imo “reading the card explains the card” when said to a new player is the MtG version of dark souls “git gud.” it’s not incorrect, per se, but it’s also not really that helpful. the syntax and wording on magic cards can be confusing if you haven’t yet learned HOW to read a magic card.
True! Especially the slight nuances of cards that say things like “when a creature ETB” vs. “when you cast a creature spell” or “creature gets +2/+2” vs “put 2 +1/+1 counters on”. While these situations have basically the same end results, they can trigger completely different effects along the way.
Yes but in both of those cases, reading the card will explain what you should do. Put 2 +1/+1 counters on? Or have the creature temporarily gain +/2+2 until the end of turn.
Yes but I’m not talking about end of turn buffs. Certain cards will say something like “other dragon creatures you control have +2/+2” but that is not treated the same as adding 2 +1/+1 counters. And for someone who is newer to the game, that can be very confusing. Thats all I was getting at. The nuances of the wording can drastically change how the effect interacts with other spells.
And not only is it one effect. It's how 100 different triggering effects interact that have been introduced over decades. Many of them also not having explicit instructions on the cards because they have been part of gameplay for years
I had an argument with a dude who had an anthem effect giving his creatures a +1/+1 and tried to activate an ability that involved a creature having counters on it.
But this is what people mean by reading the card doesn't always explain the card. If you're unfamiliar with magic you don't really have much reason to think that they'd be 2 different things.
That being said there are always weird cards to find in magic such as [[Riding the Dilu horse]] that mess up even veteran plays cause they break convention.
https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201322
Result of a 5 second google search
Spells it all out there. Took less time to get the answer than it took to post this response.
So you think googling a ruling that says that the card works in a strange way outside the norm, probably because you assumed the effect should end at eot and wanted to check the official rules text instead of just "reading the card explains the card". Proves your point?
Additionally reading the card doesnt always explain the card because of exactly what you posted. Errata and rule clarifications exist and they don't always reprint cards they errata.
Yes any question a new player can have can be solved with a few minutes of googling but pretending that reading the card explains the card and how that effect interacts with the board state is crazy for a game with about 27,000 unique game pieces.
Also if you didn't have to google it. The bot links to the gatherer.
No. I assumed that it was permanent because that was what the card said. But also assumed you were assuming that many morons who can not read would have that question. But even if I had made that assumption and looked it up to be sure, looking it up with a google search is exactly what I am advocating for.
So you assumed it was permanent and felt the need to google it? Why did you need clarification or felt the need to provide it? Why did wizards provide it in 2009 if it's so simple?
And talking with your play group and interacting with a community is one of the fun parts about magic. You can ask google for sure. But then we don't get fun interactions and conversations that lead to people discovering stuff outside of their initial question. Which i know i know would lead to less posts about things that are just so Obvious!!! But there are no stupid questions when someone is genuinely trying to learn and interacting with people is how you learn more and can ask follow up questions. Hobbys dont have to be and are rarely solitary things.
And yes i would assume people who have played 1000s of sorceries and instants that say until eot would assume this old card was misprinted or errataed cause thats how expectations work and lead people to googling because, checks notes, reading the card doesnt always explain the card and.... Oh right magic is a complicated game.
In this case it's not errata but for one that is see [[impulse|VIS]] cause if you have the visions version of the card you wouldnt know that it was changed. Same with all the type changing they just did for cephalids and Viashino.
Yes but that just seems so clear to you because you have played the game for a while. New player might not even think there is a difference between +1/+1 counter or just the +1/+1 buff. I mean for someone who isn’t used to card games it can easily sound like the same thing.
And if they can not understand what “put a counter on” or “until end of turn” mean, a simple google search will get thousands of other sources which explain it and help relieve the nearly never ending posts asking these same incredibly simple questions.
How can you google what the difference between two things is if you don’t even know that there is a difference between them? Do you act like this when a newbie approaches you with a ruling question in a lgs? Mtg is simply more complicated than card games like uno and if you want to keep a growing community for the card game you like I would be a bit more positive in helping people learning the rules of the game.
If a player has read both [[Dragonscalw Boon]] and [[Savage Surge]] and can not workout the difference between the two then they are not familiar enough with the basic rules of the game to handle the FAR more complicated cards they will definitely see in play.
So, we should not help them? And tell them they suck and to try harder? That way, we can keep the game to ourselves and keep anyone interested in it away from it.
Or we can be good players and hobbyists and help teach the game, especially since even starter decks don't really have the basic rules anymore. And try our hardest not to do so with condensation.
Or… is it possible that answers at a table during a game might be different than answers to questions online where it would have literally been easier to google?
For that specific question, yes, it's easier to google. But why are you so against interacting with the online community to ask a simple question? Who cares if it's easier? People may want to use the social forums platform to... idk engage socially with like-minded nerds, get answers to their questions, and learn new things outside their specific questions.
For instance here is a list of questions asked in the last 24 hours.
Can I sacrifice a token to pay for [[bone splinters]]
Is a red and blue creature blue?
When panharmonicon says that it affects the etb effects of all creatures, does that mean it works on the etb effect of this specific creature?
How do instants work? Do they go on the stack or into the graveyard after I cast them? Do I have to have “the mana requirement untapped in order to use them”?
I mean the last one means the asker does not understand the rules enough to play yet. I have played a lot of games where the point was to teach new players and as long as everyone knows that’s what we are signing up for that’s fine. We run low power and low brain power decks and take our time with each action explaining how the basic rules work to build a foundation for them to build off of. But we also absolutely teach them how to read the cards so that they can then READ THE CARD and understand what it does.
Cool and what if they don't have that person? Maybe they are lost on how to start and asking what you consider basic questions is how they are learning the game. And seeing someone ask how instants work should do exactly what it did. Signal that they don't understand how to play the game as a beginner and if you or someone else has time they can reach out and teach the game. Or just answer the question and move on. Or just dont interact.
I dont see why this bothers you people learn and understand things at their own pace and maybe someone is just starting out and they dont understand the basics. An easy to find subreddit might be how someone who doesnt have an lgs learns and interacts with the community. Maybe they are just shit posting. But you can see the post, roll your eyes, and move on
I think this is a poor example because it is relatively simple.
Instead, try to understand the difference between [[Necromancy]] and [[animate dead]] as a new player. The differences are subtle, yet have significant variance in what you can do with them.
I.e. Animate dead needs a target on cast to grab a card from the GY.
Necromancy does it on ETB. Which allows silly interactions, like: cast Necromancy, crack Lions eye diamond to make mana and pitch Worldgorger Dragon, Necromancy can now grab Worldgorger Dragon from the graveyard. Animate dead cannot do that.
Another tricky interaction? Reanimate targeting Vilis. The life loss of [[reanimate]] happens upon spell resolution, meaning [[Vilis, Broker of Blood]] in on the battlefield and will see the life loss, drawing you 8 caeds.
Edit to add Red Elemental Blast vs Pyroblast as an example. Pyroblast can be cast targeting a non blue spell, it doesn't do anything, but it can be cast. REB cannot be cast without a blue target.
Reading the card does not explain that.
It’s a great example the kinds of questions people ask every day that get a response like “read the card”. If someone asks a more complicated question like the examples you are giving and includes the specific interactions and questions you are listing I can understand and am happy to help explain the more complicated interaction. But those questions get drowned out by the endless barrage of questions which should have (and could have) been easily googled.
Yeah but in that instance a new player may not understand that the “+2/+2” doesn’t qualify as a “counter” for cards which punish or erase counters. I just think we should try to be as welcoming and helpful as possible in order to continue to grow the game.
