Brand new player, asking how a card "plays out" on the table

[Phaewryn]

In real life play, how do you represent the 3 additions to your mana pool? Do you just put 3 more lands down on the table from your collection? Is there another card that is used for this? Dice? If dice, what kind, how many?

"Cathodion, Artifact Creature - Construct | Power/Toughness: 3 / 3
When Cathodion dies, add {3} to your mana pool."
https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?lng=en&utf8=1&card=Cathodion

I'm going to be burying this forum with these basic questions I think, sorry in advance. I have read a ton of tutorials, but none really go into enough depth to explain these sorts of things (how these things are represented on the table in real life). If you have a link to one that does, I'm happy to go read it.

[Crusader]

Usually most mana is used right after it is added to the mana pool, but there are decks where you need to write things down or use dice to keep track. You must use the mana during the phase you are in, or it goes away. During a turn there 5 main phases, and some of the phases are broken into steps. A card like Braid of Fire adds mana during your upkeep, but this mana does not carry over to the main phase. Omnath, Locus of Mana does the opposite effect in a way.

[ThenWeAreDecided]

Since the mana only sticks around until the given phase ends most people I've played with will just keep track of that in their head after stating the "trigger" out loud.  You most definitely would not play three lands to represent it.  To help remind all parties that the three mana are "floating" pending use if possible, I could see leaving the Cathodion on the battlefield until you use the mana or accept that you lost it at the end of the phase if you were unable to use it.  Then to signify the loss and acknowledge the Cathodion died you would put the card into your graveyard.

[Phaewryn]

Thanks. Another question:

I'm just buying "supplies", and I see two ways people do counters: dice or glass tokens. Is one preferred over the other these days? My boyfriend uses just regular (yatzee) dice to track his counters, I could see it getting bulky on the table if you had a ton of tokens up instead, but a 6 sided dice gets really confusing when you need to indicate 8, then it's two dice, and that's only if it's equal on both sides. Wouldn't a 10 sided dice make that easier? Is there a general consensus of what type of indicator one uses to express counters? I don't want to buy glass tokens and be the only one that uses them anymore... on the other hand, yatzee dice are fugly. (and I happen to already own glass gaming tokens because I play pente/go-moku)

[G. Moto]

     Usually when I have floating mana I pretend like I'm actually holding the mana in one of my hands (and my hand of cards in the other). It's a fun way to remind yourself that you've got power ready to be used. Or as you said a person could either write down the number of mana they just produced on paper so they don't forget or use a specific color of dice to keep track as you make it. I say specific color so that you don't forget how much you have, but as you get better you won't need the dice as often. Also as far as the lands go you are only allowed to play one land per turn UNLESS you activate a card effect that lets you play an extra land that turn (such as swell of growth). Let me know if any of this helped you. 

[Phaewryn]

     Usually when I have floating mana I pretend like I'm actually holding the mana in one of my hands (and my hand of cards in the other). It's a fun way to remind yourself that you've got power ready to be used. Or as you said a person could either write down the number of mana they just produced on paper so they don't forget or use a specific color of dice to keep track as you make it. I say specific color so that you don't forget how much you have, but as you get better you won't need the dice as often. Also as far as the lands go you are only allowed to play one land per turn UNLESS you activate a card effect that lets you play an extra land that turn (such as swell of growth). Let me know if any of this helped you.

Yeah, everything's helpful at this point. It's a confusing game from a beginner standpoint, one with not great math nor memory skills. I like the idea of a separate die (what is the singular form of dice anyway?) to count that and keep track of it until the end of the turn, thanks for that tip.

[G. Moto]

     As far as the counters go I like to use poker chips. I have White, Blue and Red so when it comes to making +1/+1 counters I make each color represent a certain amount (ex. White=1, Blue=5, Red=10). Personally as long as you can use something to accurately keep track of the counters and sometimes tokens you make it's perfectly fine. Dice if you can find the 10 sided or the 20 sided dice then those would be helpful as well as far as keeping track of tokens and +1/+1 counters and such go. Me I really don't let other people's play styles bother me too much, I find what works for me and I roll with it. If you want to use a bag full of multi-colored paper clips then as long as you can keep track of them Roll with it. And you're welcome from the last post.

