Once each turn, each player may cast a spell without paying its mana cost.
Each spell a player casts this way must have converted mana cost greater than the last spell he or she cast, unless it's the first spell that player cast this game.
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
Rules question: I'm looking for help understanding rule 3.1a a bit better. Does this exemption from the no 2 turn win/discard/infinite turns rule mean that duress is a legal submission because it might miss, whereas thoughtseize is not because it can hit a card with any type? If not, what is this exception meant to allow that would otherwise be disallowed?
If Duress was legal, Thoughtseize would be legal (people can submit all-land decks).
It's there to cover potentially bizarre edge cases - perhaps stuff with things like Faerie Macabre - but I don't remember how it's supposed to actually be a useful rule.
If Duress was legal, Thoughtseize would be legal (people can submit all-land decks).
It's there to cover potentially bizarre edge cases - perhaps stuff with things like Faerie Macabre - but I don't remember how it's supposed to actually be a useful rule.
Good question.
Note - a card's rules text is not the sum of all game-relevant text on that card; rather, it's specifically the text in that card's textbox.
Primarily, the rule exists as a catch-all for some variant formats that could prove difficult to run otherwise.
Two examples of such formats are "Double Mindslaver" (hands posted here and relevant discussion of the rules posted here) and "It's a Trap!" (hands posted here and format introduction posted here).
A second reason is to make rule 3.1d work as intended. The introduction of rule 3.1d was prompted by a couple of Stronghold Gambit hands. In the context of PHM, Stronghold Gambit is a deceptively complex card. Unlike the effects of cards such as Eureka and Show and Tell, Stronghold Gambit actually requires the opponent to choose a card in his or her hand. If that opponent were to have only creature cards, then Stronghold Gambit could force a card to leave that player's hand. This interaction is non-intuitive, so rule 3.1d was added to make that card and any others like it work. This is a long preamble to say that all of that work would be for nothing without rule 3.1a, since Phage the Untouchable, Malfegor, and other similar cards exist.
Rules 3.1a-e all deal with a small set of possible cases and are rarely applicable. For the purposes of general hand construction, they be can mostly be ignored, but they're necessary to make certain cards and formats work, and to reduce the number of illegal submissions.
Hand Size: 3 cards.
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Each player starts the game with an emblem with "Whenever you cast a spell, put X 1/1 green Squirrel creature tokens onto the battlefield, where X is that spell's converted mana cost."
Hipposcape? We've done that.
Maggotscape? We've done that.
Squirrelscape? That's new! (Even if it does look a lot like Hipposcape)
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
Note: Despite not showing up all that often, Time Vault (in conjunction with Voltaic Key) is a card that concerns me in LR formats, especially when the format provides a win condition. Does anyone want to chime in on whether it should be banned/stay legal, at least for this round, specifically?
-
Complicated, so let me break it down a bit more.
1v3:
Nix lets sneak through. Take 8.If he sneaks Zodiac in again, whether swinging or blocking, I timestop in response to the return trigger, so I stay at 4 or lose the token and Chancellor cast wins.
1v2: Whenever he casts Torrential Gearhulk, whether my turn or his, I timestop. Commander doesn't stop the counter. Gobo toko goes for 20.
3v4:
Augustin. Counter->Nix.
Locked from here.
3v5:
Judgement? Unsubstantiate.
If Dissalow: Cast chancellor on my turn and race. (5/5 vs 5/5. I swing first, and block leaves gobo tokos to finish).
If not, Sphinx instead: Untap, Brutal Expulsion to return. If Disallow, then timestop when he swings, Cast chancellor and race (If he swings, I swing back 8).
If no Judgement, then swing 1 and start this if-then over.
Lead with Sphynx? Counter. Lotus->Judgement to kill token. But then can't Disallow to stop Chancellor.
3v7:
If he leads with Venser, I Timestop. Gobo toko ftw.
If he leads with Sphere, I Unsubstantiate. He can't Failure, since he just cast a 2cc. This lets the turn go and I still have timestop for Venser. Gobo toko gogogo.
3v8:
Voidstone? Counter->Daze
From here, he names Expulsion.
If I try to cast Chancelor, he drains.
3v9:
Tithe means Agustin hits, I can't stop from there.
3v10
Unsubstantiate Major, Explusion Erayo, Timestop Lotus, etc.
Stop all his main 3 spells, gobo toko goes.
3v11
Unsubstantiate token. Venser stops.
Next turn, before he swings, Expulsion token.
Hardcast Chancellor to race Venser.
Hi!
I'm new here, and I wanted to say hello!
Here are my matchups, hope I didn't screw anything:
1)1-4. On play, Karakas allows me to double counter Sneak/Dragon, you can't deploy it, and I can't deploy mine. On draw, I'm screwed.
2)1-4. On play, I can Karakas, pass, and have double counter to stop Gearhulk. On draw, I can't stop Gearhulk.
3)6-0. Protected Augustin + counters >> goblin
4)2-2. Wow. I think that's a fun and complicated mirror I can't win it, but I think I'm able to not lose I pass my first turn, you are on play in both games. I Abstruse whenever you play Arbiter, if you don't Nix, you will be ultimately killed by Scion or draw. I play Arbiter after you play yours, I have a blocker for yours/your never resolved. I don't play Karakas until after you played Ulamog, then I can bounce it. Both games are draws?
5)EDIT:3-3. On draw, Sphinx destroys me. On Play, GAIV destroys you.
