by Team War Zone

Introduction

Mental Magic is a variant on the traditional game of Magic: the Gathering by Wizards of the Coast. In all cases where the rules of Mental Magic do not exist the current rules of Magic the Gathering are to be used. Mental Magic combines the skills of blindfold chess with the enjoyment of Magic.

Setup

A large stack of random cards (no land) is shuffled and divided into two piles. Each player selects one of these stacks and this stack is considered his or her deck. A large stack of basic land cards is divided into two stacks. Each player selects one of the land piles. This is that players "Utopia Library". Players determine randomly to see who plays first, and then each player draws 7 cards from their deck. The standard Paris mulligan rule is used and is the only mulligan rule used with Mental Magic.

Optional Land Rule

A few non-basic land may be inserted into either or both players main library. These lands are not Utopia, but can be used as any other land card. This is limited by the special rules on cards.

Basic Game Play

The player who is playing first does not draw (as per the Magic play or draw rule.) This player may take their turn as usual and lay a land, cast spells, attack as by the rules of Mental Magic and Magic the Gathering. Play then proceeds when the first player is finished with his or her turn to the second player. The second player then draws a card from their deck or draws a card from their Utopia library. Play continues switching from one player to the next as each player completes their turn until one player or the other wins the game as per the rules of Magic the Gathering.

Special Rules on Cards

Cards in Mental Magic are never what they appear. Each card in Mental Magic when needed by a spell or effect can be any card printed by Wizards of the Coast for use with Magic the Gathering with the exception of Portal Cards, Astral Cards, Computer Cards and Ante Cards (see optional ante rule) that exactly match both the casting cost and color cost of the card in question. This has the effect of making a template for each card in Magic. Once a template is needed and used by a spell or effect that template may not be used again by either player for the rest of the game. Cards keep their template until they are removed from the game or go into a players hand or deck. This means a B3 (printed on the card as a Dungeon Shade) cast as a Krovikan Horror is a Krovikan Horror in the graveyard, when a W1 (printed on the card as a COP White) is discarded and the templated as a Youthful Knight put on top of it, until it returns to owners hand at the end of any turn, whereupon it is an unnamed B3 with the casting restriction that it cannot be cast as an Dungeon Shade (or any used B3 template like Krovikan Horror).

1. Out of Play. For the purposes of resetting a card (and require a new template) out of phase is not considered out of game for the purposes of this rule. (A Ring of Mau' Ruf will bring back a card that had been removed from this game but as ring of Mau' Ruf does not need a card type to be announced it does not use up a card template and effectively brings back and unnamed WW (for example). Cards which are set aside or in other temporary out of game zones also do not lose their template.

2. Discard Rule. Cards which have been discarded may be templated, but do not have to be templated. If they are not templated at the time of discarding they are considered "unnamed card of casting cost U1" for example. They may not be later templated until they go into a players hand or library.

3. Using Templates. You may only use a template when their is a valid game reason to do so. You may not arbitrarily use templates without a game mechanism for doing so. The player who discards cards may choose their template (or leave them unnamed). The player who puts cards from their library into their graveyard also may choose the templates (or leave them unnamed).

4. Dual Libraries and Graveyards. Each player in a game of Mental Magic has two libraries (the Main Library and the Utopia Library). Any spell that targets a players library, is treated as targeting one of a players libraries. Also, any spell that targets a players graveyard is treated as targeting one of a players graveyards (but not both).
   Any effect that deals with a library or graveyard must complete all effects in the same graveyard. For example a Grindstone targeting the Main Library finding two spells that match color, must repeat the effect on the Main Library.

5. Optional Ante Rule. If both players agree a game of Mental Magic may be played for Ante. If so all ante cards are legal and have their normal affect (i.e. I switch my Jeweled Bird for the 10 dollars of Ante.).

6. Running Out of Cards. A player loses the game by being "decked" when they cannot draw a card from either library and are forced to by the mandatory draw in their draw phase or a mandatory draw from a spell or effect.

