I just finished writing the blog post about Mini master and decided to make a separate one about Variant mentioned here: https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Mini-Master
Many Mini-Master variants exist. A different way to do it is for each player to open a booster and have that entire booster become their opening hand. During each player’s turn, that player may choose a basic land from outside the game and put it into play. Players play without libraries; effects that say to draw a card have no effect, and there is no penalty for being unable to draw.
So just as last time I’ll show example how this could go.
What you need is much more simple so this takea even less prep than the original, and does not have chance of someone mana screwing, though cards that draw are basicly dead.
What you need is:
And that is it,
Booster on Right will go first as they got Nat20. So lets go straight to it, I opted this time not to sleeve the cards as there is not deck, no shuffling, cards are quite safe from damage.
R1 T1, Ellywick (right boosters new identity) will play Mountain and pass the turn.
R1, T2: Drizzt (left boosters new name) will play Plains and Cast Ranger’s Hawk
R2, T3, Ellywick: Play Forest and cast You find a Cursed Idol with Steal its Eyes to get a Treasure Token.
R2, T4, Drizzt: Play Swamp, Attack witg Ranger’s Hawk for 1. Cast Lightfoor Rogue. Pass
R3, T5, Ellywick, Play Swamp, Cast Clattering Skeletons.
R3, T6, Drizzt, Play Island, Attack with both, Sneak attack triggers -> Roll 4, gains Deathtouch. Ellywixk does not block and goes to 15, 2nd Main cast Celestial Unicorn
R4, T7, Ellywick. Clattering Skeleton Attacks, Drizzt block with Celestial Unicorn, both die, Ellywick Ventures to Dungeon of Mad Mage for 1 life. 2nd Main Play Plains cast Bulette, end step Bulette gets a +1/+1 Counter as creature died this turn.
R4, T8, Drizzt. Attack with both creatures, Sneak Attack triggers for 6, Ellywick does not block, 2nd Main: Play Forest Cast Half-Elf Monk
R5, T9, Ellywick. Play Plains, Cast Shessra, Death’s Whisper and use Bewitching Whispers on Half-Elf Monk Attack woth Bulette, Half-Elf Monk must block. End of Turn Bulette grows another +1/+1
R5, T10, Drizzt. Attack with both, Sneak Attack 17, no blocks, Ellywick goes down to 9. Play Swamp and Cast Hired Hexblade, go!
R6, T11 Ellywick. Play Mountain, Cast Inspiring Bard, Bardic Inspiration to Shssra, Death’s Whisper, cast Kick in the Door to Inspiring Bard, attack with all 3 creatures for 10 damage, Drizzt Casts You come to river – Fight the Current to bounce Bulette, blocks Inspiring Bard with Hired Hexblade and casts Feign Death on Hexblade. Drizzt takes 1 damage, go!
R6, T12 Drizzt. Play Mountain, Cast Boots of Speed and equip to Ranger’s Hawk. Attack with all for 7, Sneak Attack triggers roll 12. Ellywick casts Dragon fire to Lightfoor Rogue revealing Red Dragon,
R7, T13 Ellywick. Play Forest, Cast Red Dragon. Deal 4 damage to Drizzt and pass turn with no attack.
R7, T14 Drizzt. Play Forest, Cast Drizzt Do’Urden, Etb trigger create a Guenhwyvar token, equip Boots of Speed to Guenhwyvar and attack with it, Ellywick blocks with Shessra, Trample does 2 damage over. Guenhwyvar dies and Drizzt gets 2 +1/+1 tokens. 2nd Main equip Boots of Speed to Drizzt,
R8, T15, Ellywick. Play Swamp, Cast Price of Loyalty to Drizzt, Attack with Drizzt, 6/5 with Double Strike, Drizzt(Player) block with Hired Hexblade, 2nd Main, Cast Ellywick Tumbleatack and use +1 to Venture into Twisted Caverns, Drizzt can’t attack until Ellywicks next turn. Pass the turn.
R8, T16, Drizzt, Play Island, Cast Purple Worm, Equip boots of Speed and Attack with Purple Worm, Ellywick Blocks with Inspiring Bard and casts Mordekainen’s Polymorph to Purple Worm, both creatures die.
R9, T17, Ellywick. Play Island, Cast Eyes of the Beholder to Drizzt Cast Bulette, Venture with +1 of Ellywick
Now Drizzt can’t really win anymore, so I’ll end the game here, on R9, T18 best he can do is to reattach Boots of Speed to Ranger ‘s Hawk, but not having more creatures or way to remove Red Dragon he is stuck while Ellywick can swing with Bulette, He would have mana to finally Counter Planar Ally the last creature on Ellywicks hand, but that does not help him. So Ellywick wins by Drizzt scooping on impossible situation.
As I played out this game, I think compared to original Minimaster this is mich more skill based, as the luck element only matters on what you pulled from pack, unfortunately all draw a card cards are literally dead, so good draw engine would be a empty card im this format.
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