Magic: The Gathering: Format Guides
Commander / Standard / Modern / Pioneer / Pauper / Limited primers.
October 2026
2 posts
MTG Archenemy Rules: Schemes, Life Totals and Commander
One player starts at 40 life, goes first and flips a free scheme every turn. The rest share a turn and block for each other. Here is how Archenemy works, from the scheme deck and setting schemes in motion to ongoing schemes, hot-seat choices and the 60-against-60 Commander version, checked against the Comprehensive Rules effective September 25, 2026.
MTG Arena Competitive Brawl: Rules and Banned Commanders
On October 12, 2026, Wizards banned three more commanders in Competitive Brawl and moved nine cards, Oko and Ragavan among them, from fully banned to banned only as your commander. Here is what Competitive Brawl is, how it differs from the Brawl queue next to it, the full list, and the one card the official page has gone quiet on.
September 2026
2 posts
MTG Planechase Rules: Planar Die, Planes and Phenomena
Your first roll of the planar die each turn is free. The sixth costs five mana on its own, and the six together cost fifteen. Here is how Planechase actually works, from the planar deck and the starting plane to the die, chaos, phenomena and Commander pods, checked against the Comprehensive Rules effective September 25, 2026.
MTG Arena Is Retiring Alchemy: Dates and What You Keep
Wizards announced on September 11, 2026 that the Alchemy format is being retired from MTG Arena on February 2, 2027, alongside the 2027 Standard rotation. The shutdown runs in three dated stages, and the first one landed on September 22 — every rebalanced version of a tabletop card reverted to its paper printing across every format, and five cards were banned in Historic as a direct consequence. Here is the timeline, what happens to the cards you already own, and what none of it changes.
August 2026
2 posts
MTG Commander Banned List: Every Card and Why
Wizards' banned list page gives Commander 42 card names and four lines of small print. Scryfall says the real number is 83. The gap is 41 cards banned by category rather than by name — Conspiracies, ante cards, and the seven banned everywhere for offensive content. Here is the entire list, grouped by what each card actually does, plus the one change the Commander Format Panel made this year.
MTG Arena Formats Guide: Alchemy, Historic, Timeless
Arena has three constructed formats that do not exist in paper, and they are far less alike than the shared 'digital-only' label suggests. Historic bans 84 cards that Timeless lets you play, Alchemy has a smaller card pool than the Standard it is built on and leaves Arena on 2 February 2027, and the same card can be banned in one format and legal in the next.
July 2026
1 post
June 2026
15 posts
MTG Two-Headed Giant Format Guide: Rules and Strategy
Two-Headed Giant is the best way to play Magic with a friend instead of against everyone. Shared life, shared turns, one game plan between two players. Here are the real rules and the strategy that actually wins 2v2 games.
Magic: The Gathering Vintage Format Guide: Where to Start
Vintage is a format where a turn-one win is possible and a fully powered paper deck can cost $20,000. Here is what Vintage actually is — the Power Nine, the restricted list, the proxy reality — and how a sane person gets in without selling a kidney.
MTG Oathbreaker Format Guide: Where to Start
Oathbreaker is what you get when you take Commander, swap the legendary creature for a planeswalker, and bolt on a signature spell you can only cast while that planeswalker is alive. Here is how the format works, how to build your first deck, and which oathbreakers actually win.
MTG Brawl Format Guide: Standard Brawl vs Historic Brawl
Brawl is singleton Commander played one-on-one on Arena. Here's what Brawl is, how Standard Brawl and Historic Brawl differ, how to pick a commander, and how to build your first deck.
Magic: The Gathering Standard Format Guide: Where to Start
Standard is the rotating format where new players can get into competitive Magic. Here is what Standard is, how rotation works, the archetypes that define it, and how to build your first deck without setting money on fire.
MTG Commander Brackets: Brackets 1-5 Explained
"What's your power level?" used to be the most useless question in Commander. WotC's official Bracket system finally gives it real numbers. Here's what Brackets 1 through 5 actually mean and how to use them so nobody gets stomped.
MTG Two-Color Guild Guide: Every Color Pair Explained
Magic players don't say 'white-blue,' they say Azorius — and the ten guild names carry real meaning about how each color pair plays. Here's every two-color combination, what it's actually good at, and the gameplan it pushes you toward.
MTG Deckbuilding Guide: Land and Spell Ratios
Most decks lose to their own mana, not their opponent. Here are the land counts that actually work by format, the spell skeleton every deck needs, and how to read a mana curve before you sleeve it up.
Magic: The Gathering Legacy Format Guide: Where to Start
Legacy is the format where almost every card ever printed is legal and a single land can cost hundreds of dollars. Here is what Legacy actually is, the archetypes that define it, and how a new player gets in without selling a kidney.
MTG Mana Base Guide: How to Build Your Lands
The fastest way to lose a game of Magic is a mana base you eyeballed. Too few lands and you stumble; the wrong colors and your hand bricks. Here is how to count lands, count pips, and pick the right duals, fetches, and shocks for the deck you actually have.
How Combat Works in Magic: The Gathering, Explained
Combat is where most Magic games are won, and it is also where most new players misplay. Here is the combat phase broken down step by step — attackers, blockers, damage, and the keywords like first strike, trample, and deathtouch that bend the rules.
The MTG Color Pie, Explained: What Each Color Does
Every card in Magic belongs to a color, and each color has a personality, a set of strengths, and things it flat-out can't do. Here's what White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green each stand for, why the color pie exists, and how to pick yours.
Magic: The Gathering Modern Format Guide: Where to Start
Modern is a 60-card Magic format where your old cards never rotate out. Here is what Modern actually is, the archetypes that define it, and how a new player gets in without lighting a paycheck on fire.
Magic: The Gathering Pioneer Format Guide: Where to Start
Pioneer is the format for people who want a deep, non-rotating card pool without the Modern Horizons arms race. Here is what Pioneer actually is, the archetypes that define it, and how a newcomer gets in without overpaying.
Magic: The Gathering Pauper Format Guide: Where to Start
Pauper is real Magic for the price of a pizza — every card is a common, and the games are still cutthroat. Here is what Pauper actually is, the pillars of the meta, and how a newcomer gets in for almost nothing.
May 2026
3 posts
How to Draft MTG: A Limited Guide for Beginners
Your first draft goes badly because you pick the coolest card instead of the best card, and you stay open into three colors when you should have committed by pick five. Here is the fundamentals course that fixes both.
MTG Commander Format Guide — How to Start Playing EDH (2026)
Commander is the most-played MTG format on the planet and the easiest one for new players to start in. The rules look intimidating on paper. They are not. Here is the full beginner guide.
Standard Banned List and Meta: What to Play in 2026
Thirteen cards are banned in Standard after three waves (June 2025, November 2025, August 2026). May 18, 2026 changed nothing in Standard. Here is where the format sits now.