Hand Size: 3 cards
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Only black cards may be submitted (including multicolored cards).
If an effect controlled by a player's opponent would cause that player to discard a card, that player discards that card, but may put it on top of his or her library instead of into his or her graveyard.
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
To clarify, the "Cards can't leave hand until turn 3" rule is still in effect despite the Leng restriction?
Since the deadline is getting close and PHM hasn't responded, I'll chime in that I'm fairly confident that the answer to your question is "yes". But maybe a second reply to the thread will draw some more official attention.
Hand Size: 3 cards
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
All permanents have:
1) "Sacrifice this permanent: Add one mana of any type to your mana pool" and;
2) "Sacrifice this permanent: This permanent deals 1 damage to target creature or player."
If a permanent would be put into a graveyard, exile it instead.
Something this week's format made me think about: It's often the case that Land Rule means multicolored cards are Just Better than monocolored cards, since a large part of their designed cost is thrown out the window. This probably isn't interesting enough to be a whole format, but it made me think about something along the lines of "Costs are increased by 1 (or maybe 4 life, or something?) for each color of mana they require beyond the first." (note that this hits activation costs etc. as well). In the current meta, this format would probably just lead to even greater polarization around Dark Depths than usual, so maybe add "Only colored cards may be submitted."
Something this week's format made me think about: It's often the case that Land Rule means multicolored cards are Just Better than monocolored cards, since a large part of their designed cost is thrown out the window. This probably isn't interesting enough to be a whole format, but it made me think about something along the lines of "Costs are increased by 1 (or maybe 4 life, or something?) for each color of mana they require beyond the first." (note that this hits activation costs etc. as well). In the current meta, this format would probably just lead to even greater polarization around Dark Depths than usual, so maybe add "Only colored cards may be submitted."
How about a land rule round where non-wastes basics enter the battlefield tapped?
Superbajt's line.. because Braids is my favorite magic card ever, I love the deck's simplicity, and it's scary good.
8 | 6 6 0 6 6 6 6 X 0 | 36 | 400
WhammeWhamme get's it with Liliana's Defeat. Magus of the Aesthetic is the only other player with a 1 drop that gets under the lock, but Dreadwing can't trade/race Braids, and sac'ing him to get to 2 mana isn't enough either.
1. 6-0. I vessel, you're basically forced to pulse it. You can activate Call end step to stick one vampire a turn, but then I just wait until turn 8 for clear+Nixilis.
2. 6-0. I spam BSZ to clear riffraff until Mogis drops. I play Ob Nixilis + uptick when you have one fairy in play. Nixilis goes to 2 loyalty from fairy+mogis, then I spam BSZ and start upticking. If you redirect to Nixilis you lose 2 a turn and I take nothing, if you go to me I take net 1 a turn and you take 2.
3. 3-3. On my play I take 7 -> 5 -> 3 -> 0 and eventually wipe board, on draw I take 7 -> 7 -> 5 -> 3 and lose.
4. 2-2. I vessel, you hold countersquall and draw.
5. X
6. 2-2. I vessel, you hold countersquall and draw.
7. 2-2. I vessel, you hold Charm and draw.
8. 0-6. lol braids.
9. 4-1. Hello mirror match! I vessel your non vraska cards. On the play I downtick and make a Demon. If Vraska downticks on Ob she dies to demon. If Vraska downticks on Demon, Nix + Vraska both uptick to 3, then Nix repeats the fork but with Vraska at 3 loyalty.
On the draw, Vraska starts at 6 loyalty when I play Nix and can destroy Demon -> Nixilis to force the draw.
(Post match discussion from #5) Damn it! The idea was to either strip slower decks down to one win condition or bait their generic permanent removal with vessel, then battle with Ob Nixilis + BSZ. Ob Nixilis cleanly dodges one piece of permanent removal with downtick and can kill through creature removal, BSZ kills most creature threats while Demon puts pressure on opposing PWs.
Unfortunately I thought the control decks would be running faster permanent removal (e.g Dark Betrayal/Liliana's Defeat) or another win condition in their "flex" spot, but instead they ran counterspells and got to draw against Nixilis.
A friend suggested the Braids deck, but I thought there'd be a lot of Dark Betrayal/Liliana's Defeat + some number of Putrid Imp reanimator decks and decided against it. He also thought there would be a lot of countersqualls, so I suppose the lesson is listen to my clearly smarter friend who has a way better pulse on the meta than I do.
I think the Ob Nixilis + BSZ core was really good, it's the flex spot that got me into draws instead of wins. Ah well. For my own amusement, what happens if I had gone with Countersquall instead of vessel?
1. same.
2. same.
3. same.
4. 6-0, hold countersquall either to protect Ob Nix on an empty board or to protect BSZ if he plays his finisher, Ob Nix beats Anguished.
