Limited

Limited is a category of formats in which players build their decks on the spot from a restricted pool of cards, rather than bringing a pre-constructed deck from home. The two most common Limited formats are Draft, where players take turns selecting individual cards from shared booster packs, and Sealed, where each player receives a fixed number of unopened packs and builds the best deck they can from their contents. Limited formats test a different set of skills than constructed formats, emphasizing card evaluation, adaptability, and in-the-moment deckbuilding.

In a Draft, players sit in a circle, each open a booster pack, select one card, and pass the remaining cards to the next player. This process repeats until all cards have been picked, then new packs are opened and the direction of passing reverses. Drafting well requires reading signals from what other players are passing, staying flexible in your color and archetype choices, and understanding how individual cards perform in the context of a Limited deck rather than a finely tuned constructed one. Sealed is comparatively more straightforward, as players simply open their packs and build from whatever they receive, but it still demands strong card evaluation and deckbuilding fundamentals.

For collectors, Limited events are a natural way to acquire new cards while also getting to play. Cards opened during Draft or Sealed events belong to the player, making these formats a fun alternative to simply buying singles. High-value pulls from Limited events can more than pay for the entry fee, and tracking which cards in a new set are both Limited powerhouses and constructed staples can help you identify cards worth holding onto from your Draft and Sealed pools.