Naturalised
Artifacts are a very important part of this format. Taking them away shakes up the metagame quite a bit.
Enchantments are less important, but there are few notable ones. Its nice to play a land rule format without any exploration decks.
Players may not submit artifact or enchantment cards. Deck Size: 4 cards
Basic Land rule. Additional Bans: none
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Deck Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
6. Scoring
7. Variant Format Rules
1. Overview
Perfect Hand Magic (PHM) is a competitive strategy game for two or more players. It can be played using pencil and paper; however, it's most commonly played via online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form that player's hand. Once all players have chosen hands, the hands are revealed and scored.
The object of the game is to choose the hand that will score the most points. The score for each hand is determined by the result that it would achieve if it were used to play two games of Magic – one match – against each competing hand; the rules for these theoretical games are covered in Section 2 – Game Rules. During each theoretical game, the theoretical player of each hand employs the strategy that will maximize the score for his or her hand, taking into account the strategy of his or her opponent.
A hand scores 3 points for each game that it would win, 0 points for each game it would lose, and 1 point for each game that would end in a draw. However, a hand scores only 2 points for any match that would have a symmetrical result, regardless of whether the result would be two drawn games or a win for each hand.
The composition of a hand is limited only by a short banned list and a few restrictions on the game states that it can enable; these restrictions are covered in Section 3 – Deck Composition.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
2.1a. Changes to the Comprehensive Rules or the Oracle text of a card take effect at the following times:
i. Changes that would take effect during the prerelease for a set take effect during the first round for which cards from that set may be submitted instead.
ii. Changes that would take effect at any other time take effect during the first round for which those rules have been in effect since the start of the round instead.
2.1b. Ignore any part of an instruction that isn't covered by these rules or the rules of Magic.
2.2. A player's opening hand contains that player's chosen cards.
2.3. Players' libraries begin the game empty.
2.3a. A player doesn't lose the game as a result of being unable to draw a card.
2.4. A cost or effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits the player who paid that cost or the owner of the source of that effect instead.
2.5. Each player is the starting player for one game in each match.
2.6. Players know the identities of all face-down cards and cards in hidden zones, and players know which decisions have been made by other players.
2.7. If a game would continue indefinitely, then the game is a draw.
2.8. If a loop containing at least one optional action would be repeated indefinitely during a turn, then any player may propose a number of times for that loop to repeat instead. If a player does, then each other player may propose a different number and the loop is repeated for the greatest number of times proposed instead. No player is required to make a choice that would end a loop that crosses multiple turns.
2.9. Cards can't be brought into the game from outside the game.
3. Hand Construction Rules
3.1. A player may not choose an opening hand that could enable that player to achieve any of the following results before an opponent's second turn would begin, such that that opponent could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in at least one of these results:
i. win the game
ii. take an infinite number of turns
iii. cause a card to leave an opponent's hand.
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.1a. That player's hand would be legal if that player's opponents' cards had no rules text.
3.1b. That player's hand would be legal if that player's opponents had no maximum hand size.
3.1c. That player could achieve one of these results only during a game that was restarted after an opponent's second turn had begun.
3.1d. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be put onto the battlefield by that effect.
3.1e. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be in that opponent's hand once that effect resolved.
3.2. A hand may contain any number of copies of any card legal in Vintage.
3.2a. An unreleased card is treated as though it's legal in Vintage if it will become legal in Vintage upon release and if the release notes for the set that contains that card were published prior to the start of the round (See rule 4.1).
3.3. A hand may not contain any cards on the PHM Banned List.
4. Entry
4.1. A player plays a round of PHM by submitting a list of his or her chosen cards to the PHM moderator.
4.2. A player may change his or her hand until the posted deadline.
4.2a. If a player submits an illegal hand, then the moderator will try to notify that player to change his or her hand prior to the deadline. If the hand is discovered to be illegal after the deadline – or if the player does not submit a new hand – then the moderator may either disqualify that hand or replace it with a similar hand, in which any cards causing that hand to be illegal have been removed or replaced.
4.2b. The moderator also will try to notify a player if that player's hand doesn't enable that player to win the game against any possible hand.
