Zero Sum

Rules

In this variant each player starts with 20 life, split evenly 10/10 between the player’s “right” and “left” sides. Any damage done by a player to the immediate left or right pushes the life points to the opposite side. For example, a Lightning Bolt from the player on your immediate left would make your life 7/13. Only when a player’s life points are less than -10 on either side does that player lose the game. The player who dealt the crushing damage, however, receives a bonus of 10 life to be distributed between his or her left and right sides.

Damage not done from a player’s immediate left or right simply strikes the player head-on, splitting the damage between the left and right sides and pushing equal numbers of life points to the opposite side, thereby having no net effect. Thus, Earthquake only damages the players to the immediate left and right of the casting player and annoys everyone else, who loses creatures.

Life-bonus cards like Healing Salve don’t add points to a player’s life total, but instead become part of a “life-point shield” that absorbs X damage, where X is the amount of life granted by the healing spell. The shield absorbs damage coming from any direction, including head-on. Also, cards like Creature Bond can be played on any player’s creature, but the creature’s controller only suffers damage if a player to his left or right enchanted the creature.

Deck Construction

Use standard deck construction rules when playing 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 Zero Sum 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 the Duelist #10. It was written by Aharon Bianco.