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Magic The Gathering gametypes for three players

FirmSkaterFirmSkater Registered User regular
edited February 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
So basically I'm playing Magic: The Gathering with two other people and we are bored of free for all. Does anyone have any cool gametypes we could play with three people? We know tons for bigger groups but we only have three.

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Posts

  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    2 v 1 but the team of 2 has to get extremely drunk first and they can't talk to each other.

    TychoCelchuuu on
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Have you tried EDH? Archenemy?

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    try browsing through the formats list on the mtg site here: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Resources.aspx?x=mtg/tcg/resources/formats-casual#multiplayer

    but commander(edh) is mighty fun and works ok with 3 people. heres the rules: http://www.dragonhighlander.net/rules.php

    Foomy on
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  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Another idea: swap decks with each other for a round.

    Another idea, deux: Each of you brings 3 booster packs from any set(s) you choose, and hold a mini-draft.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Being only able to attack the player to your left works quite well.

    Xagarath on
  • VThornheartVThornheart Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Here's some multiplayer games I've been thinking about - though admittedly have not actually tried yet to see if they'd be entertaining due to lack of time and people - and if you wanted to try them they could be fun! (If you do try them, let me know if they were actually entertaining ;) ) Since it sounds like you have a consistent crowd of people to play with, you're in a better position than I to actually try it... give it a shot if you think any are interesting, it might shake things up a bit!

    * Common Draft -> I assume at least one (if not more) of you probably has a giant box of commons by now that are underused. Create piles of them with a good distribution of colors and artifacts, and have people draft them like card drafts. Create decks on the fly, and then play with those!

    * Alternate Objective Magic -> Players together choose on and create a stack of 3x5 cards that list alternative win conditions, such as "You win if you have 50 life at the end of your turn," "You win if you have not taken damage in 10 consecutive turns", "You win if the combined power and toughness of creatures you control ever exceeds 200," etc... These objectives are shuffled, and players choose one from the list. Once you get your objective, at that point you choose the deck you want to use (so be sure to bring a versatile collection of decks!). Play as normal free for all, but if your life count goes to 0 you are not eliminated. Instead, you reset any objectives that you have, reset your life total, shuffle all of your cards (including the ones in play) back into your library and draw 7 new cards. The first player to accomplish their secret objective wins!

    * Alternate Objective Magic, version 2 -> Same rules as "Alternate Objective Magic", but instead of creating a deck of side objectives you must incorporate at least one card into your deck that has an alternative win condition. The only way to win is through one of the alternative win condition cards.

    * Shifting Alliances -> Two players are randomly chosen to be on the same team (Team A, let's say), and one player on the other (Team B). Everyone has individual life totals, and "Team B" has to choose which player of "Team A" he is attacking/targeting/etc whenever relevant. The "Team A" players cannot block for each other (or alternatively, they *can* block for each other, but may choose not to!). At the end of each turn, flip a coin. If it comes up heads, teams are randomly reallocated: the person on Team B may now end up teaming up with one of the people on Team A. (one way to reallocate would be to have the first two people who flip "heads" on a coin toss become Team A, and the remaining person is now Team B) If at any given time one of the teams has 0 players left alive, the team with 1 or more players left alive wins. If an alternative win condition is played, *only* the person who played that win condition is victorious (even if they had a teammate). (My thought on how this could be interesting is that while normal teamplay allows an advantage due to sharing information, sharing information could be deadly in this game as you never know when the person you shared info with may suddenly be your enemy)

    VThornheart on
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  • Regina FongRegina Fong Allons-y, Alonso Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Xagarath wrote: »
    Being only able to attack the player to your left works quite well.

    I always thought this was the standard, default method of playing with three people. Free for all's tend to turn into a two on one gang bang very quickly.

    Regina Fong on
  • LoneIgadzraLoneIgadzra Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Can also attack player on right, which changes things a bit. Try both.

    LoneIgadzra on
  • BlarghyBlarghy Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Wizards has come out with a few different add-ons for Magic in the last year or so (currently Planechase and Archenemy). My gaming group was in the same rut, and occasionally spicing things up with those additions was great. Might want to check those out.

    Blarghy on
  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Must alternate who you attack.
    LRLRLRLRLR...