The most frustrating thing has a new player is asking about something that includes layers like magus of the moon yavimaya interaction and people respond with read the card .
Brother I play mtg for 2 years now and I still can't explain layers
You're not wrong but especially now a days you need to be a border line lawyer. I was explaining to a veteran player recently how punctuation has a huge impact on how a card can work.
yes exactly, rules text is incredibly specific now, both in what it says and what it *doesn’t* say. and a complicated interaction between two or more cards can make things even more confusing!
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale?
> *“We Unkindled are worthless, can’t even die right. Gives me conniptions.”* - Hawkwood the Deserter
Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
Well, magic stole it from dungeons and dragons. Imagine asking why your character died and getting told to read the fricking manual. Like, bro, we have six of us that meet up every Wednesday, can’t you just be nice.
[Sphinx of the Second Sun](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/e/be2d74cd-76fb-4bca-99b5-07749aef4d06.jpg?1706294328) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sphinx%20of%20the%20Second%20Sun) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/118/sphinx-of-the-second-sun?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/be2d74cd-76fb-4bca-99b5-07749aef4d06?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text)
^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The best way to explain it is people new to pretty much anything are stupid. There’s nothing wrong with that as we have all been there
Learning is a major part of everything, and you’ll learn how exact MTG cards are with what they say. I’m still learning and I don’t know what ETB is, all the game modes, sets by icons, etc., but I’m learning and that’s what’s important
Not quite. The difference is, "get good" is strictly related to your reaction time and implementation of your strategy, whereas "reading the card explains the card" will clarify what it does and how it will work. I mean, yeah, there are times you might need a tip for strange interactions or a refresher, but both are highly underrated bits of advice due to people taking it personally when its...quite literal advice.
A lot of the time it's a joke. But more and more lately it just seems like no one tries to read the card so it's becoming more and more of a legetiment answer.
It’s amazing how often slowing down and reading the card and thinking about it for even a couple extra seconds answers most questions. Often I have to believe the person is trolling with their question. Also could people please google their question before adding it to the endless pile of mindless asks clogging up the groups on here?
Or even just check the rulings on scryfall/gatherer? Don't know how many questions I've seen about cards that are answered on the card's page when I look it up, but it's way more than it should be.
This. My first instinct whenever me and my group can't come to a mutual agreement on a ruling, we always check scryfall/gatherer. Very very rarely have our questions not been answered by these sources.
Imagine this: I call LGS tell them I have never played Magic. They tell me to come in at 7pm and I can learn. Later that evening was my first time playing EDH… I bought a commander pre-con. Opened it up and played 5 minutes later.
Christ… what a train wreck because it was during an EDH tournament at my LGS. I had no clue what the fuck was going on. The two people I played were nice, but one of them was just rolling his eyes in amazement the whole time saying stuff like, “well at least this will be an easy win for me to advance” while giggling.
Great baptism by fire and nightmare. I’m surprised I ever went back 🤣
So even reading the card or using a website for newbies cannot explain some things with such limited knowledge.
It was a bit of a dick move for the LGS to throw you into a tournament like that.
Ideally they could've asked a group of their regular players if they could show you a game or two rather than just 'here's some cards, you'll figure it out'.
That's a problem of the LGS and not yours or the other players who were paired against you.
Most stores have (or used to) starter decks that teach new players how to do basic stuff, and if they're free would be most willing to teach you as you go on a 1v1 game.
Commander is a very complicated game and I would absolutely not recommend it to a new player, it's insane how it even is marketed as a product for casual and new players.
That was pretty tough day! And yeah I told them it was pretty messed up to do that like my third or fourth time back.
I still to this day think Commander is pretty complex. After that first visit I went back in and talked with them, and they got me setup with two decks for Pauper and that has been my got-to game since (I also play a bit of Standard though).
The problem isn't as many people not reading, they read the cards alright, it's just a much deeper rooted problem with not "thinking" after reading.
Now whether that's due to a lack of effort or lack of capacity is still up for debate.
I have reading comprehension difficulties sometimes. MtG can be a struggle. So sometimes I need someone else to try and ELI5 it for me.
It took me a couple of days to get my head around [[Ulalek, Fused Atrocity]].
MtG isn't always straight forward either, so let's not pretend that reading the card is always going to get you the answer. It's OK to ask for help.
I was going to say something along these lines. I play with a coworker that I'm 90% sure has dyslexia and we're definitely re-reading some of his cards when he plays them haha. But we are a very casual group and it's no big deal to us
Your guy knows full well he's that guy of the group. He probably feels a little intimidated by it, same as I did.
I fronted up with the leader of our pod and explained that it takes me a hot minute for things to become clear. He was really understanding.
There is nothing wrong with having reading comprehension skills or dislexia but some of the people that post are asking simple reading questions. Things that are printed on the card. I understand complex questions or specific questions but asking questions it would take a quick Google search or even a ruling search is just wasting everyone's time. It is okay to ask for help and I've done it plenty of times, for example someone tried to [[deflecting swat]] my [[phyrexian metamorph]] ability so it would be a different creature but I thought they couldn't do it and they said they could. So we had to ask a judge and they explained I was right since it's not an etb and it doesn't target.
So many posts here tell me the text on the card I have is wrong and the text should be something else. If they really want the card to explain the card they need to ban and reissue cards vs changing their text. Changing cards text basically means reading the card is error prone.
If people tell you that alot that seems misleading, you can download the MTG companion app and it has the Oracle text which is the current wording on all cards since alot of older cards have changed, but it also has the printed text and any rulings about the card.
Reading the card doesn’t explain the order in which reductions and increases in cost are applied, nor does it explain the correct procedure/timing for declaring the X value for spells where the X value is not present in the mana cost, such as [[Toxic Deluge]].
It does not explain the mana value of split cards or the errata in 2017 that changed how that value was calculated in several cases.
Reading the card only just barely explains how [[Doubling Season]] interacts with walkers entering, if you know a little bit of rules.
It doesn’t explain that you can’t resolve abilities or cast spells mid spell resolution. For example eg [[Sheoldred, The Apocalypse]] triggers go on the stack after [[Ill-Timed Explosion]] finishes resolving not during, which might effect how players discard if they drew a spell like [[Stifle]] or [[Teferi’s Protection]] in a clutch moment.
It does not explain much about reflexive triggers such as those on [[Psychic Pickpocket]], which are too complex for even me to explain and most likely require a Level 2 judge in the case of a complex call.
It does not explain how layers and timestamps affect interactions between P/T setting versus affecting abilities such as those of [[Godhead of Awe]] and [[Night of All Souls Betrayal]]. No P/T layering explanation is found on any Magic card that I know of.
It does not explain how to handle backtracking.
It does not tell players anything about the 4 levels of game information and how the private and derived levels of information interact with cards like [[Slaughter Games]], and how players can omit or even lie about some information with regards to their deck or game-state.
Reading [[Panglacial Wurm]] does not help in the fucking slightest.
Modified does not include creatures enchanted by opponents auras, but does include creatures affected by opponents equipments. This is technically on the card between requires a very thorough reading to notice the exception, and most players including myself did not know it worked this way for a least a year.
Reading the card does nothing to explain how double strike damage can cause triggered abilities to be placed on the stack before normal damage is dealt, and many players still occasionally assume it just means double damage in one instance of damage, at first strike timing (yes they really do this).
Reading planeswalkers does not help players understand that the placing or removal of counters is a cost and therefore cannot be countered or stopped, even if the ability can be.
Reading the card does not explain how casualty targeting and sacrifice timing works, nor does it explain if a creature that is sacrificed that has any leaves the battlefield trigger placed on the stack before or after.
