Eldrazi Madness
Players start the game with an emblem that says "Rather than pay the mana cost for a spell, you may exile a card that shares a color with that spell from your hand."
Dream halls the card allows discard, rather than exile. Do not be confused.
Deck Size: 3 Land Rule: Basic Land Rule Additional Banned list: None (Please be sure to review the regular ban list and the land rule ban list at the end of this post)
Commentary
There should be lots of fun stuff to do turn 1, and you may want to delay doing it so you get to use all 3 cards in hand. Nix was the king of this round with 4 appearances. 6 decks had counterspells. Misthallow Griffin and Torrent Elemental were predictably favorite cards to pitch.
Submissions
1CalvinSchwa: Rain Memes Torrent Elemental / Time Stop / Nix
Time Stop will probably overperform. Torrent Elemental is a fine threat, but a little slow.
6psly4mne: Let me see that... Progenitus / Aethersnatch / Nix
Having an un-interuptable 3 turn clock, or whatever cool threat your opponent is using looks great.
7Reyemille: What have you got there...? Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental
Very similar to psyl4mne, I wonder if your differences will make a big difference in scoring.
Next Week's Format
4CB 2CMC LR. You may only submit cards with converted mana cost 2. If one half of a split card has cmc 2, then the card is legal. Discuss the format, along with possible bans below. Counterbalance is on the ban-radar. It would take some finding to abuse it, but it would be a very effective lockout. Primordial Hydra and it's kin are legal, so it wouldn't be a complete lockdown, and the setup cost may be prohibitive. Ratchet Bomb is also on the ban-radar. There is plenty of good artifact hate, but forcing people to play artifact hate might be bad for the format.
Details for Poll Option 1 : 5CB No Land Rule
Exactly as it sounds, plain old vanilla
Option 2 : 2CB Frenimies Land Rule
In addition to the two players, there is a third player with 20 life. If you would lose the game due to combat damage and the third player is still playing, the active player loses the game. If you would lose the game for any other reason, and the third player is still playing, the player who controlled the most recently resolved spell or ability loses the game instead. (I like this idea, trying out some cleaner language. Feedback is welcome.)
Option 3 : 3CB LR Winter Orb
Players can't untap more than one land during their untap steps.
How to Enter
Anyone is free to enter the Perfect Hand Magic League. To enter, simply send a private message (PM) to the user PerfectHandMagic with your deck submission. The standard rules of the format are explained below in the click-able spoilers. If you get stuck or need some advice, please don't hesitate to speak up on this thread or send a private message to user PerfectHandMagic for tips and tutorials. Decks are commonly submitted as:
Card 1 / Card 2 / Card 3
(eg. for a 3 card format)
Please submit your hand by 00:00 GMT Tuesday August 23.
You Make the Format
In PHM we vote on the formats YOU want to play! Submit your ideas for formats into the thread below, and they will be added to the vote for next week's format selection.
Contents
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.
1 Torrent Elemental / Time Stop / Nix: On the play, I resolve Prog. On the draw, I lose to t11 Torrent. 3-3
2 Chancellor of the Forge / Chancellor of the Forge / Nix: On the play, I resolve Prog. On the draw, I resolve Prog t2 and still can't block enough. 3-3
3 Mystic Snake / Mana Drain / Gaea's Revenge: I resolve Prog or t1 Aethersnatch and win. 6-0
4 Beacon of Destruction / Counterflux / Misthollow Griffin: Turn 1 Prog, it reshuffles, turn 2 Prog wins. 6-0
5 Collective Defiance / Crush of Wurms / Empyrial Archangel: Prog beats, or Aethersnatch if he casts t1 Crush on the play. 6-0
7 Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental: On the play, I resolve Prog. On the draw, my turn 16 Prog can't quite race turn 11 Torrent. 3-3
8 Iona, Shield of Emeria / Silence / Vindicate: Either t1 creature wins. 3-3
6 | 3 3 6 6 6 X 3 3 | 26
Aethersnatch was a very poor choice of counterspell because it can't force t10 Progenitus through Nix or Time Stop, and I couldn't hardcast both until turn 16. Nix was also weak, as running a counter that beat opposing Nixes would have been much better. Progenitus was great, and probably would have won with a better choice of counters.
