not sure if anyone else proposed this but you can make a custom emblem for both players that reads something along the lines of “nine-lives familiar can’t leave the battlefield except if it would go to the graveyard nine-lives familiar can’t leave the graveyard except if it would return to the battlefield nine-lives familiar can’t lose its abilities” just off the top of my head, not sure if it’s 100% fool proof but i think the emblem would make it much clearer and would make the format more in-line with magic rules
I feel like it should be clarified that the things that you said "don't work on the cat" simply dont work *on the cat.* If you exile your opponent's graveyard while the cat is in it, the rest goes to exile *but the cat stays.*
Not currently. At lwadt not a direct derivative of this. If I were to do something similar the creature would need vigilance for sure so you can swing wildly and have a blocker. If this really takes off, I can investigate that as a new minigame for folks.
@@ReyaadawnMTG I think an impactful spell I was gonna cast got Mental Misstep-ed 💀and it transitioned into a different dream Most of the dream was spent with me deckbuilding with my friends and half-lucidly trying to remember what counterspells were 1 cmc (I think I had stubborn denial in there?) I also think in the game we used a lot of cards that weren't 1 cmc irl because I didn't remember that many mana values for stuff. I've been too busy to actually deckbuild for this yet but I'm glad my brain was at least making some time in my sleep for it lol
Tbh, I don´t mind the restrictions as much as other commentors do and make sense with the overall rule. Is it allowed to turn the cat face down? During my quick search I haven´t found a legal card in the format, so this is a hyperthetical question
You couldn't turn it face down either. I'd classify that as "lose all abilities". Clever thinking, but that's a great example of "follow the Golden Rule".
The restrictions sound harsher/worse than they play, I can guarantee that. It plays super explosive and interactive, but at the same time, never feeling like you didn't have agency in your win or loss. You can usually pinpoint the decisions that won or cost you the game pretty easily.
Question: Can the abilities of the cat be changed? There aren't many effects that do something like this, but Sleight of Mind is a good example of what I'm talking about (though that card does not actually affect Nine-Lives Familiar). Also, maybe you could dub the cat as having a "split-second" ability, where no spells or activated abilities can enter the stack unless they are mana abilities while the cat's abilities are on the stack. You might also want to include triggered abilities with that. And furthermore - maybe it's that you CAN gain control of, exile, etcetera nine-lives familiar, but it just comes back with one less counter. So maybe it's abilities become: Nine-Lives Familiar {1BB} Creature - Cat This creature starts on the battlefield with 8 revival counters on it. Whenever Nine-Lives Familiar leaves your control, return it to the battlefield under your control with one fewer revival counter on it. If a spell or ability would enter the stack while Nine-Lives Familiar's abilities are on the stack, exile that spell or ability instead. 1/1 Or maybe even get rid of the fact that it could leave the battlefield at all: Nine-Lives Familiar {1BB} Creature - Cat This creature starts on the battlefield with 8 revival counters on it. If Nine-Lives Familiar would leave your control when it has one or more revival counters on it, instead remove a revival counter from it. 1/1 The latter option would save a mouthful of text, but it's not as flavorful as the first one (in my opinion) since the cat doesn't really "die." Hope this gives some good ideas to add to a great idea for a format!
You can’t make the cat lose its abilities so things like Unable to Scream don’t work. There’s a lot of niche interactions and strategies that your changes would effect. The simplest is that you can destroy your opponents cat in your main phase so they don’t have a blocker, but then they have an attacker on their turn. The little push and pulls of combat really make the format sing. And also benefitting from the cat actually dieing is a huge strategy. In short, the rules sound way more complex than they are. It’s really “don’t try to trick the cat”. But I need to be super specific because MtG is built on exploiting loopholes. It doesn’t work here.
this definitely feels like a format where you have an 80 card deck and you both play off the top, like dandan instead of trying to make curated decks, theres simply too many rules and im only 3 minutes into the video
I actually had a very similar minigame like that and that was the biggest negative. DanDan is cool, but people want to brew and be creative and you’d be surprised how many viable builds exist. The fun is finding what speaks to you in the constraints. I’m keeping 4 decks with me to let players choose when I introduce them.
Ironically that feels too restrictive. A lot of the bombastic and exciting plays happen when the more expensive well known cards clash with the cheap draft chaffe. You can build a strong, “competetive” deck for $50 if you wanted to. It’s the lands that will push your price way up of course.
@@ReyaadawnMTG yes I can image that. Though I'm not familiar with the not pauper related cards, my first thought was to adapt the idea this way. There are great one mana spells that are common, so I don't experience the restrictiveness myself when playing pauper format. But $50 is a relative small cost when you realize that the tier pauper decks are around $100 (mostly because of expensive sideboard cards). I'm curious about how the strategy will differ from an original 60 card deck play.
You get a bit more consistency than 60/100 card singleton but lots of RNG. Cards that do duplicate effects are great like Village Rites and Corrupted Conviction. Honestly, this format feels less broken than pauper does currently.
I do like this format idea - my mind is already swimming with different takes on it! I do think it seems a bit narrow and rules-heavy to really take off, so my first thought is to try to make it more general. With that goal, I'd make these edits: 1. You start with ANY 3 mana creature in play 2. Still 40 card singleton. 3. Similar to commander, with the "you may move your creature to the command zone when it is moved to graveyard/exile/library/etc.", and you can pay 1 life to play your creature from the command zone.
The fact that the cat comes back for free is a huge interaction point. For example, you attack on your turn 1. I'm holding a Scale Up in my hand. Do I block, because if I do and your cat dies, it comes back untapped and can block. If I don't, you might have something like Inventor's Axe to really cut my life down. All that has happened is you played a land and attacked so far and the decision tree is spreading out in lots of directions. I like your idea with a 1 cmc creature. That'd be cool.
I've been playing MtG for over 25 years, this is the most fun I've had with the game in over a decade. It feels like Limited, but plays like Legacy, it's awesome. Highly recommend.
@@maidenless_tarnished Do it! Let me know how it goes and what you build. Good thing is you can build a "competitive" deck for $50-75. Monogreen or Mono Red aggro can be under $30
Super interesting case. It would technically work since it doesn’t break any of the rules. But because of the cat’s wording, it would have no revival counters since it wasn’t cast. If you could bring back your opponent’s cat under your your control, that would not be allowed and be similar to reanimate.
Have you checked out MTG Territory Wars? It is very similar to the Battlebox format. It feels like playing limited, low power, and one of the fastest setups, chaotic, and endless variety. All you need is a small stack of draft chaff to get started. But you can curate it like a cube if you want, but personally I like the randomness of just shuffling up a random assortment of spells and fighting for the crown 👑.
Interesting. I’m not familiar with that. I’ll check it out. I like this format because there’s enough creativity to brew your own deck within the rules but still know what to expect whenever you play a game.
Can you mention where we can find more info on Territory Wars? Looking it up on Google gives nothing useful, and as someone who enjoys Battlebox I'm interested
I made a list! it's CAT FIGHT - Simic Pump on moxfield, just from goldfishing a few rounds ive got turn 3s and turn 2s, unblockable effects seem really strong and embiggen + mutavault seems like a nice sneaky combo
Anything green is super aggressive. Scale Up is also fantastic with unblockable or trample. Fogs are a huge way to play against this kind of strategy though
@@ReyaadawnMTG true true, I feel like this deck might need to play more counterspells and stuff to get around fogs and just slow itself down a bit, also sideboards would help ofc
@@pigogriff definitely. Blue has a surprising number of counterspells at 1 mana. Minor Mistep is great, I also really love Divert but that won’t help against a fog
Ok, what about rooms or double spells? If they are aloud, can we play the part of the spell that costs more than one mana. What about just x cost spell without any other cost. Also, what about cards with 2 sides? Can you only cost the 1 cost spell or only the non creature side?
