I was thinking just a few days ago how I wish I was playing Magic: The Gathering when some sets were released to play Limited with those sets. Seems like I’ve found just what I wanted.

A Flashback Draft is a limited-time event on Magic Online where players can draft and play with sets from the past. The sets available for Flashback Drafts change regularly, and Wizards of the Coast does not publish a schedule for them. However, players can stay up to date on upcoming Flashback Drafts by checking the Magic Online website or following Magic Online’s social media accounts. Flashback Drafts are a popular way for players to experience sets that they may have missed or to revisit sets that they enjoyed in the past. The entry fee for Flashback Drafts varies depending on the set and the type of draft league, but players can typically use event tickets or play points to enter.

Flashback Format

• Inspired by the MTGO Flashback Drafts, but for constructed play

• Minimum deck size: 60 cards

• No more than 4 copies of any card, except basic lands

• Cards can be of any rarity

• The legal card pool changes every month, based on a randomly selected block from Magic’s history

• You can only use cards from the chosen block, and only from the sets that were released at that point in time

• For example, if the block is Innistrad, you can use cards from Innistrad, Dark Ascension, and Avacyn Restored, but not from Shadows over Innistrad or Eldritch Moon

• Additionally, you can only use cards that cost less than $1 according to Scryfall’s market price

• This format lets you revisit old sets and experience different eras of Magic with a budget-friendly twist

• It challenges you to adapt to changing metagames and discover new synergies with limited card choices

Ideas to shake up the meta:

1. Rotate the legal card list monthly instead of after each regular set release.
2. Each rotation, ban the top 1% most played cards for a number of rotations. Or a random number of rotations for each card so they don’t all become legal again simultaneously.
3. Set a limit on the max number of copies allowed of each card. The limit could be randomized each rotation.
4. Limit the number of rares/mythics allowed per deck.
5. Require a minimum number of cards from the latest sets.
6. Have occasional flashback weekends using previous cardpool rotations.
7. Sometimes change to a different base cardpool like a block format or a format other than vintage.