7. Specific Card Rulings
   
   • Clairvoyance
     The cards are viewed by the opponent but they are not and may not be templated.
   • Cursed Scroll
     When you name the card for a cursed scroll you do not name an actual card but rather name "spell of unnamed casting cost X". This does not and may not use up a template.
   • Demonic Consultation
     You name a card to be found and thus use up it's template (the card will be in the consulting players hand but will be an unnamed card of that casting cost). For Example: You may cast a Demonic Consultation for a Brainstorm and the 7th card or later that has casting cost U will go into your hand. It will then have to be cast as something other than a Brainstorm. The cards removed from play may not be templated.
   • Demonic Tutor
     As you do not have to show the opponent a card no Template is used nor may one be used in the casting of this spell.
   • Dream Cache
     You must draw from the Main Library but may substitute draws from the Main Library with draws from the Utopia Library in any combination drawing a total of 3 cards. You must announce how many cards will be drawn from each library at the start of the affect. Any Utopias put on the top/bottom of the Main Library must instead be shown to the opponent and put on the top/bottom of the Utopia Library.
   • Enlightened Tutor
     As you must show your opponent an enchantment or artifact you must use a template for the card retrieved. Once the card is in the players hand it may be cast as any type of spell.
   • Gaea's Blessing
     You may target cards in either graveyard of either player but only one graveyard. If Utopia cards are put back (they must be placed into a Utopia library) then the card drawn must be drawn from a Utopia library.
   • Mulch
     Yes, you may target either library with this card. Yes, this is a very powerful spell in Mental Magic. Green deserved something...
   • Rowen
     As with all effects that target a single library, the entire effect must target the same library (in other words you can draw two lands instead of the regular draw phase draw with Rowen).
   • Timetwister
     You must shuffle your main library back into your main deck and the Timetwister becomes the only card in your main graveyard. You may substitute some of the 7 cards with cards from the Utopia Library.

Utopia

The Utopia library is stack of the land Utopia. The land Utopia reads:

Tap: Add one mana of any colour to your mana pool.
0: Utopia becomes a forest, island, mountain, plains or a swamp until the end of the turn. Play this ability as a mana source.
0: Utopia is snow-covered. Play this ability as a mana source.
0: Utopia is non-snow covered. Play this ability as a mana source.

If any permanents of a color are in play or in the processes of being cast you are considered to have a traditional basic land of the type that produces the colour mana associated with that color. Utopia is considered a basic land.

Each player along with having a Utopia library has a special "Utopia Graveyard" where all discarded/destroyed Utopia lands go to. You may replace any draw from your Main Library with a draw from the Utopia library. Multiple draws from a single affect may be divided in any fashion between the main deck and the Utopia library. The decision as to how many cards are to be drawn from each library is made before any of the cards are drawn. You may not replace a draw from your Utopia Library with a draw from your Main Library.

With Utopia in play and a blue permanent you are considered to have Islands in play but you do not have any cards which are actually Islands, so a Tsunami will kill no lands but you may be Islandwalked and Islandhome creatures will not die.

When Utopia cards are to be put into a players library they are instead shown to the opponent and then put into the Utopia library. Any associated effects stay in the same library the cards were placed into.

Utopia lands which have become a basic land (by any means) are no longer considered Utopias.

Tournament Rules

The Decks

The libraries for all Mental Magic Tournaments are to be pre-created by the judges and the cards chosen for playability (no unusable cards RRRR3 for example) and limited use of very restrictive cards. Also a close watch should be taken for very abusive cards (BX). All libraries will be placed at tables across from the opposing libraries. The libraries remain fixed through the entire tournament with players moving to a different position after each game (similar to duplicate bridge). The players play the decks after shuffling them but not looking at the contents of their libraries.
Optional Rule: The players are given 5 minutes to inspect their decks before the start of each match. There are no sideboards in Mental Magic tournaments.
The recommended library size for tournaments is 40 cards for the main library and 30 cards in the Utopia library. The optional Ante Rule is not used in tournaments.

