Emperor

Emperor
DCI Sanctioned
Paper
Magic Online
Magic Arena
Rules
Type	Constructed Limited
Multiplayer

Emperor is a casual multiplayer format for Magic: the Gathering played by teams of three players. Each team has one "emperor", who is protected by the other players on their team. If an emperor loses the game, their entire team loses.

Description

Setup

Each team sits together on one side of the table, with team members deciding the order in which they're seated. The emperor is the player seated in the middle of the team. The remaining players on the team are "generals" (or "lieutenants" ) whose job is to protect their emperor while attempting to take down the opposing emperor. Players randomly determine one of the emperors to go first, and turn order then progresses to the left.

Players may agree to follow any deck construction format desired, with associated extra rules and/or rules modifications if necessary, making "Commander Emperor" or "Modern Emperor" example subtypes of Emperor. It's possible for different roles to use different deck formats, for instance the emperor could use a Commander deck while the generals use a Standard or Pauper deck, or Emperors could be allowed two commanders.

Gameplay

Each player plays as an individual. Players can collaborate by looking at each other's hands and discussing strategy, but each player keeps a separate life total (starting at 20), hand, library, battlefield, and so on. The one difference is that all creatures on the battlefield have the "Deploy" ability: ": Target teammate gains control of this creature. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery." However, just like in a normal game, when a player is eliminated from the game, all cards they own (including creatures controlled by other players) are exiled and then vanish from the game, and if that player controlled permanents that are owned by other players, they stay in the game and return to their owners' control.

Players may only attack opponents seated immediately next to them. This means that at the beginning of the game, emperors can't attack anyone because no opponent is sitting next to them. In addition, emperors have a "range of influence" of 2 and generals have a range of influence of 1; a player's spells and abilities they control can only count and affect themselves and players within a number of seats equal to their range of influence. When a player is eliminated, their seat is no longer counted; this means that in order to attack the opposing team's emperor or affect them with spells, a team must first defeat one of the opposing player's generals!

Winning and losing an Emperor game works differently than normal. A team loses the game when their emperor has been eliminated; it doesn't matter whether they have any generals remaining or not. This means that a general that's been eliminated from the game can still win if their team eliminates the opposing emperor later on!

The Emperor format can be played with more than two teams; in that case, the appropriate Free-for-All rules are applied. The format can also be played with more than three members on each team, as long as each team has the same number. Each extra player on a team is an additional general. That means that some generals won't be sitting next to an opponent (they'll be between two teammates), so they can't attack anyone at the beginning of the game. Be sure to increase the ranges of influence accordingly.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Emperor Variant

A multiplayer variant played among three-player teams. See rule 809, “Emperor Variant.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 809. Emperor Variant
  • 809.1. The Emperor variant involves two or more teams of three players each.
  • 809.2. Each team sits together on one side of the table. Each team decides the order in which it’s seated. Each team has one emperor, who sits in the middle of the team. The remaining players on the team are generals whose job is to protect the emperor.
  • 809.3. The Emperor variant uses the following default options.
    • 809.3a The range of influence is limited to 2 for emperors and 1 for generals. See rule 801, “Limited Range of Influence Option.”
    • 809.3b Emperor games use the deploy creatures option (see rule 804).
    • 809.3c A player can attack only an opponent seated immediately next to them, a planeswalker controlled by a player seated immediately next to them, or a battle protected by a player seated immediately next to them.

      Example: At the start of an Emperor game, neither emperor can attack any opponents, even though both of the opposing generals are within their spell range.

  • 809.4. Randomly determine which emperor goes first. Turn order goes to the players’ left.
  • 809.5. The Emperor variant includes the following specifications for winning and losing the game. All other rules for ending the game also apply. (See rule 104.)
    • 809.5a A team wins the game if its emperor wins.
    • 809.5b A team loses the game if its emperor loses.
    • 809.5c The game is a draw for a team if the game is a draw for its emperor.
  • 809.6. The Emperor variant can also be played with any number of equally sized teams. If the teams have more than three players, the range of influence of each player should be adjusted.
    • 809.6a Each general’s range of influence should be the minimum number that allows one general from an opposing team to begin the game within their range of influence. Each emperor’s range of influence should be the minimum number that allows two generals from opposing teams to begin the game within their range of influence. Players should be seated such that no emperor begins the game within the range of influence of another emperor.

      Example: In an Emperor game between two teams of four players each, the player configuration (either clockwise or counterclockwise around the table) should be: Team A general 1, Team A emperor, Team A general 2, Team A general 3, Team B general 1, Team B emperor, Team B general 2, Team B general 3. Each emperor has range of influence 3. Each general 2 has range of influence 2. Each general 1 and general 3 has range of influence 1.

  • 809.7. In the Emperor variant, a team’s resources (cards in hand, mana, and so on) are not shared. Teammates may review each other’s hands and discuss strategies at any time. Teammates can’t manipulate each other’s cards or permanents.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Emperor

The middle player on each team in an Emperor game. See rule 809, “Emperor Variant.”

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

General

Any player in the Emperor multiplayer variant who isn’t an emperor. See rule 809, “Emperor Variant.”