Timeline of Magic: the Gathering Standard (Type II)
The collectible card game Magic: the Gathering was first released in 1993 with very few restrictions on how players could construct their decks (which cards to include, and how many copies of each card were allowed). The game evolved over time, and different formats were developed which each had different constraints for how players could construct their decks. Constructed formats, for instance, allow players to build decks in advance using cards from their collection, although only a subset of cards are allowed. Another major development was the creation of officially sanctioned tournaments that offer prize money. These official tournaments created an incentive for players to continue to buy cards for new sets, and helped establish a long-term future for the game.
The rotating constructed format known today as Standard (originally called "Type 2") was first announced on January 10, 1995, inheriting banned and restricted lists from another format, called Vintage. Today, it is one of the most common formats used for large official tournaments. Since it was initially announced, the way that card legality is determined, and the way cards rotate in and out of the format has gone through many changes. For most of the format's history, set rotation was a distinctive element: new card sets get added to the list of allowed sets, until eventually the older sets on the list are removed from the list, or "rotate out" of the format. Below is a timeline of different Standard environments throughout the format's history. Where verifiable, effective dates of legality for paper magic (not Magic Online) are listed (as opposed to release or announcement dates.) Data for the earliest years of the format are hard to verify with precision, as the internet, and the game, was still in its infancy.
Began |
Ended |
Legal Sets |
Total Cards |
Comments |
Notable Deck Archetypes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 10 1995 |
Type II format announced: only allows cards still available in the basic Revised EDition and the latest two expansions. Banned and Restricted lists inherited from Vintage. |
||||
Jan 10 1995 |
Apr 19 1995 |
Revised |
+291 |
||
Apr 19 1995 |
Balance is restricted. Fork is restricted. |
||||
Apr 1995 |
Jun 1995 |
4th Edition |
+363 |
Ante cards in 4th edition (Bronze Tablet, Rebirth, Tempest Efreet) are on banned list |
|
Jun 1995 |
Jul 1995 |
4th Edition |
+363 |
July: U.S. Nationals. Chronicles released in July, unclear when exactly it became legal in Standard. The ante card in Ice Age (Amulet of Quoz) goes on banned list. |
Vise Age |
Aug 1995 |
Sep 1995 |
4th Edition |
+363 |
Aug: Worlds. Ante cards in Chronicles (Jeweled Bird, Shahrazad, and Divine Intervention) are banned. |
Rack Stasis |
Oct 1995 |
New deck construction rules. Standard (Type II) can be composed of cards from the most recent edition of Magic The Gathering (Fourth Edition at the time), white border extensions (Chronicles) and all available limited edition expansions (Ice Age, Fallen Empires and soon Homelands). |
||||
Oct 1995 |