[G. Moto]

     If you want you can send me a friend invite and I can always take the time to teach you what I know. Would you like to do that?

[G. Moto]

I'm about to turn off my computer so i can go to work but I can still get your messages on my phone. Feel free to reply at your leisure.

[Phaewryn]

     As far as the counters go I like to use poker chips. I have White, Blue and Red so when it comes to making +1/+1 counters I make each color represent a certain amount (ex. White=1, Blue=5, Red=10). Personally as long as you can use something to accurately keep track of the counters and sometimes tokens you make it's perfectly fine. Dice if you can find the 10 sided or the 20 sided dice then those would be helpful as well as far as keeping track of tokens and +1/+1 counters and such go. Me I really don't let other people's play styles bother me too much, I find what works for me and I roll with it. If you want to use a bag full of multi-colored paper clips then as long as you can keep track of them Roll with it. And you're welcome from the last post.

Thanks, good to know that whatever I choose is acceptable so long as I can keep count of it. I have a severe social anxiety issue, so this is pushing past my boundaries to play in person, so I just wanted to be 100% sure I wasn't going to do ANYTHING to make myself look extra stupid (more so than necessary). My partner, of course, is very forgiving, and is teaching me the basics (but he doesn't consider himself a Magic player, he only picked it up because his friends played it in college, so he's referring to the rulebook when I ask questions half the time), but I'm a little terrified about playing with HIS FRIENDS someday. Maybe I will try to hit the local library, I think the kids play it there, at least I'll only be embarrassed in front of 12 year olds, not my partner's peers.

Friend request: yes.

Teaching me: sure. I think I have the basic idea down, I just need to learn the steps and when to play what, what all the extra stuff on a lot of the cards mean/do, etc.

[robort]

Your cathodion "dies" it gives 3 mana. So in essence it is like tapping 3 lands to get 3 mana. What you do with that 3 is entirely up to you. Since there is no restrictions, the only time limit on it. Which the normal is till the end of turn. Cathodion "dies" on opponents turn, 3 mana is yours till the end of opponents turn. Applies to your turn as well, end of turn. Then at the end of turn the mana ceases to exsist.

Now basically just about anything can be used for counters and tokens. As long as you and your opponents can and agree to whatever it is you are using what it represents. I have used torn pieces of paper for counters, my opponent agreed and knew what the paper represented.

[Phaewryn]

Next question:

What (all) is considered an enchantment? Disenchant says "destroy target artifact or enchantment" whereas Cursebreak only says "destroy target enchantment". What all does Cursebreak actually destroy? Not Artifacts? Not Equipment? Auras? Just Auras?

[robort]

disenchant give you 2 choice. You can either destroy artifact or destroy enchantment. Any card on the battlefield/playing field with the title of artifact or enchantment can be destroyed even your own. Only can choose 1. Now "target" is battlefield /playing field .
Like for instance ornithopter is a creature but his title includes artifact. Where as stasis snare is titled enchantment. Now if a card is titled aura enchantment it can be destroyed. Cards just need the name in them to become targeted

[Bartley]

300. General

300.1. The card types are artifact, conspiracy, creature, enchantment, instant, land, phenomenon, plane, planeswalker, scheme, sorcery, tribal, and vanguard.
300.2. Some objects have more than one card type (for example, an artifact creature). Such objects combine the aspects of each of those card types, and are subject to spells and abilities that affect either or all of those card types.
300.2a An object that’s both a land and another card type (for example, an artifact land) can only be played as a land. It can’t be cast as a spell.
300.2b Each tribal card has another card type. Casting and resolving a tribal card follow the rules for casting and resolving a card of the other card type.

Seems like this is information that might clear up multiple questions.

[Phaewryn]

And another question (answer in any order):

Can you only cast one sorcery per turn? Or as many as you can afford? I know they have to be played in the first main phase (before anything else other than putting down a land?), but I have not found in the tutorials if there's a limit to quantity.