MTG Standard Banned List: All 14 Entries (October 2026)

The MTG Standard banned list has 14 entries on Wizards' official page, but only 13 of those entries apply to paper Standard. The difference is Leyline of Resonance, which Wizards lists as banned only in MTG Arena Best-of-One.

This October 6, 2026 snapshot also records the three Standard bans announced on August 10. Wizards' next Banned and Restricted announcement is October 12, 2026.

TL;DR: Wizards lists 14 Standard entries; 13 apply to paper Standard because Leyline of Resonance is listed only for MTG Arena Best-of-One. Wizards added three Standard bans on August 10, 2026. The next Banned and Restricted update is October 12, 2026.

PATCH: Updated Oct 6, 2026, refreshed the Standard banned-list snapshot and Scryfall card data.

What Is on the MTG Standard Banned List? (quick answer)

Wizards' Standard list has 14 entries: 13 cards banned in paper Standard and Leyline of Resonance banned only in MTG Arena Best-of-One. The entries range from one-mana cards such as Gran-Gran and Stormchaser's Talent to Abuelo's Awakening, which has an X cost. The August 10 update banned Badgermole Cub, Stormchaser's Talent, and Gran-Gran.

Key Takeaways

• Wizards' page has 14 Standard entries, while Scryfall's banned:standard search returns 13 cards.
• Nine of the 14 entries cost two mana or less: five cost one mana and four cost two.
• Leyline of Resonance is the Arena Best-of-One-only entry.
• Wizards banned Badgermole Cub, Stormchaser's Talent, and Gran-Gran in Standard on August 10, 2026.
• The next Banned and Restricted announcement is scheduled for October 12, 2026.

Overview: All 14 Cards on the MTG Standard Banned List

The table uses Scryfall card data pulled on October 6, 2026, including the printing set and its release date.

Mana value of each entry on Wizards' Standard list, from Scryfall data pulled October 6, 2026. Amber bars mark the nine entries at two mana or less.

The cost pattern is concentrated at the low end. Five cards cost one mana: Heartfire Hero, Monstrous Rage, Gran-Gran, Hopeless Nightmare, and Stormchaser's Talent. Four cost two mana: Badgermole Cub, Cori-Steel Cutter, Proft's Eidetic Memory, and Up the Beanstalk. That makes nine of the 14 entries cost two or less. Vivi Ornitier and Screaming Nemesis cost three, Leyline of Resonance costs four, This Town Ain't Big Enough costs five, and Abuelo's Awakening costs {X}{3}{W}, or four or more depending on X.

The 13-versus-14 difference comes from format scope. Wizards lists Leyline of Resonance as banned only in MTG Arena Best-of-One, while Scryfall's banned:standard search shows 13 cards and treats Leyline as legal in Standard. Wizards' page includes the separate Arena Best-of-One entry, while the Scryfall result matches the paper Standard count.

GODEEPER: Compare these legality numbers with the current deck standings. Standard Metagame Tier List →

Why Wizards Banned Three Cards on August 10, 2026

On August 10, 2026, Wizards banned Badgermole Cub, Stormchaser's Talent, and Gran-Gran in Standard. It identified Badgermole Cub green decks and blue-red noncreature-spell decks as two strategies clearly ahead of the pack.

For the green decks, Wizards singled out Badgermole Cub and described it as "a cheap threat that demands an immediate answer and lets its controller develop an insurmountable mana advantage." The strongest green variant was Selesnya Offense, which Wizards' MTG Arena data gave "the highest win rate by a large margin, winning over 57% of its matches" and the second-highest play rate. Wizards said it chose to act before the Standard Regional Championship Qualifier season rather than wait.

Stormchaser's Talent was tied to the blue-red noncreature-spell strategy. Wizards called it "Izzet Prowess's keystone card" and said a one-mana card being well-rounded early and late was "inappropriate."

Gran-Gran was the stated problem for Lessons decks. Wizards called it "a powerful mana engine for Lessons decks" and said Jeskai Lessons had the highest play rate in Standard on MTG Arena. Wizards added that the deck is light on creatures.