May 1996 |
4th Edition |
+363 |
The Ante card in Homelands (Timmerian Fiends) goes on the banned list. |
|
Nov 1995 |
1050 |
Zuran Orb is restricted. Channel is banned. |
|||
Feb 1996 |
1049 |
Mind Twist is banned. Black Vise is restricted. PT NY, the 1st Pro Tour tournament, uses a modified Standard requirement wherein players build their decks including at least five cards from each set that was legal in the format: Fourth Edition, Chronicles, Ice Age, Fallen Empires, and Homelands. |
|||
Apr 1996 |
Feldon's Cane and Recall are unrestricted. |
||||
Jun 1996 |
Sep 1996 |
"Necro Summer" |
+363 |
Aug: Worlds |
Necro |
Jul 1996 |
Land Tax is restricted |
||||
Oct 1 1996 |
Dec 31 1996 |
4th Edition |
+363 |
Strip Mine and Hymn to Tourach are restricted. PT Dallas in Nov – the 1st non-modified Standard Pro Tour event. |
Necro |
Jan 1 1997 |
New deck construction rules. New editions of the Basic Set replace old versions and are permitted in Standard play 30 days after the release date of the new edition. New stand-alone expansions (e.g. Ice Age, Mirage) replace previous stand-alone expansions and are permitted in Standard play 30 days after the release date of the new edition. Limited-edition expansions more than 10 months old at time of release are replaced when a new expansion becomes legal. Fallen Empires and Ice Age are removed from Standard. All cards on the restricted list are moved to the banned list. Banned List: Balance, Black Vise, Bronze Tablet, Channel, Ivory Tower, Jeweled Bird, Land Tax, Mind Twist, Rebirth, Strip Mine, Tempest Efreet. |
||||
Jan 1 1997 |
Mar 4 1997 |
4th Edition |
+363 |
Type II reports from this time are hard to find. Based on tournament reports from The Magic Dojo it appears that there were some Type II tournaments from this time period that ran using "old type 2" deck construction rules from 1996. |
|
Mar 5th 1997 |
Apr 23 1997 |
4th Edition |
+363 |
GP Amsterdam, the first standard Grand Prix, used "modified standard" or PT NY deck construction rules, which required playing at least 5 cards from each legal set. |
|
Apr 23 1997 |
Jun 30 1997 |
Alliances |
+199 |
||
Jul 1 1997 |
New deck construction rules.
New card sets become effective on the first day of the month following their introduction. If a set is released in the last two weeks of a month, then the set's effective date is pushed out to the first of the second month. For example, a set released on January 8 is legal on February 1, and one released on January 25 is legal on March 1. |
||||
Jul 1 1997 |
Oct 31 1997 |
Ice Age |
+363 |
Zuran Orb is banned. With Ice Age and Homelands back, Amulet of Quoz and Timmerian Fiends return to the banned list. |
CounterPost |
Nov 1 1997 |
Mar 31 1998 |
5th edition |
+429 |
||
Apr 1 1998 |
Jun 30 1998 |
5th edition |
+429 |
TurboZvi (Dream Halls) |
|
Jul 1 1998 |
Oct 31 1998 |
5th edition |
+429 |
US Nats in July. Worlds in Aug. |
Deadguy Red |
Nov 1 1998 |
Dec 31 1998 |
"Combo Winter" |
+429 |
Academy (Tolarian Blue) |
|
Jan 1 1999 |
Feb 28 1999 |
5th edition |
1373 |
Tolarian Academy and Windfall are banned. |
Spiral Blue |
Mar 1 1999 |