5. X
6. 6-0, do everything under CS protection and make the same plays two turns later.
7. 6-0, I match your counter with CS, I BSZ your dragon and kill you with Ob Nix upticks.
8. same.
9. 2-2, You throw Defeat and Vraska at Ob (one eats CS), then BSZ the demon down.
So I'd have netted 10 points and been just behind the braids deck, neat.
Anachronity - 1 - I lose on the draw no matter what. On the play I can Countersquall Call the Bloodline and Anguished Unmaking Veilborn Ghoul in exchange for Dreadwing getting Maelstrom Pulse'd, which is a draw.
CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme - 0 - I have two answers for three threats.
Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit! - 3 - Agreed. On the draw I can't stop Exhume. On the play I can leave up Countersquall mana for Exhume, Anguished Unmaking Putrid Imp turn 5, and kill you with Dreadwing before Spirit of the Night can be cast.
Did you know that Shirely Temple served as the US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Ghana, and her full name was Shirley Temple Black?
ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops - 2 - Agreed. I thought I had lost since I was trying to cast Anguished Unmaking to answer your threats and just forgot about Countersquall.
MyNameIsFourteen :: UB 1B Kenobi, But BB8 Is 3 More Than I Need - 1 - Agreed.
Personman - 0 - All three cards answer Dreadwing and I can only answer two of them.
Superbajt :: Do You Have A One-Drop? - 0 - I have a one-drop but I have the wrong one (drop).
WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story - 0 - All three cards answer Dreadwing and I can only answer two of them.
It should not have taken me 2.5 hours to score this. I played out a lot of lines for several matches and I still only scored 5 points.
I only take like 12 damage or something before Convulsions outpaces Call the Bloodline, and Maelstrom Pulse can't touch Silumgar. Also Silumgar kills everything whenever it attacks. 6-0.
2) CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme
Bitterblossom / Mogis, God of Slaughter / Stillmoon Cavalier
I {i]think[/i] I just win as soon as I play Silumgar. I'm not quite sure how fast you are though, it might be too fast. I'm probably countering Stillmoon on the play and Mogis on the draw. If I get Stillmoon, you've hit me for 5 before I attack with Silumgar, plus 4 from Mogis, and you're at 17 from bitterblossom. So you go to 13, I go to 9, you go to 9, I go to 7, I win. On the draw, you stick Stillmoon, so I instead take 6 from faeries and 13 from Stillmoon before I attack, which sadly puts me low enough that you can hold Mogis til I have to play Silumgar, so I can't counter it. 3-3.
3) Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit!
Exhume / Putrid Imp / Spirit of the Night
This is pretty sweet. I've got nothing. 0-6.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Shirley Temple
Anguished Unmaking / Countersquall / Dreadwing
This is basically exactly the deck I built against. 6-0.
5) ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
Holy crap, Vessel is strong. I had no idea that card existed. Best I can do is keep Charm for Ob and draw. 2-2.
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: UB 1B Kenobi, But BB8 Is 3 More Than I Need
Bitterblossom / Chainer's Edict / Countersquall
Chainer's Edict has Flashback, so I'm definitely not winning. If I get Convulsions down, though, you're not allowed to play Bitterblossom, and Charm is enough to make sure that I do, even on the draw. I'm pretty sure turn 5 is fast enough. 2-2
8) Superbajt :: Do You Have A One-Drop?
Braids, Cabal Minion / Dark Ritual / Dark Ritual
I literally checked the banlist for Braids, was kinda surprised it wasn't there, and then 100% forgot about it somehow when making the rest of my deck. This stomps everything but Exhume, right? 0-6.
9) WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story
Black Sun's Zenith / Liliana's Defeat / Vraska the Unseen
Counter Zenith, Ignore Defeat, Silumgar the Assassins. 6-0.
I had submitted Shrieking Affliction but I quickly changed it to Dreadwing. I thought people might be playing one proactive spell and two reactive cards, which blanks Affliction. I don't think swapping to Dreadwing scored any better but it did make the round much harder for me to score. Ah well.
It never occurred to me to play something with protection from black even though it seems obvious now. Reanimator crossed my mind but I dismissed it after realizing the usual suspects were off the table. Plus maybe someone would be crazy enough to run graveyard hate.
Going forward I want to stop running reactive spells plus one threat. The hands that are all threats or all answers seem to be doing well. All-in hands seem to do even better in weeks where they're hard to disrupt.
I originally submitted Soul Manipulation, figuring there would be lots of creature threats, and that the flexibility might get me somewhere. But I'm very glad I swapped, Charm is better against BSZ anyway, which is just about the only thing that can kill Silumgar.
I'm amazed that Silumgar's trigger was relevant so often. I thought I might get someone, but there was nothing about this format that screamed tokens to me.
