As an avid Magic: The Gathering player, I am often asked, “What is the most played MTG format?” The answer to that question is not straightforward, as there are many different formats to choose from, each with its own unique rules and strategies.
In this article, I will provide an overview of the most popular MTG formats, including Standard, Commander, Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy, as well as Limited’s appeal with Draft and Sealed. I will also discuss MTG Arena and Digital Formats, Card Legality and Banned Lists, Deck Construction and Strategy, and address some frequently asked questions.
Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game that has been around for over 25 years. Throughout its history, Wizards of the Coast has introduced numerous formats to cater to different playstyles and preferences.
Standard is the most widely recognized format, featuring only the most recent sets of Magic cards. Commander, on the other hand, is a social format that encourages players to build decks around a legendary creature and offers a more casual play experience.
Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy are all non-rotating formats that allow players to use a wider range of cards and offer a more competitive environment.
Key Takeaways
- Magic: The Gathering features a variety of formats to cater to different playstyles and preferences.
- Standard is the most widely recognized format, featuring only the most recent sets of Magic cards.
- Commander is a social format that encourages players to build decks around a legendary creature and offers a more casual play experience.
Overview of MTG Formats
As an avid MTG player, I have come across various formats that the game offers. Formats are ways to play the game based on certain rules and restrictions.
In this section, I will provide an overview of the two main categories of MTG formats: Constructed Formats and Limited Formats.
Constructed Formats
Constructed Formats are the most popular and well-known formats in MTG. In these formats, players build their own decks using the cards they own or have access to.
The decks must adhere to certain rules and restrictions, such as a minimum number of cards and a maximum number of copies of each card. Some of the most popular Constructed Formats include:
- Standard Format: This format uses cards from the most recent sets and rotates every year.
- Modern Format: This format uses cards from the past 15 years and does not rotate.
- Legacy Format: This format uses cards from the entire history of MTG and has no restrictions on card usage.
- Vintage Format: This format is similar to Legacy but has additional restrictions on certain powerful cards.
Limited Formats
Limited Formats are another category of MTG formats. In these formats, players use a limited pool of cards to build their decks. The cards are usually obtained through booster packs or draft formats.
Some of the most popular Limited Formats include:
- Booster Draft: This format involves players opening booster packs and selecting one card at a time to build their deck.
- Sealed Deck: This format involves players opening a set number of booster packs and using the cards to build a deck.
- Cube Draft: This format involves players using a pre-selected pool of cards to draft and build their decks.
The Popularity of Standard Format
As an MTG player, I know that Standard format is one of the most popular formats in Magic: The Gathering. This is because it is one of the flagship competitive formats that is constantly changing.
The sets legal in Standard change every three years, with only the most recent sets being legal in the format. This keeps the format fresh and interesting each year that you play it.
According to Wargamer, Standard is the most popular format overall, and this is supported by the fact that it is the most played format on MTG Arena.
Over 50% of playtime on MTG Arena is dedicated to the Standard format, making it the clear choice for most players.
One of the reasons for its popularity is that it is a legal format for official MTG tournaments. This means that players can compete in Standard tournaments and earn prizes based on their performance.
The format is also popular among casual players who enjoy playing with the most recent cards and mechanics.
Another reason for its popularity is the Standard rotation. Every year, the oldest sets in the format rotate out, and new sets are added in.
This ensures that the format is constantly changing and evolving, which keeps it fresh and exciting for players.
Commander: The Social Format
Commander, also known as Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH), is the most popular social format in Magic: The Gathering. It is a multiplayer format designed for casual play, and it encourages creativity and social interaction.
The format revolves around the use of a legendary creature called the commander, which serves as the player’s avatar and is the centerpiece of their deck.
EDH Basics
In Commander, each player starts with 40 life and a deck of 100 cards, including their commander.
The commander must be a legendary creature, and it must stay in the command zone throughout the game.
Players can cast their commander from the command zone by paying its mana cost plus an additional two mana for each time it has been cast from the command zone.
Players can also choose to put their commander back into the command zone if it would be put into the graveyard or exiled from the battlefield.
One of the unique aspects of Commander is the deck-building rules. Players can only include one copy of each card in their deck, except for basic lands.
This encourages players to use a wide variety of cards and to be creative with their deck-building. Additionally, players can only use cards that are legal in the Commander format, which includes most cards from Magic’s history, but with a few exceptions.
