Over the span of the last nineteen years, since he was five years old, Reid has been a player, a deck builder, a collector, and a lover of the Magic world. Today, he’s a full-time professional Magic player and writer.

After more than a year with the Level One column, we've covered dozens of important concepts. We've also covered many terms that might be unfamiliar to a new player, but which are important for anyone interested in learning more about Magic strategy and theory.

Below is a list of the vocabulary words from Level One. This is meant as a reference for any time you might encounter an unfamiliar phrase—not just in reading Level One, but from anywhere in the wide world of competitive Magic. For further reading, nearly every phrase contains a link that will take you to the article pertaining to or addressing that term.

Adaptability : The ability to play offense or defense, depending on what the situation calls for.

: The ability to play offense or defense, depending on what the situation calls for. Advantage : Having more of a resource than your opponent, or any other beneficial position relative to your opponent.

: Having more of a resource than your opponent, or any other beneficial position relative to your opponent. Aggro : (Short for "aggressive.") An aggro deck (also called "beatdown") exploits tempo by playing and attacking with creatures quickly.

: (Short for "aggressive.") An aggro deck (also called "beatdown") exploits tempo by playing and attacking with creatures quickly. Archetype : Any recurring strategy with numerous possible variations.

: Any recurring strategy with numerous possible variations. Blank : "To blank a card." To turn one of your opponent's cards into a dead card .

: "To blank a card." To turn one of your opponent's cards into a . Board Stall : The situation where the battlefield is clogged with creatures, and neither player can profitably attack. (Also called "Creature Stall.")

: The situation where the battlefield is clogged with creatures, and neither player can profitably attack. (Also called "Creature Stall.") Board Sweepers : Cards capable of destroying many creatures at once. (Also called "Wraths.")

: Cards capable of destroying many creatures at once. (Also called "Wraths.") Bomb : A card so powerful that it will often determine the game all on its own. (Term used more commonly with regard to Limited than Constructed .)

: A card so powerful that it will often determine the game all on its own. (Term used more commonly with regard to than .) Bottleneck : A limiting factor. To be "bottlenecked on mana" is to have more things to do with your mana than you have mana available.

: A limiting factor. To be "bottlenecked on mana" is to have more things to do with your mana than you have mana available. Bounce : To return a card to its owner's hand.

: To return a card to its owner's hand. Burn : Spells that can deal damage to creatures and/or players. Burn is a hallmark of the color red, and is an example of reach . (Also called "Direct Damage.")

: Spells that can deal damage to creatures and/or players. Burn is a hallmark of the color red, and is an example of . (Also called "Direct Damage.") Card Advantage : Any process by which a player effectively obtains more cards than his or her opponent.

: Any process by which a player effectively obtains more cards than his or her opponent. Card Quality : The ability of your cards to influence the outcome of the game.

: The ability of your cards to influence the outcome of the game. Card Quantity : The gross number of cards that you have access to.

: The gross number of cards that you have access to. Chump Block : To block with a creature in order to preserve your life total, even though yours will be the only creature dying in the exchange.

: To block with a creature in order to preserve your life total, even though yours will be the only creature dying in the exchange. Combat Trick: An instant-speed spell that can improve or save your creature (or otherwise affect the board state in your favor) during combat.

Titan's Strength | Art by Karl Kopinski

Consistency : Resilience against things going wrong. A deck is consistent if its failure rate is low and it can operate on a reasonable level in a relatively high portion of games.

: Resilience against things going wrong. A deck is consistent if its failure rate is low and it can operate on a reasonable level in a relatively high portion of games. Constructed : For Constructed events, you bring a deck of at least 60 cards from home. Examples: Standard, Modern, Legacy.

: For Constructed events, you bring a deck of at least 60 cards from home. Examples: Standard, Modern, Legacy. Control : A control deck focuses on shutting down the opponent, and only wins the game later, at its own convenience.

: A control deck focuses on shutting down the opponent, and only wins the game later, at its own convenience. Counterdraft : Spend a pick taking a card out of the draft, so no one else can have it.

: Spend a pick taking a card out of the draft, so no one else can have it. Creature Land : A land with the ability to become a creature.

: A land with the ability to become a creature. Critical Mass : Some strategies grow rapidly in power as more cards that contribute to the strategy are added. For such strategies, critical mass is the tipping point where the strategy can be successfully put into effect.

: Some strategies grow rapidly in power as more cards that contribute to the strategy are added. For such strategies, critical mass is the tipping point where the strategy can be successfully put into effect. Damage Race : When neither player can take firm control of the game, and both players are trying to win the game before the other. (Also called "racing.")

: When neither player can take firm control of the game, and both players are trying to win the game before the other. (Also called "racing.") Dead Card : A card with no ability to impact the game.

: A card with no ability to impact the game. Deck Yourself : Run out of cards in your library and lose the game.

: Run out of cards in your library and lose the game. Diversifying : Intentionally choosing a variety of different cards instead of all of the same card for a given job. You might diversify in an attempt to gain flexibility , be unpredictable, or to attack from a variety of angles.

: Intentionally choosing a variety of different cards instead of all of the same card for a given job. You might diversify in an attempt to gain , be unpredictable, or to attack from a variety of angles. Dodge : "To dodge an effect." To create a situation where part of a spell or ability cannot affect you.

: "To dodge an effect." To create a situation where part of a spell or ability cannot affect you. Early Stage : The first part of a game of Magic, where tempo is the primary concern.

: The first part of a game of Magic, where is the primary concern. Elephant Method : Writing out ideal realistic lists for all matchups and then trying to make the unique cards in those lists add up to 75 cards before deciding on the specific 60 for the main deck and the specific fifteen for the sideboard.

