Endless Dominion: A Prolonged MTG Commander Variant
Created by Ara Kavlakian
Overview: Endless Dominion is an MTG Commander variant designed for extended play and adaptable player counts. It emphasizes balanced and strategic gameplay while preserving the essence of Commander.
Game Start: Begins with 2 players. Other players can join any time of their choosing as the game progresses, until the pod is full (4). A player who loses can rejoin if someone else joins before them. When a player dies during a 4 player game, a new player joins, entering the game into Round 2.
The game continues until no one wants to join.
Player Count: 5 or more (maximum 4 at a time)
Deck Rules: Standard Commander rules, with specific “bans” (see below)
RULES & REGULATIONS
- No game-ending infinite combos.
- Limited activation of the same ability (4 times unless otherwise specified; e.g. Ad Nauseum).
- No player may be eliminated by a single game action (e.g. Aetherflux Reservoir)
- Surviving players' Commander Damage and lethal-infect minimum is increase by 5 each new Round.
- Only 1 extra turn per turn allowed (skip the rest).
- No mass-land-destruction.
- Game-winning/losing cards (e.g. “if you control 20 artifacts you win the game” or “labman” effects) have no effect in this format, and are consider Banned (see article 16 & 17 for more)
- Max hand size is reset to 7 at the beginning of each new Round (everyone discards down to 7 regardless, if you have less than 7 – tough luck! lol)
- Planeswalkers' Loyalty Counters reset at the start of each Round.
- Annihilator count and all cumulative effects (other than commander tax) are (re)set to zero each new Round (you make use a reset-counter or a piece of paper to keep track)
- Planeswalker emblems get reset / get exiled at the strat of each Round.
- Players with more than 40 life reset to 40 at each round start.
- All mana pools, graveyards, and exile zones are emptied at the start of each round start (they are out of the game entirely).
- New round starts with a new player joining (not someone being eliminated).
- An eliminated player can rejoin the game if another player joins first.
- All cards with a “Salt-Shaker” icon next to them; are consider Banned cards (ref. ), you may cast them if you wish to, but they will have no abilities (blank text). Creatures maintain their type, power and toughness (still, no text). Devotion still counts as normal.
- Banned cards may be exchanged at split-second speed (reveal, exile, draw another card instead).
- Starting Round 2, each re-joining player chooses a new emblem for the table.
- Decks that are custom-built with these rules in mind are banned from this variant.
EMBLEMS
Round 2 to 4:
- Burgeoning
- Land Tax + Exploration
- Phyrexian Arena
- Sylvan Library
Round 5 to 7:
- Underworld Connections (for all lands in play)
- Dictate of the Twin Gods
- Consecrated Sphinx
Round 8+:
- Kruphix, God of Horizons
- Xenagos, God of Revels
- Omniscience
GAMEPLAY
- Start with 2 players at 40 life.
- 2 free mulligans for each player.
- New player may join starting turn 3 onwards
- New player chooses a seat if multiple available.
- 3 turns minimum between player joins, except at new Rounds.
- New Round (“Round 2”) starts when 1 player joins after 1 death in a 4-player game.
- Newly joining players are "Under Teferi’s Protection" while they play for 5 turns.
- Protection ends at the start of 6th turn of the protected player, or if protected player attempts to affect gameplay (in any way).
- You will lose the game if you are to draw but have no cards in your library; be careful to your draws!
- Gameplay ends when no new players want to join the game.
Notes:
- Keep track of lands played for Land Tax emblem to facilitate count.
- Decks can be changed between “resurrections”.
- Concede only at sorcery speed.
This variant maintains the Commander spirit while offering extended gameplay for pod of 5+ people.
It's designed for fun, strategic battles with evolving dynamics and a focus on balanced interactions.
SUGGESTION FOR AN ADDITIONAL MECHANIC: Each time a player eliminates another player, the player gets an emblem called Molon Lave which says it says: "Heroic Endurance – At the beginning of each upkeep, you lose life equal to the life you lost last turn”. Keep in mind, when a player is eliminated, they lose all their emblems.
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If you try it, let me know how it goes.
Have fun!