• Sealed Deck
  An alternate method of deck construction for Mental Magic Tournaments is to use sealed starters (any format will do). The players uses the 22 basic lands in the starters as their Utopia Library. The remaining cards are used as the Main Library. Players are allowed to look through their sealed decks before the start of a match.
  Optional Sealed Rule: Each player may choose to remove exactly three cards from their Main Library for use as a sideboard.
• Match Victory
  Due to the length of time of games of Mental Magic matches will be only a single duel. If neither player wins by the end of time, the active player must their turn. At that time the player with the higher life total wins unless either player can demonstrate a complete lock (Judge's discretion as to what this means).
• Card Templating
  Players must be able to state the actual card name (and have the required resources) to successfully cast a spell. The name must be clear enough to demonstrate knowledge of the card name and clearly not another card. This is not meant to penalize bad pronunciation (as certain cards like Nevinyrral's Disk are difficult to pronounce) but to force memory of card names. The judge in cases of dispute, may have the player write out the card name as a means of resolution.
• The Judge
  The Judges ruling in all cases will be final. They will make mistakes but someone has to decide and they are it.
• Challenges
  If two players cannot agree on what a card does or on reality a challenge may be made. If a challenge is made a judge is called and one player, then the other states what they consider the card to do (or what is reality) and the point of contention. The Judge will decide who is right. Any player losing two challenges in a match will lose the match. Challenges should be watched by the judges for possibilities of cheating or stalling. The Judge should consider notes as the primary evidence in the case of failure to agree with reality.
• Note Taking
  Note taking is allowed and is Highly Recommended for mental magic. In cases of failure to agree on reality notes are about the only basis the Judge has to go on. A recommended note system of B1: Demonic Tutor, W1: Balance is suggested, with two columns, one for each player's spells.
• Time
  As time is very limited in a tournament environment and it is very easy to think about what card to play for a great deal of time in Mental Magic strict time restrictions are to be enforced. During the initial part of a round players may only consider what to play for 45 seconds. During the final 15 minutes of a round players may only consider what to play for 15 seconds. Taking longer than this will be considered stalling and will be dealt with as per the standard tournament rules.
• Special Tournament Card Rulings
  Chaos Orb and Falling Star may only target a single card. The target is announced upon resolution of the effect and the drop commences. The target card must have any obstructions covering it removed before the drop. This includes counters and other cards.

By Eileen Shaughnessy

This is for people who are not so much concerned with winning as with having a hysterically fun time playing Magic. Everyone sits around the table and begins a normal multiplayer game. Set a timer for about ten minutes. When the timer goes off, whoever is taking a turn finishes that turn. Than that person rolls a six-sided die. Each player than moves that number of seats clockwise around the table,than play resumes. Now we're all playing with a different deck.

Every ten minutes players rotate again based on the die-roll. You never know where you're going to end up!

If a seat dies while you're sitting there, stack its cards in a neat pile and wait until the next rotation. If you wind up at a seat with active cards, you're back in the game!! If you get to a dead seat, it's a good time to use the restroom or make a sandwich. When the game gets down to two decks left, those two players finish the game. Usually every player feels that he or she has contributed to the win, because almost everyone has played in that seat at some point in the game. There is generally a great deal of laughter during this whole melee. Players have been known to Fireball themselves, because they knew in a few minutes they wouldn't sitting in the same spot any more! But then again,you never know...you could wind up in that seat at the bitter end, so you'd better be careful...

If you only have one deck of Magic cards, you can see how well it does against itself. Both players share one library and one graveyard. This means that you can kill your opponent's creature, and resurrect it yourself!

Again, players share one library and one graveyard. Deal a hand of seven cards face up in the middle of the playing area. Both players may use lands and spells from this pool of cards. Once your opponent has cast a spell out of the hand, you no longer have control over it. The strategies in this variant are bizarre. You will find that it often helps to cast spells for no reason, just to prevent your opponent from using them. If you must discard, you'll throw away the card that your opponent needs most.

This variant allows you to play many colours without as many mana problems. This change in rules allows you to pay for any coloured mana in a casting cost with two points of an allied colour, as shown on the back of a Magic card. For example you could pay two blue mana instead of one white, or two green instead of two red.

By David S. Wilson

A predictably quick and easy to play alternative game for all those Magic cards. This game is based on the concept that Mages have Psychic powers as well as magic ability once in a duel.

1. All spells cost one colourless mana to cast. This bonus is yours since all Mages have Psychic enhanced Magic abilities. This rule change results in a quicker pace for spell casting.

2. Both hands are played open and on the table. You're all Psychics, you all know what spells your opponent(s) might cast. This rule change results in less surprises. It's difficult to surprise a Psychic.

3. Your library is placed on the table upside down so each Psychic can see what the the card to be drawn is. This rule change shows all Psychics can predict what the immediate future holds for both yourself and your opponent.

4. Only during your turn and only after upkeep and drawing of your card can you use one of two Psychic abilities unique to this game. For the cost of one mana you can take the top card that you would draw next turn and move it to the bottom of your library. Or for the cost of two mana you can take the top card of an opponent's library which he/she will draw on his/her next turn and move it to the bottom of their library. This rule change shows how a Psychic Mage can alter the future they see coming.

You shouldn't include cards that let you look at your opponent's hand.

All decks must contain the same preset twenty land, two of each of the dual lands.

All decks must contain six cards from each color, and six artifacts. Of each set of six cards, one must be 1 casting cost, one of 2 casting cost, and so on, up to 6 mana.

Banned

All X spells, anything with 0 casting cost, or casting cost > 6, ante cards, non-basic land screwers.

