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.
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
Unstable-themed Format Suggestions!
Mashster Plan - 2CH LR
Each player also chooses two creature cards to begin the game in exile.
Whenever a player casts a creature spell, that player may combine that creature with another uncombined creature in exile with lesser or equal converted mana cost.
DOOMED! - 4CH
Each player starts the game with three DOOM! counters.
Whenever a player loses life, remove a DOOM! counter from that player.
When a player has no DOOM! counters, destroy that player.
EDIT
Bar Exam - 4CH
Each Player begins the game with a Rules Lawyer on the battlefield.
I think formalizing Mashster Plan is probably too hard.
What I like about combining creatures is that it's surprisingly intuitive rules-wise. We just need to have a rule for what happens if a combined creature changes zones since that hasn't been clarified yet for Unstable.
It doesn't create any issues to just say it remains combined and is thereafter treated as a single card (thus, if it was Unsummoned, you would need to pay the combined mana cost to cast it again).
The card in exile changes zones, and thus loses all its counters and identity unless it's Skullbriar, in which case it keeps the counters.
Effects could conceivably alter the spell before the triggered ability to combine it resolves. If so, then it's simple enough to say that such effects still apply to the combined card (i.e. the post-combination card has the same identity as the pre-combination creature spell on the stack).
I'm 99% sure there are no rules issues with that.
Probably change the first part to "Whenever a player casts an uncombined creature spell, [...]" so we don't get triple-combined creatures.
Still, Bar Exam is also fun.
EDIT: DOOM! was based on Baron von Count. I also think a format based on Mary O'Kill's ability would be fun, since of all the new mechanics hers is the most legit for black-bordered Magic, with no rules hangups whatsoever.
What I like about combining creatures is that it's surprisingly intuitive rules-wise.
I don't think so. Here are a bunch of things I think are not obvious:
What relationship do their text boxes have to each other? Is one "first"? Does the combined creature have two text boxes?
What happens if they have conflicting CDAs? What if they have CEs in a dependency loop (and with the same timestamp)?
What happens if the creature transforms, or flips, or a morph ability of its face-down half is activated?
If half of a creature is face down, is it a face-down creature?
Can abilities be linked across text boxes?
I'm not saying we can't come up with reasonable answers to all of these, I just think you'd need to do a LOT more work than just having the word "combine" in the round rule :)
EDIT: Oh, I also disagree that Mary's "switch" is unambiguous. Does the new one enter and the old one leave, or is it more like transforming? Does it get a new timestamp like it would when it transforms? Are statuses and other properties not listed in the reminder text also preserved, like face-down, flipped, and phased out? If the thing you're trying to switch is no longer in your hand when the ability resolves, or the thing you're switching with no longer on the battlefield, what happens?
Oh, I also disagree that Mary's "switch" is unambiguous. Does the new one enter and the old one leave, or is it more like transforming? Does it get a new timestamp like it would when it transforms? Are statuses and other properties not listed in the reminder text also preserved, like face-down, flipped, and phased out? If the thing you're trying to switch is no longer in your hand when the ability resolves, or the thing you're switching with no longer on the battlefield, what happens?
I'm not sure if a "state swap" is defined in the current rules? I don't see anything. It goes on to say that a targeted spell would not fizzle if the target were switched, so I'm pretty sure other properties are preserved. But that's all speculation, so, yes, I suppose we'll need to wait for more official rulings if and when they are made.
Also, I'm intrigued by the formats that have been suggested both in this thread and in threads from the last few weeks. I do intend put them in rotation.
1: 3: My spells have mana costs; Anachronity can choose one of those mana costs as Sanctum Prelate enters the battlefield. This means that I can't complete my combo, and Sanctum Prelate attacks ten times until my life total is zero. Then I lose. Alternatively, I can play first and muster a stronger board position.
2: 3: Approach wins turn 3 on the play but comes just shy of gaining the 16 life necessary to survive two turns of attacking goblins.
3: 6: If Magus enchants Forest with Lush Growth, then he or she will be only one mana short of casting Empty the Warrens for two tokens, but close isn't good enough.
