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
Format Ideas (other people should post these too!)
The Pit
5CH
Players begin the game with an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, discard a card."
Double Time
3CH LR
Once each turn, players may play an additional land from outside the game. Natural Emergence is banned, maybe.
Ixalan!
4CH
Pirates and Dinosaurs have +1/+0.
Merfolk and Vampires have +0/+1.
Players begin the game with two colorless Treasure artifact tokens with “{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.” on the battlefield.
The Pit seems like it would just have a bunch of reanimator hands. I vote for not that one.
The other two seem fine. I've never played a proper 'block' format before (Bad Day doesn't count; those sets are awful!) so I wouldn't mind, like, 3CH LR Ixalan or something.
Hand Size: 3 cards.
Land Rule: Extra Land Rule
Format Rule:
All non-Lair lands are 2/5 green Treefolk Shamans that are still lands.
All non-Treefolk creatures are Lairs in addition to their other types and have "{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool".
All lands have indestructible and can't be sacrificed.
All non-Treefolk creatures are Wastes in addition to their other types.
I appreciate the eldrazi-inclusiveness, but 'Waste' is not a type. You can probably just say "All non-Treefolk creatures are lands in addition to their other types and have 'T: add C to your mana pool.'"
Also this would only apply once they are on the battlefield. I assume that's intentional but just wanted to clarify.
All non-Treefolk creatures are Wastes in addition to their other types.
I appreciate the eldrazi-inclusiveness, but 'Waste' is not a type. You can probably just say "All non-Treefolk creatures are lands in addition to their other types and have 'T: add C to your mana pool.'"
Also this would only apply once they are on the battlefield. I assume that's intentional but just wanted to clarify.
The second point was intentional. My inspiration was Life and Limb, and I wanted to broaden its scope. I'll add to your comment that this interaction means playing a creature does not count as your land drop for the turn, since it's not a land when you cast it.
Thanks for pointing out the subtype issue on Wastes. I want the lands to have a subtype to avoid any confusion around what gets modified by what. I've changed the lands to be Lairs, and - since I now have to spell out the mana-producing ability regardless - I've let them tap for any color of mana, which would have been my preference to begin with.
I've also modified the format proposal by adding the third sentence; expensive lock pieces don't worry me, but I thought of Plaguebearer this morning and wanted a bit more general cover for things I might have missed. Based on this change, I've removed Tabernacle from the banned list. I've added Time Vault, because the round rule obviates the need for Vault-Key hands to include a win condition, and that causes me to be concerned about the strategy's power.
It should still probably specify "All non-Treefolk creatures are Lair lands in addition to..." following the wording of Life and Limb's oracle text. Minor nitpick though.
I feel like there's probably some card out there that might be broken if you can't sacrifice your own lands. I would probably add the "spells and abilities your opponents control" clause from Sigarda. Or maybe not; half the fun is in finding that card.
...okay, the board filling up with indestructible 2/5 creatures is going to make things very stall-y. Also prone to sudden death scenarios... this may be a week to run Mana Short to remove all their blockers.
I'd recommend having the rule also add the relevant types. Setting a land's power toughness to 2/5, making it green, and giving it the Shaman and Treefolk subtypes is not that impactful.
Oh! I thought the deadline was midnight? I just sent in a hand, and I promise I hadn't seen any of these before doing so. If I'm allowed to sneak it through, it was
Soldevi Digger
Ancient Tomb
Field of Ruin
Thespian's Stage
Dark Depths
vs:
1) Anachronity
Bitterblossom / Black Lotus / Chancellor of the Forge / Gaea's Cradle / Karn Liberated
Not sure how to conceptualize this immediately so I'll just start doing it out:
1. Bitter, 1/1, attack
1. 19. Thesp
2. 1 faerie, attack
2. 18. DD
3. 2f, attack
3. 16. Tomb, make Marit. 14.
4. 3f, attack, block
4. 12, Digger. 10.
5. 3f, attack, block
5. 8. Get Stage back. 6.
6. 3f, attack, block
6. 4. Get Depths back, 2, dead. I don't think it goes any better on my play, Bitterblossom is pretty good against Marit.
0-6
2) CalvinSchwa
Cavern of Souls / Patrician's Scorn / Saltcrusted Steppe / Serene Remembrance / Student of Warfare
This doesn't interact with my much faster goldfish. 6-0.