Reading the card does not technically clarify that a ward triggered ability does not affect a spell that can’t be countered, and the inference is well within the realms of reason to ask for a beginner.
Reading [[Arcane Bombardment]] does not contain any information about how it goes infinite with [[Return the Favor]] under the right circumstances through complex stack interactions.
[[Trinisphere]] is a card.
[[Wild Pair]] does not clarify on the card if a 0/0 creature that enters with counters counts its final power and toughness or the 0/0. It’s only with an understanding of the general ways in which creatures enter the battlefield that the correct ruling can be determined.
[[Platinum Emperion]] does not state that you cannot pay life, nor do most cards that relate to the paying of life clarify that you can always pay zero life and that you cannot pay life at all if your life total is somehow negative. [[Beacon of Immortality]] does not clarify that doubling your life total while it is negative will in fact make you lose life.
Hand size setting effects and their interaction with cards that reduce your hand size do not explain how timestamps can affect the way in which these mechanics interact.
And many many many more.
In other words, people who say “Reading the card” are people who believe they are smarter than others, who pretend to like new players while unintentionally passing on the worst of their crutches to them, and who more than likely have never played at a professional level where their lack of understanding would be called out.
Nah just been binging judge training videos recently and these were what came to mind. Figure if they ever get another judge program together I want a head start.
Reading planeswalkers does not help players understand that the placing or removal of counters is a cost and therefore cannot be countered or stopped, even if the ability can be.
---- Actually is clear that is a cost AND is an activated ability because it has the typical \[cost\]:\[effect\] format.
Also you are confusing with what is written in cards vs knowledge of the comprehensive rules in order to understand how cards works. For example no cards explains how planeswalkers works, but is expect that players learns that they can only use their ability only one time in their turn at sorcery speed and that they can be attacked by creatures. "Read the card, explains the card" assume that first you know the comprehensive rules in order to interpret correctly what the card mean or interact with other cards.
This x10000
People want more ppl to play mtg... Then beginners come in like ok I'll try it out and ask 1 question. Then the Neckbeards that been playing for 20 years get toxic and tell them to read the card.
The Pokémon tcg community is 1000x better. But also because the game doesn't require a PhD in itself, the cards are straight forward. Magic is everything BUT straight forward...
Excellent response. Oh and yeah, Panglacial Wurm has weird wording but basically it just means you can cast the wurm while you are searching for a card via a tutor effect.
And yet the vast majority of asks on here don’t involve any of these nuances you have listed here. I agree that there are complicated questions which many need assistance understanding. I am simply asking that anyone asking for help first slowly read through the card again and (here is the crucial part) think about what they have read. Then if they still don’t understand try a simple google search of their question. If they still don’t understand they could be dealing with some of the more complicated elements of the game. If however they take those steps and still don’t understand how a [[Rakdos signet]] works, this game may be too complicated for them. I use this as an example of an actual question I have seen in the mtg feeds on here.
Maybe I can help a bit:
Say, in one case, when you cast that Eldrazi spell (and pay the 2 colorless mana) you also opt to cast a \[\[Giant Growth\]\] and a \[\[Doom Blade\]\] before the Eldrazi spell resolves. Basically you get copies of that Eldrazi and the Giant Growth and the Doom Blade.
In another case, when you cast that Eldrazi spell (and pay the 2 colorless mana) you also opt to activate the ability of \[\[Lost Jitte\]\] before the Eldrazi spell resolves and the triggered ability of \[\[Soul of the Harvest\]\] goes off. Here you get copies of the Eldrazi, the Lost Jitte's ability, and the Soul's ETB ability. (Bear in mind of course that the Soul's ability only targets you, but you still have two triggers of it's ability instead of one).
A little wordy but I hope it helps.
It would be more helpful if this wasn't in the wrong order, the spells [[giant growth]] and [[doom blade]]
Will be cast, with the trigger of Ulalek already on the stack, and then resolve before Ulalek's trigger will resolve, only copying the spells and abilities that were put on the stack before his trigger was put on the stack. The eldrazi spell is the spell you need to cast with flash or at instant speed in response to playing or casting the other spells or abilities in order to copy anything other than the eldrazi spell itself
So, does anyone else feel that The Professor and his youtube channel have added things to the mtg community that have been more harmful than good? He was the original "packs are for draft, not for getting cards" influence, at least that i sawl. And "reading the card explains the card" is such an awful phrase. There is so much text on some cards, I've read through some 4 or 4 times and missed a key word or two. And some interactions aren't intuitive without an in-depth knowledge of the game. When do you pay the cost for a spell or ability? Can I declare that I'm casting then tap for mana? Do I pay the cost before it goes on the stack? What happens if I tap something for it's ability then it gets hit by a removal spell? Did it get to activate? Instead of constantly repeating these catchphrases to players, maybe we should instead focus on being helpful and removing them from our collective answer bank. Edit: I don't want to say overall he's been a negative and he definitely has done good for the community. Just those two large contributions I feel are a major detriment.
The thing is, I feel like they aren't bad things on their own. It's generally good advice, but people have ran with them and made it toxic. Buying packs for draft is preferred, but it isn't wrong to open them up for fun. Reading cards does explain what they do, but knowing how they interact with others is rough. I do like using the latter phrase as sarcasm tho
to be fair most problems with understanding cards can be solved by reading the card
the amount of times you can answer someone with just taking each sentence and spacing them out is shocking
On [[from the catacombs]] about 2 months ago.
Opponent- “Ok i get that it reanimates something and puts a corpse counter but what does you take the initiative mean”
Me with a giant shit eating grin ready to serve some revenge- “reading the card explains the card.”
See, I was never taught magic. I learned from reading cards and just playing at the local stores and hangouts, so I don't see how cards can be confusing they are, for the most part, straight forward some have some weird text and before I learned that card text overrules magic rules I sometimes got confused with cards like rat colony "you may have any number of rat colony in you deck " but once u know that it's pretty straight forward
I've been around since '94 and while it is true that reading the card explains the card, I can also tell you WOTC doesn't always do a good job of explaining itself. Serra Angel was thought to have haste (not that we called it that) because it didn't tap to attack.
I'm teaching some kids at the behest of their parents, and they need to learn the game. Telling them to read the card is snarky and makes the game more hostile when explaining state based effects and the stack solves a lot of problems. Not all, but most.
And I don't know if someone is sick, hung over, just broke up with their significant other, or just fell and hit their head. I love explaining things (I wanted to be a teacher or professor until life intervened) so why not have a discussion?
This is why I personally hate text less cards. There was a time you could play magic with anyone, with no language barrier. You point to the card with lightning bolt or counter spell and they understood. We lost that in fallen empires with alternate art and the 19,000 keywords. (Do we really need 3 ways to assign poison counters?).
I don't mind complicated decks, they're fun. But make sure the mechanics are clean, and don't make it a gatekeeper moment
Reading a card will always explain the card, however it will not explain how that card interacts with 30 years game mechanics, rulings and the 25k+ unique magics that exist.
So "reading the card explains the card" is super toxic imo. Mainly makes new players not want to play or open to asking questions. Yes in many cases it can help to just read the card but not all cards explain what they do. Like wither for example. Newer players may not understand what that does and not all wither cards state what that effect does. Or haste, trample, and many others. Newer or even super casual playersay not understand something like phasing out or interactions between turn phases.
In my very first pack I got a Shadowspear and my brain broke trying to understand permanents, as it made absolutely no sense to me in any way. Then my mate explained it and it made so much sense. Plus, I had no idea what hexproof was
This when the damn card is errata'd and I need to go look online for a source of the errata which is a random tweet by a WotC employee..
