Retcon(structed) Overview

Retcon is an experimental constructed format intended to get people to play with fun, interesting cards that haven’t typically gotten their chance to shine. It asks players to design their own card pools from which to build their decks. This lets players play with the best cards from magic’s history. And by limiting players’ card pools, Retcon asks players to dig deep into their card pools to find hidden gems to round out their decks.

It differs from formats like Old School, Premodern, and Middle School by including cards from recent printings. It differs from Vintage and Legacy by being far more constrained in card choice, and overall lower power-level. It differs from Standard, Pioneer, and to a lesser extent Modern by changing more slowly.

Deck Construction Rules

  1. Choose 1 set from the Core Sets pool
  2. Choose 1 set from the Middle School Era pool
  3. Choose 1 set from the Modern Era pool
  4. Choose 1 set from the Pioneer Era pool
  5. Finally, choose 1 additional set from any of the five pools.
  6. Build a 60 card deck and up to 15 card sideboard from these pools, following normal deck construction rules.

Banned List

The Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer banned lists all apply. (We ignore the Standard banned list). Additionally, the following cards are banned:

  • Brainstorm
  • Entomb
  • Dark Ritual
  • Gaea’s Cradle
  • Land Tax
  • Lion’s Eye Diamond
  • Marsh Flats, Scalding Tarn, Arid Mesa, Verdant Catacombs, Misty Rainforest
  • (The allied fetchlands are banned by the Pioneer banned list)
  • Mox Diamond
  • Reanimate
  • Serra’s Sanctum
  • Show and Tell

Watch List

While the format is new, we’ll need to pay particular attention to some cards. So far, that includes:

  • Aluren
  • Ancient Tomb
  • Doomsday
  • Food Chain
  • Force of Will
  • Phyrexian Dreadnought

Pools

Core Sets

Core sets from Fifth Edition onward.

  • Fifth Edition
  • Sixth Edition
  • Seventh Edition
  • Eighth Edition
  • Ninth Edition
  • Tenth Edition
  • Magic 2010
  • Magic 2011
  • Magic 2012
  • Magic 2013
  • Magic 2014
  • Magic 2015
  • Magic Origins
  • Core Set 2019
  • Core Set 2020
  • Core Set 2021
  • Portal
  • Portal Second Age
  • Portal Three Kingdoms
  • Starter 1999
  • Starter 2000
  • Chronicles

Middle School Era

Cards from the sets that are after Old School, but before the 8th edition frame.

  • Scourge
  • Legions
  • Onslaught
  • Judgment
  • Torment
  • Odyssey
  • Apocalypse
  • Planeshift
  • Invasion
  • Prophecy
  • Nemesis
  • Mercadian Masques
  • Urza’s Destiny
  • Urza’s Legacy
  • Urza’s Saga
  • Exodus
  • Stronghold
  • Tempest
  • Weatherlight
  • Visions
  • Mirage
  • Alliances
  • Homelands
  • Ice Age

Modern Era

Non-core set expansions legal in Modern up to, but not including, the start of Pioneer (Return to Ravnica).

  • Avacyn Restored
  • Dark Ascension
  • Innistrad
  • New Phyrexia
  • Mirrodin Besieged
  • Scars of Mirrodin
  • Rise of the Eldrazi
  • Worldwake
  • Zendikar
  • Alara Reborn
  • Conflux
  • Shards of Alara
  • Eventide
  • Shadowmoor
  • Morningtide
  • Lorwyn
  • Future Sight
  • Planar Chaos
  • Time Spiral
  • Coldsnap
  • Dissension
  • Guildpact
  • Ravnica: City of Guilds
  • Saviors of Kamigawa
  • Betrayers of Kamigawa
  • Champions of Kamigawa
  • Fifth Dawn
  • Darksteel
  • Mirrodin

Pioneer Era

Non-core set Expansions legal in pioneer up to, but not including, Zendikar Rising.

  • Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
  • Theros Beyond Death
  • Throne of Eldraine
  • War of the Spark
  • Ravnica Allegiance
  • Guilds of Ravnica
  • Dominaria
  • Rivals of Ixalan
  • Ixalan
  • Hour of Devastation
  • Amonkhet
  • Aether Revolt
  • Kaladesh
  • Eldritch Moon
  • Shadows over Innistrad
  • Oath of the Gatewatch
  • Battle for Zendikar
  • Dragons of Tarkir
  • Fate Reforged
  • Khans of Tarkir
  • Journey into Nyx
  • Born of the Gods
  • Theros
  • Dragon’s Maze
  • Gatecrash
  • Return to Ravnica

Future Era

Expansions beginning with Zendikar Rising. Reprint and supplemental sets (e.g. Jumpstart) are not included. At time of writing, that list includes:

  • Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
  • Streets of New Capenna
  • Dominaria: United
  • The Brothers’ War
  • Innistrad: Crimson Vow
  • Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
  • Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
  • Strixhaven: School of Mages
  • Kaldheim
  • Zendikar Rising

Changes

  • 2022-03-20 Added Reanimate to the banned list
  • 2022-03-21 Removed Anthologies from the list of legal sets