The Golden Rules of Magic

1. If text on a card contradicts the rules, the text on the card takes precedence.
2. "Responding" to other players' actions uses a stack: the last spell or ability to go onto the stack is the first to "resolve" (take effect).
3. Once an ability is announced, changing or destroying the source of that ability has no effect on the ability.

Types of Card

Permanents: stay on the board

• Land: Provides "mana" (energy) to play other cards.
• Creature: Is able to attack your opponent/s each turn, to repeatedly damage them.
• Enchant Creature, Enchant Land, etc: Have an effect on one specific other permanent.
• Enchantment, Artifact: Just sits there doing what its rules text says it does.

One-offs:

• Sorcery: Has its effect once, then goes to your discard pile.
• Instant: Has its effect once, then goes to your discard pile. May be played at (almost) any time - eg during combat, or on your opponent's turn.

Steps Of A Turn

• Beginning Phase
  1. Untap step
  2. Upkeep step
  3. Draw step
• First Main Phase
  (May play one land, and/or any number of sorceries, creatures, enchantments, artifacts)
• Combat Phase
  1. "Beginning of Combat" step (declare intention to attack)
  2. "Declare Attackers" step
  3. "Declare Blockers" step
  4. "Combat Damage" step:
     • Damage goes on stack
     • Damage resolves
  5. "End of Combat" step
• Second Main Phase
  (May play one land if not done so in first main phase, and/or any number of sorceries, creatures, enchantments, artifacts)
• End of Turn

May play instants and "activated abilities" at any point except in Untap step

Parts Of A Card