By Ryan Hutnick

Magic sure can be a fun game, even though it's not very logical. No, not in regards to the hundreds of pages of errata and such, but how some of the mechanics and play rules seem to be less than what they could be. That's not neccessarily a bad thing, in fact it probably just saves headaches for the designers and beginning players. Let's face it, even though at it's core Magic can be horribly complicated, one can get the very basics down with only a few games with someone who knows what he/she is doing. But how many players have asked the question "Why don't creatures have an agility rating?" Or "Why can't creatures equip artifacts?" These mechanics don't exist in normal Magic play, but they do exist in REAL Magic.

REAL Magic is simply a way to give Magic more of an RPG feel. In REAL Magic creatures have an agility rating next to their power/toughness. Creatures can deliver critical hits, and land more than one blow if it's attacked or attacking. Don't like a creature that your opponent just summoned? Bribe it, and maybe it will come to your side and fight for you. Want to send one of your creatures on a quest that will sabotage your opponents plans? Go for it! REAL Magic makes each game seem more like an epic war than a simple wizard-to-wizard duel.

Listed below are the necessary changes/additions needed to change Magic into REAL Magic.

1. All games played under REAL Magic follow the most current Type 1 restricted/banned lists. Decks must contain at least 120 cards, and players start with 60 life.

2. Banding does not exist in REAL Magic. Why? You'll soon see. :) No, seriously, banding makes some of the necessary combat changes very difficult to implement. When playing REAL Magic, please eliminate the following words off cards which they appear (not literally, of course) - band, bands, banding, banded.

3. When a creature has locked in damage, you roll dice and it does 0-N damage, where N is the creature's power. Example - a Force of Nature will do anywhere from 0-8 damage; how much exactly depends on how good a roller you are. If you find that you have extra numbers on a second die, eliminate the extras and roll until you land on one that fits. Example - say you have to figure out Force of Nature damage, and you only have 6 sided dice. Roll one six sider, and then roll the other. Ignore anything higher than a 2; when you finally roll a 1 or 2 add that to the number of the first die and that's the damage the Force will do.

4. Creatures have an agility number next to their power/toughness. The number will be either 1, 2, or 3. Creatures with a 1 (Lead Golem, Ironroot Treefolk) are the slowest of the bunch... they have a good chance of hitting a creature with an agility of 2, and a poor chance of hitting a creature with an agility of 3. Creatures with an agility of 2 (Benalish Hero, Arctic Wolves) have a good chance of hitting both an agility 1 and agility 3 creature. Creatures with an agility of 3 (Serra Angel, King Cheetah) have a good chance of hitting an agility 2 creature, and will always hit an agility 1 creature. Here's how it all works - after blockers are declared, you roll for agility. If both creatures have the same agility, you roll 1D6 for each. Roll a 1, the creature misses; 2-6, it hits. If a creature with an agility of 1 (Lead Golem) blocks/attacks a creature with agility 3 (Serra Angel), the 3 agility creature (Serra) will hit the 1 agiltiy (Golem,) but for the 1 agility (Golem) you roll 1D6. Roll a 1 it hits, 2-6 it misses. If a creature with an agility of 2 (Arctic Wolves) blocks/attacks a creature with an agility of 3 (King Cheetah,) roll 1D6 for each. Roll 1 or 6 it misses, 2-5 it hits. Use this same method if a creature with an agility of 1 blocks/attacks a creature with an agility of 2.

   Note - I am aware of possibly arguments that can arrise over what agility rating some creatures have. Simply put, I do not have the time to give an agility rating to each individual creature in Magic. Therefore, the official rule regarding arguments is this: if you cannot agree on an agility rating, flip a coin to decide.

5. When a creature hits, you do the penetration roll. This is simple. Roll 2D6, and if the result is 2-10, the creature penetrates, and combat proceeds. If the result is 11-16, it does not penetrate, and the creature deals no damage in combat.

6. When a creature has both won the agility roll and penetration roll, you proceed to see of the creature's hit is critical. To do this, roll 2D6. If the result is a 2 or 12, the opposing creature dies instantly and is sent straight to the graveyard, without the possibilty of regeneration. If the reult of the roll is 3-11, the strike was not critical and combat proceeds as normal. Note - say both creatures won the agility roll... which creature do you roll for critical first? The attacking creature.

