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This guide explains the format’s rules, how it differs from regular Brawl, how ranked matchmaking and seasonal rewards work, and how to verify the volatile legality list before crafting cards or queueing.
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What is Ranked Brawl in MTG Arena called now?
Wizards of the Coast renamed the format Competitive Brawl before release. The change was made because “Ranked Brawl” could suggest that the ranked and unranked queues shared one banned list. They do not. Competitive Brawl is intended for players who want a ranked, competitive path; regular Brawl remains the more casual and expressive queue for thematic or experimental decks.
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How many cards are in a Competitive Brawl deck?
A Competitive Brawl deck contains 100 cards total:
- One commander.
- Ninety-nine other cards.
The commander is part of the 100-card count, not an additional 101st card. Your deck must also obey singleton construction: you may play only one copy of a card, except for basic lands and cards whose own text permits additional copies.
Which cards can be commanders?
Competitive Brawl allows a legendary creature, planeswalker, Vehicle, or Spacecraft as commander, subject to the format’s current legality list. The commander defines the deck’s color identity. Every card in the 99 must fit that identity, including mana symbols in rules text and other color indicators that affect a card’s identity.
Color identity is stricter than the colors you expect to cast. A card with an off-color mana symbol can make it illegal even if you never plan to activate that ability, so use Arena’s legality indicator rather than relying on a visual scan of the card frame.
What is the starting life total and game format?
Players start at 25 life. Competitive Brawl is best-of-one, so there is no sideboard game between rounds. A single draw, mulligan decision, or early commander deployment can determine the result, making a functional opening hand especially important.
Does Ranked Brawl have a free mulligan?
No. Competitive Brawl does not provide the free mulligan used by regular Brawl. Your opening-hand decisions therefore use the normal Arena mulligan process rather than a special Brawl allowance. Keep hands that meet your early-game requirements more carefully than you would in the unranked queue, and remember that the format’s best-of-one structure gives you no second game to correct a weak curve.
How does Competitive Brawl matchmaking work?
Competitive Brawl matchmaking looks at your Constructed rank and rating to find an opponent of similar skill. Wizards has specifically said that deck composition is not a matchmaking factor in this queue. Your commander choice and the cards in your 99 do not produce a separate hidden “deck power” adjustment for Competitive Brawl matchmaking.
That system differs from regular Brawl. Wizards describes regular Brawl matchmaking as considering deck power—weighted mostly by commander choice—along with Constructed skill rating. Do not assume that a commander selected for a regular-Brawl queue will be matched the same way in Competitive Brawl.
Competitive Brawl versus regular Brawl
| Feature | Competitive Brawl | Regular Brawl |
|---|---|---|
| Queue purpose | Ranked, competitive play | Casual, expressive, and thematic play |
| Deck size and life | 100 cards including one commander; 25 starting life | 100 cards including one commander; 25 starting life |
| Game mode | Best-of-one | Best-of-one |
| Mulligan | No free mulligan | Free mulligan |
| Matchmaking inputs | Constructed rank and rating; deck composition is not used | Deck power, weighted mostly by commander choice, plus Constructed skill rating |
| Ban-list approach | Separate list, focused primarily on problematic commanders, with the option to act on individual cards | Separate legality decisions and matchmaking; do not assume Competitive Brawl bans apply |
The shared deck size, life total, and best-of-one structure do not make the queues interchangeable. The mulligan rule, matchmaking model, and legality decisions are the practical differences you will notice first.
What is banned in Competitive Brawl right now?
Legality changes over time, so the most reliable answer is the list shown by the Arena client for the Competitive Brawl format. The following is a dated snapshot of changes Wizards announced as effective October 12, 2026. It should not be treated as a permanent list after that date.
Cards banned as commanders
These cards were announced as banned when used in the command zone:
- Ajani, Nacatl Pariah
- Nadu, Winged Wisdom
- Oko, Thief of Crowns
- Old Stickfingers
- Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
- Rusko, Clockmaker
- Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student
- Wrenn and Six
- Tajic, Legion’s Valor
A “banned as commander” restriction does not, by itself, say that the card is forbidden in the 99. The client’s format-specific legality indicator is the authority for whether a particular copy may remain in the deck.
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Commanders banned entirely from the command zone
Wizards also listed these commanders as banned in Competitive Brawl:
- Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow
- Spider-Man 2099
- Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice
The announcement says players receive up to one wildcard for each of these three newly banned commanders in their collection. That is a one-time policy attached to the October 12 announcement, not a recurring wildcard guarantee for every future ban.
Rebalanced card
Nashi, Illusion Gadgeteer was rebalanced. Wizards described the change as reverting an earlier adjustment that had given Nashi flash. Rebalancing is different from banning: the card remains subject to its current Arena version and the current Competitive Brawl legality indicator.