vs. 01 CalvinSchwa: On turn 5, I play Chant, which pulls Time Stop and delays Torrent until turn 6. He thus swings 4 times before my turn 10 OTP, and then I hardcast Progenitus. He swings for the 15th damage, I swing back, he gets me to 2, I kill him. 6-0
vs. 02 Feyd_Ruin: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces (as it stops C's first swing) 6-0
vs. 03 Mederer: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces. 6-0
vs. 04 Mogg: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces. 6-0
vs. 05 Nerdyjoe: It's a race. 3-3
vs. 06 psly4mne: Chant draws out Snatch, allows win race OTP. 3-3
vs. 07 Reyemille: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces. 6-0
vs. 08 UkkuhrrMakhai: Iona prevents Prog, Prog outraces Iona, 3-3.
1. 6-0. He can timestop the tokens, but a hardcast races.
2. XXX
3. 6-0. I race the 8/5 and/or nix his counter.
4. 6-0. I can Nix counter when I cast chancellor. Beacon? Tokens.
5. 3-3. Crush saves him on his play. Otherwise Nix or race Defiance.
6. 3-3. I can nix Prog on play.
7. 6-0. Tokens race the Torrent. I break out of the deadlock. See below.
8. 3-3. Lockout on my draw. My play is close, but wins. See below.
2v7
The two tokens race the 3/5 hardcast. On turn 8 I cast Chancellor. He can spelljack this. I then Nix his casting of my Chancellor whenever he casts it. On turn 9, I cast Chancellor #2. This overruns him.
2v8
It takes 3 hits for Iona to kill me. But when she drops, he is always two or less swings away from death for what I have and has to hold to block. I do exactly 20 damage that he can't block.
1. Token, Token
Free cast Chancellor +3 Tokens
Swing with five 1/1 haste (15)
1. Plains -> Silence
Freecast Iona
2. Swing all out (one 5/5, five 1/1s).
Block 5/5. Take 5 (10)
2.
3. Swing five x 1/1.
Block one. Take 4 (6)
3.
4. Swing, block. Take 3 (3)
4.
5. Swing, block. Take 2 (1)
5.
6. Swing, block. Take 1 (Dead)
vs. 01 CalvinSchwa: On turn 5, I play Chant, which pulls Time Stop and delays Torrent until turn 6. He thus swings 4 times before my turn 10 OTP, and then I hardcast Progenitus. He swings for the 15th damage, I swing back, he gets me to 2, I kill him. 6-0
Nix errata: "Nix can target any spell. The condition is checked only on resolution."
If you try to Chant on upkeep T5, I respond by casting Nix, exiling Elemental. Nix does nothing, but on that turn I can use Elemental's ability from exile to put it in. Henceforth, I beat down freely, since Time Stop can and will counter Prog.
If you don't Chant (and I hardcast T5), I beat down T 6,7,8,9,10 to put you at 5. If you try to cast Prog T10, I Time Stop. If you wait till T11 to cast Chant -> Prog, I Time Stop in response and have another turn to beat down. Actually, pretty much regardless of what happens, I think that's a race I win.
6-0, me, unless there's something we both missed (or I misinterpreted what you said).
I'll finish my row later -- start school tomorrow, got last-minute summer homework to finish. Toodles!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"It is better for all the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes... Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
Um... cast Chant on *my* turn following your turn 5 (so you have exactly 5 mana untapped). If you don't Time Stop the Chant, I exile Leyline and cast Progenitus (which you can't respond to, because Chant), and win the race handily. So you must Time Stop the Chant (which you do by pitching Torrent).
On your turn 6, you can get out Torrent, but it's too slow (as per listed racing math); swinging turn 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 is only 18 damage.
