5 Card Vowels
a very constrictive week. i was shocked at how few "i"s i wanted to play.
but we came up with some pretty interesting decks.
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.)
Deck Size: 5 Land Rule: Basic Land Rule (7.3a, below) Additional Banned list: Land Rule Banned list (please remember to check Land Rule and regular PHM Banned Lists, which are shown in the spoiler below)
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.
If a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, put it into your hand instead.
Each player has an emblem with: At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have no cards in your hand, each opponent loses 1 life.
I like this one better than the other 1 card format I suggested, as it has a lot less rules baggage and still leaves room for most strategies (creatures, prison, burn).
Relevant cards/decks: Nevermore/Runed Halo, Student of Warfare, Lightning bolt, Pride of the Clouds, Keldon Megaliths, Decree of Justice, Jund Sojurners, Grapeshot, Seismic Assault, Wild Mongrel
3 Card Landfall
Change the text of all cards by replacing "When [CARDNAME] enters the battlefield" with "Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control."
gonna go for this again since it tied a bit ago
4 card, wait your turn
Players cannot cast spells from anywhere but exile
All spells in hand gain 0: suspend X, where X is its converted mana cost.
6SeeNamedPerson : anger of angels Anger / Iona, Shield of Emeria / Odds//Ends / Unburial Rites / Lion's Eye Diamond
3-3 i can cast ulamog turn 3 to exile iona. which is the same turn she attacks for lethal.
2 HerziQuerzi : commander damage
Acidic Slime / Exploration / Inviolability / Orzhov Charm / Uril, the Miststalker
6-0
I have enough time to set up the Scepter Chant lock and the lock is immune to sorcery speed removal.
3 Madmanquail : synergy
Arcane Denial / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Island Sanctuary / Oblivion Ring / Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
0-6
Left unchecked, Denial forces Ugin through the lock.
Ajani doesn't quite hit his ultimate fast enough to stop you from being able to cast Ugin eventually, and at some point you use Denial to get Ring through on Scepter.
4 NewHJ : Infect
Apostle's Blessing / Elvish Fury / Ichorclaw Myr / O-Naginata / Unstable Mutation
6-0
Bridge makes your sorcery speed buffs a lot less useful. I get hellbent before you can do enough damage.
5 Rush_Clasic : Picnic Pests
Ant Queen / Earthcraft / Insist / Opposition / Utopia Sprawl
6-0
Opposition handles Scepter quite well, but you have no answer to Bridge + hellbent.
6 SeeNamedPerson : anger of angels
Anger / Iona, Shield of Emeria / Odds//Ends / Unburial Rites / Lion's Eye Diamond
2-2
If you're on the play: Iona comes down turn 1 and names green or white.
If green: I can Chant to stop your third attack and then get Bridge down followed by Ajani.
If white: I get Sprawl on a land turn 1 and Bridge turn 2. We stall because I can't cast Ajani and you can't attack.
If I'm on the play, I get Sprawl down T1, you name white, and same outcome.
7 Tomsloger : adventuring elf
Arbor elf / exploration / ice cave / overgrowth / ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
3-3 Ice Cave comes down before I can lock spells and Ulamog gets Bridge.
Edit: Running through the sequence, I don't see how you get Cave down on T2. If you can't, then I lock you out when I'm on the play.
8 WhammeWhamme : ramp
Azusa, Lost But Seeking / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Indrik Stomphowler / Orcish Lumberjack / Ugin's Nexus
6-0
I have Bridge down on turn 2. This forces you to use Stomphowler on it since you're locked out otherwise. Then Scepter lock happens.
6 | X 6 0 6 6 2 3 6 | 28 | 400
Disagreements:
@SeeNamedPerson: I can kick Chant to act as a Fog, buying time for Bridge on the draw. If you name white, Sprawl gets Bridge down in time.
@tomsloger: How do you get Ice Cave down on turn 2? The fastest sequence I can see for you is:
T1: Forest, Exploration, Forest, Elf
T2: Island, Island, tap Forests and an Island to cast Overgrowth on a Forest, untap the Forest, tap out to get GGGU. Or: Tap one Forest and two Islands to cast Overgrowth on the untapped Forest, tap it, untap it, tap it again and you have GGGGGG. Or: Tap two Forests, untap one, tap it again for mana to cast Overgrowth on an Island, then tap out for GGUU. Methinks you were planning to untap an Island with Arbor Elf in your calculations.
I win on the play if you can't get T2 Cave since I can start locking out spells on my T3.
2v1 - Isochron + Chant shuts me down. 0-6
X
2v3 - Denial denies me my Slime to deal with Sanctuary. 0-6
2v4 - Dropping Acidic Slime stops you, as you can't Apostle's Blessing both it and the Orzhov Charm. 6-0
2v5 - Charm kills the Ant Queen. 6-0
2v6 - Iona names white, laughs. 0-6
2v7 - Can't outrace the Ulamog. I mean, I can Charm the elf, Slime the Exploration or Overgrowth, but doing that still doesn't let me kill you before you drop Ulamog. 0-6
2v8 - Orzhov Charming your Azusa let's me race. 6-0
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5 Card Vowels
a very constrictive week. i was shocked at how few "i"s i wanted to play.
but we came up with some pretty interesting decks.
