Players begin the game with 1300 life.
If an effect would produce mana, it produces that much B instead.
Black mana may be spent as though it were mana of any color.
Be sure to review the rules and banned list(s) by clicking below.
Cards on the PHM Banned List are always banned, and cards on the Land Rule Banned List are banned as well when the round uses a Land Rule.
Contents
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Hand Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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 an online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form his or her 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 player of each hand employs the strategy that maximizes 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 that 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 – Hand Construction Rules.
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 by 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. An effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits 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 all 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 would enable him or her 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 has passed – 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 he or she doesn't, then the moderator may name it. The moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or her discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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 has 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 Hand 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 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 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 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. Irrespective of rule 7.5a, a player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against at least one hand, such that the player of the losing hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in that player losing the game. The losing hand must conform with the Hand Construction Rules but need not consider this rule.
7.6. Backbuild.
7.6a. Players exchange hands before the start of each match. Each player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against a specified hand or specified hands, such that the player of any specified hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in the player of that specified hand losing the game. Ignore rule 3.1.
7.7. (Bonus).
7.7a. A player earns bonus points if his or her hand meets specified requirements.
PHM Banned List_________________Land Rule Banned List
I feel like Mycosynth isn't really the kind of entity that can throw a party, and thus would've left out the apostrophe-S from the round title :) Aside from this, these changes are excellent!
Don't try hiding your anti-eldrazi agenda! Mycosynth Lattice doesn't change the type of mana, meaning that colorless mana is still colorless and can still be spent as such, in addition to acting as mana of any color. By changing colorless to black as part of the round rule you prohibit these poor, misunderstood creatures from taking part in the festivities.
But on a more serious (and practical) note, I do actually consider all mana becoming black a feature rather than a bug. It also has ramifications for things like Drain Life and Sunburst/Converge, which makes it interesting enough to keep as-is.
Well, it was Feyd who added the change-to-black clause :) Also, I wasn't suggesting removing it, I like it too – I think the rule should be "Black mana may be spent as though it were mana of any color, or as though it were colorless mana."
Looks like Endbringer wasn't invited to the party.
The OGW Eldrazi are very well known to be killjoy party poopers who would only seek to stop our halloween fun. As such, they are not invited. I'm sure they could find a way to crash our party anyways.. but we shouldn't invite such wanton recklessness
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think the rule should be "Black mana may be spent as though it were mana of any color, or as though it were colorless mana."
That's called "mana of any type". Mycosynth-type effects pre-OGW use "any color" and don't play nice with C. Similar effects post-OGW use "any type" and do work with C. The two exceptions are Oath of Nissa in OGW (but there are no C-cost planeswalkers) and North Star for some reason.
The printed text of this old-timey favorite, including an adorable example, referred to "any type of mana." This became "color" over time, which was fine until the advent of colorless mana in costs. It's an edge case, but maybe you have to cast Kozilek, the Great Distortion and all you have are 14 Forests and a North Star. We got your back.
Old rules text:
{4}, {T}: For one spell this turn, you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to pay that spell's mana cost. (Additional costs are still paid normally.)
New rules text:
{4}, {T}: For one spell this turn, you may spend mana as though it were mana of any type to pay that spell's mana cost. (Additional costs are still paid normally.)
Hands have been posted!
Please take a look and score your row.
Also, please welcome new player, Magus of the Aesthetic!
Note - I do realize that I have a two week backlog of results grids to post. I will have those rounds up-to-date by next week and then return to the regular weekly schedule of posting the final results.
vs. 01 CalvinSchwa: Foil the Monolith. 6-0
vs. 02 Protected Reservoir kills. 0-6
vs. 03 knobbodi: I lose to Field of Ruin + threat. 0-6
vs. 04 Magus of the Aesthetic: I lose to Evil Presence + Pierce. 0-6
vs. 05 Personman: I also lose to Dust Bowl + Inkmoth Nexus. 0-6
vs. 06 tomsloger: ...counter the Black Lotus? 6-0
After looking at deck #1, I was sure I was going to get totally crushed this round. But it looks like I might've actually found myself in an ok spot: The combo decks got a bit punished, and I did well against the people who punished them.
5) Personman
Anurid Scavenger / City of Traitors / Dust Bowl / Inkmoth Nexus / Recoil
vs
1) CalvinSchwa :: Snoke and the New Death Star
Basalt Monolith / Black Lotus / Mindswipe / Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker / Power Artifact
I can't even manage to find two lands to rub together. 0-6. Bolas can't actually win, as mentioned below. 2-2.
2) Feyd_Ruin :: Back to unused stuff?
Aetherflux Reservoir / Ancient Tomb / City of Traitors / Grinning Ignus / Pyroblast
On your play, you play Reservoir, I play Inkmoth + City and Recoil it, you discard Pyro and replay it, I play Scavenger. If you pay 50 to kill Scavenger, I can play Dust Bowl and activate in response to the City trigger to kill your City, which causes you to gain only 1 life a turn and hit me for 2. In the 10 turns I need to kill you with Inkmoth you'll have only made up 36 or 39 of the life deficit. If you don't kill it, you instead gain 3 life from Ignus on turn 4, having lost 6 life total so far. Then I get Recoil back and hit Reservoir and win. 6-0 Inkmoth is a creature too. 0-6.
3) knobbodi
Ancient Tomb / Field of Ruin / Hushwing Gryff / Leonin Relic-Warder / Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
You can't keep me off Anurid and once I have it you can't really do anything about it at all. I get my land back and Recoil your stuff until it is gone. 6-0.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I can play infect whenever
Bottomless Vault / Evil Presence / Magister Sphinx / Simian Spirit Guide / Spell Pierce
SSG for Pierce is pretty sick. Unfortunately, I don't really need any noncreature spells to resolve. I play City turn 2 and stick Anurid, and you can choose between making City a Swamp, in which case I just play Dust Bowl and start Recoiling, or holding it, in which case you can never play Vault for fear of Dust Bowl. 6-0.
Making infinite supermana on turn 1 is really a pretty good idea, why didn't I think of that? At least the Lotus decks lose to Spell Pierce. 0-6.
7) WhammeWhamme
Blightsteel Colossus / Foil / Island / Sand Silos / Through the Breach
You really like Through the Breach, huh? Happily, it is expensive enough that I have plenty of time to Dust Bowl Sand Silos, and I don't care at all about Foil. 6-0.
2) Feyd_Ruin :: Back to unused stuff?
Aetherflux Reservoir / Ancient Tomb / City of Traitors / Grinning Ignus / Pyroblast
On your play, you play Reservoir, I play Inkmoth + City and Recoil it, you discard Pyro and replay it, I play Scavenger. If you pay 50 to kill Scavenger, I can play Dust Bowl and activate in response to the City trigger to kill your City, which causes you to gain only 1 life a turn and hit me for 2. In the 10 turns I need to kill you with Inkmoth you'll have only made up 36 or 39 of the life deficit. If you don't kill it, you instead gain 3 life from Ignus on turn 4, having lost 6 life total so far. Then I get Recoil back and hit Reservoir and win.
I don't hit until I have enough life to kill you (which is a long time away since I have to burn some). Saving the life fuel means I can shoot Inkmoth whenever he activates. I then wait until I get back up to 1,301 life to shoot you 26 times for the win. 1251&25 if Ignus can swing enough maybe.
-
Will score my full line when I get home this afternoon
Hey guys? Nicol Bolas is illegal. I can't +1 him without a target, which I don't have an infinite amount of, so I can't actually kill anyone with him.
Here's the thing: My closest alternative was Vraska the Unseen, since she plays basically the same roles (deals with creatures, kills noncreatures, win-con ult). I don't believe it would help my overall scores -- not killing lands is an extremely significant downgrade, and not killing creatures directly matters too.
She was my original choice; that said, though, I have no way of proving that, and it was my mistake anyway. So, I can also just do Memnite or something if people would prefer that. I totally understand if it's too big a leap to switch to another powerful win-con after hands are shown.
I leave it up to community choice. (A fair few of my matches aren't affected anyway.)
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.
It's not actually illegal to submit hands that can't win anymore. Instead, we just have
Quote from PHM Rules »
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.
So if we're being sticklers, you just get to live with a bunch of draws. It's kinda feel-bad in a situation like this - I wouldn't be opposed to revisiting that rule. I'm honestly fine with it either way, I guess we just need to decide whether we want to be lenient and trusting, or more precise and accept the consequences when we mess up.
