New Format- City Seige
The Kitchen Table forum
Posted on April 19, 2015, 1:31 a.m. by PuppyVanis
This is a new format that I thought of, since my magic group enjoys to get creative with new formats. This is a multiplayer game, requiring 3-6 players, with one player requiring to have a special made deck.This format has players attacking a "city" to try to seize control of it. This game requires endurance for all players, and lots of strategy for when the time is right to strike.
To begin, all players use a standard or modern legal deck, except for one player. This player would be considered the "City." This player's deck consists of 81 cards; 30 creature cards, 30 non-creature spells, 20 BASIC land, and 1 creature, dubbed the "Captain," but we will get to that card later.
All regular spells, not including the Captain, must have a converted mana cost of ONE. This does not include the 0 or X costing cards. In addition, the City must have at least 8 cards of each color, making the City's deck a "Rainbow" colored. The Captain must have a converted mana cost of SIX or above. The land pool the city has must have FOUR of each. (4 forest, 4 mountain, etc.)
To play as the City, all land must be untapped and on the battlefield, as creatures and non-creatures are separated into two libraries. The captain will be set aside in a "Captain Zone," similar to the command zone in EDH. Every turn, the City will draw from the creature pile. Upon successful combat, the City will draw from the non-creature spell pile on Main Phase 2. When land is tapped for the City, it never is untapped, no matter what circumstance. When all lands are tapped, the City puts the Captain into play. Once the captain dies, it is exiled rather than being returned to the command zone or graveyard.
When attacking, all creatures that the City controls gain indestructible until combat ends, except for the Captain. To justify, the Captain gains hexproof at all times.
Now we have the basics of the City, let's get to game play!
PHASE ONE
Each player, except the city, starts with 15 life, as the city has no life total and cannot lose life. The game starts with the city first, then turns clockwise. The game is played normally, except players cannot attack in phase one, only the City may. When the City attacks, all attacking creatures attack and deal damage to all players, or blockers if assigned. (Recall before that all regular creatures the City controls gain indestructible for combat.)
All non-creature spells or abilities the City casts that states "Target player," then it is automatically turned to "Each opponent." The City may not be targeted or affected by any spell or ability.
If a non-City player dies from zero life, they are removed from the game, as are all of the cards they own.
In phase one, if the City taps all of his or her land, then the game moves to phase two. If all non-City players die before phase two, the City wins the game.
PHASE TWO
Now that it is phase two and all the resources of the City have been expended, then players may now start to attack. At the start of this phase, the City will count the remaining cards in both libraries, and the sum is now the City's life total. To break the chain, all players will roll a 12-sided die to see who starts in this phase. The player with the highest roll goes first. (If there is a tie for first, those players will roll again.) In addition, the City will now put the Captain into play. (Recall that this is any creature a CMC of 6 or above.)
Players will now begin to attack either at the City or at other players. If players get down to 0 life, they lose. If the City goes down to 0 life, then the player that killed the City wins the game. In this phase, the City's objective is still to kill all other players. NOTE: The City is still not affected by any spell or ability.
REGULATIONS
-No turn control
-No restarting the game
-No infinite mana, card draw, life gain, or ability loops
-No other game-breaking mechanic for either the City or regular players
This is a new game format just recently thought up of. Please leave suggestions and comments below. Many thanks!
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #3
Pretty much what Epoch said. It seems like it could be fun once it's developed a bit more (I'm assuming this is a first draft?), but it also seems pretty overcomplicated. There's a specific number of cards, which cards you have to choose, different piles...
And of course there's always the issue of Spaghettis (Emrakul) just crushing everyone. But then again, why would Emrakul even defend a city? He's much more likely to eat the entire plane and float away. :)
April 19, 2015 8:01 a.m.
allthingsMTG says... #4
Seems awesome, probably should change the decks from standard/modern to commander, this format favors the long game. And those two formats are fairly quick. Make the "captain" be a legendary creature for flavor reasons, and make him 4 cost instead of 6 cost. Make it where 65% of the "captain's" deck has to be his colors. Hope you don't mind if I use this format with my buds? Using my Prossh, Skyraider of Kher edh deck to attack a city seems pretty epic when accompanied by Shattergang Brothers and Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
April 21, 2015 12:13 a.m.
allthingsMTG says... #5
And have each person start at 40 life but have the city start at 60, get rid of the phases. And cards in the city deck can only have a CMC of 5 or less.
April 21, 2015 12:17 a.m.
allthingsMTG says... #6
And Epochalyptik you can't have emerakrul as your captain, the cmc has to be six... Never mind, didn't see the above after the 6
April 21, 2015 12:21 a.m.
allthingsMTG says... #7
Sorry for rapid-fire posts,but have the city be 99 cards plus the captain. You take out the lands, and make it where the city can play one free spell a turn. And you can't play cards that just straight draw cards as the city. And at least 65% of all the cards in the city have to be the captain's color identity
April 21, 2015 12:30 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #8
So really, you're just saying to turn it into EDH but not?