Mar 31 1999 |
5th edition |
+429 |
||
Apr 1 1999 |
May 31, 1999 |
5th edition |
1509 |
Dream Halls, Earthcraft, Fluctuator, Lotus Petal, Recurring Nightmare, Time Spiral and Memory Jar are banned. |
Lackey Red |
Jun 1 1999 |
Jun 30 1999 |
Tempest |
330 |
Rules Changes: |
|
July 1, 1999 |
Oct 31 1999 |
Tempest |
330 |
Mind Over Matter is banned |
Wildfire |
Nov 1 1999 |
Feb 29 2000 |
Urza's Saga |
330 |
Tempest block rotates out. Remaining banned cards: Tolarian Academy, Windfall, Fluctuator, Time Spiral, Memory Jar |
Sabre Bargain |
Mar 1 2000 |
Jun 30 2000 |
Urza's Saga |
330 |
Several National events in June. US Nats and Latin American Championship in July. |
Napster |
Jul 1 2000 |
Oct 31 2000 |
Urza's Saga |
330 |
Asia-Pac and Euro Championship in July. Worlds in Aug. |
Replenish |
Nov 1 2000 |
Feb 28 2001 |
6th edition |
429 |
PT Chicago in Dec. |
WW Rebels |
Mar 1 2001 |
Apr 30 2001 |
6th edition |
429 |
Fires |
|
May 1, 2001 |
Jun 30 2001 |
Mercadian Masques |
+330 |
French and German Nats in May. US Nats and Japanese Nats in June. European, Latin American and Asia-Pac Championship in June. |
Fires |
July 1, 2001 |
Oct 31 2001 |
Mercadian Masques |
+330 |
Canadian Nats in July. Worlds in Aug. |
Fires |
Nov 1 2001 |
Feb 28 2002 |
Invasion |
+330 |
Odyssey was released in September 21, 2001, and the GP events on Oct. 6 were the "first chance for many to play a serious event with the new Odyssey cards" but those events were Block Constructed. According to the DCI floor rules document Odyssey was not legal in Standard until Nov. 1st. |
|
Mar 1 2002 |
Jun 30 2002 |
Invasion |
+330 |
GP Milwaukee in May – the 1st non-modified Standard GP. US and Japan Nats in May. Canada Nats and European Championship in June. |
Squirrel Opposition |
Jul 1 2002 |
Oct 31 2002 |
Invasion |
+330 |
GP São Paulo and GP Taipei in July. Worlds in Aug. Magic: The Gathering Online goes live in July 2002 with a total of six sets (Seventh Edition, Invasion, Planeshift, Apocalypse, Odyssey and Torment) |
Squirrel Opposition |
Nov 1 2002 |
Feb 28 2003 |
7th edition |
+330 |
Masters Chicago in Jan. |
Squirrel Opposition |
Mar 1 2003 |
Jun 30 2003 |
7th edition |
+330 |
Nationals: Netherlands and England in April, France and Australia in May, Japan, Canada, US in June. First ever MTGO World Championship Qualifier in April |
UG Madness |
Jul 1 2003 |
Aug 31 2003 |
7th edition |
+330 |
GP Bangkok and European Championship in July. Worlds and GP Atlanta in Aug. |
Mirari's Wake |
Sep 1 2003 |
Oct 19 2003 |
Odyssey |
+330 |
||
Oct 20 2003 |
Feb 19 2004 |
Onslaught |
+330 |
Sets now become legal on the 20th of a given month. |
|
Feb 20 2004 |
Jun 19 2004 |
Onslaught |
+330 |
GP Brussels in May. Italy, Japan, and US Nats in June, before the ban. |
Goblins |
Jun 20 2004 |
Oct 19 2004 |
Onslaught |
+330 |
Skullclamp is banned |
Cranial Affinity |
Oct 20 2004 |
Feb 19 2005 |
8th edition |
+337 |
Cranial Affinity |
|
Feb 20 2005 |
Mar 19 2005 |
8th edition |
+337 |
||
Mar 20 2005 |
Jun 19 2005 |
8th edition |
+337 |
Arcbound Ravager, Disciple of the Vault, Darksteel Citadel, Ancient Den, Great Furnace, Seat of the Synod, Tree of Tales, and Vault of Whispers are banned. |
