Google is a lovely thing, isn't it? A simple google search can find you many sites for MTG slang and jargon, many of which are for these forums. However, google can't (yet) sneak into people's homes and find out terms that they may only use between themselves, but luckily these forums are perfect for doing such things?
Inspired by the most recent video by the Professor (Tolarian Community College) regarding MTG slang, I have decided to make this thread. The video was great, and while I knew some-most of the terms, others I weren't familiar with (topdeck, lucksack, hate, and brick) as well as many more from the internet (Alpha Strike - A final attack meant to end the game. Goldfishing - Doing a practice game against no one where you draw cards until you win). However, there are some me and my friends use that exist mostly between us, so I am sure there are many you guys have as well!
This thread is for: terms your group made up and uses, outdated terms that you feel people should use more, a term you think should catch on, or just a funny term you use jokingly.
Here are some examples from me and my friends.
1. Making Sand (verb) - This is when a player takes exceptionally long on their turn, yet ends up doing something of very little important that either barely affects the game, or doesn't at all. Never used when speaking of the far past, never used on a person who makes a choice that affects the game. (eg. "Quit making sand so I can take my turn." "If all you're going to do is make sand, at least pass your turn.") Derived from making sand castles; takes forever, and doesn't affect anyone at the end of the day.
2. Nixon (verb) - This one actually derives from out of MTG use and bled it's way into it. It originally meant to make a mistake, and then quit before you get the consequences. (eg. forgetting to do that homework, so you call in sick instead.) In MTG, it refers to someone who quits exceptionally early due to a mistake they made, rarely used when no mistake was made and eminent loss was ahead. (eg. When a player gets no mana and forfeits, they "nixoned." or, when a player is low on health, and believes he can't fix it due to drawing bricks.")
3. Red Card (verb/noun) - Stems from "green card, red card." Popular amongst friends. The original saying goes "MTG Player had two cards in his hand, a green card that kept him in the game, and a red card that screwed himself and someone else over, and he goes "oh, red card, perfect!." Typically used in EDH when a player does something stupid that costs them and someone else the game. Typically just used as red card now. (eg. "He put down a red card and screwed me over, as usual." or "He played a red card on me even though I wasn't the threat.) Typically used in good manner, but can sometimes be salty.
4. Game of Thrones (noun) - This is a game of EDH where the player won by pure persuasion, usually by convincing people that someone else is a bigger threat than he is, or threatening to wipe someone early game if they dare attack. It is said that they played the game of thrones.
5. Geth's Verdict - More of a joke than anything else. Geth's verdict was one of the original cards we got when we first started playing magic, and it was in my mono-black deck. Needless to say, my friends came to hate it, for it was OP in casual magic from an instant collection. At this day, when we play a brick, we say "I play, geth's verdict" as a sort of ironic joke.
So, what about you guys, what kind of slang do you use? Think hard, some of it you may have made up without realizing, just like our "red card." We use it very often, but it didn't strike us as slang until recently.
My friends and I played a lot during original Ravnica before taking a long break, so we still commonly refer to being "hellbent" when we have no cards in hand. I occasionally say I'm hellbent at FNM, and often get weird looks from people who don't know what I mean.
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Formerly Angrypossum over at the now-defunct WotC forums.
I really like "crush." There have been so many confused grumblings between players when someone drops a creature that *looks* like it has a special ability, but it doesn't. Usually it goes "I play *card name*" "what does it do?" "oh it's a 4/2" "yeah, but like, abilities?" "oh, none, just 4/2." It can be complicated when someone mishears them (often.) I think I might use crush to refer to a ability-less creature in general, if you don't mind.
This reminded me of one that a single friend of mine has been using for the past week or so. We have no clue where he got it, but he calls it "paraplay." It's when a person plays cautiously or with paranoia because they expect the opponent to have something that could do something to them if they dare take that action (untapped mana scares them usually), but in reality they've got bricks! He calls it paraplaying, and he says he just used it because it combines paranoid with play.
My friends and I played a lot during original Ravnica before taking a long break, so we still commonly refer to being "hellbent" when we have no cards in hand. I occasionally say I'm hellbent at FNM, and often get weird looks from people who don't know what I mean.
haha when i first started playing magic was during ravnica with the r/b intro pack with the hellbent hobgoblin rats. I say hellbent to this day piloting RDW currently in standard.
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Standard // nRG Aggro
Modern // Burn (main) and Living End (secondary) now Jund.
For fun check out my janky combo primer: Turn 3 Grixis Combo
"Can't beat em' Jund em'!"
Wind-scry: When playing and the wind (from fan etc.) blows the top of your deck off. You can choose to bottom or top, usually laugh are had.
