VOCAB

Here is a glossary of terms, acronyms, and common references to help new players talk shop in a Local Game Store or at a card tournament.


GLOSSARY

Anthem
Named after Glorious Anthem, any effect that buffs or pumps your entire team.

Avengers-Level Threat
A threat that feels like ultron or thanos.
Bear
MTG Term. Creature that costs 2/2 for two. This is used as a baseline for power levels/value costs in the game and these numbers have changed with power creep but bears are still frequently reprinted at common.

Bounce
MTG Term. Effect or spell that returns a card that is on the battlefield to its owner's hand.

Cantrip
MTG term. A "cantrip" effect. A spell minor game effect with the text “Draw a card” added at the end so that it’s worthwhile to put in your deck. Based on Dungeons & Dragons as slang for a spell with a minor effect and no cost
CCG
Collectible Card Game e.g. Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, etc.
CMC
Converted Mana Cost (CMC). Now referred to officially as just "Mana Value".
Commander
Another name for the Magic the Gathering format Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH).
Constructed
Card game format where you build your deck.
Digital collectible card game
Digital game that emulates a TCG e.g. Heartstone, Magic the Gathering Arena.
Dork
a small creatures for sacking or feeding to a sack outlet.
Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH)
Fan created Magic the Gathering format. Now more commonly called COMMANDER.
Enter the Battlefield (ETB)
Magic the Gathering effect also seen in most card games (e.g. urchin from Keyforge). Frequently combined with flicker effects.
Esper
Magic the Gathering slang. One of five Shards of Alara. It is primarily blue-aligned, with white and black as secondary colors.
Flicker
MTG Term. Exiling something, then returning it to the battlefield. Typically to create another ETB trigger or shake off targeted removal.
Flooded
MTG Term. (mana) Flooded. When you've drawn far more lands than you need.
GAMA
the name comes from the GAMA Expo - Game Manufacturers Association. Game retailers (at the start of keyforge's history) could sign up for a unique cota deck generated from the algorith. This is a tournament legal deck (unique) with a name based on the retail store name and the game logo on the archon art.
GEM Software
Global Event Manager (GEM). FFG Official OP software. Enables tracking player results, facilitating tournaments, etc. See the Official FFG blog post for more info.
Grixis
MTG term.. One of five shards of Alara. Primarily black-aligned, with blue and red as secondary colors.
Hate Bear
MTG slang. Creature that costs 2/2 for two with some kind of text that is good against a specific kind of deck. Bear is in reference to a 2/2 bear.

LCG
Living Card Game e.g. Android: Netrunner, Legend of the Five rings, LCGs have regular expansions and deck construction like CCGs, but do not have the "blind buy purchase model" of CCGs.
Legal
Playable via format's rules and limitations.
LGS
Local Game Store.
Limited
MTG term. In Limited events, you open fresh packs of cards once the tournament begins and have to build your deck on the fly. e.g. Sealed, Draft.
Mana Dork
A low cost creature that taps for a resource in MTG.
Minion
A small critter e.g. reference from Dota and/or Heartstone.
Modal Card
MTG term. A spell that requires you to choose modes as you cast it e.g. Abzan Charm.
MOTO / MODO
Magic the Gathering Online.
MTG
Magic the Gathering.
Naya
Magic the Gathering slang. One of five Shards of Alara. Primarily green-aligned, with red and white as secondary colors.
Organized Play (OP)
Processes, roles, and events at the local, regional, national, or global level. Generally Official activity by a game publisher.
OTK
One-Turn-Kill swing for a win combo in a TCG.
Poxy
Budget-print of an expensive or un-owned card.
Power Creep
Newer cards or items in a game are stronger/better than previous options. Inevitable as better cards will keep players coming back to buy more cards.
PTQ
Pro Tour Qualifier. One-day Magic tournaments held by Wizards of the Coast. Sunset in 2019.
Sac-Outlet
A sacrifice (Sac) outlet for creatures or permanents with destroy effects.
Sealed Cube
Fill a cube with a bunch of interesting packs of a game's history. Ideally open packs & play a tournament with friends. The cards opened are the cube forever.
Stax
MTG term. Stax is a term used to describe a deck strategy that mostly relies on resource denial, taxing effects, disruption, and sacrifice enablers to potentially lock down opponents and make it difficult to cast spells, play creatures, attack, breath, sleep, and/or have any kind of reliable board state.

Sweeper
See WRATH.
TCG
Trading Card Game eg. Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, etc.
Tuck
MTG. Putting cards on the bottom of its owner's library, or shuffling them into owner's library. Considered really strong spot removal in Commander/EDG because of the 100 card deck minimum.

Vanilla
A Card with No spell text or abilities or activated powers.
Voltron
MTG slang. Archetype with the goal of casting one creature, then using Auras, Equipment, Upgrades to enhance that creature and making it a threat. Based on the anime Voltron i.e. it features several small robots that combine into one large robot.

Win Con
Win Condition. A threat, combination, or situation intended to finish the game.
WOTC (WOT-SEE)
Wizards of the Coast. The company that currently owns the rights to Dungenons and Dragons as well as Magic the Gathering.
Wrath
In Refeference to Magic the Gathering card WRATH OF GOD. "Destroy all Creatures".

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