This is a format based on Smogon's rules for Competitive Pokemon Battling. The general breakdown is this: There are are several tiers, based on usage, and you can play a format at a lower "tier" by banning all Pokemon that make up the higher tiers. Each tier also has its own banlist "tier" to help balance it. For example:
Ubers: Banlist for OU Play
OU (Overused): The top XX Pokemon in standard OU play.
BL (Borderline): Pokemon that are banned for UU play (in addition to all of OU and Ubers)
UU (Underused): The top XX Pokemon used in UU play.
RU (Rarely Used): Pokemon that are banned for NU play (in addition to all of the above)
NU (Never used): The top XX Pokemon used in NU play.
And this can be iterated as far down as players want to go.
The intent of this, as a Magic format, is to make a format where favorite pet decks from the past can compete, because they do not have to contend with the overpowered cards that dominate Modern and Legacy play.
The banlist is determined as such:
All cards banned in Legacy or Modern are banned (equivalent of Ubers)
Each time a banlist announcement is made, look at the "Staples" list for Legacy and for Modern on metamox.com.
For each of those Staples lists, iterate down it until you have selected 100 cards that are not A) Mana-producing lands with no non-mana abilities that cannot tap for more than one mana (e.g. ABU Duals or Shocklands or B) Fetchlands (e.g. Polluted Delta). These cards are excluded from the list because the intent is to make good mana fixing readily available in all color combinations, so the largest number of decks can be viable. Additionally, exclude any card already on the Ubers list in the other format. If there is a tie (i.e. cards #99-103 of one list have the same number of copies played), include all of the tied cards on the list.
Combine the two lists of 100 and remove duplicates. The resulting list is the OU list.
Cards that are not on the OU list or Ubers list are fair game for building your deck, with the exception of cards from the most-recently-released set and cards which have been unbanned in the concurrent Banlist announcement, which will be considered "Suspect" until the next banlist update. If you want to play with those cards, there's always Standard.
Currently, all ABU Dual Lands are on the Borderline List. The following cards are watchlisted as potentially needing to be BL: Aluren, Painter's Servant, Imperial Recruiter Worldgorger Dragon and all cards in Fate Reforged are Suspect
The full banlist as of Fate Reforged (Updated 1/19/15)
Abrupt Decay OU (M/L)
ABU Dual Lands BL
Advantageous Proclamation U (L)
Aether Vial OU (M/L)
All Cards from Fate Reforged S
Amulet of Quoz U (L)
Ancestral Recall U (L)
Ancestral Vision U (M)
Ancient Den U (M)
Ancient Grudge OU (M)
Ancient Tomb OU (L)
Anger of the Gods OU (M)
Arcbound Ravager OU (M)
Aven Mindcensor OU (M)
Backup Plan U (L)
Balance U (L)
Batterskull OU (L)
Bazaar of Baghdad U (L)
Birds of Paradise OU (M)
Birthing Pod U (M)
Black Lotus U (L)
Black Vise U (L)
Blazing Shoal U (M)
Blinkmoth Nexus OU (M)
