A Community-Built Magic: The Gathering Format
Based on the comprehensive article by handshuffling
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For years, Modern players have dreamed of a format that captures the best of Magic's golden era without the chaos of constant power creep. A safe haven where decks like Twin, Pod, Jund, and Affinity can face each other again in a true test of skill and strategy.
It is no longer a dream.
Created by Francisco Pawluszek, known online as fpawlusz, PreFIRE is a community-built custom format heavily inspired by Premodern.
PreFIRE preserves the spirit of Modern before the FIRE design philosophy, while incorporating a few key innovations.
Much like its predecessor, Premodern, PreFIRE's banlist has been refined through active playtesting and community collaboration. Each decision is made for the sake of gameplay and supported by community consensus.
The format gathers all the iconic Modern decks: Twin, Pod, Jund, Affinity, and many more, into one timeless sandbox.
It's a refuge for classic cards like Tarmogoyf or Cryptic Command that were once format-defining but are now unplayable anywhere else.
Cards that undermine gameplay are banned, while forgotten favourites are unbanned to restore balance and creativity. Some remain on a watchlist to encourage experimentation within the metagame.
The result is a "what-if" version of Modern where cards that were never legal together can finally be tested side by side. Builders can explore new synergies within a fixed card pool, without worrying about set releases or rotation.
PreFIRE is proxy-friendly, allowing every version of legal cards so that anyone can play without financial hurdles.
The format follows the contemporary rules of Magic for compatibility with MTGO, including the London Mulligan. New players from other formats can also adjust quickly as the rules remain the same.
These cards should always remain legal and powerful within PreFIRE:
Banned Cards:
Cards Under Testing:
Every format starts with a reason to exist. PreFIRE was born from frustration, nostalgia, and the simple wish for a format that prioritizes players over business incentives.
PreFIRE's gameplay feels refreshingly interactive. You are rarely just watching your opponent take over uncontested turns. There is constant back and forth, and games last long enough for both players to interact meaningfully.
The field feels wide, and many decks can compete. Even the ones considered weaker have a real shot at winning, because the pilot is able to make smart decisions that meaningfully affect the result of the game.
Format Creator: Francisco Pawluszek (@fpawluszmtg)
Card Pool: 8th Edition through War of the Spark (No Modern Horizons sets)
Proxy Policy: Fully proxy-friendly format
PreFIRE is a community-driven format, and we welcome contributions from players who want to help improve and expand the format!
Ways to contribute:
To contribute: Fork the repository at github.com/Thegg53/preFire, make your changes, and submit a pull request. All contributions are reviewed by the community and format maintainers.
Help us keep PreFIRE community-driven and player-focused!