If you hardcast Torrent Elemental turn 5, you have to pitch Nix to Time Stop the Chant, which is actually amazing for me as I then just cast Progenitus the turn after. (but if you DON'T Time Stop the Chant, then I cast Proggy that turn).
Either way, you can't stop the Legendary Hydra, and it wins the race handily. (Actually, "if you hardcast Torrent Elemental before turn 12, you can't stop Chant into Proggy, and on turn 12 both can get hardcast anyway, blanking Nix" is the real summary)
Make sense? Chant forces Time Stop because otherwise Proggy is the follow up.
1CalvinSchwa: Rain Memes
Torrent Elemental / Time Stop / Nix
I cast iona turn 1 regardless and it out races torrent
6-0
2Feyd_Ruin: Chancellor Merkel
Chancellor of the Forge / Chancellor of the Forge / Nix
2-2
3Mederer: No, with extra no
Mystic Snake / Mana Drain / Gaea's Revenge
4-1 I cast iona naming green on my play. On your play you cast gaea and then I cast iona and they stare at each other.
4Mogg: Burn baby Burn
Beacon of Destruction / Counterflux / Misthollow Griffin
Iona is faster than misthollow and you can't stop her coming down
6-0
5Nerdyjoe: Less mana, mo' problems
Collective Defiance / Crush of Wurms / Empyrial Archangel
On the play I drop iona on green and stop the threats from being cast.
On the draw you have to cast a threat before iona gets dropped and she can wall both of them.
4-1
6psly4mne: Let me see that...
Progenitus / Aethersnatch / Nix
On the play I lock you out.
On the draw progenitus races
2-2
7Reyemille: What have you got there...?
Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental
You can spelljack silence exiling torrent on my play but I can cast iona without passing priority so you don't get a chance to force me to pass the turn.
On your play if you cast torrent elemental t1 I win the race. If you pass you can pass with nix mana open. If I try to silence into iona you can spelljack the silence and then nix the iona. By the time you can cast the elemental without exiling a card I can cast vindicate. If I kill elemental then I can just wait to hard cast silence into iona. If you spelljack the vindicate then I can still cast iona before you kill me.
6-0
Vindicate was rarely effective. Most threats were immune to it and I couldn't exile my Iona to cast it since it wasn't a threat. Blazing Archon would've been much more effective. Squire would've been equally relevant.
N/A: 1CalvinSchwa: Rain Memes
Torrent Elemental / Time Stop / Nix
TIE
2Feyd_Ruin: Chancellor Merkel
Chancellor of the Forge / Chancellor of the Forge / Nix
Timestopping tokens indeed does not work. However: When you're on the play you race me no matter what, but when I'm on the play I believe I can T1 Island, exile Time Stop to cast Torrent Elemental. No Nix for you with me on play, no attack from you first turn because I've got Torrent Elemental, and from there I believe I actually race (keeping up Nix mana so you can't freecast a Chancellor before turn 7). T1 - -, T2 3-2, T3 6-4, T4 9-6, T5 12-8, T6 15-10, T7 18-15(+3 tokens), T8 21.
LOSS
3Mederer: No, with extra no
Mystic Snake / Mana Drain / Gaea's Revenge
He has two threats, I have one real answer, and I can't race him. I plotted out a few things, and I think he ends up racing me if he just hardcasts Snake T4 -- I could find no reasonable way to win.
LOSS
4Mogg: Burn baby Burn
Beacon of Destruction / Counterflux / Misthollow Griffin
As best I can tell, he wins. If I rush out T.E. T1, he can Counterflux and then win easily at his leisure -- 2 threats, 1 answer. If we get to T5, I can't stop Beacon without Time Stop, which itself is stopped by Counterflux, which can't be countered by anything. (And, of course, Torrent Elemental is pathetically slow compared to Beacon.)
LOSS
5Nerdyjoe: Less mana, mo' problems
Collective Defiance / Crush of Wurms / Empyrial Archangel
T3 Defiance -> exile TE cast Time Stop. Thereafter, I can swing for a few turns, but once you can hardcast Archangel I'm done for.
