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.
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 Tarkir, Fate 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:
- Intangible Virtue (Innistrad Block)
- Lingering Souls (Innistrad Block)
- AEther Vial (Mirrodin Block)
- Ancient Den (Mirrodin Block)
- Arcbound Ravager (Mirrodin Block)
- Darksteel Citadel (Mirrodin Block)
- Disciple of the Vault (Mirrodin Block)
- Great Furnace (Mirrodin Block)
- Seat of the Synod (Mirrodin Block)
- Tree of Tales (Mirrodin Block)
- Vault of Whispers (Mirrodin Block)
- Skullclamp (Mirrodin Block)
- Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero (Masques Block)
- Rishadan Port (Masques Block)
- Gaea’s Cradle (Urza Block)
- Memory Jar (Urza Block)
- Serra’s Sanctum (Urza Block)
- Time Spiral (Urza Block)
- Tolarian Academy (Urza Block)
- Voltaic Key (Urza Block)
- Windfall (Urza Block)
- Cursed Scroll (Tempest Block)
- Squandered Resources (Mirage Block)
- Amulet of Quoz (Ice Age Block)
- Thawing Glaciers (Ice Age Block)
- Zuran Orb (Ice Age Block)
Official information about Constructed formats and the Block Constructed format can be found in the Magic: the Gathering Tournament Rules.
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.
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:
- Ancestral Vision
- Ancient Den
- Birthing Pod
- Blazing Shoal
- Bloodbraid Elf
- Chrome Mox
- Cloudpost
- Dark Depths
- Deathrite Shaman
- Dig Through Time
- Dread Return
- Glimpse of Nature
- Great Furnace
- Green Sun’s Zenith
- Hypergenesis
- Jace, the Mind Sculptor
- Mental Misstep
- Ponder
- Preordain
- Punishing Fire
- Rite of Flame
- Seat of the Synod
- Second Sunrise
- Seething Song
- Sensei’s Divining Top
- Splinter Twin
- Stoneforge Mystic
- Skullclamp
- Summer Bloom
- Sword of the Meek
- Treasure Cruise
- Tree of Tales
- Umezawa’s Jitte
- Vault of Whispers
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):
- Advantageous Proclamation
- Amulet of Quoz
- Backup Plan
- Brago’s Favor
- Bronze Tablet
- Chaos Orb
- Contract from Below
- Darkpact
- Demonic Attorney
- Double Stroke
- Falling Star
- Immediate Action
- Iterative Analysis
- Jeweled Bird
- Muzzio’s Preparations
- Power Play
- Rebirth
- Secret Summoning
- Secrets of Paradise
- Sentinel Dispatch
- Shahrazad
- Tempest Efreet
- Timmerian Fiends
- Unexpected Potential
- Worldknit
The following cards are restricted in Vintage (meaning you can only play a maximum of one copy of each in your deck):
- Ancestral Recall
- Balance
- Black Lotus
- Brainstorm
- Channel
- Demonic Consultation
- Demonic Tutor
- Dig Through Time
- Fastbond
- Flash
- Imperial Seal
- Library of Alexandria
- Lion’s Eye Diamond
- Lotus Petal
- Mana Crypt
- Mana Vault
- Memory Jar
- Merchant Scroll
- Mind’s Desire
- Mox Emerald
- Mox Jet
- Mox Pearl
- Mox Ruby
- Mox Sapphire
- Mystical Tutor
- Necropotence
- Ponder
- Sol Ring
- Strip Mine
- Time Vault
- Time Walk
- Timetwister
- Tinker
- Tolarian Academy
- Treasure Cruise
- Trinisphere
- Vampiric Tutor
- Wheel of Fortune
- Windfall
- Yawgmoth’s Bargain
- Yawgmoth’s Will
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:
- Advantageous Proclamation
- Amulet of Quoz
- Ancestral Recall
- Backup Plan
- Balance
- Bazaar of Baghdad
- Black Lotus
- Brago’s Favor
- Bronze Tablet
- Channel
- Chaos Orb
- Contract from Below
- Darkpact
- Demonic Attorney
- Demonic Consultation
- Demonic Tutor
- Dig Through Time
- Double Stroke
- Earthcraft
- Falling Star
- Fastbond
- Flash
- Frantic Search
- Goblin Recruiter
- Gush
- Hermit Druid
- Immediate Action
- Imperial Seal
- Iterative Analysis
- Jeweled Bird
- Library of Alexandria
- Mana Crypt
- Mana Drain
- Mana Vault
- Memory Jar
- Mental Misstep
- Mind Twist
- Mind’s Desire
- Mishra’s Workshop
- Mox Emerald
- Mox Jet
- Mox Pearl
- Mox Ruby
- Mox Sapphire
- Muzzio’s Preparations
