Beginner MtG questions

[harydeany94]

Total MtG newcomer here, although been playing Hearthstone for a few years now. Really enjoying the experience so far, but I have some general MtG gameplay questions I still don't understand. The MtG resources online seem scattered and difficult to parse, so would love it if anyone could help out!



Some of the cards played against me (all instants, I think?) seem to be split into two different sub-cards. How does that mechanic work?

Let's say my opponent has just cast a +x/+x enchantment to buff one of his 2/2 creatures. If I cast Shock before the enchantment resolves, does his creature become (2+x)/x? Does it just die? If so, what happens to the enchantment? (I know I could test this myself but I've been too scared on ladder to misplay and lose because of it)

The MtGA client seems to pause whenever you have available mana and a playable card. Does my opponent also experience this delay, and, if so, doesn't that reveal information about my hand? Relatedly, I can see my opponents mouse over certain cards in their hand in the client -- is it possible to hand-track in the client?

When looking at a card, is there an easy way to tell whether it's common/uncommon/rare/mythic? Right now when I'm planning crafting upgrades I'm having to google specific card names (I'm used to being able to quickly check the gem color in HS)

[RiiakShiNal]

Total MtG newcomer here, although been playing Hearthstone for a few years now. Really enjoying the experience so far, but I have some general MtG gameplay questions I still don't understand. The MtG resources online seem scattered and difficult to parse, so would love it if anyone could help out!

MtG can be quite a complex game that has been evolving over decades. You can find the complete comprehensive rules here. You can find the same rules in a wiki format here. Gatherer is the official place for card information though it doesn't necessarily list spoiled cards until they are actually released.

Early on MtG used to be even more complicated because there was an additional spell type Interrupt which further complicated things. That type was removed and spell casting was unified later.

Resources may seem scattered since MtG has been around for so long (getting close to 3 decades now) and has seen multiple rule changes, formats, clients, and communities.

Some of the cards played against me (all instants, I think?) seem to be split into two different sub-cards. How does that mechanic work?

Spells that are played can be split into multiple broad categories:

• Permanents - Cards that may exist on the battlefield for an indeterminate amount of time. Cast during "Sorcery time" which is when it is the owner's turn and they have priority during their main phases while no other effects are pending.
  
  • Artifacts - Permanents that may sit on their own on the battlefield, may be used as soon as they enter play (as long as no other restrictions are present).
  • Creatures - Permanents that may sit on their own on the battlefield, suffer from "Summoning Sickness", have a Power/Toughness and can attack Players/Planeswalkers.
  • Enchantments
    • Base enchantments - Permanents that may sit on their own on the battlefield, may be used as soon as they enter play (as long as no other restrictions are present).
    • Auras - Permanents that must be attached to another permanent to remain on the battlefield, may be used as soon as they enter play.
  • Land - Technically not a spell because it is not cast (it is merely played) it does still classify as a permanent and may be used as soon as it enters play (assuming no other restrictions).
  • Planeswalkers - Permanents that may sit on their own on the battlefield, uses Loyalty counters as "health", may be attacked in a similar fashion to players, may only use one loyalty ability per turn.
• Effect Spells
  • Sorceries - Temporary spells that may not exist on the battlefield and may only be cast during the owner's turn while they have priority, it is one of their main phases and no other effects are pending (what is known as "Sorcery time").
  • Instants - Temporary spells that may not exist on the battlefield, but may be cast at almost any time (even while spells/abilities are resolving).

Effects (from a spell or ability) that are cast/used while another effect is resolving all resolve in reverse order. This means the last one cast resolves first and the first one resolves last.

Let's say my opponent has just cast a +x/+x enchantment to buff one of his 2/2 creatures. If I cast Shock before the enchantment resolves, does his creature become (2+x)/x? Does it just die? If so, what happens to the enchantment? (I know I could test this myself but I've been too scared on ladder to misplay and lose because of it)

In this case if you cast shock while the enchantment is still resolving, as long as your opponent does not cast some other instant to respond in some way the 2/2 creature would take 2 damage and perish going to the graveyard, then the +x/+x aura enchantment would resolve and because the target no longer exists would also go to the graveyard. However, if it was a +x/+x base or global enchantment there is no target and would not go to the graveyard (it would still take effect), but the 2/2 creature would still have taken 2 damage from the Shock spell and perished.

The MtGA client seems to pause whenever you have available mana and a playable card. Does my opponent also experience this delay, and, if so, doesn't that reveal information about my hand? Relatedly, I can see my opponents mouse over certain cards in their hand in the client -- is it possible to hand-track in the client?

I can't really comment on the MtG Arena client as I haven't used that client, but pauses in MtG play are quite common and some clients allow pauses even if you can't do anything (if the appropriate options are set) so a pause in and of itself doesn't necessarily tell you anything. If pauses are eliminated then, yes, it can leak information about your hand which is why I generally turn off options that allow skipping at certain times. In physical play, players may even use the pauses to try and bluff their opponents by making them think they can do something even if they can't.

When looking at a card, is there an easy way to tell whether it's common/uncommon/rare/mythic? Right now when I'm planning crafting upgrades I'm having to google specific card names (I'm used to being able to quickly check the gem color in HS)

Again, since I don't use the Arena client I can't comment on that, but as far as general MtG goes, yes, looking at color of the set symbol on the card can tell you whether it is common/uncommon/rare/mythic (at least for current modern sets) in that specific set.

• Common - Black symbol - example Amoeboid Changeling
• Uncommon - Silver symbol - example Angel of Renewal
• Rare - Gold symbol - example Angel of Condemnation
• Mythic - Red symbol - example Angel of Destiny

Though it should be noted that the rarity of a card is dependent on the specific set it is from as it could be uncommon in one set, but rare in another (example Angel of Retribution).

[anonymous1989]

Thank you for this information!

[Dayuseno]

And all so two how do you Wright on the main screen havent figured that one out as yet lol


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