TIE (2 Wins)
6psly4mne: Let me see that...
Progenitus / Aethersnatch / Nix
If you cast Prog early with Snatch, I Nix. T5 hardcast Elemental, if you exile Nix to Snatch I exile Stop to Nix (not enough mana to hardcast Snatch). In the subsequent race I think it depends who went first. 3-3
TIE (2 Wins)
7Reyemille: What have you got there...?
Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental
Whoever's on the play gets an Island, exiles their expensive counter (Spelljack/Time Stop) to freecast Torrent Elemental, and hardcast Nix if their opponent tries to freecast one of either of their two counters. Thereafter, since neither of us have actual interaction, whoever got out their Elemental fastest (the one on the play) wins the race always, regardless of whether or not they actually get out their Elemental. (Although you could Nix that too anyway.)
On another note, I thought I was <so> creative with this week. Guess not.
LOSS
8UkkuhrMakhai: Vindictive
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Silence / Vindicate
I do indeed lose here. Silence demands Time Stop response or else Iona, and then you wait me out and hardcast Iona with Vindicate to kill my threat (which would lose to Iona anyways, I mean, but y'know).
LOSS
9WhammeWhamme: Can't touch this
Leyline of Lifeforce / Progenitus / Orim's Chant
*Sigh* I'm dumb. I apologize, WhammeWhamme, you were very right. I was assuming you played the Leyline pre-T1, which is a very nontrivial assumption this week.
0? | X 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 | 6
Wow. Bad.
So, Time Stop was as excellent and even better than I expected, but rather too easily countered. Nix was pathetic, being good in T1 races but little else besides. Torrent Elemental should've been backup win, not something that may need to race.
All in all, I lost when there were 2 solid threats I couldn't race.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"It is better for all the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes... Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
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Eldrazi Madness
Players start the game with an emblem that says "Rather than pay the mana cost for a spell, you may exile a card that shares a color with that spell from your hand."
Dream halls the card allows discard, rather than exile. Do not be confused.
Deck Size: 3
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule
Additional Banned list: None (Please be sure to review the regular ban list and the land rule ban list at the end of this post)
Commentary
There should be lots of fun stuff to do turn 1, and you may want to delay doing it so you get to use all 3 cards in hand.
Nix was the king of this round with 4 appearances. 6 decks had counterspells. Misthallow Griffin and Torrent Elemental were predictably favorite cards to pitch.
Submissions
1CalvinSchwa: Rain Memes
Torrent Elemental / Time Stop / Nix
Time Stop will probably overperform. Torrent Elemental is a fine threat, but a little slow.
2Feyd_Ruin: Chancellor Merkel
Chancellor of the Forge / Chancellor of the Forge / Nix
Probably the fastest deck around. And quite resiliant to counterspells.
3Mederer: No, with extra no
Mystic Snake / Mana Drain / Gaea's Revenge
Having your choice of counterspells, accelleration, and creatures seems great!
4Mogg: Burn baby Burn
Beacon of Destruction / Counterflux / Misthollow Griffin
This seems a little slow. You don't goldfish until turn 5, at which point others' big threats could start coming down.
5Nerdyjoe: Less mana, mo' problems
Collective Defiance / Crush of Wurms / Empyrial Archangel
You're pretty weak to Nix, and other counters, but waiting until turn 3 will get you there sometimes.
6psly4mne: Let me see that...
Progenitus / Aethersnatch / Nix
Having an un-interuptable 3 turn clock, or whatever cool threat your opponent is using looks great.
7Reyemille: What have you got there...?
Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental
Very similar to psyl4mne, I wonder if your differences will make a big difference in scoring.
8UkkuhrMakhai: Vindictive
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Silence / Vindicate
Each of these cards is powerful in isolation. I wonder how good the package is.
9WhammeWhamme: Can't touch this
Leyline of Lifeforce / Progenitus / Orim's Chant
All the levels of protection here are good, and Progenitus is very good.