How to check Competitive Brawl legality before crafting
Because the list can change independently of regular Brawl, check the client immediately before spending wildcards or entering a ranked match.
- Open the Arena deck builder and set the deck’s format to Competitive Brawl, not regular Brawl.
- Choose the intended commander and confirm that the commander slot shows no format-legality warning.
- Review every card in the 99 for the Competitive Brawl legality indicator. Pay particular attention to cards that are restricted only as commanders; a card’s status in the 99 can differ from its status in the command zone.
- Confirm singleton and color-identity warnings. Remove duplicate nonbasic cards and any card outside the commander’s identity.
- Save the deck, then select the Competitive Brawl queue. If the client flags a card or commander at this stage, resolve that warning instead of assuming an older decklist is still valid.
Do not use a regular-Brawl deck export, an old screenshot, or a dated social-media list as your final legality check. Wizards can update the Competitive Brawl list without changing the basic deck-construction rules.
Why does Competitive Brawl have a different ban philosophy?
Wizards says Competitive Brawl is expected to maintain a relatively light ban list for cards in the 99 and to focus primarily on commanders that create persistent problems. The team’s stated reasoning is that commanders are more influential on win rates than individual cards in the 99 because they are available every game from the command zone.
That policy does not mean cards in the 99 are immune from action. Wizards retains the ability to ban or otherwise change individual cards when a card creates a format-wide problem. It means the first question in a Competitive Brawl ban announcement is often whether a commander is driving the issue, rather than whether every deck containing a particular 99 card must be removed.
Regular Brawl has its own philosophy and list. A card’s legality in one queue is not evidence of legality in the other, and a regular-Brawl matchmaking adjustment does not describe Competitive Brawl’s ranked system.
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How large is the Competitive Brawl player base?
In MTG Arena State of the Formats 2026, Wizards of the Coast reported that Competitive Brawl accounted for “just under ten percent of all queue matches played on MTG Arena” and called it one of the company’s most successful new formats to date. Dave Finseth authored that September 11, 2026 article. This is Wizards’ own participation figure and assessment, not an independently audited market statistic, so it should be read as a snapshot of Arena queue activity rather than a universal measure of popularity.
Does playing Competitive Brawl count toward ranked rewards?
Yes. Competitive Brawl matches are ranked games, and completing them affects your rank and contributes to seasonal reward eligibility. You must play at least one ranked game in the respective format to receive that format’s seasonal rewards.
October 2026 ranked-season context
The October 2026 ranked season runs from September 30, 2026, at 19:05 UTC, through October 31, 2026, at 19:00 UTC. The schedule lists the queue as Bo1 Competitive Brawl Constructed. These dates and labels apply to that season; future schedules can use different dates or formats.
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The October reward table lists the following endpoints:
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|---|---|
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The complete season table includes the intermediate ranks. Card styles are cosmetic: they change presentation and do not add cards to your collection. To qualify for the season’s rewards, play at least one ranked game during the relevant season.
How does rank differ from rating?
Competitive Brawl uses both your Constructed rank and rating when it searches for an opponent. The two terms describe matchmaking information, but Wizards has not published a simple public formula that converts every win or loss into a fixed rating change. Expect your results to affect your ranked progress while the client handles the underlying rating calculation.
Because deck composition is not used for matchmaking, changing from a powerful commander to an experimental legal commander does not create a separate deck-power bracket. The practical way to improve your position is to play legally constructed games, learn your deck’s opening-hand requirements, and monitor your progress in the ranked interface rather than trying to manipulate matchmaking with a particular card mix.
Can digital-only cards be used?
Yes. Wizards says digital-only Alchemy cards are legal in Competitive Brawl. That matters when comparing an Arena list with a paper Commander-style collection: a digital card may be valid in the Arena queue even though no corresponding paper card can be used to reproduce the same list. The Arena client’s card text and legality display therefore take priority over a paper database or tabletop deck box.
How should you plan wildcards around bans?
Check legality before crafting expensive cards, especially when a commander is central to an entire 100-card list. The October 12, 2026 announcement offered up to one wildcard for each of Yuriko, Spider-Man 2099, and Light-Paws in a player’s collection after those commanders were newly banned. That policy is tied to that announcement; it is not a standing promise that every future Competitive Brawl change will produce a wildcard.
If a commander is banned, the 99 may still contain useful cards for another legal commander, but the original deck cannot enter the queue until you replace the commander and resolve any new color-identity or legality warnings. A rebalanced card such as Nashi, Illusion Gadgeteer can remain legal while functioning differently, so review the current Arena wording before deciding whether a craft is still worthwhile.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you build a Competitive Brawl deck?
