Banned and restricted cards in Modern

The Modern banlist holds the cards banned in a format that takes in every expansion from Eighth Edition onwards and never rotates. It is the list to read before building, because in Modern nothing leaves on its own: when a strategy has to be reined in, the list is what changes.

What gets a card banned in Modern

Modern does not rotate: every set from Eighth Edition onwards stays legal forever, and the format grows with each release. Without a rotation the list is the only tool left to keep it varied, and it targets the combinations that can end a game in the first few turns and the cards that end up in every deck whatever the strategy. It works the other way too: some cards banned years ago have been unbanned because the format around them grew powerful enough to make them ordinary — which is why this list is worth checking before dusting off an old deck.

How to check a Modern deck

Before settling a list it is worth checking the cards in the other formats you might play them in: the complete banlist gathers every list on one page, and from there you reach the Pioneer banlist and the Legacy banlist. To see what the latest change did to the tables there are the Modern decks and the Modern tournaments, while the spoilers of the sets on the way are where you see, ahead of time, the cards that may push towards the next intervention.

Frequently asked questions about the Modern banlist

Does Modern rotate like Standard?

No: no set ever leaves the format. That is why the banlist is the only tool Modern is kept varied with.

Can a card banned in Modern become legal again?

Yes. Cards banned years earlier have been unbanned because the format around them changed enough to make them harmless, which is why the list is worth rereading rather than remembering.