Magic formats, explained simply
A format is a set of rules that says which cards you can use and how you build your deck. There are lots of them, but they fall into two big groups.
Constructed formats: bring your deck ready
You build your deck at home with the cards you want (within what the format allows).
| Format | Deck | Which cards are legal | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commander (EDH) | 100 cards, 1 copy of each | Almost every card ever printed | Playing with friends, 4 players. The most popular. |
| Standard | 60 cards, max. 4 copies | Only sets from the last few years | People who play tournaments in stores and on Arena. |
| Pioneer | 60 cards, max. 4 copies | From 2012 onward | A middle ground, with stable decks. |
| Modern | 60 cards, max. 4 copies | From 2003 onward | Experienced players; powerful decks. |
| Legacy | 60 cards, max. 4 copies | All of them, with a banned list | Very powerful; some cards are expensive. |
| Vintage | 60 cards, max. 4 copies | All of them, with some restricted to 1 copy | The most powerful Magic there is. |
| Pauper | 60 cards, max. 4 copies | Commons only | Cheap and a lot of fun. |
Others you can also play on SpellTavern: Duel Commander (1 vs 1 Commander), Pauper Commander, Oathbreaker, Brawl, Premodern, Old School and the Arena formats (Historic, Timeless, Alchemy, Explorer).
Limited formats: the deck is built during the event
You bring nothing: the cards come from boosters opened on the spot, and you build a 40-card deck (about 23 cards + 17 basic lands).
- Draft: each player opens a booster, keeps one card and passes the rest. This continues until 3 boosters are done.
- Sealed: each player opens 6 boosters and builds a deck with what they got.
- Prerelease: a sealed event with boosters from a new set, before it goes on sale.
- Cube: a draft with a card collection picked by someone. We explain it in the cube guide.
Which one should I start with?
- You want to play with friends and have fun: Commander. Start with one of the decks to get started and play against bots. The rules are in the Commander guide.
- You want to learn deckbuilding without spending money: draft or cube, because everyone starts equal.
- You want something cheap and competitive: Pauper.
- You want to play tournaments: Standard or Pioneer.
Formats on SpellTavern
In the deck builder you choose the format and the site tells you if your deck is legal: card count, duplicate copies, banned cards and commander colors. In Play you choose the mode: against bots, 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 3- or 4-player Commander, draft, sealed (with the prerelease option) or cube draft. Without an account you can play against bots; to play with friends and draft you need a free account.