Technically, those examples wouldn’t be allowed since the game sees them as the combined mana cost. An MDFC like Spikefield Hazard would be good. There currently isn’t one that’s a creature on the other side, it would probaly not be allowed simply because Scryfall wouldn’t bring it up.
Sol Ring is on the watchlist for sure, but I haven’t been able to find a really oppressive big mana deck. Colorless mana isn’t as useful since you don’t have a commander to ramp into.
@@ReyaadawnMTG Yeah I guess, there are only a couple decent x spells but spamming artifacts seems decent anyway, colorless can be used for activates abilities too? Idk, still brewing.
Sounds really intersting . The fact that you can brew your own deck make this really cool . Could you share some rules text and maybe banlist if you have ?
Not currently….i should definitely do that. This video is the definitive rules for now. There’s a text card at the end that lays it out, but a place with the rules easily visible would be great. I’ll handle that.
I’d be down. More than 5, less than 10 is definitely the right range. I went with 7 because that’s what Arena does. If we got a good Wish, going up to 9 might make more sense. But I’m open on this detail.
Swift reconfiguration doesn't seem good enough to be banning; there are plenty of 1cmc destroy artifact effects Fragmentize (w) Hellish Sideswipe (b, but has downside) Raze the Effigy (r, modal pump spell) Natural State (g) Scrap Compactor (c) Admittedly blue doesn't seem to have any of these effects, but splashing a little of a second colour isn't really the worst thing in the world. Plus it's not like Swift Reconfiguration would be in every game anyway, it does have answers
Black can’t interact with it pretty much at all. Blue can at least bounce the aura momentarily. It got banned after it playtesting and everygame it happened in the first turn, that player won. It’s too “out of the norm” on Turn 1. It was the first new ban after playtest, nothing else seems super worrisome at this moment.
@@ReyaadawnMTG I suppose that's fair, although surely at some point the player with the vehicled cat would need to crew it, at which point black has a lot of solutions. Also the obvious thing I didn't think of in the first comment is that blue can simply not let it come down 🙃 Maybe after more black artifact hate it will be unbanned, though
Late game it’s mediocre. It’s the Turn 1 swift reconfiguration of the play that is absolutely brutal. You either have a mental misstep, or pretty much lose. Sarcomancy is weirdly you’re best out in black since now you have a 2/2, but that’s easily removed. So mulling to Swift Reconfiguration is a very high win percentage strategy, and that’s not acceptable.
It was in my script to originally mention it. It SEEMS really awesome, and don't get me wrong, it is. But the fact that it requires you to tap it and only works for one turn makes it a little less powerful. Every green deck runs it for sure, but it's not the be all end all. it basically gives you the "High Ground". but you can also run Desert to kind of do the opposite, which is funny. The card that does something similar that blew us all away at how good it was: Sai of the Shinobi. You basically always have a 2/2 cat at minumum
@@Telruin Sweet! Great to hear. I'm a little concerned that the girl's in the community will find that name off putting, but it is incredibly fitting and explains the concept. I really want to get this idea in front of Voxy. It plays A LOT like limited, and I think she'd love it.
Valid point, but this definitely says “don’t try this”. I feel that’s easier and cleaner. Can you name a card that cage would work with in the format you’d want to have it?
@ReyaadawnMTG Well with no sideboards I don't think Cage would actually be playable anyway. All it does is maybe shut down something like Flame Jab killing your cat over and over again. Faithless Looting, 25% of Ransom Note, etc etc. Not saying it's worth running, just feels weirdly redundant to ban it.
@ I see your point for sure. I was thinking of it as a clear "Signpost" ban to drill down the "don't try to prevent the cat from coming back" rules. Those are valid cards to mention. I plan on having regular reviews/analysis of the format so if it catches on enough and people aren't struggling with those rules, that might be an unban consideration. Same thing for Barrow-Blade honestly.
Did you say Cat Fight was the format's name? I was thinking Familiar Fight could fit. Cat Fight does sound broad for a name. But I like the idea of being a fight between two low level magical familiars or low level wizards/witches brawling it out with a low standard ceiling.l
Catfight is a turn of phrase that most people know so I think the “pun” of it and the familiarity with the saying will make it stick. I also think it flows better with the way the order of sounds work in people’s brains. There’s some super interesting science behind how our brain perceives the sounds and rhythm of language.
I feel like those were too obvious. They’re also not as great as they are in other formats to be honest. The low life and the explosive combat makes using a mana and a turn for a tutor not as strong.
A great strategy. You also just got Lightwheel Enhancements in the new set. The being able to brew your own deck is what really is drawing people to this format. It plays like a mini format, but has enough creativity for self expression.
Does the "no burn" rule apply to cards that redirect damage? Or is the rule something like "prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to players"
@@ReyaadawnMTG figured as much! me and a friend are gonna try this out at some point. i have no clue what the meta looks like so i just brewed a turbofog-y stall deck. i have a hunch elixir of immortality will be pretty good!
Awesome! Send me your list when you build it. Stalling the gsme is definitely a good strategy to build up resources. Just watch out, attacks come fast and things like Wild Slash exist so a fog isn’t a guarantee way to stop a Berserked cat.
@@ReyaadawnMTG not sure if yt will let me post links but its "orim's cat (cat fight)" on moxfield. i threw it together in 20m so who knows how good it is lol
This is the one I’m most on the fence about. The only card that exists is Reanimate now, and I think that would just move to banned if the rule changed. If there was a blue Aura that cost xU to gain control of a creature of CMC X or less, that’d probably be fine. You can destroy it to get your cat back.
You can’t Stifle the return of a Threaten effect in any format. That’s just not possible eoth the MtG rules unless you’re thinking of a different card.
@ I don’t think Tabernacle would be as ubiquitous. Bazaar is legal as well. It’s the $500 cards you’d want to play in every top deck that I was targeting
I'm sorry man, but this seems way too restrictive. Fun as a gimmick, but I have a feeling it's going to turn into a game of "yeah but you can't do that" and "no the cat wouldn't want that" etc
Once you accept you can’t exploit any loopholes with the cat, you kind of forget that it was even an option. It’s super fast and explosive, so you never feel like you don’t have interaction and plays to make.
I understand the flavor / concept behind the fact that the cat is your only creature and you can't circumvent it's ability, but why do all of your other cards have to be mana value 1 only? That just seems like a weird, needless restriction that's going to seriously harm deck & gameplay diversity. The fact that different cards can have different costs is one of the strongest aspects of Magic card design; completely circumventing it by requiring all cards to cost 1 seems like a bad idea. If the idea was to ensure that the cat remains relevant throughout the game without getting outscaled by more expensive and powerful spells, and you don't want to drop that rule entirely, why not make it "All cards must have mana value 3 or less" instead? This also ties to the cat better flavorfully: "Nothing can be more expensive than the cat."
It keeps you from veering too far away from the cat being the central premise. It would feel weird to me if someone’s win condition was Mind’s Desire or Timetwister loops. It also helps keep the decks under $100. I like the 3 or less, but 0 spells weirdly are the biggest problem. Lotus Petal, and chrome mox, and Chalice, and Crashing Footfalls, etc. I think the format would turn too much into a more broken Modern. T1 Rhinos (not even on your turn) would be happening every game.
