Welcome to New School Magic！
What is New School Magic?
New School Magic is a community-created constructed format that includes sets from Eighth Edition through Magic 2013. This means that all cards printed between July 28, 2003 and July 13, 2012 that were once legal in Standard are legal in the format (excluding cards that were on the Modern banned list as of Magic 2013 and some community-designated cards).
Legal Sets
Deck Construction
Constructed decks must contain a minimum of 60 cards (no maximum deck size; however, you must be able to shuffle your deck with no assistance). If a player wishes to use a sideboard, it can contain up to 15 cards. With the exception of basic land cards (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest), a player’s combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than 4 of any individual card, counted by its English card title equivalent. There is no Restricted List in New School, but there is a Banned List of cards that may not be used.
The following cards are banned in New School tournaments:
We are constantly monitoring the decks and cards in the format to ascertain if anything needs to be modified as time passes.
Notable Rules/Differences from Modern Era of Magic
Additionally, there are some key rules differences between New school and the way modern Magic has changed over time:
１）Mana Burn Happens (as in, players lose 1 point of life for each unused mana in the mana pool at the end of each phase).
２）Glittering Wish from Future Sight uses pre-M10 rules. In other words Glittering Wish can find a suitable card in its sideboard or after it has been removed from the game.
３）Damage uses the stack (as it did with Sixth Edition rules for example, so combat tricks such as Arcbound Ravager, Restoration Angel, Sakura-Tribe Elder work). Quoting the page above in detail:
6th edition style:
C.1.Ruling.3 — The combat phase can be mapped in a longer form like this:
1. Triggers on “beginning of combat,” then chance for instants and abilities.
2. Declare attackers.
3. Triggers on attack declaration, then chance for instants and abilities.
4. Declare blockers.
5. Triggers on block declaration, then chance for instants and abilities.
6. Assign combat damage (but don’t deal it yet)
7. Chance for instants and abilities.
8. Deal combat damage.
9. Triggers on damage being dealt, then chance for instants and abilities.
10. Triggers on “end of combat,” then chance for instants and abilities.
４）Legendary Rules uses pre-M14 rules. In other words, only one legendary parmanent with the same name can be on the battlefield regardless of the controller. Also, if two or more legendary parmanents with the same name enter the battlefield at the same time, none of them can remain and all must be put into the graveyard.
５）Planeswalker Uniqueness Rules uses pre-M14 rules. In other words, only one planeswalker of the same planeswalker type can be on the battlefield regardless of its controller. Also, if two or more planeswalkers of the same planeswalker type enter the battlefield at the same time, none of them can remain and all must be put into the graveyard.
We feel strongly that these particular older rules greatly improve game play, make it more compelling, and add strategic depth. Everything else in New school works the same as modern Magic rules (such as the current London mulligan rule).