|
Jun 20 2005 |
Aug 19 2005 |
8th edition |
+337 |
Nationals: Italy and France in July, US and England in early Aug. |
MonoBlack Rats |
Aug 20 2005 |
Oct 19 2005 |
Mirrodin |
+286 |
Canada Nats in late Aug. Japan, Netherlands, Spain Nats in Sept. |
U Urzatron |
Oct 20 2005 |
Feb 2006 |
|
+286 |
2005 World Championship is moved later in the year, beginning on Nov. 30th. |
Ghazi-Glare |
Feb 20 2006 |
May 19, 2006 |
|
+286 |
PT Honolulu in Mar. |
Zoo |
May 20, 2006 |
Aug 19 2006 |
|
+286 |
Nationals: France, Australia, Italy, England, US in July. Canada and Germany in Early August. |
Heartbeat |
Aug 20 2006 |
Oct 19 2006 |
|
+286 |
Japan Nats in late Aug. Spain and Natherlands Nats in Sept. |
Solar Flare |
Oct 20 2006 |
Feb 19 2007 |
Ninth Edition |
+339 |
World Championship: Nov. 29-Dec. 3 |
Dragonstorm |
Feb 20 2007 |
May 19, 2007 |
Ninth Edition |
+339 |
GP Kyoto in Mar. |
Project X |
May 20, 2007 |
July 19, 2007 |
Ninth Edition |
+339 |
France Nats. |
Teachings |
July 20, 2007 |
Oct 19 2007 |
|
+286 |
Nationals: Australia, Italy, Great Britain, US in July. Germany and Japan in Aug. Canada in Sep. |
Angelfire |
Oct 20 2007 |
Jan 31 2008 |
Coldsnap |
+155 |
GP Kraków in Nov. Worlds in Dec. |
GR Mana Ramp |
Feb 1 2008 |
May 1, 2008 |
Coldsnap |
+155 |
Sets become legal on their release date. GP Shizuoka in Mar. |
UB Faeries |
May 2, 2008 |
July 24, 2008 |
Coldsnap |
+155 |
PT Hollywood May 23–25. GP Buenos Aires in Jun. Australia Nationals July 19–20. |
UB Faeries |
July 25, 2008 |
Oct 2 2008 |
Coldsnap |
+155 |
GP Copenhagen in Aug. Nationals: France, Italy, US, Canada, Netherlands, Great Britain and Germany in Aug. Japan in Sep. |
Red Deck Wins (Demigod) |
Oct 3 2008 |
Feb 2 2009 |
10th Edition |
+363 |
Worlds in Dec. |
|
Feb 6 2009 |
Apr 29 2009 |
10th Edition |
+363 |
PT Kyoto Feb 27 – Mar 1 |
RW Reveillark "Boat Brew" |
Apr 30 2009 |
July 16, 2009 |
10th Edition |
+363 |
GP Barcelona and GP Seattle in May, GP São Paulo in Jun. |
Cascade Swans |
July 17, 2009 |
Oct 1 2009 |
Lorwyn |
+281 |
"The Magic 2010 core set will become legal in the Standard format immediately on release. At that time, Tenth Edition will rotate out of Standard. Beginning with the Magic 2010 core set, each core set will be legal in Standard until October of the following year (each Magic core set will be legal in the Standard format for approximately 15 months), meaning that Standard rotates only once each year." |
Cascade Jund |
Oct 2 2009 |
Feb 4 2010 |
Shards of Alara |
+229 |
Worlds in Nov. |
Jund |
Feb 5 2010 |
Apr 22 2010 |
Shards of Alara |
+229 |
PT San Diego Feb 19–21. GP Kuala Lumpur, GP Brussels in Mar |
Jund |
Apr 23 2010 |
Jul 16 2010 |
Shards of Alara |
+229 |
GP Washington DC in May, GP Sendai and GP Manila in Jun. Japan Nats July 2–4. |
Super Friends |
Jul 17 2010 |
Sept 30 2010 |
Shards of Alara |
+229 |
Nationals: Australia, France, Canada, Italy in late Jul. Spain, China, Great Britain, Germany, US in Aug. Brazil Sept. 18–19. M11 contained 136 new cards that were not reprints from M10. |
Heavy Jund |