4.3. A player may name his or her hand. If that player doesn't, then the PHM moderator may name it. The PHM moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
5.1. PHM League play consists of four rounds of PHM.
5.2. Each round, a player earns League points according to the following formula:
League Points = Points Scored / Number of Opponents x 100 (rounded to the nearest integer)
5.3. The player with the most League points at the end of League play is the PHM League winner.
5.3a. If multiple players have the most League points at the end of the League, then the PHM moderator may allow those players to play additional rounds until only one of those players has the most League points or until a specified number of additional rounds have been played.
6. Scoring
6.1. A table of match results is posted at the end of each round. Each row lists one player's results against each other player. A player's points and League points are tallied at the end of his or her row.
6.2. A player may earn bonus League points as specified by the PHM moderator.
6.3. Each player is responsible for determining the match results for his or her hand.
6.3a. Players are encouraged to determine or verify additional match results.
6.3b. An undetermined match result is counted as a loss for both players in that match.
6.3c. A player may challenge any result until the moderator announces that the result is final.
7. Variant Format Rules
7.1. Perfect Hand Magic has been played with hands containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Deck Construction Rules have been adapted to create hundreds of variant formats. Five commonly-played variants are described in Sections 7.3-7.7.
7.2. The rules of a variant format overwrite any other applicable rules.
7.2a. Some variant formats generate continuous effects. A continuous effect generated by a variant format is treated as having the earliest timestamp within a layer or sublayer. If continuous effects generated by multiple variant formats would apply in the same layer or sublayer, assign timestamps to those effects in the order that the variant formats are listed in the rules or name of the round.
7.2b. Some variant formats require a player to make some number of decisions in addition to or instead of submitting a hand. A player's submission must comply with the Hand Construction Rules, taking into account any decisions made at this time.
7.2c. Some variant formats require players to make decisions "before the start of each game". For these decisions, follow the "Active Player, Nonactive Player order" rule, replacing "active player" with "starting player".
7.3. Land Rule Variant.
7.3a. This is the basic land rule (LR). Any player may play a basic land or basic snow land of the subtype of his or her choice from outside the game any time he or she could normally play a land. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.3b. This is the extra land rule (ELR). Any player may play a basic land or basic snow land of the subtype of his or her choice from outside the game any time he or she could normally play a land. Any player may play an additional land on each of his or her turns from his or her hand. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.3c. This is the draw land rule (DLR). If a player would draw a card from an empty library, that player puts a basic land or basic snow land card of the subtype of his or her choice from outside the game into his or her hand instead. The starting player doesn't skip the draw step of his or her first turn. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.4a. Only cards contained in sets legal in the named format may be submitted.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.5a. If neither player would win otherwise, then the player who maintains the higher life total wins the game.
7.5b. A player must choose an opening hand that enables that player to win both games of a match against at least one legal hand, irrespective of rule 7.5a.
7.6. Backbuild.
7.6a. Players exchanges hands before the start of each match. A hand must enable the player of that hand to win both games of a match against a specified hand or specified hands. Ignore rule 3.1.
7.7. Bonus Points.
7.7a. A player earns bonus points if his or her hand meets specified requirements.
PHM Banned List
The following cards are automatically banned in all Perfect Hand Magic League rounds unless otherwise specified by the round rules. Each round may have an additional banned list that extends beyond, but always includes, these cards.
Land Rule Banned List
"Land Rule" is the most common variant for PHM, and thus a separate ban list has been developed to allow for easier moderation. The following cards are banned in Perfect Hand Magic League rounds when a Land Rule is used. There will be a reminder of this on the round rules.
Format suggestion:
5 Card Vowels
Basic land rule
Hands must contain at least one card whose English name begins with A, one whose name begins with E, one whose name begins with I, one whose name begins with O, and one whose name begins with U. (Split cards consider the names of both halves of the card for this purpose. Breaking // Entering counts as the E card. Odds // Ends counts as both the E and O card, and thus would allow you to play one card that starts with a consonant.)
Players can only submit cards which are creatures whose power and toughness differ by at least two.
e.g. Vile Aggregate is legal, but Tarmogyof is not. Char Rumbler is legal, Aetherling is not. Giant Spider is legal, Hidden Spider is not. Shapeshifter is legal, Sutured Ghoul is not. Yavimaya Kavu is not legal.
08 vs 01: 0-6 infect is fast
08 vs 02: 6-0 restoregargadon
08 vs 03: 6-0 mentor/emrakul is too slow
08 vs 04: 0-6 innocent blood op
08 vs 05: 0-6 i regret putting foil now, was honestly considering foil+deprive or foil+daze but was worried about t1 combo decks
08 vs 06: 6-0 countermagic
08 vs 07: 6-0 foil does something
08 vs 09: 6-0 foil does more thing
08 vs 10: 0-6 uncounterable t2 emrakul is really good
1: 6-0: Blood > Agent, Blood + Denial > Agent + Song.
