Card types and how they work!
Before learning how to play, it's important to know the different types of cards and what they do. There are eight main card types that make up a deck.
Lands
Lands are the primary way that players generate mana. Mana is the "currency"
players use to cast spells, attack, and summon creatures. Note: not all
actions require mana, such as blocking an enemy attack. There are five
different Land cards, each representing a different color of mana (this
will be important in the "How to Play" section).
There are the Plains (white mana), Islands (blue mana), Swamps (black mana), Mountains (red mana), and finally, Forests (green mana).
Creatures
These cards represent the creatures you summon to attack your opponent but they can also block attacks from your opponent. Each Creature card has two important stats: Power (how much damage they can deal in combat) and Toughness (how much damage they can take before being destroyed). These stats are located in the bottom right corner of the card.
Spells
There are four card types that represent spells.
Instants
The first card type are spells called "Instants". They can be cast at almost any time, even during an opponents turn.
Sorceries
Next, Sorceries are spells that are more powerful but they can only be cast during your main phase (more on this in the How to Play section).
Enchantments
Enchantments are spells that can only be cast once but its effects remain on the battlefield and provide ongoing effects throughout the battle.
Artifacts
Finally, Artifacts are a card type that represents magical objects or tools. Like Enchantments, their effects remain on the battlefield after being cast. Artifact cards have various effects.
Planeswalkers
This is a relatively new card type. It basically represents a powerful ally that can be summoned to the battle to aid you against your opponent. These cards can also be attacked by your opponent, so use them wisely.
Battles
Like Planeswalkers, this is also a newer card type. This card represents conflicts and sieges. They are double-sided cards that enter the battlefield on their front face. The card can be attacked until it's defense counters are removed, which "defeats" the card. When this happens, the card is flipped over by the player and is "transformed". This creates a powerful permanant effect on the battlefield.