Supertypes appear on a cards type line before their main type. Supertypes generally have rules attached to them.
Only two supertypes appear on cards in MTG Arena
Paper MTG also has the following supertypes
Example
The card on the left has a supertype of Legendary.
It's type is Creature, and it has the the subtypes Human and Wizard.
Comprehensive Rules
Comprehensive Rules Glossary (August 7, 2020)
- Supertype
- A characteristic that appears before the card type on a card’s type line. Most cards don’t have a supertype. See rule 205.4, “Supertypes.”
Comprehensive Rules (August 7, 2020)
- 205.4. Supertypes
- 205.4a A card can also have one or more supertypes. These are printed directly before its card types. The supertypes are basic, legendary, ongoing, snow, and world.
- 205.4b An object’s supertype is independent of its card type and subtype, even though some supertypes are closely identified with specific card types. Changing an object’s card types or subtypes won’t change its supertypes. Changing an object’s supertypes won’t change its card types or subtypes. When an object gains or loses a supertype, it retains any other supertypes it had.
Example: An ability reads, “All lands are 1/1 creatures that are still lands.” If any of the affected lands were legendary, they are still legendary.
- 205.4c Any land with the supertype “basic” is a basic land. Any land that doesn’t have this supertype is a nonbasic land, even if it has a basic land type.:: Cards printed in sets prior to the Eighth Edition core set didn’t use the word “basic” to indicate a basic land. Cards from those sets with the following names are basic lands and have received errata in the Oracle card reference accordingly: Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains, Swamp, Snow-Covered Forest, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Mountain, Snow-Covered Plains, and Snow-Covered Swamp.
- 205.4d Any permanent with the supertype “legendary” is subject to the state-based action for legendary permanents, also called the “legend rule” (see rule 704.5j).
- 205.4e Any instant or sorcery spell with the supertype “legendary” is subject to a casting restriction. A player can’t cast a legendary instant or sorcery spell unless that player controls a legendary creature or a legendary planeswalker.
- 205.4f Any permanent with the supertype “world” is subject to the state-based action for world permanents, also called the “world rule” (see rule 704.5k).
- 205.4g Any permanent with the supertype “snow” is a snow permanent. Any permanent that doesn’t have this supertype is a nonsnow permanent, regardless of its name.
- 205.4h Any scheme card with the supertype “ongoing” is exempt from the state-based action for schemes (see rule 704.6e).