"Terminology 101 (or, Magic Lingo for the Uninitiated)" With thanks to Zopa and the Portland Branch ---------------------------------------------------------------- BAXTER; 1. George Baxter, renowned magic-player and author. 2. Convincing an opponent that a different reality exists ("I had the ZOrb out, but he baxtered me!") 3. To make a deck weaker by using inferior cards. ("He gave me a deck listing, but I think he baxtered it.") BEAT-DOWN; 1. A playing and deck construction strategy that aims to kill the opponent by using efficient creatures. 2. To either administer of receive beat-down ("I had out two knight that he couldn't deal with, pure beat-down.") BROKEN; 1. Generally meaning under-costed or easily abused. Also used as "Ba-roken". CHEAT; 1. To employ illegal means in order to gain advantage over your opponent, i.e., by drawing more cards than you should. 2. To employ legal means in order to gain advantage over your opponent, as with Library of Alexandria ("The library is such a cheater card.") DECKED; 1. Losing the game due to library depletion. 2. Having been punched in the face. Mostly a french magic custom. FAT; 1. Generally alluding to a creature's size in Power/Toughness. Most creatures that are 4/4 or better qualify as "Fat". 2. Any creature bigger than the largest controlled by your opponent. Thus, if said Opponent has no creatures in play, any 1/1 you control will be "fat". Also used as: FATTY, PHATTY and PHAT. HOSED; 1. Playing one or more cards that render your opponent's deck strategy usless ("Kyttn put out a Lifeforce, and that hosed my NecroDeck"). 2. When your deck refuses to yield up anything that might be remotely useful, such as land ("I drew one land in my first 15 cards, talk about mana-hosed.") HOUSE: 1. A card (usually a big creature) that a player cannot deal with ("He played a Scalebane's Elite on that guy playing black weenie. That's a house!"). "IT'S ALL ABOUT..."; 1. Used to denote a strong card or strategy ("In sealed, its all about flyers.") 2. Sarcastic remark. Usually used in reference to something a player finds unpleasant ("It was all about Necro, and I was playing Control.") JANK; 1. Describes anything that is less than optimal. Has scatological connotations. MONO-; 1. A deck composed of one color. 2. A deck composed of many colors. MOTI; 1. Shortened form of MAHAMOTI DJINN. 2. Also referred to as "Fat/Phat Moti. 187; (one-eighty-seven) 1. Cards that remove from play other cards as they enter play ("Nekrataal is the ultimate 187 card.") 2. A deck design that utilizes 187 cards. 3. LAPD code for MURDER IN PROGRESS. PHAT; 1. Term connoting a greater degree of coolness than "SWEET" ("Then he fireblasted me, but I lapsed it, pure PHAT"). 2. Variation of "FAT". SCRUB; 1. A well-meant phrase denoting a player's newness to the game of MTG. 2. A derogatory term indicating a player that for one reason or another, cannot play MTG very well. 3. Losing ("That was my second loss, so I scrubbed out.") SCOUTING; 1. Touring the tourney area, attempting to get a "sneak-preview" of others' decks. 2. Joining a nationally organized group of people, seeking to enhance their world view and social skills. Requires adult leadership. SKILLZ; 1. A totality of being that is summoned at the appropriate time and place, and applied to the situation at hand ("I had to summon all my skillz to beat him"). Related to TOP-DECKING, i.e., having what it takes at the right time and place (Donais, #MTG, 080497) STRONG; 1. Very powerful. That which is unassailable by conventional means ("Abeyance is just so strong!"). 2. Something your adversary wasn't prepared for. You may hear them mutter "Strong....". This may or may not be a good indicator that whatever you just played will seal thier demise. TOP-DECKING; 1. The skill which allows lucky and/or extremely skilled players to draw the one card from the top of their library that will ensure victory ("I was dead unless I drew the fireball. Fortunately my top-deckings skillz were in fine form, and I drew it.")