Magic: The Gathering ban list August 2024
Here’s the latest list of MTG cards banned in each format
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If you’re hoping to go head to head with fellow Magic: The Gathering players at a local tournament or event, you’ll probably put a lot of effort into making your deck more powerful. But what if I told you your deck could be too powerful to play? Bad news: if it contains any cards from the MTG ban list, you’ll have to go back to the drawing board.Magic: The Gathering has an active community and a scene that is constantly evolving and changing. This is part of why it’s one of thebest card games. As part of this, if certain cards are majorly disrupting the balance of the game or producing an over reliance on a singular metagame. they can be banned in sanctioned play.
As of August 26, 2024 the following changes have been made:‣ Amalia Benavides Aguirre and Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord are banned in Pioneer.‣ Nadu, Winged Wisdom and Grief are banned in Modern.Grief is banned in Legacy.‣ Urza’s Saga and Vexing Bauble are restricted in Vintage.‣ Amalia Benavides Aguirre and Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord are banned in Explorer.
They may still be fair game in casual games with friends, but don’t expect to show up to your local game store with a deck full of banned cards and get away with it.
There are particular cards which are banned across all forms of sanctioned play due to theirracially or culturally offensive contentbut outside of these exceptions, the cards that wind up being subjected to a ban or restriction differ from format to format. Here are the full ban lists for each Magic: The Gathering format.
Magic:The Gathering Standard ban list
As a format that solely encompasses the previous three years of MTG’s catalogue, Standard has a relatively short list of banned cards. This list includes:
Magic:The Gathering Modern ban list
The Modern format allows players to construct decks with cards from Eighth Edition (released Summer 2003) onwards. However, it doesn’t allow for the following banned cards:
Magic:The Gathering Vintage ban list
Vintage allows for almost all printed cards from Magic: The Gathering’s thirty-plus year history, with the following exceptions:
All cards that use the sticker or Attraction mechanic
AerialephantAmbassador BlorpityblorpboopBaaallerina_____ Balls of FireBioluminary_____ Bird Gets the WormCarnival CarnivoreChicken TroupeClandestine ChameleonCommand PerformanceDone for the DayFight the _____ FightFinishing MoveGlitterflitter_____ GoblinLast Voyage of the _____LineprancersMake a _____ SplashMinotaur de Force_____-o-saurusPark BleaterPin CollectionPrize WallProficient PyrodancerRobo-Piñata_____ _____ RocketshipRoxi, Publicist to the StarsScampireStiltstriderSword-Swallowing SeraphTicketomaton_____ _____ _____ TrespasserTusk and WhiskersWicker PickerWizards of the _____Wolf in _____ Clothing
Coming AttractionComplaints ClerkDeadbeat AttendantDee Kay, Finder of the LostDiscourtesy ClerkDraconian Gate-BotLifetime" Pass HolderLine CutterMonitor MonitorMyra the MagnificentPetting ZookeeperQuick FixerRad RascalRide GuideSeasoned ButtoneerSoul SwindlerSpinnerette, ArachnobatSquirrel SquattersStep Right UpThe Most Dangerous Gamer
All cards that have the card type Conspiracy
All cards that reference “playing for ante”
Restricted cards are cards which you may only have one copy of in both your main deck and your sideboard. At it stands, Vintage is the only Magic: The Gathering format with a restricted list.The restricted card list for Vintage consists of:
Magic:The Gathering Legacy ban list
Like Vintage, Legacy allows for players to use cards dating all the way back to 1993. However, it has significantly more card bans. The banned cards in Legacy are:
All cards that use the sticker or Attraction mechanic
