.

Pimped Cards/Deck/Lands - Full card art and/or foils.   It's an increasing trend to try to make entire decks out of these pretty cards, even if the name is derogatory.

Playmat - A player's playmat is his castle...or near enough that sometimes you think that.   Most oftentimes, these objects are pretty on one side, black on the other and the only defense against people who sat there before you and their messy/filthy habits.   It's a portable clean tabletop.   I'm not sure what it says about players who use them vs. players who don't, but I'm sure it's important.   Never leave home without it.
/end sarcasm filter

Pro - A player of MTG that somehow makes enough money from playing to do so almost exclusively.   It's not easy and the more I learn about it the more I wonder if it's fun at all.   Pro players spend a great deal of time travelling, chasing a few points against fields of hundreds or thousands of other players.

Rakdos - Color combination black and red.

REL - Rules Enforcement Level.   There are three levels, Regular, Competitive and Professional.   The different levels indicate increasing penalties that may result from rules violations.   The best way to avoid violations is to be a sporting player, read the rules (a lot), and spend time practicing against other people to get better.

Removal - Cards that help you get rid of other cards; typically creature cards are the number one target.   Removal is often an instant or a sorcery, but it can be any of the other types that performs this behavior.

RUG - Color combination red, blue, and green.

Salty - Feeling bitter.   Often as a result of a poor finish or a negative occurrence (forgetting your favorite lands as an example).  ie, "Boy, John sure was salty after top decking that catacomb slug."   Note, while there is some overlap, being salty is an emotional state that is more akin to feeling upset at oneself or a poor draft, while tilting is more akin to being off one's game.

Scoop - To concede the game and/or match by picking up your cards in play, ie 'To scoop them up,' or by stating, 'I scoop.'   It's far from formal, but it is universally accepted as acknowledging a losing position.

Selesnya - Color combination of green and white.

Shard - Look at Magic color wheel.   Colors in order: white, blue, black, red, green.   A shard is a group of three colors in order as they go around the wheel.   Based on Alara.

Simic - Color combination of green and blue.

Sleeves - Vinyl covers to protect your cards from damage during shuffling and play.   Think about your sleeves before you use them.   Don't buy any sleeves you wish to put on a deck that have a see through back.   Pleeeeease, don't buy sleeves you intend to play in public that feature scantily clad characters.   Or do, knowing your maturity level does help in assessing your skill level.   Always put your deck into a new set of sleeves before playing in a larger competition (and bring spares).

Sleeve Up - To put your deck in sleeves.   Considered important if you care about card value.   Decks must be either entirely sleeved or not sleeved at all.

Spike - A player whose driving interest is to win.

Sportsmanship - Acting in a manner you wish to be treated.   Greeting your opponent by name, wishing them good luck in the match to come, and shaking their hand at the conclusion of the match are all positive examples of sportsmanship.   Whether you win or lose, you must always offer to shake your opponent's hand at the end of a match.

Swing - Sometimes said at the start of the actual attack step.   Instead of stating, "I'll attack with..." a player may state, "I'll swing with..." or simply, "Swing."

Table Flipping - This is bad.   Don't do it.

Team - A group of players that works together to test and find decks that are optimal for competition.   Most teams are either based through an LGS, an online presence (such as Channel Fireball), or some other grouping of like skilled players.

Tilt - Something that affects your gamestate in a negative manner - often mental.   Missed triggers, misplays, and not reading your opponent's likely counters can all contribute.

Timmy - Me.   I love dragons and angels and big swingy creatures.

Timmy, Johnny, Spike - A scale that measures a player's interest and skill level in the game.

TO - Tournament Organizer.   Used to describe a person/company that has provided space so all of us can come play a little game called Magic.   They deserve respect, if not your allegiance, as they make the gas  that fuels FNM, GP, and Open tournament engines.

Tokens - Bring them in quantity and variety enough for you and your opponent.   (see Counters and Dice).   When playing in a store or at a competition, leave the tokens of scantily clad persons and those that are offensive at home (better yet, just burn them).   It is easy enough to have the appropriate tokens for almost any deck you play, so don't be a hoser.

Top Deck - Pulling the card you need on your draw step from your library.   For instance, having 5 mountains in play and drawing a Thundermaw Hellkite and needing to do exactly 5 points of damage to win.

Trade - 1. The act of exchange cards between players in an effort both engage in to improve their decks or trade binders. 2. When a card is blocked by another card and both creatures die.

Trade Binder - A binder that has cards you wish to trade in it.   Point of advice - when your Rare and Mythic Rare collection starts to become remotely valuable, only bring your trade binder with you to public events - leave the stuff you value and won't trade at home.   Theft of binders has become more common and can only be prevented through vigilance and other steps to protect yourself.

Trash Talk - Making brash proclamations, often derogatory or inflammatory in nature.   Can be funny in the right group and under the right conditions, but most of the time it just makes you look like a jerk.

Turn Creatures (or Cards) Sideways - A slang expression used to describe an aggressive deck - one meant to be on the attack.   Also used to describe a play style, as in, "I just want to turn cards sideways."

Value Draft - To select a card you likely won't play simply because you can trade or sell it later to your advantage.   Mostly done for cards that are worth $5 or more.

Vorthos - A player who treats MTG as a representation of an actual, magical place.   Remember, the player is a Planeswalker, and we're all just slinging spells.

WotC - Wizards of the Coast, creators of Magic the Gathering.  Owned by Hasbro.


If you know a term I should have in this list, add it in the comments along with your best definition.   If you've heard a term used and don't know what it means, let me know in the comments section.

[After I finished about 90% of my list, I found about about this resource and this resource.   They have many more terms, but are missing some of mine.   The reason for the missing terms can be attributed to regional terms or evolution of the lexicon to include new terms.   No list can ever be complete.]