The most powerful format — Power 9 is restricted, not banned
Magic: The Gathering Vintage — The pinnacle of MTG power level
Vintage is Magic's "everything is legal" format — almost. Instead of a banned list (cards you can't play), Vintage uses a RESTRICTED list (cards you can only play one copy of). This includes the Power Nine (Black Lotus, Moxen, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Timetwister) and a couple dozen other broken cards. The result is the highest power-level format in Magic — turn 1 wins exist, Mox + Lotus + Yawgmoth's Will + storm is a real opening. Vintage is mostly played online (paper Vintage requires owning Power 9 — $20k+ for a playset). MTGO Vintage Challenges run weekly and the format has a small but devoted community.
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 — including Power 9 (Black Lotus, Moxen, etc.) — but RESTRICTED to 1 copy per deck.
- 03
Up to 4 copies of any non-restricted card.
- 04
20 life, best-of-three with sideboard.
Strategy and feel
Vintage is the format where Mental Misstep, Force of Will, and Force of Negation form the "blue tax wall". Top decks: Paradoxical Outcome storm, Doomsday combo, Shops (Mishra's Workshop aggro), Oath of Druids, Dredge. Games are decided by who untaps first after the opening combo flurry.
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#vintageReady to build a Vintage deck?
Build a Vintage deck with automatic format validation, import from Moxfield/Arena, and play online with friends when it's ready.