Another rant session gave me a neat idea: What would a format look like where your goal is to lose the game.

First things first, guidelines for bannings:

I think anything where you pay life and no other resource an unlimited number of times would have to be banned. This includes things like Yawg's Bargain and Griselbrand. You'd also need to ban any 0 mana you lose the game effects such as the Pacts.

Does a ton of Phyrexian spells just win?

Creatures change completely as you no longer want to threaten their life total.

Spoils of the Vault, Misstep the Misstep that Misstepped the Misstepped Mistep. Name Deep Wood.

2 card monte would still be a great deck.

Its an interesting thought exercise to build a deck, but not really feasible for a whole format. Banned list would have to be huge for it to not be a turn 2 format. Most cards would be irrelevant. Maybe you could build a Cube or a Type 4 stack where this is the way to win. Then the small card pool is not an issue.

phage reanimator would be a great deck imho

No reason not to play Turbo Final Fortune/Last Chance/Warrior's Oath.

Demonic Consultation becomes one hell of a card.

@nedleeds said in A format where you try to lose the game:

Spoils of the Vault, Misstep the Misstep that Misstepped the Misstepped Mistep. Name Deep Wood.

I think this is the winner. Spoils, Gemstone Caverns, Pact of Negation, FOW, Misstep, Disrupting Shoal, etc.

Though I think Mountain Goat is the better name.

Ban cards until Rage Extractor Shops is good, then ban Rage Extractor.

@hierarchnoble said in A format where you try to lose the game:

Ban cards until Rage Extractor Shops is good, then ban Rage Extractor.

Can we do this in Vintage plz?

@thecravenone said in A format where you try to lose the game:

@hierarchnoble said in A format where you try to lose the game:

Ban cards until Rage Extractor Shops is good, then ban Rage Extractor.

Can we do this in Vintage plz?

I tried it when New Phyrexia came out and it doesn't have enough payoff for the life you lose, unlike this format. It was the precipitating factor in discovering Slash Panther, though, so it wasn't fruitless.

@cutlex said in A format where you try to lose the game:

@nedleeds said in A format where you try to lose the game:

Spoils of the Vault, Misstep the Misstep that Misstepped the Misstepped Mistep. Name Deep Wood.

I think this is the winner. Spoils, Gemstone Caverns, Pact of Negation, FOW, Misstep, Disrupting Shoal, etc.

Though I think Mountain Goat is the better name.

I'll meet you half way and say Wood Elemental.