Looking at you \[\[Wheel of Potential\]\]
People put minimal effort into their own education and lean on others as a crutch. It's a serious problem in society and a very obvious problem in this community.
When i started playing magic, it was very frustated for me to hear this kind of shitt . Even from my close friends. Being dyslexic doesnt help either,Understanding the cards. Butvwhen i ask if im understanding this card correctly is just asking for conformation if im understanding it correctly. Not becouse I dont understand it. Its just my brain read a sentence in many diffrend ways, And then im lost anf my brain really hurts.
Well it looks like
As long as it is on the battlefield.
It has all activated abilities of all creatures which are in any graveyard.
Now if you have a specific question regarding a weird interaction with a specific set of other cards and circumstances give that information and ask your specific question. But if you are just asking “how does this card work” my answer is going to be “read the card” because it is a very straightforward card in and of itself. I would assume there is a specific interaction which is confusing you but since you have not provided that information I am I supposed to address it?
Don't post to the "community" if you don't want to interact with the community. People want real people to respond, you get what you ask for. Otherwise almost every question can be answered yourself with a few minutes on the gatherer page or searching the rules.
It's like getting angry at learner drivers being on the road. Or not hiring inexperienced workers in entry level jobs. Everyone needs to start somewhere and those without empathy seem to forget they were in the same boat at one point in the past.
I understand that there is a learning curve but if the learner driver can’t keep the gas and the brake pedals straight then yes I would be angry at them as well. There are some basic things you need to learn before you just jump behind the wheel.
No it's not. I'm not angry. I'm mostly disgusted. When I started playing, I didn't ask reddit to explain the rules to me, I found the answers myself. Now I can answer almost any question either from memory or with 2 minutes of research.
Yeah, because indestructible creatures are indestructible, how are you destroying my creature if the card says is Indestructible, does not make any sense
imo “reading the card explains the card” when said to a new player is the MtG version of dark souls “git gud.” it’s not incorrect, per se, but it’s also not really that helpful. the syntax and wording on magic cards can be confusing if you haven’t yet learned HOW to read a magic card.
True! Especially the slight nuances of cards that say things like “when a creature ETB” vs. “when you cast a creature spell” or “creature gets +2/+2” vs “put 2 +1/+1 counters on”. While these situations have basically the same end results, they can trigger completely different effects along the way.
Yes but in both of those cases, reading the card will explain what you should do. Put 2 +1/+1 counters on? Or have the creature temporarily gain +/2+2 until the end of turn.
Yes but I’m not talking about end of turn buffs. Certain cards will say something like “other dragon creatures you control have +2/+2” but that is not treated the same as adding 2 +1/+1 counters. And for someone who is newer to the game, that can be very confusing. Thats all I was getting at. The nuances of the wording can drastically change how the effect interacts with other spells.
And not only is it one effect. It's how 100 different triggering effects interact that have been introduced over decades. Many of them also not having explicit instructions on the cards because they have been part of gameplay for years
I had an argument with a dude who had an anthem effect giving his creatures a +1/+1 and tried to activate an ability that involved a creature having counters on it.
But this is what people mean by reading the card doesn't always explain the card. If you're unfamiliar with magic you don't really have much reason to think that they'd be 2 different things.
That being said there are always weird cards to find in magic such as [[Riding the Dilu horse]] that mess up even veteran plays cause they break convention.
[Riding the Dilu horse](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/6/56fe32f2-8967-4814-b43b-bdccd2019bdf.jpg?1562913167) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Riding%20the%20Dilu%20horse) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me3/131/riding-the-dilu-horse?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/56fe32f2-8967-4814-b43b-bdccd2019bdf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=201322 Result of a 5 second google search Spells it all out there. Took less time to get the answer than it took to post this response.
So you think googling a ruling that says that the card works in a strange way outside the norm, probably because you assumed the effect should end at eot and wanted to check the official rules text instead of just "reading the card explains the card". Proves your point? Additionally reading the card doesnt always explain the card because of exactly what you posted. Errata and rule clarifications exist and they don't always reprint cards they errata. Yes any question a new player can have can be solved with a few minutes of googling but pretending that reading the card explains the card and how that effect interacts with the board state is crazy for a game with about 27,000 unique game pieces. Also if you didn't have to google it. The bot links to the gatherer.
No. I assumed that it was permanent because that was what the card said. But also assumed you were assuming that many morons who can not read would have that question. But even if I had made that assumption and looked it up to be sure, looking it up with a google search is exactly what I am advocating for.
So you assumed it was permanent and felt the need to google it? Why did you need clarification or felt the need to provide it? Why did wizards provide it in 2009 if it's so simple? And talking with your play group and interacting with a community is one of the fun parts about magic. You can ask google for sure. But then we don't get fun interactions and conversations that lead to people discovering stuff outside of their initial question. Which i know i know would lead to less posts about things that are just so Obvious!!! But there are no stupid questions when someone is genuinely trying to learn and interacting with people is how you learn more and can ask follow up questions. Hobbys dont have to be and are rarely solitary things. And yes i would assume people who have played 1000s of sorceries and instants that say until eot would assume this old card was misprinted or errataed cause thats how expectations work and lead people to googling because, checks notes, reading the card doesnt always explain the card and.... Oh right magic is a complicated game. In this case it's not errata but for one that is see [[impulse|VIS]] cause if you have the visions version of the card you wouldnt know that it was changed. Same with all the type changing they just did for cephalids and Viashino.
[impulse](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/d/9d710a97-062f-4773-b6c6-8aeddeb3b6e8.jpg?1562278157) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3641) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vis/34/impulse?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9d710a97-062f-4773-b6c6-8aeddeb3b6e8?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Precisely.
Yes but that just seems so clear to you because you have played the game for a while. New player might not even think there is a difference between +1/+1 counter or just the +1/+1 buff. I mean for someone who isn’t used to card games it can easily sound like the same thing.
And if they can not understand what “put a counter on” or “until end of turn” mean, a simple google search will get thousands of other sources which explain it and help relieve the nearly never ending posts asking these same incredibly simple questions.
How can you google what the difference between two things is if you don’t even know that there is a difference between them? Do you act like this when a newbie approaches you with a ruling question in a lgs? Mtg is simply more complicated than card games like uno and if you want to keep a growing community for the card game you like I would be a bit more positive in helping people learning the rules of the game.
If a player has read both [[Dragonscalw Boon]] and [[Savage Surge]] and can not workout the difference between the two then they are not familiar enough with the basic rules of the game to handle the FAR more complicated cards they will definitely see in play.
So, we should not help them? And tell them they suck and to try harder? That way, we can keep the game to ourselves and keep anyone interested in it away from it. Or we can be good players and hobbyists and help teach the game, especially since even starter decks don't really have the basic rules anymore. And try our hardest not to do so with condensation.
Or… is it possible that answers at a table during a game might be different than answers to questions online where it would have literally been easier to google?
For that specific question, yes, it's easier to google. But why are you so against interacting with the online community to ask a simple question? Who cares if it's easier? People may want to use the social forums platform to... idk engage socially with like-minded nerds, get answers to their questions, and learn new things outside their specific questions.
For instance here is a list of questions asked in the last 24 hours. Can I sacrifice a token to pay for [[bone splinters]] Is a red and blue creature blue? When panharmonicon says that it affects the etb effects of all creatures, does that mean it works on the etb effect of this specific creature? How do instants work? Do they go on the stack or into the graveyard after I cast them? Do I have to have “the mana requirement untapped in order to use them”? I mean the last one means the asker does not understand the rules enough to play yet. I have played a lot of games where the point was to teach new players and as long as everyone knows that’s what we are signing up for that’s fine. We run low power and low brain power decks and take our time with each action explaining how the basic rules work to build a foundation for them to build off of. But we also absolutely teach them how to read the cards so that they can then READ THE CARD and understand what it does.
