Numbers and symbols

Several numbers and symbols are used on Magic cards.

Numbers

Number	Description	Notes
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on.‎	Numerals	The only numbers the game uses are integers.
I, II, III, IV, V, and so on.‎	Roman Numerals	Sometimes numerals are represented by Roman numerals, e.g. Chapter numbers on Sagas.
X	The letter X	A placeholder for a number that needs to be determined.
Y	The letter Y	A second placeholder only used in rare circumstances where X is already being used for a different number.
*	A star	A placeholder for a variable number, sometimes used for power and toughness (*/*).

Symbols

Symbol	Description	Notes
, , , , , and so on.	Expansion symbols	The symbol indicates to which set the card belongs.
, , , ,	Colored mana symbols	Colored mana in costs can be paid only with the appropriate color of mana. As part of a mana ability the symbols show which color of mana is added to your mana pool.
	Colorless mana symbol	Colorless mana in costs can only be paid with colorless mana. As part of a mana ability it shows that colorless mana is added to your mana pool. Cards printed before Oath of the Gatewatch used the generic mana symbols instead.
	Zero mana symbol	Placeholder for a cost that can be paid with no resources.
, , , , , and so on.	Generic mana symbols	Generic mana in costs can be paid with any type of mana.
	Generic mana symbol	Has appeared exclusively on for-fun cards and has no black-border rules support. Appeared in silver border on The Ultimate Nightmare of Wizards of the Coast® Customer Service (wherein it's treated like ) and on the Mystery Booster card Experiment Five which provided its own rules ( can be paid with mana from a source that can produce two or more colors of mana). Note that playtest cards are not real cards and set no rules precedent.
, , , , , , , , ,	Hybrid mana symbols	A cost that can be paid in one of two ways, as represented by the two halves of the symbol.
, , , ,	Monocolored hybrid mana symbols	A cost that can be paid with either one colored mana or one colorless mana.
, , , ,		A cost that can be paid with either one colored mana or two mana of any type.
, , , , ,	Phyrexian mana symbols	A cost that can be paid either with one mana of its color or by paying 2 life. The last symbol is used in rules text for any of the five Phyrexian mana symbols.
	Phyrexian hybrid symbol	A cost that can be paid with a mana of either of its colors, or by paying 2 life.
	Snow mana symbol	Generic mana that can be paid with one mana of any type produced by a snow permanent.
	Tap symbol	An activation cost that means "tap this permanent".
	Untap symbol	An activation cost that means "untap this permanent".
X	Loyalty symbol	The number within that symbol denotes how many loyalty counters a planeswalker enters the battlefield with.
+X, 0, -X	Loyalty ability symbols	A loyalty ability is an activated ability with a cost of modifying the loyalty counter on a planeswalker card. An arrow up with a positive number means to add that many counters. An arrow down with a negative number means to remove that many counters. The shape without arrow and a zero in it means to perform no modifications. An ability with a negative loyalty cost can't be activated unless the permanent has at least that many loyalty counters on it.
X	Defense symbol	The number within that symbol denotes how many defense counters a battle enters the battlefield with.
I, II, III, IV, V, VI	Chapter symbol	The chapter symbol denotes on which chapter a Saga currently is.
,	Level symbols	Both symbols check the number of level counters on a creature. As long as the creature has an amount of counter within the indicated range, it has a certain power and toughness as well as abilities.
	Plus icon	Indicates a card with mandatory additional costs.
	Tombstone icon	Indicates a card with abilities that are relevant in a player's graveyard.
	Scroll icon	Indicates a Lesson card that can be fetched from outside the game.
, , , , , ,	Future Sight card type symbols	Due to the special frame used in Future Sight every card type received a symbol. The symbols represent the following from left to right: instant, sorcery, creature, enchantment, land, artifact, and multitype.
	Planeswalker symbol	Symbolizes planeswalker cards and is also used to planeswalk in the Planechase format.
	Chaos symbol	Exclusively used in the Planechase format.
	Transforming DFC symbols	The upward pointing triangle indicates the front face of a transforming double-faced card, the downward facing triangle indicates the back face (transformed side).
	Modal DFC symbols	The one triangle indicates the front face of a modal double-faced card, the two triangles indicates the back face. You can choose either one of them to play.
, , , ,	Previous transforming DFC symbols	In Innistrad block, Shadows over Innistrad, Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Crimson Vow the sun indicates the front face of a transforming double-faced card, the moon indicates the back face. In Magic Origins a rising sun is the front side, and the planeswalker symbol denotes the transformed side. In Eldritch Moon the full moon is the front side, and Emrakul denotes the transformed side. Meld cards also utilized these transformation symbols. In Ixalan a compass rose is on the front and the land to discover on the back. In Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty the front side saga has a closed fan symbol and the enchantment creature on the back has an open fan symbol.
	Meld symbol	The two fusing triangles represents the two meld cards coming together to form the new card. Only the front face of meld cards have this symbol.
	Previous meld symbols	In Eldritch Moon the full moon is the front side, and Emrakul denotes the melded side.
	Specialize symbols	The triangle indicates the front face of a specialize card, the five-branching arrow indicates the back face. You can choose which of the five back faces to specialize into.
	Energy symbol	The refined aether that is the primary power source for most of Kaladesh. Used on cards to represent the production and cost of an energy counter.
	Acorn symbol	Acorn counters work akin to energy counters, with the obvious flavor difference that Squirrels hord acorns in their stash. The symbol is only used at the card Acornelia, Fashionable Filcher.
,	Ticket symbol	Tickets are a resource similar to Energy. Used on cards to represent the cost to play attractions at Myra the Magnificent's Intergalactic Astrotorium of Fun.
, , , ,	Color indicator	Some cards have a color indicator to the left of their type. The color of the symbol defines the card's color or colors.
,	Power and toughness symbols	Only used in the Portal sets.

