
# Catfight: The Cat Has Nine Lives (And You'd Better Use Them All)

Magic is at its best when it's fast, scrappy, and unpredictable. **Catfight** is a fan-made format created by [ReyaaDawnMTG](https://www.youtube.com/@ReyaaDawnMTG) that delivers exactly that. Low-cost spells, singleton deckbuilding, and a single creature that anchors every game: your **Nine-Lives Familiar**.

It's cheap to build, quick to play, and every game feels like it matters. Now you can play it on ManyTCG.

## What is Catfight?

Catfight is a 1v1 format built around one core idea: protect your cat, kill theirs.

Each player starts at **9 life** with a **Nine-Lives Familiar** on the battlefield carrying **8 revival counters**. Your cat is your only creature. If it dies with no counters left, you lose. Simple as that.

The rest of your deck is built from **non-creature spells with CMC 1** _(with some exceptions)_ and **lands**. No expensive bombs, no creature-heavy boards, just tight, efficient spellcasting and a cat that refuses to stay dead.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-FDN-321" />

## The Full Ruleset

Here's everything you need to know:

### Setup

- 1v1
- 9 starting life
- Non-combat damage dealt to you by your opponent is **prevented** (life loss is still allowed, and you can damage yourself)

### Deckbuilding

- **40-card singleton minimum** (excluding Nine-Lives Familiar)
- Only **non-creature cards of CMC 1** and **lands** (no zero-cost spells, no Dryad Arbor)
- X spells, Kicker, Talent, and similar mechanics are allowed
- **9-card sideboard**

### The Cat

- Each player starts with a **Nine-Lives Familiar** on the battlefield with **8 revival counters**
- The cat doesn't count toward your 40-card minimum
- It can attack on turn 1
- **If your cat dies with no counters left, you lose the game**

### Cat-Specific Interactions (The Golden Rule)

**You cannot make the cat do what the cat doesn't want to do.**

In other words, you cannot stop the cat from coming back from the graveyard as designed and intended. Specifically, you cannot:

- **Exile** the cat from any zone
- **Bounce** the cat (it can't go into anyone's hand)
- **Put the cat into a library** from any zone
- **Remove the cat's death trigger ability** ("loses all abilities" effects will remove other abilities, but not the return-from-death trigger)
- **Stifle or counter** the cat's death trigger
- **Make the cat leave either graveyard** (or not leave) beyond its own trigger (no Reanimate, no Malakir Rebirth, no Grafdigger's Cage)
- **Turn the cat face down**, manifest it, or similar effects
- **Permanently gain control** of your opponent's cat (if you do, it returns at the end of turn)

**Edge cases:**

- If something would affect multiple cards and one of them is the cat, it resolves as normal **except** it doesn't affect the cat. (Example: Bojuka Bog exiles everything in a graveyard except the cat.)
- If something requires you to return, exile, or otherwise move a card and you have options other than the cat, **you must choose the other card**. (Example: Curfew is cast while you have a cat and a token in play. You must return the token.)

## Why Catfight Works

The CMC 1 restriction and singleton rule mean every card matters. There are no dead draws, no waiting around for a big finisher. You're making meaningful decisions from turn one.

The format naturally stays budget-friendly since you're only playing cheap spells. And because non-combat damage from your opponent is prevented, the game revolves entirely around combat with your cat and strategic use of your 1-mana toolkit.

Games are **fast**. If you've ever wanted a format you can squeeze into a lunch break, Catfight is it.

## How to Play Catfight on ManyTCG

Getting started is straightforward:

1. **Create an account** (if you haven't already -- [Sign Up Here](https://manytcg.com/signup))
2. **Build a Catfight deck** -- select "Catfight" as your format when creating a new MTG deck. The deck validator will enforce all the rules for you.
3. **Pick your Nine-Lives Familiar** -- you'll be prompted to select it as a format extra, just like choosing a Commander.
4. **Hit Playtest** and invite your opponent.

When the game starts, your Nine-Lives Familiar will already be on the battlefield with its 8 revival counters. No setup needed.

## Deckbuilding Tips

Since you're locked to CMC 1 non-creature spells, here are some directions to explore:

- **Removal:** Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, Fatal Push -- the usual suspects all cost 1
- **Pump spells:** Giant Growth, Mutagenic Growth, Rancor -- making your cat hit harder is a real strategy
- **Protection:** Gods Willing, Snakeskin Veil, Tyvar's Stand -- keeping your cat alive is everything
- **X spells:** These are legal and scale into the late game. Fireball variants and flexible removal give you reach
- **Cantrips:** Brainstorm, Ponder, Opt -- consistency matters in singleton

The tension between going aggressive (attacking with your cat, pumping it) and playing defensive (holding up protection, managing counters) is what makes Catfight tick.

## Credit Where It's Due

Catfight was created by **ReyaaDawnMTG**. You can check out the full format breakdown and see it in action on their [YouTube channel](https://youtu.be/DHp2Wx-gFZ0).

## Ready to Scrap?

Build a deck, hit **Playtest**, and see how far nine lives can take you. Catfight proves that Magic doesn't need big mana or complex board states to be thrilling. Sometimes all you need is a cat, a handful of cheap spells, and the nerve to swing first.

Good luck out there. Your cat is counting on you.


Play Catfight on ManyTCG: A New MTG Player Format

Comments (1)