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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Short answer: Standard is the only format in this comparison that rotates. Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander are nonrotating, but they use different starting points, deck sizes, restriction systems, and power levels. Standard uses the newest sets on Wizards of the Coast’s current list; Pioneer begins with Return to Ravnica; Modern begins with the Eighth Edition/Mirrodin-era boundary listed by Wizards; Legacy and Vintage reach back through nearly all of Magic; and Commander uses a 99-card singleton deck plus a commander.
Set branding is not enough to determine legality. A card’s exact expansion, card identity, format list, banned list, and— for Vintage—restricted list all matter. Use the official Wizards format pages and current banned-and-restricted announcement immediately before registering a deck.
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At-a-glance legality comparison
The table shows the rules that define each format at a structural level. Individual cards can still be banned, restricted, or subject to special rules, so a format’s broad card pool is not a guarantee that every printing is playable.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Annual rotation; the six oldest Standard sets leave after the first premier-set prerelease of the year | The recent Standard sets listed on Wizards’ current Standard page | At least 60 cards; up to 15-card sideboard | Banned list; changes generally concentrate around the annual fall window |
| Pioneer | None | Return to Ravnica forward | At least 60 cards; up to 15-card sideboard; no more than four copies of a card except basic lands | Banned list; announcements can accompany main-set release windows |
| Modern | None | Wizards’ listed sets beginning with Eighth Edition and the Mirrodin-era releases, then continuing through eligible later sets | At least 60 cards; up to 15-card sideboard; four-copy limit except basic lands | Banned list |
| Legacy | None | All Magic sets except cards on the Legacy banned list | At least 60 cards; up to 15-card sideboard; four-copy limit except basic lands | Banned list |
| Vintage | None | All Magic card sets, including expansions and special sets, except banned cards | At least 60 cards; up to 15-card sideboard; four-copy limit except basic lands | Banned list plus restricted list; a restricted card is limited to one copy in the deck or sideboard |
| Commander | None | Cards from throughout Magic history, subject to Commander rules and its ban list | 99 cards plus one commander; normally one copy of each card other than basic lands; color identity applies | Commander banned list; multiplayer and social expectations are separate from legality |
All six formats have official rules and lists that can change. Treat the table as a framework, not as a substitute for checking the live card database or event rules.
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How Standard rotation works
Standard is designed to change. Wizards’ current rule description says that once each year, after the first premier-set Prerelease of the year, the six oldest sets in Standard rotate out. The result is a moving pool made from the recent sets shown on the official Standard page rather than a permanent collection of expansions.
What rotation means for a deck
- A card can be legal today and become illegal at the annual rotation without being banned.
- Rotation removes an entire set from Standard; it does not remove that card from Magic or from every other format.
- A card with another legal printing can remain usable if that card identity is present in a set still listed for Standard. Check the current format list rather than assuming a particular artwork or product name is decisive.
- Standard decks use a minimum 60-card main deck and may use a sideboard of up to 15 cards. The format is played one-on-one under the normal constructed rules.
How to check the current Standard sets
- Open Wizards of the Coast’s current Standard format page and read the set list, not just a retailer’s description or a set advertisement.
- Confirm the date of the next scheduled rotation and whether the event you plan to enter occurs before or after that date.
- Check the current Standard banned list and the latest banned-and-restricted announcement.
- For every card in a decklist, verify the exact set code or card identity in an up-to-date legality database.
Because the list changes during the year, a reliable answer to “What sets are legal right now?” is date-dependent. The official Wizards list on the day you build or submit the deck is the authoritative answer.
Who benefits from Standard
Standard is the most accessible entry point when you want a curated, changing environment and cards from recent releases. Its drawback is the shortest expected legality horizon: a purchase made shortly before rotation can have much less Standard life than the same purchase made just after rotation. If long-term reuse is your priority, compare the card’s legality in Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, or Commander before buying playsets.
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Pioneer: a nonrotating bridge from Standard
Pioneer is a nonrotating constructed format whose pool begins with Return to Ravnica and extends forward through eligible releases. Wizards positions it between Standard and the older, more powerful formats: it keeps more recent cards than Modern while avoiding Standard’s annual loss of sets.
Construction rules
- Main deck minimum: 60 cards.
- Sideboard maximum: 15 cards.
- Except for basic lands, no more than four copies of a card may appear across the deck and sideboard under the normal constructed rules.
- Cards on the Pioneer banned list cannot be used even when their sets fall inside the date boundary.
Why Pioneer can extend a card’s life
A card that leaves Standard through rotation may remain legal in Pioneer as long as it is not banned. Pioneer therefore offers a way to keep playing many Standard-era cards without moving immediately to Modern’s older and generally more powerful pool. The format’s card pool grows as new Standard-era releases become eligible; older sets do not naturally fall away.