There is no current, officially established tier list in the format information, so it would be misleading to name a universally best commander or publish a definitive climbing deck. Instead, build around the practical constraints that apply to every legal list.
Start with a commander that supports a coherent plan
Because the commander is always available from the command zone, its colors, mana cost, and abilities shape every draw. Choose a plan you can execute in a best-of-one game: a dependable curve, a clear way to generate advantage, and enough interaction to avoid losing to an early opposing commander.
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Singleton construction naturally reduces redundancy. Use multiple cards that perform similar jobs—removal, card draw, ramp, or protection—rather than assuming you will draw one exact card every game. Keep the deck within the commander’s color identity and verify every duplicate exception through the card’s own rules text.
Account for the no-free-mulligan rule
Opening hands need a playable mix of lands and early action. A seven-card hand that cannot cast spells on time can be costly when you do not receive regular Brawl’s free mulligan. This is a deck-building consideration, not a separate matchmaking rule.
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Recheck after every legality announcement
A commander ban can invalidate an entire deck even when the 99 remains intact. A rebalance can also change how a card functions without removing it from the format. Keep a dated personal note of your list if you test a strategy, but use the client’s current Competitive Brawl status as the final authority.
What do you need to play Competitive Brawl?
Competitive Brawl is a digital MTG Arena format. No physical product is required: paper cards, booster packs, sleeves, deck boxes, playmats, and printed guides cannot be used to enter the Arena queue. Arena is available on desktop and mobile, and Wizards states that digital-only Alchemy cards are legal in Competitive Brawl. That digital-card legality is another reason a paper collection cannot reproduce the format exactly.
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- Calling the queue Ranked Brawl in the client: search for Competitive Brawl, the current official name.
- Assuming one shared ban list: check the Competitive Brawl legality indicator rather than copying regular-Brawl advice.
- Expecting deck-power matchmaking: Competitive Brawl uses Constructed rank and rating; Wizards says deck composition is not used there.
- Keeping a free-mulligan hand: the ranked queue does not grant regular Brawl’s free mulligan.
- Using an outdated October list: the October 12, 2026 bans and Nashi rebalance are a dated snapshot. Verify the current list before crafting.
- Counting card styles as collection cards: styles are cosmetic and do not increase your card inventory.
- Skipping a ranked game: seasonal rewards require at least one ranked game in the relevant format.
Competitive Brawl checklist
- Select Competitive Brawl, not regular Brawl.
- Confirm one legal commander and 99 other cards.
- Check singleton and color identity.
- Review the client’s current commander and card legality warnings.
- Prepare for 25-life, best-of-one games.
- Plan opening hands without a free mulligan.
- Track your Constructed rank and rating as you play.
- Play at least one ranked game during the season if you want its rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ranked Brawl in MTG Arena called now?
Wizards renamed it Competitive Brawl before release. It is a separate ranked queue from regular Brawl, with its own legality and matchmaking decisions.
How many cards are in a Competitive Brawl deck?
There are 100 cards total: one commander and 99 other cards. Singleton rules allow one copy of each card except basic lands or cards that explicitly allow additional copies.
Does Ranked Brawl have a free mulligan?
No. Competitive Brawl uses the normal Arena mulligan process. Regular Brawl’s free mulligan does not carry over.
How does Competitive Brawl matchmaking work?
The queue uses Constructed rank and rating to find a similar-skill opponent. Wizards says deck composition is not used as a matchmaking factor.
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What is banned in Competitive Brawl right now?
Legality is volatile, so check the Competitive Brawl list in the Arena client. The October 12, 2026 announcement banned Yuriko, Spider-Man 2099, and Light-Paws as commanders and listed nine additional commander-only bans.
Does a commander-only ban forbid the card in the 99?
Not necessarily. A commander-only restriction applies to the command zone; use the client’s format-specific indicator to see whether the card remains legal in the 99.
Does playing Competitive Brawl count toward ranked rewards?
Yes. Matches affect rank and seasonal eligibility. You must play at least one ranked game in the relevant format during the season to receive its rewards.
Can I play Competitive Brawl with paper cards?
No. Competitive Brawl is an Arena format, and Wizards says digital-only Alchemy cards are legal. Physical cards and accessories are not required or usable for entering the queue.
The Bottom Line
Competitive Brawl is MTG Arena’s distinct ranked Brawl format. Build 100 singleton cards around a legal commander, stay within its color identity, start at 25 life, and plan for best-of-one games without a free mulligan. Matchmaking uses Constructed rank and rating rather than deck composition, while the ban list is separate from regular Brawl and can change. Check the in-client legality display before crafting or queueing, and play at least one ranked game in the season if you want its rewards.
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