@ I mean that’s just an inherent problem with any format using full Legacy / Vintage legality (i.e. all cards ever, minus some banned list) - There have been some busted cards printed over the years. I’m not really convinced that a mana value restriction is a better way to solve that than some other legality restrictions like cards printed in the last X years only, commons & uncommons only, etc. or simply creating a much more expansive banned list. This format still seems to run the risk of becoming more about the best MV=1 spells and Lands printed over the years (Mental Misstep, Duress, Sol Ring, Dark Ritual + Mind Twist, Crop Rotation + Dark Depths, Vampiric Tutor / Imperial Seal, etc.) than about the cat. But if you ban those away then there’s not much to do because the MV1 restriction is so severe. I’d rather play something that feels like high powered Limited where we both built around Nine-Lives Familiar than Legacy-but-with-this-largely-irrelevant-cat-here.
@@LunaLasceria a turn 1 tutor is actually a pretty mediocre play in reality because your opponent also has a cat that will be attacking you and now you’ve committed to having no mana to respond if they give their cat trample/menace/etc. Turn 1 Rancor, Turn 2 Scale Up is something every deck needs to be able to interact with. The 9 life is what keeps it from “just play the most busted cards ever printed”. Some of the best cards in the format are draft chaffe.
@ I didn't say anything about tutoring on turn 1? I was just giving some examples of cards that you need to at least consider the existence of, which run the risk of overshadowing the cat. Replying to this sort of feels like arguing about a tiny nitpick of cards that I mentioned and ignoring the broader point. But to do so anyway: On the play, turn 1 tutor, turn 2 win the game still beats your opponent's turn 2 win. I sincerely doubt you've limit tested the format enough to know that there's no turn 2 combo wins. In fact, to use your very own example, turn 1 tutor can perfectly set up turn 2 Rancor + Scale up. There's also Burnt Offering, Culling the Weak, Dark Ritual, Sacrifice, Infernal Plunge, Rite of Flame, Mana Vault, Sol Ring, Phyrexian Tower, and Fastbond that can all make more than 1 mana on turns 1-2. Having 9 life only matters if your opponent actually gets to DO anything - If I go turn 1 ritual, ritual, Mind Twist away your entire hand that's not really my idea of "a novel format that revolves around Nine-Lives Familiar" as it is "a way that people have been winning games of Magic for literally decades". Sure, some of those tutors DID take advantage of sacrificing the cat, but the gameplay pattern of combo-off-with-rituals is not particularly unique. Also, Rancor + Scale Up is not a compelling argument for the claim that the format ISN'T “just play the most busted cards ever printed” or that "Some of the best cards in the format are draft chaff." Those cards aren't draft chaff, they're some of the most busted Green 1-mana spells ever printed. Again the play pattern of "win the game using Rancor + Scale Up" isn't new and unique, it's exactly how constructed Infect decks have been winning in various formats for years. You've just replaced an infect creature with a cat. This isn't meant to be overly critical - I think it's AWESOME that you've come up with a new format and chosen to share it with the world! What I'm trying to say is just that, if I were you, I'd be concerned that deck building in this format is going to be significantly more focused on "What cards work well when decks are only allowed to consist of MV1 noncreature spells and lands?" rather than "What cards work well with the cat?" which is against your stated objective. For example, Mental Misstep is the #1 staple of every deck in the format, but has nothing to do with the cat and everything to do with the MV1 only gimmick.
@ I really appreciate what you’re saying and we’ve run hundreds of games and you’d be surprised how doing something with your cat is the truly the optimal strategy. I’m not saying it’s the only one, but it seems to be the strongest and most reliable path. I want people to help me push these upper limits. Go as hard as you want and try to break it. A Turn 1 Mind Twist is brutal, but you’re still facing down a cat that a topdeck from your opponent can absolutely flip the game around Rancor + Scale Up is the cleanest Turn 2 combo, but I can’t tell you how many times I have Gut Shotted that cat in response. I use that as an example not to say the format is all combo and turn 2 wins, but more that you need to build a deck that can handle those possibilities and push through. A deck that can survive turn 2 and close the game 3-4 turns later. The best turn 1 plays so far are in experience Sentinel’s Eyes Sticky Fingers Pongify / Rapid Hybridization Quest for the Gravelord and Hidden Gibbons are both up there as well. None of those are super busted cards in other formats. Try it out, see if you can break it. It’s a lot more durable than you think it is.
too many rules attached to cards that would be otherwise simple for beginners (all the exceptions for the cat for example your stifle or Sword to plowshares) also it feels like you try to be too different from other formats, just keep it simple and keep a 15 card sideboard like all other formats with sideboard even consider going to 60 cards just to avoid some of those repetitive games with all the 1 mana staples you already named. for a format that feels like it is is solvable or has some very oppressive play patterns. i suspect a lands combo deck, or discard heavy control decks will take over the meta game.
It’s way more intuitive to play it than it sounds during that section. It also prevents “gaming it”. Mulling to Swords to Plowshare would be an auto win. You have to earn your wins with careful decision trees, not loopholes. I haven’t found a “solved” deck yet and I’ve been building and playing a bunch. Remember, Rancor, Scale Up, and Berserk are all legal. You need to be interacting and making meaningful plays from the first turn or you’ll be knocked out on turn 2.
@ You could have a special rule allowing the cat to return from exile, like it would the graveyard. If you had an emblem to track the "lives" you could allow some of the counter removal cards. But it would limit effects that could add lives with the current rules. (I haven't looked at this possibility yet)
@ So if you Path to Exiled the cat, it would leave play but then return at end of turn? What happens if it's bounced, same thing? That in a weird way almost feels more complicated, but I can understand the logic and how it would open up more interaction points. I also fear that makes blue too overpowered, monoblue would now have almost 20 "removal" spells.
@@ReyaadawnMTG It would be complicated with other zones. But exile is public. The deck, and hand are... is the term "hidden" zones? Makes things complicated. It just occured to me... if there is any way to turn the cat face down... that would also be a problem. (Doubt that there is any for 1 mana)
Price of Betrayal is the card on the banlist that is most likely to be removed. We've played over a hundred games, zero times has the cat ran out of revival counters. Leaning into that strategy might be an archetype worth unlocking.
I'd rather we just play Jumpstart as a light and inexpensive format with rules that are true to the concept of MTG. Forcibly making new formats with incredibly arbitrary rules and restrictions, obtuse rulings and guidelines, focused on a specific card people might not find interesting, yeah... Why?
@matteorossi1172 You don't lose, but you sure are in a tough spot. In the hundreds of games I've played, that has only happed a few times. I do think there is a Monoblack or Rakdos control deck that has the sole intention of doing that, but I haven't built or tested it yet.
I know the whole "restrictions breed creativity" thing but this feels too restrictive. Not a single one thing but the sum of all the rules just made me lose interest the longer you explained the format. Locking it to a single creature also by its nature restricts the amount of self expressions that makes magic appealing. But then I can see how too much expression leads to longer games, cause some people idea of fun magic is not quick games like this format seems to be geared towards to. Also some people don't like cats, but they do like dogs. this got me thinking maybe there could be a format similar to commander/champions in hearthstone but with a "pet" instead of an overpowered card that forces you to play a certain style.