Next Week's Format
4CB 2CMC LR. You may only submit cards with converted mana cost 2. If one half of a split card has cmc 2, then the card is legal. Discuss the format, along with possible bans below. Counterbalance is on the ban-radar. It would take some finding to abuse it, but it would be a very effective lockout. Primordial Hydra and it's kin are legal, so it wouldn't be a complete lockdown, and the setup cost may be prohibitive. Ratchet Bomb is also on the ban-radar. There is plenty of good artifact hate, but forcing people to play artifact hate might be bad for the format.
Details for Poll
Option 1 : 5CB No Land Rule
Exactly as it sounds, plain old vanilla
Option 2 : 2CB Frenimies Land Rule
In addition to the two players, there is a third player with 20 life. If you would lose the game due to combat damage and the third player is still playing, the active player loses the game. If you would lose the game for any other reason, and the third player is still playing, the player who controlled the most recently resolved spell or ability loses the game instead. (I like this idea, trying out some cleaner language. Feedback is welcome.)
Option 3 : 3CB LR Winter Orb
Players can't untap more than one land during their untap steps.
How to Enter
Anyone is free to enter the Perfect Hand Magic League. To enter, simply send a private message (PM) to the user PerfectHandMagic with your deck submission. The standard rules of the format are explained below in the click-able spoilers. If you get stuck or need some advice, please don't hesitate to speak up on this thread or send a private message to user PerfectHandMagic for tips and tutorials. Decks are commonly submitted as:
Card 1 / Card 2 / Card 3
(eg. for a 3 card format)
Please submit your hand by 00:00 GMT Tuesday August 23.
You Make the Format
In PHM we vote on the formats YOU want to play! Submit your ideas for formats into the thread below, and they will be added to the vote for next week's format selection.
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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Counterbalance / Counterspell / Black Sun's Zenith / Scalding Tongs
CONSPIRACY!
5CB (no land rule?) you may submit Conspiracies as cards for your deck.
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2 Chancellor of the Forge / Chancellor of the Forge / Nix: On the play, I resolve Prog. On the draw, I resolve Prog t2 and still can't block enough. 3-3
3 Mystic Snake / Mana Drain / Gaea's Revenge: I resolve Prog or t1 Aethersnatch and win. 6-0
4 Beacon of Destruction / Counterflux / Misthollow Griffin: Turn 1 Prog, it reshuffles, turn 2 Prog wins. 6-0
5 Collective Defiance / Crush of Wurms / Empyrial Archangel: Prog beats, or Aethersnatch if he casts t1 Crush on the play. 6-0
7 Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental: On the play, I resolve Prog. On the draw, my turn 16 Prog can't quite race turn 11 Torrent. 3-3
8 Iona, Shield of Emeria / Silence / Vindicate: Either t1 creature wins. 3-3
6 | 3 3 6 6 6 X 3 3 | 26
Aethersnatch was a very poor choice of counterspell because it can't force t10 Progenitus through Nix or Time Stop, and I couldn't hardcast both until turn 16. Nix was also weak, as running a counter that beat opposing Nixes would have been much better. Progenitus was great, and probably would have won with a better choice of counters.
Leyline of Lifeforce
Progenitus
Orim's Chant
Matchups for it:
vs. 01 CalvinSchwa: On turn 5, I play Chant, which pulls Time Stop and delays Torrent until turn 6. He thus swings 4 times before my turn 10 OTP, and then I hardcast Progenitus. He swings for the 15th damage, I swing back, he gets me to 2, I kill him. 6-0
vs. 02 Feyd_Ruin: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces (as it stops C's first swing) 6-0
vs. 03 Mederer: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces. 6-0
vs. 04 Mogg: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces. 6-0
vs. 05 Nerdyjoe: It's a race. 3-3
vs. 06 psly4mne: Chant draws out Snatch, allows win race OTP. 3-3
vs. 07 Reyemille: First turn uncounterable Progenitus outraces. 6-0
vs. 08 UkkuhrrMakhai: Iona prevents Prog, Prog outraces Iona, 3-3.
