The following scene is undoubtedly familiar to any MTG player:

Location: Anywhere in the world where MTG is played

Participants: Tommy and Johnny, two new players to the game

Tommy: Did you hear? There’s a Magic tournament at the mall today!

Johnny: Nice! I’ll bring my scary tadpole deck…

Tommy: Well, here’s the thing… I heard that you’re not supposed to bring a pre-made deck from home… If I understood correctly, they distribute boosters, and you have to build decks on the spot.

Johnny: You must be kidding! It’s like playing a Booster Battle…

The belief that playing in a limited environment is primarily determined by luck is typical of almost every beginner who encounters this format for the first time. Initially, it’s challenging to grasp that even with the limited ‘card resources’ available in these environments, deck building still requires skill. It’s more natural to assume that the quality of the card pool, determined by blind luck, is what truly matters in such an environment. And, of course, the skill of the players…

Disillusionment comes quickly. New players soon realize that, surprisingly, the same players often consistently secure top positions in limited tournaments (the very same players who excel in constructed). They begin to understand that success in a limited environment requires a mastery of various skills: accurately evaluating card strength, interpreting and conveying signals in drafts, constructing decks with strategic logic and adapting gameplay to the nuances of limited formats. This is not an easy task and takes time. In fact, the learning process never ends. Even the most experienced players must admit that occasionally they discover something new and of which they were previously unaware.

The Guide goal:

This instructional manual aims to fill a surprising void. Despite the game’s immense popularity, to date no complete guidebook has been written specifically for playing in a limited environment. While a wealth of articles discuss the subject, some of them excellent and enlightening, they tend to focus on specific topics rather than providing a comprehensive guide. This guide strives to establish a foundation for a more thorough understanding of the many components involved in playing in a limited environment.

To understand the unique characteristics of limited environments and their impact on the game’s strategy, it is essential to compare them to the other main format of the game: constructed. We can identify two primary impacts arising from the differences between constructed and limited formats. The first pertains to the types of deck archetypes commonly found in each format, while the second relates to the varying degrees and types of randomness inherent to each.

Archetypes in constructed and limited:

In MTG, we typically classify decks into four archetypes: Aggro, Midrange, Control and Synergy. Each archetype differs in its winning strategy, card selection and phase of game dominance. The larger the card pool, the more decks will fit into these archetypes. In constructed formats, we find archetypal decks in their purest form. The more permissive the constructed format is (allowing a greater number of sets for play), the purer the archetype will be.

In limited formats, the division into different archetypes becomes more blurred. While a softer version of control is not uncommon in draft formats, sealed decks usually lean towards a softer version of midrange or aggro. This is due to the abundance of creatures in booster packs and their multifunctionality. Limited formats are inherently less diverse than constructed, which means that meta-game knowledge is less critical for success. While understanding the meta-game is essential in constructed, it holds less weight in limited. For instance, in a limited environment, you can confidently include solid removal cards in your deck, knowing that appropriate targets will always be found. Such certainty doesn’t exist in constructed. In limited, it is entirely possible to enter a sealed tournament room without any prior knowledge of the set being played and still assemble a viable deck that performs well―something unimaginable in constructed.

Figure 1: Purity of archetypes

Randomness in constructed and limited:

Many games contain components of randomness. MTG is unique in that this randomness differs according to the format played. This fact has a deep impact on game strategy, especially on deck building. We can distinguish between two kinds of randomness: operational randomness and play-setting randomness.

Chart 1: Degree of randomness X= operational randomness Y= play-setting randomness

Operational Randomness:

Operational randomness refers to the degree to which luck influences gameplay. In games like Monopoly, operational randomness is introduced through the rolling of dice. In many card games, such as Poker and Bridge, operational randomness is present due to the chance-based distribution of cards. MTG is no different in this regard: the order of cards in the deck has a significant impact on the game. While operational randomness is inherent in every format of the game, the extent of its influence varies based on the available card pool. A larger card pool offers more opportunities to mitigate the negative effects of operational randomness. For example, constructed formats provide more options for including multi-mana producers, reducing the likelihood of mana-shortage.

What are the implications of operational randomness? One significant implication is that the higher the level of operational randomness, the more luck becomes a factor in the game. Similar to chess, where operational randomness does not exist, it is extremely rare for a player with inferior skills to emerge victorious. In MTG constructed formats, such situations are relatively more common. In limited formats, they occur with even greater frequency. However, this does not diminish the importance of playing skills, which remain crucial for success. The fact that luck plays a larger role in limited formats is not necessarily a negative aspect. It actually makes the game more appealing to the majority of the MTG community.

Play-Setting Randomness:

Some games exhibit play-setting randomness, where the initial positions of players differ, varying in quality and allocated by chance. In chess, for example, there is no play-setting randomness since there is perfect symmetry between the options available to players (with the exception of the lot determining who plays as white). The classic board games like Risk and Diplomacy, the players’ initial positions and resources differ, influencing their chances of winning. In constructed formats of MTG, there is no play-setting randomness because the cards legally available for play are theoretically accessible to everyone. However, this is not the case in limited formats. The more restricted the card pool, the more play-setting randomness becomes a determining factor. In drafts, players choose their cards from a pool of 276 cards. In sealed formats, the pool is even smaller, containing only 90 cards. Therefore, play-setting randomness in sealed formats is higher than it is in drafts.

consequences of play-setting randomness

What are the consequences of play-setting randomness? First, it often leads to significant deviations in the power level of decks. An average player who is lucky enough to open a spectacular card pool may make it to the second day of a tournament in a Grand Prix sealed format. In constructed formats, such a scenario would be almost miraculous. This makes limited formats a realm of open opportunities, where miracles can indeed happen! This tendency arises because card quality varies in MTG, and, due to the restricted and randomized supply in limited formats, the overall deck quality can differ greatly.

A second consequence of play-setting randomness in limited is the unique combination of cards played in each deck. No limited deck is identical to another, although similarities between decks of the same color combination are not uncommon. This characteristic of limited environments means that the level of familiarity and expertise with a particular deck never reaches the level typically seen in constructed formats. It also means that the combination of cards and, consequently, the interactions between them will differ from one deck to another. This creates greater space for creativity and usually rewards talent over strict training, whereas in constructed formats strong familiarity with a particular deck can compensate for a lack of playing skills.