Rules

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 107. Numbers and Symbols
  • 107.1. The only numbers the Magic game uses are integers.
    • 107.1a You can’t choose a fractional number, deal fractional damage, gain fractional life, and so on. If a spell or ability could generate a fractional number, the spell or ability will tell you whether to round up or down.
    • 107.1b Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers and zero. You can’t choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, it’s possible for a game value, such as a creature’s power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect doubles or sets to a specific value a player’s life total or the power and/or toughness of a creature or creature card.

      Example: If a 3/4 creature gets -5/-0, it’s a -2/4 creature. It doesn’t assign damage in combat. Its total power and toughness is 2. Giving it +3/+0 would raise its power to 1.

      Example: Viridian Joiner is a 1/2 creature with the ability “{T}: Add an amount of {G} equal to Viridian Joiner’s power.” An effect gives it -2/-0, then its ability is activated. The ability adds no mana to your mana pool.

      Example: Chameleon Colossus is a 4/4 creature with the ability “{2}{G}{G}: Chameleon Colossus gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is its power.” An effect gives it -6/-0, then its ability is activated. It remains a -2/4 creature. It doesn’t become -4/2.

    • 107.1c If a rule or ability instructs a player to choose “any number,” that player may choose any positive number or zero.
  • 107.2. If anything needs to use a number that can’t be determined, either as a result or in a calculation, it uses 0 instead.
  • 107.3. Many objects use the letter X as a placeholder for a number that needs to be determined. Some objects have abilities that define the value of X; the rest let their controller choose the value of X.
    • 107.3a If a spell or activated ability has a mana cost, alternative cost, additional cost, and/or activation cost with an {X}, [-X], or X in it, and the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that spell or ability, the controller of that spell or ability chooses and announces the value of X as part of casting the spell or activating the ability. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”) While a spell is on the stack, any X in its mana cost or in any alternative cost or additional cost it has equals the announced value. While an activated ability is on the stack, any X in its activation cost equals the announced value.
    • 107.3b If a player is casting a spell that has an {X} in its mana cost, the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that spell, and an effect lets that player cast that spell while paying neither its mana cost nor an alternative cost that includes X, then the only legal choice for X is 0. This doesn’t apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero. See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”
    • 107.3c If a spell or activated ability has an {X}, [-X], or X in its cost and/or its text, and the value of X is defined by the text of that spell or ability, then that’s the value of X while that spell or ability is on the stack. The controller of that spell or ability doesn’t get to choose the value. Note that the value of X may change while that spell or ability is on the stack.
    • 107.3d If a cost associated with a special action, such as a suspend cost or a morph cost, has an {X} or an X in it, the value of X is chosen by the player taking the special action immediately before they pay that cost.
    • 107.3e If a spell or ability refers to the {X} or X in the mana cost, alternative cost, additional cost, or activation cost of another object, any X in that spell or ability’s text uses the value of X chosen or defined for the other object.
    • 107.3f Sometimes X appears in the text of a spell or ability but not in a mana cost, alternative cost, additional cost, or activation cost. If the value of X isn’t defined, the controller of the spell or ability chooses the value of X at the appropriate time (either as it’s put on the stack or as it resolves).
    • 107.3g If a card in any zone other than the stack has an {X} in its mana cost, the value of {X} is treated as 0, even if the value of X is defined somewhere within its text.