Commander Deck Building
Commander deck building is all about finding a balance between synergy, power level, and fun.
Since players can only include one copy of each card in their deck, it’s important to choose cards that work well together and support the strategy of the deck.
Legendary creatures with powerful abilities are often popular choices for commanders, as they can serve as the centerpiece of the deck and provide a powerful effect.
When building a commander deck, it’s important to consider the power level of the deck.
Since Commander is a casual format, it’s important to avoid decks that are too powerful or oppressive.
Additionally, it’s important to consider the social aspect of the format and to build a deck that is fun to play against.
A deck that is too powerful or unfun to play against can ruin the experience for everyone at the table.
Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy
Non-Rotating Formats
Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy are all non-rotating formats in Magic: The Gathering. This means that cards from all sets released in the format are legal to play, and only a select few cards are banned.
Modern and Pioneer are more recent formats compared to Legacy, but they have gained popularity in recent years.
Modern is the most popular non-rotating format in Magic: The Gathering, with a diverse metagame and a large player base.
The format includes cards from Eighth Edition and Mirrodin to the present day, with a banlist that is updated regularly to keep the metagame healthy. The format is known for its fast-paced gameplay and explosive combos.
Pioneer is a newer non-rotating format that includes cards from Return to Ravnica to the present day.
The format was created to bridge the gap between Standard and Modern, and has quickly gained popularity due to its diverse metagame and lower price point compared to Modern. The format is known for its midrange strategies and powerful planeswalkers.
Legacy is the oldest non-rotating format in Magic: The Gathering, and includes cards from all sets released in the game’s history.
The format is known for its powerful cards and fast-paced gameplay, but it is also the most expensive format to play due to the high cost of some of its staple cards. The format is managed by its banned list to keep the metagame healthy.
Eternal Formats
Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy are all considered eternal formats in Magic: The Gathering. This means that cards from all sets released in the game’s history are legal to play, and only a select few cards are banned.
These formats are known for their powerful cards and diverse metagames, and are popular among experienced players.
Modern and Pioneer are considered more accessible eternal formats compared to Legacy due to their lower price points and smaller card pools. However, Legacy is still considered the most powerful eternal format due to its access to powerful cards such as Force of Will and Wasteland.
Limited’s Appeal: Draft and Sealed
As an avid Magic: The Gathering player, I have found that Limited formats such as Draft and Sealed Deck are some of the most popular ways to play the game.
Limited formats, as the name suggests, limit the number of cards available to players. This makes for a more level playing field and allows players to showcase their deck building and gameplay skills.
Booster Draft
Booster Draft is a Limited format where players open booster packs and draft cards from them in a specific order.
The draft order is usually clockwise, and each player selects one card from the pack before passing it to the next player. This process continues until all the cards have been drafted.
Players then build a 40-card deck using only the cards they drafted and basic lands.
Booster Draft is a popular format because it allows players to showcase their deck building and drafting skills. It also creates a level playing field, as players have access to the same number of booster packs and cards.
This format rewards players who can read signals and make the best picks based on the cards available.
Sealed Deck
Sealed Deck is another popular Limited format. In Sealed Deck, players are given a specific number of booster packs and must build a 40-card deck using only the cards from those packs and basic lands.
Sealed Deck is a great format for players who enjoy the challenge of building a deck with a limited card pool.
Sealed Deck rewards players who can make the most out of the cards they are given. It requires players to think creatively and build a deck that can compete with other players’ decks.
This format also creates a level playing field, as all players have access to the same number of booster packs and cards.
MTG Arena and Digital Formats
As a digital incarnation of the popular trading card game, Magic: The Gathering, MTG Arena offers players a familiar yet fresh experience.
The game brings the comprehensive rules and diverse strategies of the physical game into a digital format, allowing players to build their decks and compete with other players from around the world.
MTG Arena Decks
One of the key features of MTG Arena is the ability to build and customize your own decks.
The game offers a variety of Constructed formats, which require players to build a deck prior to joining a match.
Standard is the most popular Constructed format on MTG Arena, which includes recently released MTG sets. Historic is another popular Constructed format, which includes all the cards available on MTG Arena, including digital-only cards.
Players can also participate in Limited formats, which require players to build a deck from a limited pool of cards.