2: 6-0: Beacon.
3: 0-6: Emrakul is inevitability. MMQ can rebuy counters for Beacon with Seizure + Emrakul.
5: 0-6: Chancellor protects Thrun from Forge. Last Word counters Beacon.
6: 6-0: I may take the first hit, but Denial counters subsequent Breaches, and Beacon outraces hardcast Emrakul.
7: 3-3: t2 Imp + Isle is too fast for Denial and provides a buffer to Blood. Otherwise, Blood kills Imp before piato plays Isle, or Denial counters it.
8: 2-2: tixxon floats mana for Foil through Balance to counter Denial. He needs to keep three lands through Balance to cast Foil countering Blood later, which means either no Gargadon until t8. Ultimately, if I protect Beacon with Denial, I lose to Balance + Gargadon. If I aggressively destroy my land with Beast and Burn with Beacon, then tixxon is forced to counter Beacon. I counter Balance and Blood Gargadon.
9: 0-6: I can't interact.
0: 0-6: Hilariously, I designed my hand to beat this archetype, but I had Firestorm in mind in place of Seizure. The extra damage from Seizure means you can win by burn + Emrakul attack + burn after Blood kills Emrakul.
1 vs 2: 3-3 - Turn 3 goldfish kill on the play. On the draw, either I run into turn 3 Damnation or I play Agent on turn 3 to have counter backup and you play turn 4 Banshee instead. I can save Agent with Invigorate but then your 4/4 is a faster clock.
1 vs 3: 0-6 - If I cast Agent on turn 2 on the play, you can untap and cast Seizure at it. I have to burn my Invigorate to save it, which means you have plenty of time to redraw Seizure and cast it again, with counter backup this time. If I don't jump the gun (or if I'm on the draw) then I cast Agent on turn 3 with counter backup. You use Denial to force my Swan Song, then untap and Seizure the Agent. Same story.
1 vs 4: 0-6 - More removal than I can deal with. Innocent Blood is the clutch card here.
1 vs 5: 6-0 - Turn 3 goldfish kill.
1 vs 6: 6-0 - Counter Breach, then I have plenty of time.
1 vs 7: 3-3 - OTP, Agent kill happens before Emmy can get down. OTD, not so much.
1 vs 8: 6-0 - Agent comes down turn 3 with counter backup and wins turn 4.
1 vs 9: 6-0 - Eureka lets me have the first attack.
1 vs 10: 0-6 - Emmy comes down too fast.
2v1 - On your play, you win. On my play, I drop a turn 3 Damnation to remove the Agent. 3-3
X
2v3 - I use Wild Cantor + Morkrut Banshee to remove Llanowar Mentor, not Damnation. If you counter the Banshee, then I use Damnation (followed by Unburial Rites). Trying to use Soc Seizure to remove my Morbid trigger forces you to discard Arcane Denial, once more letting me Damnation. 6-0
2v4 - Beacon wins you the game. 0-6
2v5 - Wild Cantor eats the Goblin. Last Word eats Banshee. I Unburial. Supreme Verdict. I Unburial. We have a stand off until you drop Chancellor, at which point I lose. 0-6
2v6 - I can't stop the Emrakul. 0-6
2v7 - See above. 0-6
2v8 - Can't race the Gargadon. 0-6
2v9 - Wild Cantor + Damnation lets me win on the play. 3-3
2v10 - :'C 0-6
03 v 01 3-3 On my play I counter invigorate with arcane denial. If you counter my counter, I target your man with sonic seizure. If you don't counter my counter, I seizure your man anyway (you counter it) and then regrow seizure to finish the job with plenty of time.
vs. 01 Artscrafter: T2 Emrakul eats Agents. 6-0
vs. 02 HerziQuerzi: T2 Emrakul eats lands and player. 6-0
vs. 03 Madmanquail: Isle is a lot faster than Mentor. 6-0
vs. 04 Mogg: EOT Emrakul, double swing, beats Innocent Blood. 6-0
vs. 05 nerdyjoe: T2 Emrakul. 6-0
vs. 06 NewHJ: I can survive an Emrakul hit with some patience, and mine sticks. 6-0
vs. 07 piato: Sonic kills Imp, so I always get the Emrakul advantage. 6-0
vs. 08 tixxon: Counters do nothing, Restore is too slow. 6-0
vs. 09 tomsloger: Emrakul beats tripe Chancellor. 6-0
I think I win on the play here. Summer Bloom helps a lot on the race, so you counter the Breach and I hardcast the Emrakul before you can kill me.
