Here are basic Horde Magic rules

Note: These sources contain the OG Rules for Horde Magic by Peter Knudson

We have been inspired, through extensive gameplay and enjoyment of Horde Magic, to augment and alter the rules as follows:

Player Setup

  • Each player chooses an EDH deck to play against the Horde
  • Players take three turns (unless otherwise noted) before the Horde takes its first turn. This allows players to establish a minimal board prior to the Horde churning out attackers

Horde Game Play

After Survivor players complete their third turn, setting up their board state as best as possible, it then becomes the Horde’s turn. 

  • Horde has a 300-card Library
    • Notes:
      • 100-card horde library – Our EDH decks seem too tuned and powerful and tended to defeat the traditional 100-card horde library – even with other powerup factors like +1/+1 increases each turn.
      • Adding ~7 Legendary Creatures as “bosses” also can make the horde more powerful (see optional gameplay rules below)
  • Horde has infinite mana (for the purpose of casting costs and activation costs)
  • Horde casts spells in “Waves”
    • Cards are “cast” from the top of the Library until the Wave ends
  • All Horde creatures have Haste and are Goaded unless otherwise stated (ex: “Defender”)
  • Only Horde creatures with “Defender” can block
  • The Horde does not have a “Hand”
    • If the horde would Draw a card, it instead draws it, and immediately casts it directly into play
    • If a permanent is returned to the Horde’s “hand” and is owned by the Horde, it goes on top of the Horde’s library
    • If given an option to discard a card, the Horde may put a card from the top of their library into its graveyard
  • When damage occurs to the Horde, each point of damage mills the Horde’s Library
    • Optional and Recommended!! If a Legendary Creature goes to the graveyard this way, it instead Enters the Battlefield, ETB effects trigger, and then immediately Phases Out.
  • Card-activated abilities have summoning sickness, occur during the post-combat main phase, and only once per turn
  • Card-triggered abilities occur immediately
  • Permanents with activated abilities can only be activated once per turn

General Rules

  • A Horde can be battled by as little as one human player or up to four – the beauty of Horde Magic is that a single human player can actually play a Horde game on their own!
  • 2-4 human players that are considered a single “player,” taking their turns and turn actions in unison (untap, phases, combat, end step, etc)
  • The Horde is also a “player”
  • The Horde has no “hand”
  • The Horde casts spells from the top of a ~300 card Library in “Waves”
  • The Horde has infinite mana
  • Horde plays {1} Wave per turn
    • Optional: Wave counts may increase based on quantity of Survivor players
    • Optional: Wave counts vary per turn 1,2,3,2,1,2,3,2,1
    • Waves end when and UNCOMMON, RARE or MYTHIC card is cast
  • Player life totals are combined, shared and start at 100 life
    • Each player reduces {15} life to the total life beyond the 1st player
      • 1 player: 100 life total
      • 2 players: 85 life total
      • 3 players: 70 life total
      • etc…
    • Each player takes {3} consecutive turns to set up their board
  • Damage to the Horde mills the Library
  • Lifegain to the Horde has no effect
    • Optional – Lifegain could replace cards from the graveyard to the bottom of the Horde library
  • Damage to the Players reduces the combined life total
  • Lifegain to the Players increases the combined life total
  • Effects to “each Player” will trigger for each player
  • Effects to “each Opponent” will only trigger once
  • Decisions made by the “horde” player must be made in the best interest of the horde. Cards that target a permanent must target what’s in the best interest of the horde. Be honest. The fun is in the challenge!

Wincon

  • Players win if the Horde’s Library is empty, and the Horde’s board is empty
  • The Horde wins if:
    • Players have no life, or
    • Players have no cards to draw, or
    • Players have reached the Poison limit
  • No card abilities with alternate win conditions are legal (such as any card with “…you win the game” text)

MTG Rules and Cards – Noteworthy Interpretations

  • Exotic Orchard, Fellwar Stone – Since the horde can produce any mana, but has no lands, we recommend to allow it to create any color mana
  • Since the Survivors are considered one player when the horde attacks, unlike Two-Headed Giant that are based on the Team player being attacked, abilities that trigger based on “when you are attacked” DO still trigger.
  • Any static rules from other cards that would impact the horde’s creatures’ ability to attack are ignored. Example abilities include “enter tapped”, “cannot attack”. Targeted and activated effects and stun counters are legal.
  • Monarch – We play that the monarch goes on the survivor group, but only one player draws. We simply choose based on who needs to draw a card.

If you enjoy playing horde, please join our list!