6)6-0. You can't play anything on your first turn, otherwise I Abstruse. Then, Arbiter + Tithe.
7)2-2. You can't win, that's for sure... but I think I cannot either.
8)EDIT: 3-3. Details discussed below.
9)XXXXXXXXXX
10)6-0. On play, Arbiter + counters kills you. On draw, I can always counter Mayor with Abstruse, and either kill you with Scion if Soratami flipped or with Arbiter if not.
11)EDIT:6-0 As WhammeWhamme noticed, I can sequence spells so I can cast GAIV twice. That gives me win in both games.
Well, when I subimtted my hand, I hoped more people will want to tax people, I thought my hand will prevent those people efforts, while taxing those that weren't prepared for that Well, it looks that it didn't perform that well, especially against people with counters. Abstruse wasn't as good choice as I thought, probably I could find something better. I really don't like that I have so many draws, I blame control nature of my hand. Maybe that's a lesson for future challenges
As for opponents, I like especially MyNameIsFourteen's hand, I was trying to find a way to beat it, but no luck
EDIT:
I think I made mistake in those scroes thinking Abstruse is more powerful than it really is... Please check the results.
I just want to note a few archetypes that didn't see anly play this round. I'm curious whether anyone had a build of one of these archetypes they considered, or another cool hand:
@Superbajt: Vs Magus of the Aesthetic, you win on the play because Grand Arbiter prevents Magus from casting anything. Also, I can win on the play vs you (see below)
4) knobbodi :: Hopefully This Isn't Too Late!
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Island / Nix / Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
VS:
1) AvatarDylaang
Nix / Sneak Attack / Volcanic Island / Zodiac Dragon
--Nix always counters nix, and Grand Arbiter + Ulamog always beats Sneak Attack + Zodiac Dragon 6-0
--You can use SSG to push Progenitus through Grand Arbiter, which always races me, so I need to save Nix to counter it. However, this means I can't ever resolve a threat 2-2
7) Mogg
City of Traitors / Failure // Comply / Sphere of Resistance / Venser, Shaper Savant
--OTP, Grand Arbiter + Ulamog is enough. OTD, Failure --> Comply --> Venser shuts me down 3-3
8) MyNameIsFourteen
Daze / Draining Whelk / Island / Voidstone Gargoyle
--OTP, if I play Arbiter, you Daze and win with Voidstone. So I just cast Ulamog, exiling my own island and floating 1 to pay for nix or daze and race you. OTD, you play free Daze and then Draining Whelk Ulamog. 3-3
9) Superbajt
Abstruse Interference / Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Karakas / Mana Tithe
--OTP, I get Grand Arbiter in play either by nixing abstruse or paying for tithe. Then, you need to play Karakas to cast yours, so I Ulamog the land and your Arbiter and win from there. OTD, you can save Karakas to bounce Ulamog and then my Arbiter for the draw 4-1
10) tomsloger
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant / Mayor of Avabruck / Gilded Lotus / Mox Emerald
--OTP, Arbiter locks you out. OTD, I nix either Mayor or Lotus (whichever you cast first), and win with Ulamog 6-0
11) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Venser, Shaper Savant
--I play Arbiter first as a win condition, and then if you play any of your lands I exile it with Ulamog and win from there, even if you Venser Ulamog 6-0
Well shoot. I thought Force of Will was legal until about an hour after submissions closed, then panic swapped for dismissal. Which meant I had no hard cast counter, which people correctly figured out was important, and threw off my meta read.
I just want to note a few archetypes that didn't see anly play this round. I'm curious whether anyone had a build of one of these archetypes they considered, or another cool hand:
The problem with flashy threats is there's too many "counters" that don't explicitly counter. It does force a lot of draws though (opponent plays threat, flash in threat afterwards and laugh).
I saw Take Possession, but (incorrectly) thought the meta would be Progenitus+Counters and 4 threats.
vs. 01 AvatarDylaang: OTP, Marit Lage comes out fast enough that Venser forces a swing through. 4-1
vs. 02 Convoy_Avenger: Marit Lage beats Gearhulk, Venser can take a vacation. 6-0
vs. 03 Feyd_Ruin: Marit Lage pops out, gets Unsubstantiated, then Venser pops the token, tie? 2-2
vs. 04 knobbodi: Can't see a win. 0-6
vs. 05 Magus of the Aesthetic: Can't stop Marit Lage. 6-0
vs. 06 ManyCookies: Venser beats the one non-SSG spell ManyCookies plays. 6-0
vs. 07 Mogg: Marit Lage forces Venser, 2nd Venser beats 1st Venser. 6-0
vs. 08 MyNameIsFourteen: OTP, I can Venser VG on the stack and pay the 1. 3-3
vs. 09 Superbajt: Karakas is bad for me. Can't find a good line. 0-6
Honesty correction: If I play Venser, you Mana Tithe it... and can now replay GAIV, because the last spell you played had CMC 1.
So you win.
vs. 10 tomsloger: Marit Lage beats Mayor. 6-0
Take Possession/Quagnoth/The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale/Karakas woulda been really good I think.
I'll own up to playing a really low-thought deck. "This round is too complicated. SIMPLE!"
1: 0: Yeah, I lose to Islands.
2: 6: Failure the first play, then cast Sphere with Venser back-up to lock up the game.
3: 6: As discussed.
4: 3: As discussed.
5: 4: Playing first, I lock up the game. Playing second, I Failure Sphinx, then Magus casts Lotus and can use it to cast Judgment through Sphere.