: Writing out ideal realistic lists for all matchups and then trying to make the unique cards in those lists add up to 75 cards before deciding on the specific 60 for the main deck and the specific fifteen for the sideboard. Evasion : Flying or any other ability that makes a creature difficult to block.

: Flying or any other ability that makes a creature difficult to block. Filler : The unexciting cards that will make up the bulk of your deck. Used more often in Limited than in Constructed .

: The unexciting cards that will make up the bulk of your deck. Used more often in than in . Flexible : The quality of being effective in a variety of situations. A flexible card can be used in different ways, and will help you to some extent in a relatively high portion of the games that you draw it.

: The quality of being effective in a variety of situations. A flexible card can be used in different ways, and will help you to some extent in a relatively high portion of the games that you draw it. Focus : (1) The most important skill in Magic's gameplay: staying present in the game and minimizing distractions. (2) As opposed to a "balanced deck;" a focused deck is centered on a particular strategy.

: (1) The most important skill in Magic's gameplay: staying present in the game and minimizing distractions. (2) As opposed to a "balanced deck;" a focused deck is centered on a particular strategy. Format : The format of the game or tournament dictates which cards you can play with.

: The format of the game or tournament dictates which cards you can play with. Format-Defining : A card is format-defining if most or all of the popular decks in the format are warped around its existence.

: A card is format-defining if most or all of the popular decks in the format are warped around its existence. Going Through the Motions : Being careful and precise with every decision, even the small ones.

: Being careful and precise with every decision, even the small ones. Hate Cards: Single cards that are extremely effective at beating a particular deck, color, or strategy.

Combust | Art by Jaime Jones

Abzan Charm | Art by Mathias Kollros

Netdecking : Copying a decklist from the internet.

: Copying a decklist from the internet. Open Color : In a booster draft, a color that's not being heavily drafted by the drafters around you.

: In a booster draft, a color that's not being heavily drafted by the drafters around you. Out : A card or situation that most show itself in order for you to win.

: A card or situation that most show itself in order for you to win. Overdrafted : A color or archetype is overdrafted if too many people at the booster draft table are going for it.

: A color or archetype is overdrafted if too many people at the booster draft table are going for it. Permission Spells : Spells that can counter other spells on the stack . (Also called "counters" or "counterspells.")

: Spells that can counter other spells on the . (Also called "counters" or "counterspells.") Power : How good a deck or card is without the context of format or metagame. (Also called "raw power" or "power level.")

: How good a deck or card is without the context of format or metagame. (Also called "raw power" or "power level.") Predicting the Metagame : Thinking ahead about what decks your opponents are likely to bring to a tournament.

: Thinking ahead about what decks your opponents are likely to bring to a tournament. Priority : Having priority means it's your turn to act—to either do something or do nothing.

: Having priority means it's your turn to act—to either do something or do nothing. Proactive : When you're being proactive, you're trying to progress your own game plan.

: When you're being proactive, you're trying to progress your own game plan. Pushing a Tempo Advantage : Leveraging an advantage on the board into an advantage of another kind.

: Leveraging an advantage on the board into an advantage of another kind. Reach : (1) The ability of an aggro deck to finish off a wounded opponent, even after it may have lost its initial tempo advantage. (2) The ability to block creatures with flying.

: (1) The ability of an deck to finish off a wounded opponent, even after it may have lost its initial tempo advantage. (2) The ability to block creatures with flying. Reactive : When you're being reactive, you're defending and trying to answer your opponent's threats.

: When you're being reactive, you're defending and trying to answer your opponent's threats. Sequencing : (1) The order and manner in which you take your actions in a game. (2) The order and manner in which you take your actions in a turn.

: (1) The order and manner in which you take your actions in a game. (2) The order and manner in which you take your actions in a turn. Sideboard : After the first game of a tournament match, players may swap in any number of cards from their sideboard in an effort to make their deck better suited to winning the next game. In Constructed , sideboards can never be more than fifteen cards.

: After the first game of a tournament match, players may swap in any number of cards from their sideboard in an effort to make their deck better suited to winning the next game. In , sideboards can never be more than fifteen cards. Signals : In a booster draft, the cards you pass, receive, do not pass, and do not receive from your neighbors can provide information about which colors are open.

: In a booster draft, the cards you pass, receive, do not pass, and do not receive from your neighbors can provide information about which colors are open. Situational : A situational card requires particular circumstances in order to be at its best. The opposite of flexible .

: A situational card requires particular circumstances in order to be at its best. The opposite of . Slowroll : To hold onto the winning card longer than you need to. To slowroll maliciously is unsportsmanlike, but to be careful on the final turn of the game is just sound strategy.

: To hold onto the winning card longer than you need to. To slowroll maliciously is unsportsmanlike, but to be careful on the final turn of the game is just sound strategy. Splashing : To center your deck around primary colors, but have an additional color on which you're not very reliant. You'll only have a small number of cards of your "splash color."

: To center your deck around primary colors, but have an additional color on which you're not very reliant. You'll only have a small number of cards of your "splash color." Spot Removal : A targeted spell that can remove one opposing creature.

: A targeted spell that can remove one opposing creature. Stack : The zone where spells and abilities wait to resolve. Typically, both players have a chance to respond to a spell on the stack.

: The zone where spells and abilities wait to resolve. Typically, both players have a chance to respond to a spell on the stack. Staying Open: In a booster draft, waiting to decide your colors until you've had time to read signals.

Sylvan Scrying | Art by Daniel Ljunggren