93/94 Old School MTG Beginner Guide

 You're thinking about starting to play 93/94 Old School MTG but you don't know where to start? Well, you've came to the right place. I'll give you a crash course of this format, its variations, and provide you with useful resources to help you discover decks/strategies/communities faster.

For the start, I'd like to say that 93/94 Old School is not a mainstream format and is a format mostly geared towards people who have been playing during that era, and still have all those iconic cards at their disposal. Also, even though there is plenty of information about this format on the internet, I did struggle to find a lot of it fast, and was confused of how and where to start. Today we have gathered here to make it easier for you. :)

What is 93/94 Old School MTG?

 So, what is even 93/94 Old School MTG about? Think of it like some sort of old Standard format. The rules are similar, but the format is very different. You'll be required to show up with a 60+ (as long as you can shuffle your deck by yourself, you can play any number of cards in it) card deck, and Sideboard ranging anywhere from 0 to 15 cards. Your deck and Sideboard must not contain more than 4 exact copies of a single card, except Basic Lands, and must respect format's current Banned & Restricted Lists. Furthermore, all cards' printings have to be the exact allowed printings of the format's variation. Unlike Standard, 93/94 Old School exists in many different variations, some of which we'll explore together a bit later. Also, 93/94 Old School is (mostly) being played under the current Comprehensive Rules, which might be odd to you. It certainly was for me as I've expected to see some forgotten rules and rulings from the past reappearing in this particular format. As I'm aware, there aren't a lot of people and resources to support such rules. They appear to be unclear in some instances and spark discussions, and have been changed for a reason. One of the reasons being making them better, more functional, and more clear to new players. Despite modern day rulings, the format does a very good job of keeping that core nostalgic feel in it, I'd say.

This format was created and popularized in 2007 by some cool guys from Sweden. It resurfaces a crucial part of Magic: The Gathering's rich history, such as some of it's very first sets: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited Edition, Collector's Edition, International Collector's Edition, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Revised Edition, Legends, Summer Magic / Edgar,  The Dark, and finally Fallen Empires. Bolded sets are sets containing new and different cards, and the rest are sets of reprints from that era. Summer Magic / Edgar is a bit specific because it kinda never even existed, please click here if you're curious about it. You could say that you will be mixing cards only from these 5 to 6 sets (depending on the variant as Fallen Empires is excluded from some) in order to create your constructed 93/94 Old School deck.

93/94 Old School is a simpler format, and yet filled with a lot of depth. I can promise you that the sets mentioned above are enough to create a complete fully functional format that will likely outlive us all. And, you'll probably never even think about adding more sets to it. Now, even though this format has some obvious flaws (thus why multiple variations of this format even exist + *cough* The Deck *cough*), it still manages to capture the very essence of the "back in the day" plays, deckbuilding, experience, and most importantly, fun. I am not the one who has experienced any of this back in the day because I wasn't playing that Magic during those times, but this is the impression I've got after listening to many people who did. By studying this format, I can feel some of all that, and honestly, it feels good. Especially the fun part. :)

Regarding the overall playerbase and interests, I've came to conclusion that both casual and competitive sides of 93/94 Old School MTG exist with casual side being predominant. Now, casual usually doesn't mean playing random stuff and/or not thinking when deckbuilding and playing your cards. It rather means not really "tryharding" while playing, usually by wearing a poker face expression throughout the match. You'll surely give it all you got to win versus a deck that counters yours, for example, but at the end of the day it's all about having fun. There are various tournaments you can check out at Sentinel's events calendar (Europe and USA) and Raging Bull's events calendar (Europe), ranging from casual to competitive. In some of the casual ones, you can even see lots of people playing while drinking beer. Can it be more casual than that? They will not go easy on you, but the amount of beer they've already consumed will work in your favor, hah. Still, considering the amount of experience a lot of these guys have, you better pray they are already drunk. There are lots of pros playing 93/94 Old School on various tournament levels, even some Hall of Famers!

