Standard is the most widely supported format among all sanctioned tournaments, though not necessarily the most popularly played for casual games.
Details
Standard Format typically allows only cards from the latest 5 or 6 Sets, depending on the time of year and the set rotations. Twice a year, the oldest 2 sets from Standard rotates out and become illegal to use. To compensate for the loss of legal sets, new sets are released one set at a time, 4 times per year.
Standard Rules
- 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.
- If a player wishes to use a sideboard, it must contain up to fifteen cards.
- A player’s combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. (This excludes basic lands. All cards named Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest are basic lands.)
The following card sets are accepted in Standard tournaments:
Until Q4 2016:
Until Q2 2017:
Until Q4 2017:
- Shadows over Innistrad
- Eldritch Moon (Eldritch Moon releases on July 22, 2016)
Sources
| Formats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Constructed | Standard ● Modern Legacy ● Vintage EDH (Commander) Block Constructed Extended | |
| Limited | Draft ● Sealed | |
| Other | Highlander Two-Headed Giant | |