NCB -- multiplayer?

[Jacob Orlove]

Okay, here's a proposal: a multiplayer N-card blind tournament. This would consist of a single game, played under normal X-Card Blind rules, with a few exceptions, namely that:

1) Players would enter a life bid along with their decklist. Each player loses life equal to the amount bid, and goes before anyone with a smaller bid (and after anyone with a larger bid). Ties would be determined randomly.
2) If any player takes an action that would win the game, and a player could stop it, that player is required to do so. However, instead of priority passing around the table, it always starts with the first player, and continues from there. So, if you go before someone, and you both have a Force of Will, you'll be the one to counter that Earthquake.
3) Players cannot take actions that would cause the game to be a draw, unless all other actions they could take (including doing nothing) would also lead to a draw, or would lead to a specific player winning. In other words, you can't force a draw if someone Fireballs you for 20, but you could if someone Rolling Thunders for enough to kill all the other players, assuming you can't produce any other outcome. Once all players consecutively takes no action on their turns, "taking no actions" counts as an action that would cause the game to be a draw until someone takes an action.

Thoughts on this format? I think five cards per player seems like a good number.

[technogeek5000]

I like this idea. I already have a deck in mind that would perform well. You should probably make this a poll.

[Jacob Orlove]

Eh, I'll just run it once, hopefully with only a few people, and we can see if it's a workable format. Anyone who wants to enter in the next couple of days is free to do so, but only one deck per person. I'll drop out if there are enough people to make the calculations complicated.

So, just to repeat, the rules of N-Card-Blind:

• Your deck comprises 5 cards, all of which start in your hand.
• The library starts at 0 cards and you have no sideboard (Wishes fetch nothing).
• Random effects always go in whatever way is least favorable to you.
• All hands are revealed, so you always make the best possible play.
• You don't lose as a result of not being able to draw a card. If cards are put into your library, you draw normally.
• Other than the aforementioned, normal Magic rules apply.
• Decks must be Vintage legal (with the obvious exception of the 60-card minimum rule).
  
  

To make an entry, PM your deck to Jacob Orlove in the following format:

Subject: NCB Tournament #1 Entry
Deck Name
Card #1
Card #2
Card #3
Card #4
Card #5

Entries close May 16.

[SpencerForHire]

Wasn't there a life bidding rule?

Is that implemented into the final version of the rules?

Edit2:
Thankya.

[Jacob Orlove]

Yeah, the first post refers to "the normal NCB rules" which I reproduced in the third post. Everything in the original post still applies; that was just a refresher in case anyone was unfamiliar with how these events normally work.

[technogeek5000]

I submitted my deck without a life bid. Could you make it 19 please.

[Jacob Orlove]

Updates and clarifications can be PM'd to me, if people prefer that to posting them.

[Jacob Orlove]

Clarification: life bids can be any integer from 0 to 19, inclusive. They cannot be negative. If you do not submit a bid, I'll assign you a bid of 0 if I don't hear back by the time entries close.

I already have some fascinating submissions. I think next time, I will start everyone out with more cards, and allow bidding of cards AND life to go first (much as the invitational does). That would allow people to play conservatively, with more cards and life, but presumably spending some slots on defensive measures, or going all-out to try to kill everyone on turn one of their very first turn.

Calculations look like they'll be simple enough, but there's only a few entries at this point, so that's not surprising.