How often does Standard rotate?

Standard rotates roughly once per year. The oldest sets leave the format while the newest premier sets become legal, so each card typically stays Standard-legal for about three years.

How many cards do I need for a Standard deck?

A Standard deck must contain at least 60 cards in the main deck, with no more than four copies of any single card other than basic lands. You may also run an optional sideboard of up to 15 cards.

Is Standard cheaper than Modern or Legacy?

Generally yes. Because Standard uses only recent sets, you avoid expensive eternal staples and reserved-list cards, so a competitive deck is usually far more affordable to build.

Standard

Magic's flagship rotating format, where only the newest sets shape an ever-evolving metagame.

Rotation: Yes (about yearly)
Deck size: 60+ with 15-card sideboard
Card pool: Most recent Standard-legal sets (~3 years)
Power level: Moderate
Banlist by: Wizards of the Coast

Standard is the entry point and competitive backbone of Magic: The Gathering. It is a constructed format built exclusively from the most recent Standard-legal sets, which keeps the card pool fresh, focused, and far smaller than eternal formats. Because everyone plays with cards that are still being sold in current packs, Standard is the format Wizards of the Coast spotlights at most major launch events and the one new players are usually nudged toward first.

The defining feature of Standard is rotation. Roughly once a year, the oldest sets leave the format and the newest premier sets join, so a given card stays legal for around three years before it rotates out. This recurring cleanout prevents any single card or strategy from dominating forever and gives every new release a real chance to reshape the metagame. Decks are a minimum of 60 cards with an optional 15-card sideboard, and only cards printed in currently legal sets may be used.

Playstyle in Standard tends to be tightly balanced between aggro, midrange, and control. Aggressive decks try to close games quickly with efficient creatures and burn, midrange decks lean on powerful threats and removal to grind out value, and control decks counter, sweep, and stabilize before winning with a few key finishers. Because the card pool is curated and limited, games are often interactive and the best deck is rarely overwhelmingly faster than the rest.

Standard is popular precisely because it is accessible. The smaller card pool means you do not need decades-old staples to compete, and a competitive deck is generally cheaper to assemble than in Modern or Legacy. It rewards keeping up with new releases rather than hunting down rare reserved-list cards, making it ideal for newer players, returning players, and anyone who enjoys a frequently shifting metagame.

Health of the format is managed directly by Wizards of the Coast through a published banned list and the rotation schedule itself. When a card or deck proves too dominant, Wizards can ban specific cards mid-season, but rotation does much of the balancing automatically by retiring problematic cards over time. Regular set releases, plus occasional bans, keep Standard from stagnating.

Top archetypes

Staple cards

FAQ

How often does Standard rotate?: Standard rotates roughly once per year. The oldest sets leave the format while the newest premier sets become legal, so each card typically stays Standard-legal for about three years.
How many cards do I need for a Standard deck?: A Standard deck must contain at least 60 cards in the main deck, with no more than four copies of any single card other than basic lands. You may also run an optional sideboard of up to 15 cards.
Is Standard cheaper than Modern or Legacy?: Generally yes. Because Standard uses only recent sets, you avoid expensive eternal staples and reserved-list cards, so a competitive deck is usually far more affordable to build.