    • 107.3h If an effect instructs a player to pay an object’s mana cost that includes {X}, the value of X is treated as 0 unless the object is a spell on the stack. In that case, the value of X is the value chosen or determined for it as the spell was cast.
    • 107.3i Normally, all instances of X on an object have the same value at any given time.
    • 107.3j If an object gains an ability, the value of X within that ability is the value defined by that ability, or 0 if that ability doesn’t define a value of X. This is an exception to rule 107.3i. This may occur with ability-adding effects, text-changing effects, or copy effects.
    • 107.3k If an object’s activated ability has an {X}, [-X], or X in its activation cost, the value of X for that ability is independent of any other values of X chosen for that object or for other instances of abilities of that object. This is an exception to rule 107.3i.
    • 107.3m If an object’s enters-the-battlefield triggered ability or replacement effect refers to X, and the spell that became that object as it resolved had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for that ability is the same as the value of X for that spell, although the value of X for that permanent is 0. This is an exception to rule 107.3i.
    • 107.3n If a delayed triggered ability created by a resolving spell or ability refers to X, X is not defined in the text of that triggered ability, and the spell or ability that created it had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for the triggered ability is the same as the value of X for the spell of ability that created it.
    • 107.3p Some objects use the letter Y in addition to the letter X. Y follows the same rules as X.
  • 107.4. The mana symbols are {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, {G}, and {C}; the numerical symbols {0}, {1}, {2}, {3}, {4}, and so on; the variable symbol {X}; the hybrid symbols {W/U}, {W/B}, {U/B}, {U/R}, {B/R}, {B/G}, {R/G}, {R/W}, {G/W}, and {G/U}; the monocolored hybrid symbols {2/W}, {2/U}, {2/B}, {2/R}, and {2/G}; the Phyrexian mana symbols {W/P}, {U/P}, {B/P}, {R/P}, and {G/P}; the hybrid Phyrexian symbols {W/U/P}, {W/B/P}, {U/B/P}, {U/R/P}, {B/R/P}, {B/G/P}, {R/G/P}, {R/W/P}, {G/W/P}, and {G/U/P}; and the snow mana symbol {S}.
    • 107.4a There are five primary colored mana symbols: {W} is white, {U} blue, {B} black, {R} red, and {G} green. These symbols are used to represent colored mana, and also to represent colored mana in costs. Colored mana in costs can be paid only with the appropriate color of mana. See rule 202, “Mana Cost and Color.”
    • 107.4b Numerical symbols (such as {1}) and variable symbols (such as {X}) represent generic mana in costs. Generic mana in costs can be paid with any type of mana. For more information about {X}, see rule 107.3.
    • 107.4c The colorless mana symbol {C} is used to represent one colorless mana, and also to represent a cost that can be paid only with one colorless mana.
    • 107.4d The symbol {0} represents zero mana and is used as a placeholder for a cost that can be paid with no resources. (See rule 118.5.)
    • 107.4e Hybrid mana symbols are also colored mana symbols. Each one represents a cost that can be paid in one of two ways, as represented by the two halves of the symbol. A hybrid symbol such as {W/U} can be paid with either white or blue mana, and a monocolored hybrid symbol such as {2/B} can be paid with either one black mana or two mana of any type. A hybrid mana symbol is all of its component colors.

      Example: {G/W}{G/W} can be paid by spending {G}{G}, {G}{W}, or {W}{W}.

    • 107.4f Phyrexian mana symbols are colored mana symbols: {W/P} is white, {U/P} is blue, {B/P} is black, {R/P} is red, and {G/P} is green. A Phyrexian mana symbol represents a cost that can be paid either with one mana of its color or by paying 2 life. There are also ten hybrid Phyrexian mana symbols. A hybrid Phyrexian mana symbol represents a cost that can be paid with one mana of either of its component colors or by paying 2 life. A hybrid Phyrexian mana symbol is both of its component colors.

      Example: {W/P}{W/P} can be paid by spending {W}{W}, by spending {W} and paying 2 life, or by paying 4 life.