7. This is a fun one. :) When a creature kills another creature in combat (or due to it's own fast effect, like a Tim ability,) it gains experience points equal to the combination of the dead creature's power/toughness/agility. A creature raises a level once it has gained X experience, where X is equal to it's combined power/toughness/agility. Whenever a creature raises a level, it gets +1/+1 (no additions to the agility rating) and one special ability (phasing, flanking, islandwalk, first strike, etc.) of your choice (you cannot choose banding.) Example - your Benalish Hero, by some miracle with lucky die rolls, takes down a Force of Nature (8/8/2.) The Force will give the Hero 18 experience points. The Hero needs 3 experience points to raise a level, so... the Hero will gain 6 levels! This means the Hero will now be 7/72 and will have 6 special abilities. Imagine the possibilities... give it flanking 6 times, make it a shadow-flanking-flying-islandwalking-first strike-rampage monstrosity... the possibilities are endless.

8. Creature quests. This ability is played as a fast effect that can be done only once per turn, and only in your main phase. To initiate a creature quest, first choose a creature you control. Then announce you are sending it on a quest, and state to what opponent you are sending it to. Now, grab 3D6, choose "odd" or "even" and roll the dice. If all three numbers are what you chose, then the quest was successful, and you can choose from the following options:
   1. Look through the opponent's library, remove two cards from the game. Opponent then shuffles his/her library.
   2. Look through the opponent's library, select one permanent, and put it immediately into play on your side. Opponent then shuffles his/her library.
   3. Choose a permanent owned by the opponent; that permanent is removed from the game.
   If the quest is unsuccessful, then the opponent gets to choose one of those options to be performed on you.

9. Spells can fizzle. Whenever you cast a spell, roll 2D6. If the result is 2 or 12, the spell fizzles and is removed from the game. If the result is 3-11, the spell is casted normally.

10. Damage dealing Sorceries and Instants can backfire. Whenever you cast a damage dealing Instant or Sorcery, first roll to see if it fizzles or not. If it goes through ok, roll 3D6. If the result is 5, 10, or 15, the spell backfires and does however many damage it would have done to creatures/players to you instead.

11. You can bribe creatures. Whenever a creature attacks you, and you decide not to block it, you can bribe it. Here's how it works - say a War Mammoth attacks you... you can't block and decide to bribe it. Roll 2D6. Whatever the result of the roll is, you lose life equal to the number rolled (cannot be prevented or re-directed.) If the result is 2-3, the creature is bribed and is taken out of combat. If the result is 12, the creature is taken out of combat and you gain control of it. If the result is 4-11 the bribe was unsucessful and combat proceeds as normal. Note - you can only bribe a specific creature once per combat.

12. Creatures can hit several times when they finally get into damage dealing phase in combat. After a creature hits once (and deals 0-N damage) you roll 1D6. If the result is 1 the creature hits a second time; 2-6 it doesn't hit again and combat proceeds. If the creature hits a second time, you roll again for a third hit. If the third hit connects, you try for a fourth hit... and so on. Note - for the second, third, and so on hits, you do not roll for agility again, but you do roll for penetration and critical for each seperate hit.

13. Creatures can equip certain non-creature artifacts. This boosts their power/toughness (not agility). You'll have to use logic to determine what artifacts can and cannot be equipped. For example, you can equip Aladdin's Ring, Helm of Awakening, Helm of Obedience, Sword of the Ages, and Dingus Staff. Flying Carpet, Ivory Tower, and Library of Leng cannot be equipped. (Note - again, if arguments arise, the official rule is to flip a coin to decide... you could also email me, if you so desire.) So what does this do for the creature? Add this text to each equippable artifact: 0, Remove this artifact from the game: target creature gets +X/+X, where X is the casting cost of this artifact. (This change is permanent; it expires only when the creature is put into the graveyard or removed from the game.)

14. You can hide creatures. Once a turn, during your main phase, played as a Sorcery, you can lay a creature card face down, untapped, on the table (you do not pay any kind of casting cost, and this isn't considered a put into play effect, so Aether Flash wouldn't do anything to it.) Since the creature is hidden, it is considered out of play, so it can't be targetted by spells and global effects like Wrath of God would not get rid of it. At any time fast effects are legal, you may pay the hidden creature's casting cost and flip it over, treating it as though it has just been cast, however it is not effecting by summoning sickness (it will, though, take Aether Flash damage, and be affected by any other coming into play effects being caused by permanents.)

