Magic: The Gathering Banned And Restricted Card Lists

Wizards of the Coast (WotC), maker of Magic: The Gathering, bans cards when they are too powerful for a format or not fun to play against. These bans help keep players enjoying the game. WotC maintains Banned and Restricted (B&R) lists for all formats with officially sanctioned play, as well as Commander.

Players cannot use banned cards at all in the formats that ban them. Vintage also has restricted cards. Players can use only one copy of a restricted card anywhere in a deck (maindeck or sideboard).

This page lists the banned and restricted cards for major Magic formats you might find at in-person events such as SCG CON. For the complete B&R lists, including for online-only formats such as Explorer, Historic, and Alchemy, please visit the WotC website.

Latest update: March 31, 2025. Modern: Underworld Breach is banned. Legacy: Sowing Mycospawn and Troll of Khazad-dûm are banned. Pauper: Basking Broodscale, Deadly Dispute, and Kuldotha Rebirth are banned, while High Tide and Prophetic Prism are unbanned. The next Banned & Restricted announcement, focused on Commander, is scheduled for April 22, 2025, while the next general announcement is scheduled for June 30, 2025.