Your comment literally makes no sense and I first thought you are a bot. Its not like you cant play any more of your self expressive commander decks if you played this format once. "Also some people don't like cats but they do like dogs" you straight up trolling, aint you? Stop making me crack up!! xD None of your arguments make any sense why this should not be a really fun, casual format to play with friends. (still believe you are a bot)
The restrictions definitely help keep the games fast and more explosive, you always feel like you're doing something and have agency in a game. This format actually was born from playing long commander games and then feeling like there was no agency on whether I won or lost, it was just who had the best opening hand. The format will get better and better because every new set they print more and more pushed/interesting 1 drop spells. Cut Down, Turn Inside Out, Monstrous Rage, Gift of the Viper are all amazing cards printed in the last few months. I like the "pet" format idea, but the functionality of the cat coming back is what makes this format sing. It could have been a generic zombie and work just the same, it's just cute that it's a big fluffy cat. But some kind of "commander" where you can partner with a pet, that'd be a sweet idea.
So... a lot of non-sense rules... a lot of constrictions... an already ban list because of the non-sense rules and constrictions... and you call it a "format". Right...
Okay it’s too much. Like I enjoy the idea but at this point you’d probably just be better off designing a brand new game. Like, this format is “ignore 90% of magic cards and the majority of play styles, no creatures or burn so none of the most popular play styles, also we have the most restrictive list possible, and also we’ve banned all the best cards for this super restrictive mana cost.” The issue with this format is it gives you one thing you can do “have black cat out and play with a 40 card singleton deck”. Then it’s mostly things you can’t do followed by a bunch of cards you’d be losing out on to add so like, sure it’s 40 cards but you basically must have mental misstep and gut shot and skull clamp and a few others because why would you ever not? It just feels like the format is stale and solved before it’s even been played.
It pretty much is a new game to be honest, but with some toys we've had before. To be honest, it's the most fun I've had playing magic in a decade. You'd be surprised how many competitive decks are viable, especially once you add in sideboards. Rakdos Aggro, Monoblue Control, Izzet Spellslinger, Monoblack control, are all viable archetypes. There's some overlap in decks, but not as much as you'd think. Playing Mono red aggro and Mental Misstepping somebody's game saving Fog is a rush I've never felt in any other format.
It sounds way more restrictive than it plays. It’s all to prevent people from exploiting loopholes with the cat. Theres really just one “don’t try to trick the cat”
@@ReyaadawnMTG It might not feel restrictive to play, but deckbuilding has to be miserable when the rules are vague enough that anything good you can do *might* be against the rules. It probably doesn't feel that way to you because you get to make the judgement calls for yourself, but if you want this to spread outside your playgroup you are going to have to (1) rigorously write down what is and isn't legal, and (2) do that in a way that someone who isn't already sold on the format can read the list and understand it.
For sure, I’ll get the text rules posted. But the easy way to say it is “you can’t stop the cat from wanting to come back”. And only noncreature of 1 cmc. That’s really all it is.
@@abuelovinagres4411 You just can’t use the effects against the Nine-Lives Familiar. You can use them everywhere else. For instance, my monoblue control deck runs stifle because hitting somebody’s fetchland, or Strip Mine, or Urza’s Saga can be game winning if timed right. I just can’t stifle the cat’s ability to prevent it from coming back.
Could you post gameplay videos like a demonstration of the format in action where you and your opponent give a play by play?
That’s a great idea actually. I can definitely do that.
No 👎
@ Not for everyone I suppose.
@@Journeyman1776you know, you don’t have to watch it. Literally doesn’t affect you
I'm definitely gonna pitch this to my group. We play cedh, cedh, pedh already. This is gonna be such a hit with us.
not sure if anyone else proposed this but you can make a custom emblem for both players that reads something along the lines of
“nine-lives familiar can’t leave the battlefield except if it would go to the graveyard
nine-lives familiar can’t leave the graveyard except if it would return to the battlefield
nine-lives familiar can’t lose its abilities”
just off the top of my head, not sure if it’s 100% fool proof but i think the emblem would make it much clearer and would make the format more in-line with magic rules
I like that idea. I might make little cards that have the rules as well. That seems like a great thing to hand out to people in person as well
I've contemplated a custom format that starts with a lich's mastery on the battlefield, but this is better thought out. Seems neat.
I’ve tried a few variations of this kind of concept, but this one is the best idea I’ve had by a mile.
I feel like it should be clarified that the things that you said "don't work on the cat" simply dont work *on the cat.* If you exile your opponent's graveyard while the cat is in it, the rest goes to exile *but the cat stays.*
Correct. No matter how hard you try, you cannot exile the cat.
those 13 or less lands from DSK go crazy in this
You’re so right!! I totally forgot about those. Mana is back on the menu!
It's kinda like Commander meets Dandan
It is. You get the creativity of deckbuilding, but a certain uniformity of expectation of gameplay.
@@ReyaadawnMTGany plans to making a multiplayer version?
Not currently. At lwadt not a direct derivative of this.
If I were to do something similar the creature would need vigilance for sure so you can swing wildly and have a blocker. If this really takes off, I can investigate that as a new minigame for folks.
this seems really fun to play in between commander games
Most games are 5-10 minutes so it’s a great side game.
The format sounds really interesting!
The night after I saw this video I had a dream where I was playing it with my friends lol
Did you win in your dream?
@@ReyaadawnMTG I think an impactful spell I was gonna cast got Mental Misstep-ed 💀and it transitioned into a different dream
Most of the dream was spent with me deckbuilding with my friends and half-lucidly trying to remember what counterspells were 1 cmc (I think I had stubborn denial in there?) I also think in the game we used a lot of cards that weren't 1 cmc irl because I didn't remember that many mana values for stuff.
I've been too busy to actually deckbuild for this yet but I'm glad my brain was at least making some time in my sleep for it lol
Tbh, I don´t mind the restrictions as much as other commentors do and make sense with the overall rule. Is it allowed to turn the cat face down? During my quick search I haven´t found a legal card in the format, so this is a hyperthetical question
You couldn't turn it face down either. I'd classify that as "lose all abilities". Clever thinking, but that's a great example of "follow the Golden Rule".
The restrictions sound harsher/worse than they play, I can guarantee that. It plays super explosive and interactive, but at the same time, never feeling like you didn't have agency in your win or loss. You can usually pinpoint the decisions that won or cost you the game pretty easily.
Urzas saga with 1 drop equipments, the ability to make a construct is huge in this
It’s a very common strategy. Skullclamp, Shadowspear are the two big targets but there’s tons of great choices
Question: Can the abilities of the cat be changed? There aren't many effects that do something like this, but Sleight of Mind is a good example of what I'm talking about (though that card does not actually affect Nine-Lives Familiar).
Also, maybe you could dub the cat as having a "split-second" ability, where no spells or activated abilities can enter the stack unless they are mana abilities while the cat's abilities are on the stack. You might also want to include triggered abilities with that. And furthermore - maybe it's that you CAN gain control of, exile, etcetera nine-lives familiar, but it just comes back with one less counter.
So maybe it's abilities become:
Nine-Lives Familiar {1BB}
Creature - Cat
This creature starts on the battlefield with 8 revival counters on it.
Whenever Nine-Lives Familiar leaves your control, return it to the battlefield under your control with one fewer revival counter on it.
If a spell or ability would enter the stack while Nine-Lives Familiar's abilities are on the stack, exile that spell or ability instead.
1/1
Or maybe even get rid of the fact that it could leave the battlefield at all:
Nine-Lives Familiar {1BB}
Creature - Cat
This creature starts on the battlefield with 8 revival counters on it.
If Nine-Lives Familiar would leave your control when it has one or more revival counters on it, instead remove a revival counter from it.
1/1
The latter option would save a mouthful of text, but it's not as flavorful as the first one (in my opinion) since the cat doesn't really "die." Hope this gives some good ideas to add to a great idea for a format!