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Field of Soon-to-be-Banned
Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
Hey, nice deck! :) Also, complicated match.
When I'm on the play, I play Tomb first and kill whichever of Tomb or Field you play first, so you can never kill my Tomb to keep me off Digger, and I make more Marits than you and win (I can pay for 2, anyway).Marit Lage is legendary.
On your play, you can play Tomb first, but then I can lead with Field. You can't Field my Field, because then I'll be able to Dig and win as above. You can play Field though, and then if I try to Field your Tomb, you get mine too and we draw. If you commit to a combo piece instead I can just kill it and draw, or match it and.. also draw.
2-2
4) knobbodi
City of Traitor / Ensnaring Bridge / Mishra's Workshop / Scalding Tongs / Sphere of Resistance
On your play you can have one thing before I kill Workshop. Your best bet is Bridge, which gets you a draw. 4-1.
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Spaghetti on the Wall
Greater Gargadon / Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce / Volcanic Island
I can do everything in my upkeep so Port doesn't matter, and I can Field Maze and make Marit long before Garg comes down. 6-0.
6) Mogg
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
I feel like you could've used the card slot you saved over Mogg to play something that does something. Regardless, you are similarly fast and unblockable. 0-6.
4) knobbodi
City of Traitor / Ensnaring Bridge / Mishra's Workshop / Scalding Tongs / Sphere of Resistance
VS:
1) Anachronity
Bitterblossom / Black Lotus / Chancellor of the Forge / Gaea's Cradle / Karn Liberated
--[s]OTP, Sphere locks you out. OTD, you get Karn in time to blow up bridge and kill me, even with Tongs + Bitterblossom working together to take you out 3-3[/s] I can't cast sphere on turn 1, which means you always get to cast lotus, and karn kills bridge before bitterblossom and tongs kill you. 0-6
2) CalvinSchwa
Cavern of Souls / Patrician's Scorn / Saltcrusted Steppe / Serene Remembrance / Student of Warfare
--Scorn only hits enchantments, so bridge stops you dead 6-0
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Field of Soon-to-be-Banned
Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
--[s]OTP I can get down bridge and tongs in time. OTD, field kills workshop and marit lage murders me 3-3[/s] I can't play anything on turn 1, but on the play I can get down bridge before you can blow up workshop. 1-4
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Spaghetti on the Wall
Greater Gargadon / Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce / Volcanic Island
--[s]OTP, I go tongs into bridge. OTD, I play sphere after you suspend gargadon, so you just port me every turn until it comes off suspend, when you need to tap out to resolve it. I use this window to cast bridge. 4-1[s] OTP, I play Tongs on turn 2 to force you to, on turn 10, to pay the extra mana for gargadon to resolve, giving me the reprise from port to play bridge. OTD, I only have the time to play 1 card when you're tapped out, so I choose bridge. 4-1
6) Mogg
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
--This is a really clever way of getting Progenitus in play, but it still can't cross the bridge (was bazaar just the weirdest 5th card you could think of?) 6-0
2) Maze of Ith fogs Student of Warfare, but Gargadon can't attack into a 4/4 doublestriker. 2-2
3) Gargadon gets cast even with Field of Ruin, but can't attack into a 20/20. Maze of Ith keeps me alive forever. 2-2 Maze of Ith gets Ruined. 0-6
4) Ensnaring Bridge resolves no matter what I do. 0-6
6) Turns out Spell Pierce is bad when it gets Dazed. 0-6
7) Spell Pierce is still too slow. Style points for letting your Memnite get countered to turn on Summoning Trap. 0-6
8) Gargadon enters the battlefield no matter what, but cloning it lets Ferropede crawl to victory. 0-6
9) I didn't do a super thorough analysis but I assume I lose to Field of Ruin or Marit Lage. 0-6
Here are some other cards I considered.
Glacial Chasm - Apparently I'll play this card every week. I don't have a good way to win and keep paying life to it. Inkmoth Nexus - Apparently I'll play this card every week. A threat that doesn't need to be cast seemed good, and honestly it's probably better than the Gargadon plan. Helix Pinnacle - Apparently I'll repeat myself three times. Cheap and hard to interact with, but I needed to devote 3+ cards to casting it and that doesn't leave any way to live for 34-100 turns. Thrun, the Last Troll - Can't believe I forgot my namesake. Can't be countered, hard to disrupt. If I added a way to regenerate I would have drawn way more matches this week.
