Common questions about Magic: The Gathering formats — Commander, Standard, Modern, Pioneer, and more. — 10 questions answered.
Commander (also called EDH) is a multiplayer format where each player builds a 100-card singleton deck led by a legendary creature as their commander. Players start at 40 life. Your deck can only contain cards within your commander's color identity. It's the most popular casual format in MTG.
40 life. Standard constructed formats start at 20 life. Commander uses 40 because it's a multiplayer format (typically 4 players) and games need to last longer. Additionally, 21 commander damage from a single commander is lethal regardless of your life total.
Standard is Magic's flagship competitive format using only cards from the most recent sets (roughly the last 2-3 years). Sets rotate out annually, keeping the format fresh. Standard decks are 60 cards minimum with a 15-card sideboard. It's the most accessible competitive format.
Both are non-rotating formats, but they differ in card pool. Modern includes cards from 8th Edition (2003) forward. Pioneer includes cards from Return to Ravnica (2012) forward. Modern has a larger card pool with more powerful strategies (and a larger banned list). Pioneer is newer, cheaper, and less combo-heavy.
Pauper is a format where only common-rarity cards are legal. Despite the restriction, Pauper features surprisingly powerful and diverse gameplay. Decks are 60 cards with 15-card sideboards. It's the most budget-friendly competitive format — top decks cost $30-80 in paper.
Commander maintains a banned list of cards that are too powerful, unfun, or logistically problematic for multiplayer games. Notable bans include the Power Nine (Black Lotus, Moxen, etc.), fast mana like Sol Ring (which is NOT banned despite being in every deck), and cards that create unfun game states. Check our full banned list for the current list.
Both are eternal formats using nearly all cards ever printed. The difference is the banned list: Legacy bans the most powerful cards entirely (Power Nine, etc.). Vintage only restricts them to 1 copy. Vintage is the most powerful format in Magic but also the most expensive due to Reserved List cards.
Draft is a Limited format where players open booster packs, pick one card, and pass the rest. You repeat until all cards are picked, then build a 40-card deck from your picks plus basic lands. Draft tests card evaluation, deck building, and adaptability. It's considered the most skill-testing format.
Yes, they're the same format. EDH stands for 'Elder Dragon Highlander' — the original community name because the format was created using elder dragon legends as commanders with highlander (singleton) rules. Wizards of the Coast adopted it as an official format and renamed it Commander.
Rotation means older sets leave the format's legal card pool when new sets arrive. Standard rotates annually — the oldest sets rotate out. This keeps the format fresh and affordable since you don't need old expensive staples. Non-rotating formats (Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, Commander) never rotate.