You can’t make the cat lose its abilities so things like Unable to Scream don’t work.
There’s a lot of niche interactions and strategies that your changes would effect. The simplest is that you can destroy your opponents cat in your main phase so they don’t have a blocker, but then they have an attacker on their turn. The little push and pulls of combat really make the format sing. And also benefitting from the cat actually dieing is a huge strategy.
In short, the rules sound way more complex than they are. It’s really “don’t try to trick the cat”. But I need to be super specific because MtG is built on exploiting loopholes. It doesn’t work here.
Really fun idea! Gotta send this to my friends and maybe try it out
Do it! And then send me your decklists, I want to see what you build.
I can definitely get behind this format.
It’s a blast. I’ve been playing for 25 years and it’s the most fun I’ve had in years with game.
Lifelink is OP in this format. Congrats on the creativity tho.
Awe Strike has won me so many games.
Shadowspear is a definite staple.
Format is called Cat Fight this is now canon I have declared it.
That is the official name.
Love this, probably going to end up with some form of control list because gut shot and mental misstep are legal.
Control is strong. There are a ton of blue 1 cmc counterspells. But if green or red gets a window, they can end the game in a single swing
@ReyaadawnMTG and that's what elixir of immortality and maze of ith are for lol. (Honestly I'm mostly scared of black burn and Voltron cats)
I like it. Brew it up and give it a whirl.
this definitely feels like a format where you have an 80 card deck and you both play off the top, like dandan instead of trying to make curated decks, theres simply too many rules and im only 3 minutes into the video
I actually had a very similar minigame like that and that was the biggest negative. DanDan is cool, but people want to brew and be creative and you’d be surprised how many viable builds exist. The fun is finding what speaks to you in the constraints.
I’m keeping 4 decks with me to let players choose when I introduce them.
Four Words: Chalice of the Void
Costs 0, can’t play it.
Great idea. I wonder if it works in a Pauper context. (I only play pauper in paper ;-) ) So, only commons except for the cat. Any ideas about that?
Ironically that feels too restrictive. A lot of the bombastic and exciting plays happen when the more expensive well known cards clash with the cheap draft chaffe.
You can build a strong, “competetive” deck for $50 if you wanted to. It’s the lands that will push your price way up of course.
@@ReyaadawnMTG yes I can image that. Though I'm not familiar with the not pauper related cards, my first thought was to adapt the idea this way. There are great one mana spells that are common, so I don't experience the restrictiveness myself when playing pauper format. But $50 is a relative small cost when you realize that the tier pauper decks are around $100 (mostly because of expensive sideboard cards). I'm curious about how the strategy will differ from an original 60 card deck play.
You get a bit more consistency than 60/100 card singleton but lots of RNG. Cards that do duplicate effects are great like Village Rites and Corrupted Conviction.
Honestly, this format feels less broken than pauper does currently.
I feel like I missed something, you said all damage is prevented but you’re talking about attacking? does the cat get an exception?
only Direct Damage is prevented, any and all combat damage is allowed.
Listing all the things the cat can and can’t do (removal and all) in my head I just hear “okay…. cat is God” let’s go!!
It’s a cat. They’re pretty resilient.
I do like this format idea - my mind is already swimming with different takes on it! I do think it seems a bit narrow and rules-heavy to really take off, so my first thought is to try to make it more general. With that goal, I'd make these edits:
1. You start with ANY 3 mana creature in play
2. Still 40 card singleton.
3. Similar to commander, with the "you may move your creature to the command zone when it is moved to graveyard/exile/library/etc.", and you can pay 1 life to play your creature from the command zone.
The fact that the cat comes back for free is a huge interaction point.
For example, you attack on your turn 1. I'm holding a Scale Up in my hand. Do I block, because if I do and your cat dies, it comes back untapped and can block. If I don't, you might have something like Inventor's Axe to really cut my life down. All that has happened is you played a land and attacked so far and the decision tree is spreading out in lots of directions.
I like your idea with a 1 cmc creature. That'd be cool.
This is super creative. Love it
I've been playing MtG for over 25 years, this is the most fun I've had with the game in over a decade. It feels like Limited, but plays like Legacy, it's awesome. Highly recommend.
@ReyaadawnMTG I just pitched it to my friends to see of they're down to try
@@maidenless_tarnished Do it! Let me know how it goes and what you build. Good thing is you can build a "competitive" deck for $50-75. Monogreen or Mono Red aggro can be under $30
How do cards like malakir rebirth and more specifically "Not dead after all" in this case interact with the cat?
Super interesting case. It would technically work since it doesn’t break any of the rules. But because of the cat’s wording, it would have no revival counters since it wasn’t cast.
If you could bring back your opponent’s cat under your your control, that would not be allowed and be similar to reanimate.
So, you share your life total with the cat ? Or it doesn't matter if the cat lost its last life ?
You have 9 life. The cat has the 8 revival counters. Two separate things, you lose when your life hits zero.
So direct damage is banned. but combat damage isn't? I don't think that was clarified well in the video.
Correct. No direct damage to your opponent. Combat damage is key, is the primary way to win.
Have you checked out MTG Territory Wars?
It is very similar to the Battlebox format. It feels like playing limited, low power, and one of the fastest setups, chaotic, and endless variety.
All you need is a small stack of draft chaff to get started. But you can curate it like a cube if you want, but personally I like the randomness of just shuffling up a random assortment of spells and fighting for the crown 👑.
Interesting. I’m not familiar with that. I’ll check it out. I like this format because there’s enough creativity to brew your own deck within the rules but still know what to expect whenever you play a game.
Can you mention where we can find more info on Territory Wars? Looking it up on Google gives nothing useful, and as someone who enjoys Battlebox I'm interested
I made a list! it's CAT FIGHT - Simic Pump on moxfield, just from goldfishing a few rounds ive got turn 3s and turn 2s, unblockable effects seem really strong and embiggen + mutavault seems like a nice sneaky combo
Anything green is super aggressive. Scale Up is also fantastic with unblockable or trample.
Fogs are a huge way to play against this kind of strategy though
@@ReyaadawnMTG true true, I feel like this deck might need to play more counterspells and stuff to get around fogs and just slow itself down a bit, also sideboards would help ofc
@@pigogriff definitely. Blue has a surprising number of counterspells at 1 mana. Minor Mistep is great, I also really love Divert but that won’t help against a fog
Can u pit +1 counters on the cat?
Of course. Hunger of the Howlpack is one of my favorite cards in the format.
Ok, what about rooms or double spells? If they are aloud, can we play the part of the spell that costs more than one mana. What about just x cost spell without any other cost. Also, what about cards with 2 sides? Can you only cost the 1 cost spell or only the non creature side?
Technically, those examples wouldn’t be allowed since the game sees them as the combined mana cost.
An MDFC like Spikefield Hazard would be good. There currently isn’t one that’s a creature on the other side, it would probaly not be allowed simply because Scryfall wouldn’t bring it up.
Does the cat count as one of the 40 cards in your deck? Also are grey bordered/ acorned un-set cards banned?
The cat is in addition to your 40 card library. So Moxfield will show a 41 card deck.
Silver border and acorns are also banned
Love it, immediately started brewing with friends! I'm gonna go with mill. Just one question- are we sure sol ring should be legal?
Sol Ring is on the watchlist for sure, but I haven’t been able to find a really oppressive big mana deck. Colorless mana isn’t as useful since you don’t have a commander to ramp into.