    • 107.4g In rules text, the Phyrexian symbol {P} with no colored background means any of the fifteen Phyrexian mana symbols.
    • 107.4h When used in a cost, the snow mana symbol {S} represents a cost that can be paid with one mana of any type produced by a snow source (see rule 106.3). Effects that reduce the amount of generic mana you pay don’t affect {S} costs. The {S} symbol can also be used to refer to mana of any type produced by a snow source spent to pay a cost. Snow is neither a color nor a type of mana.
  • 107.5. The tap symbol is {T}. The tap symbol in an activation cost means “Tap this permanent.” A permanent that’s already tapped can’t be tapped again to pay the cost. A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. See rule 302.6.
  • 107.6. The untap symbol is {Q}. The untap symbol in an activation cost means “Untap this permanent.” A permanent that’s already untapped can’t be untapped again to pay the cost. A creature’s activated ability with the untap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. See rule 302.6.
  • 107.7. Each activated ability of a planeswalker has a loyalty symbol in its cost. Positive loyalty symbols point upward and feature a plus sign followed by a number. Negative loyalty symbols point downward and feature a minus sign followed by a number or an X. Neutral loyalty symbols don’t point in either direction and feature a 0. [+N] means “Put N loyalty counters on this permanent,” [-N] means “Remove N loyalty counters from this permanent,” and [0] means “Put zero loyalty counters on this permanent.” Loyalty symbols may also appear in abilities that modify loyalty costs.
  • 107.8. The text box of a leveler card contains two level symbols, each of which is a keyword ability that represents a static ability. The level symbol includes either a range of numbers, indicated here as “N1-N2,” or a single number followed by a plus sign, indicated here as “N3+.” Any abilities printed within the same text box striation as a level symbol are part of its static ability. The same is true of the power/toughness box printed within that striation, indicated here as “[P/T].” See rule 711, “Leveler Cards.”
    • 107.8a “{LEVEL N1-N2} [Abilities] [P/T]” means “As long as this creature has at least N1 level counters on it, but no more than N2 level counters on it, it has base power and toughness [P/T] and has [abilities].”
    • 107.8b “{LEVEL N3+} [Abilities] [P/T]” means “As long as this creature has N3 or more level counters on it, it has base power and toughness [P/T] and has [abilities].”
  • 107.9. A tombstone icon appears to the left of the name of many Odyssey™ block cards with abilities that are relevant in a player’s graveyard. The purpose of the icon is to make those cards stand out when they’re in a graveyard. This icon has no effect on game play.
  • 107.10. A type icon appears in the upper left corner of each card from the Future Sight™ set printed with an alternate “timeshifted” frame. If the card has a single card type, this icon indicates what it is: claw marks for creature, a flame for sorcery, a lightning bolt for instant, a sunrise for enchantment, a chalice for artifact, and a pair of mountain peaks for land. If the card has multiple card types, that’s indicated by a black and white cross. This icon has no effect on game play.
  • 107.11. The Planeswalker symbol is {PW}. It appears on one face of the planar die used in the Planechase casual variant. It has five tines at the top and tapers to a point at the bottom. See rule 901, “Planechase.”
  • 107.12. The chaos symbol is {CHAOS}. It appears on one face of the planar die used in the Planechase casual variant, as well as in abilities that refer to the results of rolling the planar die. It looks like a swirling vortex. See rule 901, “Planechase.”
  • 107.13. A color indicator is a circular symbol that appears to the left of the type line on some cards. The color of the symbol defines the card’s color or colors. See rule 202, “Mana Cost and Color.”
  • 107.14. The energy symbol is {E}. It represents one energy counter. To pay {E}, a player removes one energy counter from themselves.
  • 107.15. The text box of a Saga card contains chapter symbols, each of which is a keyword ability that represents a triggered ability. A chapter symbol includes a Roman numeral, indicated here as “rN”. The text printed in the text box striation to the right of a chapter symbol is the effect of the triggered ability it represents. See rule 714, “Saga Cards.”
    • 107.15a “{rN}—[Effect]” means “When one or more lore counters are put onto this Saga, if the number of lore counters on it was less than N and became at least N, [effect].”
    • 107.15b “{rN1}, {rN2}—[Effect]” is the same as “{rN1}—[Effect]” and “{rN2}—[Effect].”
  • 107.16. The text box of a Class card contains class level bars, each of which is a keyword ability that represents both an activated ability and a static ability. A class level bar includes the activation cost of its activated ability and a level number. Any abilities printed within the same text box section as the class level bar are part of its static ability. See rule 716, “Class Cards.”
    • 107.16a “[Cost]: Level N — [Abilities]” means “[Cost]: This Class’s level becomes N. Activate only if this Class is level N-1 and only as a sorcery” and “As long as this Class is level N or greater, it has [abilities].”
  • 107.17. The ticket symbol is {TK}. It represents one ticket counter.
    • 107.17a A ticket symbol with a number inside it represents a ticket cost. To pay that cost, a player removes that many ticket counters from themselves.

External links

• Mark Rosewater (July 17, 2006). "Snow: Mana Mystery". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.