Hand Size: 3 cards.
Land Rule: Extra Land Rule
Format Rule:
All non-Lair lands are 2/5 green Treefolk Shaman creatures that are still lands.
All non-Treefolk creatures are Lair lands 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.
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
woah, are we sure we still want to keep the unqualified "can't be sacrificed" clause? I would really prefer Sigarda's wording so we don't get tons of Phyrexian Dreadnoughts and Glacial Chasms
woah, are we sure we still want to keep the unqualified "can't be sacrificed" clause? I would really prefer Sigarda's wording so we don't get tons of Phyrexian Dreadnoughts and Glacial Chasms
Noted, and it might have been a good change. Admittedly, I forgot the suggestion had been made. The format will stay as is, though.
Phyrexian Dreadnought has the problem of having to bash into an increasingly large army of 2/5 indestructible blockers. Glacial Chasm is going to be more of an issue.
If a card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.
Whenever a card is exiled, if it had no traitor counters on it, the opponent of the owner of that card may put a card with the same name as that card from outside the game into his or her hand with a traitor counter on it.
Traitor counters can't be removed and remain on cards as they change zones.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
Betrayal is going to be very hard to score, especially with Misthollow Griffin and its ilk. Maybe only have it come back the one time after the original owner casts it, and not again when the opponent does?
Betrayal is going to be very hard to score, especially with Misthollow Griffin and its ilk. Maybe only have it come back the one time after the original owner casts it, and not again when the opponent does?
Makes sense. I've taken a pass at updating the rule.
I like Anachronity's suggestion, it also removes the weird, very-old-legend-rule-esque fact that if two players happen to play the same card, whoever gets to play theirs first "wins".
I've updated the rule again, with a variation on Skullbriar's rules text. I realize that solution is also outside of the bounds of what's been done in Magic, but it makes me less apprehensive about missing an interaction than does ignoring Magic's concept of object impermanence. I do realize that commander as a format hinges on the idea that a card - as opposed to an object - can have properties, but that's territory that I'd rather avoid when applied to multiple cards.
1: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
2: 4: Playing first, I Totem-lock CS out of Exploration. Playing second, my Exploration comes down first, but CS keeps pace for blockers. CS's access to Humility prevents me from going for the win with a big Chancellor play.
3: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
4: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
5: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
6: -
7: 2: Totem stops the Pinnacle win, and Chasm stops the Exploration win.
8: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
9: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
My pinnacle goldfish is wayyy slower, so I have to try to attack.
1. Land + Chasm
1. Land + Cradle
2. Exploration, Land, no use attacking
2. Land, Elder
3. 6 Lands, attack with 4, you can block 1. 14.
3. Land, Pinnacle.
4. 8 Lands, attack with 6, you can block 3. 8. End step 13 counters (2 + 1 untapped lands, 2 cradles at 5 each)
4. Land
5. 10 Lands, attack with 8. You can block 5. 2. End step 16 more counters = 29 counters, but then I win.
There are some slightly different lines, but in the end it takes you 5 more turns to win and I'm pretty sure I'm going to outpace you no matter what. 6-0.
2) CalvinSchwa
Chalice of the Void / Exploration / Humility
Chalice isn't fast enough to stop Pinnacle. Humility turns off Chasm, but since we both have Exploration our creatures stare at each other except for when mine are putting counters on Pinnacle in your end step. 6-0.
I can't Pinnacle, see below. 4-1.
3) Feyd_Ruin
Authority of the Consuls / Meekstone / Shared Triumph
Neither of us can ever damage the other, and I can't play nearly enough untapped lands to win with Pinnacle. 2-2.
Wow, I just didn't fully read Emeria Angel. I thought the trigger was mandatory, which meant that I needed City of Shadows to break the infinite loop, and I had the option of drawing the game on turn 3. Oops.