15. Here's a biggie... the Unite ability. Simply put, this ability will cause one of three things to happen:
    1. All of your opponent's creatures come into play on your side
    2. All of your creatures come into play on your opponen't side
    3. All of your creatures become tapped
    The Unite ability consists of all your creatures meeting with your opponent's creatures, and trying to convince them that their master is no good, and to come and help you out. Of course, this can backfire, causing your creatures to think that you are no good, and them going to your opponent's side. The talks can also simply be unsuccessful for both sides, which leads to all your creatures becoming tapped. The Unite ability can only be done once per turn and only during the main phase, and it's played as a Sorcery. When you declare to Unite, roll 4D6. If the result is 4-8, you gain control of all of your opponent's creatures. If the result is 9-19, all your creatures become tapped. If the result is 20-24, your opponent gains control of all of your creatures.

The purpose of REAL Magic is simply to make Magic more fun and involved. If you have any other RPG-ish ideas that you think will add to the experience of REAL Magic, go ahead and implement them. The goal here is to provide another way of having fun with the game you love to play. Don't be intimidated by the seemingly complex extra rules needed to play REAL Magic.

In this format you need dice. The trick is this when anyone casts a spell they roll a die. If they get a one the spell is countered. The thing that makes the game interesting is the size of the dice you decide to use. You normally would use six sided dice but you can try four sided and ten sided. Other variants include rolling dice for life.

Each player may put down as many land as they want every turn with no penalty, also you draw seven cards every round. The seven card hand limit is still in effect, so you usually will have to discard, but this variant allows you to get the cards you want quickly. When playing by these rules you can not use any spell with an "X" in the casting cost and Black Vise is banned.

If a player can manage to lose all life in the first four rounds, he wins. Channel, Lich, and other "throw away life" effects are not allowed during the first four rounds, although fireballing yourself is permitted. This variation keeps people from doing a quick kill, and lets slower decks evolve before the battle begins.

By Thomas Staudt

When I first saw the Netrunner playing mat in the Duelist I thought: Why didn't they print something like that for Magic? Probably because having a dozen lands, four Thallids and twenty-one Saproling tokens in play would require a rather large mat. So why not define a variant where you can only put as many cards in play as you have slots? After much thought and playtesting I found a very playable combination of slots is:

3 lands
3 creatures
1 artifact
1 global enchantment

I made a layout of 2 x 4 slots (eight Magic card backs photocopied), the land and enchantment slots right before me and the creature and artifact slots in front of the other slots. This is a great reminder if you are playing this format for the first time, after a while you won't need it anymore. The following rule changes are added:

• You can only play cards (and tokens, respectively) in the appropriate slots. If a card could be played in several slots, you can choose where to put it. (A Copy Artifact of an artifact creature could be played in the enchantment, artifact or creature slot.)

• If you cast a permanent spell or create a token and there is no free slot to put it, you have to sacrifice a card in play that uses such a slot when the new card comes into play. This means that without any additional mana producers you can cast spells that cost four mana: tap your three lands, put a land into play - sacrificing a tapped one - and tap the new land.

• If several permanents normally come into play at once, they come into play one after the other in the order the caster wants them to. This allows you play cards like Sengir Autocrat or Tombstone Stairwell (why you would want to play them in this format is a totally different thing).

• It's a good thing not to rely on spells costing more than four mana if you don't have several means to produce additional mana. Cards like Tinder Wall or Orcish Lumberjacks are much better here than in the normal format because they free a slot and you don't have to sacrifice something later that you'd rather have kept. Sengirs cast with the help of Dark Rituals are quite intimidating.

• In general, almost any spell requiring a sacrifice is better in this format than in a normal game.

• Cumulative upkeep (in mana, that is) is usually out of the question. Local enchantments are good because they don't require their own slot. Varchild's War-Riders are great if your opponent already has three creatures in play: he has to sacrifice one of them to make room for the tokens you are gladly giving him. He can and probably will put all of these tokens in the same slot, so the upkeep essentially becomes only one token (and you have a 3/4 for two mana).

• All of the Alliances lands providing two mana are extremely useful. Especially Lake of the Dead allows for quite some amount of mana if you have enough land in your deck to sacrifice. If you have only a few spells needing more than three mana you can manage to play with 15 or even less lands in a 60 card deck.

• Sheltered Valley will give you one life during each of your turns because you can't have more than three lands in play.

• It's no problem to play three colour decks if your spells don't need two coloured mana to be cast. One of the most intimidating decks I've ever played against was R/G/U with cheap critters like Kird Apes and Scryb Sprites, loads of Giant Growths, Blood Lusts, Unstable Mutations and assorted Bolts.

Many of the common strategies in everyday Magic won't work in Slot Magic.

• Red's x damage spells won't do too much damage, blue's counterspells require too much mana (although Force of Wills are very good as well as the other pitch spells) and you can't be overrun by more than three white weenies (although these decks have the useful ability to immediately replace their fallen). With a maximum of one Howling Mine, Turbo-Stasis is also unlikely to work.