Blood Moon OU (M/L)
Bloodbraid Elf U (M)
Blue Elemental Blast OU (L)
Boros Charm OU (M)
Brago's Favor U (L)
Brainstorm OU (L)
Bridge from Below OU (L)
Bronze Tablet U (L)
Cabal Ritual OU (L)
Cabal Therapy OU (L)
Careful Study OU (L)
Cavern of Souls OU (L)
Cephalid Coliseum OU (L)
Chain of Vapor OU (L)
Chalice of the Void OU (M)
Channel U (L)
Chaos Orb U (L)
Choke OU (M)
Chrome Mox U (M)
City of Traitors [reserved] OU (L)
Cloudpost U (M)
Combust OU (M)
Containment Priest OU (L)
Contract from Below U (L)
Council's Judgment OU (L)
Counterbalance OU (L)
Counterspell OU (L)
Cranial Plating OU (M)
Craterhoof Behemoth OU (L)
Crop Rotation OU (L)
Cryptic Command OU (M)
Dark Depths U (M)
Dark Ritual OU (L)
Darkpact U (L)
Darksteel Citadel OU (M)
Daze OU (L)
Deathrite Shaman U (M)
Defense Grid OU (L)
Delver of Secrets OU (M/L)
Demonic Attorney U (L)
Demonic Consultation U (L)
Demonic Tutor U (L)
Destructive Revelry OU (M)
Dig Through Time U (M)
Disfigure OU (L)
Dismember OU (M)
Dispel OU (M)
Double Stroke U (L)
Dragon's Claw OU (M)
Dread Return U (M)
Dryad Arbor OU (L)
Duress OU (L)
Earthcraft U (L)
Eidolon of the Great Revel OU (M)
Electrickery OU (L)
Electrolyze OU (M)
Elvish Visionary OU (L)
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn OU (L)
Entomb OU (L)
Entreat the Angels OU (L)
Etched Champion OU (M)
Exhume OU (L)
Exploration OU (L)
Falling Star U (L)
Fastbond U (L)
Flash U (L)
Flusterstorm OU (L)
Force of Will OU (L)
Forked Bolt OU (M/L)
Frantic Search U (L)
Fulminator Mage OU (M)
Gaea's Cradle [reserved] OU (L)
Galvanic Blast OU (M)
Gamble OU (L)
Gavony Township OU (M)
Geist of Saint Traft OU (M)
Ghost Quarter OU (M)
Gitaxian Probe OU (M/L)
Glimmervoid OU (M)
Glimpse of Nature U (M)
Goblin Guide OU (M)
Goblin Recruiter U (L)
Golgari Charm OU (L)
Golgari Grave-Troll OU (L)
Grafdigger's Cage OU (M/L)
Great Furnace U (M)
Green Sun's Zenith U (M)
Grim Lavamancer OU (L)
Griselbrand OU (L)
Grove of the Burnwillows OU (L)
Gush U (L)
Gut Shot OU (M)
Heritage Druid OU (L)
Hermit Druid U (L)
Hydroblast OU (L)
Hypergenesis U (M)
Immediate Action U (L)
Imperial Seal U (L)
Infernal Tutor OU (L)
Inkmoth Nexus OU (M)
Inquisition of Kozilek OU (M)
Iterative Analysis U (L)
Izzet Charm OU (M)
Jace, the Mind Sculptor U (M)
Jeweled Bird U (L)
Karakas OU (L)
Kitchen Finks OU (M)
Kor Firewalker OU (M)
Krosan Grip OU (L)
Lava Spike OU (M)
Leyline of Sanctity OU (M)
Library of Alexandria U (L)
Life from the Loam OU (L)
Lightning Bolt OU (M/L)
Lightning Helix OU (M)
Liliana of the Veil OU (M/L)
Lingering Souls OU (M)
Lion's Eye Diamond [reserved] OU (L)
Lord of Atlantis OU (M)
Lotus Petal OU (L)
Magma Spray OU (M)
Mana Crypt U (L)
Mana Drain U (L)
Mana Leak OU (M)
Mana Vault U (L)
Massacre OU (L)
Master of the Pearl Trident OU (M)
Meddling Mage OU (L)
Memnite OU (M)
Memory Jar U (L)
Mental Misstep U (M/L)
Mind Twist U (L)
Mind's Desire U (L)
Mishra's Workshop U (L)
Molten Rain OU (M)
Monastery Swiftspear OU (M/L)
Mother of Runes OU (L)
Mox Diamond [reserved] OU (L)
Mox Emerald U (L)
Mox Jet U (L)
Mox Opal OU (M)
Mox Pearl U (L)