6: 2: MC’s counters don’t protect Progenitus, but Aethersnatch plus Spirit Guide forestalls Venser.
8: 0: See #1; specifically, the problem is Islands.
9: 0: See #1 & #8; actually, the problem is just lands.
10: 3: Tom resolves Mox after Lotus gets bounced, which lets him reset. When I start, Sphere locks him out.
11: 0: as discussed.
vs. 03 Feyd_Ruin: Marit Lage pops out, gets Unsubstantiated, then Venser pops the token, tie? 2-2
Yep, except that after Venser I castChancellor of the Forge, and start swinging.
Alternatively, if you lead with Venser before Lage, I unsubstantiate him. You can then make Lage. Next turn I can still bounce him though, since it only takes one bounce spell with venser gone.
1) AvatarDylaang Nix / Sneak Attack / Volcanic Island / Zodiac Dragon
When I'm on the play, I cast gargoyle to name sneak attack. If you nix for free I daze.
After that I can start attacking. If you ever cast Dragon I Whelk it, and if you held nix back at the beginning and play it for mana then I daze nix.
When you're on the play, daze doesn't do me any good. If I try to whelk your first play, you tap your land to nix whelk. You may as well play dragon first because it beats the rest of my deck easily.
3-3
2) Convoy_Avenger Commandeer / Desertion / Summary Dismissal / Torrential Gearhulk
When I'm on the play I cast Gargoyle. If you try one of your counters, I daze it and then name gearhulk with the gargoyle.
If you respond with gearhulk I just daze gearhulk.
Then I clock you with a 3/3 flyer.
If you try to gearhulk on my upkeep rather than let me ever play my island, I whelk your gearhulk and clock you with the whelk.
When you're on the play, you can either pass (see above) or cast gearhulk during your first turn. If you do the latter, I whelk it and clock you with the whelk.
6-0
4) knobbodi :: Hopefully This Isn't Too Late! Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Island / Nix / Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
I'm pretty sure we split the games. If you go first you force Ulamog through and destroy me. If I go first I force Gargoyle through and name Ulamog, then Gargoyle races Augustin and wins.
3-3
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Regression Towards the Mean Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Disallow / Sphinx of the Final Word
When I'm on the play, I cast gargoyle. If you disallow I daze it. Then I name Sphinx.
If you lotus I let it resolve, then whelk the council's judgement. If you disallow the whelk because you didn't do so last turn, I daze that.
When you're on the play, sphinx just beats me. I can slow you down by Whelking the sphinx to get an 8/8 even though th sphinx still resolves, but you can then cast lotus, judgement and remove the Whelk.
3-3
6) ManyCookies Aethersnatch / Progenitus / Simian Spirit Guide / Summary Dismissal
If you ever use your main phase to cast Progenitus, I whelk it and you can't cast it again even though you redraw it.
If you ever use your main phase to cast Spirit Guide, then I can untap and use daze to force the Gargoyle through and name progenitus, then my 3/3 races your 2/2.
But while I'm holding these cards in hand to stop your lines, I can't get a clock on you. So we stare at each other forever.
2-2
10) tomsloger Erayo, Soratami Ascendant / Mayor of Avabruck / Gilded Lotus / Mox Emerald
If you try to play out your string in the expected order I can Whelk the Gilded Lotus. If you don't do that or I'm on the play I gargoyle naming Mayor.
If you just cast Mayor for free on the play that is fine, I whelk that and play gargoyle on my turn naming Erayo.
6-0
11) WhammeWhamme Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Venser, Shaper Savant
I strongly considered submitting Dark Depths, and for a while I was also on a Take Possesion / Wipe Away deck because I was afraid of dark depths and countermagic in equal measure. Then I went in a different direction. 0-6
8 | 2 6 6 2 2 2 6 X 2 6 0 | 34 | 340
---
Differences between my post and previously posted results:
@knoboddi
You are right in Magus case.
In yours, you indeed win when you play. After this, I think you can even win when I'm OTP, but I don't have enough brainpower left to figure it out. Am I not pressed to play Karakas to resolve GAIV?
@MyNameIsFourteen
On draw, I think we agree how game plays out for me.
On play, to win, I have to GAIV T1, otherwise I can at most draw (you can play Island, pass, we are back to square one or worse for me). If I do that, you Daze, I can pay or Tithe, either way, Karakas tapped, GAIV resolved. Then, you can play Island, pay for Gargoyle, I can't Tithe nor Abstruse, and you kill me with better creature.
If I Karakas, go, then you play Island, Gargoyle, then we exchange counters and payments. I think the best result I can hope for is Gargoyle resolved, Abstruse created Scion. Gargoyle names GAIV and kills me.
Did I miss something?
@WhammeWhamme
Oh... I didn't consider that. I thought I understand the rules, I was wrong Thank you for your honesty
@Mogg
Why do you say you have 6 against me? Worst case scenario, I can bounce Venser with Karakas enough times. I think I am able to win OTP too, not sure if OTD, thanks to what WhammeWhamme told me, but I will need to think about it more.
@MyNameIsFourteen
I agree completely with your written description of our match. But in your first post you wrote 0-6. Seems like we both think it's 3-3.
Well, I see that I made mistake in this description. I Tithe Daze, resetting Omniscience, then I GAIV tax+Abstruse prevents you from resolving Gargoyle. If you don't Daze tax + 2 counters are even worse for you. Now I agree, 3-3.