Pioneer and supplemental products
A product marketed to experienced players is not automatically Pioneer legal. Check the exact expansion code and the card’s entry on Wizards’ Pioneer list. Supplemental cards may enter another format directly while skipping Pioneer entirely.
Modern: nonrotating, with a defined older-set boundary
Modern does not rotate. Its official set list begins with Eighth Edition and the Mirrodin-era releases identified by Wizards, then continues through later eligible sets. That boundary makes Modern substantially older and broader than Pioneer while still excluding much of Magic’s earliest history.
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Construction rules
- Main deck minimum: 60 cards.
- Sideboard maximum: 15 cards.
- Normally no more than four copies of a card, excluding basic lands.
- The Modern banned list overrides the general set boundary.
Modern-specific products can add cards directly
Modern Horizons 3 is the clearest example in the supplied official release notes: its cards are legal in Modern, Commander, Legacy, and Vintage, but not in Standard or Pioneer. A Modern-focused product can therefore change Modern’s playable pool without first passing through Standard.
When you see a card from a supplemental release, look for the product’s release notes and the format symbol or legality entry. Do not infer Modern legality solely from the card’s age, rarity, or the fact that it appeared in a premium product.
When Modern is the better home
Modern suits players who want a large, nonrotating tournament pool but do not need cards from Magic’s earliest sets. It can preserve a deck through many Standard rotations, although bans and metagame changes can still alter a deck’s competitive value. “Nonrotating” means the sets do not leave on a schedule; it does not promise that every card remains unrestricted forever.
Legacy: nearly all of Magic, filtered by the banned list
Legacy is nonrotating and allows cards from all Magic sets except those on the Legacy banned list, according to Wizards’ format description. Its broad historical pool means that legality often turns on the individual card rather than the age of its set.
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Construction rules
- At least 60 cards in the main deck.
- Up to 15 cards in the sideboard.
- Normally a maximum of four copies of a card, other than basic lands.
- The current Legacy banned list is the final authority for tournament legality.
Why set age is not enough
Unlike Standard, Legacy does not have a cutoff that automatically removes an old block. A card from an early expansion can be legal, while a much newer card can be banned. The practical consequence is that a Legacy decklist needs card-by-card verification and often depends on specific printings, errata, and tournament policy.
The breadth of the pool also means that a card’s price and availability can be highly card-specific. Legality alone does not tell you whether a deck is affordable, easy to find, or appropriate for a particular local event; confirm the organizer’s proxy and event policies separately.
Vintage: the broadest pool and a restricted list
Vintage reaches furthest back. Wizards describes it as allowing cards from all Magic card sets, including expansions and special sets, except cards on the banned list. Vintage adds a second control layer: some cards are restricted to one copy.
Construction rules
- Main deck minimum: 60 cards.
- Sideboard maximum: 15 cards.
- Except for basic lands, the normal maximum is four copies.
- A card on the Vintage restricted list may appear only once in the main deck or sideboard combined, even if it is not banned.
- The banned list removes cards entirely; the restricted list permits a single copy.
Understanding restricted cards
“Restricted” is not a softer word for “optional.” It is a deck-building limit that changes consistency: you may register one copy, not a full playset. When checking a Vintage list, read both columns and verify whether a recent announcement changed either one.
When Vintage is appropriate
Vintage is the choice when you specifically want access to Magic’s entire historical and special-set pool and understand its unusually powerful environment. It is not simply Legacy with older cards; the restricted-list model and the format’s historical card pool create a distinct deck-building experience.
Commander: a different structure, not a rotating card pool
Commander is a multiplayer format built around a legendary creature or other card permitted to be a commander. Wizards describes it as using cards from throughout Magic’s history, with no rotation.
Deck construction
- One commander plus a 99-card deck, for 100 cards total.
- Normally one copy of each card, except basic lands and cards whose rules explicitly allow additional copies.
- Every card must fit the commander’s color identity, which includes the colors represented by its mana cost and rules text.
- The Commander ban list determines which cards cannot be used.
Commander’s singleton rule and color identity make legality fundamentally different from the four-copy constructed formats. A card can be legal in Commander but impossible to include with a particular commander because its color identity does not fit.
Legality versus the social contract
Commander games are multiplayer and commonly use optional guidance such as Commander Brackets and Game Changers. Those tools help groups discuss power level and expectations; they do not replace the official Commander ban list. Ask a store or play group whether it uses additional house rules before an event.
Why product branding does not decide legality
Set names and product labels are useful clues, but they are not a legal rule. Wizards’ release notes provide two instructive cases.
Modern Horizons 3
Modern Horizons 3 cards were released into Modern, Commander, Legacy, and Vintage. The release notes state that they were not Standard or Pioneer legal. A card’s appearance in that product therefore cannot be used as evidence that it belongs in the two rotating or intermediate formats.