Mox Ruby U (L)
Mox Sapphire U (L)
Mutavault OU (M)
Muzzio's Preparations U (L)
Mystical Tutor U (L)
Narcomoeba OU (L)
Natural Order OU (L)
Nature's Claim OU (M)
Necropotence U (L)
Negate OU (M)
Nettle Sentinel OU (L)
Noble Hierarch OU (M)
Null Rod [reserved] OU (L)
Oath of Druids U (L)
Obstinate Baloth OU (M)
Omniscience OU (L)
Ornithopter OU (M)
Orzhov Pontiff OU (M)
Path to Exile OU (M)
Pillar of Flame OU (M)
Pithing Needle OU (L)
Ponder U (M)
Power Play U (L)
Preordain U (M)
Price of Progress OU (L)
Punishing Fire U (M)
Pyroblast OU (L)
Pyroclasm OU (M/L)
Qasali Pridemage OU (M)
Quirion Ranger OU (L)
Reanimate OU (L)
Rebirth U (L)
Red Elemental Blast OU (L)
Relic of Progenitus OU (M/L)
Remand OU (M)
Rest in Peace OU (L)
Restoration Angel OU (M)
Rift Bolt OU (M)
Rishadan Port OU (L)
Rite of Flame U (M)
Sakura-Tribe Elder OU (M)
Scapeshift OU (M)
Scavenging Ooze OU (M)
Search for Tomorrow OU (M)
Seat of the Synod U (M)
Second Sunrise U (M)
Secret Summoning U (L)
Secrets of Paradise U (L)
Seething Song U (M)
Sensei's Divining Top U (M)
Sentinel Dispatch U (L)
Serum Visions OU (M)
Shahrazad U (L)
Shardless Agent OU (L)
Show and Tell OU (L)
Siege Rhino OU (M)
Signal Pest OU (M)
Silvergill Adept OU (M)
Sin Collector OU (M)
Skullclamp U (M/L)
Skullcrack OU (M)
Smash to Smithereens OU (M/L)
Snapcaster Mage OU (M/L)
Sneak Attack OU (L)
Sol Ring U (L)
Spell Pierce OU (M/L)
Spell Snare OU (M)
Spellskite OU (M)
Sphere of Resistance OU (L)
Springleaf Drum OU (M)
Stifle OU (L)
Stinkweed Imp OU (L)
Stoneforge Mystic U (M)
Stony Silence OU (M)
Strip Mine U (L)
Sulfuric Vortex OU (L)
Supreme Verdict OU (L)
Surgical Extraction OU (L)
Survival of the Fittest U (L)
Swan Song OU (M)
Sword of the Meek U (M)
Swords to Plowshares OU (L)
Tarmogoyf OU (M/L)
Tectonic Edge OU (M)
Tempest Efreet U (L)
Terminus OU (L)
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben OU (L)
Thespian's Stage OU (L)
Thought Scour OU (M)
Thoughtseize OU (M/L)
Time Vault U (L)
Time Walk U (L)
Timely Reinforcements OU (M)
Timetwister U (L)
Timmerian Fiends U (L)
Tinker U (L)
Tolarian Academy U (L)
Treasure Cruise U (M/L)
Tree of Tales U (M)
Treetop Village OU (M)
True-Name Nemesis OU (L)
Umezawa's Jitte U (M)
Unexpected Potential U (L)
Vampiric Tutor U (L)
Vapor Snag OU (M)
Vault of Whispers U (M)
Vault Skirge OU (M)
Vendilion Clique OU (L)
Voice of Resurgence OU (M)
Wall of Roots OU (M)
Wasteland OU (L)
Wear // Tear OU (M/L)
Wheel of Fortune U (L)
Windfall U (L)
Wirewood Symbiote OU (L)
Worldgorger Dragon U (L)
Worldgorger Dragon S
Worldknit U (L)
Xantid Swarm OU (L)
Yawgmoth's Bargain U (L)
Yawgmoth's Will U (L)
Young Pyromancer OU (M/L)
U = Uber
OU = Overused
S = Suspect
BL = Borderline
(L) means it falls under that criteria in Legacy
(M) means it falls under that criteria in Modern
(L/M) means it falls under that criteria in both
Only the highest level of criteria is used. If, for example, a card is Uber in Modern and OU in Legacy (like Stoneforge Mystic), it is listed as OU (L)
Ubers: Banlist for OU Play
OU (Overused): The top XX Pokemon in standard OU play.