5: 2: The Council is threatened. With a unified voice, it decrees that a solitary goblin will take up farming. Another goblin gets sunburned. Sixteen goblins attack. Alternatively, Lotus, Lotus, Judgment (Sapphire), Sapphire, Retract, Lotus, Sapphire, Retract, Lotus, Sapphire, Empty makes more goblins than I have, so I lose. But! If Personman starts, he'll have to lead on Lotus, Wheel, which gives me a Lotus. Then, I can cast Lotus, Mox, Mox, Retract, Lotus, Mox, Mox, Retract, Lotus, Mox, Mox, Empty, and make 24 goblins.
At this point, Personman doesn't have time for shenanigans; he'd have to spend a turn exiling a Mox and re-drawing Lotus. Personman doesn't have a turn to give.
Neither of us makes the first move, so we draw.
This was surprisingly not terrible for a deck I built in about ten minutes when I realized the deadline had already passed!
5) Personman :: Puncture Blast Is a Legal Card in this Format
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Puncture Blast / Wheel of Sun and Moon
vs.
1) Anachronity :: Serra's Sanctum Prelate Gets a Workout from All That Heavy Lifting
Leyline of Lifeforce / Leyline of Sanctity / Leyline of Vitality / Sanctum Prelate / Serra's Sanctum
Shoulda just played Bolt. But on the play, I can Judgment a Leyline, and then you can never do anything. 0-6.
2) knobbodi :: Standard Win Condition Plus Modern Combo Plus This Year's Eternal Weekend Legacy Championship Prize Land Plus a Mox
Approach of the Second Sun / Devoted Druid / Mox Pearl / Savannah / Vizier of Remedies
Judgment on the Mox just wins. 6-0.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Not Even Trying at This Point [Editor's Note: I did not assign this name.]
Forest / Hickory Woodlot / Lush Growth / Nissa's Chosen / Savage Summoning
Agree, 6-0.
4) Mogg :: My Name Is Mogg So I Play Goblins
Empty the Warrens / Mox Ruby / Mox Sapphire / Retract / Retract
Agree, 2-2.
6) WhammeWhamme :: Magus and I Thought It Was Still Trees Week So We Played Forests
Forest / Inkmoth Nexus / Invigorate / Invigorate / Pithing Needle
You have to keep Invigorate for your second attack, or else I can just Blast. If you Invigorate in response to Blast, the fact that it's Blast actually matters! Guess I shouldn't've just played Bolt after all! I go to 7 poison and you can never activate Inkmoth again. 6-0
01 vs. Anachronity: It comes down to a 1/1 flying infect racing a 2/2. 3-3
02 vs. knobbodi: Pithing Needle the Druid? 6-0
03 vs. Magus of the Aesthetic: Lush Growth works, I lose. 0-6
04 vs. Mogg: Pure race. 3-3
05 vs. Personman: Judgment doesn't kill lands. If he tries to win, I can sneak in FTW. 2-2
DISAGREEMENT: Personman, to Puncture Blast me for the win, you have to actually cast it. Even cast EOT, it takes you two turns to redraw both Lotus and Puncture Blast, so the Inky can slip in every time you do... and I race faster. So I don't attack and you don't cast Puncture Blast.
Empty the Warrens / Mox Ruby / Mox Sapphire / Retract / Retract
--We both win on our 3rd turn, and gaining 7 life and having a blocker doesn't stop yours 3-3
5) Personman :: Puncture Blast Is a Legal Card in this Format
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Puncture Blast / Wheel of Sun and Moon
--I'm not sure why you would council's judgment mox since that would still allow me to win. Instead, you puncture blast druid and I can't do anything 0-6
6) WhammeWhamme :: Magus and I Thought It Was Still Trees Week So We Played Forests
2) OTP I win with Prelate. OTD if I swing then you can chump with Druid and swing back with Vizier. This would allow you to out-race me if I kept swinging, but I have cleverly put myself at 21 life for just this situation, muahaha! ~ 6-0
3) Prelate stops the Chosen from becoming 3/4, and we futilely back into eachother's blockers. ~ 2-2
4) This is why it's Sanctum Prelate and not Sanctum Postlate. ~ 3-3
5) You can't cast anything without giving me at least one Lotus, so I can cast Prelate regardless of Judgement. ~ 6-0
6) OTP gets there first. ~ 3-3
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 | X 6 2 3 6 3 | 18 | 360
This is a very tricky hand to beat, but is clearly weaker OTD. I wanted to play something more creative, but I couldn't find any hand to beat both this and Anvil that wasn't terrible in every other regard.