Pretty good: Used sarcastically on stuff that is most certainly not noteworthy of being pretty good.
Example: Player 1: I'll play a mountain. Player 2: That's pretty good.
WOW: Also used in a sarcastic fashion, WOW is used when you are unimpressed by a supposedly game changing play. Usually followed up with an answer to the threat.
5-color goodstuff/greatstuff/badstuff/worststuff: Variations on what players say they are drafting when cubing.
All mountains - Usually said when someone is taking a long time to decide whether to mulligan or not. "hm, I'm not sure if i should keep this." " what chu got, 7 mountains?" or sometime just "all mountains." not used if opponent is playing red.
ok. Manamorphose, desperate ritual... - after thinking for a long time, just saying out a storm combo really quickly, regardless of what deck you're playing. usually followed by a scoop.
Pretty good/Alright i guess - Used sarcastically when a card/combination of cards is really strong and/or backbreaking. "Mountain, Seething song, goblin Lackey, Goblin lackey, Goblin Chieftain, attack for 6, put in two piledrivers" "That's an alright play, i guess"
Uh, judge? - Used sarcastically when someone violates the rules acceptably (Using genju of the fens as a commander), or when playing a format that has no defined rules (pack wars). Also used when someone makes a joke about a card that they can't play, like "oh man, i'm at three good thing you're mono green" "bolt" "uh, Judge?"
Has also evolved to be a reaction to your opponent making a play that will probably win him the game. "tap 5, overrun" "Uh, Judge? my opponent is playing cards i wasn't prepared for"
Derek - My core group of friends with whom I grew up playing the game refers to someone as "Derek" whenever they take a long turn or contemplate a seemingly obvious decision. The reason for this is quite apparent, but I'll elaborate. We have a friend named Derek who is known for taking excruciatingly long turns. Once his turn begins you can get up, make a sandwich, use the restroom and take a short nap before anything relevant happens. This occurs on each of his turns, in every game he plays and even on his turns in which he does absolutely nothing. He quite literally tries to lull everyone to victory. Whenever anyone is thinking, "Who the hells turn is it anyway," it's always Derek's turn. We've even told Derek on occasion, "You're taking a Derek turn," which he does not appreciate.
We have a person like that. I once timed it. Set the timer, got up, made two pancakes, came back. How long was his turn according to the timer? About 14 minutes and 30 some seconds. What did he do? Play his commander, summon two artifacts that tap for colorless mana, and scry 1.
He comes into your house, and eats your breakfast: Whenever an opponent asks what one of your creatures does, especially if it's a big beater a la Tarmogoyf, or an efficient one, a la Delver of Secrets.
Pikachu/charizard - When a player needs to topdeck a specific card and obviously does not OR draws a card thatentirely changes their gameplan and they have to rethink everything, that players opponent will comment: "was it a pikachu?". this is either implying that they may as well have drawn a pikachu for all the help that the card they did draw will do, or a sarcastic remark implying the same thing, even though this is obviously not the case
heal me, bro - used in a joking manner when someone is overkilled by a large amount. "you're at 6? attack for 37." "alright, negative 31. heal me bro."
aaaaaaaand fireball for 20 - similar to "heal me, bro" but from the other side, used when you have assembled a combo or have an overikll win on board. "you're at 6? and i have 37 power of guys? ... fireball for 20"
Merfolk Spirit Guide - It's become somewhat of a running joke among friends / local players to request priority for things when you are almost definitely not capable of actually responding, ie, opponent fetches on turn 1 when going first, you say wait, Merfolk Spirit Guide, Stifle your fetch, gotcha! (If I ever got to design a Magic card, that's the one I would make, and then watch as it immediately gets banned from basically every format it's legal in :p)
Stealing this.
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Formerly Angrypossum over at the now-defunct WotC forums.
A friend and I use Magic card names when discussing tournament results. For example, if you're 1-2 in games, you're in the Squire bracket. 2-3, Scrapskin Drake bracket, and so on. We don't always use the same cards, but we try to go for the more insulting or depressing ones, especially when the record is poor. I like Abbey Matron as a 1/3 that has the amazing potential to turn into a 1/6.
Merfolk Spirit Guide - It's become somewhat of a running joke among friends / local players to request priority for things when you are almost definitely not capable of actually responding, ie, opponent fetches on turn 1 when going first, you say wait, Merfolk Spirit Guide, Stifle your fetch, gotcha! (If I ever got to design a Magic card, that's the one I would make, and then watch as it immediately gets banned from basically every format it's legal in :p)
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I'll block: Saying that you'll block, regardless of what the opponent does.