Well, I see that I made mistake in this description. I Tithe Daze, resetting Omniscience, then I GAIV tax+Abstruse prevents you from resolving Gargoyle. If you don't Daze tax + 2 counters are even worse for you. Now I agree, 3-3.
We got there eventually, together. GGs. And again, (from someone who returned to this event last month after many years away) welcome to PHM! I hope you'll stick around.
@Mogg
Why do you say you have 6 against me? Worst case scenario, I can bounce Venser with Karakas enough times. I think I am able to win OTP too, not sure if OTD, thanks to what WhammeWhamme told me, but I will need to think about it more.
That was a mistake. My description of the result was actually based on you winning, and I've corrected my line.
I was working on a Take Possesion deck for a while. Other cards I spent time staring at were Wipe Away and Consign // Oblivion. The latter required me to have a deck with no targets for Consign because Oblivion violates the 2 turn no discard rule if you can get it into your own graveyard. Was a fun puzzle to think about but all my solutions had lousy threats and did poorly in the face of Dazes and Grand Arbiters, which I didn't like.
4CH Incremental Omniscience
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
Each spell a player casts this way must have converted mana cost greater than the last spell he or she cast, unless it's the first spell that player cast this game.
Hands:
1) AvatarDylaang
Nix / Sneak Attack / Volcanic Island / Zodiac Dragon
2) Convoy_Avenger
Commandeer / Desertion / Summary Dismissal / Torrential Gearhulk
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Go Go Gobo Toko!
Brutal Expulsion / Chancellor of the Forge / Time Stop / Unsubstantiate
4) knobbodi :: Hopefully This Isn't Too Late!
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Island / Nix / Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Regression Towards the Mean
Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Disallow / Sphinx of the Final Word
6) ManyCookies
Aethersnatch / Progenitus / Simian Spirit Guide / Summary Dismissal
7) Mogg
City of Traitors / Failure // Comply / Sphere of Resistance / Venser, Shaper Savant
8) MyNameIsFourteen
Daze / Draining Whelk / Island / Voidstone Gargoyle
9) Superbajt
Abstruse Interference / Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Karakas / Mana Tithe
10) tomsloger
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant / Mayor of Avabruck / Gilded Lotus / Mox Emerald
11) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Venser, Shaper Savant
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 |
1| X 6 0 0 6 2 6 2 4 4 1 | 31 | 310
2| 0 X 0 0 6 6 0 0 4 2 0 | 18 | 180
3| 6 6 X 0 6 6 0 0 0 6 6 | 36 | 360
4| 6 6 6 X 3 2 3 3 4 6 6 | 42 | 420
5| 0 0 0 3 X 2 1 2 3 6 0 | 15 | 150
6| 2 0 0 2 2 X 2 2 0 6 0 | 16 | 160
7| 0 6 6 3 4 2 X 0 0 3 0 | 22 | 220
8| 2 6 6 3 2 2 6 X 2 6 0 | 34 | 340
9| 1 1 6 1 3 6 2 3 X 6 6 | 33 | 330
0| 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 X 0 | 05 | 050
1| 4 6 0 0 6 6 6 3 0 6 X | 36 | 360
knobbodi wins!
Rules and Banned List
Cards on the PHM Banned List are always banned, and cards on the Land Rule Banned List are banned as well when the round uses a Land Rule.
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Hand Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
6. Scoring
7. Variant Format Rules
1. Overview
Perfect Hand Magic (PHM) is a competitive strategy game for two or more players. It can be played using pencil and paper; however, it's most commonly played via an online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form his or her hand. Once all players have chosen hands, the hands are revealed and scored.
The object of the game is to choose the hand that will score the most points. The score for each hand is determined by the result that it would achieve if it were used to play two games of Magic – one match – against each competing hand; the rules for these theoretical games are covered in Section 2 – Game Rules. During each theoretical game, the player of each hand employs the strategy that maximizes the score for his or her hand, taking into account the strategy of his or her opponent.
A hand scores 3 points for each game that it would win, 0 points for each game that it would lose, and 1 point for each game that would end in a draw. However, a hand scores only 2 points for any match that would have a symmetrical result, regardless of whether the result would be two drawn games or a win for each hand.
The composition of a hand is limited only by a short banned list and a few restrictions on the game states that it can enable; these restrictions are covered in Section 3 – Hand Construction Rules.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
ii. Changes that would take effect at any other time take effect during the first round for which those rules have been in effect since the start of the round instead.
2.1b. Ignore any part of an instruction that isn't covered by these rules or by the rules of Magic.
2.2. A player's opening hand contains that player's chosen cards.
2.3. Players' libraries begin the game empty.
2.4. An effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits the owner of the source of that effect instead.
2.5. Each player is the starting player for one game in each match.
2.6. Players know the identities of all face-down cards and all cards in hidden zones, and players know which decisions have been made by other players.
2.7. If a game would continue indefinitely, then the game is a draw.
2.8. If a loop containing at least one optional action would be repeated indefinitely during a turn, then any player may propose a number of times for that loop to repeat instead. If a player does, then each other player may propose a different number and the loop is repeated for the greatest number of times proposed instead. No player is required to make a choice that would end a loop that crosses multiple turns.
2.9. Cards can't be brought into the game from outside the game.
3. Hand Construction Rules
3.1. A player may not choose an opening hand that would enable him or her to achieve any of the following results before an opponent's second turn would begin, such that that opponent could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in at least one of these results:
ii. Take an infinite number of turns.
iii. Cause a card to leave an opponent's hand.