6. NewHJ : Swift Emrakul
Elvish Spirit Guide / Summer Bloom / Through the Breach / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
6 vs 1: 0-6 -> He counters Breach every game and has a faster clock.
6 vs 2: 6-0 -> He can't remove or race Emrakul both games.
6 vs 3: 3-3 -> On the draw, he counters the Breach. On the play, he takes one hit and hardcasting Emrakul is faster than him.
6 vs 4: 3-3 -> On the draw, he counters the Breach. On the play, he can counter the second Breach but Summer Bloom helps on race.
6 vs 5: 6-0 -> Last Word isn't fast enough, Emrakul eats his lands so he can't counter the second Breach.
6 vs 7: 0-6 -> Emrakul is stopped by Guildmage.
6 vs 8: 0-6 -> Breach countered in the games, can't hardcast a Emrakul fast enough.
6 vs 9: 6-0 -> Emrakul wins the fight.
6 vs 10: 0-6 -> On the draw, he casts Emrakul turn 2 and win. On the play, he is 1 turn faster if he plays Shelldock after taking the first hit.
Naturalised
Artifacts are a very important part of this format. Taking them away shakes up the metagame quite a bit.
Enchantments are less important, but there are few notable ones. Its nice to play a land rule format without any exploration decks.
Deck Size: 4 cards
Basic Land rule.
Additional Bans: none
1Artscrafter : Infect
Blighted Agent / Invigorate / Assault Strobe / Swan Song
Very fast clock, with protection
2HerziQuerzi : morbidity
Wild Cantor / Morkrut Banshee / Damnation / Unburial Rites
I never realized how great a morbid enabler wild cantor is
3Madmanquail : mr emmys opus
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Llanowar Mentor / Sonic Seizure / Arcane Denial
If PHM was a format that WOTC designed for, emmy/mentor was intentional.
4Mogg : Four-Color Control
Arcane Denial / Beacon of Destruction / Beast Within / Innocent Blood
Beacon looks awesome. Innocent blood: less so
5nerdyjoe : cant be countered
Chancellor of the Forge / Thrun, the last troll / Last Word / Supreme Verdict
I mean, if youre gonna play around counterspells might as well do it right
6NewHJ : Swift Emrakul
Elvish Spirit Guide / Summer Bloom / Through the Breach / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
This is a very impressive debut. Turn 2 emrakul is very powerful, however you get it there
7piato : esper
Shelldock Isle / Putrid Imp / Emrakul, the aeons torn / Azorius Guildmage
Guildmage always makes me think of battling it out with lich lord of unx in 1 Card Land Rule format we used to play.
8tixxon : garlance baldon
Greater Gargadon / Restore Balance / Foil / Island
The foil is a little awkward here, but it definitely gets you some points
9tomsloger : playing fair
chancellor of the tangle / chancellor of the tangle / chancellor of the tangle / eureka
No one expects the inquisition of the tangle
10WhammeWhamme : innistrad right now
Shelldock Isle / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Simian Spirit Guide / Sonic Seizure
Turn 1 shelldock is brutal.
The Grid
1 | X 3 0 0 6 6 3 6 6 0 | 28 | 311
2 | 3 X 6 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 | 10 | 111
3 | 6 0 X 6 0 3 3 0 6 0 | 22 | 244
4 | 6 6 0 X 0 6 3 2 0 0 | 22 | 244
5 | 0 6 6 6 X 0 0 6 6 0 | 30 | 333
6 | 0 6 3 0 6 X 0 0 6 0 | 20 | 222
7 | 3 6 3 3 6 6 X 6 6 0 | 36 | 400
8 | 0 6 6 2 0 6 0 X 6 0 | 26 | 289
9 | 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 0 X 0 | 12 | 133
0 | 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 X | 54 | 600
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Deck Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
6. Scoring
7. Variant Format Rules
1. Overview
Perfect Hand Magic (PHM) is a competitive strategy game for two or more players. It can be played using pencil and paper; however, it's most commonly played via online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form that player's hand. Once all players have chosen hands, the hands are revealed and scored.