8) City of Shadows / City of Traitors / Emeria Angel (makes tokens on turn 3)
vs:
1) Argothian Elder / Gaea's Cradle / Helix Pinnacle
He goes off on turn 3, I make tokens on turn 3. 0-6
2) Chalice of the Void / Exploration / Humility
Humility comes down turn 4. 6-0
3) Authority of the Consuls / Meekstone / Shared Triumph
Authority comes down on 2, Meekstone on 3. 0-6
4) Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
Path breaks the combo. 0-6
5) Elixir of Immortality / Path to Exile / Shared Animosity
Path breaks the combo. 0-6
6) Chancellor of the Forge / Cursed Totem / Exploration
Turn 2 totem stops me. 0-6
7) Exploration / Glacial Chasm / Helix Pinnacle
Chasm stops me from winning. 0-6
9) Isochron Scepter / Path to Exile / Path to Exile
One Path breaks the combo, second on Isochron eventually wins. 0-6
Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
VS:
1) Anachronity
Argothian Elder / Gaea's Cradle / Helix Pinnacle
--Path cradle, path elder, judge pinnacle, win with trees 6-0
2) CalvinSchwa
Chalice of the Void / Exploration / Humility
--OTP, I can slow you down enough with path to be able to judge exploration, but you can play humility to draw. OTD, Exploration+humility means I get buried in 1/1s 3-3
3) Feyd_Ruin
Authority of the Consuls / Meekstone / Shared Triumph
--OTP, I can path your first land and get judgment in time to break your combo up. OTD, you lock me out 3-3
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Torment of Venom plus two Glacial Chasms
Elixir of Immortality / Path to Exile / Shared Animosity
--We trade paths to slow one another down, but I can path every other turn to chip your lands down, judge animosity if it shows up, and out-damage elixir 6-0
6) Mogg
Chancellor of the Forge / Cursed Totem / Exploration
--Exploration+cursed totem means I get out-treed 0-6
7) Personman
Exploration / Glacial Chasm / Helix Pinnacle
--Path chasm, judge pinnacle and exploration, win with trees 6-0
8) psly4mne
City of Shadows / City of Traitors / Emeria Angel
--Path angel, win with trees 6-0
9) WhammeWhamme
Isochron Scepter / Path to Exile / Path to Exile
--OTP, we trade paths to slow the other down, and I get to 4 lands (meaning 3 without summoning sickness even with one being removed). OTD, I never get to judgment mana 3-3
Oh, crap. Literally just realized that basic lands played this way won't have haste... Okay, let's see how this goes:
1) Anachronity 0-6
You go off T3, I play Humility T4.
3) Feyd_Ruin 6-0
OTP I can Chalice a couple of things, but either way Humility renders Meekstone pointless. Exploration means I'm pretty sure you can't race me, either.
4) knobbodi 0-6
Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
I might be wrong here, but since basic lands won't have haste: can't we just go T1 land | land, T2 Path my land | play a land, T3 Remembrance->Path | play a land, T4 Remembrance->Path | play a land,... with no chance for me to tap a non-summoning-sick land to play Exploration?
5) Magus of the Aesthetic 6-0
You can slow me down with Path, but I get Chalice on 1 soon enough, and Exploration+Humility beats Shared Animosity since they have 1 toughness and don't have trample.
6) Mogg 1-4
Agreed.
7) Personman 1-4
Lands don't have haste, meaning we both look like T1 land, T2 land->Exploration->land, T3 Chalice or Pinnacle. Thus, OTP, I lock you out of your main win-con; however, the tokens stare at each other. OTD Humility means you can't tick up Pinnacle since you can't activate abilities, but then you can play Chasm post-Humility (so you don't have to sac lands) and have one more 1/1 than me, which I think allows you to swing in, take trades, and whittle me down 1 damage per turn.
8) psly4mne 0-6
Agreed.
9) WhammeWhamme 6-0
Even OTP, you can at best do T1 land | land, T2 land, Path | land, T3 Scepter | land, Exploration, land, T4 path | Chalice on 1. From there I win.
| 0 X 6 0 6 1 1 0 6 | 20, assuming I didn't do anything wrong (which tends to happen on these sorts of rounds, I make all sorts of mistakes). Disagreements with knobbodi, Personman.
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.
@Personman: I disagree; Argothian Elder combos since he can untap himself.
2) Humility doesn't come down until T4 due to summoning sickness on lands. ~ 6-0
3) Authority can't come down until T2, which means my Cradle comes in untapped. I play Elder T2 and you can't stop him from untapping. ~ 6-0
4) Argh, I spent forever figuring this one out because I forgot that Pinnacle only wins at the beginning of my upkeep. I can hold my Cradle but Judgement will still just kill Pinnacle. ~ 0-6
5) Still working through this one OTD. I definitely win OTP if I wait until T4 to play Cradle, since then you can't exile more than one of my lands or else I will combo out before you get Path back.
