W
WickedBoy6
Guest
Here's a few Magic Variants you can try at home. Many of these have to do with multiplayer Magic, but there's some good variants for one-on-one duels as well.
Blitz
During your draw step, draw from your library until your hand contains exactly 7 cards.
Blood Magic
At the end of each player's first turn, instead of the normal discard step, each player may discard from one to four cards. Next turn, players draw as many cards as they discarded last turn. Players still may only hold 7 cards in hand.
Dual Library
Players begin with two libraries; one consisiting of all land cards (basic or otherwise), the other contains all spells (creatures, sorceries, etc.). Players draw their initial hand in any combination from the two libraries, and can draw from either during their draw step or in any combination due to a game effect like Browbeat or Howling Mine.
Eureka!
Before the first turn begins, proceeding in turn order, each player may choose an permanent in their hand and put that card into play without paying it's casting cost (lands can be laid down, as well, with no limit). Continue until each player in turn has declined to put a card into play. Play continues normally.
Eureka! Blitz
WARNING! This variant is not for everyone! Instead of an initial hand, players draw 15 cards each. Before the first turn begins, proceeding in turn order, each player may choose an permanent in their hand and put that card into play without paying it's casting cost (lands can be laid down, as well, with no limit). Continue until each player in turn has declined to put a card into play. During a player's draw step, draw from your library until your hand contains exactly 7 cards. Players do not discard for having over 7 cards in hand.
Musical Magic
Start a normal multiplayer game. Every ten minutes (your time may vary), whoever's the active player finishes his or her turn, then rolls a six-sided dice. Each player then moves that number of seats clockwise around the table, then play resumes. When the game winds down to two decks left, those players finish the game.
One or the Other
During your draw step, draw two cards and bury one of them.
Prismatic Hybrid
Any point of colored mana can be paid for by two mana of an allied color. (Quicksilver Dragon could be cast by paying 4UU [normal cost], or with 4BBU [substituting BB for one U], or with 4WWWW [substituting WW for each U], etc.)
Terminator
Creature damage is permanent. Use counters to indicate current toughness.
The Quick Game at Lunch
Fastbond and Howling Mine are in play before the game starts. They cannot be target or destroyed in any way. If you wish, substitute Mana Flare for Fastbond.
Two-headed Giants
Two teams of two sit together and players alternate in an X pattern. Each team has one life point total which starts at 40, thouhgh they do not share mana. Anything which affects either player's life is taken from this total. When a player is attacking, his teammate may not attack with creatures, but may send creatures to defend an attack, and instants and fast effects from any player can be played. Cards which say "you" will only affect one team member. Cards which say "opponent" will only affect one of your opponents. Cards which affect both players in a duel affect all players.
World of Antausia
Before beginning a duel, roll a ten-sided dice to determine the "realm" the duel takes place in. The "realms" cannot be targeted or destroyed in any way.
On a roll of 1, the realm is "The Caverns of Martuk". Treat this realm as a Howling Mine (all players draw one additional card during their draw step).
On a roll of 2, the realm is "The Fertile Lands of Saulvinia". Treat this realm as a Mana Flare (all lands tapped for mana produces one more of the appropriate color mana per land).
On a roll of 3, the realm is "Mandrake's Mountain". Treat this realm as a Meekstone (creatures with power greater than 2 do not untap during their controller's untap phase).
On a roll of 4, the realm is "The Fortified Open Lands". Treat this realm as a Castle (all untapped creatures gain +0/+1).
On a roll of 5, the realm is "The Great City of Bosconius". Treat this realm as a Celestial Prism (any player may change two mana of any color into one mana of any color. Only two mana can be changed in this fasion by a player during that player's turn).
On a roll of 6, the realm is "The Wastes of Farreach". Treat this realm as a Kismet (all creatures, lands, and artifacts come into play tapped. Those permanents that normally come into play tapped must spend an additional turn tapped).
On a roll of 7, the realm is "The Power Pools of Bledingard". Treat this realm as a Mightstone (all attacking creatures gain +1/+0 until the end of the turn).
On a roll of 8, the realm is "Icedale". Treat this realm as a Winter Orb (each player may only untap one land during his or her untap phase).
On a roll of 9, the realm is "The Antausian Vortex". No effect happens initially. After the first cycle of players, reroll to see what the new realm in effect is. This realm remains until another cycle is completed, at which time another roll is made. If "Antausian Vortex" is rolled during these rolls, there is no effect for that cycle.
On a roll of 10, roll the die again twice (ignoring rolls of 9 or 10) to select two realms of Antausia to be in effect for the duel.
Resident Evil
Play a normal multiplayer game until there are only three players left. When the next player loses all of his life points, he becomes a "Resident Evil". That person's life points are now 0 and continues to play the game as normal, though he or she cannot be targeted by spells or effects, nor can that person be attacked. If a "Resident Evil" kills one of the remaining "living" players,he or she returns to the duel at the same life points as the other "living" player, and the player that was destroyed by the "Resident Evil" now becomes the "Resident Evil" him/herself. The duel can only end when one "living" player destroys the other "living" player, and that player wins the duel.