The object of the game is to choose the hand that will score the most points. The score for each hand is determined by the result that it would achieve if it were used to play two games of Magic – one match – against each competing hand; the rules for these theoretical games are covered in Section 2 – Game Rules. During each theoretical game, the theoretical player of each hand employs the strategy that will maximize the score for his or her hand, taking into account the strategy of his or her opponent.
A hand scores 3 points for each game that it would win, 0 points for each game it would lose, and 1 point for each game that would end in a draw. However, a hand scores only 2 points for any match that would have a symmetrical result, regardless of whether the result would be two drawn games or a win for each hand.
The composition of a hand is limited only by a short banned list and a few restrictions on the game states that it can enable; these restrictions are covered in Section 3 – Deck Composition.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
2.2. A player's opening hand contains that player's chosen cards.
2.3. Players' libraries begin the game empty.
2.4. A cost or effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits the player who paid that cost or the owner of the source of that effect instead.
2.5. Each player is the starting player for one game in each match.
2.6. Players know the identities of all face-down cards and cards in hidden zones, and players know which decisions have been made by other players.
2.7. If a game would continue indefinitely, then the game is a draw.
2.8. If a loop containing at least one optional action would be repeated indefinitely during a turn, then any player may propose a number of times for that loop to repeat instead. If a player does, then each other player may propose a different number and the loop is repeated for the greatest number of times proposed instead. No player is required to make a choice that would end a loop that crosses multiple turns.
2.9. Cards can't be brought into the game from outside the game.
3. Hand Construction Rules
3.1. A player may not choose an opening hand that could enable that player to achieve any of the following results before an opponent's second turn would begin, such that that opponent could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in at least one of these results:
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.2. A hand may contain any number of copies of any card legal in Vintage.
3.3. A hand may not contain any cards on the PHM Banned List.
4. Entry
4.1. A player plays a round of PHM by submitting a list of his or her chosen cards to the PHM moderator.
4.2. A player may change his or her hand until the posted deadline.
4.3. A player may name his or her hand. If that player doesn't, then the PHM moderator may name it. The PHM moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
5.1. PHM League play consists of four rounds of PHM.
5.2. Each round, a player earns League points according to the following formula:
5.3. The player with the most League points at the end of League play is the PHM League winner.
6. Scoring
6.1. A table of match results is posted at the end of each round. Each row lists one player's results against each other player. A player's points and League points are tallied at the end of his or her row.
6.2. A player may earn bonus League points as specified by the PHM moderator.
6.3. Each player is responsible for determining the match results for his or her hand.
7. Variant Format Rules
7.1. Perfect Hand Magic has been played with hands containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Deck Construction Rules have been adapted to create hundreds of variant formats. Five commonly-played variants are described in Sections 7.3-7.7.
7.2. The rules of a variant format overwrite any other applicable rules.
7.3. Land Rule Variant.
7.4. Sanctioned Magic Format Variant.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.6. Backbuild.
7.7. Bonus Points.
PHM Banned List
The following cards are automatically banned in all Perfect Hand Magic League rounds unless otherwise specified by the round rules. Each round may have an additional banned list that extends beyond, but always includes, these cards.
Acceleration
Channel
Fastbond
Flash
Show and Tell
Disruption
Pact of Negation
Chancellor of the Annex
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Trinisphere
Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Win Conditions
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Barren Glory
Laboratory Maniac
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Vampire Hexmage
Land Rule Banned List
"Land Rule" is the most common variant for PHM, and thus a separate ban list has been developed to allow for easier moderation. The following cards are banned in Perfect Hand Magic League rounds when a Land Rule is used. There will be a reminder of this on the round rules.
Acceleration
Black Lotus
Disruption
Balancing Act
Energy Field
Time Walk
Win Conditions
Beacon of Creation
Maralen of the Mornsong
Nezumi Shortfang
Red Sun's Zenith
White Sun's Zenith
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5 Card Vowels
Basic land rule
Hands must contain at least one card whose English name begins with A, one whose name begins with E, one whose name begins with I, one whose name begins with O, and one whose name begins with U. (Split cards consider the names of both halves of the card for this purpose. Breaking // Entering counts as the E card. Odds // Ends counts as both the E and O card, and thus would allow you to play one card that starts with a consonant.)
