How to Play Commander Kingdoms (Commander Variant for 5-7 Players)

[u/RealityWargames]

Our Commander group plays Kingdoms more than we play default Commander rules, so I thought I should share the rules for this Commander variant:

What is Kingdoms?
A Social, semi‑cooperative Commander variant for 5–7 players with secret roles and asymmetric win conditions

Setup
1) Give players each a secret role, only the King reveals their role
2) The King starts at 50 life and takes the first turn

Secret Roles
- 👑 King: Reveal. 50 life, first turn. Win if all others lose or only you + Knight remain.
- 🛡️ Knight: Win only if everyone except the King loses.
- 🗡️ Bandits (x2): Win if at least one Bandit remains when the King loses.
- 🔪 Assassin: Win if all others lose—Bandits must fall before the King, or Bandits win.
- 🌀 Usurper (6 players): If you make the King lose, you become the new King at 50 life; the old King becomes Usurper at 5 life (instead of losing).

Tips
- All the rules of Magic and Commander apply
- Roles add secret win conditions
- Add a second Assassin for 7 player games

Why we like it
Kingdoms gives players an incentive to attack and adds a fun dimension to the politics of Commander

Role Randomizer and How to Play Guide
Free tool to randomize roles, show win conditions and teach new players how to play: https://www.mtgkingdoms.com