Also, take the time to write one thought-out post rather than many disjointed ones.
April 21, 2015 11:42 a.m.
To me, the idea of a city siege revolves around the idea of an army or armies attacking the city's walls first and the walls being defended by specialized defenders (perhaps only creatures with Reach to signify ranged attacks from the top of the wall), then breaching the interior and fighting the city's standing force (a more traditional array of defenders), and finally assaulting the city's keep where the strongest defenders are (perhaps Legendaries or creatures with a minimum CMC).
I think this sort of phase based game could be fleshed out.
April 29, 2015 12:55 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #10
It could be, but it's extraordinarily complicated to represent using the game's structure. You're basically trying to play Settlers of Catan using Monopoly pieces and a Risk board. Unless you have some extraordinarily simple and inventive solution, the format is just going to get bogged down by the mechanical impossibility of your idea.
April 29, 2015 2:37 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #11
If I didn't know Epoch (sorta), I would say that he's getting pissed.
Also, what's this about "No infinite mana, card draw, life gain, or ability loops" and "no turn control"? Are you saying ban all the cards that could potentially go infinite? Because that would be banning a quarter of Magic.
April 29, 2015 4:03 p.m.
I don't know Epochalyptik, I could see a fairly simple casual game based around simple existing rules.
Something like the player defending his city builds 3 Tiny Leaders decks representing the wall, city, and keep.
The attacking player builds a commander deck representing the army laying siege.
The attacking player attempts to take the city by slaying the city's King (defeating all three Tiny Leaders decks in order).
The defending player attempts to save his city by slaying the attacking General (beating the commander deck with his tiny leaders decks).
Some playtesting would need to be done to determine if life totals and deck sizes would need to be adjusted, and also how to scale the city for multiple attacking armies. But I think it could be done. I'd play it.
April 29, 2015 4:14 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #13
I'll use another analogy.
You and some buddies are playing baseball for the day. Halfway through the day, you decide to take a break, and one of your buddies suggests another game to shake things up. But instead of your baseball bat, you'll need a tennis racket. Three of them, actually. And one of them isn't a tennis racket; it's a badminton racket. And one of the others also isn't a tennis racket; it's a cricket bat. I hope you brought all of those things to baseball practice. Oh, and your buddies are still playing with baseballs and regular bats. And if you get a strike, you have to switch to the next racket or bat.
April 29, 2015 5:31 p.m.
Perhaps a bit dramatic, but I understand your stance.
I concede to the point that it's more complicated than traditional formats. But to some, that might be a positive. Personally, I think it'd be fun if it was balanced right, especially the one versus many aspect of it. To each his own.
April 29, 2015 5:42 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #15
I'm not denying that you can have fun while playing it. I'm simply pointing out that it's far too complicated and overworked to be proposed as a "new format." Maybe something you and your friends casually do, but not something you really develop seriously.
April 29, 2015 6:18 p.m.
Didgeridooda says... #17
Sounds like an Archenemy idea. Have you played that before?
This does not seem like something that could be a format. It does seems like something an individual group could make up, and have fun with. It is far too restrictive, exploitable, and confusing for widespread use.
Epochalyptik says... #2
This response will be strongly worded, but I urge you to take it constructively. It's not meant to be a diatribe against you.
The rules are way too convoluted, and there doesn't seem to be any reason for making them this way. Many of them seem like bandages meant to cover up the inherent imbalance from other, equally dysfunctional rules.
First, I wouldn't create a new zone. Just use the command zone.
You also don't have a definition for "successful combat." Similarly, what constitutes an "ability loop"?
It's going to be extraordinarily difficult for the city to do anything without access to spells with CMC 2+.
It doesn't make any sense for a format named "city siege" to begin with the city relentlessly bludgeoning the other players with indestructible (WHY?) creatures.
What happens if the city just decides never to tap out and remains at one untapped land while attacking with nineteen creatures every turn? Hell, all you need is a Gudul Lurker and you win the game. The other players can't hurt you.
The captain is severely limited by the utter lack of resources available to pay for its abilities.
Why is the city invulnerable to spells and abilities?
Why force the players to roll a d12? Why not just let them randomly determine? Most Magic players don't even carry d12s...
The city chooses Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. On turn one, he or she taps all of his or her lands and burns the mana. Phase two begins. Noodle fight ensues, except one side has no noodles and the other side has noodles attached to a flying cosmic monstrosity.
Basically, what I see is a format that, apart from glaring loopholes, encourages you only to play lots of dumb weenies. Players aren't rewarded for (or even given the opportunity to try) playing larger threats or really doing much of anything except turning creatures sideways.
April 19, 2015 1:53 a.m.