Oct 1 2010 |
Feb 3 2011 |
Zendikar |
+229 |
Worlds in Dec. |
UB Control |
Feb 4 2011 |
May 12, 2011 |
Zendikar |
+229 |
PT Paris Feb 10–13. GP Barcelona in Mar. GP Dallas in April. |
Caw-Go |
May 13, 2011 |
Jun 30 2011 |
Zendikar |
+229 |
GP Singapore Jun 4–5. |
CawBlade |
Jul 1 2011 |
Jul 14 2011 |
Zendikar |
+229 |
Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Stoneforge Mystic are banned |
UW Control |
Jul 15 2011 |
Sep 29 2011 |
Zendikar |
+229 |
GP Pittsburgh in Aug. Nationals: Japan Jul 16–18. France Jul 22–24. Australia Jul 23–24. Italy Jul 30–31. US, Spain, Germany, Canada, Great Britain in Aug. Brazil Sep 17–18. |
Valakut |
Sep 30 2011 |
Feb 2 2012 |
Scars of Mirrodin |
+229 |
GP Brisbane and GP Hiroshima in Oct. Worlds in Nov. GP Orlando in Jan. 249 nonbasic land cards in Innistrad (counting DFCs as 1 card) |
UB Control |
Feb 3 2012 |
May 3, 2012 |
Scars of Mirrodin |
+229 |
PT Honolulu Feb 10–12. GP Baltimore Feb 25-25, GP Lille, GP Kuala Lumpur, and GP SLC in Mar. |
Wolf Run Ramp |
May 4, 2012 |
Jul 12 2012 |
Scars of Mirrodin |
+229 |
GP Minneapolis May 19–20. GP Manila in Jun. |
UW Delver |
July 13, 2012 |
Oct 4 2012 |
Scars of Mirrodin |
+229 |
Nationals discontinued, and World Championship replaced with World Magic Cup (multi-format national-team event) and Magic Players Championship (16 invited players) which did not use the Standard format, both in Aug. There were 193 cards in M13 that were not reprints from M12. |
G Infect |
Oct 5 2012 |
Jan 31 2013 |
Innistrad |
+249 |
GP Auckland, GP Bochum, GP Charleston, and GP San Antonio in Nov. GP Nagoya in Dec. GP Atlantic City in Jan. |
Frites |
Feb 1 2013 |
May 2, 2013 |
Innistrad |
+249 |
PT Montreal and GP Quebec City in Feb. GP Verona, GP Rio, and Magic Online Championship in Mar. |
Esper Control |
May 3, 2013 |
Jul 12 2013 |
Innistrad |
+249 |
GP Guadalajara in May, GP Miami in June |
Junk Reanimator |
Jul 13 2013 |
Sep 26 2013 |
Innistrad |
+249 |
GP Calgary end of July, GP Warsaw, GP Kitakyushu in Aug. World Championship (multiple formats) July 31 – August 2. 154 cards in M14 were not printed in M13. |
Gruul Midrange |
Sep 27 2013 |
Feb 6 2014 |
Return to Ravnica |
+249 |
PT Dublin, GP Louisville in Oct, GP Santiago, GP Albuquerque, GP Vienna in Nov, GP Dallas & GP Shizuoka in Dec, GP Vancouver in Jan |
Mono Blue Devotion |
Feb 7 2014 |
May 1, 2014 |
Return to Ravnica |
+249 |
GP Melbourne, GP Buenos Aires, GP Cincinnati, GP Beijing in Mar. GP Phoenix in Apr. |
Mono Blue (or Uw) Devotion |
May 2, 2014 |
Jul 17 2014 |
Return to Ravnica |
+249 |
GP Moscow, GP Chicago in Jun |
Jund Monsters |
Jul 18 2014 |
Sep 25 2014 |
Return to Ravnica |
+249 |
PT Portland, GP Utrecht in Aug. 235 cards from M15 were not reprints from M14. |
GW Aggro |
Sep 26 2014 |
Jan 22 2015 |
Theros |
+229 |
Oct 6 MTGO release. PT Honolulu (mixed format), GP LA, & GP Stockholm in Oct. GP Santiago & GP San Antonio in Nov. 2014 World Championship (multiple formats) in Dec. GP Manila & GP Denver in early Jan. |
Mardu Midrange |
Jan 23 2015 |
Mar 26 2015 |
Theros |
+229 |
GP Seville & GP Memphis in Feb. GP Miami in early Mar. |