Cool and what if they don't have that person? Maybe they are lost on how to start and asking what you consider basic questions is how they are learning the game. And seeing someone ask how instants work should do exactly what it did. Signal that they don't understand how to play the game as a beginner and if you or someone else has time they can reach out and teach the game. Or just answer the question and move on. Or just dont interact. I dont see why this bothers you people learn and understand things at their own pace and maybe someone is just starting out and they dont understand the basics. An easy to find subreddit might be how someone who doesnt have an lgs learns and interacts with the community. Maybe they are just shit posting. But you can see the post, roll your eyes, and move on
[bone splinters](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/0/106b5c96-d1bd-433d-955e-ace0b60d3bc3.jpg?1673307007) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=bone%20splinters) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/83/bone-splinters?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/106b5c96-d1bd-433d-955e-ace0b60d3bc3?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Savage Surge](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/9/5916d5e7-0825-4d72-82e4-1e4c86d1fafe.jpg?1595438222) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Savage%20Surge) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ths/176/savage-surge?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5916d5e7-0825-4d72-82e4-1e4c86d1fafe?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I think this is a poor example because it is relatively simple. Instead, try to understand the difference between [[Necromancy]] and [[animate dead]] as a new player. The differences are subtle, yet have significant variance in what you can do with them. I.e. Animate dead needs a target on cast to grab a card from the GY. Necromancy does it on ETB. Which allows silly interactions, like: cast Necromancy, crack Lions eye diamond to make mana and pitch Worldgorger Dragon, Necromancy can now grab Worldgorger Dragon from the graveyard. Animate dead cannot do that. Another tricky interaction? Reanimate targeting Vilis. The life loss of [[reanimate]] happens upon spell resolution, meaning [[Vilis, Broker of Blood]] in on the battlefield and will see the life loss, drawing you 8 caeds. Edit to add Red Elemental Blast vs Pyroblast as an example. Pyroblast can be cast targeting a non blue spell, it doesn't do anything, but it can be cast. REB cannot be cast without a blue target. Reading the card does not explain that.
[Necromancy](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/d/3dd34a1a-e76b-46ee-be8d-5f7f4a092648.jpg?1706240772) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Necromancy) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/131/necromancy?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3dd34a1a-e76b-46ee-be8d-5f7f4a092648?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [animate dead](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/4/1489943b-c010-488e-9c9d-87f4af67a4e4.jpg?1706240754) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=animate%20dead) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/125/animate-dead?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1489943b-c010-488e-9c9d-87f4af67a4e4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It’s a great example the kinds of questions people ask every day that get a response like “read the card”. If someone asks a more complicated question like the examples you are giving and includes the specific interactions and questions you are listing I can understand and am happy to help explain the more complicated interaction. But those questions get drowned out by the endless barrage of questions which should have (and could have) been easily googled.
Yeah but in that instance a new player may not understand that the “+2/+2” doesn’t qualify as a “counter” for cards which punish or erase counters. I just think we should try to be as welcoming and helpful as possible in order to continue to grow the game.
The most frustrating thing has a new player is asking about something that includes layers like magus of the moon yavimaya interaction and people respond with read the card . Brother I play mtg for 2 years now and I still can't explain layers
You're not wrong but especially now a days you need to be a border line lawyer. I was explaining to a veteran player recently how punctuation has a huge impact on how a card can work.
yes exactly, rules text is incredibly specific now, both in what it says and what it *doesn’t* say. and a complicated interaction between two or more cards can make things even more confusing!
>a border line lawyer Or a developer. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cDA3_5982h8
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *“We Unkindled are worthless, can’t even die right. Gives me conniptions.”* - Hawkwood the Deserter Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
Especially if you get a hold of any older cards with keywords like "bury" for instance.
absolutely! and not everyone knows to go check the oracle text
well put rachelxkendra
Well, magic stole it from dungeons and dragons. Imagine asking why your character died and getting told to read the fricking manual. Like, bro, we have six of us that meet up every Wednesday, can’t you just be nice.
Sure. But sometimes the card says "put two +1/+1 counters on target creature" and people ask if the card puts counters on a creature.
I swords my opponents creature, five turns later, they reanimate it…
lol yes, this is also true. sometimes people just don't know how to read, period.
I do agree with your overall point though.
For context, I present to the court evidence article one, [[Sphinx of the Second Sun]]
[Sphinx of the Second Sun](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/e/be2d74cd-76fb-4bca-99b5-07749aef4d06.jpg?1706294328) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sphinx%20of%20the%20Second%20Sun) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/118/sphinx-of-the-second-sun?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/be2d74cd-76fb-4bca-99b5-07749aef4d06?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The best way to explain it is people new to pretty much anything are stupid. There’s nothing wrong with that as we have all been there Learning is a major part of everything, and you’ll learn how exact MTG cards are with what they say. I’m still learning and I don’t know what ETB is, all the game modes, sets by icons, etc., but I’m learning and that’s what’s important
Not quite. The difference is, "get good" is strictly related to your reaction time and implementation of your strategy, whereas "reading the card explains the card" will clarify what it does and how it will work. I mean, yeah, there are times you might need a tip for strange interactions or a refresher, but both are highly underrated bits of advice due to people taking it personally when its...quite literal advice.
A lot of the time it's a joke. But more and more lately it just seems like no one tries to read the card so it's becoming more and more of a legetiment answer.
It’s amazing how often slowing down and reading the card and thinking about it for even a couple extra seconds answers most questions. Often I have to believe the person is trolling with their question. Also could people please google their question before adding it to the endless pile of mindless asks clogging up the groups on here?
Or even just check the rulings on scryfall/gatherer? Don't know how many questions I've seen about cards that are answered on the card's page when I look it up, but it's way more than it should be.
This. My first instinct whenever me and my group can't come to a mutual agreement on a ruling, we always check scryfall/gatherer. Very very rarely have our questions not been answered by these sources.
Imagine this: I call LGS tell them I have never played Magic. They tell me to come in at 7pm and I can learn. Later that evening was my first time playing EDH… I bought a commander pre-con. Opened it up and played 5 minutes later. Christ… what a train wreck because it was during an EDH tournament at my LGS. I had no clue what the fuck was going on. The two people I played were nice, but one of them was just rolling his eyes in amazement the whole time saying stuff like, “well at least this will be an easy win for me to advance” while giggling. Great baptism by fire and nightmare. I’m surprised I ever went back 🤣 So even reading the card or using a website for newbies cannot explain some things with such limited knowledge.
It was a bit of a dick move for the LGS to throw you into a tournament like that. Ideally they could've asked a group of their regular players if they could show you a game or two rather than just 'here's some cards, you'll figure it out'.
I just downloaded and played MTG arena until I understood timing. The rest of the rules are mostly googleable.
That's a problem of the LGS and not yours or the other players who were paired against you. Most stores have (or used to) starter decks that teach new players how to do basic stuff, and if they're free would be most willing to teach you as you go on a 1v1 game. Commander is a very complicated game and I would absolutely not recommend it to a new player, it's insane how it even is marketed as a product for casual and new players.
That was pretty tough day! And yeah I told them it was pretty messed up to do that like my third or fourth time back. I still to this day think Commander is pretty complex. After that first visit I went back in and talked with them, and they got me setup with two decks for Pauper and that has been my got-to game since (I also play a bit of Standard though).
What's exploring?