Example: Player one: Okay, playing my land for the turn. Player 2: Block.
What does that do?: Often used in jest, used to pester opponents who take to long with their turn. Asking them when you know full well what a card does.
Example P1: I'll play an island. P2: Hold on, what does that do
That sounds like my crowd. I do some similar things myself. At the beginning of the match, after my opponent says, "I'll play," or "I'll draw," I'll occasionally respond, "I'll allow it." That usually generates a few chuckles. Or, when an opponent rolls a die and it lands somewhere around 10-13, I'll crack a wry smile and under my breath say, "Mmm, good age."
Value! - Only used sarcastically, when a card that has little to no value is played, especially after another player has made a very powerful play and passed turn.
Moon-language: any card in foreign, especially Japanese/Chinese/Korean. I had to retire my Moon-language Ethersworn Adjudicator from my EDH deck because I couldn't remember wether Mortify killed Artifacts or Enchantments anymore (I always remembered his ability as Mortify on a stick)
It's also pretty common for us to jokingly say "I scoop" to whatever an opponent's first land drop is- or the slightly less smartassy "hmm, that wasn't in my game plan / I'm not prepared to deal with [Mountains]"
It's pretty uncommon for me to play a Red deck, so I always joke that I don't know how to operate Mountains
I like to call the Wandering Wolf ability (not a good example, but the cleanest implementation of it) warning.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Google is a lovely thing, isn't it? A simple google search can find you many sites for MTG slang and jargon, many of which are for these forums. However, google can't (yet) sneak into people's homes and find out terms that they may only use between themselves, but luckily these forums are perfect for doing such things?
Inspired by the most recent video by the Professor (Tolarian Community College) regarding MTG slang, I have decided to make this thread. The video was great, and while I knew some-most of the terms, others I weren't familiar with (topdeck, lucksack, hate, and brick) as well as many more from the internet (Alpha Strike - A final attack meant to end the game. Goldfishing - Doing a practice game against no one where you draw cards until you win). However, there are some me and my friends use that exist mostly between us, so I am sure there are many you guys have as well!
This thread is for: terms your group made up and uses, outdated terms that you feel people should use more, a term you think should catch on, or just a funny term you use jokingly.
Here are some examples from me and my friends.
1. Making Sand (verb) - This is when a player takes exceptionally long on their turn, yet ends up doing something of very little important that either barely affects the game, or doesn't at all. Never used when speaking of the far past, never used on a person who makes a choice that affects the game. (eg. "Quit making sand so I can take my turn." "If all you're going to do is make sand, at least pass your turn.") Derived from making sand castles; takes forever, and doesn't affect anyone at the end of the day.
2. Nixon (verb) - This one actually derives from out of MTG use and bled it's way into it. It originally meant to make a mistake, and then quit before you get the consequences. (eg. forgetting to do that homework, so you call in sick instead.) In MTG, it refers to someone who quits exceptionally early due to a mistake they made, rarely used when no mistake was made and eminent loss was ahead. (eg. When a player gets no mana and forfeits, they "nixoned." or, when a player is low on health, and believes he can't fix it due to drawing bricks.")
3. Red Card (verb/noun) - Stems from "green card, red card." Popular amongst friends. The original saying goes "MTG Player had two cards in his hand, a green card that kept him in the game, and a red card that screwed himself and someone else over, and he goes "oh, red card, perfect!." Typically used in EDH when a player does something stupid that costs them and someone else the game. Typically just used as red card now. (eg. "He put down a red card and screwed me over, as usual." or "He played a red card on me even though I wasn't the threat.) Typically used in good manner, but can sometimes be salty.
4. Game of Thrones (noun) - This is a game of EDH where the player won by pure persuasion, usually by convincing people that someone else is a bigger threat than he is, or threatening to wipe someone early game if they dare attack. It is said that they played the game of thrones.
5. Geth's Verdict - More of a joke than anything else. Geth's verdict was one of the original cards we got when we first started playing magic, and it was in my mono-black deck. Needless to say, my friends came to hate it, for it was OP in casual magic from an instant collection. At this day, when we play a brick, we say "I play, geth's verdict" as a sort of ironic joke.
So, what about you guys, what kind of slang do you use? Think hard, some of it you may have made up without realizing, just like our "red card." We use it very often, but it didn't strike us as slang until recently.
This reminded me of one that a single friend of mine has been using for the past week or so. We have no clue where he got it, but he calls it "paraplay." It's when a person plays cautiously or with paranoia because they expect the opponent to have something that could do something to them if they dare take that action (untapped mana scares them usually), but in reality they've got bricks! He calls it paraplaying, and he says he just used it because it combines paranoid with play.
haha when i first started playing magic was during ravnica with the r/b intro pack with the hellbent hobgoblin rats. I say hellbent to this day piloting RDW currently in standard.
