Modern

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Modern
DCI Sanctioned
Paper {Tick}
Magic Online {Tick}
Magic Arena {Cross}
Rules
Type Constructed
Multiplayer {Cross}
Scryfall Search
format:"Modern"

Modern is a constructed format that allows expansion sets, core sets, and Modern Horizons; from Eighth Edition forward, save for the Modern ban list.[1] The modern format thus encompasses all cards that have been printed in a core or expansion set using the modern card frame (plus some others from Time Spiral).

Description

The format was introduced as a non-sanctioned Magic Online format on May 19, 2011, and subsequently officially codified on August 12, 2011, when the format of Pro Tour Philadelphia was changed from Extended to Modern.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Deck construction

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. Like other constructed formats, a sideboard of up to fifteen additional cards can be used.

Except for basic lands (land cards that have the "basic" supertype) and cards like Relentless Rats, a player's combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent.[8]

Set legality

Cards from all regular core sets and expansions since Eighth Edition are legal.[8]

Timeshifted cards in Time Spiral (even never reprinted in the modern frame), cards from Planeswalker decks, and Buy-a-Box promos are considered legal in this format. However, cards reprinted as Masterpiece Series or Bonus sheets are not considered as a part of the respective expansion and can only be used if they are already legal in Modern.

Straight-to-Modern

Several sets introduce new cards directly into Modern without them ever being legal in Standard. They contain brand-new cards and reprints not previously legal in Modern.

In October 2024, it was announced that starting with the release of Final Fantasy, Universes Beyond tentpole sets were going to be made legal in all formats. The goal was to make set legality simpler and easier to understand.[10][11] This did not change the legality of Universes Beyond sets that had been released before that time. Going forward, "Straight-to-Modern" status would be restricted to Modern Horizons-like sets.

Modern Masters

The Modern Masters series contains reprints of Modern-legal cards from Eighth Edition onward. The sets include many cards with new art as well as new, never-before-printed tokens.

Banned List

See also: Timeline of DCI bans and restrictions.

As of March 31st, 2025, the following cards are banned in Modern tournaments:[8][12][13]

Popular archetypes

Aggro

  • Modern Boros Energy
  • Modern Burn
  • Modern Elves
  • Modern Izzet Tempo
  • Modern Merfolk
  • Modern New Affinity
  • Modern Prowess
  • Modern Infect

Midrange

  • Modern Crashcade
  • Modern Death and Taxes
  • Modern Death's Shadow
  • Modern Colorless/Eldrazi Tron
  • Modern Four-Color Elementals
  • Modern Jund deck
  • Modern Red-Black Unearth/Midrange

Combo

  • Modern Ad Nauseam
  • Modern Amulet Titan
  • Modern Belcher
  • Modern Indomitable Creativity
  • Modern Dredge
  • Modern Green Tron
  • Modern Hammer Time
  • Modern Living End
  • Modern Reanimator
  • Modern ThopterSword
  • Modern Undying Yawgmoth

Control

  • Modern Blue-White-X Control
  • Modern Blue Moon
  • Modern Red Prison

Previous popular archetypes

Archetypes which were popular, but had key cards banned or fell out of favor.

References

  1. ↑ Reid Duke (April 27, 2015). "An Introduction to the Popular Constructed Formats". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-05-19.
  2. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 12, 2011). "Pro Tour Philadelphia Format Change". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24.
  3. ↑ Tom LaPille (May 27, 2011). "A Modern Proposal". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2018-05-30.
  4. ↑ Tom LaPille (August 12, 2011). "Welcome to the Modern World". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-05-31.
  5. ↑ Tom LaPille (November 04, 2011). "The Modern Future". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26.
  6. ↑ Sam Stoddard (June 21, 2013). "Developing Modern". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26.
  7. ↑ Sam Stoddard (February 21, 2014). "Modern Living". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26.
  8. ↑ a b c Modern Format. magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 24, 2021). "On The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Format Legality". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24.
  10. ↑ Aaron Forsythe (October 25, 2024). "Aligning the Universes: Making All Our Sets Legal in All Our Formats". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. ↑ Magic: The Gathering (October 25, 2024). "We are making Universes Beyond tentpole sets legal in all formats going forward.". Twitter.
  12. ↑ Blake Rasmussen (February 3, 2015). "A Brief History of the Modern Banned List". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ Carmen Klomparens, Jadine Klomparens, Arya Karamchandani, Eric Engelhard (March 31, 2025). "Banned and Restricted Announcement- March 31, 2025". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. ↑ a b c Dan Musser, Arya Karamchandani, Dave Finseth (December 16, 2024). "Banned and Restricted Announcement – December 16, 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. ↑ Ian Duke (September 19, 2022). "October 10, 2022 Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-10-10.

External links

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