Two-Headed Giant Update for Future Sight
(Or, on to Wizards: My Last Ask the Judge Feature Friday)

This is my last regular column for Ask the Judge. I have accepted a job with Wizards of the Coast as a software developer, which I started a couple days ago. My focus here will be programming the rules engine and cards for Magic Online, as part of the new Digital Gaming department. I want to take this article to thank some people. I wanted to thank a lot of people or their involvement with Magic and who helped me grow as a player, Magic enthusiast, judge, and/or rules guru ("Melvin").

Thanks a lot to the following people for helping me get more involved and better at being involved with Magic(in no particular order): Shawn Doherty, Lee McLain, Barratt Moy, Alan Hochman, Rune Horvik, Dave Delaney, Jeff Jordan, Laurie Cheers, John Shannon, Sheldon Menery, John Carter, Andy Heckt, Mark Gottlieb, Scott Marshall, Toby Elliott, Michael Feuell, and Randy Buehler. Special thanks to many others (and many listed above) for being awesome friends who provided me the motivation to continue to be involved in this awesome game.

First, some general 2HG notes:

You = You, not You + Your Teammate
This is pretty self explanatory, but bears repeating as it answers 90% of 2HG questions.

Fateseal N
To "Fateseal N" means to look at the top N cards of an opponent's library, put any number of them on the bottom of that library in any order, and put the rest on top of that library in any order.

You choose the opponent you Fateseal every time you do it. You make the choice every time you do it. If the spell or ability that instructs you to Fateseal targets an opponent, you don't have to Fateseal that opponent.

Gravestorm "Gravestorm" means "When you play this spell, put a copy of it onto the stack for each permanent that was put into a graveyard from play this turn. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for any of the copies."

Like Storm, Gravestorm counts for all four players.

Poisonous N
"Poisonous N" means "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player gets N poison counters."

Each player's number of poison counters is distinct. If a player has 10 or more poison counters, that player's team loses the game. Combat damage dealt by a creature that doesn't get assigned to creatures must be assigned to one defending player or the other, you can't split it up. This means that you can assign to the same player over and over make them lose that player's team lose once that player gets 10 poison counters. Be sure to announce which player is getting assigned combat damage.

And now, on to the cards...

Chronomantic Escape
Until your next turn, creatures can't attack you. Remove Chronomantic Escape from the game with three time counters on it.

This prevents your team from being attacked from being attacked.

Even the Odds
Play Even the Odds only if you control fewer creatures than each opponent.

You look seperately at the number of creatures controlled by both the primary and secondary player of the other team. You must control less creatures than both of these numbers to play Even the Odds. Controlling less than the total doesn't necessarily mean you can play it.

Glittering Wish
You may choose a multicolored card you own from outside the game, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Remove Glittering Wish from the game.

While you can't sideboard in DCI sanctioned 2HG tournaments due to the 1-game matches, you may still use Glittering Wish to search for multicolored cards that were not put in either deck (or were removed from the game and owned by you). Those cards don't have to be assigned to specific players when decks are being registered, but once a player brings a card into a game this way, he or she is considered that card's owner, and the teammate is not.

Grove of the Burnwillos
{T}: Add {R} or {G} to your mana pool. Each opponent gains 1 life.

Each opponent gains 1 life, so the opposing team gains a total of 2 life.

Heartwood Storyteller
Whenever a player plays a noncreature spell, each of that player's opponents may draw a card.

First the primary player on the opposing team decides whether or not to draw, and does so if he or she chooses. Then the secondary player of that team—knowing the primary player's choice and identity of the card drawn if one was—chooses whether or not to draw, and draws if chosen to.

Imperial Mask
When Imperial Mask comes into play, if it's not a token, each of your teammates puts a token into play that's a copy of Imperial Mask.

The first tournament-legal cards to reference teammates, Imperial Mask applies in 2HG and will create a copy of itself for your teammate also. You are not your own teammate, so you don't get a second copy.

Magus of the Vineyard
At the beginning of each player's precombat main phase, add {G}{G} to that player's mana pool.

This ability triggers twice each precombat main phase, once for both active players. The active team chooses which order the abilities go on the stack in.

Nacatl War-Pride
Nacatl War-Pride must be blocked by exactly one creature if able. Whenever Nacatl War-Pride attacks, put X tokens into play tapped and attacking that are copies of Nacatl War-Pride, where X is the number of creatures defending player controls. Remove the tokens from the game at end of turn.

The blocking requirement applies in total, and is fulfilled only if one creature total is blocking it, not one from each player. On the other hand, the triggered ability requires its controller to choose one of the defending players in order to determine how many token copies to create. It's not one for the total creatures of both defending players.

Rites of Flourshing
At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws a card.

This triggers twice each draw step, once for each active player. The active team can choose the order they go on the stack.

Shapeshifter's Morrow
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player reveals the top card of his or her library. If it's a creature card, the player puts the card into his or her graveyard and Shapeshifter's Marrow becomes a copy of that card. (If it does, it loses this ability.)

This triggers twice each opponent's upkeep (unless it's a copy of something else and has lost the ability). The non-active team, who has a player who controls Shapeshifter's Morrow, chooses the order they go on the stack in. If the first one to resolve reveals a creature card, the second one will still resolve normally. If it also reveals a creature card, it will essentially overwrite the copy effect from the first resolution.

Utopia Mycon
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Utopia Mycon.

This triggers only once each of your team's upkeeps.

... and that's it.

Feel free to comment in the forums regarding questions, and I'll try to follow up. I want to thank those who took the time to read my articles here, and I hope you enjoyed them. Thanks to Sheldon Menery and Seamus Campbell for giving me the opportunity to write for this excellent site. Bye everyone!