Explorer is a digital experience on MTG Arena—a true-to-paper, nonrotating format featuring all cards legal in the Pioneer format that appear on MTG Arena. Following the release of Pioneer Masters, Explorer includes all the main competitive cards played in Pioneer.
Explorer deck requirements:
- Minimum of 60 cards
- Maximum deck size: 250
- Sideboard size: up to 7 cards (Best-of-One) or 15 cards (Best-of-Three)
Cards that only exist digitally are excluded from Explorer. Explorer is managed just like a tabletop format: cards are not subject to either rebalancing or suspension.
With the exception of basic lands (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest), your combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card.
Which Sets Are Legal in Explorer?
Standard-legal expansions become legal in Explorer on the day of their digital release.
The following card sets are fully included in Explorer:
- Magic: The Gathering Foundations
- Duskmourn: House of Horror
- Bloomburrow
- Outlaws of Thunder Junction
- Murders at Karlov Manor
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
- Wilds of Eldraine
- March of the Machine: The Aftermath
- March of the Machine
- Phyrexia: All Will Be One
- The Brothers' War
- Dominaria United
- Streets of New Capenna
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
- Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
- Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
- Strixhaven: School of Mages
- Kaldheim
- Zendikar Rising
- Core Set 2021
- Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
- Theros Beyond Death
- Throne of Eldraine
- Core Set 2020
- War of the Spark
- Ravnica Allegiance
- Guilds of Ravnica
- Core Set 2019
- Dominaria
- Rivals of Ixalan
- Ixalan
- Khans of Tarkir
Cards that were printed in the following sets are included in Explorer only if the card appears in a set on MTG Arena:
- Hour of Devastation
- Amonkhet
- Aether Revolt
- Kaladesh
- Eldritch Moon
- Shadows over Innistrad
- Oath of the Gatewatch
- Battle for Zendikar
- Magic Origins
- Dragons of Tarkir
- Fate Reforged
- Magic 2015
- Journey into Nyx
- Born of the Gods
- Theros
- Magic 2014
- Dragon's Maze
- Gatecrash
- Return to Ravnica
Note: Pioneer-legal cards from these sets will become legal in Explorer should they be released in a future digital set on MTG Arena.
Digital sets on MTG Arena include:
- Historic Anthologies 1-7
- Explorer Anthologies 1-3
- Jumpstart
- Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
- Jumpstart 2022
- Foundations Jumpstart
- Amonkhet Remastered
- Kaladesh Remastered
- Shadows Over Innistrad Remastered
- Pioneer Masters
See the full Magic: The Gathering rules.
Explorer Banned Cards
Visit the Banned and Restricted Lists page for an up-to-date list of cards banned in Explorer.