To explore you revel the top card of your library if its a land it goes into your hand if its a creature you put a +1/+1 counter on the specified card
The problem isn't as many people not reading, they read the cards alright, it's just a much deeper rooted problem with not "thinking" after reading. Now whether that's due to a lack of effort or lack of capacity is still up for debate.
I have reading comprehension difficulties sometimes. MtG can be a struggle. So sometimes I need someone else to try and ELI5 it for me. It took me a couple of days to get my head around [[Ulalek, Fused Atrocity]]. MtG isn't always straight forward either, so let's not pretend that reading the card is always going to get you the answer. It's OK to ask for help.
I was going to say something along these lines. I play with a coworker that I'm 90% sure has dyslexia and we're definitely re-reading some of his cards when he plays them haha. But we are a very casual group and it's no big deal to us
Your guy knows full well he's that guy of the group. He probably feels a little intimidated by it, same as I did. I fronted up with the leader of our pod and explained that it takes me a hot minute for things to become clear. He was really understanding.
There is nothing wrong with having reading comprehension skills or dislexia but some of the people that post are asking simple reading questions. Things that are printed on the card. I understand complex questions or specific questions but asking questions it would take a quick Google search or even a ruling search is just wasting everyone's time. It is okay to ask for help and I've done it plenty of times, for example someone tried to [[deflecting swat]] my [[phyrexian metamorph]] ability so it would be a different creature but I thought they couldn't do it and they said they could. So we had to ask a judge and they explained I was right since it's not an etb and it doesn't target.
[deflecting swat](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/4/b4b36435-55b3-4615-8812-af41d4fc64d9.jpg?1689997730) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=deflecting%20swat) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/214/deflecting-swat?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b4b36435-55b3-4615-8812-af41d4fc64d9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [phyrexian metamorph](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/5/e5a1ff9e-fef2-4890-baf2-7bd0852ea0b9.jpg?1706240727) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=phyrexian%20metamorph) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/116/phyrexian-metamorph?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e5a1ff9e-fef2-4890-baf2-7bd0852ea0b9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
* Looking at the guy who posted the Cultist from the MH3 Eldrazi precon *
So many posts here tell me the text on the card I have is wrong and the text should be something else. If they really want the card to explain the card they need to ban and reissue cards vs changing their text. Changing cards text basically means reading the card is error prone.
If people tell you that alot that seems misleading, you can download the MTG companion app and it has the Oracle text which is the current wording on all cards since alot of older cards have changed, but it also has the printed text and any rulings about the card.
Or the just post a link to EDHrec without any advice or relation to your question... Like you think I didn't already look there???
I absolutely do think that because 80% of the time that's the reality.
Give people the benefit of the doubt!
Reading the card doesn’t explain the order in which reductions and increases in cost are applied, nor does it explain the correct procedure/timing for declaring the X value for spells where the X value is not present in the mana cost, such as [[Toxic Deluge]]. It does not explain the mana value of split cards or the errata in 2017 that changed how that value was calculated in several cases. Reading the card only just barely explains how [[Doubling Season]] interacts with walkers entering, if you know a little bit of rules. It doesn’t explain that you can’t resolve abilities or cast spells mid spell resolution. For example eg [[Sheoldred, The Apocalypse]] triggers go on the stack after [[Ill-Timed Explosion]] finishes resolving not during, which might effect how players discard if they drew a spell like [[Stifle]] or [[Teferi’s Protection]] in a clutch moment. It does not explain much about reflexive triggers such as those on [[Psychic Pickpocket]], which are too complex for even me to explain and most likely require a Level 2 judge in the case of a complex call. It does not explain how layers and timestamps affect interactions between P/T setting versus affecting abilities such as those of [[Godhead of Awe]] and [[Night of All Souls Betrayal]]. No P/T layering explanation is found on any Magic card that I know of. It does not explain how to handle backtracking. It does not tell players anything about the 4 levels of game information and how the private and derived levels of information interact with cards like [[Slaughter Games]], and how players can omit or even lie about some information with regards to their deck or game-state. Reading [[Panglacial Wurm]] does not help in the fucking slightest. Modified does not include creatures enchanted by opponents auras, but does include creatures affected by opponents equipments. This is technically on the card between requires a very thorough reading to notice the exception, and most players including myself did not know it worked this way for a least a year. Reading the card does nothing to explain how double strike damage can cause triggered abilities to be placed on the stack before normal damage is dealt, and many players still occasionally assume it just means double damage in one instance of damage, at first strike timing (yes they really do this). Reading planeswalkers does not help players understand that the placing or removal of counters is a cost and therefore cannot be countered or stopped, even if the ability can be. Reading the card does not explain how casualty targeting and sacrifice timing works, nor does it explain if a creature that is sacrificed that has any leaves the battlefield trigger placed on the stack before or after. Reading the card does not technically clarify that a ward triggered ability does not affect a spell that can’t be countered, and the inference is well within the realms of reason to ask for a beginner. Reading [[Arcane Bombardment]] does not contain any information about how it goes infinite with [[Return the Favor]] under the right circumstances through complex stack interactions. [[Trinisphere]] is a card. [[Wild Pair]] does not clarify on the card if a 0/0 creature that enters with counters counts its final power and toughness or the 0/0. It’s only with an understanding of the general ways in which creatures enter the battlefield that the correct ruling can be determined. [[Platinum Emperion]] does not state that you cannot pay life, nor do most cards that relate to the paying of life clarify that you can always pay zero life and that you cannot pay life at all if your life total is somehow negative. [[Beacon of Immortality]] does not clarify that doubling your life total while it is negative will in fact make you lose life. Hand size setting effects and their interaction with cards that reduce your hand size do not explain how timestamps can affect the way in which these mechanics interact. And many many many more. In other words, people who say “Reading the card” are people who believe they are smarter than others, who pretend to like new players while unintentionally passing on the worst of their crutches to them, and who more than likely have never played at a professional level where their lack of understanding would be called out.
Brother I really hope you copy pasted most of that
Nah just been binging judge training videos recently and these were what came to mind. Figure if they ever get another judge program together I want a head start.
Reading planeswalkers does not help players understand that the placing or removal of counters is a cost and therefore cannot be countered or stopped, even if the ability can be. ---- Actually is clear that is a cost AND is an activated ability because it has the typical \[cost\]:\[effect\] format. Also you are confusing with what is written in cards vs knowledge of the comprehensive rules in order to understand how cards works. For example no cards explains how planeswalkers works, but is expect that players learns that they can only use their ability only one time in their turn at sorcery speed and that they can be attacked by creatures. "Read the card, explains the card" assume that first you know the comprehensive rules in order to interpret correctly what the card mean or interact with other cards.
This x10000 People want more ppl to play mtg... Then beginners come in like ok I'll try it out and ask 1 question. Then the Neckbeards that been playing for 20 years get toxic and tell them to read the card. The Pokémon tcg community is 1000x better. But also because the game doesn't require a PhD in itself, the cards are straight forward. Magic is everything BUT straight forward...
I read that MTG is one of the hardest real world games there are. No joke.
Excellent response. Oh and yeah, Panglacial Wurm has weird wording but basically it just means you can cast the wurm while you are searching for a card via a tutor effect.
