While most cards work pretty straightforward in 2HG there are some quirks, often involving the combat phase or life total changes. Those cards are explained in these notes.

If you’re playing a 2HG prerelease stay tuned for the 2HG Hidden Gems that highlights which cards to look out for! For the general 2HG rules see the 2HG FAQ and for non-2HG questions see the regular release notes.

GENERAL NOTES

“YOU”

The rule of thumb for 2HG is “You” still refers to you alone, not both you and your teammate. Look for the word “you” in the card text, such as “creatures you control get +1/+1”, “target creature you control”, etc.

“EACH”

Cards that say “each opponent” or “each player” do affect more players than usual.

THEME: GAINING LIFE MATTERS

Epicure of Blood | Bloodthirsty Aerialist | Angel of Vitality | Ajani, Strength of the Pride

These cards only have their effect when YOU gain the life. When your teammate gains life your shared life total changes, but it wasn’t you who gained that life.

THEME: LOSING LIFE MATTERS

Vengeful Warchief | Vilis, Broker of Blood

These cards only triggers when you lose the life. When your teammate loses life your life total changes, but it wasn’t you who lost that life.

Creatures deal combat damage to a specific opponent, which is chosen when the creature is declared as an attacker. So if one of your opponents has one of these cards, you want to choose the other player when you attack. If no choice is made, the default is that you’re attacking the opponent seated in front of you.

Knight of the Ebon Legion

The trigger looks at each player individually. So if both players on a team lost 2 life in a turn, this card will not trigger. Even though their shared life total decreased by 4 total, neither player lost 4 or more life.

Creatures deal combat damage to a specific opponent, which is chosen when the creature is declared as an attacker. If no choice is made, the default is that you’re attacking the opponent seated in front of you. So if you or your teammate controls a Knight of the Ebon Legion, you want to choose the same opponent when you’re attacking.

Chandra’s Spitfire

This card looks at both opponents individually. If an ability “deals damage to each opponent” simultaneously (for example Glint-Horn Buccaneer) this card will trigger twice.

LIFE TOTAL

Loxodon Lifechanter

Your life total is equal to your team’s life total.

When you set your life total, you are gaining or losing that much life. Your teammate is not gaining or losing that much life.

Angel of Vitality

Your life total is equal to your team’s life total, which starts at 30 in 2HG!

Ajani, Strength of the Pride

Your life total is equal to your team’s life total and your starting life total is 30, so the third ability requires your team to have at least 45 life.

COMBAT

Loyal Pegasus

Your teammate’s creatures count for this.

Heart-Piercer Bow

If the equipped creature attacks a planeswalker, that planeswalker’s controller counts as the “defending player”. You can’t target a creature from the other opponent in that case.

When you declare a creature as an attacker, you choose one of the opponents who counts as “defending player” for that creature. This is also the player who will be dealt combat damage by the creature. So if one of your opponents has a “life loss matters” card like Vengeful Warchief, you can’t both target a creature that player controls and also deal the equipped creature’s combat damage to their teammate.

OTHER

Scheming Symmetry

This targets any two players so yes, you can target yourself and your teammate.

Nightpack Ambusher

This only cares about whether you have played a spell in your turn. It does not matter whether your teammate plays spells.

Wolfkin Bond

You can enchant your teammate’s creature with this, but you get the token.

Might of the Masses

You can target your teammate’s creature with this, but it will count the number of creatures you control.

Gods Willing

This can only target creatures you control. (This is something that is easily overlooked in the heat of battle as most combat tricks can be used on your teammate’s creatures, so be mindful of this if it’s in your deck.)