Two-Headed Giant is 2-on-2 team Magic. You and a teammate each bring your own 60-card deck, but your life total is shared, starting at 30. You take your turn together, attack and block as a team, and win or lose together. This guide walks you through it one step at a time, with no experience needed.
Download the free printable quick guide (PDF)
Two pages you can print and keep next to your cards while you learn.
Want the official format page? Visit Wizards' Two-Headed Giant format page (magic.wizards.com).
What do you need to play?
- 2 teams of 2 players, each with their own 60-card deck. There's no special team deck-building, bring any deck legal for the format the event is using.
- A way to track one shared life total per team, starting at 30 instead of the usual 20.
What's shared, and what isn't?
Only life is shared between you and your teammate. Your hand, your library, your battlefield and your mana all stay your own. A teammate can't tap their lands to pay for your spell, and you can't look through their deck.
How do you set up a game?
- Each player shuffles their own deck separately.
- Decide which team goes first (a die roll, or however your group likes to settle it).
- Each player draws 7 cards. Mulligans work as normal, per player, using the London mulligan.
- Both teams start at 30 shared life.
How do you play your turn?
You and your teammate take your turn at the same time. Untap, draw, play lands and cast spells together, then move into combat. Everything else about a turn, the 7 phases, the stack, mana, is exactly the same as normal Magic.
The team that goes first skips its very first draw step, same rule as any two-player Magic game.
How does combat work?
- Attack either opponent, or a planeswalker they control, it doesn't have to be the player sitting across from you.
- Either teammate may block an attacker aimed at their side of the team.
- Effects that say "each opponent" or "each player" still hit every player separately, they're not shared like life is.
Can you talk to your teammate?
Yes. You and your teammate may look at each other's hands and talk strategy any time, even during your opponents' turn. Plan your blocks and the order you do things together, that's part of the format.
How does a team lose?
| Team life hits 0 | Your shared total, started at 30. |
| Either of you loses individually | Like drawing from an empty library. Your whole team loses too, right away. |
One player's loss is the whole team's loss. You don't need your shared life to hit 0 for the game to end.
A few tips for your first game
- Coordinate decks with your teammate before the match. Two aggressive decks, or two control decks, can work against you.
- Talk through blocks before you declare them, you get to see the whole board together.
- Don't over-commit into an empty board, a single sweeper can wipe two boards at once.
- Save removal for real threats, you're defending 30 life for two people, not 20 for one.
Quick reference
| Team | 2 players, each with their own 60-card deck |
| Life | 30, shared by the team; everything else stays personal |
| Turn | Both teammates act together; first team skips first draw |
| Combat | Attack either opponent; either teammate can block for their side |
| Lose | Team life hits 0, or either player individually loses |
Printable quick guide
Everything above fits on two printable pages. Print it double-sided and keep it at the table.
Download the printable guide (PDF)
Official Magic rules (free)
Wizards of the Coast posts the official rules for free.
- Two-Headed Giant format page: the official overview of the format.
- Comprehensive Rules: every Magic rule in full detail, including the Two-Headed Giant variant rules (section 810).
Where can you play Two-Headed Giant near Newport, TN?
Landfall Outpost hosts Two-Headed Giant events for players of all experience levels at 138 North St, Newport, TN 37821. Grab a teammate and bring your own decks, we'll walk new players through their first game. Pick up singles and supplies in our Magic: The Gathering collection, and check our events page for our current schedule. Free on-site parking.