Deck Size: 5
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule (7.3a, below)
Additional Banned list: Land Rule Banned list (please remember to check Land Rule and regular PHM Banned Lists, which are shown in the spoiler below)
Entries
1Artscrafter : ajani control
Ajani Vengeant / Ensnaring Bridge / Isochron Scepter / Orim's Chant / Utopia Sprawl
Really strong control aspects. Hopefully the ajani is enough win con
2HerziQuerzi : commander damage
Acidic Slime / Exploration / Inviolability / Orzhov Charm / Uril, the Miststalker
It makes me sad that you cant use all 3 modes of orzhov charm, but I guess its job here is just to be a removal spell that starts with o
3Madmanquail : synergy
Arcane Denial / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Island Sanctuary / Oblivion Ring / Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
These cards don’t go together at all, and that’s just fine
4NewHJ : Infect
Apostle's Blessing / Elvish Fury / Ichorclaw Myr / O-Naginata / Unstable Mutation
Looks fast. Didn’t do the math.
5Rush_Clasic : Picnic Pests
Ant Queen / Earthcraft / Insist / Opposition / Utopia Sprawl
Love the theme. Opposition goes really well.
6SeeNamedPerson : anger of angels
Anger / Iona, Shield of Emeria / Odds//Ends / Unburial Rites / Lion's Eye Diamond
I hope odds and ends is useful somehow, but it did its job already
7Tomsloger : adventuring elf
Arbor elf / exploration / ice cave / overgrowth / ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
I hear turn 3 ulamogs are good.
8WhammeWhamme : ramp
Azusa, Lost But Seeking / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Indrik Stomphowler / Orcish Lumberjack / Ugin's Nexus
Lol at that I and U. aeo look great though.
The Grid
1 | X 6 0 6 6 2 3 6 | 28 | 400
2 | 0 X 0 6 6 0 0 6 | 18 | 257
3 | 3 6 X 6 6 0 3 3 | 24 | 343
4 | 0 0 0 X 6 0 0 3 | 08 | 114
5 | 0 0 0 0 X 0 0 3 | 02 | 029
6 | 2 6 6 6 6 X 6 6 | 38 | 543
7 | 3 6 3 6 6 0 X 6 | 28 | 400
8 | 0 6 3 3 3 0 0 X | 12 | 171
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
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
1 Card Draw Land rule
If a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, put it into your hand instead.
Each player has an emblem with: At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have no cards in your hand, each opponent loses 1 life.
I like this one better than the other 1 card format I suggested, as it has a lot less rules baggage and still leaves room for most strategies (creatures, prison, burn).
Relevant cards/decks: Nevermore/Runed Halo, Student of Warfare, Lightning bolt, Pride of the Clouds, Keldon Megaliths, Decree of Justice, Jund Sojurners, Grapeshot, Seismic Assault, Wild Mongrel
Change the text of all cards by replacing "When [CARDNAME] enters the battlefield" with "Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control."
To be played with 7.3b, the extra land rule.
Banned: Exploration
4 card, wait your turn
Players cannot cast spells from anywhere but exile
All spells in hand gain 0: suspend X, where X is its converted mana cost.
-tom
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
i should have just gone with ugin.
i sure do ramp quickly though.
results for:
7Tomsloger : adventuring elf
Arbor elf / exploration / ice cave / overgrowth / ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
Ajani Vengeant / Ensnaring Bridge / Isochron Scepter / Orim's Chant / Utopia Sprawl
get ice caves down turn 2. counter orim's chant with ice caves and cast ulamog well before you can pay to counter it.
6-0
2HerziQuerzi : commander damage
Acidic Slime / Exploration / Inviolability / Orzhov Charm / Uril, the Miststalker
something something ice cave. orzhov charm on arbor elf? ill figure it out later.
3Madmanquail : synergy
Arcane Denial / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Island Sanctuary / Oblivion Ring / Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
3-3 t2 ice cave or not.
4NewHJ : Infect
Apostle's Blessing / Elvish Fury / Ichorclaw Myr / O-Naginata / Unstable Mutation
6-0 ice caves stall, ulamog exiles myr. apostle's blessing doesnt work for ulamog.
5Rush_Clasic : Picnic Pests
Ant Queen / Earthcraft / Insist / Opposition / Utopia Sprawl
6-0 man, is ice caves the best card in my deck?
6SeeNamedPerson : anger of angels
Anger / Iona, Shield of Emeria / Odds//Ends / Unburial Rites / Lion's Eye Diamond
3-3 i can cast ulamog turn 3 to exile iona. which is the same turn she attacks for lethal.