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.1b. That player's hand would be legal if that player's opponents had no maximum hand size.
3.1c. That player could achieve one of these results only during a game that was restarted after an opponent's second turn had begun.
3.1d. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be put onto the battlefield by that effect.
3.1e. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be in that opponent's hand once that effect resolved.
3.2. A hand may contain any number of copies of any card legal in Vintage.
3.3. A hand may not contain any cards on the PHM Banned List.
4. Entry
4.1. A player plays a round of PHM by submitting a list of his or her chosen cards to the PHM moderator.
4.2. A player may change his or her hand until the posted deadline.
4.2b. The moderator also will try to notify a player if that player's hand doesn't enable that player to win the game against any possible hand.
4.3. A player may name his or her hand. If he or she doesn't, then the moderator may name it. The moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or her discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
5.1. PHM League play consists of four rounds of PHM.
5.2. Each round, a player earns League points according to the following formula:
5.3. The player with the most League points at the end of League play is the PHM League winner.
6. Scoring
6.1. A table of match results is posted at the end of each round. Each row lists one player's result against each other player. A player's points and League points are tallied at the end of his or her row.
6.2. A player may earn bonus League points as specified by the PHM moderator.
6.3. Each player is responsible for determining the match results for his or her hand.
6.3b. An undetermined match result is counted as a loss for both players in that match.
6.3c. A player may challenge any result until the moderator announces that the result is final.
7. Variant Format Rules
7.1. Perfect Hand Magic has been played with hands typically containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Hand Construction Rules have been adapted to create hundreds of variant formats. Five commonly-played variants are described in Sections 7.3-7.7.
7.2. The rules of a variant format overwrite any other applicable rules.
7.2b. Some variant formats require a player to make some number of decisions in addition to or instead of submitting a hand. A player's submission must comply with the Hand Construction Rules, taking into account any decisions made at this time.
7.2c. Some variant formats require players to make decisions "before the start of each game". For these decisions, follow the "Active Player, Nonactive Player order" rule, replacing "active player" with "starting player".
7.3. Land Rule Variant.
7.3b. This is the extra land rule (ELR). Any player may play a basic land of his or her choice from outside the game any time he or she could normally play a land. Any player may play an additional land on each of his or her turns from his or her hand. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.3c. This is the draw land rule (DLR). If a player would draw a card from an empty library, that player puts a basic land of his or her choice from outside the game into his or her hand instead. The starting player doesn't skip the draw step of his or her first turn. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.4. Sanctioned Magic Format Variant.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.5b. Irrespective of rule 7.5a, a player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against at least one hand, such that the player of the losing hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in that player losing the game. The losing hand must conform with the Hand Construction Rules but need not consider this rule.
7.6. Backbuild.
7.7. (Bonus).
Beast Within________________________Beacon of Creation
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Black Lotus
Channel_____________________________Energy Field
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Fastbond____________________________Nezumi Shortfang
Flash_______________________________Red Sun's Zenith
Force of Will_______________________White Sun's Zenith
Ghost Quarter
Laboratory Maniac
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Leyline of the Meek
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
Pact of Negation
Show and Tell
Strip Mine
The Rack
Trinisphere
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Wasteland
Channel_____________________________Black Lotus
Fastbond
Flash
Show and Tell
Disruption
Beast Within________________________Balancing Act
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Energy Field
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Pact of Negation
Trinisphere
Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Win Conditions
Barren Glory________________________Beacon of Creation
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Laboratory Maniac___________________Nezumi Shortfang
Leyline of the Meek_________________Red Sun's Zenith
Magus of the Moon___________________White Sun's Zenith
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Format Ideas?
Additional Resources
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Just to make 100% sure, cost modifying effects still apply to the special casting requirement i.e Lodestone Golem would force a 1 payment?
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It's there to cover potentially bizarre edge cases - perhaps stuff with things like Faerie Macabre - but I don't remember how it's supposed to actually be a useful rule.
Note - a card's rules text is not the sum of all game-relevant text on that card; rather, it's specifically the text in that card's textbox.
Primarily, the rule exists as a catch-all for some variant formats that could prove difficult to run otherwise.
Two examples of such formats are "Double Mindslaver" (hands posted here and relevant discussion of the rules posted here) and "It's a Trap!" (hands posted here and format introduction posted here).
A second reason is to make rule 3.1d work as intended. The introduction of rule 3.1d was prompted by a couple of Stronghold Gambit hands. In the context of PHM, Stronghold Gambit is a deceptively complex card. Unlike the effects of cards such as Eureka and Show and Tell, Stronghold Gambit actually requires the opponent to choose a card in his or her hand. If that opponent were to have only creature cards, then Stronghold Gambit could force a card to leave that player's hand. This interaction is non-intuitive, so rule 3.1d was added to make that card and any others like it work. This is a long preamble to say that all of that work would be for nothing without rule 3.1a, since Phage the Untouchable, Malfegor, and other similar cards exist.
Rules 3.1a-e all deal with a small set of possible cases and are rarely applicable. For the purposes of general hand construction, they be can mostly be ignored, but they're necessary to make certain cards and formats work, and to reduce the number of illegal submissions.
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3CH LR Squirrelscape
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Hipposcape? We've done that.
Maggotscape? We've done that.