6) Agreed. ~ 0-6
7) I combo out here. ~ 6-0
8) Whoever is OTP wins first. ~ 3-3
9) Even if you Path as often as possible, I never have a chance to sneak in a combo. ~ 0-6
7) Personman 1-4
Lands don't have haste, meaning we both look like T1 land, T2 land->Exploration->land, T3 Chalice or Pinnacle. Thus, OTP, I lock you out of your main win-con; however, the tokens stare at each other. OTD Humility means you can't tick up Pinnacle since you can't activate abilities, but then you can play Chasm post-Humility (so you don't have to sac lands) and have one more 1/1 than me, which I think allows you to swing in, take trades, and whittle me down 1 damage per turn.
I think there are several things wrong here, but the outcome is right:
Since as you say lands don't have haste, on your play you can't play Chalice on 1 on your turn 1, but I can play Pinnacle on my turn 2 instead of Exploration. But I still can't give it any counters once Humility is out (which I had missed), so it's better for me to just play Exploration.
Lands are indestructible, so there's no "taking trades", there's just getting in with the ones you can't block.
I'm not sure why I would play Chasm post-Humility – I can never sacrifice any lands due to the round rule (regardless of Humility – it's not an ability).
Because of ELR, I think I'm ahead of you on creatures even on the draw, but never on un-sick creatures, so I can never get through.
Quote from Anachronity »
@Personman: I disagree; Argothian Elder combos since he can untap himself.
4) knobbodi 0-6
Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
I might be wrong here, but since basic lands won't have haste: can't we just go T1 land | land, T2 Path my land | play a land, T3 Remembrance->Path | play a land, T4 Remembrance->Path | play a land,... with no chance for me to tap a non-summoning-sick land to play Exploration?
I have it wrong on my score line if not in my breakdown, it should be 4-1 you.
On your play:
Forest | Plains
Exploration, Forest, Plains | Plains, path Plains
Plains, Plains, chalice on 1 | Forest
Humility, win from here
--------------------
On your draw:
Plains | Forest (1 land)
Path Forest, Forest | Forest (1 land)
Remembrance, Plains | Exploration, Plains, Plains (3 lands)
Draw Remembrance, Plains, Judgment Exploration | Plains (4 lands), Chalice on 1
Draw Path, Plains. If I could cast Path, I would forever be ahead 1 land and could whittle you down even through Humility, but Chalice ensures that it's a draw.
Lands are indestructible, so there's no "taking trades", there's just getting in with the ones you can't block.
I'm not sure why I would play Chasm post-Humility – I can never sacrifice any lands due to the round rule (regardless of Humility – it's not an ability).
Because of ELR, I think I'm ahead of you on creatures even on the draw, but never on un-sick creatures, so I can never get through.
Ah! Missed the sac rule, silly me. As for indestructible, pretty sure Humility makes them lose that too, but I don't think it affects the outcome anyway.
"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.
I knew I should have run a naturalize but I figured path was too important. I was wrong.
1) Pretty sure I lose both games. If I Path as soon as I can, I don't get it back in time to stop the combo. If I wait then I can't remove any of your lands and you combo off in response to Path. 0-6
2) Chalice locks out my lifegain spell. 0-6
3) No mana means no lifegain. 0-6
4) Two exile effects are better than one. 0-6
6) Cursed Totem comes down before I can cast Shared Animosity. Exploration wins the race. 0-6
7) Exploration outraces Path, despite me finding this hand in my testing. 0-6
8) Path breaks the combo. 6-0
9) Elixir doesn't race a Path every turn. 0-6.
As always, other cards I thought about playing.
Glacial Chasm - Apparently I'll play this card every week. Seemed like the "Level 0" of the format, the card to beat. Torment of Venom plus two Glacial Chasms - My "called shot" hand that nobody ended up running. Torment of Venom wins when you have 12 mana, even if your opponent has Glacial Chasm. Why two Chasms? Because I didn't think anyone would run two Paths. If I played this I think my score would be the same this week. Exploration - I really thought there would be Chasm decks, Path decks, and Exploration decks. I didn't think to submit a hand with all three. Chancellor of the Forge / Spell Pierce - I have only scored in the double digits when I cast Spell Pierce before my first turn. I didn't think it was so great here with the land rule, and I was right. Marang River Prowler - How do you punch through a neverending stream of treefolk? Casting an umblockable creature over and over. Loses to Path among other things. Nature's Claim - I figured artifact/enchantment removal would be good but I wanted to answer Chasm and still be able to win the game. Mangara of Corondor / Karakas - Remove whatever. Karakas doesn't survive a Path though and I needed a wincon if that happened. Ball Lightning - For some reason I thought attacking with a 6/1 would win me games.
