Ranked on MTGArena: What it is, how it works and how to level up!

I'm LJLourenço, and in my debut article on Cards Realm I'm going to discuss Ranked mode in MTG Arena, bringing you a guide with information to get to know this game mode better.

For those who are starting in MTG Arena, some things can seem a bit confusing without greater knowledge about each particularity of the game.

One of these features is the Ranked Mode system. In this article, we're going to break down as much as possible about this system so that even those players familiar with Arena can learn a little more about it.

In a nutshell, MTG Arena Ranked Matches is a mode used for matchmaking, qualifying for special events, and setting rewards at the end of each season.

Further ahead, I bring tables with the information of each rank and prizes.

Which events have a Ranked mode?

The MTG Arena Ranking system is divided into two main formats: Constructed and Limited.

Constructed is the most common way to play, where the player feels more free to build his deck, with cards from their collection, within each format.

There are 4 types of formats in Constructed that have Ranked modes, both in BO1 (Best of 1 match) and BO3 (Best of 3 matches): Standard, Alchemy, Historic and Explorer.

As of this writing, there is no Ranked mode for Standard Brawl, and Historic Brawl formats.

In Limited, the player receives a limited number of cards from a certain set to build their deck in an event. For Limited, we have Draft (only in BO1 matches) and Sealed, which use the Ranked system.

In these formats, your Rank is used to determine who your opponents are, matching you with other opponents who are approximately or the same rank as you.

You can also choose not to play Ranked modes, and this will not affect your ranking in the Leaderboards. This mode is a viable option for new players, allowing them to gain more game experience and strategies without affecting their Rank.

In Play mode, BO3 matches (best of 3) can also be played.

What are the Ranked levels?

There are the following Ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Mythic.

The more wins in each Rank, the further you advance to the next one. MTG Arena uses the same types of Rankings for Constructed and Limited, but with different ways of calculating how to move up or down the Ranked.

From Bronze to Diamond, they all start at Tier 4 and work their way up to Tier 1. As you pass Tier 1, you move up to the next Rank (at Tier 4). Below is a table for a better example:

Rankings and Tiers for Constructed:

Rankings and Tiers for Limited:

For the Mythic Rank, reached after Diamond 1, we will talk later, as it is the highest rank and deserves greater attention to explain it.

What are the rewards for each Rank?

Depending on where you are in the Ranked, at the end of each season (which lasts about 1 month) you receive Boosters, Cosmetics and Gold. The higher you are, the greater your reward.

End-of-season rewards for Constructed:

End of season rewards for Limited:

How and when is the rank reset?

When the season ends, the Rank is reset for all players according to how far the player climbed the ladder in the previous season.

Playing regularly will give you an advantage in the new season, starting at a higher Rank and Level. However, the Rank drops at the end of the season.

See the following table:

How does the Ranked scores work in Arena?

We've seen so far that there are five Ranks with 4 Levels each, and the highest Rank, Mythic. Each player starts at the 4th Level and then advances until reaching the 1st Level of each of these 5 Ranks. Each victory advances you to the necessary steps to reach the next Level. Each Rank has a required amount of victory to be able to level up.

However, except for Bronze where defeats don't make you drop in level, defeats in other Ranks make you drop in level according to the number of defeats. After going up in Rank (from Silver to Gold, for example) you don't fall to a previous Rank, you just drop in level.

See the tables below:

Reaching the Mythic Rank, a few things need to be said. The first thing is: congratulations! You reached the highest MTG Arena Rank and now have a beautiful Mythic icon next to your in-game name.

However, unlike previous Ranks, Mythic isn't defined with levels from 4 to 1. It is defined first by a percentage and then by a numerical order that defines the highest levels of players who have achieved that Ranking.

This percentage shows your percentage as a player, that is, if you are in Mythic 85%, it means that you are ahead of 85% of players who are also in Mythic. After you reach 100%, you receive a rating from 1 to 1200.

Making it to the top 1200, you have to constantly fight to maintain your rank, as other players will be fighting hard to top you.

But after all, is it worth playing Ranked to get Mythic in Arena?

This is a somewhat controversial question to answer. There are those who say that, yes, it pays to get mythic, because if you remain at the top of this Rank you can get to be invited to bigger events that WotC organizes.

However, there are those who say (and here it may be a majority opinion) that the effort is not worth it, as the prize pool at the end of the season can be mediocre compared to the time dedicated to staying in the Mythic and, even so, being in the Mythic you may not be ranked high enough to be invited to an event.

So, it ends up depending on the goal and time of each player.

In the end, everything will depend on many factors to consider. If you really want to qualify for a World Championship event, your dedication will be absurd, with complete (and complex) decks strong enough to hold their own among the top of Mythic.

If you just want to be among the best MTG Arena players to face the most experienced players, with the best decks for you to gain experience and skill in the game, it can also be interesting to reach Mythic. It is worth going through this experience and forming your own opinion.

MTG Arena considers all types of players, from the most casual to the most competitive. What matters is opening MTG Arena, building and choosing your favorite deck and playing for fun!

Until next time!