With a myriad of competitive and casual formats available, there are many different ways to play Wizards of the Coast's legendary TCG Magic: The Gathering. One of the most popular of these Magic: The Gathering formats is Standard, and the advent of MTG Arena has brought more and more players to it. While this rotating nature of the format keeps gameplay continually feeling fresh, it also may leave some wondering what sets are legal in Standard MTG.

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MTG: What is Standard?

magic the gathering what is in standard

Standard is a dynamic Magic: The Gathering format focused around 60-card decks built from the newest MTG sets. As new Magic: The Gathering sets are printed, old Standard-legal sets leave the format, dramatically altering the card pool that is available for Standard deck construction. As such, players must continually update their MTG Standard decks in order to ensure that they only contain cards that are legal in Standard.

MTG: What is in Standard?

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The following sets are in Magic: The Gathering Standard until fall 2019:

  • Ixalan
  • Rivals of Ixalan
  • Dominaria
  • Core Set 2019

The following sets are in Magic: The Gathering Standard until fall 2020:

  • Guilds of Ravnica
  • Ravnica Allegiance
  • War of the Spark
  • Core Set 2020

On October 4, the next Magic: The Gathering set, Throne of Eldraine, will be released. Upon its release, Throne of Eldraine will join the MTG Standard format, while the two sets from the Ixalan block, Dominaria, and Core Set 2019 will all rotate out. Thus, the answer to the question of when does Standard rotate in MTG is typically at the time of release of the fall set.

MTG: What is Banned in Standard?

magic the gathering what is in standard

Sometimes, a card from a Magic: The Gathering Standard-legal set is deemed to be unhealthy for the format, which can lead to the card being banned from Standard. Bans are determined by Wizard of the Coast, and Magic: The Gathering bans are usually announced alongside an explanation from the company.

The following card are currently banned in Magic: The Gathering Standard:

  • Rampaging Ferocidon

Rampaging Ferocidon was banned from Standard on January 15, 2018 for being "one of the cards that most discourages and invalidates counterplay" against aggressive red decks.

For fans that want to follow the rules of MTG, it is important to know answers to the questions of what's in Standard and when does Standard rotate. Answering these questions is the exact purpose of this article, and it will be updated as additional MTG sets are printed.

Magic: The Gathering is available as Magic: The Gathering Arena on PC.

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