Arena Standard
| Arena Standard | |
|---|---|
| DCI Sanctioned | |
| Paper |
 |
| Magic Online |
|
| Magic Arena |
 |
| Rules | |
| Type | Constructed |
| Multiplayer |
|
| Add. rules | Best-of-one |
Arena Standard also known as Best-of-one (or Bo1) is a Magic Arena-specific constructed format of Magic: The Gathering.[1][2][3]
Description
In Best-of-one, players submit a Standard–legal deck for play without the necessity of a sideboard (though sideboard is still used for cards like Mastermind's Acquisition). A match consists of only one game, instead of the usual three (Bo3). Cards like Mastermind's Acquisition still only find cards in a player's sideboard rather than their full in-game collection.
Because losing a single-game match after a mulligan feels worse than normal without the fallback plan of winning the other two games, starting hands are randomized in a way that should reduce the frequency of mulligans, but without incentivizing mana base construction outside the strategic norms of the game. Wizards feel this achieves the desired effect of reducing the frequency of mulligans without changing how players build their mana bases. The only concrete statement regarding the shuffler was released during closed beta play, and in the updates since it has been unclear whether the algorithm has changed.
- The system during the beta drew an opening hand from each of two separately randomized copies of the decks and leant towards giving the player the hand with the mix of spells and lands (without regard for color) closest to the average for that deck. This formula usually yielded three lands in ones' starting hand because 22÷60×7≈2.567 and 30÷60×7=3.5.
- You can then use the London Mulligan rules to get a new hand with one fewer card. Mulliganed hands are created from a single randomized draw.
Additional legal cards and bans
In addition to the traditional Standard legal sets and ban list, Best-of-one formats maintains its own additional banlist, as well as allowing Arena exclusive cards to be included in their deck[4][5].
As of September 27, 2019, no additional cards are banned in the current Arena Standard.
Previously banned cards
The following is a list of cards that have been banned in Arena Standard, but not banned in Standard, at one point during their stay in the Standard environment.
References
- ↑ Best-of-One Starting Hand and Mulligan Rules
- ↑ State of the Beta for May 25th, 2018
- ↑ Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa. (January 20, 2019.) "Best-of-One vs. Best-of-Three", ChannelFireball.com.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (February 14, 2019). "MTG Arena Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Melissa DeTora (June 14, 2019). "Play Design Q&A". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.