Playing Field

Above is an mtg playmat designed for the commander format specificaly but can be used for any format.

Battlefield

The large central area is the battlefield split into 2 sections to better see what is a land and what isnt, these will be explained soon. The split is not important but the battlefield shows what cards are in play. Cards in play have been cast or put onto the battlefield in some other card mechanic. Cards need to be here to activate their abilites, attack with them or for their static abilities to be active.

Deck

The area marked with stacked cards is the deck, this is where you put your deck of cards that you can draw from every turn, or interact with depending on specific card machanics.

Graveyard

The area marked with the skull is the graveyard. Whenever a perminant (card on the battlefield) is destroyed (creatures can be delt damage to destroy them) it is put into the graveyard. There are other card mechanics that can put cards into and out of the graveyard.

Exile

Exile is like the Graveyard but slightly diffrent and is marked with the portal like swirl. exile is also mentioned as removed from the game, if something is truly exiled you cannot get it back during this game. There are specific exceptions to this such as if a card is exiled under another card you may be able to get the exiled card back.

Life

On this field the life total is within a heart about the board. Your life total is one of the main things that determin if you are in the game or if you have lost.