My real issue this week was not coming up with good answers. I didn't feel good about Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce but I couldn't come up with a better combo. I really should have found a way to go off turn 1 and hope that I didn't get disrupted.
EDIT: Added Personman's hand and a card I forgot I had considered.
1. 6-0 Blow up cradle, tabernacle
2. 6-0 Depths races
3. xxx
4. 4-1 Blow up land to stop any casting. Bridge before or not.
5. 6-0 Blow up Maze. Depth races Gargadon
6. 3-3 Blow up land+Tabernacle is 3rd. Either 1 swing or 2.
7. 6-0 Tabernacle can't be paid.
8. 6-0 Tabernacle can't be paid.
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 | 6 6 X 4 6 3 6 6
Knobbodi: workshop can’t pay the {1} so you can't drop bridge or tongs turn 1. I blow up workshop/city on my turn 2, so on your play, you can drop one of them, but not both. Bridge ties it.
Magus: I blow up maze, and Depths races Gargadon.
Mogg: Unless I'm missing something, you can drop Prog turn 1. I have to play Tomb+Field+Tabernacle to kill him, which is turn 3. On my play, I get it. On yours, you've already swung twice.
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Field of Soon-to-be-Banned
Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
Hey, nice deck! :) Also, complicated match.
When I'm on the play, I play Tomb first and kill whichever of Tomb or Field you play first, so you can never kill my Tomb to keep me off Digger, and I make more Marits than you and win (I can pay for 2, anyway).
On your play, you can play Tomb first, but then I can lead with Field. You can't Field my Field, because then I'll be able to Dig and win as above. You can play Field though, and then if I try to Field your Tomb, you get mine too and we draw. If you commit to a combo piece instead I can just kill it and draw, or match it and.. also draw.
This is quite complicated.
I'm pretty sure we're 2-2 though.
If you lead with Tomb, I play field.
If you field my field, I play tomb.
You cast Digger.
I play Stage.
You dig, draw, play, but can't activate.
I play depths, make a token.
You make a token.
They stare at eachother.
If you lead with Tomb, I play field.
If you field my field, I play tomb.
You cast Digger.
I play Stage.
You dig, draw, play, but can't activate.
I play depths, make a token.
You make a token.
They stare at eachother.
I don't follow why after I make my token I can't activate Digger over the next two turns and make another one. I have Field back to pay the upkeep for the one I have, so I'm free to use the 2 from Tomb to dig back Depths and Stage.
Marit Lage is legendary.
Also you don’t have to pay upkeep; she’s also indestructible. in the end if you wait to try and stop me from making her, I can stop you from making her. If we both make her, it’s still a stalemate.
@knobbodi : you can pay additional costs, like “x costs more” because it’s adjusting the cost of the spell. The mana is still being spent to cast it. You just can’t pay the {1} because it’s a triggered ability, not part of the spell.
2) I would have won if that wasn't a storage land, so good choice there. As-is you just keep Student in-hand until you can hardcast Scorn, keeping Bitterblossom from ever making a token. ~ 0-6
3) Agreed. ~ 0-6
4) OTP I get Bitterblossom and win; OTD Sphere happens. ~ 3-3
5) Bitterblossom wins it. ~ 6-0
6) Seems pretty straightforward. ~ 0-6
7) An even more classy T1 Progenitus. ~ 0-6
8) Revoker stops Lotus OTD. ~ 3-3
9) Even OTD I get two dudes to beat you with in addition to a new chump blocker every turn, which outraces my life loss to Bitterblossom. Even if you hold Marit back then I can just wait until I have 11 dudes, swing through for 9, chump, and wait 2 turns before doing it again. ~ 6-0
Not a great showing for me. The other hand I'd considered would not have done better.
I'm especially sad that I lost to Feyd, since Tabernacle and Depths are both things I built against. Good eye on field, though.
EDIT: updated for Personman's hand, which I'm pretty sure was missing from the initial post?
Oh, gross, Scryfall showed me the Master's Edition Tabernacle first, which is a reprint that says "sacrifice", so I assumed it was right. Anyway, yes, I can't remember what cards do, 2-2 indeed.
