Not sure but this seems like the right place to start a discussion on custom formats
This is supposed to be more of a flavorful format than a competitve one but it's basically derived from the brawl format that completely flopped.
I call it "Rivalry" but the name isn't set in stone and i'm open to all suggestions.
The restrictions on color, copies (1 of each), and deck size(59 + 1 commander) are carried over but instead of the standard only restriction I'm replacing it with a Set/Block restriction. You can choose any cards ever printed but they all have to be from the same set. This includes commander sets too and in the case of partner commanders you have 58 cards in the deck. If you choose a commander that was printed in multiple sets you have to pick one of them, not both. For example Kaalia of the Vast was printed in the original commander set and commander anthology volume 1. You would be allowed to use cards from any of the commander decks from CMD or CMA but you have to pick one of the sets to use cards from. Following the same example, if my Kaalia deck has Alliance of Arms from the original commander set, I wouldn't be allowed to use Altar's Reap from the anthology but I could use Akroma's Vengeance because it was printed in both.
In terms of flavor it's pitting 2 sets against eachother in an interplanar battle. I'm also considering broadening the restriction to a plane instead of a set but this heavily favors planes we've returned to like Ravnica and Innistrad
As for the format itself, it gives new players who only have cards from 1 or 2 sets a gateway to commander, it gives older players a new format with interesting restrictions where they have a reason to use some older cards they have that don't really fit in modern or commander, and it doesn't have the issue of cards rotating out with standard so your deck will always be legal and you won't have to worry about players abusing interactions with cards across sets because that's not allowed.
Some other points about the format are that you can play your favorite set and prove to your friends how awesome it is, but seeing your opponents' commanders tells you a lot more about their deck because of the smaller card pool they're allowed to choose from. You also don't have to deal with broken/ game-winning combos as much because they tend to use require cards across multiple sets. And it's fairly simple to get a Rival deck because you can just buy a commander deck and remove 40 cards and you're done...
So what do you think about my format? Any ideas or suggestions for rules or a name?
Not sure that single set really functions (not enough cards), but lack of blocks now makes it harder to do. I've wanted to do a "two blocks + one core set" format for some time now, but blocks are not really a thing any more. I'm pretty sure that either proposal gets degenerate fast, but I'd have fun until then.
I definitely think I'd enjoy this format if I got the chance to play it, as I love seeing set/block-specific strategies and flavor showcased. (I'm someone who really misses Block Constructed as a regularly sanctioned format.)
I see no reason why it wouldn't work as a fun side format, even playing from single sets, other than the likelihood of great power disparity among sets and a possible lack of suitable legends in older releases. (I wonder if you could get much of the same feel in a format that just uses 60-card singleton decks from a single set without any commanders needed...I should note that I'm probably less enamored with the mechanics of EDH than a lot of players are...)
I like this format idea! Have you played it? How does it feel to you?
I play kitchen table MtG with family and friends so this could be a really fun way for us to make use of older card sets and use lots of cards that we don’t normally use.
This is supposed to be more of a flavorful format than a competitve one but it's basically derived from the brawl format that completely flopped.
I call it "Rivalry" but the name isn't set in stone and i'm open to all suggestions.
The restrictions on color, copies (1 of each), and deck size(59 + 1 commander) are carried over but instead of the standard only restriction I'm replacing it with a Set/Block restriction. You can choose any cards ever printed but they all have to be from the same set. This includes commander sets too and in the case of partner commanders you have 58 cards in the deck. If you choose a commander that was printed in multiple sets you have to pick one of them, not both. For example Kaalia of the Vast was printed in the original commander set and commander anthology volume 1. You would be allowed to use cards from any of the commander decks from CMD or CMA but you have to pick one of the sets to use cards from. Following the same example, if my Kaalia deck has Alliance of Arms from the original commander set, I wouldn't be allowed to use Altar's Reap from the anthology but I could use Akroma's Vengeance because it was printed in both.
In terms of flavor it's pitting 2 sets against eachother in an interplanar battle. I'm also considering broadening the restriction to a plane instead of a set but this heavily favors planes we've returned to like Ravnica and Innistrad
As for the format itself, it gives new players who only have cards from 1 or 2 sets a gateway to commander, it gives older players a new format with interesting restrictions where they have a reason to use some older cards they have that don't really fit in modern or commander, and it doesn't have the issue of cards rotating out with standard so your deck will always be legal and you won't have to worry about players abusing interactions with cards across sets because that's not allowed.
Some other points about the format are that you can play your favorite set and prove to your friends how awesome it is, but seeing your opponents' commanders tells you a lot more about their deck because of the smaller card pool they're allowed to choose from. You also don't have to deal with broken/ game-winning combos as much because they tend to use require cards across multiple sets. And it's fairly simple to get a Rival deck because you can just buy a commander deck and remove 40 cards and you're done...
So what do you think about my format? Any ideas or suggestions for rules or a name?
I see no reason why it wouldn't work as a fun side format, even playing from single sets, other than the likelihood of great power disparity among sets and a possible lack of suitable legends in older releases. (I wonder if you could get much of the same feel in a format that just uses 60-card singleton decks from a single set without any commanders needed...I should note that I'm probably less enamored with the mechanics of EDH than a lot of players are...)
I play kitchen table MtG with family and friends so this could be a really fun way for us to make use of older card sets and use lots of cards that we don’t normally use.
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