G Devotion |
Mar 27 2015 |
Jul 16 2015 |
Theros |
+229 |
PT Brussels (mixed format) & GP Kraków in April. GP São Paulo, GP Toronto, GP Paris, GP Shanghai, & Magic Online Championship (mixed format) in May. GP Providence & GP Buenos Aires in Jun. |
Red Aggro |
Jul 17 2015 |
Oct 1 2015 |
Theros |
+229 |
July 27, 2015 MTGO release. PT Vancouver (mixed format) Jul 31-Aug 2. GP San Diego, GP London, GP Prague in Aug. 2015 World Magic Championship (multi format) in Aug. Only 10 cards from M15 were reprinted in Magic Origins. There were 16 cards in Magic Origins that were not available in booster packs. |
Red Aggro |
Oct 2 2015 |
Jan 21 2016 |
Khans of Tarkir |
+249 |
PT Milwaukee, GP Quebec City, GP Indianapolis, GP Brussels, GP Kobe in 2015. GP Oakland in Jan. A new rotation system based on two set blocks goes into effect, resulting in a format that oscillates between 5 and 6 legal sets. Summer core sets are abandoned. |
Atarka Red |
Jan 22 2016 |
Apr 7 2016 |
Khans of Tarkir |
+249 |
GP Houston in Feb, GP Paris in Mar. |
4 color Rally |
Apr 8 2016 |
Jul 21 2016 |
Dragons of Tarkir |
+249 |
PT Madrid in Apr. GP Toronto in Apr. GP Tokyo, GP New York, GP Manchester, GP Minneapolis and 2015 Magic Online Championship (multi-format) in May. GP Costa Rica, GP Taipei, GP Pittsburgh in Jun. |
Seasons Past |
Jul 22 2016 |
Sep 29 2016 |
Dragons of Tarkir |
+249 |
GP Portland, GP Rimini, PT Sydney (mixed format) in Aug. World Championship (mixed format) in Sep. |
Bant Company |
Sep 30 2016 |
Jan 19 2017 |
|
+249 |
PT Honolulu (mixed format) in Oct, GP Kuala Lumpur, GP Providence, GP Warsaw, GP Santiago in Oct. GP Denver, GP Madrid in Dec. |
Jeskai/Grixis Control |
Jan 20 2017 |
Apr 27 2017 |
|
+249 |
Emrakul, the Promised End, Smuggler's Copter, and Reflector Mage are banned. |
Mardu Vehicles |
Apr 28 2017 |
Jun 18 2017 |
|
+249 |
Felidar Guardian is banned. |
MonoBlack/WB Zombies |
Jun 19 2017 |
Jul 13 2017 |
|
+249 |
Aetherworks Marvel is banned. Only major paper tournament during this timeframe was SCG Invitational 1 in late Jun. |
BG Delirium |
July 14 2017 |
Sep 28 2017 |
|
+249 |
PT Kyoto late July. GP Mpls, GP Denver in Aug. GP Turin, GP DC in Sep. Nationals reinstated after a long absence: Japan Nats, England Nats in Sep. |
Ramunap Red |
Sep 29 2017 |
Jan 18 2018 |
|
+249 |
Emrakul, the Promised End and Reflector Mage rotate out. There were 10 Ixalan cards only available in Planeswalker decks. World Championship (multi-format), US Nats in Oct. PT Ixalan in Nov. |
Sultai Energy |
Jan 19 2018 |
|
Magic Online Launch: Jan 15, 2018. |
|||
Standout Moments in Standard
Most cards legal at one time: 2,157.
Fewest cards legal at one time: 509.
Most cards banned at one time: 11.
External links
- Official Magic: The Gathering sets page from Wizards of the Coast
- Magic: The Gathering Floor Rules Changes 2004–2009 (Yawgatog.com)
- Timeline of DCI bans and restrictions (Gamepedia)
- Internet Archive: TheDCI.com
- Archived early version of Wizards Event Coverage Archive
- Wizards Event Coverage Archive
- The History of Standard Bannings
- 1995–1996 The Magic Dojo Archive