6 6 6 6 3 3 6 3
1. 6-0. He can timestop the tokens, but a hardcast races.
2. XXX
3. 6-0. I race the 8/5 and/or nix his counter.
4. 6-0. I can Nix counter when I cast chancellor. Beacon? Tokens.
5. 3-3. Crush saves him on his play. Otherwise Nix or race Defiance.
6. 3-3. I can nix Prog on play.
7. 6-0. Tokens race the Torrent. I break out of the deadlock. See below.
8. 3-3. Lockout on my draw. My play is close, but wins. See below.
2v7
The two tokens race the 3/5 hardcast. On turn 8 I cast Chancellor. He can spelljack this. I then Nix his casting of my Chancellor whenever he casts it. On turn 9, I cast Chancellor #2. This overruns him.
2v8
It takes 3 hits for Iona to kill me. But when she drops, he is always two or less swings away from death for what I have and has to hold to block. I do exactly 20 damage that he can't block.
1. Token, Token
Free cast Chancellor
Swing with five 1/1 haste (15)
1. Plains -> Silence
Freecast Iona
2. Swing all out (one 5/5, five 1/1s).
Block 5/5. Take 5 (10)
2.
3. Swing five x 1/1.
Block one. Take 4 (6)
3.
4. Swing, block. Take 3 (3)
4.
5. Swing, block. Take 2 (1)
5.
6. Swing, block. Take 1 (Dead)
No longer staff here.
Nix errata: "Nix can target any spell. The condition is checked only on resolution."
If you try to Chant on upkeep T5, I respond by casting Nix, exiling Elemental. Nix does nothing, but on that turn I can use Elemental's ability from exile to put it in. Henceforth, I beat down freely, since Time Stop can and will counter Prog.
If you don't Chant (and I hardcast T5), I beat down T 6,7,8,9,10 to put you at 5. If you try to cast Prog T10, I Time Stop. If you wait till T11 to cast Chant -> Prog, I Time Stop in response and have another turn to beat down. Actually, pretty much regardless of what happens, I think that's a race I win.
6-0, me, unless there's something we both missed (or I misinterpreted what you said).
I'll finish my row later -- start school tomorrow, got last-minute summer homework to finish. Toodles!
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
On your turn 6, you can get out Torrent, but it's too slow (as per listed racing math); swinging turn 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 is only 18 damage.
If you hardcast Torrent Elemental turn 5, you have to pitch Nix to Time Stop the Chant, which is actually amazing for me as I then just cast Progenitus the turn after. (but if you DON'T Time Stop the Chant, then I cast Proggy that turn).
Either way, you can't stop the Legendary Hydra, and it wins the race handily. (Actually, "if you hardcast Torrent Elemental before turn 12, you can't stop Chant into Proggy, and on turn 12 both can get hardcast anyway, blanking Nix" is the real summary)
Make sense? Chant forces Time Stop because otherwise Proggy is the follow up.
Torrent Elemental / Time Stop / Nix
I cast iona turn 1 regardless and it out races torrent
6-0
2Feyd_Ruin: Chancellor Merkel
Chancellor of the Forge / Chancellor of the Forge / Nix
2-2
3Mederer: No, with extra no
Mystic Snake / Mana Drain / Gaea's Revenge
4-1 I cast iona naming green on my play. On your play you cast gaea and then I cast iona and they stare at each other.
4Mogg: Burn baby Burn
Beacon of Destruction / Counterflux / Misthollow Griffin
Iona is faster than misthollow and you can't stop her coming down
6-0
5Nerdyjoe: Less mana, mo' problems
Collective Defiance / Crush of Wurms / Empyrial Archangel
On the play I drop iona on green and stop the threats from being cast.
On the draw you have to cast a threat before iona gets dropped and she can wall both of them.
4-1
6psly4mne: Let me see that...
Progenitus / Aethersnatch / Nix
On the play I lock you out.
On the draw progenitus races
2-2
7Reyemille: What have you got there...?
Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental
You can spelljack silence exiling torrent on my play but I can cast iona without passing priority so you don't get a chance to force me to pass the turn.