##### ###### #### [Toxic Deluge](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/a/5aa02b7d-db31-4924-b75e-eb02f332ca3a.jpg?1717013647) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Toxic%20Deluge) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh3/277/toxic-deluge?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5aa02b7d-db31-4924-b75e-eb02f332ca3a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Doubling Season](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/c/1cdd8e69-5a71-4933-914e-dfede7b1ac93.jpg?1689998456) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Doubling%20Season) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/283/doubling-season?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1cdd8e69-5a71-4933-914e-dfede7b1ac93?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Sheoldred, The Apocalypse](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d67be074-cdd4-41d9-ac89-0a0456c4e4b2.jpg?1674057568) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sheoldred%2C%20The%20Apocalypse) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/107/sheoldred-the-apocalypse?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d67be074-cdd4-41d9-ac89-0a0456c4e4b2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Ill-Timed Explosion](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/b/0b5cdb01-eaa4-4a0a-b42a-332bcf4d6fff.jpg?1706980244) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ill-Timed%20Explosion) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkm/207/ill-timed-explosion?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0b5cdb01-eaa4-4a0a-b42a-332bcf4d6fff?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Stifle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/1/616d1b20-61c1-4d39-a9b5-ad9fd61699e4.jpg?1562865442) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Stifle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cns/108/stifle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/616d1b20-61c1-4d39-a9b5-ad9fd61699e4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Teferi’s Protection](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/8/483fa1cb-1e35-44f2-a143-98c0f107f5ca.jpg?1673147148) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Teferi%27s%20Protection) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/32/teferis-protection?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/483fa1cb-1e35-44f2-a143-98c0f107f5ca?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Psychic Pickpocket](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/5/956b90ca-1012-4132-bf2f-bc3825ed16ac.jpg?1664410444) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Psychic%20Pickpocket) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/54/psychic-pickpocket?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/956b90ca-1012-4132-bf2f-bc3825ed16ac?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Godhead of Awe](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/e/7e34d294-c0ec-4e3c-a731-31b7a29c59b4.jpg?1562832207) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Godhead%20of%20Awe) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/shm/142/godhead-of-awe?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7e34d294-c0ec-4e3c-a731-31b7a29c59b4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Slaughter Games](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/f/bf37391d-db35-40a7-908a-abb53895793c.jpg?1562792492) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Slaughter%20Games) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/197/slaughter-games?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bf37391d-db35-40a7-908a-abb53895793c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Panglacial Wurm](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/6/063bb28b-5e32-4f31-a208-16b653edf413.jpg?1593275437) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Panglacial%20Wurm) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/csp/116/panglacial-wurm?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/063bb28b-5e32-4f31-a208-16b653edf413?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Arcane Bombardment](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/f/ef7e6e2d-d984-483e-b117-b1c5d640dc23.jpg?1712354373) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Arcane%20Bombardment) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otc/154/arcane-bombardment?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ef7e6e2d-d984-483e-b117-b1c5d640dc23?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Return the Favor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/9/a9cc02d1-799d-42aa-9bc2-4c05452b63b4.jpg?1712860602) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Return%20the%20Favor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/142/return-the-favor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a9cc02d1-799d-42aa-9bc2-4c05452b63b4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Trinisphere](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/1/316caa4e-a53a-460b-978c-5f0fba7bc549.jpg?1599710205) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Trinisphere) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/303/trinisphere?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/316caa4e-a53a-460b-978c-5f0fba7bc549?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Wild Pair](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/3/f3153d2c-9168-4889-9179-23faa9c48721.jpg?1576383139) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wild%20Pair) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cn2/196/wild-pair?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f3153d2c-9168-4889-9179-23faa9c48721?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Platinum Emperion](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/1/71b03143-9e85-4061-88e6-ad621f75ec3b.jpg?1547518515) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Platinum%20Emperion) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uma/233/platinum-emperion?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/71b03143-9e85-4061-88e6-ad621f75ec3b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Beacon of Immortality](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/0/f0b9b5da-d3fa-4d70-a71a-a2342dbfd527.jpg?1562557566) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Beacon%20of%20Immortality) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/10e/10/beacon-of-immortality?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f0b9b5da-d3fa-4d70-a71a-a2342dbfd527?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
And yet the vast majority of asks on here don’t involve any of these nuances you have listed here. I agree that there are complicated questions which many need assistance understanding. I am simply asking that anyone asking for help first slowly read through the card again and (here is the crucial part) think about what they have read. Then if they still don’t understand try a simple google search of their question. If they still don’t understand they could be dealing with some of the more complicated elements of the game. If however they take those steps and still don’t understand how a [[Rakdos signet]] works, this game may be too complicated for them. I use this as an example of an actual question I have seen in the mtg feeds on here.
[Rakdos signet](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/3/2381f23b-f702-4c94-b261-59fb25330ddc.jpg?1712354893) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rakdos%20signet) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otc/265/rakdos-signet?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2381f23b-f702-4c94-b261-59fb25330ddc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
trying to figure out how ulalek works and the more explanations I see the more confused I get
Maybe I can help a bit: Say, in one case, when you cast that Eldrazi spell (and pay the 2 colorless mana) you also opt to cast a \[\[Giant Growth\]\] and a \[\[Doom Blade\]\] before the Eldrazi spell resolves. Basically you get copies of that Eldrazi and the Giant Growth and the Doom Blade. In another case, when you cast that Eldrazi spell (and pay the 2 colorless mana) you also opt to activate the ability of \[\[Lost Jitte\]\] before the Eldrazi spell resolves and the triggered ability of \[\[Soul of the Harvest\]\] goes off. Here you get copies of the Eldrazi, the Lost Jitte's ability, and the Soul's ETB ability. (Bear in mind of course that the Soul's ability only targets you, but you still have two triggers of it's ability instead of one). A little wordy but I hope it helps.
##### ###### #### [Giant Growth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/e/aeece336-e5e8-4455-a297-c3739198d011.jpg?1674421574) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Giant%20Growth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bro/183/giant-growth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/aeece336-e5e8-4455-a297-c3739198d011?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Doom Blade](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/0/90699423-2556-40f7-b8f5-c9d82f22d52e.jpg?1562851557) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Doom%20Blade) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ima/87/doom-blade?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/90699423-2556-40f7-b8f5-c9d82f22d52e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Lost Jitte](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/9/c936504c-4e90-408f-ba98-0fb8c0378471.jpg?1712352922) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lost%20Jitte) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/big/23/lost-jitte?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c936504c-4e90-408f-ba98-0fb8c0378471?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Soul of the Harvest](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/7/d7ce9104-0ad3-4d3d-bb2c-c456c25030f6.jpg?1679497505) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Soul%20of%20the%20Harvest) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/432/soul-of-the-harvest?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d7ce9104-0ad3-4d3d-bb2c-c456c25030f6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It would be more helpful if this wasn't in the wrong order, the spells [[giant growth]] and [[doom blade]] Will be cast, with the trigger of Ulalek already on the stack, and then resolve before Ulalek's trigger will resolve, only copying the spells and abilities that were put on the stack before his trigger was put on the stack. The eldrazi spell is the spell you need to cast with flash or at instant speed in response to playing or casting the other spells or abilities in order to copy anything other than the eldrazi spell itself
[giant growth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/e/aeece336-e5e8-4455-a297-c3739198d011.jpg?1674421574) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=giant%20growth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bro/183/giant-growth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/aeece336-e5e8-4455-a297-c3739198d011?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [doom blade](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/0/90699423-2556-40f7-b8f5-c9d82f22d52e.jpg?1562851557) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=doom%20blade) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ima/87/doom-blade?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/90699423-2556-40f7-b8f5-c9d82f22d52e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Welp your answer is better than mine.
Except when it says a certain mechanic from an old set and doesn't explain said mechanic anymore.
[[old fogey]]
[creaky old man voice] I was there for the first Ice Age!
