New game object: Finish Line. The finish line is an object on the battlefield, it cannot be affected by anything other than combat damage dealt by vehicles.
Vehicles attack the Finish Line.
During combat, for each of the active player's Vehicles that deals combat damage to the Finish Line that player acquires a Lap emblem*. The first player to acquire ten Lap emblems wins.
During combat any player may block Vehicles attempting to attack the Finish Line.
If an attacking creature ceases to be a Vehicle before combat damage is dealt, its controller will not earn a Lap emblem.
Creatures cannot attack players, creatures can still attack Planeswalkers.
The only way a player can win is by acquiring 10 Lap counters. If a game-state or effect** would have a player lose the game, that player continues in the game instead. If a game-state or effect** would have a player win the game, nothing happens and the game continues.
My way of trying to capture the flavor of vehicles, appreciate thoughts, comments, or critiques.
*I started out using Lap counters however, with cards like Solemnity out there I feel that could just bust the format.
With them being emblems, there can be no shenanigans.
** (other than acquiring 10 Lap counters)
I think that it should be that you get a checkpoint counter for each point of damage to the finish line but vehicles your opponents control can block you
New game object: Finish Line. The finish line is an object on the battlefield, it cannot be affected by anything other than combat damage dealt by vehicles.
Vehicles attack the Finish Line.
During combat, for each of the active player's Vehicles that deals combat damage to the Finish Line that player acquires a Lap emblem*. The first player to acquire ten Lap emblems wins.
During combat any player may block Vehicles attempting to attack the Finish Line.
If an attacking creature ceases to be a Vehicle before combat damage is dealt, its controller will not earn a Lap emblem.
Creatures cannot attack players, creatures can still attack Planeswalkers.
The only way a player can win is by acquiring 10 Lap counters. If a game-state or effect** would have a player lose the game, that player continues in the game instead. If a game-state or effect** would have a player win the game, nothing happens and the game continues.
My way of trying to capture the flavor of vehicles, appreciate thoughts, comments, or critiques.
*I started out using Lap counters however, with cards like Solemnity out there I feel that could just bust the format.
With them being emblems, there can be no shenanigans.
** (other than acquiring 10 Lap counters)
For some reason I'm having technical issues editing my original post, so I'm making edits here for now.
When I first concocted this format the only Vehicles were in Kaladesh/Aether Revolt. With subsequent sets we've gotten many Vehicles that have combat triggers that trigger when they damage an opponent. With the original rules these triggers wouldn't happen.
So I'm updating the rules to accomadate this. B If an ability of a Vehicle would trigger when dealing damage to an opponent, that ability triggers when that Vehicle deals damage to the Finish Line.
Some of these triggered abilities may cause nothing to happen.
Here's a list of the vehicles whose triggered abilities don't do anything: Aerial Surveyor Deluxe Dragster Fell Flagship Hoard Hauler The Omenkeel Midnight Crusader Shuttle Cybership
The Finish Line can become "the Monarch", see Starscream, Seeker Leader's ability. If there is a Monarch in play, whenever a player deals combat damage to the Finish Line, that player becomes the Monarch.
An addendum to the rules related to winning/losing: "If an effect of a card that a player both owns and controls states that that player would lose the game, they lose the game". This is to avoid having to needlessly ban a bunch of cards that would be just way too easy to abuse.
CORNER CASES:
As it turns out there are a lot of cards in MTG. And within that assemblege there will be certain cards that can create weird interactions and/or game states. I'll be addressing those here, as they come to my attention.
1) Pramikon, Sky Rampart, the existence of this card necessitates a ruling about the Finish Line. "The Finish Line is considered the nearest 'opponent' to every player, both to the left and to the right, at all times." If there are multiple copies of Pramikon on the battlefield and between them they are set to both the left and the right, no creatures can attack.
Good afternoon, greetings from Argentina, I saw the post and we tried it with my group, we modified the rules a bit, with these modifications we were able to see different interactions.
60-card deck with a limit of 1 copy per card, excluding basic lands.
The deck is 1 racer + 1 signature vehicle + 58 cards.
As in "outbreaker" you can use a creature or Walker + a signature vehicle, if they are destroyed they are cast with the commander tax,
(test any planeswalker + heart of kiran)
• Players attack an object on the field called the Finish Line and gain 1 turn point and draw a card from their deck for each successful attack with a vehicle that would deal damage. (Double hit will get 2 turns + 2 cards)
• The first player to reach 10 laps wins.
