What is Keymander?

Keymander is a new way to play Keyforge with four players implementing ideas and mechanics
from the popular Magic: the Gathering Commander format. Keymander encourages a social
approach to high-power Keyforge play, where new and overlooked synergies shine and
creativity/fun are the focus.

Building a Keymander Deck

A Keymander deck is built similarly to an Alliance deck, but with twice the number of cards. First
you select three houses to play with, then choose two pods from each of those houses to make
a complete deck. Unlike Alliance, these pods can come from multiple different sets!

In addition to the pods, a Keymander deck contains one Keymander card, which is the
equivalent of a Commander in Magic. Keymander cards are specially designed for this format,
and are available in a print-and-play file. Players can choose any Keymander card for their
deck, though a few have restrictions to follow for their inclusion.

How to Play
The rules of Keymander are identical to regular Keyforge, with the following changes:

Setup
A typical Keymander game is played with four players. At the start of the game, each player sets
their Keymander card aside face-up in the Keymander area.

The beginning of the game is resolved similarly to regular Keyforge, just with four players.
Players shuffle their decks and randomly choose a starting player. The starting player draws a
hand of seven cards, while each other player draws six cards. Beginning with the starting player
and going clockwise, each player has one chance to mulligan their opening hand, shuffling it
back into the deck and drawing a new hand with one less card. Once every player has had an
opportunity to mulligan, the starting player takes their first turn and play proceeds clockwise.

The starting player can only play or discard one card on their first turn.

Keymander Cards
In order for a Keymander card to be played from the Keymander area, it must be funded. Funds
are cards that are placed face-up under a Keymander card (this is known as funding the
Keymander). When a card is used this way none of its effects or pips are resolved.

While a Keymander card is in the Keymander area, there are two ways it can be funded:
● At the start of each player’s turn, the active player must put the top card of their deck
under their Keymander as a fund card. If that Keymander is already funded or is in play,
the top card of their deck is not moved or revealed to any player.
● During your turn, you can place cards from the active house from your hand into the
Keymander area under a Keymander that is not already funded.

A Keymander card requires 2 fund cards to become fully funded. This number increases by 1
for each time the Keymander card has been played during the course of the game.

If a player’s Keymander card is fully funded, it can be played from the Keymander area during
their turn as though it was in their hand. A Keymander card is considered to belong to all of the
houses of its face-up fund cards (including when it is in the Keymander area). Keymander cards
always enter play ready.

If a Keymander card would leave your battleline for any reason, it is put back into the
Keymander area instead of the zone it would normally move to. All face-up funds on it are
discarded at this time.

A Keymander card in play that has no houses(for example, if it has no face-up fund cards) is
destroyed.

Refund
Some effects on Keymander cards require or allow you to Refund. When you Refund, choose
one of your Keymander card’s face-up funds and flip it over. When your Keymander card leaves
play, face-down or “Refunds” follow it to the Keymander area instead of being discarded, then
flip them face-up. These Refunds now count as Funds towards the next time you’d like to play
your Keymander.

Scope of Card Effects

Many effects in Keyforge use the words “opponent” or “enemy”. Any time these words are used,
the effect in question only targets a single enemy player. The active player chooses which
enemy player is the target at the time the effect activates or becomes active.
For example, the destroyed effect on Dark Minion will only damage the creatures controlled by
one player, and the active player when the destroyed effect triggers chooses which opponent is
damaged.

If a card has an ongoing effect that targets an enemy, this must be chosen at the time the card
is played.
For example, when playing the card Pile of Skulls the active player chooses one of their
opponents. This opponent is the only opponent whose creatures will trigger the capture effect.

If a card instead refers to “all” of something, it will work as normal.

For example, Gateway to Dis does destroy all creatures in play.

Erratas
It is our intention to errata as few cards as possible. Heart of the Forest and Quixxle
Stone evade the “opponent” rule that makes free for all work, so they both follow the
same treatment.

Card Errata

Heart of the Forest You and your opponent cannot forge keys
while having more forged keys than the
other.

Quixxle Stone You and your opponent cannot play

creatures while controlling more creatures
than the other.

FAQ
Some individual card effects may have ambiguous functionality under the KFC rules. If you have
a question about a card not listed in this FAQ, feel free to ask about it in the rules-questions
channel in the Keymander discord.
Card Notes

Mirror Shell If a card that becomes a Keymander

leaves play, it goes to the intended zone
and not the Keymander zone. Mirror Shell
mirrors all of the Keymander’s houses
throughout the turn.

Mimic Gel If a card that becomes a Keymander

leaves play, it goes to the intended zone
and not the Keymander zone. Mimic Gel
will maintain only Logos as its house
unless otherwise acted upon.

General Order 24/Grondal If there is an effect that destroys your

Keymander at the start of your turn, you
may choose if that happens before or
after you fund your keymander. You
always check to see if you can fund your
Keymander during your start of turn step.

Aurelia, Otherworld Adventurer If Aurelia opens a sealed deck with a

token, do I make that my token? Yes, the
token in your sealed deck will become
your token. If you already have a
token, you may opt not to take the new
token.

Aurelia, Otherworld Adventurer What happens to the cards that are

played from Aurelia’s sealed deck? Cards
from the sealed deck are removed
from the game after they leave play.
Aurelia, Otherworld Adventurer What happens if I cannot play the card on
top of Aurelia’s sealed deck? If you
cannot play the card on top of the
sealed deck due to alpha, restrictive
effects like Befuddle, or requirements
like Kelifi Dragon, you may either
remove the card from the game or put
it on the bottom of the sealed deck.

Aurelia, Otherworld Adventurer Can I draw cards from Aurelia’s sealed

deck? No, the only effect that interacts
with the sealed deck is Aurelia’s
action. A Lethologica or Sound the
Horns similarly will discard cards from
your deck. Make It So will reveal and
draw cards from your deck and so on.

Aurelia, Otherworld Adventurer What happens if I run out of cards in

Aurelia’s sealed deck? If there are no
cards remaining in Aurelia’s sealed
deck, you may open a new sealed deck
when you play Aurelia.

The Tide The tide is a 4 sided card with one High

Tide and three Low Tide sides. Any Low
Tide player may use the Omni: ability of
The Tide

Menagerie and Unchained Menagerie and Unchained pods ARE

legal for play in Keymander.
Captured aember When a creature with aember on it is
destroyed, the active player decides
which player other than the creature’s
controller receives the aember.

Keymanders Can I use X as my Keymander? Only

Keymander creatures can be
Keymanders. Keyforge printed cards may
not be used as your keymander.

Fund Cards What happens to Fund cards when a

Keymander leaves play? A Keymander
in play’s fund cards move to the
discard pile when a Keymander leaves
play.

Refund Cards What happens to Refund cards when a

Keymander leaves play? A Keymander
in play’s refund cards move to the
Keymander area when a Keymander
leaves play, then flip face-up.

Refund Cards Do Refund cards provide houses to a

Keymander? No, face-down cards
including Refund cards do not provide
houses to a Keymander.

Play Step What is a Play Step? The ‘Play Step’ is

step 3 in the timing chart, a shortening
of “Play, Discard, or Use Cards Step”

Twin of “X” or Evil Twin of “X” Can I use two pods that are Twins or Evil
Twins in the same deck? Yes. Potentially
you could have 2 identical pods.
Discord
If you are interested in learning more about the Keymander format, or finding like-minded
players to discuss the format with, join the Keymander discord! This is where official changes
and updates to the format will be announced, as well as community efforts to build decks and
put together games.

Link: [Link]