With countless designs and characters, each MTG card has its own unique style. If you wish to play the game it is important for you to learn each visible detail on the card including symbols and texts. Though this article will not explain you about each character and their powers, etc. it will educate about the most basic elements of the card that you need to know.
The Mana Cost Mana cost refers to the main resource in the game. It is a form of currency that you will need to use spells. For instance, to attack your opponent with a powerful spell, you need greater number of mana. It can be collected through lands. As you know, each card has a spell and the mana cost to unlock that particular spell will be given on the upper right corner of the card. If the card reads 5, then you need to pay five manna of any kind to unlock the spell.
Type Line This feature will inform you of your card’s type. There are six main types of cards namely, sorcery, instant, enchantment, land, artifact and creature. The type of the card is given right underneath the picture in your game card. If your card has a subtype or super type, it will also be mentioned next to the type line. When you purchase magic the gathering cards for sale, remember to check the type line, so that you will not purchase the same card over and over again.
Expansion Symbol When you buy magic the gathering cards for sale, notice this symbol since it will inform about the magic set the card belongs to. For instance if you purchase the Tenth Edition, the expansion symbol would look like ‘X’. The color of this symbol reflects the card’s rarity. For instance while a black symbols means common card, the silver one shows an uncommon card. You are lucky if you get a gold or red-orange one, since they stand for rare and mythical rare respectively.
Text Box This space shows the card’s abilities. For example, the prodigal pyromancer card will tell you about the creature’s powers and abilities. The box also includes a flavor text which is printed in italics. Though it cannot be used in the game, it is a sort of clue to help you understand what the card’s ability is. Apart from these features, the ‘collector number’ and ‘power and toughness’ are two other core features of the card that you need to be informed about.