BL (Borderline): Pokemon that are banned for UU play (in addition to all of OU and Ubers)
UU (Underused): The top XX Pokemon used in UU play.
RU (Rarely Used): Pokemon that are banned for NU play (in addition to all of the above)
NU (Never used): The top XX Pokemon used in NU play.
And this can be iterated as far down as players want to go.
The intent of this, as a Magic format, is to make a format where favorite pet decks from the past can compete, because they do not have to contend with the overpowered cards that dominate Modern and Legacy play.
The banlist is determined as such:
All cards banned in Legacy or Modern are banned (equivalent of Ubers)
Each time a banlist announcement is made, look at the "Staples" list for Legacy and for Modern on metamox.com.
For each of those Staples lists, iterate down it until you have selected 100 cards that are not A) Mana-producing lands with no non-mana abilities that cannot tap for more than one mana (e.g. ABU Duals or Shocklands or B) Fetchlands (e.g. Polluted Delta). These cards are excluded from the list because the intent is to make good mana fixing readily available in all color combinations, so the largest number of decks can be viable. Additionally, exclude any card already on the Ubers list in the other format. If there is a tie (i.e. cards #99-103 of one list have the same number of copies played), include all of the tied cards on the list.
Combine the two lists of 100 and remove duplicates. The resulting list is the OU list.
Cards that are not on the OU list or Ubers list are fair game for building your deck, with the exception of cards from the most-recently-released set and cards which have been unbanned in the concurrent Banlist announcement, which will be considered "Suspect" until the next banlist update. If you want to play with those cards, there's always Standard.
Currently, all ABU Dual Lands are on the Borderline List. The following cards are watchlisted as potentially needing to be BL: Aluren, Painter's Servant, Imperial Recruiter
Worldgorger Dragon and all cards in Fate Reforged are Suspect
The full banlist as of Fate Reforged (Updated 1/19/15)
Abrupt Decay OU (M/L)
ABU Dual Lands BL
Advantageous Proclamation U (L)
Aether Vial OU (M/L)
All Cards from Fate Reforged S
Amulet of Quoz U (L)
Ancestral Recall U (L)
Ancestral Vision U (M)
Ancient Den U (M)
Ancient Grudge OU (M)
Ancient Tomb OU (L)
Anger of the Gods OU (M)
Arcbound Ravager OU (M)
Aven Mindcensor OU (M)
Backup Plan U (L)
Balance U (L)
Batterskull OU (L)
Bazaar of Baghdad U (L)
Birds of Paradise OU (M)
Birthing Pod U (M)
Black Lotus U (L)
Black Vise U (L)
Blazing Shoal U (M)
Blinkmoth Nexus OU (M)
Blood Moon OU (M/L)
Bloodbraid Elf U (M)
Blue Elemental Blast OU (L)
Boros Charm OU (M)
Brago's Favor U (L)
Brainstorm OU (L)
Bridge from Below OU (L)
Bronze Tablet U (L)
Cabal Ritual OU (L)
Cabal Therapy OU (L)
Careful Study OU (L)
Cavern of Souls OU (L)
Cephalid Coliseum OU (L)
Chain of Vapor OU (L)
Chalice of the Void OU (M)
Channel U (L)
Chaos Orb U (L)
Choke OU (M)