2) Feyd_Ruin 1-4 :: OTD, you can counter my Power Artifact. OTP, I kill your lands, and if you try to Blast Bolas you get Swiped.
3) knobbodi 1-4 :: OTD, Thalia means I can't play Basalt. OTP, you can't do anything or you'll get Swiped.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic 0-6 :: T0 counterspell.
5) Personman 2-2 :: I kill lands.
6) tomsloger 1-4 :: OTD Capsize Basalt, OTP we stall or you get Swiped.
7) WhammeWhamme 0-6 :: T0 counterspell.
{ X 1 1 0 2 1 0 | 5 |
Y'know, I kinda like how this archetype fits with the rest of the metagame. Bolas goof notwithstanding, this follows a nice pattern of beating decks without a T1 play, tieing the other T1 lockouts, and losing hard to T0 counterspells (Foil, Artifact Blast, Shoal, and this week other stuff too). It's never great, but usually not awful unless I manage to not play any win-cons (although to be fair it would've only been 12 this week if Bolas could ult).
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.
1) 4-1 : Agreed. Pyro on play.
2) xxx
3) 0-6 : Leonin hits Reservoir, I can't race Gryff
4) 6-0 : I can play through Spell Pierce, even with Presence.
5) 6-0 : As above. Pyro goes to recoil. Reservoir shoots Scavenger&Nexus
6) 0-6 : Can't get a foothold for Capsize
7) 6-0 : I go off before Breach, keeping Pyro up for Foil. (below)
2) Evil Presence would still leave 3 mana for Ignus, which leaves enough mana for Reservoir + Pyroblast to pay for Pierce. 0-6
3) Thalia shuts me down hard, not to speak of Hushwing Gryff. 0-6
5) Threatening both Recoil and Dust Bowl every turn isn't something I can handle. 0-6
6) Pierce the Lotus no matter what. I do love the style of paying life because you have a ton of it and setting your opponent's life to 10 because they're expecting to have a ton. 6-0
7) Evil Presence and Pierce both stop Blightsteel from showing up, Foil only counters one. 6-0.
Here are some other strategies I considered. This is mostly for my records but I thought it might be interesting to share.
Inkmoth Nexus - You know what they say, why count to 1300 when you can count to 10? This seemed like the best infect creature in the format, even if I had to play it with another land to activate it every turn. But I can play infect whenever. And the hand I had this in lost to the one I submitted.
Helix Pinnacle - You know what they say, why count to 1300 when you can count to 100? "Win the game" effects seemed good when everyone has 1300 life. I just couldn't find a way to protect myself for the time I needed to make 100 mana.
Azor's Elocutors - This is probably the only format where this would work, and I couldn't make it work. Helix Pinnacle was probably a better choice if you're going down this road.
Swan Song + Artifact Blast - I was excited when I realized I could run a spirit guide and 1 mana counters. I was less excited when I realized that my first thought was to win with a land and I had no land disruption.
Glacial Chasm - The first card that came to mind when I saw 1300 life. But playing any land + Exploration + this leaves me with two cards to actually win the game and no other forms of disruption. Only stopping creatures felt weaker and weaker as time went on.
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale - It was great when I was playing mostly lands, until I realized that creatures were not the fastest way to deal 1300 damage. Pretty sure it doesn't stop any submitted deck this week.
Argh, I missed this round due to Halloween festivities. That's okay, I was just going to do something with Treasonous Ogre, so I can live vicariously through tomsloger.
EDIT: @Magus of the Aesthetic, I like the 1-mana counter with spirit guide. I hadn't thought of that.
5CH Mycosynth Halloween
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
If an effect would produce mana, it produces that much B instead.
Black mana may be spent as though it were mana of any color.
Additional Bans: Blood Baron of Vizkopa, Divinity of Pride, Felidar Sovereign, Serra Ascendant, Test of Endurance
Hands:
1) CalvinSchwa :: Snoke and the New Death Star
Basalt Monolith / Black Lotus / Mindswipe / Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker / Power Artifact
2) Feyd_Ruin :: Back to unused stuff?
Aetherflux Reservoir / Ancient Tomb / City of Traitors / Grinning Ignus / Pyroblast
3) knobbodi
Ancient Tomb / Field of Ruin / Hushwing Gryff / Leonin Relic-Warder / Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I can play infect whenever
Bottomless Vault / Evil Presence / Magister Sphinx / Simian Spirit Guide / Spell Pierce
5) Personman
Anurid Scavenger / City of Traitors / Dust Bowl / Inkmoth Nexus / Recoil
6) tomsloger
Black Lotus / Capsize / Karakas / Sorin Markov / Treasonous Ogre
7) WhammeWhamme
Blightsteel Colossus / Foil / Island / Sand Silos / Through the Breach
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
1| X 1 1 0 2 1 0 | 05 | 083
2| 4 X 0 6 6 0 6 | 22 | 367
3| 4 6 X 6 0 3 6 | 24 | 400
4| 6 0 0 X 0 6 6 | 18 | 300
5| 2 0 6 6 X 0 6 | 20 | 333
6| 4 6 3 0 6 X 0 | 18 | 300
7| 6 0 0 0 0 6 X | 12 | 200
knobbodi wins!
Rules and Banned List
Cards on the PHM Banned List are always banned, and cards on the Land Rule Banned List are banned as well when the round uses a Land Rule.
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Hand Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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 an online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form his or her 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 player of each hand employs the strategy that maximizes 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 that 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 – Hand Construction Rules.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
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 by 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.
2.4. An effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits 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 all 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 would enable him or her 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:
ii. Take an infinite number of turns.
iii. Cause a card to leave an opponent's hand.
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.1b. 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.
3.3. 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.
4.2b. 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 he or she doesn't, then the moderator may name it. The moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or her discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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.
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 Hand 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.
7.2b. 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.
7.3b. This is the extra land rule (ELR). Any player may play a basic land 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 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.
7.4. Sanctioned Magic Format Variant.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.5b. Irrespective of rule 7.5a, a player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against at least one hand, such that the player of the losing hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in that player losing the game. The losing hand must conform with the Hand Construction Rules but need not consider this rule.
7.6. Backbuild.
7.7. (Bonus).
Beast Within________________________Beacon of Creation
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Black Lotus
Channel_____________________________Energy Field
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Fastbond____________________________Nezumi Shortfang
Flash_______________________________Red Sun's Zenith
Force of Will_______________________White Sun's Zenith
Ghost Quarter
Laboratory Maniac
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Leyline of the Meek
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
Pact of Negation
Show and Tell
Strip Mine
The Rack
Trinisphere
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Wasteland
Channel_____________________________Black Lotus
Fastbond
Flash
Show and Tell
Disruption
Beast Within________________________Balancing Act
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Energy Field
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Pact of Negation
Trinisphere
Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Win Conditions
Barren Glory________________________Beacon of Creation
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Laboratory Maniac___________________Nezumi Shortfang
Leyline of the Meek_________________Red Sun's Zenith
Magus of the Moon___________________White Sun's Zenith
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Format Ideas?
Additional Resources
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It's basically the same though
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People always forget the colorless mana cost. Poor Endbringer.
- Rabid Wombat
That said, I support the implied proposed modification to the round rule :)
Don't try hiding your anti-eldrazi agenda! Mycosynth Lattice doesn't change the type of mana, meaning that colorless mana is still colorless and can still be spent as such, in addition to acting as mana of any color. By changing colorless to black as part of the round rule you prohibit these poor, misunderstood creatures from taking part in the festivities.
But on a more serious (and practical) note, I do actually consider all mana becoming black a feature rather than a bug. It also has ramifications for things like Drain Life and Sunburst/Converge, which makes it interesting enough to keep as-is.
- Rabid Wombat
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
No longer staff here.
5CH Daze for Days
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
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Please take a look and score your row.
Also, please welcome new player, Magus of the Aesthetic!
Note - I do realize that I have a two week backlog of results grids to post. I will have those rounds up-to-date by next week and then return to the regular weekly schedule of posting the final results.
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vs. 02 Protected Reservoir kills. 0-6
vs. 03 knobbodi: I lose to Field of Ruin + threat. 0-6
vs. 04 Magus of the Aesthetic: I lose to Evil Presence + Pierce. 0-6
vs. 05 Personman: I also lose to Dust Bowl + Inkmoth Nexus. 0-6
vs. 06 tomsloger: ...counter the Black Lotus? 6-0
5) Personman
Anurid Scavenger / City of Traitors / Dust Bowl / Inkmoth Nexus / Recoil
vs
Basalt Monolith / Black Lotus / Mindswipe / Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker / Power Artifact
I can't even manage to find two lands to rub together. 0-6.Bolas can't actually win, as mentioned below. 2-2.2) Feyd_Ruin :: Back to unused stuff?
Aetherflux Reservoir / Ancient Tomb / City of Traitors / Grinning Ignus / Pyroblast
On your play, you play Reservoir, I play Inkmoth + City and Recoil it, you discard Pyro and replay it, I play Scavenger. If you pay 50 to kill Scavenger, I can play Dust Bowl and activate in response to the City trigger to kill your City, which causes you to gain only 1 life a turn and hit me for 2.
In the 10 turns I need to kill you with Inkmoth you'll have only made up 36 or 39 of the life deficit. If you don't kill it, you instead gain 3 life from Ignus on turn 4, having lost 6 life total so far. Then I get Recoil back and hit Reservoir and win. 6-0Inkmoth is a creature too. 0-6.3) knobbodi
Ancient Tomb / Field of Ruin / Hushwing Gryff / Leonin Relic-Warder / Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
You can't keep me off Anurid and once I have it you can't really do anything about it at all. I get my land back and Recoil your stuff until it is gone. 6-0.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I can play infect whenever
Bottomless Vault / Evil Presence / Magister Sphinx / Simian Spirit Guide / Spell Pierce
SSG for Pierce is pretty sick. Unfortunately, I don't really need any noncreature spells to resolve. I play City turn 2 and stick Anurid, and you can choose between making City a Swamp, in which case I just play Dust Bowl and start Recoiling, or holding it, in which case you can never play Vault for fear of Dust Bowl. 6-0.
6) tomsloger
Black Lotus / Capsize / Karakas / Sorin Markov / Treasonous Ogre
Making infinite supermana on turn 1 is really a pretty good idea, why didn't I think of that? At least the Lotus decks lose to Spell Pierce. 0-6.
7) WhammeWhamme
Blightsteel Colossus / Foil / Island / Sand Silos / Through the Breach
You really like Through the Breach, huh? Happily, it is expensive enough that I have plenty of time to Dust Bowl Sand Silos, and I don't care at all about Foil. 6-0.
5 | 2 0 6 6 X 0 6 | 20 | 333
-
Will score my full line when I get home this afternoon
No longer staff here.
Hey guys? Nicol Bolas is illegal. I can't +1 him without a target, which I don't have an infinite amount of, so I can't actually kill anyone with him.
Here's the thing: My closest alternative was Vraska the Unseen, since she plays basically the same roles (deals with creatures, kills noncreatures, win-con ult). I don't believe it would help my overall scores -- not killing lands is an extremely significant downgrade, and not killing creatures directly matters too.
She was my original choice; that said, though, I have no way of proving that, and it was my mistake anyway. So, I can also just do Memnite or something if people would prefer that. I totally understand if it's too big a leap to switch to another powerful win-con after hands are shown.
I leave it up to community choice. (A fair few of my matches aren't affected anyway.)
--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.
So if we're being sticklers, you just get to live with a bunch of draws. It's kinda feel-bad in a situation like this - I wouldn't be opposed to revisiting that rule. I'm honestly fine with it either way, I guess we just need to decide whether we want to be lenient and trusting, or more precise and accept the consequences when we mess up.
2) Feyd_Ruin 1-4 :: OTD, you can counter my Power Artifact. OTP, I kill your lands, and if you try to Blast Bolas you get Swiped.
3) knobbodi 1-4 :: OTD, Thalia means I can't play Basalt. OTP, you can't do anything or you'll get Swiped.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic 0-6 :: T0 counterspell.
5) Personman 2-2 :: I kill lands.
6) tomsloger 1-4 :: OTD Capsize Basalt, OTP we stall or you get Swiped.
7) WhammeWhamme 0-6 :: T0 counterspell.
{ X 1 1 0 2 1 0 | 5 |
Y'know, I kinda like how this archetype fits with the rest of the metagame. Bolas goof notwithstanding, this follows a nice pattern of beating decks without a T1 play, tieing the other T1 lockouts, and losing hard to T0 counterspells (Foil, Artifact Blast, Shoal, and this week other stuff too). It's never great, but usually not awful unless I manage to not play any win-cons (although to be fair it would've only been 12 this week if Bolas could ult).
--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.
1) 4-1 : Agreed. Pyro on play.
2) xxx
3) 0-6 : Leonin hits Reservoir, I can't race Gryff
4) 6-0 : I can play through Spell Pierce, even with Presence.
5) 6-0 : As above. Pyro goes to recoil. Reservoir shoots Scavenger&Nexus
6) 0-6 : Can't get a foothold for Capsize
7) 6-0 : I go off before Breach, keeping Pyro up for Foil. (below)
1 Silos
1 Tomb
2 (1)
2 City, Ignus (1298)
3 (2)
3 Reservoir (1296)
4 (3)
4 Bounce/Recast (1294) +1+2+3 (1300)
5 (4)
5 Bounce/Recast (1298) +1+2+3 (1304)
..Reservoir 50/50 * 26 for the win
No longer staff here.
Ancient Tomb / Field of Ruin / Hushwing Gryff / Leonin Relic-Warder / Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
VS:
1) CalvinSchwa :: Snoke and the New Death Star
Basalt Monolith / Black Lotus / Mindswipe / Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker / Power Artifact
--Thalia stops your combo on the play, but not on the draw (and you can't win, as established) 4-1
2) Feyd_Ruin :: Back to unused stuff?
Aetherflux Reservoir / Ancient Tomb / City of Traitors / Grinning Ignus / Pyroblast
--I ward the relic that is your reservoir 6-0
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I can play infect whenever
Bottomless Vault / Evil Presence / Magister Sphinx / Simian Spirit Guide / Spell Pierce
--Play or draw, I go turn 1 Thalia into turn 2 Field of Ruin your Vault 6-0
5) Personman
Anurid Scavenger / City of Traitors / Dust Bowl / Inkmoth Nexus / Recoil
--I don't have any anti-graveyard hatebears, unfortunately 0-6
6) tomsloger
Black Lotus / Capsize / Karakas / Sorin Markov / Treasonous Ogre
--On the play, Thalia into Relic-Warder on Lotus (or Field of Ruin your Karakas if you don't play it). On the draw, you combo off 3-3
7) WhammeWhamme
Blightsteel Colossus / Foil / Island / Sand Silos / Through the Breach
--Field of Ruin and any one of my creatures gets me there 6-0
3 | 4 6 X 6 0 3 6 | 24 | 400
Agreed with everyone so far.
2) Evil Presence would still leave 3 mana for Ignus, which leaves enough mana for Reservoir + Pyroblast to pay for Pierce. 0-6
3) Thalia shuts me down hard, not to speak of Hushwing Gryff. 0-6
5) Threatening both Recoil and Dust Bowl every turn isn't something I can handle. 0-6
6) Pierce the Lotus no matter what. I do love the style of paying life because you have a ton of it and setting your opponent's life to 10 because they're expecting to have a ton. 6-0
7) Evil Presence and Pierce both stop Blightsteel from showing up, Foil only counters one. 6-0.
Helix Pinnacle - You know what they say, why count to 1300 when you can count to 100? "Win the game" effects seemed good when everyone has 1300 life. I just couldn't find a way to protect myself for the time I needed to make 100 mana.
Azor's Elocutors - This is probably the only format where this would work, and I couldn't make it work. Helix Pinnacle was probably a better choice if you're going down this road.
Swan Song + Artifact Blast - I was excited when I realized I could run a spirit guide and 1 mana counters. I was less excited when I realized that my first thought was to win with a land and I had no land disruption.
Glacial Chasm - The first card that came to mind when I saw 1300 life. But playing any land + Exploration + this leaves me with two cards to actually win the game and no other forms of disruption. Only stopping creatures felt weaker and weaker as time went on.
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale - It was great when I was playing mostly lands, until I realized that creatures were not the fastest way to deal 1300 damage. Pretty sure it doesn't stop any submitted deck this week.
EDIT: @Magus of the Aesthetic, I like the 1-mana counter with spirit guide. I hadn't thought of that.
- Rabid Wombat