1) Bitterblossom / Black Lotus / Chancellor of the Forge / Gaea's Cradle / Karn Liberated
Outrace, 6-0
2) Cavern of Souls / Patrician's Scorn / Saltcrusted Steppe / Serene Remembrance / Student of Warfare
Nothing relevant, 6-0
3) Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
I was deciding between ESG/Bazaar and LED/City of Traitor. Chose wrong. 0-6
4) City of Traitor / Ensnaring Bridge / Mishra's Workshop / Scalding Tongs / Sphere of Resistance
Can't beat Bridge, 0-6
5) Greater Gargadon / Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce / Volcanic Island
Pierce is too slow, 6-0
6) Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
Mirror match 3-3
8) Ferropede / Leyline of Lifeforce / Mishra's Workshop / Phyrexian Metamorph / Phyrexian Revoker
Leyline shuts off my combo 0-6
Personman can cast Digger on turn 1 with Tomb, so on turn 3 can already dig back Field after using it, meaning it will be live again before you can play both Depths and Stage. Looks like OTD you can get her out before he can though, so the points are the same either way:
Personman OTP:
Tomb, Digger | Field
Field, sac Field to blow up Field | Tomb
Digger back Field during upkeep, draw Field, Field | Stage or Depths (doesn't matter)
Sac Field to blow up whichever land you just played, and win from there
Feyd_Ruin OTP:
Tomb | Tomb, Digger
Field, sac Field to blow up Tomb | Field
Stage | Stage, dig back Tomb
Depths, 20/20 | Tomb, die to Marit Lage
Oh! I thought the deadline was midnight? I just sent in a hand, and I promise I hadn't seen any of these before doing so. If I'm allowed to sneak it through, it was
Soldevi Digger
Ancient Tomb
Field of Ruin
Thespian's Stage
Dark Depths
5CH Daze for Days
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
Hands:
1) Anachronity
Bitterblossom / Black Lotus / Chancellor of the Forge / Gaea's Cradle / Karn Liberated
2) CalvinSchwa
Cavern of Souls / Patrician's Scorn / Saltcrusted Steppe / Serene Remembrance / Student of Warfare
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Field of Soon-to-be-Banned
Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
4) knobbodi
City of Traitor / Ensnaring Bridge / Mishra's Workshop / Scalding Tongs / Sphere of Resistance
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Spaghetti on the Wall
Greater Gargadon / Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce / Volcanic Island
6) Mogg
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
7) psly4mne
Bazaar of Baghdad / Elvish Spirit Guide / Memnite / Progenitus / Summoning Trap
8) WhammeWhamme
Ferropede / Leyline of Lifeforce / Mishra's Workshop / Phyrexian Metamorph / Phyrexian Revoker
9) Personman
Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / Soldevi Digger / Thespian's Stage
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1| X 0 0 6 6 0 0 3 6 | 20 | 250
2| 6 X 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 | 08 | 100
3| 6 6 X 4 6 3 6 6 2 | 38 | 475
4| 0 6 1 X 4 6 6 6 1 | 30 | 375
5| 0 2 0 1 X 0 0 0 0 | 03 | 038
6| 6 6 3 0 6 X 3 3 6 | 30 | 375
7| 6 6 0 0 6 3 X 0 6 | 26 | 325
8| 3 6 0 0 6 3 6 X 0 | 22 | 275
9| 0 6 2 4 6 0 0 6 X | 24 | 333
Feyd_Ruin 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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The Pit
5CH
Players begin the game with an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, discard a card."
Double Time
3CH LR
Once each turn, players may play an additional land from outside the game.
Natural Emergence is banned, maybe.
Ixalan!
4CH
Pirates and Dinosaurs have +1/+0.
Merfolk and Vampires have +0/+1.
Players begin the game with two colorless Treasure artifact tokens with “{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.” on the battlefield.
The other two seem fine. I've never played a proper 'block' format before (Bad Day doesn't count; those sets are awful!) so I wouldn't mind, like, 3CH LR Ixalan or something.
- Rabid Wombat
3CH ELR Name TBD
Land Rule: Extra Land Rule
Format Rule:
All non-Treefolk creatures are Lairs in addition to their other types and have "{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool".
All lands have indestructible and can't be sacrificed.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
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I appreciate the eldrazi-inclusiveness, but 'Waste' is not a type. You can probably just say "All non-Treefolk creatures are lands in addition to their other types and have 'T: add C to your mana pool.'"
Also this would only apply once they are on the battlefield. I assume that's intentional but just wanted to clarify.
- Rabid Wombat
The second point was intentional. My inspiration was Life and Limb, and I wanted to broaden its scope. I'll add to your comment that this interaction means playing a creature does not count as your land drop for the turn, since it's not a land when you cast it.
Thanks for pointing out the subtype issue on Wastes. I want the lands to have a subtype to avoid any confusion around what gets modified by what. I've changed the lands to be Lairs, and - since I now have to spell out the mana-producing ability regardless - I've let them tap for any color of mana, which would have been my preference to begin with.
I've also modified the format proposal by adding the third sentence; expensive lock pieces don't worry me, but I thought of Plaguebearer this morning and wanted a bit more general cover for things I might have missed. Based on this change, I've removed Tabernacle from the banned list. I've added Time Vault, because the round rule obviates the need for Vault-Key hands to include a win condition, and that causes me to be concerned about the strategy's power.
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I feel like there's probably some card out there that might be broken if you can't sacrifice your own lands. I would probably add the "spells and abilities your opponents control" clause from Sigarda. Or maybe not; half the fun is in finding that card.
- Rabid Wombat
Please take a look and score your row.
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6) Mogg
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
6| 6 6 3 0 6 X 3 3 6 | 30 | 375
1: 6: Non-interactive.
2: 6: Non-interactive.
3: 3: Semi-interactive.
4: 0: Interactive.
5: 6: Non-interactive.
7: 3: Race.
8: 3: Revoker.
9: 6: Non-interactive.
I also considered 3x Chancellor of the Tangle / City of Traitors / Eureka, which would have performed worse overall.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Soldevi Digger
Ancient Tomb
Field of Ruin
Thespian's Stage
Dark Depths
vs:
1) Anachronity
Bitterblossom / Black Lotus / Chancellor of the Forge / Gaea's Cradle / Karn Liberated
Not sure how to conceptualize this immediately so I'll just start doing it out:
1. Bitter, 1/1, attack
1. 19. Thesp
2. 1 faerie, attack
2. 18. DD
3. 2f, attack
3. 16. Tomb, make Marit. 14.
4. 3f, attack, block
4. 12, Digger. 10.
5. 3f, attack, block
5. 8. Get Stage back. 6.
6. 3f, attack, block
6. 4. Get Depths back, 2, dead. I don't think it goes any better on my play, Bitterblossom is pretty good against Marit.
0-6
2) CalvinSchwa
Cavern of Souls / Patrician's Scorn / Saltcrusted Steppe / Serene Remembrance / Student of Warfare
This doesn't interact with my much faster goldfish. 6-0.
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Field of Soon-to-be-Banned
Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
Hey, nice deck! :) Also, complicated match.
When I'm on the play, I play Tomb first and kill whichever of Tomb or Field you play first, so you can never kill my Tomb to keep me off Digger, and I make more Marits than you and win (I can pay for 2, anyway).Marit Lage is legendary.On your play, you can play Tomb first, but then I can lead with Field. You can't Field my Field, because then I'll be able to Dig and win as above. You can play Field though, and then if I try to Field your Tomb, you get mine too and we draw. If you commit to a combo piece instead I can just kill it and draw, or match it and.. also draw.
2-2
4) knobbodi
City of Traitor / Ensnaring Bridge / Mishra's Workshop / Scalding Tongs / Sphere of Resistance
On your play you can have one thing before I kill Workshop. Your best bet is Bridge, which gets you a draw. 4-1.
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Spaghetti on the Wall
Greater Gargadon / Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce / Volcanic Island
I can do everything in my upkeep so Port doesn't matter, and I can Field Maze and make Marit long before Garg comes down. 6-0.
6) Mogg
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
Fast and unblockable. 0-6.
7) psly4mne
Bazaar of Baghdad / Elvish Spirit Guide / Memnite / Progenitus / Summoning Trap
I feel like you could've used the card slot you saved over Mogg to play something that does something. Regardless, you are similarly fast and unblockable. 0-6.
8) WhammeWhamme
Ferropede / Leyline of Lifeforce / Mishra's Workshop / Phyrexian Metamorph / Phyrexian Revoker
If you could play Revoker on Digger AND hold Metamorph for Marit, you'd win, but I can just kill Workshop. No one thing you have is enough. 6-0.
City of Traitor / Ensnaring Bridge / Mishra's Workshop / Scalding Tongs / Sphere of Resistance
VS:
1) Anachronity
Bitterblossom / Black Lotus / Chancellor of the Forge / Gaea's Cradle / Karn Liberated
--[s]OTP, Sphere locks you out. OTD, you get Karn in time to blow up bridge and kill me, even with Tongs + Bitterblossom working together to take you out 3-3[/s] I can't cast sphere on turn 1, which means you always get to cast lotus, and karn kills bridge before bitterblossom and tongs kill you. 0-6
2) CalvinSchwa
Cavern of Souls / Patrician's Scorn / Saltcrusted Steppe / Serene Remembrance / Student of Warfare
--Scorn only hits enchantments, so bridge stops you dead 6-0
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Field of Soon-to-be-Banned
Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
--[s]OTP I can get down bridge and tongs in time. OTD, field kills workshop and marit lage murders me 3-3[/s] I can't play anything on turn 1, but on the play I can get down bridge before you can blow up workshop. 1-4
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Spaghetti on the Wall
Greater Gargadon / Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce / Volcanic Island
--[s]OTP, I go tongs into bridge. OTD, I play sphere after you suspend gargadon, so you just port me every turn until it comes off suspend, when you need to tap out to resolve it. I use this window to cast bridge. 4-1[s] OTP, I play Tongs on turn 2 to force you to, on turn 10, to pay the extra mana for gargadon to resolve, giving me the reprise from port to play bridge. OTD, I only have the time to play 1 card when you're tapped out, so I choose bridge. 4-1
6) Mogg
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
--Progenitus can't cross the bridge 6-0
7) psly4mne
Bazaar of Baghdad / Elvish Spirit Guide / Memnite / Progenitus / Summoning Trap
--This is a really clever way of getting Progenitus in play, but it still can't cross the bridge (was bazaar just the weirdest 5th card you could think of?) 6-0
8) WhammeWhamme
Ferropede / Leyline of Lifeforce / Mishra's Workshop / Phyrexian Metamorph / Phyrexian Revoker
--Sphere stops any metamorph shenanigans, leaving bridge uncrossable by the robots 6-0
9) Personman
Soldevi Digger / Ancient Tomb / Field of Ruin / Thespian's Stage / Dark Depths
--OTP, I can get down bridge before field blows up workshop. OTD, I just die. 1-4
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8|
4| 0 6 1 X 4 6 6 6| 29 | 414
(with Personman)
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9|
4| 0 6 1 X 4 6 6 6 1| 30 | 375
I guess bridge is still good enough, even without turn 1 plays. Sphere even won me a match
2) Maze of Ith fogs Student of Warfare, but Gargadon can't attack into a 4/4 doublestriker. 2-2
3)
Gargadon gets cast even with Field of Ruin, but can't attack into a 20/20. Maze of Ith keeps me alive forever. 2-2Maze of Ith gets Ruined. 0-64) Ensnaring Bridge resolves no matter what I do. 0-6
6) Turns out Spell Pierce is bad when it gets Dazed. 0-6
7) Spell Pierce is still too slow. Style points for letting your Memnite get countered to turn on Summoning Trap. 0-6
8) Gargadon enters the battlefield no matter what, but cloning it lets Ferropede crawl to victory. 0-6
9) I didn't do a super thorough analysis but I assume I lose to Field of Ruin or Marit Lage. 0-6
Inkmoth Nexus - Apparently I'll play this card every week. A threat that doesn't need to be cast seemed good, and honestly it's probably better than the Gargadon plan.
Helix Pinnacle - Apparently I'll repeat myself three times. Cheap and hard to interact with, but I needed to devote 3+ cards to casting it and that doesn't leave any way to live for 34-100 turns.
Thrun, the Last Troll - Can't believe I forgot my namesake. Can't be countered, hard to disrupt. If I added a way to regenerate I would have drawn way more matches this week.
My real issue this week was not coming up with good answers. I didn't feel good about Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce but I couldn't come up with a better combo. I really should have found a way to go off turn 1 and hope that I didn't get disrupted.
2. 6-0 Depths races
3. xxx
4. 4-1 Blow up land to stop any casting. Bridge before or not.
5. 6-0 Blow up Maze. Depth races Gargadon
6. 3-3 Blow up land+Tabernacle is 3rd. Either 1 swing or 2.
7. 6-0 Tabernacle can't be paid.
8. 6-0 Tabernacle can't be paid.
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 | 6 6 X 4 6 3 6 6
Knobbodi: workshop can’t pay the {1} so you can't drop bridge or tongs turn 1. I blow up workshop/city on my turn 2, so on your play, you can drop one of them, but not both. Bridge ties it.
Magus: I blow up maze, and Depths races Gargadon.
Mogg: Unless I'm missing something, you can drop Prog turn 1. I have to play Tomb+Field+Tabernacle to kill him, which is turn 3. On my play, I get it. On yours, you've already swung twice.
---------
This is quite complicated.
I'm pretty sure we're 2-2 though.
If you lead with Tomb, I play field.
If you field my field, I play tomb.
You cast Digger.
I play Stage.
You dig, draw, play, but can't activate.
I play depths, make a token.
You make a token.
They stare at eachother.
No longer staff here.
Also you don’t have to pay upkeep; she’s also indestructible. in the end if you wait to try and stop me from making her, I can stop you from making her. If we both make her, it’s still a stalemate.
@knobbodi : you can pay additional costs, like “x costs more” because it’s adjusting the cost of the spell. The mana is still being spent to cast it. You just can’t pay the {1} because it’s a triggered ability, not part of the spell.
No longer staff here.
3) Agreed. ~ 0-6
4) OTP I get Bitterblossom and win; OTD Sphere happens. ~ 3-3
5) Bitterblossom wins it. ~ 6-0
6) Seems pretty straightforward. ~ 0-6
7) An even more classy T1 Progenitus. ~ 0-6
8) Revoker stops Lotus OTD. ~ 3-3
9) Even OTD I get two dudes to beat you with in addition to a new chump blocker every turn, which outraces my life loss to Bitterblossom. Even if you hold Marit back then I can just wait until I have 11 dudes, swing through for 9, chump, and wait 2 turns before doing it again. ~ 6-0
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 | X 0 0 3 6 0 0 3 6 | 16 | 200
Not a great showing for me. The other hand I'd considered would not have done better.
I'm especially sad that I lost to Feyd, since Tabernacle and Depths are both things I built against. Good eye on field, though.
EDIT: updated for Personman's hand, which I'm pretty sure was missing from the initial post?
- Rabid Wombat
My deck is still pretty bad.
O*****, I was thinking of Pithing Needle. 3-3 it is.
I can wallow alongside you in the place where bad deckbuilders reside.
- Rabid Wombat
Outrace, 6-0
2) Cavern of Souls / Patrician's Scorn / Saltcrusted Steppe / Serene Remembrance / Student of Warfare
Nothing relevant, 6-0
3) Ancient Tomb / Dark Depths / Field of Ruin / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Thespian's Stage
I was deciding between ESG/Bazaar and LED/City of Traitor. Chose wrong. 0-6
4) City of Traitor / Ensnaring Bridge / Mishra's Workshop / Scalding Tongs / Sphere of Resistance
Can't beat Bridge, 0-6
5) Greater Gargadon / Maze of Ith / Rishadan Port / Spell Pierce / Volcanic Island
Pierce is too slow, 6-0
6) Black Lotus / Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Dramatic Entrance / Progenitus
Mirror match 3-3
8) Ferropede / Leyline of Lifeforce / Mishra's Workshop / Phyrexian Metamorph / Phyrexian Revoker
Leyline shuts off my combo 0-6
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
7 | 6 6 0 0 6 3 X 0 | 20
Personman can cast Digger on turn 1 with Tomb, so on turn 3 can already dig back Field after using it, meaning it will be live again before you can play both Depths and Stage. Looks like OTD you can get her out before he can though, so the points are the same either way:
Personman OTP:
Tomb, Digger | Field
Field, sac Field to blow up Field | Tomb
Digger back Field during upkeep, draw Field, Field | Stage or Depths (doesn't matter)
Sac Field to blow up whichever land you just played, and win from there
Feyd_Ruin OTP:
Tomb | Tomb, Digger
Field, sac Field to blow up Tomb | Field
Stage | Stage, dig back Tomb
Depths, 20/20 | Tomb, die to Marit Lage
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