Many of my friends love The Quick Game at Lunch & Eureka! Blitz, though my favorites are Dual Library & Resident Evil. Enjoy!
Blitz
During your draw step, draw from your library until your hand contains exactly 7 cards.
Blood Magic
At the end of each player's first turn, instead of the normal discard step, each player may discard from one to four cards. Next turn, players draw as many cards as they discarded last turn. Players still may only hold 7 cards in hand.
Dual Library
Players begin with two libraries; one consisiting of all land cards (basic or otherwise), the other contains all spells (creatures, sorceries, etc.). Players draw their initial hand in any combination from the two libraries, and can draw from either during their draw step or in any combination due to a game effect like Browbeat or Howling Mine.
Eureka!
Before the first turn begins, proceeding in turn order, each player may choose an permanent in their hand and put that card into play without paying it's casting cost (lands can be laid down, as well, with no limit). Continue until each player in turn has declined to put a card into play. Play continues normally.
Eureka! Blitz
WARNING! This variant is not for everyone! Instead of an initial hand, players draw 15 cards each. Before the first turn begins, proceeding in turn order, each player may choose an permanent in their hand and put that card into play without paying it's casting cost (lands can be laid down, as well, with no limit). Continue until each player in turn has declined to put a card into play. During a player's draw step, draw from your library until your hand contains exactly 7 cards. Players do not discard for having over 7 cards in hand.
Musical Magic
Start a normal multiplayer game. Every ten minutes (your time may vary), whoever's the active player finishes his or her turn, then rolls a six-sided dice. Each player then moves that number of seats clockwise around the table, then play resumes. When the game winds down to two decks left, those players finish the game.
One or the Other
During your draw step, draw two cards and bury one of them.
Prismatic Hybrid
Any point of colored mana can be paid for by two mana of an allied color. (Quicksilver Dragon could be cast by paying 4UU [normal cost], or with 4BBU [substituting BB for one U], or with 4WWWW [substituting WW for each U], etc.)
Terminator
Creature damage is permanent. Use counters to indicate current toughness.
The Quick Game at Lunch
Fastbond and Howling Mine are in play before the game starts. They cannot be target or destroyed in any way. If you wish, substitute Mana Flare for Fastbond.
Two-headed Giants
Two teams of two sit together and players alternate in an X pattern. Each team has one life point total which starts at 40, thouhgh they do not share mana. Anything which affects either player's life is taken from this total. When a player is attacking, his teammate may not attack with creatures, but may send creatures to defend an attack, and instants and fast effects from any player can be played. Cards which say "you" will only affect one team member. Cards which say "opponent" will only affect one of your opponents. Cards which affect both players in a duel affect all players.
World of Antausia
Before beginning a duel, roll a ten-sided dice to determine the "realm" the duel takes place in. The "realms" cannot be targeted or destroyed in any way.
On a roll of 1, the realm is "The Caverns of Martuk". Treat this realm as a Howling Mine (all players draw one additional card during their draw step).
On a roll of 2, the realm is "The Fertile Lands of Saulvinia". Treat this realm as a Mana Flare (all lands tapped for mana produces one more of the appropriate color mana per land).
On a roll of 3, the realm is "Mandrake's Mountain". Treat this realm as a Meekstone (creatures with power greater than 2 do not untap during their controller's untap phase).
On a roll of 4, the realm is "The Fortified Open Lands". Treat this realm as a Castle (all untapped creatures gain +0/+1).
On a roll of 5, the realm is "The Great City of Bosconius". Treat this realm as a Celestial Prism (any player may change two mana of any color into one mana of any color. Only two mana can be changed in this fasion by a player during that player's turn).
On a roll of 6, the realm is "The Wastes of Farreach". Treat this realm as a Kismet (all creatures, lands, and artifacts come into play tapped. Those permanents that normally come into play tapped must spend an additional turn tapped).
On a roll of 7, the realm is "The Power Pools of Bledingard". Treat this realm as a Mightstone (all attacking creatures gain +1/+0 until the end of the turn).
On a roll of 8, the realm is "Icedale". Treat this realm as a Winter Orb (each player may only untap one land during his or her untap phase).
On a roll of 9, the realm is "The Antausian Vortex". No effect happens initially. After the first cycle of players, reroll to see what the new realm in effect is. This realm remains until another cycle is completed, at which time another roll is made. If "Antausian Vortex" is rolled during these rolls, there is no effect for that cycle.
On a roll of 10, roll the die again twice (ignoring rolls of 9 or 10) to select two realms of Antausia to be in effect for the duel.
Resident Evil
Play a normal multiplayer game until there are only three players left. When the next player loses all of his life points, he becomes a "Resident Evil". That person's life points are now 0 and continues to play the game as normal, though he or she cannot be targeted by spells or effects, nor can that person be attacked. If a "Resident Evil" kills one of the remaining "living" players,he or she returns to the duel at the same life points as the other "living" player, and the player that was destroyed by the "Resident Evil" now becomes the "Resident Evil" him/herself. The duel can only end when one "living" player destroys the other "living" player, and that player wins the duel.
Many of my friends love The Quick Game at Lunch & Eureka! Blitz, though my favorites are Dual Library & Resident Evil. Enjoy!