BindersVault

Site Terms

These definitions explain labels and features used inside BindersVault, including Commander-related terms that matter for searching, filtering, and deck organization.

Collection

Cards you already own and track inside BindersVault.

Wishlist

Cards or versions you want to acquire later. You can wishlist a specific version or any printing of a card.

Version

One exact printing of a card, identified by its set, language, finish, and collector number. Sol Ring from Commander Legends in foil is a different version than Sol Ring from Revised.

Set

The Magic release a card belongs to, such as a main expansion, Commander precon, or special product.

Collector Number

The number printed on a card that uniquely identifies it within its set.

Finish

The physical treatment of a card's surface — such as non-foil, foil, etched foil, or a special treatment like galaxy foil. Finish is part of what makes one version different from another.

Foil

A card printed with a foil finish, giving it a shiny appearance. Tracked separately from non-foil versions in your collection.

Grid View

A visual layout that shows cards as image tiles.

List View

A row-based layout that shows extra details like price, type, and color identity alongside each card.

Card View

The card detail panel that opens when you select a card. Shows printings, prices, oracle text, and options to add the card to your collection or wishlist.

Label

A custom label you create and assign to cards to organise your collection your own way. Labels are personal, only visible to you, and limited to 7 per account — each with a unique colour.

Role

An automatically detected gameplay function assigned to a card by BindersVault. Examples include Ramp, Spot Removal, Card Draw, Counterspell, and Board Wipe. Unlike labels, roles are not editable.

Commander

A format where your deck is built around one legendary creature, or another card that is specifically allowed to lead the deck. BindersVault uses Commander-focused organisation in several places, including color identity filtering.

Can Be Commander

An indicator shown on cards that the rules allow as a commander. Used as a filter in BindersVault when you are looking for cards that can lead a Commander deck.

Color Identity

The set of colors that define which cards can go into a Commander deck led by that card. Includes all mana symbols and color indicators anywhere on the card, not just the mana cost.

Card Colors

The colors the card actually is during gameplay, determined by its mana cost or a color indicator. A card can have a narrower set of colors than its color identity.

Game Companion

A full-screen in-game tool for tracking life totals, counters (poison, radiation, experience), dice rolls, and coin flips. Supports 1–8 players with customisable names, colours, and layouts. Accessible from the Resources menu.

View Preference

Your saved default layout for collection and wishlist pages, set separately for desktop and mobile. Switches between Grid View and List View.

Color Filter Preference

Your saved default for how color searches work. "Cost" filters by the colors in a card's mana cost. "Identity" filters by color identity, which is broader and Commander-aware. Can be changed at any time from the Preferences page.

Quick Clarifiers

Easy to Mix Up

Common pairs that look similar but mean different things on BindersVault.

Card Colors vs. Color Identity

A card's color and its Commander identity are not always the same.

Card colors are what the card is during gameplay — determined by its mana cost or a color indicator.
Color identity is broader: it includes every mana symbol and color indicator anywhere on the card, including in its rules text.
Example: A land with a red activated ability has a colorless card color but a red color identity, so it cannot go in a mono-white Commander deck.

Mana Cost vs. Color Identity

These answer different questions and are not interchangeable.

Mana cost is what you pay to cast the card.
Color identity determines Commander deckbuilding legality and is used for filtering on BindersVault.
Example: Sol Ring costs one generic mana and has no color identity. A card with a blue activated ability in its text has a blue color identity even if its mana cost has no blue symbols.

Role vs. Label

One is automatic, the other is personal.

Roles are assigned by BindersVault automatically based on what the card does.
Labels are created and managed by you — they mean whatever you want them to mean.
Example: A card might automatically get the Role "Ramp", but you could also label it "EDH staple" or "sell this".

Card vs. Version

A card name and a specific version of that card are not the same thing.

A card is the game piece itself — Sol Ring is Sol Ring regardless of where it came from.
A version is one exact printing: Sol Ring from Commander Legends in foil is a different version than Sol Ring from Revised Edition.
BindersVault tracks versions, so you can own multiple versions of the same card.

Collection vs. Wishlist

Two separate lists with different purposes.

Collection is for cards you already own.
Wishlist is for cards you want to get. You can wishlist a specific version or any printing of a card.
The same card can appear in both if you own one version but want a different one.

BindersVault Glossary