Chrome Mox U (M)
City of Traitors [reserved] OU (L)
Cloudpost U (M)
Combust OU (M)
Containment Priest OU (L)
Contract from Below U (L)
Council's Judgment OU (L)
Counterbalance OU (L)
Counterspell OU (L)
Cranial Plating OU (M)
Craterhoof Behemoth OU (L)
Crop Rotation OU (L)
Cryptic Command OU (M)
Dark Depths U (M)
Dark Ritual OU (L)
Darkpact U (L)
Darksteel Citadel OU (M)
Daze OU (L)
Deathrite Shaman U (M)
Defense Grid OU (L)
Delver of Secrets OU (M/L)
Demonic Attorney U (L)
Demonic Consultation U (L)
Demonic Tutor U (L)
Destructive Revelry OU (M)
Dig Through Time U (M)
Disfigure OU (L)
Dismember OU (M)
Dispel OU (M)
Double Stroke U (L)
Dragon's Claw OU (M)
Dread Return U (M)
Dryad Arbor OU (L)
Duress OU (L)
Earthcraft U (L)
Eidolon of the Great Revel OU (M)
Electrickery OU (L)
Electrolyze OU (M)
Elvish Visionary OU (L)
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn OU (L)
Entomb OU (L)
Entreat the Angels OU (L)
Etched Champion OU (M)
Exhume OU (L)
Exploration OU (L)
Falling Star U (L)
Fastbond U (L)
Flash U (L)
Flusterstorm OU (L)
Force of Will OU (L)
Forked Bolt OU (M/L)
Frantic Search U (L)
Fulminator Mage OU (M)
Gaea's Cradle [reserved] OU (L)
Galvanic Blast OU (M)
Gamble OU (L)
Gavony Township OU (M)
Geist of Saint Traft OU (M)
Ghost Quarter OU (M)
Gitaxian Probe OU (M/L)
Glimmervoid OU (M)
Glimpse of Nature U (M)
Goblin Guide OU (M)
Goblin Recruiter U (L)
Golgari Charm OU (L)
Golgari Grave-Troll OU (L)
Grafdigger's Cage OU (M/L)
Great Furnace U (M)
Green Sun's Zenith U (M)
Grim Lavamancer OU (L)
Griselbrand OU (L)
Grove of the Burnwillows OU (L)
Gush U (L)
Gut Shot OU (M)
Heritage Druid OU (L)
Hermit Druid U (L)
Hydroblast OU (L)
Hypergenesis U (M)
Immediate Action U (L)
Imperial Seal U (L)
Infernal Tutor OU (L)
Inkmoth Nexus OU (M)
Inquisition of Kozilek OU (M)
Iterative Analysis U (L)
Izzet Charm OU (M)
Jace, the Mind Sculptor U (M)
Jeweled Bird U (L)
Karakas OU (L)
Kitchen Finks OU (M)
Kor Firewalker OU (M)
Krosan Grip OU (L)
Lava Spike OU (M)
Leyline of Sanctity OU (M)
Library of Alexandria U (L)
Life from the Loam OU (L)
Lightning Bolt OU (M/L)
Lightning Helix OU (M)
Liliana of the Veil OU (M/L)
Lingering Souls OU (M)
Lion's Eye Diamond [reserved] OU (L)
Lord of Atlantis OU (M)
Lotus Petal OU (L)
Magma Spray OU (M)
Mana Crypt U (L)
Mana Drain U (L)
Mana Leak OU (M)
Mana Vault U (L)
Massacre OU (L)
Master of the Pearl Trident OU (M)
Meddling Mage OU (L)
Memnite OU (M)
Memory Jar U (L)
Mental Misstep U (M/L)
Mind Twist U (L)
Mind's Desire U (L)
Mishra's Workshop U (L)
Molten Rain OU (M)
Monastery Swiftspear OU (M/L)
Mother of Runes OU (L)
Mox Diamond [reserved] OU (L)
Mox Emerald U (L)
Mox Jet U (L)
Mox Opal OU (M)
Mox Pearl U (L)
Mox Ruby U (L)
Mox Sapphire U (L)
Mutavault OU (M)
Muzzio's Preparations U (L)
Mystical Tutor U (L)
Narcomoeba OU (L)
Natural Order OU (L)
Nature's Claim OU (M)
Necropotence U (L)
Negate OU (M)
Nettle Sentinel OU (L)
Noble Hierarch OU (M)
Null Rod [reserved] OU (L)
Oath of Druids U (L)
Obstinate Baloth OU (M)
Omniscience OU (L)
Ornithopter OU (M)
