206. Expansion Symbol

206.1. The expansion symbol indicates which Magic set a card is from. It’s a small icon normally printed below the right edge of the illustration.

206.2. The color of the expansion symbol indicates the rarity of the card within its set. A red-orange symbol indicates the card is mythic rare. A gold symbol indicates the card is rare. A silver symbol indicates the card is uncommon. A black or white symbol indicates the card is common or is a basic land. A purple symbol signifies a special rarity; to date, only the Time Spiral® “timeshifted” cards, which were rarer than that set’s rare cards, have had purple expansion symbols. (Prior to the Exodus™ set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. Also, prior to the Sixth Edition core set, with the exception of the Simplified Chinese Fifth Edition core set, Magic core sets didn’t have expansion symbols at all.)

206.3. A spell or ability that affects cards from a particular set checks only for that set’s expansion symbol. A card reprinted in the core set or another expansion receives that set’s expansion symbol. Any reprinted version of the card no longer counts as part of its original set unless it was reprinted with that set’s expansion symbol.

206.4. Players may include cards from any printing in their constructed decks if those cards appear in sets allowed in that format (or those cards are specifically allowed by the Magic Tournament Rules). See the Magic Tournament Rules for the current definitions of the constructed formats (www.wizards.com/wpn/Events/Rules.aspx).

206.5. The full list of expansions and expansion symbols can be found in the Magic Products section of the Wizards of the Coast website (www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=mtg/tcg/products/allproducts).

207. Text Box

207.1. The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the card’s abilities.

207.2. The text box may also contain italicized text that has no game function.

207.2a Reminder text is italicized text within parentheses that summarizes a rule that applies to that card. It usually appears on the same line as the ability it’s relevant to, but it may appear on its own line if it applies to an aspect of the card other than an ability.

207.2b Flavor text is italicized text that, like the illustration, adds artistic appeal to the game. It appears below the rules text.

207.2c An ability word appears in italics at the beginning of some abilities. Ability words are similar to keywords in that they tie together cards that have similar functionality, but they have no special rules meaning and no individual entries in the Comprehensive Rules. The ability words are channel, chroma, domain, fateful hour, grandeur, hellbent, imprint, join forces, kinship, landfall, metalcraft, morbid, radiance, sweep, and threshold.

207.3. A guild icon appears in the text box of many Ravnica® and Return to Ravnica™ block cards. These cards either have the specified guild’s exclusive mechanic or somehow relate to the two colors associated with that guild. Guild icons have no effect on game play. Similarly, a faction icon appears in the text box of most Scars of Mirrodin™ block cards. These faction icons have no effect on game play.

207.4. The chaos symbol {C} appears in the text box of each plane card to the left of a triggered ability that triggers whenever {C} is rolled on the planar die. The symbol itself has no special rules meaning.