Modern // Burn (main) and Living End (secondary) now Jund.
For fun check out my janky combo primer: Turn 3 Grixis Combo
"Can't beat em' Jund em'!"
Cheeri0sXWU
Reid Duke's Level One
Who's the Beatdown
Alt+0198=Æ
Pretty good: Used sarcastically on stuff that is most certainly not noteworthy of being pretty good.
Example: Player 1: I'll play a mountain. Player 2: That's pretty good.
WOW: Also used in a sarcastic fashion, WOW is used when you are unimpressed by a supposedly game changing play. Usually followed up with an answer to the threat.
5-color goodstuff/greatstuff/badstuff/worststuff: Variations on what players say they are drafting when cubing.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
ok. Manamorphose, desperate ritual... - after thinking for a long time, just saying out a storm combo really quickly, regardless of what deck you're playing. usually followed by a scoop.
Pretty good/Alright i guess - Used sarcastically when a card/combination of cards is really strong and/or backbreaking. "Mountain, Seething song, goblin Lackey, Goblin lackey, Goblin Chieftain, attack for 6, put in two piledrivers" "That's an alright play, i guess"
Uh, judge? - Used sarcastically when someone violates the rules acceptably (Using genju of the fens as a commander), or when playing a format that has no defined rules (pack wars). Also used when someone makes a joke about a card that they can't play, like "oh man, i'm at three good thing you're mono green" "bolt" "uh, Judge?"
Has also evolved to be a reaction to your opponent making a play that will probably win him the game. "tap 5, overrun" "Uh, Judge? my opponent is playing cards i wasn't prepared for"
Pikachu/charizard - When a player needs to topdeck a specific card and obviously does not OR draws a card thatentirely changes their gameplan and they have to rethink everything, that players opponent will comment: "was it a pikachu?". this is either implying that they may as well have drawn a pikachu for all the help that the card they did draw will do, or a sarcastic remark implying the same thing, even though this is obviously not the case
heal me, bro - used in a joking manner when someone is overkilled by a large amount. "you're at 6? attack for 37." "alright, negative 31. heal me bro."
aaaaaaaand fireball for 20 - similar to "heal me, bro" but from the other side, used when you have assembled a combo or have an overikll win on board. "you're at 6? and i have 37 power of guys? ... fireball for 20"
Double winning - not so much slang, but it goes hand in hand with the fireball for 20 idea. A double win occurs when a player would kill another player but in response kills him a different way. "I attack with leatherback baloth, cast tainted strike and berserk." "alright, that's 10 poison i lo-" "flash in protean hulk, 4 disciple of the vault, 4 shifting wall, 4 phyrexian marauder, take 32"
Stealing this.
I always go with "Pact of Stifle"
High Number Death Game
20 Questions (with Magic Cards)
Baath Nephilim
Porno Nephilim
4D Nephilim
On phasing:
Example: Player one: Okay, playing my land for the turn. Player 2: Block.
What does that do?: Often used in jest, used to pester opponents who take to long with their turn. Asking them when you know full well what a card does.
Example P1: I'll play an island. P2: Hold on, what does that do
We are a sarcastic group of jerkfaces
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
Example:
My T1: Bloodstained Mire, crack and fetch Plateau, tap to cast Mana Vault, tap to cast Sol Ring and Boros Signet, tap the ring to pay for the Signet, cast Serra Ascendant. Pass turn.
My brother's T1: Golgari Guildgate tapped. Pass turn. Value! This exact scenario actually happened.
Also said sarcastically in phrases such as "Too much value." or "Oh man, I can't handle the value."
This is the perfect way to annoy my friend who takes too long. Every time he takes a long turn, I'm going to ask what every card does.
Wasting Time
Trogdor, the Burninator! (It even kinda looks like him, all S-shaped and one wingy
Moon-language: any card in foreign, especially Japanese/Chinese/Korean. I had to retire my Moon-language Ethersworn Adjudicator from my EDH deck because I couldn't remember wether Mortify killed Artifacts or Enchantments anymore (I always remembered his ability as Mortify on a stick)
It's also pretty common for us to jokingly say "I scoop" to whatever an opponent's first land drop is- or the slightly less smartassy "hmm, that wasn't in my game plan / I'm not prepared to deal with [Mountains]"
It's pretty uncommon for me to play a Red deck, so I always joke that I don't know how to operate Mountains
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Well, the nearer wing is pretty dominant in the artwork, whilst the other one is receding into the background- easy enough to miss on a casual glance.
On phasing: