5CH Wildest Growth
Hand Size: 5 cards.
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule: Each player starts the game with an emblem with "Whenever a land you control becomes tapped, add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
Rules and banned list
Be sure to review the rules and regular banned list by clicking below. In addition, be sure to review the "Land Rule" banned list as well.
Format ideas?
If you have a format you'd like to try, send me a message, mention it along with the cards in your hand, or post it here!
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 her 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 result 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 typically 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.
Note that, unless I'm mistaken, the triggered ability from this round's emblem does not count as tapping the land for mana. So any other ability, such as the actual Wild Growth which triggers "whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana..." won't trigger if you use, say, Maze of Ith to stop an attacker.
Also, can I make a suggestion for next round?
EDIT: I foolishly suggested a round based on Staying Power, then realized that way too much stuff is broken, from Fog to Angel's Grace.
...I would honestly be happy to play Staying Power rounds all the time. I think the key is, instead of an emblem, just have one or both players start the game with an actual copy of Staying Power on the battlefield -- that way you can do something about it. Although you'll probably still have to ban Angel's Grace.
EDIT: Wait, I've got it -- just add life rule!
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.
Note that, unless I'm mistaken, the triggered ability from this round's emblem does not count as tapping the land for mana. So any other ability, such as the actual Wild Growth which triggers "whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana..." won't trigger if you use, say, Maze of Ith to stop an attacker.
Also, can I make a suggestion for next round?
EDIT: I foolishly suggested a round based on Staying Power, then realized that way too much stuff is broken, from Fog to Angel's Grace.
Just fyi, there is some precedent for this format (not the same, but similar) here and here.
Hand Size: 6 cards.
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule: None.
For as long as PHM has been played, I don't think there's ever been a round that was straight 6 cards, no frills. I'm interested in seeing how different it is from the 5CH metagame.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please post here and let me know!
1: 6: Satyr drops pre-Swipe, and a cycling trigger isn't a spell cast.
2: 4: Not quite my tempo. EDIT: Per Feyd_Ruin's analysis, Flame can be cast once to kill Satyr.
3: Per my subsequent post.
4: -
5: 3: We both have t3 finishes. Silence forestalls Claim but doesn't interact with Decree.
6: 6: My hand is resilient to counterspells.
Nature's Claim was irrelevant, and it's still unclear to me what the best choice would have been for that slot. Pithing Needle certainly would have done the job, but it's not a great card, and Stax seemed like an especially legitimate concern for this format; that said, it's possible bridge would be too inconsistent, and the hand is already good against Chalice, so maybe I need not have worried.
1v2: 3-3
2nd turn "You die if you cast" is nasty.
On my play, though, Mists hits and Flame handles the rest.
2v3: 6-0
Assuming Liliana replacement isn't a game changer.
Destructive Flow hits before Thrasher can swing lethal. This locks out the combo, and everything else, for Mists-Flare to win.
2v4: 1-4
On my play, I can always Rekindled Flame the Satyr before he combos. Natures Claim can always hit Mists, however. If he doesn't try to Decree for 1, he can keep a card in hand so Flame isn't deadly.
2v5: 3-3
Silence prevents Destruction Flow turn 2 on his play, but not on his draw.
2v6: 2-2
He Arcanes Destructive Flow. He Put Aways Necrogen Mists. If he casts Griffin However, I Rekindled Flame it. If he Arcane Denials, then Flame comes online from his empty hand and I win. If he doesn't, then neither of us can win. So he ties it.
Liliana of the Veil in knobbodi's hand has been replaced with Arcane Denial.
Knobbodi submitted this replacement roughly concurrently with the posting of the round.
--On the play, I get down wake thrasher before your combo is online and don't need to cast any more spells. On the draw, I can ratchet bomb away your creatures but even a nonlethal mindswipe will counter thrasher so we just trade inkmoths 4-1
2) Feyd_Ruin :: New Goal: play tons of unplayed cards!
Destructive Flow / Mountain / Necrogen Mists / Rekindled Flame / Swamp
--If I play thrasher you flame it, and then from there I need to counter both flow and mists to win but I cannot 0-6
4) Mogg
Cavern of Souls / Decree of Justice / Maze of Ith / Nature's Claim / Voyaging Satyr
--I hold ratchet bomb for your tokens if you ever combo since you have to do it sorcery speed, then I attack with inkmoth on my 3rd turn, tapping it for mana if you maze it, and then start attacking with a 3/3-5/5 wake thrasher and inkmoth every turn to outrace satyr 6-0 2-2 as per mogg's comment
5) tomsloger
Dryad Arbor / Freed from the Real / Irrigation Ditch / Silence / Walking Ballista
--On the play, thrasher comes down before you can silence. On the draw, it doesn't, but you can't make enough mana to silence+combo in the same turn if I hold up arcane denial. If you attack, I trade with inkmoth and then trade ratchet bomb for your 2 mana hangarback. If you don't, we sit there forever 4-1
2) Feyd_Ruin 3-3 :: Agreed
3) knobbodi 1-4 :: Agreed.
4) Mogg 2-2??? :: I might be missing something obvious here, but can't I trade Vizier with Satyr (if you attack without Ithing it, which if you do I won't tak edamage anyway), block a 1/1 with druid, and trade a 1/1 with Nexus? If you try to Claim Nexus, I can Swipe it. 2-2 tie?
5) tomsloger 3-3 :: OTP, you can't cast anything T1 and I can Swipe by T2. Win with Nexus. OTD, you Silence my T2 and win T3.
6) WhammeWhamme 6-0 :: Pretty sure I barely win the races here. Even if you counter my Druid, you can't both store mana and cast your 4-mana counterspell, so either I kill with Nexus or you eventually let me play Vizier. At this point, I win the race by blocking/shrinking your Griffin for a turn. Similarly, OTP I try for T1 Druid, have it countered, you can play Griffin but I win that that race, or you play nothing and I can wait with Nexus. (Please double-check this; I might be very wrong here.)
| X 2 1 2? 2 6? | 13 |
I like Mindswipe, but Druid/Vizier was too awkward for it. Weird races helped though.
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.
@CalvinSchwa:
Satyr + Maze generates sn arbitrarily large amount of mana (Maze doesn't actually remove Satyr from combat), so cycled Decree makes a lot of tokens.
@CalvinSchwa:
Satyr + Maze generates sn arbitrarily large amount of mana (Maze doesn't actually remove Satyr from combat), so cycled Decree makes a lot of tokens.
Oh, I see! I knew there had to be something I missed. 0-6 then.
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.
2) Feyd_Ruin 3-3 :: Agreed
3) knobbodi 1-4 :: Agreed.
4) Mogg 2-2??? :: I might be missing something obvious here, but can't I trade Vizier with Satyr (if you attack without Ithing it, which if you do I won't tak edamage anyway), block a 1/1 with druid, and trade a 1/1 with Nexus? If you try to Claim Nexus, I can Swipe it. 2-2 tie?
5) tomsloger 3-3 :: OTP, you can't cast anything T1 and I can Swipe by T2. Win with Nexus. OTD, you Silence my T2 and win T3.
6) WhammeWhamme 6-0 :: Pretty sure I barely win the races here. Even if you counter my Druid, you can't both store mana and cast your 4-mana counterspell, so either I kill with Nexus or you eventually let me play Vizier. At this point, I win the race by blocking/shrinking your Griffin for a turn. Similarly, OTP I try for T1 Druid, have it countered, you can play Griffin but I win that that race, or you play nothing and I can wait with Nexus. (Please double-check this; I might be very wrong here.)
| X 2 1 2? 2 6? | 13 |
I like Mindswipe, but Druid/Vizier was too awkward for it. Weird races helped though.
Okay, so, play/draw doesn't affect my matches.
Here's how ours goes:
C1: Inky, Devoted Druid. Resolves, because it's literally irrelevant as long as I hold the counter up for the other half of the combo.
(It doesn't even let you attack and hold up Mindswipe, because you need U/R for Bluffs)
W1: Play second land
C2: Swing with Inky (1 poison). Can cast Vizier to eat Arcane Denial, but I still get to add a counter (because charging the land gets 2 mana for Arcane Denial). If Vizier is not cast, then I just charge up at EOT (creatures cast at sorcery speed). (1 counter)
W: Go
C: Swing with Inky (2 poison), EOT W adds a counter (2)
W: Go
C: Swing with Inky (3 poison), EOT W adds a counter (3)
W: Play the Griffin (leaving a land untapped so I can Denial)
C: If Inky swings, I block and you lose. So it stays home... and then I win the race (17/4, 14/5, 11/6, 8/7, 5/8, 2/9, death for you)
C1: Inky, Devoted Druid. Resolves, because it's literally irrelevant as long as I hold the counter up for the other half of the combo.
(It doesn't even let you attack and hold up Mindswipe, because you need U/R for Bluffs)
W1: Play second land
C2: Swing with Inky (1 poison). Can cast Vizier to eat Arcane Denial, but I still get to add a counter (because charging the land gets 2 mana for Arcane Denial). If Vizier is not cast, then I just charge up at EOT (creatures cast at sorcery speed). (1 counter)
W: Go
C: Swing with Inky (2 poison), EOT W adds a counter (2)
W: Go
C: Swing with Inky (3 poison), EOT W adds a counter (3)
W: Play the Griffin (leaving a land untapped so I can Denial)
C: If Inky swings, I block and you lose. So it stays home... and then I win the race (17/4, 14/5, 11/6, 8/7, 5/8, 2/9, death for you)
And there's the other thing I was missing! Any time one of matches comes down to a weird race, I just need to assume I'm wrong somewhere.
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.
Woops, looking back my match vs tomsloger is incorrect. Irrigation ditch makes GU and dryad arbor makes G, with U and W as the extra, meaning he does have enough to silence + combo in the same turn, which makes our match 3-3 instead of 4-1
Woops, looking back my match vs tomsloger is incorrect. Irrigation ditch makes GU and dryad arbor makes G, with U and W as the extra, meaning he does have enough to silence + combo in the same turn, which makes our match 3-3 instead of 4-1
5CH Wildest Growth
Hand Size: 5 cards.
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule: Each player starts the game with an emblem with "Whenever a land you control becomes tapped, add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
Hands:
1) CalvinSchwa
Cascade Bluffs / Devoted Druid / Inkmoth Nexus / Mindswipe / Vizier of Remedies
2) Feyd_Ruin :: New Goal: play tons of unplayed cards!
Destructive Flow / Mountain / Necrogen Mists / Rekindled Flame / Swamp
3) knobbodi
Arcane Denial / Inkmoth Nexus / Minamo, School at Water's Edge / Ratchet Bomb / Wake Thrasher
4) Mogg
Cavern of Souls / Decree of Justice / Maze of Ith / Nature's Claim / Voyaging Satyr
5) tomsloger
Dryad Arbor / Freed from the Real / Irrigation Ditch / Silence / Walking Ballista
6) WhammeWhamme
Arcane Denial / Calciform Pools / Gemstone Caverns / Misthollow Griffin / Put Away
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6
1| X 3 1 0 2 0 | 05 | 100
2| 3 X 6 1 3 2 | 13 | 260
3| 4 0 X 2 3 6 | 14 | 280
4| 6 4 2 X 3 6 | 20 | 400
5| 2 3 3 3 X 6 | 14 | 280
6| 6 2 0 0 0 X | 08 | 160
Mogg wins!
Rules and banned list
Be sure to review the rules and regular banned list by clicking below. In addition, be sure to review the "Land Rule" banned list as well.
Format ideas?
If you have a format you'd like to try, send me a message, mention it along with the cards in your hand, or post it here!
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 her 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 result 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 typically 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
Beast Within
Chancellor of the Annex
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Pact of Negation
Trinisphere
Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Win Conditions
Barren Glory
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Laboratory Maniac
Leyline of the Meek
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
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
Win Conditions
Beacon of Creation
Maralen of the Mornsong
Nezumi Shortfang
Red Sun's Zenith
White Sun's Zenith
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Also, can I make a suggestion for next round?
EDIT: I foolishly suggested a round based on Staying Power, then realized that way too much stuff is broken, from Fog to Angel's Grace.
- Rabid Wombat
EDIT: Wait, I've got it -- just add life rule!
--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.
Just fyi, there is some precedent for this format (not the same, but similar) here and here.
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Hand Size: 6 cards.
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule: None.
For as long as PHM has been played, I don't think there's ever been a round that was straight 6 cards, no frills. I'm interested in seeing how different it is from the 5CH metagame.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please post here and let me know!
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Please take a look, and score your row.
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4) Mogg
Cavern of Souls / Decree of Justice / Maze of Ith / Nature's Claim / Voyaging Satyr
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6
4| 6 4 2 X 3 6 | 20 | 400
1: 6: Satyr drops pre-Swipe, and a cycling trigger isn't a spell cast.
2: 4: Not quite my tempo.
EDIT: Per Feyd_Ruin's analysis, Flame can be cast once to kill Satyr.
3: Per my subsequent post.
4: -
5: 3: We both have t3 finishes. Silence forestalls Claim but doesn't interact with Decree.
6: 6: My hand is resilient to counterspells.
Nature's Claim was irrelevant, and it's still unclear to me what the best choice would have been for that slot. Pithing Needle certainly would have done the job, but it's not a great card, and Stax seemed like an especially legitimate concern for this format; that said, it's possible bridge would be too inconsistent, and the hand is already good against Chalice, so maybe I need not have worried.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
2 | 3 X 6 1 3 2 | 13 | 260
1v2: 3-3
2nd turn "You die if you cast" is nasty.
On my play, though, Mists hits and Flame handles the rest.
2v3: 6-0
Assuming Liliana replacement isn't a game changer.
Destructive Flow hits before Thrasher can swing lethal. This locks out the combo, and everything else, for Mists-Flare to win.
2v4: 1-4
On my play, I can always Rekindled Flame the Satyr before he combos. Natures Claim can always hit Mists, however. If he doesn't try to Decree for 1, he can keep a card in hand so Flame isn't deadly.
2v5: 3-3
Silence prevents Destruction Flow turn 2 on his play, but not on his draw.
2v6: 2-2
He Arcanes Destructive Flow. He Put Aways Necrogen Mists. If he casts Griffin However, I Rekindled Flame it. If he Arcane Denials, then Flame comes online from his empty hand and I win. If he doesn't, then neither of us can win. So he ties it.
If you actually try to use all that tempo, though, you lose.
No longer staff here.
Knobbodi submitted this replacement roughly concurrently with the posting of the round.
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- Rabid Wombat
Arcane Denial / Inkmoth Nexus / Minamo, School at Water's Edge / Ratchet Bomb / Wake Thrasher
VS:
1) CalvinSchwa
Cascade Bluffs / Devoted Druid / Inkmoth Nexus / Mindswipe / Vizier of Remedies
--On the play, I get down wake thrasher before your combo is online and don't need to cast any more spells. On the draw, I can ratchet bomb away your creatures but even a nonlethal mindswipe will counter thrasher so we just trade inkmoths 4-1
2) Feyd_Ruin :: New Goal: play tons of unplayed cards!
Destructive Flow / Mountain / Necrogen Mists / Rekindled Flame / Swamp
--If I play thrasher you flame it, and then from there I need to counter both flow and mists to win but I cannot 0-6
4) Mogg
Cavern of Souls / Decree of Justice / Maze of Ith / Nature's Claim / Voyaging Satyr
--
I hold ratchet bomb for your tokens if you ever combo since you have to do it sorcery speed, then I attack with inkmoth on my 3rd turn, tapping it for mana if you maze it, and then start attacking with a 3/3-5/5 wake thrasher and inkmoth every turn to outrace satyr 6-02-2 as per mogg's comment5) tomsloger
Dryad Arbor / Freed from the Real / Irrigation Ditch / Silence / Walking Ballista
--On the play, thrasher comes down before you can silence. On the draw, it doesn't, but you can't make enough mana to silence+combo in the same turn if I hold up arcane denial. If you attack, I trade with inkmoth and then trade ratchet bomb for your 2 mana hangarback. If you don't, we sit there forever 4-1
6) WhammeWhamme
Arcane Denial / Calciform Pools / Gemstone Caverns / Misthollow Griffin / Put Away
--If you play griffin on turn 1 or 2 I arcane denial then win with inkmoth. Otherwise, I play ratchet bomb with denial backup and win with inkmoth 6-0
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
2 | 4 0 X 2 4 6 | 16 | 320
Maze Thrasher and Claim Nexus (tap Minamo to animate Nexus; Denial offline): 2-2.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
3) knobbodi 1-4 :: Agreed.
4) Mogg 2-2??? :: I might be missing something obvious here, but can't I trade Vizier with Satyr (if you attack without Ithing it, which if you do I won't tak edamage anyway), block a 1/1 with druid, and trade a 1/1 with Nexus? If you try to Claim Nexus, I can Swipe it. 2-2 tie?
5) tomsloger 3-3 :: OTP, you can't cast anything T1 and I can Swipe by T2. Win with Nexus. OTD, you Silence my T2 and win T3.
6) WhammeWhamme 6-0 :: Pretty sure I barely win the races here. Even if you counter my Druid, you can't both store mana and cast your 4-mana counterspell, so either I kill with Nexus or you eventually let me play Vizier. At this point, I win the race by blocking/shrinking your Griffin for a turn. Similarly, OTP I try for T1 Druid, have it countered, you can play Griffin but I win that that race, or you play nothing and I can wait with Nexus. (Please double-check this; I might be very wrong here.)
| X 2 1 2? 2 6? | 13 |
I like Mindswipe, but Druid/Vizier was too awkward for it. Weird races helped though.
--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.
Satyr + Maze generates sn arbitrarily large amount of mana (Maze doesn't actually remove Satyr from combat), so cycled Decree makes a lot of tokens.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Oh, I see! I knew there had to be something I missed. 0-6 then.
--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.
Okay, so, play/draw doesn't affect my matches.
Here's how ours goes:
C1: Inky, Devoted Druid. Resolves, because it's literally irrelevant as long as I hold the counter up for the other half of the combo.
(It doesn't even let you attack and hold up Mindswipe, because you need U/R for Bluffs)
W1: Play second land
C2: Swing with Inky (1 poison). Can cast Vizier to eat Arcane Denial, but I still get to add a counter (because charging the land gets 2 mana for Arcane Denial). If Vizier is not cast, then I just charge up at EOT (creatures cast at sorcery speed). (1 counter)
W: Go
C: Swing with Inky (2 poison), EOT W adds a counter (2)
W: Go
C: Swing with Inky (3 poison), EOT W adds a counter (3)
W: Play the Griffin (leaving a land untapped so I can Denial)
C: If Inky swings, I block and you lose. So it stays home... and then I win the race (17/4, 14/5, 11/6, 8/7, 5/8, 2/9, death for you)
And there's the other thing I was missing! Any time one of matches comes down to a weird race, I just need to assume I'm wrong somewhere.
--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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Leaders by Average Total:
Mogg 21.5
tomsloger 19.25
Feyd_Ruin 18.5
WhammeWhamme 17.5
knobbodi 17.25
CalvinSchwa 16
Anachronity 15
CzarBomba 8
Jantesviker 4.5
Leaders by Average League Points:
Mogg 328.75
WhammeWhamme 290
Feyd_Ruin 282
tomsloger 265
knobbodi 264.25
CalvinSchwa 232
Anachronity 202.5
CzarBomba 100
Jantesviker 56.25