Commander Legends
New cards from Commander Legends were legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage, but not Standard, Pioneer, or Modern. Returning cards kept the legality they already had through their existing card identity. This distinction explains why a reprint can be legal in a format while a brand-new card from the same product is not.
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A reliable product-checking method
- Identify whether the card is new to the game or a reprint.
- Record the exact expansion code and card name.
- Read that product’s official release notes for initial format legality.
- Check the live format page and banned or restricted list for later changes.
- For Commander, test the card against the chosen commander’s color identity and singleton rule.
How to verify a deck before an event
Use this checklist whenever a deck contains recently released cards, older staples, or cards from supplemental products.
- Choose the exact format. “Constructed legal” is not a single category; Standard and Vintage have radically different pools.
- Check the format’s set boundary. Standard uses its current recent-set list; Pioneer starts at Return to Ravnica; Modern uses Wizards’ Eighth Edition/Mirrodin-era boundary; Legacy and Vintage use all-set rules subject to their lists.
- Check the banned list. A card inside the date boundary can still be prohibited.
- Check restrictions. This step is essential in Vintage, where a restricted card is limited to one copy across deck and sideboard.
- Apply construction rules. Confirm the 60-card minimum and sideboard limit for the five conventional constructed formats, or the 99-plus-commander and singleton requirements for Commander.
- Confirm the event’s date. Standard rotation and newly announced list changes can fall between deck construction and tournament day.
- Ask the organizer about local policies. Commander house rules, proxy policies, and event-specific deck checks can add requirements beyond Wizards’ baseline legality.
Which format lets you keep using cards after rotation?
If a card rotates out of Standard, the first nonrotating option to investigate is Pioneer, provided the card was printed in an eligible set and is not banned. Modern may also retain it when the card’s set or a legal printing falls within Modern’s listed pool. Legacy, Vintage, and Commander can retain cards from far older sets, subject to their own lists and construction rules.
The best destination depends on the card, not just the format’s age. A Standard card can survive in Pioneer but not Modern if it has no Modern-legal printing; a supplemental card can be Modern legal while skipping Pioneer; and a Commander card may be unusable in a particular deck because of color identity. Verify the individual card in every format you are considering.
How legality changes over time
Rotation is only one source of change. Wizards’ stated goal is for most or all Standard changes to occur during the annual fall banned-and-restricted window associated with the current Standard rotation model. Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage can also change around main-set release windows. Commander’s ban list can change independently of Standard rotation.
For a tournament deck, recheck the official announcement close to registration. A deck can satisfy the set boundary and still become illegal through a ban, or become limited to one copy in Vintage through a restriction. Keep the announcement date with your decklist so you know which ruleset you used.
Common mistakes and fixes
“It is a new card, so it must be Standard legal.”
Why it fails: Supplemental products can add cards directly to Modern, Commander, Legacy, or Vintage without entering Standard. Fix: read the product’s release notes and current Standard list.
“Nonrotating means nothing can change.”
Why it fails: Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage still have banned lists, and Vintage also has restrictions. Fix: check the latest announcement before an event.
“A reprint changes every format at once.”
Why it fails: legality follows the card’s identity and each format’s rules, not merely the newest product package. Fix: distinguish a returning card from a new card and verify its format entries.
“Commander legality is just four-copy constructed legality.”
Why it fails: Commander uses 99 cards plus a commander, singleton construction, and color identity. Fix: check all three Commander-specific constraints in addition to the ban list.
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“A card legal in Vintage is automatically legal in Legacy.”
Why it fails: the formats have separate lists and Vintage’s special-set treatment and restricted list do not transfer automatically. Fix: verify the card on the target format’s own page.
Choosing a format by your goal
| Your priority | Most relevant format to investigate | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Recent cards and a regularly changing environment | Standard | Uses the current recent-set pool and rotates annually |
| Keep Standard-era cards without scheduled rotation | Pioneer | Begins at Return to Ravnica and does not rotate |
| A broad nonrotating tournament pool with a defined older boundary | Modern | Starts with Wizards’ Eighth Edition/Mirrodin-era eligibility and includes direct Modern products |
| Access to nearly every historical set under a banned list | Legacy | Allows cards from all Magic sets except banned cards |
| The widest historical and special-set pool, including restricted cards | Vintage | Allows all Magic card sets and special sets except banned cards, with a restricted list |
| Multiplayer singleton play built around a commander | Commander | Uses 99 cards plus one commander, color identity, and no rotation |
The durable choice is the one whose rules match how you play. A nonrotating format protects you from scheduled set loss, but it does not remove bans, restrictions, metagame shifts, or the need to check event-specific policies.
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