Two-Headed Giant (often abbreviated 2HG or THG) is a multiplayer format in which teams of two people each face each other. This format is unique in the fact that players take actions as a team instead of individually.

Rules

Two-Headed Giant has a few rules that vary from the original rules:

Each team has a shared life total that starts at 30 life.

Each team takes turns rather than each player. This means that players draw as a team, attack as a team, block as a team, and go through the various phases of the turn as a team. Cards that would make a target player take an extra turn/step or lose a turn/step cause that team to take or lose that turn/step (e.g. Beacon of Tomorrows would make a target team take another turn after this one instead of just one player on that team).

takes turns rather than each player. This means that players draw as a team, attack as a team, block as a team, and go through the various phases of the turn as a team. Cards that would make a target player take an extra turn/step or lose a turn/step cause that team to take or lose that turn/step (e.g. Beacon of Tomorrows would make a target team take another turn after this one instead of just one player on that team). The team who plays first skips the draw step of their first turn.

With the exception of life total and poison counters, a team's resource (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.

The first mulligan results in a full hand of seven cards (or however many cards constitute a "full hand" if other rules/cards modify the opening hand size). Each mulligan afterward results in one fewer card every time.

If an effect causes a player to control another player's turn, the controller of that effect controls the affected player's team's turn (e.g. Mindslaver would allow that player to control the entire team's turn instead of one player on that team).

The legal card format for a DCi sanctioned Two-Headed Giant tournament is the same as the Standard format.

Winning and Losing

The Two-Headed Giant variant uses the normal rules for winning or losing the game, with the following additions:

If a team's life total is 0 or less, the team loses the game without receiving priority.

Players win and lose the game only as a team, not as individuals. If either player on a team loses the game, the team loses the game. If either player on a team wins the game, the entire team wins the game. If an effect would prevent a player from winning the game, that player's team can't win the game. If an effect would prevent a player from losing the game, that player's team can't lose the game.

If a player concedes, his or her team leaves the game immediately. That team loses the game.

Poison counters are also shared within a team. If a team has 15 or more poison counters, that team loses the game.

If a player is unable to draw a card from his or her deck when a situation forces him or her to draw (like at a player's draw step), that player's team loses the game.

Life and Damage