• Players can only attack and block using vehicles. Vehicles can only be used to block other player's vehicle attacks against the finish line. Vehicles can attack planeswalkers but not other players.
• Not having a library when a player would draw during their draw step does not cause that player to lose.
• Effects that would cause a player to win or lose are ignored.
• Dropping to 0 life does not cause a player to lose the game.
• Variation with power up, each player plays with 10 archenemy cards to gain a power up per turn.
• Variants with tracks, it is with the planechase.
ban list
Karn, the Great Creator
vandalblast
Consulate Crackdown
Darksteel Forge
@ Lord of the Sandwiches, cool that you've given my format a shot. Mixing with Oathbreaker seems like an interesting variant.
I just discovered there's a subreddit dedicated to the format. That's just crazy to me.
Glad you're all enjoying it.
@perodequeso
We tried your format! I loved it so much I made a video for you! Hope you like it! There's also gameplay footage as well! https://youtu.be/UZtPIujDpQM
@perodequeso
We tried your format! I loved it so much I made a video for you! Hope you like it! There's also gameplay footage as well! https://youtu.be/UZtPIujDpQM
I saw both, very cool. That dude wearing red is a stitch. Happy to see people enjoying this, I never really expected anyone outside my playgroups to even consider it.
I just want to point out a tiny rules nitpick; in my version of the rules non-Vehicle creatures can attack planeswalkers and can block attacking vehicles. The guys over on the subreddit amended the rules to only allowing vehicles to attack and block. I think their way is more intuitive.
Oh awesome! Glad you got to see them! I had so much fun making those videos.
I didn't realize your version could block with standard creatures... I could honestly see it both ways. I wanted to make it as close to your version as possible. So sorry I missed that little detail!
I didn't realize your version could block with standard creatures... I could honestly see it both ways. I wanted to make it as close to your version as possible. So sorry I missed that little detail!
I think for your video it was better to play the way you did. More people are familiar with the rules on reddit than those posted here.
I'm considering adopting it that way for my playgroup.
And besides, SpiceTrader56 is doing a much better job at curating the format than I.
We are trying these rules but modded for commander. The rules we added/modded are:
Commander only
- You need 15 lap points to win.
- Commanders attacking the finish line can be blocked by any creature on the field.
- Commanders are immune to board targeting effects (all, each). They must be specifically targeted by a spell or ability.
- Commander creatures cannot have indestructible/hexproof/shroud or any effects that would prevent destroy or damage effects to them.
We encountered problems with board wipes constantly stalemating the game. On the flip side, we also had issues with Commanders who could not be destroyed, targeted by spells and abilities always winning. Another problem we encountered, effects that granted additional turns/additional combat rounds. This was especially challenging with double strike. It allowed for too much snowballing all at once (4 laps gained in a turn), so we upped the amount of laps needed to win and allowed ANY creature to block a Commander attack to the finish line.
We played a few rounds with the rules above and this seemed to work well for the Commander Wacky Races format. I feel alot of these problems would resolve themselves if we added vehicles. We treated the Commanders like characters in a racing game and other creatures as their "team" of racers (IE Tour de France or Le Mans). We made these changes strictly so my playgroup did not have to assemble new decks or buy new cards to try the idea out. I've included alternative rules for that once we get around to buying vehicles.
Alternate rules - Commander has vehicle(s) partner
- You need 15 lap points to win
- (Optional) Select vehicle(s) from the vehicle pit deck in turn order
- Commanders can crew any vehicle
- Vehicles are treated like Commanders except that you can return it to the command zone if it cannot attack or block.
OR
- Once a vehicle is destroyed/exiled/unable to attack or block, put it in the vehicle pit graveyard and draw the top card from the vehicle pit deck.
Any constructive feedback is much appreciated.
My bad, didn't realize this was migrated to reddit.
@TempNameDude, looks like a bunch of unnecessary rules that could be eliminated by proper deck construction.
Creatures are indestructible, exile them or steal them.
Creatures have hexproof/shroud, board wipe them away.
Play more vehicles, it's a vehicle based format after all.
15 laps, that breaks the flavor. Auto races are 10 laps, get with the program.
