InMagic: The Gathering, specific rules regarding what cards are allowed in both competitive and casual play are enforced to even the playing field among the long history of its printed cards. With its many formats allowing for endless playing styles,there is a format to suit any player and the cards they wish to use in their decks.

Cards that are bannedcannot be legally included in a player’s main deck or their sideboard, and any cards on the list cannot be played legally in the respective professional formats. Regarding cards that are restricted other than banned, they are only applicable in a select few formats where players are only allowed one copy of the card in their main deck and sideboard.

Treasure token art from Magic: the Gathering

All Banned Cards For Modern Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Modern Format

The Modern format allows for a 60+ card deck and has no card rotation, so players are able to master their decks. It is a two-player format, allowing for one-on-one matches.Starting from the 8th Edition, all core and expansion sets are inducedin its play format and reflects its name. It contains no rotation system, where legal cards do not swap out for upcoming cards like in Standard format. One match of Modern is roughly estimated to be 20 minutes long.

All Banned and Restricted Cards For Vintage Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Vintage Format

The Vintage format allows players to include cards from when the game was first released,containing the most wide-open card pool of all sets. Players are able to create card combos that stretch across the entire history ofMagic: The Gathering, being a way of play that does not restrict selections due to how old a card is.

The format is similar to how the Modern format is played, with two players with decks of 60+ cards playing for roughly 20 minutes. It is one of the few formats that currently have restricted cards.

Magic The Gathering Duskmourn Nashi Searcher In The Dark Art

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All Banned Cards For Legacy Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Legacy Format

The Legacy format is almost identical to the Vintage format, where it allows for allMTGsets since release and plays in the exact same style. The difference between the two is what cards are banned and what cards are restricted.Where Vintage relies on its restricted list, Legacy relies on its banned list. With Vintage allowing single copies of more powerful cards, Legacy rules them out entirely and levels the playing field a little more.

All Banned Cards For Commander Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Commander Format

The Commander format is currently the most popular among players, with its casual play style and opportunities for interesting interactions. Commander decks contain 100 cards, andone card is deemed the Commander which is the center of the play strategyand can be brought to the playing field at any time.

Cards have no set restrictions but must be kept to one copy of each. Commander can be played with from 2 to 5 players but ideally, 4 is a bearable maximum. This format has longer play times, andsome of the best Commander decksmake it worth the average 120 minutes of play worth it.

Card art from Magic: The Gathering card Black Market

All Banned Cards For Block Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Block Format

The Block formatonly allows for cards of a single block of MTG sets, which consists of sets that are grouped together into blocks. Players are allowed to build a deck from cards of a single block of their choosing, allowing 60+ cards in a block deck. The format is mostly ignored in competitive play as the block system was discontinued, but the official banned and restricted list from Wizards of the Coast still includes its banned list. This is another format that plays with 2 players.

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All Banned Cards For Pauper Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Pauper Format

The Pauper format is based on the rarity of the cards, where cards that have been printed with a common rarity are allowed in a deck. Thisrules out any Uncommon, Rare, or Mythic Rare cards, allowing those who are not so lucky with their card draws to have an even playing field. This is another format that allows for a 60+ card deck and plays with 2 players.

There is also a variant of the format called Pauper Standard, playing in the Standard format with only common cards.Determining the rarity ofMTGcardsis easy and this format is great for beginners as well.

Magic: The Gathering art of Minsc and Boo, where Minsc is standing with an arm upraised to hold Boo, his miniature giant space hamster companion.

All Banned Cards For Pioneer Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Pioneer Format

The Pioneer format includesany cards from core and expansion sets from theReturn to Ravnicaexpansion onwards. It is yet another format that allows for 60+ cards and plays with 2 players. The format is not supported inMagic: The Gathering Arenacurrently, but instead uses the Explorer format in the game. This format and itsArenaequivalent do not rotate like Standard.

All Banned Cards For Oathbreaker Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Oathbreaker Format

The Oathbreaker format is one whereplayers center their decks around a single Planeswalker card, which is deemed the Oathbreaker. The deck also includes one Signature Spell card, which can only be cast if the Oathbreaker is active on the battlefield. The format is a casual one built similar to the Commander format and allows for a 60-card deck and can be played with 2 to 5 players. Oathbreaker decks allow for some ofthe best Planeswalker cards inMagic: The Gatheringto take center stage.

All Banned Cards For Historic Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Historic Format

The Historic format is exclusive to theMagic: The Gathering Arenagame and has similar rules to Modern, Vintage, and Legacy. The formatallows cards that are no longer in the current Standard rotation to be played. It allows for a 60+ card deck, played one-on-one inMTGArena, and can last around 10 minutes in an online match. It is alsoArena’slargest Constructed format, allowing for sets both new and old.

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All Banned and Restricted Cards For Timeless Format In 2024

Every Disallowed Card For Timeless Format

The Timeless format is anotherone exclusive to theMagic: The Gathering Arenaand allows for any card that is included in the gameto be part of the deck. It is another online format with a 60+ card deck and 2 players. It currently does not have any banned cards and only has a short list of restricted ones. Other than its small restrictions, if a card is obtained in the game, it can be added to a Timeless deck.

Bane’s card art from Magic: The Gathering.

Character wielding magically-imbued sword & summoning sparks from her hand, Magic the Gathering’s Wilds of Eldraine.

Magic: The Gathering artwork of Ral, Crackling Wit from the Bloomburrow set.

A character from Magic: The Gathering’s Unfinity cards standing amid a cavalcade of galactic characters.

Katie artwork from Magic: The Gathering.

Sisay, Weatherlight Captain Magic: The Gathering art