Lastly, and unfortunately for a lot of average Joes like myself, this format is too expensive, or even insanely expensive, depending on which variant of it you decide to play (especially if you want to build the strongest/rarest decks). A lot of people have opted in playing "unpowered decks" (no power 9 or any really expensive cards in the deck) simply because acquiring the missing pieces is too damn expensive and not everyone can obtain them. I've seen unpowered decks top tournaments, so it's not as bad. I'd advise proxying decks unless you want to enjoy playing tournaments and meet new people there, and I've heard that a lot of people don't mind proxies when playing casually and/or with a webcam. Still, simply owning the pieces of history of MTG and not even participating at tournaments is sometimes the sole reason you might not want to proxy anything, and that's great. Now, budget decks exist in all variants (which is good enough, to be honest). For example, you could probably build some sort of budget mono colored deck, and do okay(ish) with it even on tournaments.

Variants of 93/94 Old School MTG

 Here I'll finally explain what those variants I keep mentioning above are. For the start, it's worth mentioning that at the same time those variants are not that much different from each other, and are a lot different from each other (depends on which ones are you comparing), but they still do impact the format and general deckbuilding patterns quite decently. The important thing here is that the experience of playing this format will likely be similar no matter which one you choose to play. We could say that it comes down to personal preference and/or how much money are you willing to invest. Some of these formats are way cheaper to play than the others, and that's also important to know.

So finally, these are the most popular variants of 93/94 Old School MTG format (not sorted in popularity order): Swedish 93/94, Eternal Central 93/94, Atlantic 93/94, Pacific 93/94, 7 Points Singleton 93/94, and X-Point Old School 93/94. Even though these are some of the most popular ones, that doesn't mean they are the only ones. There are a lot more, like: Ravenna 93/94, Boreal 93/94, Swaffel 93/94, OS93, 2HG BH TU (Two Headed Giant, Brothers' Highlander, Team Unified), Alpha 40, Old School Brawl 93/94 (basically OS EDH), Ante 40K ("how hardcore are you.format"), etc. Once you get down the basics, I recommend investigating other lesser played (lesser played doesn't mean that they are bad) variants as well as a lot of them are very unique and fun. A lot of the standard format variants have only a couple of notable differences when compared to each other. All of them exist to make the format more diverse or try to solve some known issues around it.

Let's only dissect the more popular ones, shall we? I don't want to make this too long, hah. Besides, I would recommend checking them out by clicking on their name titles for more details as all variants are subject to change. Oh, and if you're not familiar with the cards below, just click on them. They will open up on scryfall.com. You can even find whole set lists on scryfall.com.

 

Swedish 93/94

This is one of the most expensive variants of the 93/94 Old School format. At the same time, it is one of the "purest" variants of 93/94 Old School when you think about which printings are allowed to play in it. To some, this might come out as snobbish, but each to their own, I guess. To make the format more accessible to the players in selected events, Swedish community has decided to adopt the "UK/Ravenna reprint policy." That basically means that you can play physical cards printed from any expansion ever and in any language, as long as they are non-foil, have the exact original frame, and original art printed on them. Anyways, the important details are:

- This variation uses cards printed from Alpha to The Dark expansions, and those would be: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited Edition, Collector's Edition, International Collector's Edition, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, Summer Magic / Edgar, and The Dark. Revised Edition and Fallen Empires expansions/reprints are not included in this variation. Promo cards from Dragon Con and HarperPrism Book Promos are not included in this variation.

- You can only play physical cards printed from Alpha to The Dark expansions, excluding Revised Edition, Dragon Con and HarperPrism Book Promos cards, and they have to be printed in English language.

- All Ante cards are banned (unless playing for Ante). Restricted cards are: Ancestral Recall, Balance, Black Lotus, Braingeyser, Channel, Chaos Orb, Demonic Tutor, Library of Alexandria, Mana Drain, Mind Twist, Mishra's Workshop, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Regrowth, Sol Ring, Strip Mine, Time Walk, Timetwister, and Wheel of Fortune.

- Mana Burn is not applied.

- This variation uses the current list of Comprehensive Rules. Also, Chaos Orb and Falling Star have gotten an errata and ruling updates.

 

Eternal Central 93/94

Eternal Central 93/94, as well as all of the variants named below, is a less restrictive and overall a lot more affordable variant when considering the physical printings of cards allowed. The important details are:

- This variation uses cards printed from Alpha to Fallen Empires expansions, and those would be: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited Edition, Collector's Edition, International Collector's Edition, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Revised Edition, Legends, Summer Magic / Edgar, The Dark, and Fallen Empires. A total of three cards from Dragon Con and HarperPrism Book Promos are included in this variation, and those would be: Arena, Sewers of Estark, and Nalathni Dragon.

