Super fun Magic variants to share.

I am offering my Magic variant games for the community's enjoyment. Take a look at the links below, build or proxy deck(s) that most interest you, and give it a try. You need to try them to really see how uniquely fun and entertaining they are. Feel free to share the links with your friends so that everyone can enjoy these unique Magic variant games. I’m hoping positive feedback will inspire me to create more such games.

Magic: Forgetful Fish
A variant where two players play out of the same deck and control of the draw at the top of the library is key to winning.
Key Cards: Accumulated Knowledge, Crystal Spray, Dandan, Memory Lapse, Metamorphose, Mind Bend, Predict, and Vision Charm.

Magic: R.P.S (Rock-Paper-Scissors)
A unique three person landless variant where a player must work to kill one opponent, while simultaneously protecting the one that is gunning for him.
Key Cards: Paper Tiger, Rock Lobster, Scissors Lizard, and a single copy in each deck of versatile multi-use white cards published in Magic’s long history selected for synergy.

Magic: Trippin’
A chaotic landless variant where every spell a player can successfully cast nets him another card, but players have no draw phase and lose for having no cards in hand.
Key Cards: Many of the “cantrip” cards of all five colors published in Magic’s long history.

Enjoy,
Nick

Nice one, reminds me of this article published years ago in the Dualist

Once upon a time I had a Cube. But it never got drafted. So I knew some people that would play a variation of Type 4 (Paul Mastriano and others between rounds at Vintage events) that was invented by Ray Robilard. I knew it as Type 5, since that was the name Ray gave it. So I changed out a bunch of cards and made a Type 5 stack.

Basically it is Type 4 (you draft or get a random stack) except you don't get infinite mana, but rather any spell in your hand can be a land that taps for it's Mana Cost (not CMC). So, if you play a Cromat as a Land, it taps for one of each color, so you could play a Sliver Queen. Once you play something as a Land, it's a Land for the game (unless it dies and you somehow bring it back). All the other rules of "normal" Magic apply. Start with 7 Cards, only play 1 Land per turn, etc.

If you design your stack with lots of "challenging" mana costs (like Cruel Ultimatum or Reaper King) the format can be a lot of fun, creating a tension between wanting to play your big spells as spells, but also needing the Mana Symbols to be able to cast it. Obviously Progenitus is the bomb land to have. Games would tend to be fast, fun and swingy.

You can read more here if you want.

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Originally Posted by Chatto

Nice one, reminds me of this article published years ago in the Dualist

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I remember this. I think I had this Duelist, but this was about the time I quit getting them, and not long after that they quite producing them. If I remember right it was a little tough to play and not a ton of fun. I think it would be better if I built a deck specifically for it, but using a random deck was not really good. Maybe I'll look at it again and try to optimize a solitaire Magic deck.

Please pick one of my variants and give it a try with friends. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for the post.

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Originally Posted by H

So I knew some people that would play a variation of Type 4 (Paul Mastriano and others between rounds at Vintage events) that was invented by Ray Robilard. I knew it as Type 5, since that was the name Ray gave it. So I changed out a bunch of cards and made a Type 5 stack.

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Cool. Thanks for sharing. I think I would like to reinstitute "manaburn" in a game like that. "Oh, you can't use the extra mana you tapped? Burn!" Maybe there should be another penalty too. Could be fun.

I had a multiplayer "type 4" style deck at one time that contained all the crappy and annoying multiplayer cards, but it never got played so I just busted it down and traded off anything of value. I put some of the red/green/black cards from it in to my chaos Shatter Gang Brothers EDH deck just to mess with people. It never wins, but it is fun.

I love the creativity in all variants. My variant decks are designed very specifically to take advantage of the rules tweaks and make those rule changes that much more fun. I'm sure a "type 5" deck could be hand picked and refined in the same way. One of the keys is spell versatility. Like in my three variants (especially R.P.S.), spells are chosen that could have multiple uses depending on the situation.

Thanks for the post, and let me know if you end up building one of my variant games.

Decks updated for Kaladesh! It's a great set for these variants. I want to try Insidious Will in Forgetful Fish, but I think the CMC will be detrimental, so it is not in the updated deck list right now. It is in the alternates. Try these out. They are awesome!

Thanks for sharing, these look really fun! I'll make proxies and give some feedback when we've played them.

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Originally Posted by Dissection

Thanks for sharing, these look really fun! I'll make proxies and give some feedback when we've played them.

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They are really fun. I suggest starting with FF, as it is easier to build or proxy than RPS. Trippin' might be just as easy to build, but I do not have as many games with it, and I think the other two (having been in my deck box for 18+ years in some form) are better tuned. Thanks for the interest. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think.

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Originally Posted by Nick Floyd

They are really fun. I suggest starting with FF, as it is easier to build or proxy than RPS. Trippin' might be just as easy to build, but I do not have as many games with it, and I think the other two (having been in my deck box for 18+ years in some form) are better tuned. Thanks for the interest. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think.

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Ah, I proxied Trippin' first as I love drawing cards :tongue: Was hooked on the concept off the bat, I'm going to try it with some friends tonight.

We'll try the other two after though!

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Originally Posted by Dissection

Ah, I proxied Trippin' first as I love drawing cards :tongue: Was hooked on the concept off the bat, I'm going to try it with some friends tonight. We'll try the other two after though!

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Did you get a chance to try Trippin' or any of the others? I'm working on a new one too. I am just about to proxy it up and try it out. If it works and is good I'll post a link here.

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Originally Posted by Nick Floyd

Did you get a chance to try Trippin' or any of the others? I'm working on a new one too. I am just about to proxy it up and try it out. If it works and is good I'll post a link here.

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You’re famous Nick: https://youtu.be/Otdgj8fBQxc

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Originally Posted by Elendrile

You’re famous Nick: https://youtu.be/Otdgj8fBQxc

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Sweet pick up and video.

Good guy Callum, as always!

It'd be a shame for Nick to never find out his format got the attention it deserved.

I think I tracked him down on the internetz and sent a message to his wife.


EDIT - She shared the info. :cool:

2nd EDIT - Sam from Rhystic Studies said Nick got in contact with him!