WhammeWhamme: yep, fixed
Anachronity: Oh, yeah, I had it as 6-0 you and then later suddenly "realized" I could stop you on the play, but got too excited and didn't really think it through.
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.
Hands:
1) Anachronity :: Serra's Sanctum Prelate Gets a Workout from All That Heavy Lifting
Leyline of Lifeforce / Leyline of Sanctity / Leyline of Vitality / Sanctum Prelate / Serra's Sanctum
2) knobbodi :: Standard Win Condition Plus Modern Combo Plus This Year's Eternal Weekend Legacy Championship Prize Land Plus a Mox
Approach of the Second Sun / Devoted Druid / Mox Pearl / Savannah / Vizier of Remedies
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Not Even Trying at This Point [Editor's Note: I did not assign this name.]
Forest / Hickory Woodlot / Lush Growth / Nissa's Chosen / Savage Summoning
4) Mogg :: My Name Is Mogg So I Play Goblins
Empty the Warrens / Mox Ruby / Mox Sapphire / Retract / Retract
5) Personman :: Puncture Blast Is a Legal Card in this Format
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Council Judgment / Puncture Blast / Wheel of Sun and Moon
6) WhammeWhamme :: Magus and I Thought It Was Still Trees Week So We Played Forests
Forest / Inkmoth Nexus / Invigorate / Invigorate / Pithing Needle
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
1| X 6 2 3 6 3 | 18 | 360
2| 0 X 6 3 0 0 | 08 | 160
3| 2 0 X 0 0 6 | 08 | 160
4| 3 3 6 X 2 3 | 14 | 280
5| 0 6 6 2 X 2 | 16 | 320
6| 3 6 0 3 2 X | 12 | 240
Anachronity 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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Mashster Plan - 2CH LR
Each player also chooses two creature cards to begin the game in exile.
Whenever a player casts a creature spell, that player may combine that creature with another uncombined creature in exile with lesser or equal converted mana cost.
DOOMED! - 4CH
Each player starts the game with three DOOM! counters.
Whenever a player loses life, remove a DOOM! counter from that player.
When a player has no DOOM! counters, destroy that player.
EDIT
Bar Exam - 4CH
Each Player begins the game with a Rules Lawyer on the battlefield.
- Rabid Wombat
I like Bar Exam a lot, and I think it probably works and will lead to a lot of delightful brokenness.
What I like about combining creatures is that it's surprisingly intuitive rules-wise. We just need to have a rule for what happens if a combined creature changes zones since that hasn't been clarified yet for Unstable.
It doesn't create any issues to just say it remains combined and is thereafter treated as a single card (thus, if it was Unsummoned, you would need to pay the combined mana cost to cast it again).
The card in exile changes zones, and thus loses all its counters and identity unless it's Skullbriar, in which case it keeps the counters.
Effects could conceivably alter the spell before the triggered ability to combine it resolves. If so, then it's simple enough to say that such effects still apply to the combined card (i.e. the post-combination card has the same identity as the pre-combination creature spell on the stack).
I'm 99% sure there are no rules issues with that.
Probably change the first part to "Whenever a player casts an uncombined creature spell, [...]" so we don't get triple-combined creatures.
Still, Bar Exam is also fun.
EDIT: DOOM! was based on Baron von Count. I also think a format based on Mary O'Kill's ability would be fun, since of all the new mechanics hers is the most legit for black-bordered Magic, with no rules hangups whatsoever.
- Rabid Wombat
What relationship do their text boxes have to each other? Is one "first"? Does the combined creature have two text boxes?
What happens if they have conflicting CDAs? What if they have CEs in a dependency loop (and with the same timestamp)?
What happens if the creature transforms, or flips, or a morph ability of its face-down half is activated?
If half of a creature is face down, is it a face-down creature?
Can abilities be linked across text boxes?
I'm not saying we can't come up with reasonable answers to all of these, I just think you'd need to do a LOT more work than just having the word "combine" in the round rule :)
EDIT: Oh, I also disagree that Mary's "switch" is unambiguous. Does the new one enter and the old one leave, or is it more like transforming? Does it get a new timestamp like it would when it transforms? Are statuses and other properties not listed in the reminder text also preserved, like face-down, flipped, and phased out? If the thing you're trying to switch is no longer in your hand when the ability resolves, or the thing you're switching with no longer on the battlefield, what happens?
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/card-preview/mary-okill-and-killbots-2017-11-15 answers some of these questions, and implies that it is more akin to transforming since it doesn't ETB or leave it.
I'm not sure if a "state swap" is defined in the current rules? I don't see anything. It goes on to say that a targeted spell would not fizzle if the target were switched, so I'm pretty sure other properties are preserved. But that's all speculation, so, yes, I suppose we'll need to wait for more official rulings if and when they are made.
Crush my dreams why don't you?
- Rabid Wombat
3CH ELR Leyline CMC <= 4
Land Rule: Extra Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
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Taken out of context, this sentence alone sounds like it should be in an Un-set.
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Please take a look and score your row.
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4) Mogg :: My Name Is Mogg So I Play Goblins
Empty the Warrens / Mox Ruby / Mox Sapphire / Retract / Retract
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
4| 3 3 6 X 2 3 | 14 | 280
1: 3: My spells have mana costs; Anachronity can choose one of those mana costs as Sanctum Prelate enters the battlefield. This means that I can't complete my combo, and Sanctum Prelate attacks ten times until my life total is zero. Then I lose. Alternatively, I can play first and muster a stronger board position.
2: 3: Approach wins turn 3 on the play but comes just shy of gaining the 16 life necessary to survive two turns of attacking goblins.
3: 6: If Magus enchants Forest with Lush Growth, then he or she will be only one mana short of casting Empty the Warrens for two tokens, but close isn't good enough.
5: 2: The Council is threatened. With a unified voice, it decrees that a solitary goblin will take up farming. Another goblin gets sunburned. Sixteen goblins attack.
Alternatively, Lotus, Lotus, Judgment (Sapphire), Sapphire, Retract, Lotus, Sapphire, Retract, Lotus, Sapphire, Empty makes more goblins than I have, so I lose.
But! If Personman starts, he'll have to lead on Lotus, Wheel, which gives me a Lotus. Then, I can cast Lotus, Mox, Mox, Retract, Lotus, Mox, Mox, Retract, Lotus, Mox, Mox, Empty, and make 24 goblins.
At this point, Personman doesn't have time for shenanigans; he'd have to spend a turn exiling a Mox and re-drawing Lotus. Personman doesn't have a turn to give.
Neither of us makes the first move, so we draw.
6: 3: We race.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
2) The sun rises too soon. 0-6
3) I can confirm that I named the deck "Not Even Trying at This Point" since I phoned it in.
4) The warrens are too full for me to handle. 0-6
5) Puncture Blast outraces the Chosen. 0-6
6) Pithing Needle doesn't stop Lush Growth. 6-0
5) Personman :: Puncture Blast Is a Legal Card in this Format
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Puncture Blast / Wheel of Sun and Moon
vs.
Leyline of Lifeforce / Leyline of Sanctity / Leyline of Vitality / Sanctum Prelate / Serra's Sanctum
Shoulda just played Bolt.