3 Card Land Rule
Players can only submit cards which are creatures whose power and toughness differ by at least two.
e.g. Vile Aggregate is legal, but Tarmogyof is not. Char Rumbler is legal, Aetherling is not. Giant Spider is legal, Hidden Spider is not. Shapeshifter is legal, Sutured Ghoul is not. Yavimaya Kavu is not legal.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
08 vs 01: 0-6 infect is fast
08 vs 02: 6-0 restoregargadon
08 vs 03: 6-0 mentor/emrakul is too slow
08 vs 04: 0-6 innocent blood op
08 vs 05: 0-6 i regret putting foil now, was honestly considering foil+deprive or foil+daze but was worried about t1 combo decks
08 vs 06: 6-0 countermagic
08 vs 07: 6-0 foil does something
08 vs 09: 6-0 foil does more thing
08 vs 10: 0-6 uncounterable t2 emrakul is really good
8 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 | PT | Points
1 | 0 6 6 0 0 6 6 X 6 0 | 30 |
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
4| 6 6 0 X 0 6 3 2 0 0 | 22 | 244
Arcane Denial / Beast Within / Beacon of Destruction / Innocent Blood
1: 6-0: Blood > Agent, Blood + Denial > Agent + Song.
2: 6-0: Beacon.
3: 0-6: Emrakul is inevitability. MMQ can rebuy counters for Beacon with Seizure + Emrakul.
5: 0-6: Chancellor protects Thrun from Forge. Last Word counters Beacon.
6: 6-0: I may take the first hit, but Denial counters subsequent Breaches, and Beacon outraces hardcast Emrakul.
7: 3-3: t2 Imp + Isle is too fast for Denial and provides a buffer to Blood. Otherwise, Blood kills Imp before piato plays Isle, or Denial counters it.
8: 2-2: tixxon floats mana for Foil through Balance to counter Denial. He needs to keep three lands through Balance to cast Foil countering Blood later, which means either no Gargadon until t8. Ultimately, if I protect Beacon with Denial, I lose to Balance + Gargadon. If I aggressively destroy my land with Beast and Burn with Beacon, then tixxon is forced to counter Beacon. I counter Balance and Blood Gargadon.
9: 0-6: I can't interact.
0: 0-6: Hilariously, I designed my hand to beat this archetype, but I had Firestorm in mind in place of Seizure. The extra damage from Seizure means you can win by burn + Emrakul attack + burn after Blood kills Emrakul.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
01 Artscrafter - Infect
Blighted Agent / Invigorate / Assault Strobe / Swan Song
1 vs 2: 3-3 - Turn 3 goldfish kill on the play. On the draw, either I run into turn 3 Damnation or I play Agent on turn 3 to have counter backup and you play turn 4 Banshee instead. I can save Agent with Invigorate but then your 4/4 is a faster clock.
1 vs 3: 0-6 - If I cast Agent on turn 2 on the play, you can untap and cast Seizure at it. I have to burn my Invigorate to save it, which means you have plenty of time to redraw Seizure and cast it again, with counter backup this time. If I don't jump the gun (or if I'm on the draw) then I cast Agent on turn 3 with counter backup. You use Denial to force my Swan Song, then untap and Seizure the Agent. Same story.
1 vs 4: 0-6 - More removal than I can deal with. Innocent Blood is the clutch card here.
1 vs 5: 6-0 - Turn 3 goldfish kill.
1 vs 6: 6-0 - Counter Breach, then I have plenty of time.
1 vs 7: 3-3 - OTP, Agent kill happens before Emmy can get down. OTD, not so much.
1 vs 8: 6-0 - Agent comes down turn 3 with counter backup and wins turn 4.
1 vs 9: 6-0 - Eureka lets me have the first attack.
1 vs 10: 0-6 - Emmy comes down too fast.
8 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 | PT | Points
1 | X 3 0 0 6 6 3 6 6 0 | 30 |
Cheap counter backup is good, right up until everyone with removal has multiples or recursion.
Bonus matchup: 6-0 against SeeNamedPerson's hand; Mangara is the main threat but doesn't come down fast enough.
