Historic Format MTG

Historic is a digital-only format on MTG Arena. It started when Standard sets rotated out of Arena, but some players still wanted to use their older cards. Wizards of the Coast created Historic so people could keep playing with those cards. Over time, Historic expanded beyond just rotating sets. It now includes special digital releases called “Historic Anthologies,” plus other cards added outside of standard sets.

The format doesn’t rotate like Standard. Once a card enters Historic, it remains legal unless it’s banned or suspended. The rules are straightforward: your deck has to be at least 60 cards, and you can have up to four copies of any card (except basic lands). Historic also has a ban list. Sometimes, cards are suspended first, meaning they’re temporarily not allowed while Wizards evaluates their impact.

Historic’s popularity is mixed. Some players enjoy a non-rotating format on Arena. They like testing more powerful combos than Standard allows. Others find the constant additions to the card pool unpredictable. New “Alchemy” or “Historic Anthology” cards can quickly shift the meta. This keeps things interesting but can also be overwhelming if you don’t keep up.

Still, Historic offers a fresh playground for digital Magic. You can try decks that aren’t viable in Standard, or revisit older sets’ mechanics. Because it’s online, you can quickly test your ideas without buying real copies of expensive cards. That said, crafting wildcards or buying bundles can still be costly in Arena currency.

If you’re looking for a format that merges older Standard sets, unique digital-only cards, and occasional rebalances, Historic might be for you. It’s more flexible than Standard and receives regular updates. Some players see it as a stepping stone between Standard and exploring older, paper-based formats. It’s also a space where Wizards experiments with digital mechanics that don’t exist on paper.