TLDR
MTG color combinations have “official” nickname systems for 2 colors (Ravnica guilds), 3 colors (Alara shards and Tarkir wedges), and 4 colors (Nephilim, plus common “sans” names).
If someone says “I’m on Grixis,” they mean blue/black/red. If they say “Temur,” they mean green/blue/red.
“U” means blue (because “B” was already taken by black, and Magic players love clarity almost as much as they love arguing).
For Commander, these names are basically shorthand for color identity, which is why they show up everywhere.
You’re sitting at a table and someone says, “I’m on Gruul,” and your brain goes, “Cool cool, so… red? green? a bear punching a wall?” This is the moment MTG color combinations stop being abstract theory and become a survival skill.
Magic has five colors, but players almost never talk about decks as “blue-red-green” unless they’re trying to sound like a weather report. We use nicknames because they’re faster, they carry flavor, and they let us pretend our deck choice is a philosophy instead of a set of personal shortcomings.
This guide covers the standard names for every common MTG color combination, what they mean, where they come from, and the extra slang you’ll still hear in 2026.
The one thing to memorize first: WUBRG and why blue is “U”
Magic shorthand uses the first letter for most colors:
W = White
U = Blue
B = Black
R = Red
G = Green
Blue gets “U” so it doesn’t fight black for “B.” This is one of Magic’s most successful conflict-resolution systems, which is impressive considering the rest of the game is about starting conflicts.
You’ll also see “WUBRG” used to mean all five colors (often said out loud as “woo-berg”).
Allied and enemy colors
The five colors sit in a circle (the color wheel). Colors next to each other are allied, meaning they share a lot of mechanical and philosophical overlap. Colors across from each other are enemies, meaning they disagree on basically everything, including how fun your deck is to play against.
Allied pairs:
White with Blue and Green
Blue with White and Black
Black with Blue and Red
Red with Black and Green
Green with Red and White
Enemy pairs:
White vs Black and Red
Blue vs Red and Green
Black vs Green and White
Red vs White and Blue
Green vs Blue and Black
None of this stops anyone from building enemy-color decks, obviously. Magic players treat “natural opposition” as an invitation.
Two-color combinations: the Ravnica guilds
The 10 two-color names come from Ravnica’s guilds. These are the ones you’ll hear constantly, because two colors is where a lot of formats live comfortably (and where mana bases are least likely to punish you for dreaming).
MTG’s two-color combinations are:
Azorius: Blue/White
Boros: Red/White
Dimir: Black/Blue
Golgari: Black/Green
Gruul: Green/Red
Izzet: Blue/Red
Orzhov: Black/White
Rakdos: Black/Red
Selesnya: Green/White
Simic: Blue/Green
Quick memory trick: if you can picture a guild as a job, it sticks. Azorius is paperwork. Rakdos is a nightclub. Golgari is a recycling center that gained sentience.
Three-color combinations: shards vs wedges
Three-color names split into two camps:
Shards: three allied colors in a row on the color wheel (from Alara)
Wedges: a center color plus its two enemies (from Tarkir)
If that sounds backwards the first time you hear it, congratulations, you can still be taught.
The five three-color combinations known as Shards, composed of allied colors, are:
Bant: Blue/Green/White
Esper: White/Blue
Grixis: Black/Blue/Red
Jund: Black/Green/Red
Naya: Green/Red/White
The five three-color combinations, known as Wedges made up of enemy colors, are:
Abzan: Black/Green/White
Jeskai: Blue/Red/White
Mardu: Black/Red/White
Sultai: Black/Blue/Green
Temur: Blue/Green/Red
These are built around a center color plus its two enemies. The vibe is “we disagree, but we all hate the same person,” which is basically how Commander pods form naturally.
Four-color combinations: Nephilim names and “sans” names
Four-color decks are the “I would like access to everything except personal restraint” option.
There are five four-color combinations, each missing exactly one color. The older nickname set comes from the Nephilim creatures (Guildpact), but in practice you’ll also hear “sans-[color]” a lot because it’s unambiguous and players love being unambiguous right after they cast a card with eight lines of text.
The four-color combinations in MTG are:
Dune: WBRG (No Blue)
Glint: UBRG (No White)
Ink: WURG (No Black)
Witch: WUBG (No Red)
Yore: WUBR (No Green)
Are these names as common as “Grixis” or “Simic”? Not usually. But when someone says “sans-Red,” you’ll know what’s happening, and you can nod like this is normal behavior (it is).
Five-color: WUBRG, five-color, rainbow
If your deck uses all five colors, the standard names are:
Five-color
WUBRG
Rainbow (less formal, more vibes)
You’ll also see “5c” in decklists and discussion.
Five-color decks are often about either:
playing the best cards across the spectrum, or
building a theme so specific that it demands all five colors (Dragons, Slivers, “every legendary creature I own,” etc.).
Extra slang you’ll still hear in 2026
Even though the shard and wedge names are the clean standard, older slang and table shorthand still pops up:
BUG = Sultai (black, blue, green)
RUG = Temur (red, blue, green), yes, the letters feel like they were drawn from a hat
Junk = Abzan (white, black, green), an older name that refuses to fully die
America = Jeskai (blue, red, white), another older nickname you’ll hear from time to time
Jund as a mood = not just BRG, but “I am going to 2-for-1 you until you apologize for registering creatures”
If you hear one of these, you’re not obligated to adopt it. You can just translate it in your head and keep living your life.
Why this matters more than it should (especially for Commander)
In Commander, color identity shapes everything:
what you can play
what your mana base looks like
what your deck is likely trying to do
So when someone says, “I’m on Esper artifacts,” they’re communicating a whole bundle of expectations in four words. That’s useful, even if it also tells you the next hour might involve a stack of triggers and a lecture.
And if you’re proxying decks for casual play or playtesting, these names help you communicate quickly when sharing lists, ordering basics, labeling boxes, or doing the classic “I brought three decks, pick your poison” routine.
Mini cheat sheet: all 25 color combinations (the fast version)
Mono-color: W, U, B, R, G
Two-color: the 10 guilds (above)
Three-color: 5 shards (Bant, Esper, Grixis, Jund, Naya) and 5 wedges (Abzan, Jeskai, Sultai, Mardu, Temur)
Four-color: Dune, Glint, Ink, Witch, Yore (or the sans-[color] names)
Five-color: WUBRG, five-color, rainbow
If you remember nothing else, remember this: if someone says “Grixis,” they mean UBR, and they probably have a plan.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a shard and a wedge in MTG?
A shard is three allied colors next to each other on the color wheel (Alara names). A wedge is a center color plus its two enemy colors (Tarkir names).
Why do people say “U” for blue?
Because “B” already means black, and using “Bl” for blue would be the kind of chaos Magic players only tolerate when it wins them the game.
Are the four-color names actually used?
Sometimes. In practice you’ll often hear “sans-[color]” because it’s clear, especially in Commander discussions and deck databases.
Is “WUBRG” the same as five-color?
Yes. WUBRG is just the shorthand for all five colors.
Do these names affect gameplay rules?
Not directly. They’re community shorthand. What matters rules-wise is what colors are in your deck (and in Commander, your color identity).