@@ReyaadawnMTG Yeah I guess, there are only a couple decent x spells but spamming artifacts seems decent anyway, colorless can be used for activates abilities too? Idk, still brewing.
Doomsday Confluence seems to be the big X spell most people are going with, but there are a few that are good utility/draw options.
Gonna give this a go with my wife. Catmazing!
Love it!
Sounds really intersting . The fact that you can brew your own deck make this really cool . Could you share some rules text and maybe banlist if you have ?
The being able to brew your own deck is what took this idea from good to great for my group.
Rules text is in the description of this video.
are the rules posted somewhere in text format?
Not currently….i should definitely do that.
This video is the definitive rules for now. There’s a text card at the end that lays it out, but a place with the rules easily visible would be great. I’ll handle that.
Sorry if i missed this in the video, but if my cat rans out of lives do I lose the game as well?
You do not lose. But you’re in a tough spot and will probably lose.
@@ReyaadawnMTG Cool! Thanks so much! I'm probably gonna have a go at this! :D
Do it! It’s a blast!
Now, this is epic
It’s a blast. I truly do recommend it, especially if you’re feeling a it burned out on any other format.
Great format for Isolate
Really good. Deals with any and all pesky artifacts and enchantments
I really like the concept, is there a way we could include the other “familiar” names cards as starting cards by having them cycle like commanders.
It’s the fact that the cat comes back that makes the format function and outside of that, it’s just a vanilla 1/1 in reality.
Counterpoint. What if the sideboard was 9 cards?
I’d be down. More than 5, less than 10 is definitely the right range. I went with 7 because that’s what Arena does. If we got a good Wish, going up to 9 might make more sense. But I’m open on this detail.
Can the cat be turned face down or tapped?
Tapped yes. Faced down, no since that would be “losing all abilities”. There’s no cards at 1 mana that currently do that by the way.
Do you have a discord group? Also I guess proxy are not allowed.
No discord yet. To playtest the format, I proxied up entire decks. I’m not a cop, do what you want.
@ReyaadawnMTG If you ever decide to get a discord so people can play online let me know. Great concept.
Swift reconfiguration doesn't seem good enough to be banning; there are plenty of 1cmc destroy artifact effects
Fragmentize (w)
Hellish Sideswipe (b, but has downside)
Raze the Effigy (r, modal pump spell)
Natural State (g)
Scrap Compactor (c)
Admittedly blue doesn't seem to have any of these effects, but splashing a little of a second colour isn't really the worst thing in the world. Plus it's not like Swift Reconfiguration would be in every game anyway, it does have answers
Black can’t interact with it pretty much at all. Blue can at least bounce the aura momentarily. It got banned after it playtesting and everygame it happened in the first turn, that player won. It’s too “out of the norm” on Turn 1.
It was the first new ban after playtest, nothing else seems super worrisome at this moment.
@@ReyaadawnMTG I suppose that's fair, although surely at some point the player with the vehicled cat would need to crew it, at which point black has a lot of solutions. Also the obvious thing I didn't think of in the first comment is that blue can simply not let it come down 🙃
Maybe after more black artifact hate it will be unbanned, though
Late game it’s mediocre. It’s the Turn 1 swift reconfiguration of the play that is absolutely brutal. You either have a mental misstep, or pretty much lose. Sarcomancy is weirdly you’re best out in black since now you have a 2/2, but that’s easily removed.
So mulling to Swift Reconfiguration is a very high win percentage strategy, and that’s not acceptable.
Magic the Cathering
Nailed it.
Luxior, Giada's Gift works with the cat's revival counters
It absolutely does. Luxior is playable baby!!!!
Turn 1 Culling the Weak, play and equip Luxior, enjoy your 8/8 cat
@ Luxior feels like the real sleeper of the format.
Pendlehaven seems like it might be problematic because of how it can stall gamestates in late game scenarios
It was in my script to originally mention it. It SEEMS really awesome, and don't get me wrong, it is. But the fact that it requires you to tap it and only works for one turn makes it a little less powerful. Every green deck runs it for sure, but it's not the be all end all. it basically gives you the "High Ground". but you can also run Desert to kind of do the opposite, which is funny.
The card that does something similar that blew us all away at how good it was: Sai of the Shinobi. You basically always have a 2/2 cat at minumum
Does this format have a name yet? It should probably have a name.
Edit: nm... I heard "Catfight" in the end...
We're going with Catfight.
@@ReyaadawnMTG It's a great name.
@@Telruin Sweet! Great to hear. I'm a little concerned that the girl's in the community will find that name off putting, but it is incredibly fitting and explains the concept.
I really want to get this idea in front of Voxy. It plays A LOT like limited, and I think she'd love it.
I liked the idea of "Form of the Cat," but Catfight is good too!
Can you phase out the cat? Slip Out the Back would be legal.
Yep that works great. It’s totally fine since the cat returns with all the counters.
Wait, why is Cage banned? Surely that's covered by the giant pile of vague "You can't mess with the cat" rules, right?
Valid point, but this definitely says “don’t try this”. I feel that’s easier and cleaner.
Can you name a card that cage would work with in the format you’d want to have it?
@ReyaadawnMTG Well with no sideboards I don't think Cage would actually be playable anyway. All it does is maybe shut down something like Flame Jab killing your cat over and over again. Faithless Looting, 25% of Ransom Note, etc etc. Not saying it's worth running, just feels weirdly redundant to ban it.
@ I see your point for sure.
I was thinking of it as a clear "Signpost" ban to drill down the "don't try to prevent the cat from coming back" rules. Those are valid cards to mention. I plan on having regular reviews/analysis of the format so if it catches on enough and people aren't struggling with those rules, that might be an unban consideration. Same thing for Barrow-Blade honestly.
Did you say Cat Fight was the format's name? I was thinking Familiar Fight could fit.
Cat Fight does sound broad for a name. But I like the idea of being a fight between two low level magical familiars or low level wizards/witches brawling it out with a low standard ceiling.l
Catfight is a turn of phrase that most people know so I think the “pun” of it and the familiarity with the saying will make it stick. I also think it flows better with the way the order of sounds work in people’s brains. There’s some super interesting science behind how our brain perceives the sounds and rhythm of language.
Can I put stickers on the cat?
Is there a 1 mana noncreature card that adds stickers?
yes Pin Collection
Love it. 100% fine. It’s actually great because the cat never leaves a public zone, so it stays. This is a FANTASTIC card
my man forgor imperial seal, vapiric tutor and gamble
I feel like those were too obvious.
They’re also not as great as they are in other formats to be honest. The low life and the explosive combat makes using a mana and a turn for a tutor not as strong.
Go with 9 cards for sideboard
What’s the thinking with 9, just to stay on theme?
Very interesting
I’ve been playing for over 25 years and this is some of the most fun I’ve had with the game
@@ReyaadawnMTG I'm having an idea around rancor / ethereal armor / sentinel eyes
@@ReyaadawnMTG we did create our own format precisely to be able to brew decks, we went for Brawl+Artisan, we called it Brawltisan
A great strategy. You also just got Lightwheel Enhancements in the new set.
The being able to brew your own deck is what really is drawing people to this format. It plays like a mini format, but has enough creativity for self expression.
Does the "no burn" rule apply to cards that redirect damage? Or is the rule something like "prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to players"
It does, that's a great question. So you can't use Harm's Way to hit your opponent's face, but you can use it to hit their cat or another creature.
@@ReyaadawnMTG figured as much! me and a friend are gonna try this out at some point. i have no clue what the meta looks like so i just brewed a turbofog-y stall deck. i have a hunch elixir of immortality will be pretty good!
