Deck Construction Rules and Banned/Restricted Lists


Standard Formats Eternal Formats Other
Standard Legacy Modern
Standard Singleton Classic Block
Standard Tribal Wars Pauper Core Set Constructed
100 Card Singleton Kaleidoscope
Commander Momir Basic
Prismatic Freeform
Legacy Tribal Wars Extended

Standard Format Deck Construction

Updated December 13, 2015

Constructed decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards. There is no maximum deck size; however, you must be able to shuffle your deck with no assistance. If a player wishes to use a sideboard, it must contain no more than fifteen cards.

With the exception of basic land cards, a player’s combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. All cards named Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest are basic.

The following card sets are permitted in Standard tournaments:

  • Magic Origins
  • Battle for Zendikar
  • Dragons of Tarkir
  • Fate Reforged
  • Khans of Tarkir

 

The following cards are banned in Standard:

There are currently no banned cards in Standard

Official information about Constructed formats and the Standard format can be found in the Magic: the Gathering Tournament Rules.

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Block Format Deck Construction

Updated December 13, 2015

Constructed decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards. There is no maximum deck size; however, you must be able to shuffle your deck with no assistance. If a player wishes to use a sideboard, it must contain no more than fifteen cards.

With the exception of basic land cards, a player’s combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. All cards named Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest are basic. (The five Ice Age snow-covered lands — Snow-Covered Plains, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Swamp, Snow-Covered Mountain, and Snow-Covered Forest — are also basic lands. Note that snow-covered lands are permitted only in formats that allow the Ice Age set to be used.)

The DCI sanctions the following Block Constructed formats:

  • Battle for Zendikar Block (Battle for Zendikar)
  • Khans of Tarkir Block (Khans of TarkirFate Reforged, Dragons of Tarkir)
  • Theros Block (Theros, Born of the Gods, Journey into Nyx)
  • Return to Ravnica Block (Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, Dragon’s Maze)
  • Innistrad Block (Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Avacyn Restored)
  • Scars of Mirrodin Block (Scars of Mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, New Phyrexia)
  • Zendikar-Rise of the Eldrazi Block (Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi)
  • Shards of Alara Block (Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn)
  • Lorwyn-Shadowmoor Block (Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide)
  • Time Spiral Block (Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight)
  • Ravnica Block (Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension)
  • Kamigawa Block (Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa)
  • Mirrodin Block (Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn)
  • Onslaught Block (Onslaught, Legions, Scourge)
  • Odyssey Block (Odyssey, Torment, Judgment)
  • Invasion Block (Invasion, Planeshift, Apocalypse)
  • Masques Block (Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, Prophecy)
  • Urza Block (Urza’s Saga, Urza’s Legacy, Urza’s Destiny)
  • Tempest Block (Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus)
  • Mirage Block (Mirage, Visions, Weatherlight)
  • Ice Age Block (Ice Age, Alliances, Coldsnap)

 

The following cards are banned in Block Constructed Tournaments:

 

Official information about Constructed formats and the Block Constructed format can be found in the Magic: the Gathering Tournament Rules.

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Extended Deck Construction

December 13, 2015

Constructed decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards. There is no maximum deck size; however, you must be able to shuffle your deck with no assistance. If a player wishes to use a sideboard, it must contain no more than fifteen cards.

With the exception of basic land cards, a player’s combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. All cards named Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest are basic.

The following card sets are permitted in Extended tournaments:

  • Magic 2013
  • Magic 2014
  • Magic 2015
  • Scars of Mirrodin
  • Mirrodin Besieged
  • New Phyrexia
  • Innistrad
  • Dark Ascension
  • Avacyn Restored
  • Return to Ravnica
  • Gatecrash
  • Dragon’s Maze
  • Theros

 

Official information about Constructed formats and the Extended format can be found in the Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules.

The following cards are banned in Extended:

 

NOTE: As of October 7, 2013, Extended was discontinued as an officially sanctioned tournament format. The above rules for deck construction are based on last-published rules for the format.

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Modern

Updated December 13, 2015

Constructed decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards. There is no maximum deck size; however, you must be able to shuffle your deck with no assistance. If a player wishes to use a sideboard, it must contain no more than fifteen cards.

With the exception of basic land cards, a player’s combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. All cards named Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest are basic. (The five Ice Age Block snow-covered lands — Snow-Covered Plains, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Swamp, Snow-Covered Mountain, and Snow-Covered Forest — are also basic lands. Note that snow-covered lands are permitted in this format because it allows cards from the expansion Coldsnap.)