- You can play physical cards printed from any expansion ever and in any language, as long as they are non-foil, have the exact original frame, and original art printed on them.

- All Ante cards are banned (unless playing for Ante). Restricted cards are: Ancestral Recall, Balance, Black Lotus, Braingeyser, Channel, Chaos Orb, Demonic Tutor, Library of Alexandria, Mana Drain, Mind Twist, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Recall, Regrowth, Sol Ring, Time Vault, Time Walk, Timetwister, and Wheel of Fortune.

- Mana Burn is applied.

- This variation uses the current list of Comprehensive Rules, except for the Mana Burn part. Also, Chaos Orb and Falling Star have gotten an errata and ruling updates.

 

Atlantic 93/94

This variant is basically described as a combination of the two most popular Banned & Restricted lists (Swedish 93/94 and Eternal Central 93/94) that see tournament play. It tries to bring the best of both worlds and combine it in one. The important details are:

- This variation uses cards printed from Alpha to Fallen Empires expansions, and those would be: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited Edition, Collector's Edition, International Collector's Edition, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Revised Edition, Legends, Summer Magic / Edgar, The Dark, and Fallen Empires. A total of three cards from Dragon Con and HarperPrism Book Promos are included in this variation, and those would be: Arena, Sewers of Estark, and Nalathni Dragon.

- You can play physical cards printed from any expansion ever and in any language, as long as they are non-foil, have the exact original frame, and original art printed on them.

- All Ante cards are banned (unless playing for Ante). Restricted cards are: Ancestral Recall, Balance, Black Lotus, Braingeyser, Channel, Chaos Orb, Demonic Tutor, Library of Alexandria, Mana Drain, Mind Twist, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Regrowth, Sol Ring, Strip Mine, Time Walk, Timetwister, and Wheel of Fortune.

- Mana Burn is applied.

- This variation uses the current list of Comprehensive Rules, except for the Mana Burn part. Also, Chaos Orb and Falling Star have gotten an errata and ruling updates.

 

Pacific 93/94

Pacific variant is almost the same as previously mentioned ones. Most important exception is that it has a slightly different Banned & Restricted List. The reason I've decided to dissect one more standard variant is that the Pacific 93/94 actually has an alternate variant as well. That variant is called 2PAC. Number two stands for two copies, as some cards have been reduced only to two copies per deck, and PAC stands for Pacific. 2PAC is played the same as regular Pacific with the exception of several cards being reduced to two. Here are the important details for both variants:

- This variation uses cards printed from Alpha to Fallen Empires expansions, and those would be: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited Edition, Collector's Edition, International Collector's Edition, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Revised Edition, Legends, Summer Magic / Edgar, The Dark, and Fallen Empires. A total of three cards from Dragon Con and HarperPrism Book Promos are included in this variation, and those would be: Arena, Sewers of Estark, and Nalathni Dragon.

- You can play physical cards printed from any expansion ever and in any language, as long as they are non-foil, have the exact original frame, and original art printed on them.

- All Ante cards are banned (unless playing for Ante). Restricted cards are: Ancestral Recall, Balance, Black Lotus, Braingeyser, Channel, Chaos Orb, Demonic Tutor, Library of Alexandria, Mana Drain, Mind Twist, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Regrowth, Sol Ring, Time Vault, Time Walk, Timetwister, and Wheel of Fortune. This same B&R List is applied to 2PAC, with the following exceptions: Reduced to two copies per deck: Maze of Ith, Mishra's Factory, Mishra's Workshop, and Strip Mine.

- Mana Burn is applied.

- This variation uses the current list of Comprehensive Rules, except for the Mana Burn part. Also, Chaos Orb and Falling Star have gotten an errata and ruling updates.