• On the other hand, Necrodecks could be played almost unchanged. You don't even need Disks to get rid of the Necropotence, just play another enchantment. Sligh, too, doesn't require more than three mana, but having a maximum of three creatures in play hinders its performance quite a bit.

• Animator decks work very well. Animators are cheap (Animate Dead B1, Dance of the Dead B1), Discarders are cheap (Mind Bomb U, Force of Will 1 life) and Polar Krakens and Deep Spawns are very intimidating in this format.

By Jason Livingston

Each turn has a limit of ten seconds. If you are currently in the middle of an attack or casting a spell, you may finish the event but no new spells may be cast, except interrupts.

The entire game has a limit of three minutes (one hundred eighty seconds). This means a limit of eighteen turns (nine per player) if you both always use your maximum turn length. If in the middle of a turn when the limit is reached, you may conclude the current action (see above). Whoever has more life left wins, or a draw if equal life.

On your first turn, you may play all of the mana-producing land from your hand. This helps speed up game play.

All Moxes and Black Lotus are banned (these make the game too fast). Sol Ring is restricted.

Every turn you draw two cards and immediately discard one of them. You can begin the game as usual, with a starting hand of seven cards, or by drawing fourteen and discarding half of them. Another way to begin this game is to create your opening hand one draw at a time by drawing two cards and discarding one card, seven times.

By Scott Krogstad

Before the game, you decide how much mana you will "hunt" for. Then ALL players go through their decks and take that many lands and put them directly into play. If they do not have enough, they bring all of lands out.

During every draw phase you may choose to draw 1 or 2 cards, or redraw up to 7 cards. You get 3 redraws. If you have no cards in your hand, you may choose to redraw without spending a redraw.

You may lay as many lands down per turn as you want. You may have as many cards of one type as you want in your deck, and Banned and Restricted cards are treated as though they weren't.

These rules make the game go REALLY fast, with 1st turn Force of Nature and 10-12 point fireballs. You really don't NEED a specially-made deck for this, but it helps.

By Vasco Da Gama

This is inspired by a poker variant of the same name. Each player brings an additional stack of twenty unique cards, legal to the type they are playing. They are shuffled together and set somewhere between the players. At the beginning of every upkeep, flip up the top card of the center stack and remove the previous up card from the game. Every card in every player's hand is a split card - one half being the original, and the other half being the current up card from the center stack that you can cast. If the up card is a summon, it is instead a sorcery that creates a token identical to the original creature, a la Assault/Battery. Perhaps enchantments would need extra cards handy to represent them on the table.

By Les Wong

Cards are cast into the game face down. This includes all cards, except sorceries, and certain enchantments, and anything with an X in the casting cost.

Instants and interrupts can always be cast from the hand as normal. You may also choose to cast them face down, for use when needed. This contributes to a longer, and somewhat more difficult game.

Targeting enchantments must be played face up. However, you could leave two Giant Growths face down on the table for later use. You may turn a card over whenever you wish, as this is considered to happen with the speed of an Interrupt, but if the card is a creature, it is considered to have summoning sickness when turned over.

Cards face down are considered partially in the game. They may be tapped by external sources, such as a Twiddle or an Icy Manipulator, which causes them to be turned over. They are not valid targets for any other spells or effects, and may not do anything except turn over. The reason for this is so that someone cannot blindly cast Wrath of God or Armageddon on overturned creatures or land.

Upkeep on a particular card must be paid as the card is turned over, or the appropriate consequences apply. Global effects from a face down card like a Meekstone, Mana Flare, or Howling Mine don't happen until the card is overturned. Attacking and blocking happen pretty much as normal. Attackers, of course, must be face up.

Details and Clarifications

Doppelgangers and Clones may select the creature they are when turned over.
Chaos Orb doesn't work with face down cards.
Cards with *s only count for upturned cards.

Strategy

Keep land face down until necessary and put it down with your creatures so your opponent forgets how many potential blockers you have.

Keep defenders face down until last moment, it makes attacking risky for your opponent. Spells that make cards tap are nasty surprises for the guy trying to hide his stuff.

By Josh Smith and Martin Terman

The basic concept of the game is that each wizard has enchanted their set of clothing with a powerful set of protection spells. Each wizard is assumed to be fully dressed at the start of the game, thus already has a powerful set of protection spells going.

At the start of the game, each player writes down on index cards the group of clothing that will be considered to be a single creature. Even better, attach bits of card with the revelent info to the fronts of Magic cards, so that they may be placed face down like other cards if circumstances require hiding it.