Wizards' stated goals were to improve metagame diversity and slow down the format. It said Badgermole Cub decks commonly win on turn four or five and sometimes turn three. Wizards also said it has "greatly increased our level of scrutiny on one- and two-mana cards that demand an answer."

How to Read the October 12 Announcement

Wizards says the next Banned and Restricted announcement is October 12, 2026. Any changes take effect on the day the announcement states, so check the effective date in that post.

• Format headings: check whether a change is under Standard, another Constructed format, or more than one format.
• Effective date: use the date Wizards states for when the listed changes begin.
• Arena Best-of-One wording: look for a separate note that distinguishes Arena Best-of-One from paper Standard.
• Next-announcement line: record the next date so you know how long the published snapshot is meant to cover.
• Updated lists page: compare the announcement with the current entries on Wizards' official Banned and Restricted Lists page.

GODEEPER: Keep the ban list separate from the scheduled rotation timeline. MTG Standard Rotation 2027: Which 6 Sets Leave and When →

Analysis: What the List Tells You About Standard

The list skews cheap. Nine of the 14 entries cost two mana or less, and five cost one mana.

The three newest entries from the August update all come from 2024 or 2025 sets. Badgermole Cub and Gran-Gran are both from Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2025, while Stormchaser's Talent is from Bloomburrow, released in 2024.

The list records legality only, so it cannot tell you which decks are strong now. For the difference between format rules and card legality, see MTG Format Legality Explained: Standard vs Commander.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cards are banned in Standard right now? The 14 entries on Wizards' page are Abuelo's Awakening, Badgermole Cub, Cori-Steel Cutter, Gran-Gran, Heartfire Hero, Hopeless Nightmare, Leyline of Resonance, Monstrous Rage, Proft's Eidetic Memory, Screaming Nemesis, Stormchaser's Talent, This Town Ain't Big Enough, Up the Beanstalk, and Vivi Ornitier. Leyline is listed only for MTG Arena Best-of-One; the other 13 apply to paper Standard.

How many cards are banned in Standard? There are 13 cards banned in paper Standard, while Wizards' official Standard page has 14 entries. The extra entry is Leyline of Resonance, which Wizards marks as banned only in MTG Arena Best-of-One. Scryfall's banned:standard search returns 13 because it shows Leyline as legal in Standard.

When is the next Banned and Restricted announcement? The next Banned and Restricted announcement is October 12, 2026. Wizards states that date in its August 10 announcement, which also lists the changes it made that day. That announcement states the effective date for any changes, so check that line before assuming a rule is in force.

Which cards were banned in Standard on August 10, 2026? Wizards banned Badgermole Cub, Stormchaser's Talent, and Gran-Gran in Standard on August 10, 2026. The announcement said the action addressed Badgermole Cub green decks and blue-red noncreature-spell decks. Wizards also said it chose to act before the Standard Regional Championship Qualifier season.

Why is Leyline of Resonance banned only on MTG Arena? Wizards lists Leyline of Resonance as banned only in MTG Arena Best-of-One. The sources used for this article do not give a reason for that separate designation. Scryfall shows the card as legal in Standard, which reflects the paper-format query rather than the Arena Best-of-One rule.

Can I still play a banned card in casual games? Wizards says its lists apply only to Constructed formats, so they do not set the rules for every casual game. Kitchen-table groups set their own rules, including whether to allow a card on a sanctioned Standard list. Check with the people you are playing with before using a banned card.

Where can I check if a card is legal in Standard? Check Wizards' official Banned and Restricted Lists page for the format-specific list, then confirm card details with Scryfall. Wizards notes that the lists apply only to Constructed formats and that a card banned in one format may still be legal in another. For Arena Best-of-One, read separate wording rather than assuming the paper Standard result.

Related Reading

• MTG Standard Format Guide: Rotation, Archetypes, Meta: Use this overview for broader Standard rules and deck-building context.
• 2026 MTG Sets: The Complete List and Release Schedule: Check the set timeline behind the release dates in the table.
• Reality Fracture Standard Preview: 2 Cards to Watch: Read the preview for a focused look at two Standard cards.

References

• Wizards Banned and Restricted Lists
• Banned and Restricted Announcement, August 10, 2026
• Scryfall Standard legality search