AerialephantAmbassador BlorpityblorpboopBaaallerina_____ Balls of FireBioluminary_____ Bird Gets the WormCarnival CarnivoreChicken TroupeClandestine ChameleonCommand PerformanceDone for the DayFight the _____ FightFinishing MoveGlitterflitter_____ GoblinLast Voyage of the _____LineprancersMake a _____ SplashMinotaur de Force_____-o-saurusPark BleaterPin CollectionPrize WallProficient PyrodancerRobo-Piñata_____ _____ RocketshipRoxi, Publicist to the StarsScampireStiltstriderSword-Swallowing SeraphTicketomaton_____ _____ _____ TrespasserTusk and WhiskersWicker PickerWizards of the _____Wolf in _____ Clothing
Coming AttractionComplaints ClerkDeadbeat AttendantDee Kay, Finder of the LostDiscourtesy ClerkDraconian Gate-BotLifetime" Pass HolderLine CutterMonitor MonitorMyra the MagnificentPetting ZookeeperQuick FixerRad RascalRide GuideSeasoned ButtoneerSoul SwindlerSpinnerette, ArachnobatSquirrel SquattersStep Right UpThe Most Dangerous Gamer
All cards that have the card type Conspiracy
All cards that reference “playing for ante”
Magic:The Gathering Commander ban list
These cards are banned in sanctioned Commander games and can’t be used a player’s Commander or be present anywhere in their deck or sideboard:
All cards that have the card type Conspiracy
All cards that reference “playing for ante”
Magic:The Gathering Block ban list
As each block uses different sets, each block in the Block MTG format has its own list of banned cards. These are:
Innistrad-Avacyn Restored
Mirrodin
Masques
Urza
Tempest
Mirage
Ice Age
Magic:The Gathering Pauper ban list
The list of legal cards in Pauper includes cards that are of Common rarity. What it doesn’t include are these banned cards:
All cards that use the sticker or Attraction mechanic
AerialephantAmbassador BlorpityblorpboopBaaallerina_____ Balls of FireBioluminary_____ Bird Gets the WormCarnival CarnivoreChicken TroupeClandestine ChameleonCommand PerformanceDone for the DayFight the _____ FightFinishing MoveGlitterflitter_____ GoblinLast Voyage of the _____LineprancersMake a _____ SplashMinotaur de Force_____-o-saurusPark BleaterPin CollectionPrize WallProficient PyrodancerRobo-Piñata_____ _____ RocketshipRoxi, Publicist to the StarsScampireStiltstriderSword-Swallowing SeraphTicketomaton_____ _____ _____ TrespasserTusk and WhiskersWicker PickerWizards of the _____Wolf in _____ Clothing
Coming AttractionComplaints ClerkDeadbeat AttendantDee Kay, Finder of the LostDiscourtesy ClerkDraconian Gate-BotLifetime" Pass HolderLine CutterMonitor MonitorMyra the MagnificentPetting ZookeeperQuick FixerRad RascalRide GuideSeasoned ButtoneerSoul SwindlerSpinnerette, ArachnobatSquirrel SquattersStep Right UpThe Most Dangerous Gamer
Magic:The Gathering Pioneer ban list
Pioneer supports the use of cards from 2012’s Return to Ravnica onwards, although these cards are banned in the format:
Magic:The Gathering Historic ban list
This non-rotating format is only playable on MTG Arena, and has the following cards on its ban list:
Magic:The Gathering Timeless ban list
Timeless is the digital-only equivalent to Vintage. As such, it has a relatively short ban list.
Magic:The Gathering Brawl ban list
This twist on Commander only allows for Standard legal cards. As well as this, the following cards are banned in Brawl:
Magic:The Gathering Explorer ban list
This MTG Arena exclusive format, like Pioneer, permits cards from as far back as Return to Ravnica. These are the cards on the Explorer ban list:
Magic:The Gathering Alchemy ban list
There are currently no cards specifically banned in the Alchemy format.
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Abigail is a Tabletop & Merch writer at Gamesradar+. She carries at least one Magic: The Gathering deck in her backpack at all times and always spends far too long writing her D&D character backstory. She’s a lover of all things cute, creepy, and creepy-cute.
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