Double X Point (XX-Point) Magic

Rules

XX-Point is a unified ruleset that uses the current point list for X-Point Old School. Each player must build two decks that are unified legal meaning: no more than four of any one card, except basic lands, can appear across both decks, and no more than one of any restricted card can appear across both decks. Additionally, no more than ten points can appear in any one deck. You may have up to twenty points across both decks, but no more than ten points in each deck. Decks should be at least 60 cards and should not have sideboards. Each deck should be labeled Deck 1 and Deck 2.

Matches are played best of three. For Game 1, before the play/draw coin flip, each player will choose to play either of their two decks. For Game 2, each player must play whichever deck they did not play in Game 1. If a Game 3 is required, each player will choose whether their opponent will play Deck 1 or Deck 2. The choices of each player are made in secret such that neither player knows the outcome until both players' choices are made.*

There are no ties. At time, matches are put on a five turn clock. If a winner is not determined after five turns, players move to Chaos Orb flips.

* The simplest way to do this is to use a piece of paper to write Deck 1 or Deck 2 for your opponent in secret, and keep it face down until both players have done so. We are planning to provide a prize apparatus to simplify this process for all Magic City Classic attendees.

Banned & Restricted Lists

XX-Point Magic uses the Atlantic banned and restricted lists found here.

Original frame and art strongly encouraged.

Special Eratta

Ring of Ma'rûf - (5) - Artifact

(5), Tap, Remove Ring of Ma'rûf from the game: The next time you would draw a card this turn, instead put any card from your other registered XX-Point deck into your hand. Return it to your other deck after the game. This card can break the 10 point limit for your deck.

FAQs

  • It depends! The main thing to remember is that if you were to build a big deck with all the cards that make up both of your decks, it would have to be Atlantic legal.

    With this in mind, you would not be allowed to play Ancestral Recall as 6 points in one deck, then play another Ancestral Recall as 6 points in the other deck. Thinking back to our big 120 card deck, it would not be legal to play 2 Ancestral Recalls in that deck.

    However, it is totally fine to play 2 Maze of Ith for 2 points in one deck and to play 2 Maze of Ith for 2 points in the other deck.

  • For our event, unless otherwise specified, we’ll be using whatever the current point list is for X-Point. The X-Point committee updated their point list for 2026 on December 31, 2025. This is the ruleset by which we’ll be abiding. You can find the current X-Point list below.

  • Yes! Generally, we are a proxy-friendly playgroup as long as the proxies are easily identifiable as the card they represent. Feel free to get creative, but please avoid modern reprints that have new frames and art. You should be able to tell at a glance what the card is if you are familiar with the original.

    For this event, we may charge a higher entry fee for players who want to play proxies. 100% of proceeds after we cover costs are donated to charity, so if you’d like to play proxies, you’ll need to make a larger charitable donation.

  • No, in addition to the two decks being unified legal if you used all the cards in both decks to build one big deck, each deck must also be X-Point legal, meaning no more than 10 points can appear in either of the two decks.

An example of a pair of very annoying XX-Point legal decks using the 2026 X-Point list. Note there are 10 points or fewer in each deck, and if this deck were to be shuffled up into one pile, it would be legal under the Atlantic Ruleset. Additionally, there are no sideboards.