What is DQ?

Dread Quarter is a budget Magic: The Gathering format, designed to offer rich and varied gameplay at low cost.

It's Pioneer, but Affordable.

Format Rules

Dread Quarter is a 60-card rotating magic format consisting of Pioneer-era cards that are at or under $0.36 market price on TCGPlayer. Cards enter and leave the format 4 times a year in seasons tied to standard set releases. A card's season price is the 7-day average price of the first week following the set's release.

All cards priced $0.36 or less are legal
Once legal, cards remain legal for four seasons unless they exceed $1.00.
All other cards priced over $0.36 are banned

This means that cards which slowly creep up in price over $0.36 will stay in the format for one year (example). However if a card spikes in price over $1.00 it might only be in the format for one season (example).

All color fixing land cycles share an average season price.

Each year the legal price limit will be increased by one penny to adjust for inflation.

Format Philosophy

Limitations foster creativity. We are brewers at heart and love exploring new interactions.
Expensive mythics are harmful for the game. More power doesn't necessarily mean more fun.
We need a low barrior to entry format. High price tags are intimidating to new players.
Hasbro does not deserve more of our money. WotC is propping up this company and it's sad.