HOW TO PLAY

Let's Learn how to play Trash Ante Commander!

Below are rules/guidelines on how to play Trash Ante Commander. You can do this with your friends, weirdos at a local game shop, or join us for one of our events!
At our events we have a few more specific rules that you'll see outlined as "event only" (feel free to ignore these if you're not playing at Trash Ante Commander Tournament event).
If you have any questions about anything (except maybe the meaning of life), please reach out to us at: TACTMTG@gmail.com

Deck-Building Restrictions

All bans and restrictions for normal Commander apply, plus a couple of extra rules/restrictions:

All double-sided cards are banned. (ex. Battles, MDFCs, etc.)
Your Commander(s) can't be worth more than 5$ total.
Your deck, in its entirety, can't be worth more than 50$ total. This includes basic lands.
(most standard basics are worth around 0.05$).
All cards can't be sleeved.
Decks can't be transported in a standard purchased deckbox.
However, a creative Deck-Carrying Device may be used as long as no part of it was originally purchased as a deckbox.
You must register your decklist on Archidekt or Moxfield and Register (below) with it before playing your first game of Trash Ante. In addition, you're encouraged to update this decklist as you gain/lose Ante cards, though this is not required.
Ensure to set Archidekt or Moxfield to use "TCG Player" price estimates.
All prices listed above and elsewhere are in USD as these websites only do USD.
Event Only: Board RESETs are Banned (like Farewell; f*ck that card in particular).
We have only around 60 minutes to try and play a quick game of Commander so we can't be drawing it out.
--> PARTIAL Board wipes/sweepers are allowed but heavily discouraged (like only creatures, or only opponents stuff).

During Play

Begin by placing your Commander(s) in the Command Zone.
Shuffle your deck, and offer your deck to an opponent to cut.
(they can choose whether they want to cut it or not)
Take the top card of your library and, without looking at it, place it face-down in the “Ante Zone” (outside the game, cannot be targeted, avoids jury duty etc.).
This card remains face-down in the Ante Zone until the game ends.
Randomly decide who goes first, how you'll be doing mulligans*, and begin the game.
*Event Only: Mulligans will be done in the standard London Mulligan fashion for multiplayer games of Magic The Gathering.
(You get ONE FREE Mulligan. After that, you look at 7 cards, and put one onto the bottom [hand of 6]. If you have to go again, you look at 7 cards, and put two on the bottom [hand of 5] etc.)

#Winning

If you defeat an opponent (by damage, commander damage, life loss, mill etc.), you will get their Ante card when the game ends.
(If they really need to pee or something, the player who was defeated can sign their Ante card secretly and leave it at the table)
If you WIN the game/are the last player standing, you will get to keep your Ante card and it will go back into your deck.
When the game ends, reveal all Ante cards.
Then, each player who was defeated signs their Ante card.
(ensuring that the rules text is still legible, and that their name can clearly be read).
Finally, distribute these Ante cards to the appropriate player(s).
Any player that acquired a new Ante card then adds it to their deck (more on that below).
Event Only: IMMEDIATELY after a game is concluded, please check in with the registration staff and report if you have gained or lost any Ante cards. Each Ante card you win counts as a point towards a Grand Prize, but there's always a chance you might Ante up the card you just won in the next game...
*spooky noises*
Event Only: There will be 3 Grand Prizes awarded:

Most Ante Cards Won (and still in your deck at the end of the event)
Most-Creative Deck-Carrying Device (based on player votes)
Best Deck Strategy (based on player votes)

# Special Circumstances

If you win the game through a “win the game” effect, you get all of your opponents’ remaining Ante cards (that haven't already been claimed).
If a player dies/loses/is defeated for an unusual reason, the last opponent who dealt them damage gets their Ante card.
If a player “scoops”, for any reason, their ante card is forfeited and the last player standing/winner of the game will get this card.
If the game ends in a 4-way draw, no one gains a new Ante card, and everyone puts their own Ante card back in their deck, (then disappointedly shakes their head). Additionally, if the last two players in a game draw, they each keep their own Ante cards.
Event Only: If there is a rules dispute, call out "JUDGE!"
We don't have officially licensed judges, as this is not a sanctioned event, but one of the organizers will come over and make a ruling. This ruling must be respected or you may be asked to leave the tournament.
Event Only: If a player is cheating, call out "JUDGE!" and someone will come assist you. If it is confirmed a player is/has cheated they may be asked to leave the tournament or be forced to Ante more cards in their current game.
Event Only: If a player is Bullying, Harassing, Intimidating, or otherwise causing you to feel uncomfortable, speak to an organizer.
A player may be asked to leave the tournament immediately for such behavior.

How To: Ante Cards in your Deck

You own any Ante cards in your deck. (You still own them if they're in your hand, on the battlefield, etc.)
Ante cards don't count towards the normal deck maximum of 100 cards.
In addition, if you have lost cards to Ante, you cannot replace them between games, and your deck card maximum goes down by 1 for each Ante card lost. (99, 98, etc.)
Ante cards you own maintain their colour and colour identity, and are exceptions to the normal Commander colour-identity rule.
If you have any Ante cards, you can cast them by using mana of any colour.
(but still paying their total CMC)
If there are coloured pips in the casting cost of an Ante spell you own, you must instead pay one mana of any colour for each pip. (You can't use colourless mana to pay for coloured pips, but you can use colourless mana for generic costs as per usual)
If the spell has any additional costs such as kicker, spree, etc. you must be able to pay whatever colour of mana is required to get the extra effect.
If the Ante card is a permanent, and has an activated ability, you must use the correct/required colours of mana present on the card to activate it.
Players are encouraged to run pieces of mana-fixing; even in a mono-coloured deck.
It is considered bad sportsmanship to intentionally damage any Ante cards you own
(don't be a j*rk)

Frequently Asked Questions

If not a Deckbox, what can I use?

You can use a tupperware container, a paper bag, an old fish tank, a plant pot; anything creative that didn't start out as a purchased deckbox.

What if I have a different version of the card?

If you own the card, use whatever the cheapest value listing is in Moxfield or Archidekt. Just remember; any cards in the deck are at risk of being Ante-d away!

So I can use foils?

Absolutely! Just choose the cheapest value for the same card at non-foil. Your opponents will thank you for Ante-ing up a shiny card that they might keep!

What about printed proxies?

Dude, most cards in this tournament will be 10 cents on average.
ONLY REAL CARDS! (no proxies)

Can I use the "Playing for Ante" cards?!?

We've talked about this quite a bit, but at this point in time; No. You cannot use these cards as they would make the decks no longer "commander-legal" as they are on the banned list for Commander.

How many rounds will there be?

There will be Three rounds of gameplay.

How long will the rounds be?

We're still working out the details, but we have to keep the time tight, so at the moment we are estimating 60 minute rounds of gameplay.
(you gotta defeat your opponents quickly and efficiently)

It's the day of the event and my deck is over the price limit! What do I do?!?

Option 1: Change your decklist and physical deck with cards you have with at home.

Option 2: We will have a "Spare Bulk Bin" of cards at the event, and if you are over-budget you may be asked to swap out some cards for the cheap bulk cards we can provide.
Option 3: Plan for you deck to be well-under budget to avoid this issue!