- Mystical Tutor
- Necropotence
- Oath of Druids
- Power Play
- Rebirth
- Secret Summoning
- Secrets of Paradise
- Sentinel Dispatch
- Shahrazad
- Skullclamp
- Sol Ring
- Strip Mine
- Survival of the Fittest
- Tempest Efreet
- Time Vault
- Time Walk
- Timetwister
- Timmerian Fiends
- Tinker
- Tolarian Academy
- Treasure Cruise
- Unexpected Potential
- Vampiric Tutor
- Wheel of Fortune
- Windfall
- Worldknit
- Yawgmoth’s Bargain
- Yawgmoth’s Will
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:
- Cloud of Faeries
- Cloudpost
- Cranial Plating
- Empty the Warrens
- Frantic Search
- Grapeshot
- Invigorate
- Temporal Fissure
- Treasure Cruise
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:
- Ancestral Recall
- Balance
- Black Lotus
- Brainstorm
- Channel
- Crucible of Worlds
- Demonic Consultation
- Demonic Tutor
- Fastbond
- Flash
- Gifts Ungiven
- Imperial Seal
- Intuition
- Library of Alexandria
- Life from the Loam
- Lion’s Eye Diamond
- Lotus Petal
- Mana Crypt
- Mana Vault
- Memory Jar
- Merchant Scroll
- Mind Twist
- Mind’s Desire
- Mox Emerald
- Mox Jet
- Mox Pearl
- Mox Ruby
- Mox Sapphire
- Mystical Tutor
- Necropotence
- Ponder
- Sensei’s Divining Top
- Skullclamp
- Sol Ring
- Strip Mine
- Stoneforge Mystic
- Strip Mine
- Survival of the Fittest
- Thirst for Knowledge
- Time Vault
- Time Walk
- Timetwister
- Tinker
- Tolarian Academy
- Treasure Cruise
- Trinisphere
- Umezawa’s Jitte
- Vampiric Tutor
- Wheel of Fortune
- Windfall
- Yawgmoth’s Bargain
- Yawgmoth’s Will
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
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.
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:
- Ancestral Recall
- Balance
- Battle of Wits
- Bazaar of Baghdad
- Black Lotus
- Bribery
- Bringer of the Black Dawn
- Buried Alive
- Burning Wish
- Channel
- Congregation at Dawn
- Crucible of Worlds
- Cunning Wish
- Demonic Consultation
- Demonic Tutor
- Detritivore
- Diabolic Intent
- Dust Bowl
- Earthcraft
- Eladamri’s Call
- Enlightened Tutor
- Entomb
- Eternal Witness
- Fabricate
- Fastbond
- Flash
- Frantic Search
- Gifts Ungiven
- Glittering Wish
- Grim Tutor
- Gush
- Hermit Druid
- Idyllic Tutor
- Imperial Seal
- Insidious Dreams
- Intuition
- Library of Alexandria
- Life from the Loam
- Living Wish
- Mana Crypt
- Mana Drain
- Mana Vault
- Memory Jar
- Merchant Scroll
- Mind Twist
- Mind’s Desire
- Mishra’s Workshop
- Mox Emerald
- Mox Jet
- Mox Pearl
- Mox Ruby
- Mox Sapphire
- Mystical Teachings
- Mystical Tutor
- Necropotence
- Oath of Druids
- Personal Tutor
- Regrowth
- Rishadan Port
- Skullclamp
- Sol Ring
- Steelshaper’s Gift
- Sterling Grove
- Strip Mine
- Summoner’s Pact
- Sundering Titan
- Supply // Demand
- Survival of the Fittest
- Sylvan Scrying
- Time Vault
- Time Walk
- Timetwister
- Tinker
- Tolaria West
- Tolarian Academy
- Transmute Artifact
- Treasure Cruise
- Umezawa’s Jitte
- Vampiric Tutor
- Wheel of Fortune
- Yawgmoth’s Bargain
- Yawgmoth’s Will
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:
- Arboria
- Balance
- Channel
- Circle of Solace
- Demonic Consultation
- Demonic Tutor
- Engineered Plague
- Extinction
- Fastbond
- Flash
- Imperial Seal
- Library of Alexandria
- Mana Crypt
- Mana Vault
- Mishra’s Workshop
- Moat
- Necropotence
- Peer Pressure
- Skullclamp
- Sol Ring
- Stasis
- Strip Mine
- Survival of the Fittest
- The Abyss
- Time Vault
- Tinker
- Tolarian Academy
- Tsabo’s Decree
- Umezawa’s Jitte
- Vampiric Tutor
- Wheel of Fortune
- Yawgmoth’s Bargain
- Yawgmoth’s Will
BEST GAME EVER CREATED
i luv this game! its so pro!
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.
Magic got me 14 million dollars!
*burp*
I just started.
Yup I’m addicted.
Why is flash good?
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.
how many cards of the same type do i need to have a real tribal deck?