Orzhov Pontiff OU (M)
Path to Exile OU (M)
Pillar of Flame OU (M)
Pithing Needle OU (L)
Ponder U (M)
Power Play U (L)
Preordain U (M)
Price of Progress OU (L)
Punishing Fire U (M)
Pyroblast OU (L)
Pyroclasm OU (M/L)
Qasali Pridemage OU (M)
Quirion Ranger OU (L)
Reanimate OU (L)
Rebirth U (L)
Red Elemental Blast OU (L)
Relic of Progenitus OU (M/L)
Remand OU (M)
Rest in Peace OU (L)
Restoration Angel OU (M)
Rift Bolt OU (M)
Rishadan Port OU (L)
Rite of Flame U (M)
Sakura-Tribe Elder OU (M)
Scapeshift OU (M)
Scavenging Ooze OU (M)
Search for Tomorrow OU (M)
Seat of the Synod U (M)
Second Sunrise U (M)
Secret Summoning U (L)
Secrets of Paradise U (L)
Seething Song U (M)
Sensei's Divining Top U (M)
Sentinel Dispatch U (L)
Serum Visions OU (M)
Shahrazad U (L)
Shardless Agent OU (L)
Show and Tell OU (L)
Siege Rhino OU (M)
Signal Pest OU (M)
Silvergill Adept OU (M)
Sin Collector OU (M)
Skullclamp U (M/L)
Skullcrack OU (M)
Smash to Smithereens OU (M/L)
Snapcaster Mage OU (M/L)
Sneak Attack OU (L)
Sol Ring U (L)
Spell Pierce OU (M/L)
Spell Snare OU (M)
Spellskite OU (M)
Sphere of Resistance OU (L)
Springleaf Drum OU (M)
Stifle OU (L)
Stinkweed Imp OU (L)
Stoneforge Mystic U (M)
Stony Silence OU (M)
Strip Mine U (L)
Sulfuric Vortex OU (L)
Supreme Verdict OU (L)
Surgical Extraction OU (L)
Survival of the Fittest U (L)
Swan Song OU (M)
Sword of the Meek U (M)
Swords to Plowshares OU (L)
Tarmogoyf OU (M/L)
Tectonic Edge OU (M)
Tempest Efreet U (L)
Terminus OU (L)
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben OU (L)
Thespian's Stage OU (L)
Thought Scour OU (M)
Thoughtseize OU (M/L)
Time Vault U (L)
Time Walk U (L)
Timely Reinforcements OU (M)
Timetwister U (L)
Timmerian Fiends U (L)
Tinker U (L)
Tolarian Academy U (L)
Treasure Cruise U (M/L)
Tree of Tales U (M)
Treetop Village OU (M)
True-Name Nemesis OU (L)
Umezawa's Jitte U (M)
Unexpected Potential U (L)
Vampiric Tutor U (L)
Vapor Snag OU (M)
Vault of Whispers U (M)
Vault Skirge OU (M)
Vendilion Clique OU (L)
Voice of Resurgence OU (M)
Wall of Roots OU (M)
Wasteland OU (L)
Wear // Tear OU (M/L)
Wheel of Fortune U (L)
Windfall U (L)
Wirewood Symbiote OU (L)
Worldgorger Dragon U (L)
Worldgorger Dragon S
Worldknit U (L)
Xantid Swarm OU (L)
Yawgmoth's Bargain U (L)
Yawgmoth's Will U (L)
Young Pyromancer OU (M/L)
U = Uber
OU = Overused
S = Suspect
BL = Borderline
(L) means it falls under that criteria in Legacy
(M) means it falls under that criteria in Modern
(L/M) means it falls under that criteria in both
Only the highest level of criteria is used. If, for example, a card is Uber in Modern and OU in Legacy (like Stoneforge Mystic), it is listed as OU (L)
Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish
EDH Cube
Hypercube! A New EDH Deck Every Week(ish)!
Decks that I think can be strong in this format:
Aluren Combo
Painter's Servant Grindstone Combo
Psychatog
Astral Slide
U/G Madness
Opposition Tokens
Domain Zoo
Soul Sisters
Infect
Urzatron
Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish
EDH Cube
Hypercube! A New EDH Deck Every Week(ish)!