Multiplayer Rules First Draft 07-01-04
The normal Magic Comprehensive Rules deal with a game between two players.
However, here at Wizards, we want to be better able to support multiplayer play. So,
we’re going to be upgrading the rulebook so that it can handle multiplayer play. This will
allow us to design more cards for multiplayer (because we’ll understand the game better),
and answer questions on multiplayer better (because we’ll have clarified rules).
Below is a draft of the rules that will be added. These rules are not considered official at
this time (as you’ll quickly see, there are places where they’re not even finished). We
hope to have any errors, omissions and unclear points ironed out in time to incorporate
these rules into the Comprehensive Rulebook in the Champions of Kamigawa version.
General Changes for Multiplayer
Change 100.1 (general)
100.1. These Magic rules handle any Magic game with two or more players, including
one-on-one games, multiplayer games, and team games.
Change 101.1 (shuffling at start of game)
101.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her own deck so that the cards
are in a random order. Each player may then shuffle any of his or her opponents’ decks.
The players’ decks become their libraries.
Change 101.5. (play/draw rule)
101.5. Once all players are satisfied with their hands, the starting player takes his or her
turn. In a two-player game, the player who plays first skips the draw step (see rule 304,
“Draw Step”) of his or her first turn. In a multiplayer game, that player doesn’t skip the
draw step of his or her first turn. After the starting player takes his or her turn, the turn
sequence continues clockwise (to the left) around the table.
Change Section 102. (Winning and Losing) – changed around completely.
102.1. A game immediately ends when a player wins or when the game is a draw.
102.2. There are several ways to win the game.
102.2a A player wins the game if he or she is still in the game, but all of his or her
opponents have lost the game.
102.2b If an effect states that a player wins the game, all of that player’s opponents lose
the game.
102.3. There are several ways to lose the game.
102.3a If a player’s life total is 0 or less, he or she loses the game the next time a player
would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
102.3b When a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he
or she draws the remaining cards, and then loses the game the next time a player would
receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
102.3c If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game the next time
a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
102.3d If a player’s opponent wins the game, the player loses the game.
102.3e If a player would both win and lose simultaneously, he or she loses.
102.4. There are several ways to draw the game.
102.4a If all the players remaining in a game lose simultaneously, the game is a draw.
102.4b If the game somehow enters a “loop,” repeating a sequence of events with no way
to stop, the game is a draw. Loops that contain an optional action don’t result in a draw.
102.5. A player can concede the game at any time. A player who concedes a game leaves
the game immediately. He or she loses the game.
102.6. If a player loses the game, he or she leaves the game. Likewise, if a player leaves
the game, he or she loses the game.
102.6a When a player leaves the game, all objects owned by that player leave the game
and any change-of-control effects which give that player control of any objects end.
Then, if there are any objects still controlled by that player, those objects leave the game.
This is not a state-based effect – it happens as soon as the player leaves the game.
Example: Control Magic
Example: Ray of Command
Example: Verdant Force
Example: Bribery
102.6b If an object owned by a player who is not in the game would be put into any zone
of the game, it leaves the game instead. (This includes abilities that would be put onto the
stack.)
Example: Putting abilities onto the stack.
102.6c If an object requires a player who is not in the game to make a choice, the
controller of the object must choose a new player to make that choice. If the original
choice was to be made by an opponent of the controller of the object, the controller must
choose another opponent if possible.
102.7. In a team game, a team loses the game if all its members lose. A team wins the
game if all of the other teams have lost the game. The game is a draw if all the remaining
teams lose at once.
Change Glossary: Control, Controller
A permanent’s controller is whoever put it into play. If the spell or ability that put it into
play states that it is put into play under another player’s controls, the control of the
permanent is determined by that continuous effect. Other effects can later change a
permanent’s controller.
Change 103.4 (APNAP rule)
103.4. If both players would take an action at the same time, the active player (the player
whose turn it is) makes and announces any choices required, followed by the nonactive
players in clockwise order around the table, then the actions happen simultaneously. This
rule is often referred to as the “Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) rule.”
Example: A card reads “Each player sacrifices a creature.” First, the active player
chooses a creature he or she controls. Then the nonactive player chooses a creature he
or she controls. Then both creatures are sacrificed simultaneously.