8WhammeWhamme : ramp
Azusa, Lost But Seeking / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Indrik Stomphowler / Orcish Lumberjack / Ugin's Nexus
ok. coming back for turn by turn
T1: Orcish Lumberjack (he's okay)
T2: Azusa, 2x land (3 lands)
T3: 3x land (6 lands), Ugin's Nexus
T4: 3x land (9 lands), Indrik Stomphowler, kill Nexus, extra turn
T4b: 3x land (12 lands), Emrakul
T4c: Emrakul swings
vs. 01 Artscrafter: Chantlock works, sadly. 0-6
vs. 02 HerziQuerze: Emrakul wins race? 6-0
vs. 03 Madmanquail: OTP, fast Emrakul. OTD, denied Azusa. 3-3
vs. 04 NewHJ: OTP, fast Emrakul. OTD, poison. 3-3
vs. 05 Rush_Clasic: OTP, Emrakul. OTD, Opposition. 3-3
vs. 06 SeeNamedPerson: T1 Iona wins. 0-6
vs. 07 Tomsloger: T3 Ulamog wins. 0-6
1 Artscrafter : ajani control
Ajani Vengeant / Ensnaring Bridge / Isochron Scepter / Orim's Chant / Utopia Sprawl
Acidic Slime / Exploration / Inviolability / Orzhov Charm / Uril, the Miststalker
6-0
I have enough time to set up the Scepter Chant lock and the lock is immune to sorcery speed removal.
3 Madmanquail : synergy
Arcane Denial / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Island Sanctuary / Oblivion Ring / Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
0-6
Left unchecked, Denial forces Ugin through the lock.
Ajani doesn't quite hit his ultimate fast enough to stop you from being able to cast Ugin eventually, and at some point you use Denial to get Ring through on Scepter.
4 NewHJ : Infect
Apostle's Blessing / Elvish Fury / Ichorclaw Myr / O-Naginata / Unstable Mutation
6-0
Bridge makes your sorcery speed buffs a lot less useful. I get hellbent before you can do enough damage.
5 Rush_Clasic : Picnic Pests
Ant Queen / Earthcraft / Insist / Opposition / Utopia Sprawl
6-0
Opposition handles Scepter quite well, but you have no answer to Bridge + hellbent.
6 SeeNamedPerson : anger of angels
Anger / Iona, Shield of Emeria / Odds//Ends / Unburial Rites / Lion's Eye Diamond
2-2
If you're on the play: Iona comes down turn 1 and names green or white.
If green: I can Chant to stop your third attack and then get Bridge down followed by Ajani.
If white: I get Sprawl on a land turn 1 and Bridge turn 2. We stall because I can't cast Ajani and you can't attack.
If I'm on the play, I get Sprawl down T1, you name white, and same outcome.
7 Tomsloger : adventuring elf
Arbor elf / exploration / ice cave / overgrowth / ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
3-3
Ice Cave comes down before I can lock spells and Ulamog gets Bridge.Edit: Running through the sequence, I don't see how you get Cave down on T2. If you can't, then I lock you out when I'm on the play.
8 WhammeWhamme : ramp
Azusa, Lost But Seeking / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Indrik Stomphowler / Orcish Lumberjack / Ugin's Nexus
6-0
I have Bridge down on turn 2. This forces you to use Stomphowler on it since you're locked out otherwise. Then Scepter lock happens.
6 | X 6 0 6 6 2 3 6 | 28 | 400
Disagreements:
@SeeNamedPerson: I can kick Chant to act as a Fog, buying time for Bridge on the draw. If you name white, Sprawl gets Bridge down in time.
@tomsloger: How do you get Ice Cave down on turn 2? The fastest sequence I can see for you is:
T1: Forest, Exploration, Forest, Elf
T2: Island, Island, tap Forests and an Island to cast Overgrowth on a Forest, untap the Forest, tap out to get GGGU. Or: Tap one Forest and two Islands to cast Overgrowth on the untapped Forest, tap it, untap it, tap it again and you have GGGGGG. Or: Tap two Forests, untap one, tap it again for mana to cast Overgrowth on an Island, then tap out for GGUU. Methinks you were planning to untap an Island with Arbor Elf in your calculations.
I win on the play if you can't get T2 Cave since I can start locking out spells on my T3.
Acidic Slime / Exploration / Inviolability / Orzhov Charm / Uril, the Miststalker
2 | 0 X 0 6 6 0 0 6 | 18
X
2v3 - Denial denies me my Slime to deal with Sanctuary. 0-6
2v4 - Dropping Acidic Slime stops you, as you can't Apostle's Blessing both it and the Orzhov Charm. 6-0
2v5 - Charm kills the Ant Queen. 6-0
2v6 - Iona names white, laughs. 0-6
2v7 - Can't outrace the Ulamog. I mean, I can Charm the elf, Slime the Exploration or Overgrowth, but doing that still doesn't let me kill you before you drop Ulamog. 0-6
2v8 - Orzhov Charming your Azusa let's me race. 6-0