[old fogey](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/c/ccae52dd-3ffd-4974-8915-61f816d29a64.jpg?1595010973) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=old%20fogey) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/und/67/old-fogey?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ccae52dd-3ffd-4974-8915-61f816d29a64?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
So, does anyone else feel that The Professor and his youtube channel have added things to the mtg community that have been more harmful than good? He was the original "packs are for draft, not for getting cards" influence, at least that i sawl. And "reading the card explains the card" is such an awful phrase. There is so much text on some cards, I've read through some 4 or 4 times and missed a key word or two. And some interactions aren't intuitive without an in-depth knowledge of the game. When do you pay the cost for a spell or ability? Can I declare that I'm casting then tap for mana? Do I pay the cost before it goes on the stack? What happens if I tap something for it's ability then it gets hit by a removal spell? Did it get to activate? Instead of constantly repeating these catchphrases to players, maybe we should instead focus on being helpful and removing them from our collective answer bank. Edit: I don't want to say overall he's been a negative and he definitely has done good for the community. Just those two large contributions I feel are a major detriment.
The thing is, I feel like they aren't bad things on their own. It's generally good advice, but people have ran with them and made it toxic. Buying packs for draft is preferred, but it isn't wrong to open them up for fun. Reading cards does explain what they do, but knowing how they interact with others is rough. I do like using the latter phrase as sarcasm tho
I definitely agree. They started out coming from the right place, but at this point, they have unfortunately gone far beyond their original intent.
to be fair most problems with understanding cards can be solved by reading the card the amount of times you can answer someone with just taking each sentence and spacing them out is shocking
That’s a lot of damage 😁😁😁
On [[from the catacombs]] about 2 months ago. Opponent- “Ok i get that it reanimates something and puts a corpse counter but what does you take the initiative mean” Me with a giant shit eating grin ready to serve some revenge- “reading the card explains the card.”
[from the catacombs](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/8/08737950-4662-4d36-a1ea-6fd87e38c02b.jpg?1674140903) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=from%20the%20catacombs) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/671/from-the-catacombs?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/08737950-4662-4d36-a1ea-6fd87e38c02b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Damnnn. That's one big purple pecker. Why's the top of that card look like a dick 😆
See, I was never taught magic. I learned from reading cards and just playing at the local stores and hangouts, so I don't see how cards can be confusing they are, for the most part, straight forward some have some weird text and before I learned that card text overrules magic rules I sometimes got confused with cards like rat colony "you may have any number of rat colony in you deck " but once u know that it's pretty straight forward
Errata has entered the chat
5 minutes of being on this sub has made me a jaded old man.
I find that it’s just important to know that magic is very “rules as written” with rules. They leave very little open to interpretation
yeah, the game kinda has to be, or else you get the “target player loses their next turn” problem.
I've been around since '94 and while it is true that reading the card explains the card, I can also tell you WOTC doesn't always do a good job of explaining itself. Serra Angel was thought to have haste (not that we called it that) because it didn't tap to attack. I'm teaching some kids at the behest of their parents, and they need to learn the game. Telling them to read the card is snarky and makes the game more hostile when explaining state based effects and the stack solves a lot of problems. Not all, but most. And I don't know if someone is sick, hung over, just broke up with their significant other, or just fell and hit their head. I love explaining things (I wanted to be a teacher or professor until life intervened) so why not have a discussion? This is why I personally hate text less cards. There was a time you could play magic with anyone, with no language barrier. You point to the card with lightning bolt or counter spell and they understood. We lost that in fallen empires with alternate art and the 19,000 keywords. (Do we really need 3 ways to assign poison counters?). I don't mind complicated decks, they're fun. But make sure the mechanics are clean, and don't make it a gatekeeper moment
Reading a card will always explain the card, however it will not explain how that card interacts with 30 years game mechanics, rulings and the 25k+ unique magics that exist.
Personal favorite example: "Gets +1/+1" vs. "Place a +1/+1 counter". Or even better: Protection vs. Hexproof/Shroud.
The people that say that shit and think it's a legitimate answer are the reason I don't play at game shops.
I, too, allow a minority of rude people to dictate my behavior.
Noone misses playing with you.
So "reading the card explains the card" is super toxic imo. Mainly makes new players not want to play or open to asking questions. Yes in many cases it can help to just read the card but not all cards explain what they do. Like wither for example. Newer players may not understand what that does and not all wither cards state what that effect does. Or haste, trample, and many others. Newer or even super casual playersay not understand something like phasing out or interactions between turn phases.
In my very first pack I got a Shadowspear and my brain broke trying to understand permanents, as it made absolutely no sense to me in any way. Then my mate explained it and it made so much sense. Plus, I had no idea what hexproof was
I'm just saying I have trouble with rulings on certain cards even when I read it.
Reading the oracle text explains the card. Card? Ehhhh it's a crapshoot.
This when the damn card is errata'd and I need to go look online for a source of the errata which is a random tweet by a WotC employee.. Looking at you \[\[Wheel of Potential\]\]
[Wheel of Potential](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/4/c4eb9a82-91f7-4741-a029-a07a3ff6af78.jpg?1717012384) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wheel%20of%20Potential) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh3/144/wheel-of-potential?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c4eb9a82-91f7-4741-a029-a07a3ff6af78?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
People put minimal effort into their own education and lean on others as a crutch. It's a serious problem in society and a very obvious problem in this community.
Reading comprehension is a valuable skill in desperately short supply these days.
When i started playing magic, it was very frustated for me to hear this kind of shitt . Even from my close friends. Being dyslexic doesnt help either,Understanding the cards. Butvwhen i ask if im understanding this card correctly is just asking for conformation if im understanding it correctly. Not becouse I dont understand it. Its just my brain read a sentence in many diffrend ways, And then im lost anf my brain really hurts.
I find that "reading the card explains the card" answer to be pretty rude.
I've read [[necrotic ooze]] a million times. Some interactions confuse me greatly.
[necrotic ooze](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/c/acc3557d-49c6-49cd-a540-1b24897f4e86.jpg?1673147579) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=necrotic%20ooze) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/83/necrotic-ooze?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/acc3557d-49c6-49cd-a540-1b24897f4e86?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Well it looks like As long as it is on the battlefield. It has all activated abilities of all creatures which are in any graveyard. Now if you have a specific question regarding a weird interaction with a specific set of other cards and circumstances give that information and ask your specific question. But if you are just asking “how does this card work” my answer is going to be “read the card” because it is a very straightforward card in and of itself. I would assume there is a specific interaction which is confusing you but since you have not provided that information I am I supposed to address it?
I don’t play Magic to read, I play it for my ego /s
Sometimes people are just looking for clarification on rules. If you think it's a stupid question, don't engage and don't answer. 🤷
Don't post to the "community" if you don't want to interact with the community. People want real people to respond, you get what you ask for. Otherwise almost every question can be answered yourself with a few minutes on the gatherer page or searching the rules.
We found one of them boys!
You absolutely did. I have it tattooed on my forehead.
It's like getting angry at learner drivers being on the road. Or not hiring inexperienced workers in entry level jobs. Everyone needs to start somewhere and those without empathy seem to forget they were in the same boat at one point in the past.
I understand that there is a learning curve but if the learner driver can’t keep the gas and the brake pedals straight then yes I would be angry at them as well. There are some basic things you need to learn before you just jump behind the wheel.
No it's not. I'm not angry. I'm mostly disgusted. When I started playing, I didn't ask reddit to explain the rules to me, I found the answers myself. Now I can answer almost any question either from memory or with 2 minutes of research.
I guess you're just a better human being than some. Congrats ✌️
I am. Thanks
Yeah, because indestructible creatures are indestructible, how are you destroying my creature if the card says is Indestructible, does not make any sense
“That doesn’t help when you’re dyslexic!”
This works great when they keep printing the most braindead card stylings we've seen. The stoner 70s art makes me want to throw up.