On your play if you cast torrent elemental t1 I win the race. If you pass you can pass with nix mana open. If I try to silence into iona you can spelljack the silence and then nix the iona. By the time you can cast the elemental without exiling a card I can cast vindicate. If I kill elemental then I can just wait to hard cast silence into iona. If you spelljack the vindicate then I can still cast iona before you kill me.
6-0
Vindicate was rarely effective. Most threats were immune to it and I couldn't exile my Iona to cast it since it wasn't a threat. Blazing Archon would've been much more effective. Squire would've been equally relevant.
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Torrent Elemental / Time Stop / Nix
TIE
2Feyd_Ruin: Chancellor Merkel
Chancellor of the Forge / Chancellor of the Forge / Nix
Timestopping tokens indeed does not work. However: When you're on the play you race me no matter what, but when I'm on the play I believe I can T1 Island, exile Time Stop to cast Torrent Elemental. No Nix for you with me on play, no attack from you first turn because I've got Torrent Elemental, and from there I believe I actually race (keeping up Nix mana so you can't freecast a Chancellor before turn 7). T1 - -, T2 3-2, T3 6-4, T4 9-6, T5 12-8, T6 15-10, T7 18-15(+3 tokens), T8 21.
LOSS
3Mederer: No, with extra no
Mystic Snake / Mana Drain / Gaea's Revenge
He has two threats, I have one real answer, and I can't race him. I plotted out a few things, and I think he ends up racing me if he just hardcasts Snake T4 -- I could find no reasonable way to win.
LOSS
4Mogg: Burn baby Burn
Beacon of Destruction / Counterflux / Misthollow Griffin
As best I can tell, he wins. If I rush out T.E. T1, he can Counterflux and then win easily at his leisure -- 2 threats, 1 answer. If we get to T5, I can't stop Beacon without Time Stop, which itself is stopped by Counterflux, which can't be countered by anything. (And, of course, Torrent Elemental is pathetically slow compared to Beacon.)
LOSS
5Nerdyjoe: Less mana, mo' problems
Collective Defiance / Crush of Wurms / Empyrial Archangel
T3 Defiance -> exile TE cast Time Stop. Thereafter, I can swing for a few turns, but once you can hardcast Archangel I'm done for.
TIE (2 Wins)
6psly4mne: Let me see that...
Progenitus / Aethersnatch / Nix
If you cast Prog early with Snatch, I Nix. T5 hardcast Elemental, if you exile Nix to Snatch I exile Stop to Nix (not enough mana to hardcast Snatch). In the subsequent race I think it depends who went first. 3-3
TIE (2 Wins)
7Reyemille: What have you got there...?
Spelljack / Nix / Torrent Elemental
Whoever's on the play gets an Island, exiles their expensive counter (Spelljack/Time Stop) to freecast Torrent Elemental, and hardcast Nix if their opponent tries to freecast one of either of their two counters. Thereafter, since neither of us have actual interaction, whoever got out their Elemental fastest (the one on the play) wins the race always, regardless of whether or not they actually get out their Elemental. (Although you could Nix that too anyway.)
On another note, I thought I was <so> creative with this week. Guess not.
LOSS
8UkkuhrMakhai: Vindictive
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Silence / Vindicate
I do indeed lose here. Silence demands Time Stop response or else Iona, and then you wait me out and hardcast Iona with Vindicate to kill my threat (which would lose to Iona anyways, I mean, but y'know).
LOSS
9WhammeWhamme: Can't touch this
Leyline of Lifeforce / Progenitus / Orim's Chant
*Sigh* I'm dumb. I apologize, WhammeWhamme, you were very right. I was assuming you played the Leyline pre-T1, which is a very nontrivial assumption this week.
Wow. Bad.
So, Time Stop was as excellent and even better than I expected, but rather too easily countered. Nix was pathetic, being good in T1 races but little else besides. Torrent Elemental should've been backup win, not something that may need to race.
All in all, I lost when there were 2 solid threats I couldn't race.
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.