Draft is the most popular Limited format on MTG Arena, which allows players to select cards from a series of booster packs to build their deck.
MTG Alchemy
MTG Alchemy is a relatively new format introduced in MTG Arena, which offers a unique twist on the Standard format.
The format includes a set of cards exclusive to MTG Alchemy, which are designed to shake up the metagame and offer new strategies for players to explore.
MTG Alchemy is gaining popularity among players, with roughly 12% of playtime on MTG Arena.
The format offers a fresh take on the Standard format, allowing players to experiment with new decks and strategies.
Card Legality and Banned Lists
As an avid MTG player, I know that each format has its own set of rules for card legality. This means that not all cards are allowed to be played in all formats.
It is important to know which cards are legal in the format you are playing in to avoid any penalties during gameplay.
Each format has its own banned list of cards. These cards are not allowed to be played in any deck or sideboard.
If a player is found to be playing with a banned card, they will be disqualified from the game.
The banned list is created to ensure that no one card is too powerful and that the game remains balanced.
It is important to note that the banned list is not the same for all formats. For example, the banned list for Standard may be different from the banned list for Modern.
It is important to check the banned list for the format you are playing in to ensure that your deck is legal.
In addition to the banned list, each format also has a list of legal cards. These are the cards that are allowed to be played in the format.
It is important to check the legal card pool for the format you are playing in to ensure that your deck is legal.
Deck Construction and Strategy
As the most played format in Magic: The Gathering, Standard is a highly competitive format that encourages deck building and experimentation.
Standard players have access to roughly the past three years of cards released in expansion and core sets, which makes it a constantly evolving format.
In Standard, a deck consists of a main deck and a sideboard. The main deck is composed of at least 60 cards, while the sideboard can contain up to 15 cards.
The sideboard is used to tailor the deck to specific matchups and can be swapped in and out during games two and three of a match.
Deck construction in Standard is all about finding the right balance between consistency and power.
A deck should have a clear game plan and a consistent way to execute it. This is achieved by including a mix of powerful, high-impact cards and reliable, low-impact cards.
A well-constructed Standard deck should be able to deal with a variety of threats and strategies.
This means including answers to common threats in the format, such as removal spells and counterspells, as well as cards that can deal with specific strategies, such as graveyard hate or artifact removal.
Strategy in Standard is all about playing to your deck’s strengths and exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses.
This means understanding the intricacies of the format and knowing how to play around common threats and strategies.
In general, Standard gameplay is focused on board presence and combat.
This means that decks that can establish a strong board presence and attack with powerful creatures are often successful. However, control decks that focus on disrupting the opponent’s game plan with counterspells and removal spells can also be effective.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which MTG format is considered the most popular for competitive play?
The most popular MTG format for competitive play is Standard.
Standard is a rotating format that includes the most recent sets released by Wizards of the Coast. It is the most accessible format for new players as it requires fewer cards to build a competitive deck.
What are the most commonly played formats in Magic: The Gathering?
The most commonly played formats in Magic: The Gathering are Standard, Modern, and Commander.
Standard is the most popular format for competitive play, while Modern is a non-rotating format that includes cards from a larger pool of sets. Commander is a casual multiplayer format that has gained immense popularity in recent years.
How do MTG Arena formats rank in terms of player base size?
MTG Arena formats are relatively new, but they have quickly gained a significant player base.
The most popular MTG Arena format is Standard, followed by Historic and Limited. Limited is a rotating format that includes Sealed and Draft events.
Is there a consensus on the most played MTG format in 2023?
As of 2023, there is no clear consensus on the most played MTG format. However, Standard and Commander are considered the most popular formats overall.
Standard is the most popular format for competitive play, while Commander is the most popular casual multiplayer format.
What reasons contribute to Commander’s popularity in MTG?
Commander’s popularity in MTG can be attributed to several factors.
First, it is a casual multiplayer format that allows players to use a wider variety of cards. Second, it is a format that encourages creativity and deckbuilding skills. Third, it has a strong community that supports the format and hosts events.
In comparison, which format is more popular: Commander or Standard?
Standard is the more popular format when it comes to competitive play. Meanwhile, Commander is more popular for casual play.
Standard has a larger player base due to its accessibility and the fact that it is the primary format for competitive play. However, Commander has gained significant popularity in recent years and has a dedicated community of players.