Change 200.3 (number of players in the game, defining “opponent”).
200.3. A player is one of the people in the game. A player’s opponents are the other
players. The active player is the player whose turn it is. The other players are nonactive
players.
Add 200.3a (team games)
200.3a In a team game, a player’s teammates are the other players on his or her team, and
the player’s opponents are all the players who aren’t his or her teammates.
Change 300.2 (all players pass in succession), 305.2 (same)
300.2. A phase or step ends when the stack is empty and all players pass in succession.
No game events can occur between turns, phases, or steps. Simply having the stack
become empty doesn’t cause the phase or step to end; all players have to pass with the
stack empty. Because of this, each player always gets a chance to add new things to the
stack before the current phase or step ends.
305.2. The main phase has no steps, so a main phase ends when all players pass in
succession while the stack is empty. (See rule 300.2)
Change 306.3 (defending player)
306.3. During the combat phase, the active player is attacking and is the attacking player.
As the combat phase starts, the active player chooses one opponent. The chosen opponent
is being attacked and is the defending player.
Change 307.1 (beginning of combat step)
307.1. As the beginning of combat step begins, the active player chooses a player to
attack. That player becomes the any abilities that trigger at the beginning of combat go
on the stack. (See rule 410, “Handling Triggered Abilities.”) Then the active player gets
priority and players may play spells and abilities.
Change 408.1c (gaining priority after passing)
408.1c The active player gets priority at the beginning of most phases and steps, after any
game actions are dealt with and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step
go on the stack. No player gets priority during the untap step and players usually don’t
get priority during the cleanup step (see rule 314.3). The player with priority may play a
spell or ability, take a special action, or pass. If he or she plays a spell or ability, or takes
a special action, the player again receives priority; otherwise, the next player clockwise
around the table receives priority. If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players
pass without taking any actions in between passing), the top object on the stack resolves,
then the active player receives priority. If the stack is empty when all players pass in
succession, the phase or step ends and the next one begins.
Change 409.2 (other players doing stuff while playing spells/abilities – need to determine
an order)
409.2. Some spells and abilities specify that one of their controller’s opponents does
something the controller would normally do while it’s being played, such as choose a
mode, choose targets, or choose how the spell or ability will affect its targets. In these
cases, the opponent does so when the spell or ability’s controller normally would do so. If
the spell or ability instructs the controller and another player to do something at the same
time as it’s being played, the spell’s controller goes first, then the other player. This is an
exception to rule 103.4.
Change 410.3 (putting triggered abilities on the stack)
410.3. If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, the
abilities controlled by the active player go on the stack first, in any order he or she
chooses, then, clockwise around the table, those controlled by each other player go on the
stack in any order that player chooses. Then players once again check for and resolve
state-based effects until none are generated, then abilities that triggered during this
process go on the stack. This process repeats until no new state-based effects are
generated and no abilities trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority.
Change 413.1 (passing in succession)
413.1. Each time all players pass in succession, the object (a spell, an ability, or combat
damage) on top of the stack resolves. (See rule 416, “Effects.”)
Change 413.2d (choices at the same time – isn’t this just 103.4 written out again?)
413.2d If an effect requires one or more players to make choices or take actions at the
same time, the active player makes and announces his or her choices first, and then the
nonactive players do so in order (knowing all previous players’ choices). Then the actions
take place simultaneously. See rule 103.4. If a player must make more than one choice at
a time, he or she makes the choices in the order written, or in the order he or she chooses
if the choices aren’t ordered. Then the actions are processed simultaneously.
Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate
sentences or clauses. In these cases, the active player makes any choices required for the
first action, then the nonactive players make any choices required for that action in order,
then the first action is processed simultaneously. Then the active player makes any
choices required for the second action, then the nonactive players make any choices
required for that action in order, then that action is processed simultaneously, and so on.
Example: Stronghold Gambit reads, in part, “Each player chooses a card in his or her
hand. Then each player reveals his or her chosen card.” First the active player chooses a
card, then the nonactive player does so. Each player reveals the cards simultaneously.