But on the play, I can Judgment a Leyline, and then you can never do anything.0-6.2) knobbodi :: Standard Win Condition Plus Modern Combo Plus This Year's Eternal Weekend Legacy Championship Prize Land Plus a Mox
Approach of the Second Sun / Devoted Druid / Mox Pearl / Savannah / Vizier of Remedies
Judgment on the Mox just wins. 6-0.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Not Even Trying at This Point [Editor's Note: I did not assign this name.]
Forest / Hickory Woodlot / Lush Growth / Nissa's Chosen / Savage Summoning
Agree, 6-0.
4) Mogg :: My Name Is Mogg So I Play Goblins
Empty the Warrens / Mox Ruby / Mox Sapphire / Retract / Retract
Agree, 2-2.
6) WhammeWhamme :: Magus and I Thought It Was Still Trees Week So We Played Forests
Forest / Inkmoth Nexus / Invigorate / Invigorate / Pithing Needle
You have to keep Invigorate for your second attack, or else I can just Blast. If you Invigorate in response to Blast, the fact that it's Blast actually matters! Guess I shouldn't've just played Bolt after all! I go to 7 poison and you can never activate Inkmoth again. 6-02-2 as WhammeWhamme notes below.
02 vs. knobbodi: Pithing Needle the Druid? 6-0
03 vs. Magus of the Aesthetic: Lush Growth works, I lose. 0-6
04 vs. Mogg: Pure race. 3-3
05 vs. Personman: Judgment doesn't kill lands. If he tries to win, I can sneak in FTW. 2-2
DISAGREEMENT: Personman, to Puncture Blast me for the win, you have to actually cast it. Even cast EOT, it takes you two turns to redraw both Lotus and Puncture Blast, so the Inky can slip in every time you do... and I race faster. So I don't attack and you don't cast Puncture Blast.
Approach of the Second Sun / Devoted Druid / Mox Pearl / Savannah / Vizier of Remedies
VS:
1) Anachronity :: Serra's Sanctum Prelate Gets a Workout from All That Heavy Lifting
Leyline of Lifeforce / Leyline of Sanctity / Leyline of Vitality / Sanctum Prelate / Serra's Sanctum
--OTD, Prelate names 0 and I'm ded. OTP, Prelate names 2 and your 2/3 beats my 2/1 or 0/2 0-6
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Not Even Trying at This Point [Editor's Note: I did not assign this name.]
Forest / Hickory Woodlot / Lush Growth / Nissa's Chosen / Savage Summoning
--The Second Sun Approaches, OTP or OTD 6-0
4) Mogg :: My Name Is Mogg So I Play Goblins
Empty the Warrens / Mox Ruby / Mox Sapphire / Retract / Retract
--We both win on our 3rd turn, and gaining 7 life and having a blocker doesn't stop yours 3-3
5) Personman :: Puncture Blast Is a Legal Card in this Format
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Puncture Blast / Wheel of Sun and Moon
--I'm not sure why you would council's judgment mox since that would still allow me to win. Instead, you puncture blast druid and I can't do anything 0-6
6) WhammeWhamme :: Magus and I Thought It Was Still Trees Week So We Played Forests
Forest / Inkmoth Nexus / Invigorate / Invigorate / Pithing Needle
--Pithing needle can't stop druid's mana ability, but it can stop its untap ability 0-6
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
2| 0 X 6 3 0 0 | 8 | 160
3) Prelate stops the Chosen from becoming 3/4, and we futilely back into eachother's blockers. ~ 2-2
4) This is why it's Sanctum Prelate and not Sanctum Postlate. ~ 3-3
5) You can't cast anything without giving me at least one Lotus, so I can cast Prelate regardless of Judgement. ~ 6-0
6) OTP gets there first. ~ 3-3
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 | X 6 2 3 6 3 | 18 | 360
This is a very tricky hand to beat, but is clearly weaker OTD. I wanted to play something more creative, but I couldn't find any hand to beat both this and Anvil that wasn't terrible in every other regard.
- Rabid Wombat
Anachronity: Oh, yeah, I had it as 6-0 you and then later suddenly "realized" I could stop you on the play, but got too excited and didn't really think it through.
Thanksgiving changing my work week threw me all off.
<3
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