Contract Magic

Rules

This variant borrows from a number of trick-taking card games the concept of bidding. After players draws their initial hands, they each make a bid as to how many turns it will take to defeat their opponents. Bidding can be done publicly with each player stating his or her bid or secretly with each player writing his or her bid down and keeping it hidden. Either way, assign a penalty for not achieving the bidding goal; for example, during the upkeep of every turn past a player's bid, that player loses one life. On the flip side, award points for coming close: three points for winning on the exact turn bid, two points for winning within one turn, and one point for winning within two turns. Keeping track of points earned over an evening's play can keep the same two players interested in the same game.

Deck Construction

Use standard deck construction for this variant.

Sideboard

You can have a 15-card sideboard in constructed and in limited the cards you don’t use are your sideboard.

Banned & Restricted List

When playing this variant it is usually decided what Type you will be playing. So, if you are playing Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, or Extended Contract Magic then, follow that format’s Banned and Restricted List.

Mulligan Rules

Standard “Paris” Mulligan is used for this variant.

Before each game begins, a player may, for any reason, reshuffle and redraw his hand, drawing one less card. This may be repeated as often as the player wishes, until he has no cards left in his and. After the participant, who plays first, mulligans as often as he likes, the decision of whether to mulligan passes to the other player. Once a player passes the opportunity to mulligan, that player may not change his mind.

History

This variant is from Duelist #30.