Banned and restricted cards in Vintage

The Vintage banlist is the only one where most entries are not banned but restricted, that is playable in a single copy. It is the format with the widest catalogue and the most powerful cards ever printed, and the single-copy limit is what lets it keep them in play.

Vintage restricts more than it bans

Vintage is the format where almost nothing is forbidden and a great deal is allowed in a single copy: 52 restricted cards against 19 banned. Restriction is its characteristic tool: the most powerful cards ever printed, from Black Lotus to the Moxen, stay playable but one at a time — removing them would erase the history of the game, and leaving them at four would leave no game at all. Outright bans here are almost entirely the cards you cannot use in a tournament: the ante ones, the ones asking for manual dexterity, and cards with the Conspiracy type.

How to check a Vintage 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 Legacy banlist and the Premodern banlist. To see what the latest change did to the tables there are the Vintage decks and the Vintage 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 Vintage banlist

Why does Vintage restrict instead of banning?

Because banning the most powerful cards ever printed would erase the history of the game, while leaving them at four copies would leave no game to play: one copy is the compromise that holds the format together.

Can I play Black Lotus in Vintage?

Yes, in a single copy across deck and sideboard combined: it is restricted, not banned.