Play Formats
Six official duel, draft and team variants.
These are official alternate formats in the publisher’s Other Ways to Play article. Each retains the core card resolution and three-round match unless the section says otherwise.
Duel rules shared by the two duel formats and both drafts: each player has a separate deck and discard pile. Count both discard piles together when a card effect refers to the discard pile, but put a card on the bottom of its owner’s deck. Track ownership whenever a card changes hands or play area, and return all cards to their owner after the match. If a player cannot draw, that draw is skipped. These formats are designed for two; extra players need a way to track every card owner without exposing hidden hands.
Draft rules shared by the two draft formats: each player drafts a personal deck, then plays a two-player duel. A minimum deck size and any sideboarding allowance are specified by the format.
Structure Duel
Short tag: [Structure]
Setup
Two players bring separate decks of at least 45 cards. The suggested starting mix is the same rarity mix as the boxed deck: 23 common, 14 uncommon, six rare and two mythic rare cards. Each player also has a separate discard pile. Agree which cards belong to whom, using opaque sleeves or a marker if ownership can change.
Play
Use the shared duel rules above and standard turn and scoring rules.
Power Duel
Short tag: [Power]
Setup
Use the two-deck Duel rules. Each deck must contain at least 12 cards and may contain only one copy of each card. The publisher’s format sheet sets no player count beyond two and no fixed rarity recipe.
Play
Play as a Duel game. The compact deck means that a player can draw at most seven cards during a match; deck exhaustion is possible, so use the duel draw rule and skip an unavailable draw. The sideboard rule is not specified for this format; do not assume one.
Quick Draft
Short tag: [Quick]
Setup
Two players draft from 48 randomized cards. To draft with a standard 45-card deck, shuffle three random cards from the first three draft discards back into the pool before the fourth pick. Deal six cards to each player. Each player keeps two, passes four, keeps two from the four received, and discards the remaining two face down. Repeat this four times, for 16 drafted cards per player.
Play
After drafting, each player may remove up to four cards and must keep at least 12. Play a best-of-three match. Between games, players may sideboard from the cards they drafted, while retaining at least 12 cards in each deck.
Winston Draft
Short tag: [Winston]
Setup
Two players draft a randomized 45-card deck. Make three face-down piles with one card each. Choose a first drafter.
Draft and play
On your draft turn, look privately at pile one. You may take the entire pile. If you decline, add one card from the deck to that pile and inspect pile two; repeat for pile three. If you decline all three, take the deck’s top card. Then the other player drafts. Keep adding cards to declined piles while the deck lasts; once empty, continue until all piles and cards have been taken. Each player may remove cards afterward but must retain at least 12. Play a best-of-three match with sideboarding between games.
Team play shared rules: the two team formats use separate hands and tableau areas, team totals at scoring, and no Hurt Feelings helper. The losing team draws one card per round. The setups below differ in information sharing, seating and how that team chooses the recipient.
Open Team
Short tag: [Open]
Setup
Four players make two teams and sit beside their partners. Each draws five cards. Teammates may inspect each other’s hand and discuss, then exchange up to two cards. Randomize the opening player. Hurt Feelings is not used.
Play
Keep separate hands and mood areas, but add partner scores together. Turns proceed clockwise. At each new round, the team that won the previous round chooses which teammate starts. The team with the higher combined total wins; a tie goes to the team that played first. The losing team draws one card and may look before choosing which teammate receives it. First team to three round wins takes the match.
Closed Team
Short tag: [Closed]
Setup
Four players make two teams and sit across from their partners, alternating teams around the table. Each draws five cards, then both teammates pass two cards face down simultaneously before looking at what they receive. Hurt Feelings is not used. Randomize the opening player.
Play
Keep separate hands and mood areas; do not view a teammate’s hand or share other hand information. Turns proceed clockwise, alternating between teams. The team that won the previous round picks which partner starts the next round. Add partner scores together; a tie goes to the team that played first. The losing team draws one card and chooses its recipient before looking at it. First team to three round wins wins.