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Rules & reference · 11 guides

MTG rules and card reference

The building blocks of every Magic card, explained for the people who make their own. Mana symbols, keyword abilities and ability types, the color pie, card frames and layouts, rarity, and the anatomy of the card itself — the reference you reach for while you design, written to be accurate and quick to scan.

See the mana pip editor
8 min read

An MTG Templating Cookbook: Common Rules Text Patterns

A cookbook of correctly-templated MTG rules text patterns: ETB and dies triggers, tap and sacrifice costs, modal, anthems, and replacement effects.

oracle textcard design
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9 min read

The MTG Guilds and Color Pairs Explained

The ten MTG two-color pairs and their Ravnica guild names, allied vs enemy colors, each guild's identity, and how to use them in custom card design.

color piereference
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9 min read

MTG Card Types Explained

Every Magic card type explained — land, creature, artifact, enchantment, instant, sorcery, planeswalker, battle, and tokens, with a quick reference table.

card typesreference
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8 min read

MTG Card Layouts Explained: Split, Adventure, Saga, and Double-Faced

How non-standard MTG card layouts work — split, adventure, saga, and double-faced cards — and when each layout earns a place on a custom card.

framesreference
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9 min read

MTG Ability Types Explained: Triggered, Activated, and Static

A clear reference to MTG ability types — triggered, activated, and static abilities, plus spell and keyword abilities — for players and custom card designers.

oracle textreference
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11 min read

The MTG Color Pie Explained for Custom Card Designers

The MTG color pie explained for custom card designers: each color's philosophy, strengths and weaknesses, allied vs enemy pairs, and breaks vs bends.

color piecard design
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9 min read

MTG Keyword Abilities: The Complete List by Color

The complete list of MTG keyword abilities by color: all 18 evergreen keywords defined, color-pie distribution, and evergreen vs deciduous explained.

oracle textreference
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8 min read

Anatomy of an MTG Card: Every Part Explained

Every part of a Magic card explained top to bottom — name, mana cost, art, type line, set symbol, text box, power/toughness, loyalty, and the legal line.

framesreference
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7 min read

MTG Rarity Explained: Common to Mythic Rare

MTG rarities in order — common, uncommon, rare, mythic — what each expansion-symbol color signals, and how to use rarity as a custom-set design tool.

referencecard design
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4 min read

The Complete Guide to MTG Mana Symbols

Every mana pip explained — generic, colored, hybrid, twobrid, phyrexian, snow, energy, tap and untap — what each one means in a cost, how color identity works, and how to build them on a custom card.

manareference
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4 min read

MTG Card Frame Eras Explained: 1993 to Showcase

How Magic's card frame evolved — the 1993 original, the 1997 'retro' classic, the 2003 modern redesign, the 2014 M15 holofoil era, and today's showcase treatments — and how to pick an era for your custom card.

framesreference
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