Throne Magic Revised

[Delibirb]

Apparently there was a thing called Throne Magic that had some popularity many moons ago, but died out around 2013. It's a secret roles format to MtG, like Assassin, but slightly more intricate and has some additional rules and mechanics. Since it's been a little while since it has been updated, and it was originally modeled after Game of Thrones, I took a crack at revising it a bit. Still preliminary at the moment, but for the most part it's a (relatively) simplified version of the format that uses some MtG lore elements instead of GoT.

 

Throne Magic can be played in any other multiplayer format. Commander would probably be the most logical, but if you can play multiplayer standard, more power to you. In Throne Magic, each player is assigned a role at random. (Probably best to randomly narrow the pool down to the number of players, so everyone knows how many good/evil characters will be present for later.) Here are the roles I've made/revised thus far.

 

[spoiler=Base Roles]
 

 

 

 

(These role cards are not part of the game; they are not even in the command zone. They serve only to inform and remind players of their win conditions secretly.)

 

Roles do two things: they tell you which roles you have to beat to in order to win, and they tell you which roles will be trying to beat you.

 

Most roles will stay secret until their player loses. In the case of the High King, he starts the game revealed, and the throne starts under his control. What's a throne?

 

[spoiler=Thrones]
 

 

 

 

There is one throne in a game of Throne Magic. If the High King is in the pool, he selects which throne will be used. Otherwise, it can be selected randomly or agreed upon by the group.

 

The cards say so as well, but for clarity, only Claimants (That is, roles with the type Claimant) can control a throne. Thrones can be attacked, in the same manner as a planeswalker. They are permanents, but are unaffected by all spells and abilities. If they have a controller, that player can block for the throne. If it is uncontrolled, no one can block for it. When a throne is dealt damage by a claimant's creature, they may choose to take control of it. If they choose not to, or a non-claimant's creature (honor rule, here) deals combat damage to it, it becomes uncontrolled.

 

A player wins when either they have met the win condition of their role, or they are the last player in a game where no role win conditions were met. (This means that if the Usurper was in the initial pool but the High King was not, he can still win without having to kill the King.)

 

That's all you need to know to enjoy Throne Magic. There is one optional additional mechanic that I've brought over - holdings - though in honesty it may require some balancing. In the original format, they were... weak, and distracting. But I'm unsure if I've buffed them too much or not.

 

Holdings, like Thrones, are an additional permanent. All of them (or however many the group wants) start in play as uncontrolled. They have the same rules as Thrones, except that you do not need to be a claimant to control them. Currently, the following holdings have been incorporated.

 

[spoiler=Holdings]

 

 

These 9 are all potentially very powerful (With the debatable exception of Maze's End), but I feel they have the potential to be balanced out by the fact that they can be stolen by fairly conventional means.

 

If you plan on playing with holdings, I've also created two other Roles that compliment them.

 

[spoiler=Holding Roles]

 

 

The Planeswalker seeks to ensure that the plane is protected by keeping its holdings and throne out of the hands of villainy. The Elder Dragon wants to rule all of the plane by capturing each of its holdings. Either can reveal their roles at any time, adding a unique dynamic to their subgame, should they both be in the pool.

[Sixty]

in my experience these types of game muddle magic too much to consider it its own game anymore, but these look fairly unassuming and might be fun to give a try.

[Forest Fire]

just a quick note, not really about this, but the {3} should be {C}{C}{C}.

this looks interesting, feels a little like it might muddle the game of a magic a little, but it's worth trying out.

[Delibirb]

just a quick note, not really about this, but the {3} should be {C}{C}{C}.

this looks interesting, feels a little like it might muddle the game of a magic a little, but it's worth trying out.

Good catch on Mishras Factory, forgot about that lol.

 

It's definitely heavy on the supplemental rules but I feel like it's not really any more overwhelming than Assassin, just done differently. But it isn't meant for everyone, anyway.

 

EDITS:

• Cosmetic changes to most cards.
• 4 new roles: The Pirate, the Ornithopter, the Sliver Legion, and the Sphinx.
• 4 new holdings: Darksteel Forge, Helvault, Skyship Weatherlight, and Ugin's Nexus.
• Changed the Planeswalker role's wincondition, as it was previously worded in such a way that it would win when the game began.

[Trebuchet MS]

Alas, while I have attempted to introduce something functionally similar to my Perth playgroup, they are more interested in smaller free-for-all games that resolve in a more timely manner.

 

There's also a little problem of deck playstyles being compatible enough with the roles they are given. The convenient way to resolve this is for players to be able to see their roles before choosing the accompanying deck, though this also means that savvy players can deduce who's who given the playstyle of the decks chosen.

[Delibirb]

Alas, while I have attempted to introduce something functionally similar to my Perth playgroup, they are more interested in smaller free-for-all games that resolve in a more timely manner.

 

There's also a little problem of deck playstyles being compatible enough with the roles they are given. The convenient way to resolve this is for players to be able to see their roles before choosing the accompanying deck, though this also means that savvy players can deduce who's who given the playstyle of the decks chosen.

I don't think people necessarily have to pick their decks after roles are decided. Just as long as everyone knows that stax, pillowfort, and some/most combo decks aren't going to do very well in this kind of game.

 

And to some extent, Throne Magic games are more likely to be shorter, as most roles only end up needing to eliminate 1-2 people to win. It's the amount of supplementary rules, I'd imagine, that would turn people away if anything.