Up to this point in Level One, we've discussed both Limited and Constructed, but have not yet delved into the differences between the various Constructed formats. The fact is that the game-play of different constructed formats can feel worlds apart, and each requires a different approach to be successful.

Elvish Mystic | Art by Wesley Burt

The Variables

Before getting into the particulars of formats and cards, let's touch on what exactly makes Constructed formats different from one another.

Speed: On what turn can the fastest decks typically win the game? How much, and what type of early defense will you need to survive? How often do games drag on into the very late stages?
Power Level: Where is the bar for what you ought to be doing at each point in the game? How powerful are the creatures and spells of varying mana costs?
Balance: Do any decks, strategies, or cards stand out from the rest? If the answer is yes, what does it take to compete against the top dogs?
Diversity: Can you predict what you're likely to face when you enter a tournament? How many competitive decks are there? How much variation should you expect within each archetype?
Complexity: How challenging is the game play? This can affect your deck choice and other aspects of your tournament preparation.

This doesn't cover everything you need to know about a format, but these are among the most important questions to ask. In fact, many of these questions are closely related to one another, and are governed by the same overarching concept…

The Size of the Format: How many cards and sets are legal for play?

With very few exceptions, the larger the format, the more powerful and the faster it will be. It will usually also be more diverse and more challenging simply by virtue of allowing for more possibilities.

With an eye on these variables, let's discuss the most commonly played tournament Constructed formats.

Standard

Standard is by far the most played Constructed format. It's also the easiest starting point for a new player. As such, the vast majority of the examples that I choose for Level One come from Standard.

Standard is a rotating format, which means that it changes relatively often. For a technical and detailed explanation of the formats, refer to the various format pages. Put simply, cards released in the last two years are usually legal in Standard.

This is a relatively small card pool, which means that Standard has a relatively modest power level and is not terribly fast (it takes extreme circumstances for a game to end before turn 5).

With a smaller card pool, balance and diversity are not necessarily guaranteed. There are sometimes a small handful of cards that stand out in terms of power level, and it's often in your best interest to build your deck with these cards in mind.

The best cards are not always replaceable, and some decks will function much differently depending on the presence or absence of their key cards. For example, consider a Green Devotion deck that performs much better when it starts the game with Elvish Mystic, or a Sultai deck that really needs Satyr Wayfinder to fuel its graveyard.

These are some general concepts to be aware of in small formats. However, another hallmark of Standard is how often it changes, so it's important to stay open-minded and be ready to adapt.

Today's Standard is fairly balanced and fairly diverse, with strategies ranging from hyper-aggressive Mono-Red, to various builds of Abzan Midrange, to Blue-Black and Esper Control.

Below is an example of a Standard deck. It's a fast red-based aggressive deck that focuses on deploying a lot of creatures very quickly, and then unloading damage via Atarka's Command and Stoke the Flames.

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

2 Goblin Rabblemaster 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 1 Goblin Heelcutter 1 Destructive Revelry 2 Hall of Triumph 4 Roast 1 Scouring Sands

Deal Another Hand

Block Constructed

The only commonly-played Constructed format with a smaller card pool than Standard is Block Constructed. The chance of certain cards standing out in power level and being difficult to replace becomes even more likely.

For example, in Theros Block Constructed, Sylvan Caryatid; Courser of Kruphix; and Elspeth, Sun's Champion were staggeringly powerful. You would've wanted a very special reason to do anything other than play with these cards, or play a strategy that was effective at beating these cards.

Modern

Modern is a non-rotating format. Sets that are newly released become legal in Modern, but they do not push older sets out. Sets from Mirrodin and Eighth Edition (released in 2003) to the present are legal, and will always be legal in Modern.

However, Modern also features a banned list, which is a collection of specially chosen cards that, despite being from Modern legal sets, are not legal to play with. These cards are usually chosen because they're too powerful, but a card can be banned for other reasons as well.

Historically, the Modern banned list has been adjusted about once per year, and has caused some of the most impactful changes to the format.

Despite the banned list, Modern has a card pool many times the size of Standard's. As you might expect, decks in Modern are much more powerful and can be much faster. There are many, many strategies that can win on turn four against an unprepared opponent.

Path to Exile | Art by Todd Lockwood

Another hallmark of Modern is its diversity. Modern enthusiasts could probably produce a list of 50 or more competitive decks, with plenty of variation possible within each one! (Although they aren't necessarily all equally strong).

In a format as fast, powerful, and unpredictable as Modern, it becomes valuable to focus on a proactive strategy. A reactive strategy would struggle because there are too many decks attacking from too many different angles, you can't be prepared to shut them all down at the same time. Instead, it's better to focus on enacting a powerful game plan of your own and know that if you can succeed in doing so, you can win in spite of most things your opponent might throw at you.

Below is an example of a Modern deck. It's a blue-red deck with some reactive cards that give it the ability to loosely control, or at least slow down, the game. Importantly, though, it packs a big punch with the game-winning combo of Deceiver Exarch and Splinter Twin. If the opponent leaves an opening, this deck can cast Deceiver Exarch at the end of the turn, untap, and then enchant it with Splinter Twin. Deceiver Exarch then taps to make a copy of itself, which untaps the original Exarch and repeats the process. In this way, this deck is capable of making an unlimited number of tokens with haste, and killing an opponent from any life total at a moment's notice!

Anotnio del Moral León's Blue-Red Splinter Twin

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (11)

3 Snapcaster Mage 2 Vendilion Clique 4 Deceiver Exarch 2 Pestermite

Sorcery (5)

1 Flame Slash 4 Serum Visions

Instant (16)

1 Peek 1 Dispel 2 Electrolyze 2 Spell Snare 2 Cryptic Command 4 Remand 4 Lightning Bolt

Enchantment (4)

4 Splinter Twin

Land (24)

4 Misty Rainforest 4 Scalding Tarn 4 Sulfur Falls 1 Stomping Ground 3 Steam Vents 1 Desolate Lighthouse 1 Tectonic Edge 1 Mountain 5 Island

60 Cards