Change 419.9a (choices at the same time for replacements)
419.9a If two or more replacement or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way
an event affects an object or player, the affected object’s controller (or its owner if it has
no controller) or the affected player chooses one to apply. Then the other effect applies if
it is still appropriate. If one or more of the applicable replacement effects is a selfreplacement effect (see rule 419.6d), that effect is applied before any other replacement
effects. If two or more players have to make these choices at the same time, follow the
“Active Player, Nonactive Player rule” (see rule 103.4).
Example: Two cards are in play. One is an enchantment that reads “If a card would be
put into a graveyard, instead remove it from the game,” and the other is a creature that
reads “If [this creature] would be put into a graveyard from play, instead shuffle it into
its owner’s library.” The controller of the creature that would be destroyed decides
which replacement to apply first; the other does nothing.
Add 420.5m (new state-based effect)
420.5m If an object in the game is owned by a player who is not in the game, that object
leaves the game.
Change 421.3 (loops involving both players)
This section is not yet modified.
Change 421.5 (loops involving both players)
This section is not yet modified.
Section 6: Multiplayer Optional Rules
600 General Options
600.1 Most multiplayer games are played using only the rules in sections 1 through 5 of
this rulebook. This section contains additional optional rules which can be used for some
kinds of multiplayer play.
601 Spell Range
601.1 Spell range is the maximum distance from a player that the player can affect. Spell
range covers spells, abilities, effects, damage, attacking, and making choices.
601.1a A player is within another player’s spell range if that player is within that many
seats of the other player. An object is within a player’s spell range if it is controlled by
that player, or another player within that many seats of that player.
601.1b The players that are within each player’s spell range are set at the beginning of
each turn. If a player leaves the game, the group of players who are in the spell range of
players around the player who left the game will not change until the beginning of the
next turn.
Example: In a game with a spell range of 1, Billy is sat to the right of Alison, and
Clarissa is sat to the right of Billy. Clarissa is not in Alison’s spell range. If Billy leaves
the game, he leaves the game, and Clarissa will enter Alison’s spell range at the start of
the next turn.
601.1c The normal choices for spell range are 1 and 2.
Example: A spell range of 1 means that only players sat directly next to you are within
your spell range.
Example: A spell range of 2 means that the two players to your left, and the two players
to your right are within your spell range.
601.1d Only certain multiplayer formats use spell range. Spell range is always used in the
Emperor format (see XXX.XX). Spell range is never used in the Two-Headed Giant
format (see XXX.XX).
601.2. Creatures a player controls can only attack opponents who are within that player’s
spell range. If the only players within a player’s spell range are that player’s teammates,
creatures that player controls can’t attack.
601.3. Objects and players outside of a player’s spell range can’t be the targets of spells
or abilities that player controls.
601.4. Choices under Spell Range
601.4a If a player is asked to choose an object or player, he or she must choose one
within his or her spell range.
Example: A player required to choose a target for another player’s ability must choose a
target that is in both players’ spell ranges.
601.4b If a player is asked to choose between one or more options (and not between one
or more objects or players), he or she can choose between those options, even if those
options refer to objects or players that are not within his or her range.
Example: Bend or Break in a range 1 emperor game.
601.4c If an effect requires a choice, and there’s no player who can make that choice
within its controller’s range, the closest appropriate player to the left of the effect’s
controller makes that choice.
Example: Bend or Break in a range 1 emperor game.
601.5. If an effect requires information from the game, it will only get information from
within its controller’s spell range. It will not see objects or events that are outside its
controller’s spell range.
Example: Coat of Arms in a 6-player range 1 game.
601.6. Effects can’t affect objects or players outside their controller’s range. Only the
parts of the effect that attempt to affect an out-of-range object or player will fail. The rest
of the effect will work normally
Example: Earthquake in a 6-player range 1 game.
601.7. Local Enchantments and Artifacts under Spell Range
601.7a Local enchantments can’t be attached to objects that are outside their controller’s
range. If a local enchantment is attached to such a permanent, it becomes unattached and
is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based effect.
601.7b Local artifacts can’t be attached to objects that are outside their controller’s range.
If a local artifact is attached to such a permanent, it becomes unattached.
601.8. Replacement and Prevention Effects Under Spell Range
601.8a Replacement effects change another effect in some way. The replacement will
change the effect, even if what it’s changing it to can’t actually happen. If the changed
effect tries to affect an object, player, or effect outside of its range, it can’t.