You shouldn't need any special rules regarding Commanders. Play commanders that can crew the vehicles you choose to run.
Fast lap acquisition is a good thing for the format, these are not supposed to be the kind of gindy games that Commander players are accustom to -playing.
If you need to add a bunch of additional rules you aren't playing the format correctly.
My biggest piece of advice, don't try and make this a Commander variant, it plays better by not being Commander.
Play removal, answers, and god forbid- Counterspells. The way to solve Magic is by tweaking decks not rules.
And there is a lot more going on with this over on reddit. The community there has really contributed much more than I to the life of this format.
The biggest allure of this format is a combination of the flavor and simplicity. The fewer unnecessary rules the better.
I hope it doesn't sound like I'm crapping all over what you've come up with, but it sounds like you went straight to modifying rules before you all
ever even tried modifying your deck lists.
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EDITED: after play testing
New game object: Finish Line. The finish line is an object on the battlefield, it cannot be affected by anything other than combat damage dealt by vehicles.
Vehicles attack the Finish Line.
During combat, for each of the active player's Vehicles that deals combat damage to the Finish Line that player acquires a Lap emblem*. The first player to acquire ten Lap emblems wins.
During combat any player may block Vehicles attempting to attack the Finish Line.
If an attacking creature ceases to be a Vehicle before combat damage is dealt, its controller will not earn a Lap emblem.
Creatures cannot attack players, creatures can still attack Planeswalkers.
The only way a player can win is by acquiring 10 Lap counters. If a game-state or effect** would have a player lose the game, that player continues in the game instead. If a game-state or effect** would have a player win the game, nothing happens and the game continues.
My way of trying to capture the flavor of vehicles, appreciate thoughts, comments, or critiques.
*I started out using Lap counters however, with cards like Solemnity out there I feel that could just bust the format.
With them being emblems, there can be no shenanigans.
** (other than acquiring 10 Lap counters)
For some reason I'm having technical issues editing my original post, so I'm making edits here for now.
When I first concocted this format the only Vehicles were in Kaladesh/Aether Revolt. With subsequent sets we've gotten many Vehicles that have combat triggers that trigger when they damage an opponent. With the original rules these triggers wouldn't happen.
So I'm updating the rules to accomadate this.
B If an ability of a Vehicle would trigger when dealing damage to an opponent, that ability triggers when that Vehicle deals damage to the Finish Line.
Some of these triggered abilities may cause nothing to happen.
Here's a list of the vehicles whose triggered abilities don't do anything:
Aerial Surveyor
Deluxe Dragster
Fell Flagship
Hoard Hauler
The Omenkeel
Midnight Crusader Shuttle
Cybership
The Finish Line can become "the Monarch", see Starscream, Seeker Leader's ability. If there is a Monarch in play, whenever a player deals combat damage to the Finish Line, that player becomes the Monarch.
An addendum to the rules related to winning/losing: "If an effect of a card that a player both owns and controls states that that player would lose the game, they lose the game". This is to avoid having to needlessly ban a bunch of cards that would be just way too easy to abuse.
CORNER CASES:
As it turns out there are a lot of cards in MTG. And within that assemblege there will be certain cards that can create weird interactions and/or game states. I'll be addressing those here, as they come to my attention.
1) Pramikon, Sky Rampart, the existence of this card necessitates a ruling about the Finish Line. "The Finish Line is considered the nearest 'opponent' to every player, both to the left and to the right, at all times." If there are multiple copies of Pramikon on the battlefield and between them they are set to both the left and the right, no creatures can attack.
BANNED CARDS:
choose one; follow the Vintage B&R list or the Legacy Banned list,
Karn, the Great Creator
Vandalblast
Consulate Crackdown
Darksteel Forge
Null Rod
Damping Matrix
Stony Silence
Collector Ouphe
Energy Flux
Ad Nauseam
Dockside Extortionist
60-card deck with a limit of 1 copy per card, excluding basic lands.
The deck is 1 racer + 1 signature vehicle + 58 cards.
As in "outbreaker" you can use a creature or Walker + a signature vehicle, if they are destroyed they are cast with the commander tax,
(test any planeswalker + heart of kiran)
• Players attack an object on the field called the Finish Line and gain 1 turn point and draw a card from their deck for each successful attack with a vehicle that would deal damage. (Double hit will get 2 turns + 2 cards)
• The first player to reach 10 laps wins.
