Starting Life by Format
How much life each player starts with, from the official rules.
| Format | Life |
|---|---|
| Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Draft, Sealed | 20 |
| Brawl, two players | 25 |
| Brawl, three or more players | 30 |
| Commander | 40 |
Most Formats: 20
The rules give every player 20 life unless a variant says otherwise. Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Limited (Draft and Sealed) all use that default.
Brawl: 25 or 30
Brawl depends on the table: 25 with two players, 30 with three or more.
Commander: 40
Every player starts at 40, two players or more. Commander also adds a second way to lose: 21 combat damage from one commander.
Sources for this page: the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, effective September 25, 2026, rules 103.4 (20 life), 903.12f (Brawl), and 903.7 (Commander).
More Rules
Commander damage · Poison counters.
Track It with Tapp
Tapp starts a game at any of these totals in one tap. Free, with no ads.