Example: Player A plays an Lava Axe, dealing 5 damage to player B. Player B plays
Captain’s Maneuver, redirecting 3 of that damage to player C, who is not within range of
Player A. When the Lava Axe resolves, it successfully deals 2 damage to player B, but
fails to deal 3 damage to player C.
601.1b Prevention effects merely stop another effect from happening. To prevent damage
“dealt” or “dealt by” a source, the source must be within range of you. To prevent
damage “dealt to” an object or player, the object or player must be within range of you.
Example: Player A plays an Lava Axe, dealing 5 damage to player B. Player C, who is
not within range of Player A, plays Honorable Passage to prevent the damage to player
B. The damage is prevented, but the side effect of dealing damage to the damage source’s
controller fails, because that player is not within range of player C.
602 Attacking more than one player
602.1. Some multiplayer options allow a player to attack multiple different defending
players.
602.2. As the combat phase starts, the active player doesn’t choose an opponent to
become the defending player. Instead, each of his or her opponents is a defending player
during the combat phase.
602.2a Any time a rule, object, or effect refers to a “defending player,” it is referring to
one specific defending player, not to all of the defending players. This will usually be the
defending player that the creature with the ability is attacking.
602.3. As the attacking player declares each attacking creature, he or she chooses a
defending player for it to attack.
602.3a Blocking restrictions and requirements on an attacking player’s creatures apply to
all those creatures, no matter which defending player each creature is attacking.
602.4. During the declare blockers step, if there are creatures attacking more than one
defending player, each defending player declares blockers in turn order. All of the first
defending player’s blocking is completed before the second defending player starts to
declare his or her blocking.
602.4a Creatures a player controls can only block creatures that are attacking him or her.
They can’t block creatures that are attacking other players.
602.4b Blocking restrictions and requirements on a defending player’s creatures only
apply based on the creatures attacking that defending player, and the blocking creatures
the defending player controls.
602.5. Combat damage is assigned in turn order, starting with the active player. All
assignments of combat damage go onto the stack as a single object, as normal.
602.6. Combat damage resolves normally, with all damage being dealt at once.
603 Moving creatures
603.1 Some multiplayer games use the optional “moving creatures” rules, which allow
players to move creatures that they have controlled since the beginning of their turn to
their teammates.
603.2 The rules text of the ability is: “Tap an untapped creature that you've controlled
since the beginning of this turn: Target teammate gains control of that creature. Play this
ability only when you could play a sorcery.”
604 Attack left or right
604.1. Some multiplayer games use the optional “attack left” or “attack right” rules.
These options can be used in the free-for-all, melee, and grand melee formats.
604.1a If the attack left option is used, a player can only attack an opponent who is sat
directly on his or her left. If the nearest opponent to the left is more than one seat away,
that player can’t attack.
604.1b If the attack right option is used, a player can only attack an opponent who is sat
directly on his or her right. If the nearest opponent to the right is more than one seat
away, that player can’t attack.
Multiplayer Formats
605 Free-for-All Format
605.1 The free-for-all format is the normal multiplayer format. It is a solo format that
involves three to six players.
605.2. The players are randomly seated around the table.
605.3. As usual, a random player starts the game.
605.4. The free-for-all format does not use spell range.
605.5. The free-for-all format uses the normal rules for winning and losing the game.
606 Melee Format
606.1 The melee format is a solo format that involves six to ten players. Games with
more than ten players use the grand melee format.
606.2. The players are randomly seated around the table.
606.3. As usual, a random player starts the game.
606.4. The melee format uses spell range, with a spell range of 2.
606.5. The melee format uses the normal rules for winning and losing the game.
606.6. The melee format uses the attack left rules.
607 Grand Melee Format
607.1 The grand melee format is a solo format that involves eleven or more players.
Games with ten or fewer players use the free-for-all format.
607.2. The players are randomly seated around the table.
607.3. As usual, a random player starts the game.
607.4. The grand melee format uses spell range, with a spell range of 1.
607.5. The grand melee format uses the normal rules for winning and losing the game.
607.6. The grand melee format uses the attack left rules.
607.7. The grand melee format uses multiple moving turn markers. Each turn marker
represents a turn.
607.7a There is one turn marker for each full four players in the game. The player who
starts the game takes the first turn marker. The player four seats to his or her left takes the
next turn marker, and so on until all the turn markers have been handed out. Then, all
players with turn markers start their turns at the same time.
