The Dominaria rules changes have overhauled how combat works in 2HG! Read on to learn about those changes and about how individual Dominaria cards work in 2HG.

If you’re playing a 2HG prerelease you should also check out the 2HG Hidden Gems that highlights which cards to look out for!

GENERAL NOTES



Combat Notes



Combat in 2HG is changing quite a bit with the release of Dominaria. Previously you used to attack the opposing team and then still had to figure out the defending player individually for each effect that cared.

Now for each creature you declare as an attacker in the declare attackers step you choose one opponent (or planeswalker) to attack. This clarifies who the defending player is and who will be dealt combat damage.

No matter who the creatures are attacking, the defending players still can block as a team, this hasn’t changed at all.

More about this rules change here.



Weatherlight, Urgoros, the Empty One

You declare which player you are attacking in the declare attackers step. Weatherlight’s and Urgoros, the Empty One’s abilities will trigger if they deal combat damage. If the damage is prevented by the opposing team, the abilities will not trigger.



Baird, Steward of Argive.

If you want to attack a player who controls Baird, Steward of Argive, you will have to pay 1 for each creature attacking that player. You can attack their teammate without having to pay any cost. This is a change to how these kind of abilities used to work.

“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”, “whenever you cast a historic spell”, etc.



Legendary sorcery

Casting a legendary sorcery requires you to control a legendary creature or planeswalker, so any permanents your teammate has don’t count and vice versa.



Warcry Phoenix

For the ability of Warcry Phoenix to trigger, you need to control 3 or more attacking creatures. Warcry Phoenix doesn’t care about your teammate’s attacking creatures.

“EACH”

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



The Eldest Reborn

When you put the first lore counter on The Eldest Reborn, both your opponents will have to sacrifice a creature or planewalker.

When you put on the second lore counter, both of them will have to discard a card.



Caligo Skin-Witch

If you pay the kickercost for Caligo Skin-Witch, both of your opponents will have to discard two cards.



Fall of the Thran

When you put the second and third lore counter on Fall of the Thran, every player (your opponents, your teammate and you) may return 2 lands to the battlefield.



Ghitu Journeymage, Cabal Paladin

Ghitu Journeymage and Cabal Paladin deal damage to both opponents, essentially doubling the damage to 4.



Hallar, the Firefletcher

Hallar deals damage equal to the number of +1/+1 counters to each opponent, doubling the amount of damage dealt.

“Each opponent X and you Y”



Slimefoot, the Stowawaym, Chainer Torment

Slimefoot, the Stowaway deals 1 damage to each opponent, doubling the damage to 2. You still only gain 1 though.

Chainer’s Torment deals 2 damage to each opponent, doubling the damge to 4. You still only gain 2.

Life Notes

If you lose life during a turn then it’s only you who loses the life, not your teammate! Same goes for gaining life.

Whenever you need to know your lifetotal for an effect, use your team’s life total.



Evra, Halycon Witness

For the ability of Evra, Halycon Witness you’ll use the team’s life total. The loss or gain of life only happens to you. Things that care about life gain or life loss will only trigger for you, not your teammate.



Firesong and Sunspeaker

With Firesong and Sunspeaker, the second ability will only trigger if player that controls the Firesong and Sunspeaker gains life, not their teammate.



Torgaar, Famine Incarnate

When Torgaar, Famine Incarnate enters the battlefield, you target up to one player. Their team’s life total becomes 15. This counts as losing or gaining life for only the targeted player.

Extra Turns





Karn’s Temporal Sundering, Teferi Timebender

In 2HG, teammates share turns. So if you gain an extra turn, your team will get an extra turn.

Other Notes



Lich’s Mastery

With Lich’s Mastery in play, you can’t lose the game, so your team can’t lose the game. When Lich’s Mastery leaves the battlefield, you lose the game so your team loses the game.

Life loss and life gain happens to players, not the team. So you only draw cards or exile permanents/cards when you have gained or lost life.

In the declare attackers step on your opponents’s turn, they choose for each creature whether it’s attacking you or your teammate. You will only lose life if creatures attacking you deal combat damage to you. Then you will have to exile permanents/cards. Creatures dealing damage to your teammate does not cause you to lose life.