2 Headed Giant question!
Asked by kupcak3 12 years ago
As the rule states:810.5. With the exception of life total and poison counters, a teams resources (cards in hand, mana, and so on) are not shared in the Two-Headed Giant variant. Teammates may review each others hands and discuss strategies at any time. Teammates cant manipulate each others cards or permanents.
The last line states teammates can't manipulate each other's cards or permanents. So would this mean I can't play an instant giving target creature +2/+2 on my teammates creature to survive an instant damage spell? Or in the case of enchantments, etc how do things correspond with 2HG?
Ok, what about cards that effect upkeep? Such as Growing Ranks or that benefit 'Creatures you control'? In that case also can I place enchantments on my teammates creatures?
Or would Wayfaring Temple count both my creatures and my teammates creatures? After seeing a few questions about 2HG, I feel like my friends and I have been playing all wrong.
December 6, 2012 4:30 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #3
"You" in the text of a card or effect refers specifically to the controller of that card or effect. If you control Growing Ranks , you may only populate a creature token you control. Tokens your teammate controls are not under your control.
Similarly, Wayfaring Temple only counts the creatures you control, not the creatures controlled by each member of your team. You are still individual players.
December 6, 2012 4:32 p.m.
To the question about enchantments, you can enchant any player's creatures, as long as it does not interfere with the aura's requirements such as "enchant creature you control" Breath of Fury .
December 6, 2012 4:46 p.m.
I thing I got it. What about Sphere of Safety ? would that propect my teammates planeswalker also? Since the combat phase is together?
December 6, 2012 4:46 p.m.
No, and it actually won't stop them from being able to attack your life, as they could declare the damage to be dealt to your partner.
December 6, 2012 4:48 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #8
@kupcak3: Sphere of Safety 's effect only considers you and planeswalkers you control. It will not impose a cost on any creatures that attack your teammate's planeswalkers. However, creatures in 2HG attack as a team and against a team, so any creatures that are to attack your team must have their costs paid.
@drakanar: I'm not quite sure what you mean. The creatures must still attack the team, and there is a cost imposed to do so. It doesn't matter which player is assigned the resulting damage.
December 6, 2012 5:09 p.m.
I stand corrected, I was thinking about how the damage was declared, not the attack. My mistake.
December 6, 2012 5:13 p.m.
This raises a question for me.
I've only played 2HG twice, so not too good on the rules, but do players share a mana pool? Me and a friend assumed we did, and also thought that between the two of us, only one could put down a land. We both played GW decks, so it worked for us, but still...
December 7, 2012 7:44 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #12
@Denial048: No. Teammates in 2HG do not share anything except life totals, poison counters, and turns. Each player is an individual and has his or her own mana pool. Each plays his or her own lands.
December 7, 2012 7:47 p.m.
Thanks, so we have been playing wrong this whole time, as we shared the turns too.
December 7, 2012 7:50 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #14
You do share turns. A team takes each step and phase of its turn together, but each player is still an individual throughout this process. Each player may therefore play his or her own lands, draw his or her own cards, etc.
December 7, 2012 7:53 p.m.
Ah, so we did that bit right then. So if I have this right, we share turns, life totals and poison counters, but we have seperate battlefields.
So if an opponent attacks targetting my partner, can I block with my creatures? I am going to assume I can't.
December 7, 2012 8:07 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #16
There is only one battlefield in the game. All players on all teams share one battlefield.
Creatures attack as a team, and the attacking creatures attack the defending team. If an attacking creature would deal damage to the defending team, the controller of the attacking creature determines which of the defending players to assign combat damage to, but the creature is still attacking the defending team. Also, attacking is a nontarget process.
Similarly, creatures block as a team. If a creature under the control of team A attacks team B, any player(s) on team B may block that creature.
You may want to look in the Comprehensive Rulebook (just google MTG rules) for the full rules of 2HG. It seems you are confused about a lot of important aspects of that gametype.
December 7, 2012 9:41 p.m.
I have read the Comprehensive rules before about 3 months ago, but skimmed over the 2HG section. I may just read that section before I play again.
Thanks for all the help
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
The last line refers only to physical manipulation. You are not permitted to tap, untap, or reposition your teammate's cards or permanents. You may still interact with them via spells, abilities, and effects.
December 6, 2012 4:26 p.m.