3CH ELR Trees
Land Rule: Extra Land Rule
Format Rule:
All non-Treefolk creatures are Lair lands 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.
Hands:
1) Anachronity
Argothian Elder / Gaea's Cradle / Helix Pinnacle
2) CalvinSchwa
Chalice of the Void / Exploration / Humility
3) Feyd_Ruin
Authority of the Consuls / Meekstone / Shared Triumph
4) knobbodi
Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Torment of Venom plus two Glacial Chasms
Elixir of Immortality / Path to Exile / Shared Animosity
6) Mogg
Chancellor of the Forge / Cursed Totem / Exploration
7) Personman
Exploration / Glacial Chasm / Helix Pinnacle
8) psly4mne
City of Shadows / City of Traitors / Emeria Angel
9) WhammeWhamme
Isochron Scepter / Path to Exile / Path to Exile
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1| X 6 6 0 6 0 6 3 0 | 26 | 325
2| 0 X 6 4 6 1 1 0 6 | 24 | 300
3| 0 0 X 3 6 0 2 0 6 | 16 | 200
4| 6 1 3 X 6 0 6 6 3 | 29 | 363
5| 0 0 0 0 X 0 0 6 0 | 06 | 075
6| 6 4 6 6 6 X 2 6 6 | 42 | 525
7| 0 4 2 0 6 2 X 6 6 | 26 | 325
8| 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 | 06 | 075
9| 6 0 0 3 6 0 0 6 X | 20 | 250
Mogg 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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- Rabid Wombat
Noted, and it might have been a good change. Admittedly, I forgot the suggestion had been made. The format will stay as is, though.
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5CH Mark of a Traitor
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
Whenever a card is exiled, if it had no traitor counters on it, the opponent of the owner of that card may put a card with the same name as that card from outside the game into his or her hand with a traitor counter on it.
Traitor counters can't be removed and remain on cards as they change zones.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
- Rabid Wombat
Makes sense. I've taken a pass at updating the rule.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
You could just say "Whenever a card is exiled, if that card started the game in a player's hand, [...]"
It doesn't really work in actual magic because of hidden zones, but it works fine here and is friendly to duplicate cards.
- Rabid Wombat
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
Please take a look and score your row.
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6) Mogg
Chancellor of the Forge / Cursed Totem / Exploration
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
6| 6 4 6 6 6 X 2 6 6 | 42 | 525
1: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
2: 4: Playing first, I Totem-lock CS out of Exploration. Playing second, my Exploration comes down first, but CS keeps pace for blockers. CS's access to Humility prevents me from going for the win with a big Chancellor play.
3: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
4: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
5: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
6: -
7: 2: Totem stops the Pinnacle win, and Chasm stops the Exploration win.
8: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
9: 6: t1 Exploration, t2 Totem
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
7) Personman
Exploration / Glacial Chasm / Helix Pinnacle
vs.
Argothian Elder / Gaea's Cradle / Helix Pinnacle
Disregard the below, Elder is a Land. 0-6.
My pinnacle goldfish is wayyy slower, so I have to try to attack.
1. Land + Chasm
1. Land + Cradle
2. Exploration, Land, no use attacking
2. Land, Elder
3. 6 Lands, attack with 4, you can block 1. 14.
3. Land, Pinnacle.
4. 8 Lands, attack with 6, you can block 3. 8. End step 13 counters (2 + 1 untapped lands, 2 cradles at 5 each)
4. Land
5. 10 Lands, attack with 8. You can block 5. 2. End step 16 more counters = 29 counters, but then I win.
There are some slightly different lines, but in the end it takes you 5 more turns to win and I'm pretty sure I'm going to outpace you no matter what. 6-0.
2) CalvinSchwa
Chalice of the Void / Exploration / Humility
Chalice isn't fast enough to stop Pinnacle. Humility turns off Chasm, but since we both have Exploration our creatures stare at each other except for when mine are putting counters on Pinnacle in your end step. 6-0.I can't Pinnacle, see below. 4-1.
3) Feyd_Ruin
Authority of the Consuls / Meekstone / Shared Triumph
Neither of us can ever damage the other, and I can't play nearly enough untapped lands to win with Pinnacle. 2-2.
4) knobbodi
Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
I like it! But my permanents don't. 0-6.
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Torment of Venom plus two Glacial Chasms
Elixir of Immortality / Path to Exile / Shared Animosity
Indestructible is a good ability. I have plenty of blockers and Pinnacle. 6-0.
