Formats
Commander
This format is for four players per game and deck sizes are 99 cards + 1 commander card. The game duration for this format should be about 20 minutes per player.
The Commander format is all about picking your hero and building a deck around them. In this casual, multiplayer format, you choose a legendary creature to serve as your commander and build the rest of your deck around their color identity and unique abilities. Players are only allowed one of each card in their deck, with the exception of basic lands, but they can use cards from throughout Magic's history.
View
The Commander format is all about picking your hero and building a deck around them. In this casual, multiplayer format, you choose a legendary creature to serve as your commander and build the rest of your deck around their color identity and unique abilities. Players are only allowed one of each card in their deck, with the exception of basic lands, but they can use cards from throughout Magic's history.
Competitive EDH (cEDH)
This pseudo-format has the exact same rules and ban list as Commander proper, but is competitive whereas Commander is typically a casual format. They're listed separately here since the culture and decks are very different between the two, so being able to separate the data between them should be more useful than combining it all together.
View
Modern
These are one-on-one games with 60 card minimums for the main deck (up to 15 card sideboard). Modern games should last average length for a game (about 20 minutes).
With the exception of basic lands (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest, and Wastes), your combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. This format includes powerful cards and strategies from the last two decades of Magic.
View
With the exception of basic lands (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest, and Wastes), your combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. This format includes powerful cards and strategies from the last two decades of Magic.
Booster Draft
A format for up to 8 players to open card packs, then play one-on-one games on the spot! Each deck should have at least 40 cards and should last an average length for a game (about 20 minutes).
How to draft: First, players sit around a table in a semi-circle. Each player then opens a booster pack and picks a single card without showing the other players.
Each player then passes the remaining cards to the left, and continues drafting from the new cards they get from the player on their right. This continues until all of the cards in those packs have been distributed (drafted). Then each player opens a second pack, but this time, pass the pack to the right. After all those cards are drafted, you do the same with the third pack, passing to the left again. At the end, each player will have about 45 cards (along with any number of basic lands) which they can use to build a 40 card deck.
View
How to draft: First, players sit around a table in a semi-circle. Each player then opens a booster pack and picks a single card without showing the other players.
Each player then passes the remaining cards to the left, and continues drafting from the new cards they get from the player on their right. This continues until all of the cards in those packs have been distributed (drafted). Then each player opens a second pack, but this time, pass the pack to the right. After all those cards are drafted, you do the same with the third pack, passing to the left again. At the end, each player will have about 45 cards (along with any number of basic lands) which they can use to build a 40 card deck.
Pauper
Build decks using cards that are readily available! In this Magic format, all cards must have been released at common rarity in a Magic set or product. Common promo cards are only legal if the card meets that qualification.
If a common version of a particular card was ever released in a Magic: The Gathering paper product or Magic: The Gathering Online, any version of that card is legal in this format. This includes land cards that were printed with both a common set symbol and the L rarity code.
If a common version of a particular card was ever released in a Magic: The Gathering paper product or Magic: The Gathering Online, any version of that card is legal in this format. This includes land cards that were printed with both a common set symbol and the L rarity code.
- Minimum of 60 cards in the main deck (There is no maximum size for main decks)
- Up to 15 cards in your sideboard, if used
- No more than four of any individual card in the main deck and sideboard combined (with the exception of basic lands)
Sealed Deck
Unlike constructed games—where you arrive with a strategically created deck—Sealed games have you build a new deck from six unopened booster packs. Additionally, you may add as many basic lands (Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, and Forests) as you’d like, even if they weren’t in the booster packs you opened. These games are 1v1 and can be played as best of one or best of three.
- A minimum deck size of 40 cards
- Sideboard for your deck is any of the cards you opened
- Format featured at prerelease events
Pioneer
This nonrotating format features sets from Return to Ravnica, forward. It aims to be more powerful than Standard but less powerful than Modern or Legacy. Constructed decks can have up to four of any card in their combined deck and sideboard. Basic lands are not included in this restriction.
- Minimum deck size of 60 cards - Up to 15 cards in your sideboard (if used)
Standard
Standard games are one-on-one with a 60 card minimum for the main deck (up to 15 card sideboard). Winner is determined either by best of one, or best of three games. These games should last standard length for a game (about 20 minutes on average).
How does set rotation work? Each year, new Magic sets are released and added to Standard. Once per year, after the fall set Prerelease, the four oldest sets in Standard rotate out.
View
How does set rotation work? Each year, new Magic sets are released and added to Standard. Once per year, after the fall set Prerelease, the four oldest sets in Standard rotate out.
Legacy
As a constructed format, Legacy does not rotate and allows cards to be played from all Magic sets (with the exception of those from the banned card list). Your deck and sideboard is not allowed to hold more than four of any individual card in this format, except for basic lands.
- Minimum deck size of 60 cards
- Up to 15 cards in your sideboard (if used)
Vintage
This format allows for cards to be played from all Magic card sets and includes cards from expansions and special sets (with the exception of cards on the banned list)! This format holds a restricted list which limits the use of a card to a single copy allowed either in the sideboard or in the main deck. Vintage is a constructed format does not allow your combined deck and sideboard to contain more than four of any individual card.
- Minimum deck size of 60 cards
- Up to 15 cards in your sideboard (if used)