Magic Combat with Dice

Rules

For this variant you will be playing a normal game of magic with the following exceptions:

How To Attack

The attacker indicates who he is attacking and with what creatures. He can direct different creatures to more than one player, just like in the normal rules. The defender indicates if he is blocking and if so which of his creatures are blocking the attacker's creatures. If the defender chooses not to block or is unable to block, the attacker makes an undefended attack. If the defender does block, the attacker makes a resisted attack.

Undefended Attack

The attacker rolls 1d20 and adds the attacking creature's power (+/- any adjustments from enchantments and so on) to the roll. The result is compared to the Attack Table to determine success or failure.

Resisted Attack

The attacker rolls 1d20, adds the attacking creature's power (+/- any adjustments) and subtracts the defending creature's power (+/- any adjustments) to the roll. The result is compared to the Attack Table to determine success or failure.

Special Note

When the attack roll is made, the power of your creature includes any enchantments, instants, or anything else that increases or decreases power. Once the attack roll is made, however, the attacking creature's power can be still be modified. This is important to keep in mind so that you don't waste spells. If the attack roll was unsuccessful, you can also increasing the power of your creature with spells or whatever so that it attacks successfully. Of course, your opponent can do the same thing; he can decrease your attacking creature's power after the roll to insure an unsuccessful attack normal timing rules apply.

Critical Miss

This is bad. A Natural 1 means that the number on the d20 is a 1, not some other number and it was just modified to a 1 (a roll of 3 modified by -2 is not a Natural 1). If your creature gets a Critical Miss on its attack roll, it automatically takes half its own power (rounded down) in damage (the defending creature still makes a defensive counter strike; see below).

Miss

You missed. <1 - 5 means any modified number less than 5 (remember that negatives are possible).

Partial Hit

Target takes half damage rounded down. Creatures with a power of 1 do 1 point of damage.

Hit

Target takes full damage.

Critical Hit

Ouch. Target takes double damage. The attacking creature's power before the attack roll is used to determine the damage. Any modifications applied to the attacking creature's power after the attack roll is not "doubled" (applies to increasing and decreasing power).

If the blocking creature is still alive after the attacker's roll, that creature can make a defensive counter strike. A defensive counter strike is basically the defender attacking the attacker. This attack counts as a resisted attack and is handled the same way; but the blocking creature is now the attacker and the attacker is now the defender. It is important to realize that the damage dealing phase occurs right after the attack roll. So if there is more than one attacker, there will be multiple damage dealing phases, each governing that single attack only.

If more than one creature is assigned to block an attacking creature or banded attacking group, the attacking player makes one attack roll against all of the defending creatures. The average power (rounded down) of the defending creatures is used to modify the attacker's attack roll (the defenders retain full power when they make defensive counter strikes). Unless the defenders are banded, the attacking player gets to split his creature's damage to the defending creatures anyway he wants. Any remaining defenders can make separate defensive counter strikes against the attacking creature or group (see banding).

After a battle has occurred, any creatures that have taken damage do not heal automatically at the end of the turn. Once a creature has taken damage, its toughness remains compromised. At the end of the turn (when creatures would normally heal in the normal rules) a creature's controlling player can sacrifice life equal to the amount of toughness needed to heal the creature back to its original or modified (enchantments, etc.) toughness. Any opponent can during this time sacrifice the same amount of life to prevent the healing. An injured creature cannot be healed past its legal toughness. Since creatures reduced to 0 toughness go the graveyard before the end of the turn, they cannot be healed in this manner.  

Special Considerations

Walls - Any attacks on walls are resisted attacks. Walls, however, don't need to counter attack; they deal damage automatically.

Regeneration – Any time a creature with regeneration would take lethal damage that you can regenerate from, you may pay its regeneration cost and it becomes healed to 1 toughness. Each turn after that it heals it self at the rate of 1 toughness a turn until it reaches its max.

Landwalking - Attacking creatures with landwalking ability make an undefended attack.

Banding - Banded attacking creatures attack as one creature (one attack roll) and if any one of them can be blocked, the entire band can be blocked. An attacking band's power is equal to the sum of each creature's power that makes up the band. Any damage the band takes from defenders is allocated as the attacking player sees fit. (Every creature but one in an attacking band must have banding)

Banded defending creatures block as one creature and can only block one creature or attacking band. A defending band's power is equal to the sum of each creature's power that make up the band. Any damage the band takes from attackers is allocated as the defending player sees fit. (Only one creature in a defending band need have banding)

First Strike - First strike is now a purely defensive ability and has no affect on attacking creatures (just blocking ones). Creatures with first strike make a defensive counter strike before an attacking creature makes its initial attack.

Deck Construction

Use standard deck construction rules.

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 playing Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, or Extended Magic Combat with Dice 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 hand. 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 was created By Shane Morales.