    Improvolone on
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  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Choose a few artifacts or enchantments that aren't limited-use (so, no spellbombs or things with charge counters). Put them in the middle of the table at the beginning of the game; everyone controls them, they untap at the start of each turn, etc. They can't be sacrificed, destroyed, or exiled.

    I don't know what to call this mode of play. Public Property, or something?

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • BradicusMaximusBradicusMaximus Pssssssssyyyyyyyy duckRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Xagarath wrote: »
    Being only able to attack the player to your left works quite well.

    This. Its how all my friends and myself have played. The drunk 2v1 thing sounds fun though. OR have everyone get wasted and then only use sliver/changeling decks. I think hilarity would ensue from that.

    BradicusMaximus on
  • OnTheLastCastleOnTheLastCastle let's keep it haimish for the peripatetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    You should buy Ascension and/or Dominion. Totally serious.

    Go to your local gamestore and demo Ascension. It's made by some magic pros you may or may not know.

    OnTheLastCastle on
  • ArrathArrath Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Xagarath wrote: »
    Being only able to attack the player to your left works quite well.

    This. Its how all my friends and myself have played. The drunk 2v1 thing sounds fun though. OR have everyone get wasted and then only use sliver/changeling decks. I think hilarity would ensue from that.

    Dueling slivers/whatever turns into a hilarious clusterfuck right out of the gate. Everyone should try it at least once.

    Arrath on
  • BradicusMaximusBradicusMaximus Pssssssssyyyyyyyy duckRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    After I made a sliver deck with an overlord and queen, my friends became very frustrated and decided to buy some pre-made sliver decks because of it. I no longer felt special save for the queen and overlord but it was still fun as hell.

    BradicusMaximus on
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    The premade premium sliver deck is pretty good, and makes a decent intro to EDH (with some minor modifications to make it EDH-legal).

    EDH is the format of kings and scholars, by the way.

    I second the recommendation for Dominion. It definitely has a Magic-like feeling, without all the bullshit that Magic carries with it.

    Other than EDH and Dominion, the Archenemy decks are a good recommendation. They're fairly* well-balanced and the 'scheme' cards they come with are a lot of fun. (They give you an excuse to say things like "Nothing can stop me now!" in an omnious voice.)

    * - the blue artifact deck is kind of goofy and is arguably weaker than the others, but is still a lot of fun.

    Feral on
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  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    A master mana pool that everyone shares? Then you might not hold onto a card but use one just to tap someone out.

    Improvolone on
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  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    I second EDH being a great choice. If funding isn't a big deal, snagging the Planechase packs and having a master deck of all 40 (all 45 cards if you feel like Ebay'ing for the other 5 promo planes) is fun. EDH + Planechase = Batshit insanity.

    Then you add Archenemy decks and the table explodes.

    Or so I hear, I haven't actually put my Archenemy decks to use yet.

    Forar on
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  • Dropping LoadsDropping Loads Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    We would play "Attack Between"

    With 3 people, you're sitting in a triangle. Instead of having your own life total, you are trying to kill an object with 20 life that "sits" between your two opponents. Blocks are still assigned in turn order, and either player may make all of the legal blocks available to them.

    It kind of plays out like the opposite of 2 v 1, where each turn you are teamed up with one of the two guys against the other, and on your turn they are both teamed up against you. This is also a real fun variant to play with 5 people playing mono-colored decks and seated in the color-appropriate positions.

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  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Guy on your left is your "ally", meaning you can't attack him, but can defend him; guy on the right you must attack. Enjoy the hilarity. Add some alcohol for goodness.

    L Ron Howard on
  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    I need to teach my gf Magic...

    Improvolone on
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  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Diplomacy Magic...everyone takes their turns simultaneously, pausing at the combat phase to write down orders for their creatures. For instance, "Myr Propagator BLOCKS Gold Myr."

    That way, you have to predict the moves the other players will make.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • DirtmuncherDirtmuncher Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Iron man magic.

    At end of turn tear up every card in the graveyard.

    Pro's:
    Your friends never bring the same decks.
    You get rid of all those pesky commons you do nothing with.

    Con's:
    You may eventually run out of commons.

    Dirtmuncher on
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