Squirrelscape? That's new! (Even if it does look a lot like Hipposcape)
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
Note: Despite not showing up all that often, Time Vault (in conjunction with Voltaic Key) is a card that concerns me in LR formats, especially when the format provides a win condition. Does anyone want to chime in on whether it should be banned/stay legal, at least for this round, specifically?
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Please take a look and score your row.
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1. 6-0 : Nix'd, but Timestop prevents Zodiac's return.
2. 6-0 : Timestop kills Gearhulk, gobo toko gogos.
3. xxx
4. 0-6 : Augustin gets through
5. 6-0 : Enough counters.
6. 6-0 : Timestop prog. Gobo toko gogogos.
7. 6-0 : Can't sphere+counter.
8. 0-6 : Gargoyle gets through, Drain hits Chancellor.
9. 0-6 : Augustin gets through
0. 6-0 :Enough Counters.
1. 6-0 : Bounce Larit Mage
-
Complicated, so let me break it down a bit more.
1v3:
Nix lets sneak through. Take 8.If he sneaks Zodiac in again, whether swinging or blocking, I timestop in response to the return trigger, so I stay at 4 or lose the token and Chancellor cast wins.
1v2: Whenever he casts Torrential Gearhulk, whether my turn or his, I timestop. Commander doesn't stop the counter. Gobo toko goes for 20.
3v4:
Augustin. Counter->Nix.
Locked from here.
3v5:
Judgement? Unsubstantiate.
If Dissalow: Cast chancellor on my turn and race. (5/5 vs 5/5. I swing first, and block leaves gobo tokos to finish).
If not, Sphinx instead: Untap, Brutal Expulsion to return. If Disallow, then timestop when he swings, Cast chancellor and race (If he swings, I swing back 8).
If no Judgement, then swing 1 and start this if-then over.
Lead with Sphynx? Counter. Lotus->Judgement to kill token. But then can't Disallow to stop Chancellor.
3v6:
SSG? Unsubstantiate.
Prog? Timestop
Gobo Toko gogogos.
3v7:
If he leads with Venser, I Timestop. Gobo toko ftw.
If he leads with Sphere, I Unsubstantiate. He can't Failure, since he just cast a 2cc. This lets the turn go and I still have timestop for Venser. Gobo toko gogogo.
3v8:
Voidstone? Counter->Daze
From here, he names Expulsion.
If I try to cast Chancelor, he drains.
3v9:
Tithe means Agustin hits, I can't stop from there.
3v10
Unsubstantiate Major, Explusion Erayo, Timestop Lotus, etc.
Stop all his main 3 spells, gobo toko goes.
3v11
Unsubstantiate token. Venser stops.
Next turn, before he swings, Expulsion token.
Hardcast Chancellor to race Venser.
No longer staff here.
I lead with Sphere and Venser your Unsubstantiate.
If you don't Unsubstatiate, I untap and cast Venser with Sphere down.
I'll post the rest of my results later.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
I'm new here, and I wanted to say hello!
Here are my matchups, hope I didn't screw anything:
1)1-4. On play, Karakas allows me to double counter Sneak/Dragon, you can't deploy it, and I can't deploy mine. On draw, I'm screwed.
2)1-4. On play, I can Karakas, pass, and have double counter to stop Gearhulk. On draw, I can't stop Gearhulk.
3)6-0. Protected Augustin + counters >> goblin
4)2-2. Wow. I think that's a fun and complicated mirror I can't win it, but I think I'm able to not lose I pass my first turn, you are on play in both games. I Abstruse whenever you play Arbiter, if you don't Nix, you will be ultimately killed by Scion or draw. I play Arbiter after you play yours, I have a blocker for yours/your never resolved. I don't play Karakas until after you played Ulamog, then I can bounce it. Both games are draws?
5)EDIT:3-3. On draw, Sphinx destroys me. On Play, GAIV destroys you.
6)6-0. You can't play anything on your first turn, otherwise I Abstruse. Then, Arbiter + Tithe.
7)2-2. You can't win, that's for sure... but I think I cannot either.
8)EDIT: 3-3. Details discussed below.
9)XXXXXXXXXX
10)6-0. On play, Arbiter + counters kills you. On draw, I can always counter Mayor with Abstruse, and either kill you with Scion if Soratami flipped or with Arbiter if not.
11)EDIT:6-0 As WhammeWhamme noticed, I can sequence spells so I can cast GAIV twice. That gives me win in both games.
Well, when I subimtted my hand, I hoped more people will want to tax people, I thought my hand will prevent those people efforts, while taxing those that weren't prepared for that Well, it looks that it didn't perform that well, especially against people with counters. Abstruse wasn't as good choice as I thought, probably I could find something better. I really don't like that I have so many draws, I blame control nature of my hand. Maybe that's a lesson for future challenges
As for opponents, I like especially MyNameIsFourteen's hand, I was trying to find a way to beat it, but no luck
EDIT:
I think I made mistake in those scroes thinking Abstruse is more powerful than it really is... Please check the results.
a) Recursion: Cackling Doom / Hickory Woodlot / Serene Remembrance / Unsubstantiate (I considered Karakas / Sensei's Divining Top / Venser, Shaper Savant, but didn't think of Serene Remembrance until now)
b) Flashy threats: Elvish Spirit Guide / Savage Summoning / (2) 8+ mana threats
c) Something with Take Possession
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
4) knobbodi :: Hopefully This Isn't Too Late!
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Island / Nix / Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
VS:
1) AvatarDylaang
Nix / Sneak Attack / Volcanic Island / Zodiac Dragon
--Nix always counters nix, and Grand Arbiter + Ulamog always beats Sneak Attack + Zodiac Dragon 6-0
2) Convoy_Avenger
Commandeer / Desertion / Summary Dismissal / Torrential Gearhulk
--Nix means I always get Augustin down, which locks you out, and if you run out gearhulk first I use nix to protect Ulamog instead 6-0
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Go Go Gobo Toko!
Brutal Expulsion / Chancellor of the Forge / Time Stop / Unsubstantiate
--Nix+Arbiter gets me there, with Ulamog to race Chancellor if you go first 6-0
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Regression Towards the Mean
Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Disallow / Sphinx of the Final Word
--OTP, Grand Arbiter locks you out. OTD, Sphinx gets there 3-3
6) ManyCookies
Aethersnatch / Progenitus / Simian Spirit Guide / Summary Dismissal
--You can use SSG to push Progenitus through Grand Arbiter, which always races me, so I need to save Nix to counter it. However, this means I can't ever resolve a threat 2-2
7) Mogg
City of Traitors / Failure // Comply / Sphere of Resistance / Venser, Shaper Savant
--OTP, Grand Arbiter + Ulamog is enough. OTD, Failure --> Comply --> Venser shuts me down 3-3
8) MyNameIsFourteen
Daze / Draining Whelk / Island / Voidstone Gargoyle
--OTP, if I play Arbiter, you Daze and win with Voidstone. So I just cast Ulamog, exiling my own island and floating 1 to pay for nix or daze and race you. OTD, you play free Daze and then Draining Whelk Ulamog. 3-3
9) Superbajt
Abstruse Interference / Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Karakas / Mana Tithe
--OTP, I get Grand Arbiter in play either by nixing abstruse or paying for tithe. Then, you need to play Karakas to cast yours, so I Ulamog the land and your Arbiter and win from there. OTD, you can save Karakas to bounce Ulamog and then my Arbiter for the draw 4-1
10) tomsloger
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant / Mayor of Avabruck / Gilded Lotus / Mox Emerald
--OTP, Arbiter locks you out. OTD, I nix either Mayor or Lotus (whichever you cast first), and win with Ulamog 6-0
11) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Venser, Shaper Savant
--I play Arbiter first as a win condition, and then if you play any of your lands I exile it with Ulamog and win from there, even if you Venser Ulamog 6-0
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
4 | 6 6 6 X 3 2 3 3 4 6 6 | 42 | 420
The problem with flashy threats is there's too many "counters" that don't explicitly counter. It does force a lot of draws though (opponent plays threat, flash in threat afterwards and laugh).
I saw Take Possession, but (incorrectly) thought the meta would be Progenitus+Counters and 4 threats.
vs. 01 AvatarDylaang: OTP, Marit Lage comes out fast enough that Venser forces a swing through. 4-1
vs. 02 Convoy_Avenger: Marit Lage beats Gearhulk, Venser can take a vacation. 6-0
vs. 03 Feyd_Ruin: Marit Lage pops out, gets Unsubstantiated, then Venser pops the token, tie? 2-2
vs. 04 knobbodi: Can't see a win. 0-6
vs. 05 Magus of the Aesthetic: Can't stop Marit Lage. 6-0
vs. 06 ManyCookies: Venser beats the one non-SSG spell ManyCookies plays. 6-0
vs. 07 Mogg: Marit Lage forces Venser, 2nd Venser beats 1st Venser. 6-0
vs. 08 MyNameIsFourteen: OTP, I can Venser VG on the stack and pay the 1. 3-3
vs. 09 Superbajt: Karakas is bad for me. Can't find a good line. 0-6
Honesty correction: If I play Venser, you Mana Tithe it... and can now replay GAIV, because the last spell you played had CMC 1.
So you win.
vs. 10 tomsloger: Marit Lage beats Mayor. 6-0
Take Possession/Quagnoth/The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale/Karakas woulda been really good I think.
I'll own up to playing a really low-thought deck. "This round is too complicated. SIMPLE!"
7) Mogg
City of Traitors / Failure // Comply / Sphere of Resistance / Venser, Shaper Savant
XX| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 |
07| 0 6 6 3 4 2 X 0 0 3 0 | 22 | 220
1: 0: Yeah, I lose to Islands.
2: 6: Failure the first play, then cast Sphere with Venser back-up to lock up the game.
3: 6: As discussed.
4: 3: As discussed.
5: 4: Playing first, I lock up the game. Playing second, I Failure Sphinx, then Magus casts Lotus and can use it to cast Judgment through Sphere.
6: 2: MC’s counters don’t protect Progenitus, but Aethersnatch plus Spirit Guide forestalls Venser.
8: 0: See #1; specifically, the problem is Islands.
9: 0: See #1 & #8; actually, the problem is just lands.
10: 3: Tom resolves Mox after Lotus gets bounced, which lets him reset. When I start, Sphere locks him out.
11: 0: as discussed.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Yep, except that after Venser I cast Chancellor of the Forge, and start swinging.
Alternatively, if you lead with Venser before Lage, I unsubstantiate him. You can then make Lage. Next turn I can still bounce him though, since it only takes one bounce spell with venser gone.
No longer staff here.
Daze / Draining Whelk / Island / Voidstone Gargoyle
1) AvatarDylaang
Nix / Sneak Attack / Volcanic Island / Zodiac Dragon
When I'm on the play, I cast gargoyle to name sneak attack. If you nix for free I daze.