607.7b A player can’t take a turn marker if one of the players in the three seats to his or
her left has a turn marker. If this is the case, that turn marker waits until the player four
seats to his or her left takes the turn marker.
607.7c If a player leaves the game, and that player leaving the game would reduce the
number of turn markers in the game, remove the turn marker immediately to the departed
player’s right. If more than one player leaves the game at once, and there are multiple
turn markers that could be removed, remove the lowest numbered marker first.
607.7d If a player would take an additional turn after the current turn, and it is not
currently that player’s turn, that player instead takes the additional turn before his or her
next turn.
608 Teams Format
608.1. The teams format involves two or more equally-sized teams of players.
608.2. The players sit alternately round the table.
608.2a The seating around the table for a game involving two teams, A and B, is: A1, B1,
A2, B2, A3, B3, etc.
608.2b The seating around the table for a game involving three teams, A, B, and C, is:
A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, A3, B3, C3, etc.
608.3. As usual, a random player starts the game.
608.4. The teams format uses spell range, with a spell range of 2.
608.5. The teams format uses the teams method of winning or losing the game (see
section 601, team play)
608.6. A player can only attack an opponent if that opponent is sat directly next to that
player.
609 Two-Headed Giant Format
609.1. The two-headed giant format involves two equally-sized teams, of two or more
players each. “Two-headed giant” is the normal name for this format. If there are three
players, it’s called “three-headed giant,” and so on.
609.2. Each team sits in a row on one side of the table.
609.2a The seating around the table for two-headed giant involving two teams, A and B,
is: A1, A2, B1, B2.
609.2b The seating around the table for three-headed giant involving two teams, A and B,
is: A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3.
609.3. The second player on a random team (either player A2, or player B2) starts the
game. This is true for both two-headed giant and three-headed giant.
609.4. The two-headed giant format doesn’t use spell range.
609.5. The teams format uses the teams method of winning or losing the game (see
section 601, team play). In addition, two-headed giant uses a shared life total.
609.5a The team’s starting life total is equal to 20 times the number of players on the
team. (40 for two-headed giant, 60 for three-headed giant)
609.5b The players on a two-headed giant team lose when their life total reaches 0.
Effects that would prevent a player losing will prevent the entire team from losing.
Example: Transcendence
609.5c Damage and loss of life happens to each player individually. The result is applied
to the shared life total.
609.5d If an effect would set more than one of a team’s players life total to a number, the
result is the sum of all the numbers.
Example: Biorhythm
609.5e If an effect would set a single player’s life total to a number, that player’s team’s
life total becomes that number.
609.6. A player may only attack the opponent seated directly across from him or her. If
that player is no longer in the game, attack the closest player to them (the remaining
player in 2HG, one or both remaining players in 3HG).
610 Emperor Format
610.1. The emperor format involves two equally-sized teams, of three or five players
each. Each team includes one emperor, who sits in the middle of the team. The remaining
players on the team are flankers, whose job is to protect the emperor.
610.2. Each team sits in a row on one side of the table.
610.2a The seating around the table for three-player emperor involving two teams, A and
B, is: A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 B3. Players A2 and B2 are the emperors.
610.2b The seating around the table for five-player emperor involving two teams, A and
B, is: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5. Players A3 and B3 are the emperors.
610.3. The emperor of a randomly chosen team starts the game.
610.4. The emperor format uses spell range, with a range of 2.
610.5. The emperor format uses special rules for winning and losing the game.
610.5a A team loses the game if its Emperor loses.
610.5b A team wins the game if all of the other teams have lost the game.
610.5c The game is a draw if all the remaining teams lose at once.
610.6. The emperor format always uses the moving creatures rules.
611 Pentagon Format
611.1. The pentagon format involves exactly five players. Each player has two
opponents, who are sat directly across from him or her. The other two players in the game
are considered to be that player’s teammates, although there are no actual teams.
611.2. Players are sat randomly around the table.
611.3. As usual, a random player starts the game.
611.4. The pentagon format doesn’t use spell range.
611.5. A player wins when both of his or her two opponents lose. In this format, it is
possible for two players to win at once. In this case, the game isn’t a draw – both of them
win the game.