The following card sets are permitted in Modern tournaments:

  • Eighth Edition
  • Mirrodin
  • Darksteel
  • Fifth Dawn
  • Champions of Kamigawa
  • Betrayers of Kamigawa
  • Saviors of Kamigawa
  • Ninth Edition
  • Ravnica: City of Guilds
  • Guildpact
  • Dissension
  • Coldsnap
  • Time Spiral
  • Planar Chaos
  • Future Sight
  • Tenth Edition
  • Lorwyn
  • Morningtide
  • Shadowmoor
  • Eventide
  • Shards of Alara
  • Conflux
  • Alara Reborn
  • Magic 2010
  • Zendikar
  • Worldwake
  • Rise of the Eldrazi
  • Magic 2011
  • Scars of Mirrodin
  • Mirrodin Besieged
  • New Phyrexia
  • Magic 2012
  • Innistrad
  • Dark Ascension
  • Avacyn Restored
  • Magic 2013
  • Return to Ravnica
  • Gatecrash
  • Dragon’s Maze
  • Magic 2014
  • Theros
  • Born of the Gods
  • Journey into Nyx
  • Magic 2015
  • Khans of Tarkir
  • Fate Reforged
  • Dragons of Tarkir
  • Magic Origins
  • Battle for Zendikar

 

The current banned list for Modern is as follows:

 

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Vintage

Updated December 13, 2015

Vintage is a Magic format that allows all sets and promotional cards available. Normal deckbuilding rules do apply: Decks must be a minimum of 60 cards and contain no more than 4 copies of any card, excluding basic land. Sideboards are permitted but can contain no more than 15 cards.

The following cards are banned in Vintage (meaning you cannot play them):

 

The following cards are restricted in Vintage (meaning you can only play a maximum of one copy of each in your deck):

 

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Legacy

Updated December 13, 2015

Legacy is a Magic: the Gathering eternal format that bans most of the restricted cards from Vintage but allows all sets and promotional cards. Normal deckbuilding rules do apply: decks must be a minimum of 60 cards and contain no more than 4 copies of any card, excluding basic land. Sideboards of up to 15 cards are permitted.

The following cards are banned in Legacy:

 

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Pauper Deck Construction

Pauper is a Magic Online format in which all cards used must have been printed at the common rarity in a Magic Online set or product. Other than that, the usual rules for constructed decks apply (a minimum deck size of 60 cards in the main deck, an optional sideboard of up to 15 cards, and so on). If a common version of a particular card was ever released on Magic Online, any versions of that card printed at other rarities are also legal in this format.

Example: Counterspell was a common card in the Seventh Edition Core Set, which was released on Magic Online. Counterspell was reprinted in Masters Edition II with an uncommon expansion symbol. Both versions of the card can be used in the Pauper format.

Example: Hymn to Tourach, another uncommon from Masters Edition II, is not legal for use in the Magic Online Pauper format. Even though Hymn to Tourach was printed as a common in the Fallen Empires set, that set was never released on Magic Online.

The following cards are banned in Pauper:

 

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100 Card Singleton

100 Card Singleton is a specialty Magic Online format in which every card is effectively restricted; with the exception of basic land cards, a player’s deck may not contain more than one of any individual card.

Players’ decks must contain exactly 100 cards in the main deck, and an optional sideboard must contain up to 15 cards.

100 Card Singleton is based on the Classic format. All sets and promotional cards are allowed.

The following cards are banned in 100 Card Singleton:

 

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Standard Singleton

Standard Singleton is a specialty Magic Online format based on the Standard core format, except every card is effectively restricted; with the exception of basic land cards, a player’s deck may not contain more than one of any individual card.

Players’ decks must contain exactly 60 cards in the main deck, and and an optional sideboard must contain up to 15 cards.

The following cards are banned in Standard Singleton:

There are no banned cards in Standard Singleton

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Core Set Constructed

Core Set Constructed is a specialty Magic Online format, which allows cards from every Core Set on Magic Online. Currently, this is:

  • Seventh Edition
  • Eighth Edition
  • Ninth Edition
  • Tenth Edition
  • Magic 2010
  • Magic 2011
  • Magic 2012
  • Magic 2013
  • Magic 2014
  • Magic 2015

 

As in most Constructed formats, a player’s deck may not contain more than four copies of any individual card. Players’ decks must contain a minimum of 60 cards in the main deck, and and an optional sideboard may contain up to 15 cards.

There are no cards banned in Core Set Constructed.

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Prismatic

Prismatic is a casual Magic Online format for fans of big, fun, five-color decks.

Prismatic requires that your deck must be at least 250 cards, with at least 20 cards of each color. (Multicolor and split cards count as one of their colors.)

Prismatic is based on the Classic format. All sets and Promotional cards are allowed with the exception of the banned list.

The following cards are banned in Prismatic:

 

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Tribal Wars Deck Construction

Tribal Wars is a casual Magic Online format that emphasizes creature combat: one-third of every deck must be of a single creature type.

Constructed decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards. All cards named Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest are basic. Sideboards are not permitted.

Classic Tribal Wars was renamed Legacy Tribal Wars, which will allow all cards in Legacy, except for those cards on the banned list. Standard Tribal Wars was also created and follows the same ruleset, except the legal cardpool includes only what is legal in Standard.

Currently, no cards are banned in Standard Tribal Wars.

The following cards are banned in Legacy Tribal Wars games:

  1. MTG is the greatest card game ever made.
    Been playing for almost 20 years. I’ve seen it go up and down in popularity, but its still here. Not many things get to do that in today’s age. Take that technology.

  2. Doomsl: Flash plus Protean Hulk is a very fast, very consistent combo kill. Basically you use flash to put Protean Hulk into play, without paying the extra cost, then having to sacrifice it. You then use the trigger to search up 4 Disciple of the Vault plus 5 artifact creatures such as Shifting Wall, since x is 0 they all die immediately, and the opponent looses 20 life. Look up Flash Hulk combo for example lists.

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