Extended Format Changes

Kyle Murray, Magic Brand Manager

There will be a significant change to the Extended tournament format
when Onslaught rotates into play in the fall. Standard has a rotation
every 3 sets. Similarly, Extended will have a rotation every 3 blocks.
While Standard fluctuates between 4 and 6 sets, Extended will
fluctuate between 6 and 8 blocks.

At the initial implementation of this pattern, the legal blocks will
be: Onslaught, Odyssey, Invasion, Mercadian Masques, Urza's Saga, and
Tempest . Base set editions are counted as being part of the block
during which they were released. This means that 6th Edition and
7th Edition will be included in the new Extended format.

As a result, this means that dual lands will be rotating out of
Extended on November 1st, 2002, along with the Ice Age block
(including Alliances and Homelands), Mirage Block (including Visions
and Weatherlight), and 5th edition. In 2005 the Tempest, Urza's Saga,
and Mercadian Masques blocks, as well as 6th Edition, will be
rotating out.

We believe this new Extended Format rotation policy will result in a
healthy and challenging play environment with a greatly reduced need
for card banning.

May 2002