Awesome! Send me your list when you build it.
Stalling the gsme is definitely a good strategy to build up resources. Just watch out, attacks come fast and things like Wild Slash exist so a fog isn’t a guarantee way to stop a Berserked cat.
@@ReyaadawnMTG not sure if yt will let me post links but its "orim's cat (cat fight)" on moxfield. i threw it together in 20m so who knows how good it is lol
I'm pretty sure you can post the link. If not, send it to me on IG or Bluesky. Same handle on both.
Counter burn seems op
Direct damage won’t work, but counter and pump spells seems great. Stormchasr’s Talent is a great T1 play.
Couldn't you just make a cat emblem?
This actually looks like a bandai tcg win system, where you hit the life and the hit always takes 1 life
Pump spells are a huge strategy. Give your
Cat some kind of evasion or remove their cat to block, and then swing with a 4/4 cat.
May have missed it somewhere, Hex Parasite?
It’s a creature
@ReyaadawnMTG of course, sorry
Love it
It’s a blast!
Super Tiny Cat Leaders
Kitten Leaders
Wait you cant gain control (as in permanent control) but you can do semi permanent gain control spells? Disagree with that on. I like the format tho
This is the one I’m most on the fence about. The only card that exists is Reanimate now, and I think that would just move to banned if the rule changed.
If there was a blue Aura that cost xU to gain control of a creature of CMC X or less, that’d probably be fine. You can destroy it to get your cat back.
Gain control then stifle the trigger that's give it back@@ReyaadawnMTG
You can’t Stifle the return of a Threaten effect in any format. That’s just not possible eoth the MtG rules unless you’re thinking of a different card.
@@ReyaadawnMTG on another note, banning duals but not tabernacle is hilarious
@ I don’t think Tabernacle would be as ubiquitous. Bazaar is legal as well.
It’s the $500 cards you’d want to play in every top deck that I was targeting
This is fun 😁
I’ve played the game for over 25 years, this is the most fun I’ve had in over a decade playing.
I'm sorry man, but this seems way too restrictive. Fun as a gimmick, but I have a feeling it's going to turn into a game of "yeah but you can't do that" and "no the cat wouldn't want that" etc
Once you accept you can’t exploit any loopholes with the cat, you kind of forget that it was even an option. It’s super fast and explosive, so you never feel like you don’t have interaction and plays to make.
Catmander
Meow-Dern.
I understand the flavor / concept behind the fact that the cat is your only creature and you can't circumvent it's ability, but why do all of your other cards have to be mana value 1 only? That just seems like a weird, needless restriction that's going to seriously harm deck & gameplay diversity. The fact that different cards can have different costs is one of the strongest aspects of Magic card design; completely circumventing it by requiring all cards to cost 1 seems like a bad idea.
If the idea was to ensure that the cat remains relevant throughout the game without getting outscaled by more expensive and powerful spells, and you don't want to drop that rule entirely, why not make it "All cards must have mana value 3 or less" instead? This also ties to the cat better flavorfully: "Nothing can be more expensive than the cat."
It keeps you from veering too far away from the cat being the central premise. It would feel weird to me if someone’s win condition was Mind’s Desire or Timetwister loops. It also helps keep the decks under $100.
I like the 3 or less, but 0 spells weirdly are the biggest problem. Lotus Petal, and chrome mox, and Chalice, and Crashing Footfalls, etc. I think the format would turn too much into a more broken Modern. T1 Rhinos (not even on your turn) would be happening every game.
@ I mean that’s just an inherent problem with any format using full Legacy / Vintage legality (i.e. all cards ever, minus some banned list) - There have been some busted cards printed over the years. I’m not really convinced that a mana value restriction is a better way to solve that than some other legality restrictions like cards printed in the last X years only, commons & uncommons only, etc. or simply creating a much more expansive banned list. This format still seems to run the risk of becoming more about the best MV=1 spells and Lands printed over the years (Mental Misstep, Duress, Sol Ring, Dark Ritual + Mind Twist, Crop Rotation + Dark Depths, Vampiric Tutor / Imperial Seal, etc.) than about the cat. But if you ban those away then there’s not much to do because the MV1 restriction is so severe. I’d rather play something that feels like high powered Limited where we both built around Nine-Lives Familiar than Legacy-but-with-this-largely-irrelevant-cat-here.
@@LunaLasceria a turn 1 tutor is actually a pretty mediocre play in reality because your opponent also has a cat that will be attacking you and now you’ve committed to having no mana to respond if they give their cat trample/menace/etc.
Turn 1 Rancor, Turn 2 Scale Up is something every deck needs to be able to interact with.
The 9 life is what keeps it from “just play the most busted cards ever printed”. Some of the best cards in the format are draft chaffe.
@ I didn't say anything about tutoring on turn 1? I was just giving some examples of cards that you need to at least consider the existence of, which run the risk of overshadowing the cat. Replying to this sort of feels like arguing about a tiny nitpick of cards that I mentioned and ignoring the broader point.
But to do so anyway: On the play, turn 1 tutor, turn 2 win the game still beats your opponent's turn 2 win. I sincerely doubt you've limit tested the format enough to know that there's no turn 2 combo wins. In fact, to use your very own example, turn 1 tutor can perfectly set up turn 2 Rancor + Scale up. There's also Burnt Offering, Culling the Weak, Dark Ritual, Sacrifice, Infernal Plunge, Rite of Flame, Mana Vault, Sol Ring, Phyrexian Tower, and Fastbond that can all make more than 1 mana on turns 1-2. Having 9 life only matters if your opponent actually gets to DO anything - If I go turn 1 ritual, ritual, Mind Twist away your entire hand that's not really my idea of "a novel format that revolves around Nine-Lives Familiar" as it is "a way that people have been winning games of Magic for literally decades". Sure, some of those tutors DID take advantage of sacrificing the cat, but the gameplay pattern of combo-off-with-rituals is not particularly unique.
Also, Rancor + Scale Up is not a compelling argument for the claim that the format ISN'T “just play the most busted cards ever printed” or that "Some of the best cards in the format are draft chaff." Those cards aren't draft chaff, they're some of the most busted Green 1-mana spells ever printed. Again the play pattern of "win the game using Rancor + Scale Up" isn't new and unique, it's exactly how constructed Infect decks have been winning in various formats for years. You've just replaced an infect creature with a cat.
This isn't meant to be overly critical - I think it's AWESOME that you've come up with a new format and chosen to share it with the world! What I'm trying to say is just that, if I were you, I'd be concerned that deck building in this format is going to be significantly more focused on "What cards work well when decks are only allowed to consist of MV1 noncreature spells and lands?" rather than "What cards work well with the cat?" which is against your stated objective. For example, Mental Misstep is the #1 staple of every deck in the format, but has nothing to do with the cat and everything to do with the MV1 only gimmick.
@ I really appreciate what you’re saying and we’ve run hundreds of games and you’d be surprised how doing something with your cat is the truly the optimal strategy. I’m not saying it’s the only one, but it seems to be the strongest and most reliable path.
I want people to help me push these upper limits. Go as hard as you want and try to break it. A Turn 1 Mind Twist is brutal, but you’re still facing down a cat that a topdeck from your opponent can absolutely flip the game around
Rancor + Scale Up is the cleanest Turn 2 combo, but I can’t tell you how many times I have Gut Shotted that cat in response.
I use that as an example not to say the format is all combo and turn 2 wins, but more that you need to build a deck that can handle those possibilities and push through. A deck that can survive turn 2 and close the game 3-4 turns later.