6) Mogg
Chancellor of the Forge / Cursed Totem / Exploration
agree, 2-2
8) psly4mne
City of Shadows / City of Traitors / Emeria Angel
Your tokens can't hurt me. 6-0.
9) WhammeWhamme
Isochron Scepter / Path to Exile / Path to Exile
Exploration keeps up nicely with one Path a turn, and Pinnacle wins. 6-0.
8) City of Shadows / City of Traitors / Emeria Angel (makes tokens on turn 3)
vs:
1) Argothian Elder / Gaea's Cradle / Helix Pinnacle
He goes off on turn 3, I make tokens on turn 3. 0-6
2) Chalice of the Void / Exploration / Humility
Humility comes down turn 4. 6-0
3) Authority of the Consuls / Meekstone / Shared Triumph
Authority comes down on 2, Meekstone on 3. 0-6
4) Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
Path breaks the combo. 0-6
5) Elixir of Immortality / Path to Exile / Shared Animosity
Path breaks the combo. 0-6
6) Chancellor of the Forge / Cursed Totem / Exploration
Turn 2 totem stops me. 0-6
7) Exploration / Glacial Chasm / Helix Pinnacle
Chasm stops me from winning. 0-6
9) Isochron Scepter / Path to Exile / Path to Exile
One Path breaks the combo, second on Isochron eventually wins. 0-6
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8| 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 | 6
Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
VS:
1) Anachronity
Argothian Elder / Gaea's Cradle / Helix Pinnacle
--Path cradle, path elder, judge pinnacle, win with trees 6-0
2) CalvinSchwa
Chalice of the Void / Exploration / Humility
--OTP, I can slow you down enough with path to be able to judge exploration, but you can play humility to draw. OTD, Exploration+humility means I get buried in 1/1s 3-3
3) Feyd_Ruin
Authority of the Consuls / Meekstone / Shared Triumph
--OTP, I can path your first land and get judgment in time to break your combo up. OTD, you lock me out 3-3
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Torment of Venom plus two Glacial Chasms
Elixir of Immortality / Path to Exile / Shared Animosity
--We trade paths to slow one another down, but I can path every other turn to chip your lands down, judge animosity if it shows up, and out-damage elixir 6-0
6) Mogg
Chancellor of the Forge / Cursed Totem / Exploration
--Exploration+cursed totem means I get out-treed 0-6
7) Personman
Exploration / Glacial Chasm / Helix Pinnacle
--Path chasm, judge pinnacle and exploration, win with trees 6-0
8) psly4mne
City of Shadows / City of Traitors / Emeria Angel
--Path angel, win with trees 6-0
9) WhammeWhamme
Isochron Scepter / Path to Exile / Path to Exile
--OTP, we trade paths to slow the other down, and I get to 4 lands (meaning 3 without summoning sickness even with one being removed). OTD, I never get to judgment mana 3-3
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4| 6 3 3 X 6 0 6 6 3 | 30 | 375
1) Anachronity 0-6
You go off T3, I play Humility T4.
3) Feyd_Ruin 6-0
OTP I can Chalice a couple of things, but either way Humility renders Meekstone pointless. Exploration means I'm pretty sure you can't race me, either.
4) knobbodi 0-6
Council's Judgment / Path to Exile / Serene Remembrance
I might be wrong here, but since basic lands won't have haste: can't we just go T1 land | land, T2 Path my land | play a land, T3 Remembrance->Path | play a land, T4 Remembrance->Path | play a land,... with no chance for me to tap a non-summoning-sick land to play Exploration?
5) Magus of the Aesthetic 6-0
You can slow me down with Path, but I get Chalice on 1 soon enough, and Exploration+Humility beats Shared Animosity since they have 1 toughness and don't have trample.
6) Mogg 1-4
Agreed.
7) Personman 1-4
Lands don't have haste, meaning we both look like T1 land, T2 land->Exploration->land, T3 Chalice or Pinnacle. Thus, OTP, I lock you out of your main win-con; however, the tokens stare at each other. OTD Humility means you can't tick up Pinnacle since you can't activate abilities, but then you can play Chasm post-Humility (so you don't have to sac lands) and have one more 1/1 than me, which I think allows you to swing in, take trades, and whittle me down 1 damage per turn.
8) psly4mne 0-6
Agreed.
