Vintage deck construction rules
Vintage bans very little. Instead of removing the format's most powerful cards, it restricts them to a single copy - which is why the format is defined by one-of bombs rather than four-of consistency.
60-card minimum
Main decks are 60 cards or more. Practically every competitive list plays exactly 60.
15-card sideboard
Sideboards matter more here than anywhere else, since a single hate card can invalidate a whole archetype.
One copy if restricted
Four copies of anything legal, except cards on the Restricted List - those are limited to exactly one.
The Restricted List and the Power Nine
The Power Nine - Black Lotus, the five Moxen (Pearl, Sapphire, Jet, Ruby, Emerald), Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, and Timetwister - are all legal in Vintage, and all restricted to one copy.
The list goes well beyond that: Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Tinker, Time Vault, Brainstorm, Flash, Karn the Great Creator, and more sit at one copy each. Wizards updates the list periodically, so check the current official announcement before a tournament.
What this means for deck building: your restricted cards are effectively tutor targets and topdecks, not a plan. The four-ofs in your deck - the cantrips, the interaction, the lock pieces - carry the strategy.
How many lands does a Vintage deck play?
14 to 22 lands
Fast mana replaces lands. Cantrip-heavy blue decks can operate on 14 to 16 lands plus Moxen, while Mishra's Workshop and Bazaar decks push toward 20 to 22 because their key lands are the engine.
Count your artifacts as mana
When you evaluate a curve in Vintage, count Moxen, Lotus, Crypt, and Vault as mana sources. A list with 16 lands and eight artifact sources has a functional mana base of 24.
Vintage archetypes
Vintage rewards commitment. Pick a lane and build every slot around it rather than assembling a pile of individually powerful cards.
Mishra's Workshop (Shops)
Prison-style aggro that uses Mishra's Workshop and the Moxen to deploy artifact lock pieces and taxing effects far ahead of curve, then wins with cheap artifact creatures.
Paradoxical Outcome Storm
A cantrip-and-artifact deck that chains free mana into Paradoxical Outcome, refills its hand, and wins with a large Tendrils of Agony or a tutored combo finish.
Blue Control (Xerox / Doomsday)
Light-land, cantrip-heavy blue decks that lean on restricted card selection, cheap interaction, and a small number of threats or a Doomsday pile to close the game.
Dredge and Oath
Graveyard and cheat-into-play strategies. Dredge uses Bazaar of Baghdad to bin its library on turn one; Oath of Druids trades board presence for an enormous free creature.
Vintage staples
Cards that define the format's opening turns
Black Lotus
Ancestral Recall
Mox Sapphire
Mishra's Workshop
Bazaar of Baghdad
Vintage questions, answered
What is the Vintage format in MTG?
Vintage is Magic's most permissive constructed format. Every card ever printed in a tournament-legal set is available, including the Power Nine. It uses a 60-card minimum main deck, a 15-card sideboard, and a four-copy limit - except for cards on the Restricted List, which are limited to one copy.
How is Vintage different from Legacy?
Legacy bans the most broken cards outright. Vintage restricts them to a single copy instead, so Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, and the Moxen are all legal in Vintage but banned in Legacy. That makes Vintage faster and more explosive.
What is the Restricted List?
The Restricted List is a set of cards you may include only one copy of. It covers the Power Nine and other high-impact cards such as Sol Ring, Demonic Tutor, Mana Crypt, Time Vault, and Tinker. Everything else follows the normal four-copy rule.
How many lands does a Vintage deck play?
Fewer than most formats. Because the Moxen, Black Lotus, and other fast mana do the heavy lifting, typical Vintage lists run roughly 14 to 22 lands depending on archetype - Workshop decks sit at the high end, cantrip-heavy blue decks at the low end.
Can I play Vintage without owning the Power Nine?
Yes. Many Vintage decks - Dredge in particular - need no Power Nine at all, and proxy-friendly local events are common. ManaBuilder can also build a Vintage list from only the cards you already own.