The basic concept is simple: make a deck consisting of any three Magic Cards, and try to win as many games as possible!
Now that you have a general understanding, below are the detailed rules in all of their glory.
DeckbuildingEach player creates a deck of three Magic cards following the banned list, and any additional restrictions imposed by the current format. (See Round Types below.) Decks are submitted to me via private message entitled "3cm Round #". My deck is finalized before reading these PMs; if you'd like me to send you a verification PM with my list in it, just ask. You may update your decklist up until the deadline. (Unless you've asked me to share my list with you.)
If you send me a deck that can't win against a deck with three blank cards, I'll ask you to confirm that you're aware of this fact. This rule exists to prevent people from accidentally submitting decks that don't work, while still allowing
Karn Liberated decks and other such shenanigans.
GameplayAfter the round is closed, each deck plays against each other deck twice, once going first and once going second. Normal Magic rules apply to a game of 3CM, except for the following exceptions.
- Players don't lose the game for drawing from an empty library.
- If the original source of a random effect (i.e. coinflip) comes from one player's deck, the other player chooses its outcome. Exception: If a player is able to cause a random event to occur an arbitrarily-large number of times, then it is assumed that every possible outcome occurs an arbitrarily-large number of times (e.g. infinite coinflips result in infinite heads and infinite tails, basically).
- Effects that get cards from outside the game (Wishes, Research // Development, Ring of Ma'ruf) cannot be used to find anything.
Games are played with the contents of both decks known to each player at all times. Players will always play optimally and to win.
ScoringWhen the round is closed, a spreadsheet of all the decks and matchups is posted, to be filled in by the players. Players are encouraged to double-check the matchups graded by other players, since mistakes are often made when complicated decks are involved. A win is worth 3 points, a draw is 1 point, and a loss is 0 points.
Round TypesRounds will be once per week, from Sunday to Saturday. Even-numbered rounds are Vanilla, which has normal rules, but a banned list that changes every week. Odd-numbered rounds are Alternate Formats, which have a constant banned list, but use special rules that might effect deckbuilding, gameplay, or both! A few days before each Alternate round, a poll will appear to vote on the format. This poll alternates each time between upside formats and downside formats. The winner of an alternate round gets to come up with their own alternate format and add it to the poll.
Vanilla Banning RulesSetup: The banned list begins with several prebanned cards. These cards
can be unbanned.
Bannings: The lowest scorer of each round (referred to as the banmaster) chooses a nonbasic card to ban from each of the top three decks. Exactly three cards are banned, even if there are ties. (Example: If there are two first-place decks and three second-place decks, one card is banned from each first-place deck, and one card is banned from a single second-place deck.)
Unbannings: The winner of each round may choose a card that was already on the banned list at the beginning of the current round. That card is unbanned. Starting with Round 20, second place also gets to unban a card. Starting with Round 30, third place also gets to unban a card.
Note: Unbanning a card is optional, but bans are not. If the banner doesn't make a decision before the next round of Vanilla, I will choose the bans myself.
Tiebreakers1. Head-to-head: Whoever has the most points from games against other the other tied player(s) wins the tie.
2. Match-Wins: Whoever won the most games wins the tie. (Ignore draws.)
Note: Tiebreakers only apply to deciding who gets fabulous prizes. The banmaster may ban cards from any deck in the top three, regardless of tiebreakers. The tiebreaker system is also ignored by the meaningless scoreboard. 3 points are awarded for first place, 2 for second, and 1 for third.
thatmarkguy: 51
CommanderJim: 38
Yarium: 27
Rush_Clasic: 24
Hello World: 21
razorborne: 20
LilyStorm: 17
Tevish Szat: 17
Aaarrrgh: 15
door (dooooooooooor): 15
GobO_Scarlet: 12
Shazzeh: 10
Sand_Crab: 8
Dr_Demento: 4
purple shrimp: 4
Burning_Earth: 2
last updated round 41
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