• Players can only attack and block using vehicles. Vehicles can only be used to block other player's vehicle attacks against the finish line. Vehicles can attack planeswalkers but not other players.
• Not having a library when a player would draw during their draw step does not cause that player to lose.
• Effects that would cause a player to win or lose are ignored.
• Dropping to 0 life does not cause a player to lose the game.
• Variation with power up, each player plays with 10 archenemy cards to gain a power up per turn.
• Variants with tracks, it is with the planechase.
ban list
Karn, the Great Creator
vandalblast
Consulate Crackdown
Darksteel Forge
I just discovered there's a subreddit dedicated to the format. That's just crazy to me.
Glad you're all enjoying it.
We tried your format! I loved it so much I made a video for you! Hope you like it! There's also gameplay footage as well!
https://youtu.be/UZtPIujDpQM
I saw both, very cool. That dude wearing red is a stitch. Happy to see people enjoying this, I never really expected anyone outside my playgroups to even consider it.
I just want to point out a tiny rules nitpick; in my version of the rules non-Vehicle creatures can attack planeswalkers and can block attacking vehicles. The guys over on the subreddit amended the rules to only allowing vehicles to attack and block. I think their way is more intuitive.
I didn't realize your version could block with standard creatures... I could honestly see it both ways. I wanted to make it as close to your version as possible. So sorry I missed that little detail!
I think for your video it was better to play the way you did. More people are familiar with the rules on reddit than those posted here.
I'm considering adopting it that way for my playgroup.
And besides, SpiceTrader56 is doing a much better job at curating the format than I.
Commander only
- You need 15 lap points to win.
- Commanders attacking the finish line can be blocked by any creature on the field.
- Commanders are immune to board targeting effects (all, each). They must be specifically targeted by a spell or ability.
- Commander creatures cannot have indestructible/hexproof/shroud or any effects that would prevent destroy or damage effects to them.
We encountered problems with board wipes constantly stalemating the game. On the flip side, we also had issues with Commanders who could not be destroyed, targeted by spells and abilities always winning. Another problem we encountered, effects that granted additional turns/additional combat rounds. This was especially challenging with double strike. It allowed for too much snowballing all at once (4 laps gained in a turn), so we upped the amount of laps needed to win and allowed ANY creature to block a Commander attack to the finish line.
We played a few rounds with the rules above and this seemed to work well for the Commander Wacky Races format. I feel alot of these problems would resolve themselves if we added vehicles. We treated the Commanders like characters in a racing game and other creatures as their "team" of racers (IE Tour de France or Le Mans). We made these changes strictly so my playgroup did not have to assemble new decks or buy new cards to try the idea out. I've included alternative rules for that once we get around to buying vehicles.
Alternate rules - Commander has vehicle(s) partner
- You need 15 lap points to win
- (Optional) Select vehicle(s) from the vehicle pit deck in turn order
- Commanders can crew any vehicle
- Vehicles are treated like Commanders except that you can return it to the command zone if it cannot attack or block.
OR
- Once a vehicle is destroyed/exiled/unable to attack or block, put it in the vehicle pit graveyard and draw the top card from the vehicle pit deck.
Any constructive feedback is much appreciated.
My bad, didn't realize this was migrated to reddit.
Creatures are indestructible, exile them or steal them.
Creatures have hexproof/shroud, board wipe them away.
Play more vehicles, it's a vehicle based format after all.
15 laps, that breaks the flavor. Auto races are 10 laps, get with the program.
You shouldn't need any special rules regarding Commanders. Play commanders that can crew the vehicles you choose to run.
Fast lap acquisition is a good thing for the format, these are not supposed to be the kind of gindy games that Commander players are accustom to -playing.
If you need to add a bunch of additional rules you aren't playing the format correctly.
My biggest piece of advice, don't try and make this a Commander variant, it plays better by not being Commander.
Play removal, answers, and god forbid- Counterspells. The way to solve Magic is by tweaking decks not rules.
And there is a lot more going on with this over on reddit. The community there has really contributed much more than I to the life of this format.
The biggest allure of this format is a combination of the flavor and simplicity. The fewer unnecessary rules the better.
I hope it doesn't sound like I'm crapping all over what you've come up with, but it sounds like you went straight to modifying rules before you all
ever even tried modifying your deck lists.