Multiplayer Formats

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	Multiplayer Formats

Multiplayer formats have special rules that allow more than two players to participate in the same Magic game. In Magic Online, all multiplayer games are played in the Multiplayer Games room. Unlike other rooms, the Multiplayer Games room allows both Constructed and Limited format games.

Multiplayer games don't affect your Magic Online ratings.

Starting a Multiplayer Game
To start a multiplayer game, go to the Multiplayer Games room in the Casual Play area. Click the New Game table in the upper left corner of the screen (in graphic view), or click New Game in the lower right corner. The New Game Options window will appear so you can make your selections for the game. Once you've set up the new game, you'll go to the Waiting for Players window until you have enough players to begin the game.

Joining a Multiplayer Game
To join a multiplayer game, go to the Multiplayer Games room in the Casual Play area. In graphics view, you'll see tables with empty chairs at them. If you point your mouse at a table, a message window will appear with information about that game. To join the game, click on any empty chair at that table.

In spreadsheet view, you'll see games with the status "Waiting for players." Select a game you want to join and click Join Game.

Multiplayer Formats
There are four multiplayer formats you can play in Magic Online:

Multiplayer
A free-for-all where the last player left in the game wins.

Teams (2 vs. 2) or (3 vs. 3)
Each team tries to eliminate all players on the other team.

Two- or Three-Headed Giant
A team wins by reducing the other team's shared life total to 0.

Emperor
Two teams of three players try to eliminate the opposing team's Emperor.

Multiplayer
Number of players: 3 to 6
Teams: No
Life totals: Each player begins with 20 life.
Win condition: Be the last player in the game.

In the basic multiplayer format (sometimes called "Battle Circle"), players try to eliminate other players while staying in the game. During the game, you can only use creatures to attack the player to your immediate left. However, your spells and abilities can target any player in the game. Spells and abilities that affect "all" of something also affect all players in the game.

Teams (2 vs. 2) or (3 vs. 3)
Number of players: 4 or 6
Teams: Two 2- or 3-player teams.
Life totals: Each player begins with 20 life.
Win condition: Defeat all players on the opposing team.

In team multiplayer games, each player is across from a player on the opposing team. Each player can attack the player across from him or her. When the player across from you is defeated, you can attack the next closest opposing team member (going clockwise around the table). Like basic multiplayer, your spells and abilities can affect any player in the game.

One team wins when all members of the opposing team have been defeated.

Two- and Three-Headed Giant
Number of players: 4 or 6
Teams: Two 2- or 3-player teams.
Life totals: Each team shares a life total. (40 for Two-Headed and 60 for Three-Headed.)
Win condition: Reduce the opposing team's life total to 0.

In Two- and Three-Headed Giant games, each player is across from a player on the opposing team. Each player can attack the player across from him or her. Like basic multiplayer, your spells and abilities can affect any player in the game.

One team wins when the opposing team's life total reaches 0.

Emperor (6 players)
Number of players: 6
Teams: Two 3-player teams.
Life totals: Each player begins with 20 life.
Win condition: Defeat the opposing team's Emperor.

Each team in an Emperor game consists of one Emperor in the middle and two Flankers, one on each side. Flankers can attack the opposing team's Flanker sitting across from him or her. Emperors can't attack anyone unless they lose one of their Flankers.

In Emperor, there's a one-player spell radius. This means a player's spells and abilities can only target players and permanents one seat to the right or left. Also, any spells or abilities that affect "all" of something only affect players within the one-player spell radius. So, at the beginning of an Emperor game, Emperors can only target their Flankers and their Flankers' permanents. Flankers can only target the Flanker across from them and their own team's Emperor (and those players' permanents).

Once a Flanker eliminates the opposing Flanker, he or she can attack and target the opposing team's Emperor. That Emperor can also attack and target the opposing Flanker.

One team wins when the opposing team's Emperor is defeated.