The best turn 1 plays so far are in experience
Sentinel’s Eyes
Sticky Fingers
Pongify / Rapid Hybridization
Quest for the Gravelord and Hidden Gibbons are both up there as well.
None of those are super busted cards in other formats.
Try it out, see if you can break it. It’s a lot more durable than you think it is.
Format name: “Do not the cat”
“No touchy” the format.
One day, Magic is just going to be poker with art cards 🤡
Cat Fight
That’s what we’re going with for the name. Meow!
too many rules attached to cards that would be otherwise simple for beginners (all the exceptions for the cat for example your stifle or Sword to plowshares) also it feels like you try to be too different from other formats, just keep it simple and keep a 15 card sideboard like all other formats with sideboard even consider going to 60 cards just to avoid some of those repetitive games with all the 1 mana staples you already named. for a format that feels like it is is solvable or has some very oppressive play patterns. i suspect a lands combo deck, or discard heavy control decks will take over the meta game.
It’s way more intuitive to play it than it sounds during that section. It also prevents “gaming it”. Mulling to Swords to Plowshare would be an auto win. You have to earn your wins with careful decision trees, not loopholes.
I haven’t found a “solved” deck yet and I’ve been building and playing a bunch. Remember, Rancor, Scale Up, and Berserk are all legal. You need to be interacting and making meaningful plays from the first turn or you’ll be knocked out on turn 2.
@ You could have a special rule allowing the cat to return from exile, like it would the graveyard. If you had an emblem to track the "lives" you could allow some of the counter removal cards. But it would limit effects that could add lives with the current rules. (I haven't looked at this possibility yet)
@ So if you Path to Exiled the cat, it would leave play but then return at end of turn?
What happens if it's bounced, same thing?
That in a weird way almost feels more complicated, but I can understand the logic and how it would open up more interaction points. I also fear that makes blue too overpowered, monoblue would now have almost 20 "removal" spells.
@@ReyaadawnMTG It would be complicated with other zones. But exile is public. The deck, and hand are... is the term "hidden" zones? Makes things complicated.
It just occured to me... if there is any way to turn the cat face down... that would also be a problem. (Doubt that there is any for 1 mana)
Price of Betrayal is the card on the banlist that is most likely to be removed. We've played over a hundred games, zero times has the cat ran out of revival counters. Leaning into that strategy might be an archetype worth unlocking.
I'd rather we just play Jumpstart as a light and inexpensive format with rules that are true to the concept of MTG. Forcibly making new formats with incredibly arbitrary rules and restrictions, obtuse rulings and guidelines, focused on a specific card people might not find interesting, yeah... Why?
Counter point: Why not?
Can't turn the cat into not the cat
Cats Only. No Cat Cars.
If the cat leaves the battlefield under the impact of something like Humility or Polymorphist's Jest...
It can’t lose all abilities, that won’t effect it.
And both of those spells cost more than 1 cmc, so they’re not legal.
Lightningbolt mvp
Noooooooo
Galvanic Discharge is the go to in this format.
@@ReyaadawnMTG what if the cat looses all it's counters? Do you loose?
@matteorossi1172 You don't lose, but you sure are in a tough spot. In the hundreds of games I've played, that has only happed a few times. I do think there is a Monoblack or Rakdos control deck that has the sole intention of doing that, but I haven't built or tested it yet.
@ReyaadawnMTG that makes it all clear, thank you!
I know the whole "restrictions breed creativity" thing but this feels too restrictive. Not a single one thing but the sum of all the rules just made me lose interest the longer you explained the format. Locking it to a single creature also by its nature restricts the amount of self expressions that makes magic appealing. But then I can see how too much expression leads to longer games, cause some people idea of fun magic is not quick games like this format seems to be geared towards to.
Also some people don't like cats, but they do like dogs. this got me thinking maybe there could be a format similar to commander/champions in hearthstone but with a "pet" instead of an overpowered card that forces you to play a certain style.
Your comment literally makes no sense and I first thought you are a bot. Its not like you cant play any more of your self expressive commander decks if you played this format once. "Also some people don't like cats but they do like dogs" you straight up trolling, aint you? Stop making me crack up!! xD None of your arguments make any sense why this should not be a really fun, casual format to play with friends. (still believe you are a bot)
The restrictions definitely help keep the games fast and more explosive, you always feel like you're doing something and have agency in a game. This format actually was born from playing long commander games and then feeling like there was no agency on whether I won or lost, it was just who had the best opening hand.
The format will get better and better because every new set they print more and more pushed/interesting 1 drop spells. Cut Down, Turn Inside Out, Monstrous Rage, Gift of the Viper are all amazing cards printed in the last few months.
I like the "pet" format idea, but the functionality of the cat coming back is what makes this format sing. It could have been a generic zombie and work just the same, it's just cute that it's a big fluffy cat. But some kind of "commander" where you can partner with a pet, that'd be a sweet idea.
I’ll have to make a Dog alter of the card with All Dogs Go To Heaven art….
So... a lot of non-sense rules... a lot of constrictions... an already ban list because of the non-sense rules and constrictions... and you call it a "format". Right...
Every format starts with a banlist. And this is the shortest banlist of any format currently (if you ignore the 30,000 cards that aren’t legal…)
Okay it’s too much. Like I enjoy the idea but at this point you’d probably just be better off designing a brand new game. Like, this format is “ignore 90% of magic cards and the majority of play styles, no creatures or burn so none of the most popular play styles, also we have the most restrictive list possible, and also we’ve banned all the best cards for this super restrictive mana cost.”
The issue with this format is it gives you one thing you can do “have black cat out and play with a 40 card singleton deck”. Then it’s mostly things you can’t do followed by a bunch of cards you’d be losing out on to add so like, sure it’s 40 cards but you basically must have mental misstep and gut shot and skull clamp and a few others because why would you ever not? It just feels like the format is stale and solved before it’s even been played.
It pretty much is a new game to be honest, but with some toys we've had before.
To be honest, it's the most fun I've had playing magic in a decade. You'd be surprised how many competitive decks are viable, especially once you add in sideboards. Rakdos Aggro, Monoblue Control, Izzet Spellslinger, Monoblack control, are all viable archetypes. There's some overlap in decks, but not as much as you'd think. Playing Mono red aggro and Mental Misstepping somebody's game saving Fog is a rush I've never felt in any other format.
You lost me with that endless list of restrictions.
It sounds way more restrictive than it plays. It’s all to prevent people from exploiting loopholes with the cat. Theres really just one “don’t try to trick the cat”
@@ReyaadawnMTG It might not feel restrictive to play, but deckbuilding has to be miserable when the rules are vague enough that anything good you can do *might* be against the rules. It probably doesn't feel that way to you because you get to make the judgement calls for yourself, but if you want this to spread outside your playgroup you are going to have to (1) rigorously write down what is and isn't legal, and (2) do that in a way that someone who isn't already sold on the format can read the list and understand it.
For sure, I’ll get the text rules posted.
But the easy way to say it is “you can’t stop the cat from wanting to come back”. And only noncreature of 1 cmc. That’s really all it is.
@@ReyaadawnMTG In that case, those cards would be banned? Or can I build a deck with a lot of paths, stifles and so on that would be dead drawings?
@@abuelovinagres4411 You just can’t use the effects against the Nine-Lives Familiar. You can use them everywhere else.
For instance, my monoblue control deck runs stifle because hitting somebody’s fetchland, or Strip Mine, or Urza’s Saga can be game winning if timed right. I just can’t stifle the cat’s ability to prevent it from coming back.