Magic: The Gathering is the king of card games, and there’s a good reason for that. It’s simple to pick up and enjoy by anyone, casual and competitive gamer alike. And thankfully for the casual players, the game’s rarity system has been untouched and straightforward until recently. This guide will walk you through all of the Magic: The Gathering rarities and how to identify them.
Common
This is the most abundant card in Magic: The Gathering. And although Land cards are technically common many do not classify them as such. These cards can be devastating in Limited play due to their low costs. All Common cards are denoted by a black symbol in the middle right of the card.
Uncommon
Uncommons can be identified by their silver symbol and are the second most abundant cards in the game. So in a pack of 15 cards, you are likely to receive about three Uncommons. They are usually slightly stronger than Commons, but Commons are still preferred in Limited modes.
Rare
Rares are about three times as rare as Uncommons. With only one likely to show up in every 15-card booster pack. However, some early expansions featured no rares in their booster packs, making them harder to get a hold of today.
Mythic Rare
Mythic Rare is officially the rarest card type available in Magic: The Gathering. It’s denoted by an orange symbol that presents a fiery appearance. In every seven booster packs, you can expect at least one Mythic Rare. This makes them about seven times as scarce as Rare cards. They are often twice as valuable as Rare cards and sometimes twice as powerful.
Timeshifted and Masterpiece
These are reprinted cards that lie somewhere between Rare and Mythic Rare in value. They aim to reprint older expansion cards that have received astronomical rarity. This can be deceiving, however, as Timeshifted cards can still be Common and Uncommon. These cards also feature different colors to differentiate them from the original versions, making them mostly useless to hardcore collectors.
