How Many Cards in a Magic Deck?
People often ask how many cards in a Magic deck they should run. The short answer is that it depends on the format. Magic: The Gathering has a few distinct ways to play, and each one has its own deck size rules. But there’s more to deck size than just following official guidelines. If your deck is too large, you’ll see fewer of your best cards. If it’s too small, you might miss out on interesting combos or synergy. Let’s look at how deck size works in most formats and why sticking to the minimum deck size usually pays off.
Constructed Formats and the 60-Card Minimum
In most constructed formats, the minimum deck size is 60 cards. That applies to Standard, Modern, Pioneer, and other popular constructed play formats. Your main deck can include up to four copies of any card with the same name, though there are only exceptions for basic land cards. You can load up on as many basic lands as you like to make sure you have enough mana sources. Most constructed formats also allow a sideboard of up to 15 cards, but those cards sit outside your main deck until you swap them in between games.
There’s no official upper bound for a constructed Magic the Gathering deck, though you generally shouldn’t go above 60 unless you have a specific reason. A bigger magic deck can dilute your best cards, which reduces your chances of drawing them at the right time. In my opinion, most decks will perform better if they stick to 60 cards, because card draw becomes more reliable that way.
Limited Formats and 40-Card Decks
Limited formats, such as Booster Draft or Sealed Deck, often force you to build decks from a limited pool of cards. You might open unopened magic product like booster packs, then use those cards to build decks on the spot. In these limited decks, the minimum deck size is usually 40 cards. There’s no strict upper limit here either, but again, adding so many cards can water down your best spells and make your deck less consistent.
When you build decks in a Draft or Sealed event, you typically rely on basic lands—like Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, or Forests—that the event organizer provides in unlimited quantities. Basic lands don’t count toward the “up to four copies” rule, so you can include the same quantity of each basic land you need to balance your mana. But once you move past 40 cards, you risk seeing your win condition less often. That’s why limited play usually stays tight around the 40-card minimum.
Commander Decks and 100 Cards
Commander decks (also called EDH decks) are a different story. Each commander deck must have exactly 100 cards, including the legendary creature that leads your deck. It’s a singleton format, so you can’t include more than one copy of any non-basic land card, unless a rule says otherwise. Combo decks and casual builds often show up in Commander, because you have a wide range of powerful spells, artifact cards, and ramp spells to experiment with. Still, if you’re trying to keep your deck ahead in a competitive sense, you’ll want a good balance of mana sources, card draw, and synergy.
Why Stick to the Minimum Deck Size?
Some players wonder if there’s any benefit to going beyond the minimum deck size. After all, isn’t it fun to toss in every cool card you own? The problem is that each extra card lowers your odds of drawing the specific card you need at the right moment. If you put 70 or 80 cards into a format that has a 60-card minimum, you’ll often struggle to see your best cards or your key combos in a reasonable time frame. It can lead to frustrating draws, especially when you’re counting on that one card to clinch a game.
Card advantage also becomes less predictable when you add more cards. Most decks are built around a tight set of spells that interact well with each other, plus enough land cards to cast those spells. Once you dilute that ratio, you might find yourself stuck without the mana you need or with the wrong half of your deck in your opening hand. Even if you’re a fan of massive, chaotic decks, you might want to keep that for casual tables rather than pro tour events.
Building Your Own Deck: Key Tips
Focus on Mana
Land count is a big deal in every MTG deck. If you’re short on lands, you’ll lose tempo when you can’t pay the mana cost for your spells. On the other hand, too many lands can lead to flooded draws. For most constructed decks, around 22 to 26 lands is common, though ramp spells or artifact cards that produce mana can change that number. In Commander, you might go higher because you have 100 cards and you need enough sources to fuel all your other spells.
Keep It Consistent
When you build your own deck, consistency is often the difference between winning and losing. Think about how each card supports your strategy—whether it’s combat damage, controlling the board, or setting up a combo. If a card doesn’t help produce mana, generate card advantage, or move you toward your win condition, it might not be worth a slot. Most formats let you include up to four copies of a crucial card, so you can improve your odds of drawing it by adding multiple copies (basic lands aside, which you can include in any quantity).
Practice and Adjust
A deck is never truly finished. You’ll likely make changes after a few games. During the draw step or in the heat of the first game, you might notice that some cards aren’t pulling their weight. Don’t be afraid to swap those out. Maybe you need additional limitations or more interaction to handle your opponent’s threats. Even fallen empires can rise again if you fine-tune your deck construction. Make mtg cards.
Is There a Maximum Deck Size?
People sometimes ask if there’s an upper limit to how many cards you can run. Officially, most formats have no cap on deck size. But on MTG Arena, there’s an internal upper limit of 250 cards for a single player’s deck. In older computer games like Shandalar, some folks mention a 500-card limit. In paper Magic, you could, in theory, show up with a giant box of cards as your main deck. But good luck trying to find your best cards or finishing a game in a reasonable time that way.
Final Thoughts
Deck size might seem like a small detail, but it shapes how your deck plays out and how often you see your best cards. Magic is all about balancing mana, synergy, and strategy. Whether you’re opening booster packs at a casual Draft or refining a constructed deck for your next event, it helps to remember that more cards usually means less consistency. If you want to explore more tips, you can always check external links or community forums, though I won’t list them here. Above all, have fun building and tweaking your Magic deck. After all, one deck might look perfect on paper, but the real test is how it handles in play. If you find yourself adding too many cards, consider scaling back to get that competitive edge—and a better shot at drawing the card you need when you need it.