 

7 Points Singleton 93/94

This variant is nothing like the previously explained ones which I previously referred as "standard" ones (Swedish, Eternal Central, Atlantic, and Pacific). For the start, the rule is that all the cards in this variant, except basic lands, are treated as being Restricted (you can only play one of each card). Also, there is no Sideboard, and your constructed deck has to have exactly 60 cards in it. Alongside that, you will get 7 points to spend on cards that are presented to you on the "Points List." This list is consisted of all the "usual suspect" cards that work very well in all of the standard formats. They have different point requirements, and you will have to carefully choose which ones will you be adding to your constructed deck. This format is budget friendly when considering how many, and which, cards are restricted and are on the Points List. Here's some more important details:

- This variation uses cards printed from Alpha to Fallen Empires expansions, and those would be: Alpha, Beta, Unlimited Edition, Collector's Edition, International Collector's Edition, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Revised Edition, Legends, Summer Magic / Edgar, The Dark, and Fallen Empires. A total of three cards from Dragon Con and HarperPrism Book Promos are included in this variation, and those would be: Arena, Sewers of Estark, and Nalathni Dragon.

- You can play physical cards printed from any expansion ever and in any language, as long as they are non-foil, have the exact original frame, and original art printed on them.

- All Ante cards are banned (unless playing for Ante). Restricted cards are: Every card in the whole format, excluding basic lands. And here's the Points List: 

4 points - Ancestral Recall

3 points - Braingeyser, Control Magic, Disintegrate, Fireball, Library of Alexandria, and Mind Twist

2 points - Armageddon, Black Lotus, Demonic Tutor, Earthquake, Falling Star, Land Tax, Mana Drain, Moat, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Sol Ring, The Abyss, and Time Walk

1 point - Amnesia, Balance, Black Vise, Dark Ritual, Drain Life, Guardian Beast, Hymn to Tourach, Icy Manipulator, Karakas, Mana Vault, Maze of Ith, Old Man of the Sea, Pestilence, Pyrotechnics, Recall, Regrowth, Steal Artifact, Triskelion, and Winter Orb

- Mana Burn is applied.

- This variation uses the current list of Comprehensive Rules, except for the Mana Burn part. Also, Ring of Ma'ruf, Chaos Orb and Falling Star have gotten an errata and ruling updates.

 

X-Point Old School 93/94

Another very interesting variant. This time, you'll get a total of 10 points to spend on your deck and Sideboard combined, and the variant is going to be of a standard type, not singleton. X-Point old School 93/94 uses Atlantic 93/94 ruleset, its B&R List, and reprint policy. Also, there is a Points List of certain strong cards from 93/94 OS format on top of those. Their goal is to create a balanced, healthy, and diverse metagame while making it affordable for the budget players. Anyways, lets wrap this one up:

- Legal sets, reprint policy, rules, and card erratas: Same as in Atlantic 93/94.

- Points List:

5 points - Ancestral Recall

4 points - Mind Twist

3 points - Black Lotus, Demonic Tutor, Library of Alexandria, and Sol Ring

2 points - Balance, Braingeyser, Hymn to Tourach, Land Tax, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Time Walk, Timetwister, and Wheel of Fortune

1 point - Armageddon, Mana Drain, Maze of Ith, Mishra's Factory, Mishra's Workshop, Moat, Recall, Regrowth, The Abyss, and Wrath of God

Resources

 Right, we're finally nearing to the conclusion of this guide. So, learning is the most important part for any beginner, and that's what I'll help you with in this "chapter." Listed below are all of the most relevant websites, blogs, social media accounts, and groups that I've came across. All of these have made learning the variants, strategies and decks that much easier for me that I've decided to give it back to the community by starting this blog. I think this is a great format overall, and I wish more people played it. Especially from where I'm from, hah. Anyways, here are the resources to get you more involved with this format, divided by categories:

Websites (blogs, deck builds, deck ideas, and strategies): Old School Mtg, Wak-Wak, Lords of the Pit, and The Sentinel. Please check r/oldschool (Reddit) for more of these websites/blogs, as there are quite a lot of them to list here. I've just listed a few of my favorites.

Videos (YouTube): Timmy the Sorcerer, Farmstead MTG, Edwin the Magic Engineer, 90s TCG&gaming by marcoasd, brightsdaysmtg, Gandalf the Dark, MTG Phil, and Jason Picciano(Alters_by_Kronus).

Communities: r/oldschoolmtg (Reddit), OldSchoolMTG (Discord), and OLD SCHOOL 93-94 MTG Webcam Player Community (Facebook).

Tournaments / Events: Sentinel's events calendar (Europe and USA) and Raging Bull's events calendar (Europe).