9) WhammeWhamme 6-0
Even OTP, you can at best do T1 land | land, T2 land, Path | land, T3 Scepter | land, Exploration, land, T4 path | Chalice on 1. From there I win.
| 0 X 6 0 6 1 1 0 6 | 20, assuming I didn't do anything wrong (which tends to happen on these sorts of rounds, I make all sorts of mistakes). Disagreements with knobbodi, Personman.
--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.
3) Authority can't come down until T2, which means my Cradle comes in untapped. I play Elder T2 and you can't stop him from untapping. ~ 6-0
4) Argh, I spent forever figuring this one out because I forgot that Pinnacle only wins at the beginning of my upkeep. I can hold my Cradle but Judgement will still just kill Pinnacle. ~ 0-6
5) Still working through this one OTD. I definitely win OTP if I wait until T4 to play Cradle, since then you can't exile more than one of my lands or else I will combo out before you get Path back.
6) Agreed. ~ 0-6
7) I combo out here. ~ 6-0
8) Whoever is OTP wins first. ~ 3-3
9) Even if you Path as often as possible, I never have a chance to sneak in a combo. ~ 0-6
- Rabid Wombat
Since as you say lands don't have haste, on your play you can't play Chalice on 1 on your turn 1, but I can play Pinnacle on my turn 2 instead of Exploration. But I still can't give it any counters once Humility is out (which I had missed), so it's better for me to just play Exploration.
Lands are indestructible, so there's no "taking trades", there's just getting in with the ones you can't block.
I'm not sure why I would play Chasm post-Humility – I can never sacrifice any lands due to the round rule (regardless of Humility – it's not an ability).
Because of ELR, I think I'm ahead of you on creatures even on the draw, but never on un-sick creatures, so I can never get through.
That's smart!
I have it wrong on my score line if not in my breakdown, it should be 4-1 you.
On your play:
Forest | Plains
Exploration, Forest, Plains | Plains, path Plains
Plains, Plains, chalice on 1 | Forest
Humility, win from here
--------------------
On your draw:
Plains | Forest (1 land)
Path Forest, Forest | Forest (1 land)
Remembrance, Plains | Exploration, Plains, Plains (3 lands)
Draw Remembrance, Plains, Judgment Exploration | Plains (4 lands), Chalice on 1
Draw Path, Plains. If I could cast Path, I would forever be ahead 1 land and could whittle you down even through Humility, but Chalice ensures that it's a draw.
2) 0-6 : Chalice-Exploration stops lock
3) xxx
4) 6-0 : Authority keeps him off Judgement before I lock.
5) 6-0 : Lock races any damage.
6) 0-6 : His lock is better than mine.
7) 2-2 : Lock stops Pinnacle, Chasm stops beats
8) 0-6 : Infinite birds. eek.
9) 6-0 : I eventually lock him off lands.
Seeing Mogg's cursed totem made me realize my long about way to lock things down was... much worse than it needed to be lol
No longer staff here.
On the play, I can path your first land so you can't cast Authority until your 3rd turn, and I can Judgment it on my 4th turn, breaking up your lock.
--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.
I knew I should have run a naturalize but I figured path was too important. I was wrong.
2) Chalice locks out my lifegain spell. 0-6
3) No mana means no lifegain. 0-6
4) Two exile effects are better than one. 0-6
6) Cursed Totem comes down before I can cast Shared Animosity. Exploration wins the race. 0-6
7) Exploration outraces Path, despite me finding this hand in my testing. 0-6
8) Path breaks the combo. 6-0
9) Elixir doesn't race a Path every turn. 0-6.
Torment of Venom plus two Glacial Chasms - My "called shot" hand that nobody ended up running. Torment of Venom wins when you have 12 mana, even if your opponent has Glacial Chasm. Why two Chasms? Because I didn't think anyone would run two Paths. If I played this I think my score would be the same this week.
Exploration - I really thought there would be Chasm decks, Path decks, and Exploration decks. I didn't think to submit a hand with all three.
Chancellor of the Forge / Spell Pierce - I have only scored in the double digits when I cast Spell Pierce before my first turn. I didn't think it was so great here with the land rule, and I was right.
Marang River Prowler - How do you punch through a neverending stream of treefolk? Casting an umblockable creature over and over. Loses to Path among other things.
Nature's Claim - I figured artifact/enchantment removal would be good but I wanted to answer Chasm and still be able to win the game.
Mangara of Corondor / Karakas - Remove whatever. Karakas doesn't survive a Path though and I needed a wincon if that happened.
Ball Lightning - For some reason I thought attacking with a 6/1 would win me games.