Each player is then given N points of toughness to distribute between their clothing creatures. No clothing creature may have a toughness of less than one. This means the player with the most separate groups has a bunch of 0/1 clothing. Players with fewer clothing groups may create 0/2 or tougher clothing creatures.

Each clothing creature is then either given a colour of magic or is considered to be an artifact creature. All clothing creatures are considered to be walls. All spells that affect walls affect clothing, and any spells that affect colour or artifacts will affect clothes designated as such. Activation cost of clothing is a simple average of strength and toughness, rounded up, and at least one mana must be of the colour of the spell, assuming the spell has colour.

Before the start of the game, all clothing creatures are laid out like any other Magic creatures. They are assumed to suffer the usual effects of summoning sickness, though in practical terms that has no effect since they're walls, unless special cards are in play. Play now begins like any other Magic game.

Note that with respect to spells like Clone and any other duplication-style spells, the powers of the card are duplicated, and not the clothing. If you clone your pants and lose your pants, you may not put the pants on, claiming you're using their clone. Pants are in the graveyard until they have been ressurected. Clothing may not be worn till activation costs are paid.

When one player dies, they strip off any remaining clothing they are wearing, as homage to the victor.

While having a bunch of walls in play does slow down the game incredibly, by using some of the optional rules the game can speed things up.

Optional Rules

• Only accessible clothing may be used for attack or defense, or be attacked or defended. Clothing is defined as accessible if it may be removed or put on without any other clothing being put on or removed. When clothing creatures are created at the start of the game, equal accessibility must be required.

• Points distributed at the start of the game are X/Y, where Y must be at least the largest number of clothing groups of any player. X may be any number larger or smaller.

• Clothing creatures are no longer considered walls, but may attack as well as defend. This option is recommended mainly with the above rule.

• Before the game, everyone divides twenty life points up among their clothing, subject to the following rules:
  1. One easy way to keep track of clothes and life is to list the numbers one to twenty on a sheet of paper, and assign each item of clothing to a series of numbers. These lists may be kept secret if desired.

  2. Every item you're wearing must be assigned to at least one point. If you're wearing more than twenty items of clothing, group some of them together.

  3. An item can only be assigned to at most three points more than any other item.

  4. Keep track of your life as normal, except that when you lose all of the life points associated with an item, you must remove it. If you regain those life points, you must put the item back on. Any life points you accumulate above twenty don't trigger clothing-loss when the points are lost.

  5. Players who are eliminated must remain at the table until the game is over. Other penalties for losing may be devised by particularly friendly groups.

By David S. Wilson

An alternative Magic game inspired by the fantasy world created by Larry Niven.

Both Dominia and Larry’s world are based on the concept that land produces something called mana, which is used by mages to power spell casting. However, in Larry’s world, the land does not regenerate its mana. Once you used up the mana, you have to move and find new land that still has its mana resources available.

All Magic cards are played the same except for the land. When you tap the land it stays tapped. It does not reset during upkeep. If you draw further mana from the land, you tap it a second time. This means it is tapped from 1/4 turn to 1/2 half turn (upside-down). If you tap the land again it is turned farther to the 3/4 position. And if you tap the land a fourth time it is turned face down on the table. It is still land you control but is now compeletly out of mana. Thus, you can only use each land four times. That’s the one and only rule we used for the original version of The Magic Goes Away.

But after a little play we did make two further changes that made the game much more fun then we had expected. First we changed the tap rule to allow you to tap any land from one to four points of magic. It’s your land, you decide how fast to use up the mana, just make sure how you tap it is correctly shown by the direction you leave the land facing. Instead of only that one mana, every player starts with 4 mana from that land, available on their very first turn. This means instant major duel time. But if you use it all up too fast, it’s easy to sputter out of mana and find yourself helpless.

Finally, we banned some cards. No creatures or artifacts can be used to generate mana. On Larry’s world only land has mana properties. We also banned cards that let you tap or drain your opponets mana. Only the person who controls the land can get the mana. Finally, we banned all non basic lands, with the exception of dual lands. And there you have it, all the rules required for one of the fastest paced alternative Magic game.

By Adrian Gudas

This is an extremely brutal version. Each player starts with fifty life points. When power/toughness scores are involved on either a creature or enchantment, double the scores. A deck must have a minimum of one hundred twenty-five cards. When you add a mana to your mana pool, consider getting twice that mana, and you may play as many lands as you like in your main phase. Finally, you may have a maximum of fifteen cards in your hand, instead of seven.