Vanguard was a special Magic: The Gathering format introduced in the late 1990s that used oversized character cards representing iconic planeswalkers and legends. Each Vanguard card granted unique abilities and adjusted a player's starting hand size and life total, adding a strategic layer to regular gameplay. Originally distributed as promotional items through magazines and events, Vanguard cards featured characters like Urza, Serra, and Gerrard. Though not legal in sanctioned formats, Vanguard became a popular casual variant and was later revived digitally on Magic Online. It remains a nostalgic and collectible part of Magic’s experimental history.