Eternal format with the deepest playable card pool
Magic: The Gathering Legacy — Where every card except a handful is legal
Legacy is the eternal Magic: The Gathering format with the deepest card pool that's still tournament-active. Every set from Alpha (1993) forward is legal, with one important banned list (around 50 cards including the Power Nine, original duals are NOT banned, etc.). Legacy is famous for two things: extreme card power level (counterspell-and-discard turn 1 is normal) and high cost of entry (a competitive deck commonly runs $3,000-$8,000+). Despite the price, Legacy has a passionate competitive scene with online weekly tournaments and paper Grand Prix-level events.
Quick reference
- Deck size
- 60
- Starting life
- 20
- MTG Arena
- No
- MTGO
- Yes
Key rules
- 01
60+ cards main, 15 sideboard.
- 02
All cards legal except the Legacy banned list (Power 9, Mind Twist, broken combo cards, etc.).
- 03
Up to 4 copies of any non-basic card.
- 04
20 life, best-of-three with sideboard.
Strategy and feel
Legacy is the format where Force of Will exists. That single card defines the metagame — most decks either run blue (and Force) or play around it. Tier 1 archetypes: Delver (Murktide), Reanimator, Storm, Death's Shadow, UB Tempo. Pace of play is fast — most games end by turn 5-7.
Official B&R list
Wizards maintains the official banned and restricted list. Updated periodically — check the official source before any tournament:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list#legacyReady to build a Legacy deck?
Build a Legacy deck with automatic format validation, import from Moxfield/Arena, and play online with friends when it's ready.