Wild Cantor / Morkrut Banshee / Damnation / Unburial Rites
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 | PT
2 | 3 X 6 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 | 10
X
2v3 - I use Wild Cantor + Morkrut Banshee to remove Llanowar Mentor, not Damnation. If you counter the Banshee, then I use Damnation (followed by Unburial Rites). Trying to use Soc Seizure to remove my Morbid trigger forces you to discard Arcane Denial, once more letting me Damnation. 6-0
2v4 - Beacon wins you the game. 0-6
2v5 - Wild Cantor eats the Goblin. Last Word eats Banshee. I Unburial. Supreme Verdict. I Unburial. We have a stand off until you drop Chancellor, at which point I lose. 0-6
2v6 - I can't stop the Emrakul. 0-6
2v7 - See above. 0-6
2v8 - Can't race the Gargadon. 0-6
2v9 - Wild Cantor + Damnation lets me win on the play. 3-3
2v10 - :'C 0-6
vs. 02 HerziQuerzi: T2 Emrakul eats lands and player. 6-0
vs. 03 Madmanquail: Isle is a lot faster than Mentor. 6-0
vs. 04 Mogg: EOT Emrakul, double swing, beats Innocent Blood. 6-0
vs. 05 nerdyjoe: T2 Emrakul. 6-0
vs. 06 NewHJ: I can survive an Emrakul hit with some patience, and mine sticks. 6-0
vs. 07 piato: Sonic kills Imp, so I always get the Emrakul advantage. 6-0
vs. 08 tixxon: Counters do nothing, Restore is too slow. 6-0
vs. 09 tomsloger: Emrakul beats tripe Chancellor. 6-0
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 | PT | Points
0 | 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 X | 54 | ALL
...clean sweep, I believe. Goes to show important Karakas/Leyline is to the metagame, really; it's the combo that keeps Emrakul honest.
9tomsloger : playing fair
chancellor of the tangle / chancellor of the tangle / chancellor of the tangle / eureka
Blighted Agent / Invigorate / Assault Strobe / Swan Song
0-6 agreed.
2HerziQuerzi : morbidity
Wild Cantor / Morkrut Banshee / Damnation / Unburial Rites
6-0 even with two chump blocks, i kill turn 3. so no damnation.
3Madmanquail : mr emmys opus
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Llanowar Mentor / Sonic Seizure / Arcane Denial
0-6 eureka vs emrakul is less than great.
4Mogg : Four-Color Control
Arcane Denial / Beacon of Destruction / Beast Within / Innocent Blood
6-0 outraced hard.
5nerdyjoe : cant be countered
Chancellor of the Forge / Thrun, the last troll / Last Word / Supreme Verdict
0-6 so many chump blockers. i dont see a line for me.
6NewHJ : Swift Emrakul
Elvish Spirit Guide / Summer Bloom / Through the Breach / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
0-6 emrakul
7piato : esper
Shelldock Isle / Putrid Imp / Emrakul, the aeons torn / Azorius Guildmage
0-6 im starting to see a theme
8tixxon : garlance baldon
Greater Gargadon / Restore Balance / Foil / Island
0-6 you can foil eureka and win with gargadon.
10WhammeWhamme : innistrad right now
Shelldock Isle / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Simian Spirit Guide / Sonic Seizure
0-6 emrakul punks me.
well that sucked.
I think I win on the play here. Summer Bloom helps a lot on the race, so you counter the Breach and I hardcast the Emrakul before you can kill me.
6. NewHJ : Swift Emrakul
Elvish Spirit Guide / Summer Bloom / Through the Breach / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
6 vs 1: 0-6 -> He counters Breach every game and has a faster clock.
6 vs 2: 6-0 -> He can't remove or race Emrakul both games.
6 vs 3: 3-3 -> On the draw, he counters the Breach. On the play, he takes one hit and hardcasting Emrakul is faster than him.
6 vs 4: 3-3 -> On the draw, he counters the Breach. On the play, he can counter the second Breach but Summer Bloom helps on race.
6 vs 5: 6-0 -> Last Word isn't fast enough, Emrakul eats his lands so he can't counter the second Breach.
6 vs 7: 0-6 -> Emrakul is stopped by Guildmage.
6 vs 8: 0-6 -> Breach countered in the games, can't hardcast a Emrakul fast enough.
6 vs 9: 6-0 -> Emrakul wins the fight.
6 vs 10: 0-6 -> On the draw, he casts Emrakul turn 2 and win. On the play, he is 1 turn faster if he plays Shelldock after taking the first hit.
Score Chart:
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 | PT |
6 | 0 6 3 3 6 X 0 0 6 0 | 22 |