After that I can start attacking. If you ever cast Dragon I Whelk it, and if you held nix back at the beginning and play it for mana then I daze nix.
When you're on the play, daze doesn't do me any good. If I try to whelk your first play, you tap your land to nix whelk. You may as well play dragon first because it beats the rest of my deck easily.
3-3
2) Convoy_Avenger
Commandeer / Desertion / Summary Dismissal / Torrential Gearhulk
When I'm on the play I cast Gargoyle. If you try one of your counters, I daze it and then name gearhulk with the gargoyle.
If you respond with gearhulk I just daze gearhulk.
Then I clock you with a 3/3 flyer.
If you try to gearhulk on my upkeep rather than let me ever play my island, I whelk your gearhulk and clock you with the whelk.
When you're on the play, you can either pass (see above) or cast gearhulk during your first turn. If you do the latter, I whelk it and clock you with the whelk.
6-0
3) Feyd_Ruin :: Go Go Gobo Toko!
Brutal Expulsion / Chancellor of the Forge / Time Stop / Unsubstantiate
6-0 I can force Gargoyle through with daze and if you cast Chancellor I can Whelk it.
4) knobbodi :: Hopefully This Isn't Too Late!
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Island / Nix / Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
I'm pretty sure we split the games. If you go first you force Ulamog through and destroy me. If I go first I force Gargoyle through and name Ulamog, then Gargoyle races Augustin and wins.
3-3
5) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Regression Towards the Mean
Black Lotus / Council's Judgment / Disallow / Sphinx of the Final Word
When I'm on the play, I cast gargoyle. If you disallow I daze it. Then I name Sphinx.
If you lotus I let it resolve, then whelk the council's judgement. If you disallow the whelk because you didn't do so last turn, I daze that.
When you're on the play, sphinx just beats me. I can slow you down by Whelking the sphinx to get an 8/8 even though th sphinx still resolves, but you can then cast lotus, judgement and remove the Whelk.
3-3
6) ManyCookies
Aethersnatch / Progenitus / Simian Spirit Guide / Summary Dismissal
If you ever use your main phase to cast Progenitus, I whelk it and you can't cast it again even though you redraw it.
If you ever use your main phase to cast Spirit Guide, then I can untap and use daze to force the Gargoyle through and name progenitus, then my 3/3 races your 2/2.
But while I'm holding these cards in hand to stop your lines, I can't get a clock on you. So we stare at each other forever.
2-2
7) Mogg
City of Traitors / Failure // Comply / Sphere of Resistance / Venser, Shaper Savant
6-0 I can race Venser if you play him out first or I can play through your disruption with Island and daze.
9) Superbajt
Abstruse Interference / Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Karakas / Mana Tithe
Welcome! You wrote that this is 6-0 for me, but I don't see how I can beat you when you're on the play. I think we're 3-3
10) tomsloger
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant / Mayor of Avabruck / Gilded Lotus / Mox Emerald
If you try to play out your string in the expected order I can Whelk the Gilded Lotus. If you don't do that or I'm on the play I gargoyle naming Mayor.
If you just cast Mayor for free on the play that is fine, I whelk that and play gargoyle on my turn naming Erayo.
6-0
11) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Venser, Shaper Savant
I strongly considered submitting Dark Depths, and for a while I was also on a Take Possesion / Wipe Away deck because I was afraid of dark depths and countermagic in equal measure. Then I went in a different direction. 0-6
8 | 2 6 6 2 2 2 6 X 2 6 0 | 34 | 340
---
Differences between my post and previously posted results:
Superbajt
Abstruse Interference / Grand Arbiter Augustin IV / Karakas / Mana Tithe
Welcome! You wrote that this is 6-0 for me, but I don't see how I can beat you when you're on the play. I think we're 3-3
You are right in Magus case.
In yours, you indeed win when you play. After this, I think you can even win when I'm OTP, but I don't have enough brainpower left to figure it out. Am I not pressed to play Karakas to resolve GAIV?
@MyNameIsFourteen
On draw, I think we agree how game plays out for me.
On play, to win, I have to GAIV T1, otherwise I can at most draw (you can play Island, pass, we are back to square one or worse for me). If I do that, you Daze, I can pay or Tithe, either way, Karakas tapped, GAIV resolved. Then, you can play Island, pay for Gargoyle, I can't Tithe nor Abstruse, and you kill me with better creature.
If I Karakas, go, then you play Island, Gargoyle, then we exchange counters and payments. I think the best result I can hope for is Gargoyle resolved, Abstruse created Scion. Gargoyle names GAIV and kills me.
Did I miss something?
@WhammeWhamme
Oh... I didn't consider that. I thought I understand the rules, I was wrong Thank you for your honesty
@Mogg
Why do you say you have 6 against me? Worst case scenario, I can bounce Venser with Karakas enough times. I think I am able to win OTP too, not sure if OTD, thanks to what WhammeWhamme told me, but I will need to think about it more.
I agree completely with your written description of our match. But in your first post you wrote 0-6. Seems like we both think it's 3-3.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
I was working on a Take Possesion deck for a while. Other cards I spent time staring at were Wipe Away and Consign // Oblivion. The latter required me to have a deck with no targets for Consign because Oblivion violates the 2 turn no discard rule if you can get it into your own graveyard. Was a fun puzzle to think about but all my solutions had lousy threats and did poorly in the face of Dazes and Grand Arbiters, which I didn't like.