I'm also amazed that Braids hasn't shown up more in other random 3CH rounds. In 2CB long ago it was one of the big reasons for banning Lotus (since Ritual isn't enough) but in 3CH it just blanks so many decks.
Feyd_Ruin, you spoiled my fun :'( Your my line is correct. Well, I'm going to do it anyway.
8 | 6 6 0 6 6 6 6 X 0 | 36 | 400
1) Anachronity
Call the Bloodline / Maelstrom Pulse / Veilborn Ghoul
6-0. No, you don't.
2) CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme
Bitterblossom / Mogis, God of Slaughter / Stillmoon Cavalier
6-0. No, you don't.
3) Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit!
Exhume / Putrid Imp / Spirit of the Night
0-6. Yes, you do.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Shirley Temple
Anguished Unmaking / Countersquall / Dreadwing
6-0. Well, you do... But it doesn't matter.
5) ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
6-0. No, you don't.
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: UB 1B Kenobi, But BB8 Is 3 More Than I Need
Bitterblossom / Chainer's Edict / Countersquall
6-0. No, you don't.
7) Personman
Dromar's Charm / Fevered Convulsions / Silumgar, the Drifting Death
6-0. No, you don't.
9) WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story
Black Sun's Zenith / Liliana's Defeat / Vraska the Unseen
0-6. Yes, you do.
For the majority of time, I tried to perfect a Pestilence deck. I probably would submit Circle of Affliction / Stillmoon Cavalier / Pestilence if I went this route. I see that it would be awful. I was talking to my friend about this round, and I noticed that apart from virtually any removal for enchantments, I lose to reanimator and Braids. He then suggested the deck I submitted. The cocky name is mine, though
I'm really lucky there is only one Putrid Imp reanimator in this round, so I got very good results. An other win con I was worrying about was Shrieking Affliction, I'm surprised noone submitted it. Also, a huge upside of this hand is that you can check results in about one minute.
An other fun deck my friend proposed is 3x Demigod of Revenge. I see that it isn't as easy to score as it seems at the first glance, but probably wouldn't be very good.
2) Pulse the Blossom, lifelink races Stillmoon and Mogis OTP but not OTD. ~ 3-3
3) Spirit races me. ~ 0-6
4) Looks like 3-3 to me. See below. ~ 3-3
5) BSZ protects Ob Nixilis. ~ 0-6
6) Either Squall stops Call and Pulse stops Blossom, in which case Ghoul wins it, or Squall stops Pulse and Call beats Blossom. ~ 6-0
7) Sulimgar solos me. ~ 0-6
8) No, I don't have a one-drop ~ 0-6
9) Pulse stops Vraska, so you hold Vraska to stop Call (or else I could make vampires EoT and attack before you can BSZ it away) and BSZ kills Ghoul whenever I cast it. ~ 2-2
OTD...
y1 - Dreadwing
m1 - ~
y2 - ~
m2 - Call, you Countersquall it
m3 - Pulse Dreadwing, it's a draw.
m4 - Call, vampire, you need to keep Squall, but you Unmaking in response so I can't get a second one.
y5 - Dreadwing
m5 - Ghoul, swing 1 (21-19)
y6 - pump once to hold Squall, swing 4 (17-19)
m6 - swing 5 (18-14)
y7 - pump, swing 4 (14-14)
m7 - swing 5 (14-9)
y8 - pump twice, swing 7 (7-9)
m8 - swing 5 (8-4)
y9 - pump 3 times because Pulse is a sorcery, swing 10 for the win
OTP the same line works to give me the win, since I would have won next turn. You need to wait until you have 6 mana to try to play Dreadwing since you need to Unmaking my Call as soon as it hits play, which means I always start us off on my turn 4.
vs. 01 Anachronity: I can kill Ghoul forever, but Pulse kills Vraska. 2-2
vs. 02 CalvinSchwa: Mogis beats me, dang it. 0-6
vs. 03 Feyd_Ruin: ...dang yes it races. 3-3 (2 points I know)
vs. 04 Magus of the Aesthetic: Too much removal, nobody wins. 2-2
vs. 05 ManyCookies: Vessel works well. Vraska OTP draws apparently? How nice. 1-4
vs. 06 MyNameIsFourteen: I think OTP I force Countersquall on Vraska. 1-4
vs. 07 Personman: We have too much removal, nobody wins. 2-2
vs. 08 Superbajt: Yay 1 drop removal. Defeat Braids, win at leisure. 6-0
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: UB 1B Kenobi, But BB8 Is 3 More Than I Need
Bitterblossom / Chainer's Edict / Countersquall
1) Anachronity
Call the Bloodline / Maelstrom Pulse / Veilborn Ghoul
0-6 as you said above.
2) CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme
Bitterblossom / Mogis, God of Slaughter / Stillmoon Cavalier
When I'm on the play, I counter Bitterblossom, edict cavalier, and race Mogis with bitterblossom.
When you're on the play, Cavallier uses faires as cover and races even though I counter mogis.
3-3
3) Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit!
Exhume / Putrid Imp / Spirit of the Night
On the play I counter exhume.
On the draw Pro black spirit kills me before I get to enough mana to flash back the edict.
3-3
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Shirley Temple
Anguished Unmaking / Countersquall / Dreadwing
You proposed that this is 6-0 for me. I disagree.
You can't beat chainers edict, but when you're on the play I can't beat Countersquall AND Anguished Unmaking.
4-1*
5) ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
I agree. 2-2
7) Personman
Dromar's Charm / Fevered Convulsions / Silumgar, the Drifting Death
I agree. 2-2
8) Superbajt :: Do You Have A One-Drop?
Braids, Cabal Minion / Dark Ritual / Dark Ritual
I do not. 0-6
9) WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story
Black Sun's Zenith / Liliana's Defeat / Vraska the Unseen
Turn 3 I get my first token (19)
you defeat it.
Turn 4 I get my first token again (18)
you go for the zenith and I counter. <18>
Turn 5 I get a second token and attack (17)<17>
If you vraska and kill blossom, I kill vraska and then you with 2 tokens racing my bitterblossom.
So you vraska and +1 [6]
I get a third token and attack you (16)<15>[6]
You +vraska (16)<15>[7]
I get a 4th token and attack you for 3 (15)<12>[7]
-If you do anything other than +vraska, I have enough tokens to kill her and then you while leaving blockers for the assasins if you make them. My tokens attacking you race bitterblossom damaging me.
But when you're on the play I have to hold the counter for vraska and we draw.
4-1
Contested Results: Magus of the Aesthetic (4) says I 6-0 them, I think I 4-1 them.
6 | 0 2 2 4* 2 X 2 0 4 | 16
Not a great week for me, but I'll confess my heart wasn't in it. I just picked a pet card from when I played constructed, a favorite card from pauper, and a 2 mana counter and sent it in. Next weeks format is making my brain hurt, so I predict similar failure.
3CH LR Only Black / Library of Leng
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
If an effect controlled by a player's opponent would cause that player to discard a card, that player discards that card, but may put it on top of his or her library instead of into his or her graveyard.
Hands:
1) Anachronity
Call the Bloodline / Maelstrom Pulse / Veilborn Ghoul
2) CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme
Bitterblossom / Mogis, God of Slaughter / Stillmoon Cavalier
3) Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit!
Exhume / Putrid Imp / Spirit of the Night
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Shirley Temple
Anguished Unmaking / Countersquall / Dreadwing
5) ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: UB 1B Kenobi, But BB8 Is 3 More Than I Need
Bitterblossom / Chainer's Edict / Countersquall
7) Personman
Dromar's Charm / Fevered Convulsions / Silumgar, the Drifting Death
8) Superbajt :: Do You Have A One-Drop?
Braids, Cabal Minion / Dark Ritual / Dark Ritual
9) WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story
Black Sun's Zenith / Liliana's Defeat / Vraska the Unseen
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
1| X 3 0 3 0 6 0 0 2 | 12 | 150
2| 3 X 0 6 0 3 3 0 6 | 18 | 225
3| 6 6 X 3 3 3 6 6 3 | 32 | 400
4| 3 0 3 X 2 1 0 0 2 | 09 | 113
5| 6 6 3 2 X 2 2 0 4 | 24 | 300
6| 0 3 3 4 2 X 2 0 4 | 16 | 200
7| 6 3 0 6 2 2 X 0 6 | 24 | 300
8| 6 6 0 6 6 6 6 X 0 | 36 | 450
9| 2 0 3 2 1 1 0 6 X | 14 | 175
Superbajt 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
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
3CH LR Squandered Goblin Curtains
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
2) "Sacrifice this permanent: This permanent deals 1 damage to target creature or player."
If a permanent would be put into a graveyard, exile it instead.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
For reference to the name: Squandered Resources, Goblin Bombardment, Samurai of the Pale Curtain.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
Please take a look and score your row.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
2. 6-0 : 2nd turn Spirit races.
3. xxx
4. 3-3 : Exhume hits or gets Squall'd
5. 3-3 : Spirit's kill races Zenith on play, not on draw.
6. 3-3 : Squall'd, or Spirit races. Imp sac's to edict.
7. 6-0 : 2nd turn Spirit races.
8. 6-0 : Sac Imp to hit 2 swamps. Exhume: Spirit races.
9. 3-3 : Spirit's kill races Zenith on play, not on draw.
3| 6 6 X 3 3 3 6 6 3 | 32 | 356
No longer staff here.
8 | 6 6 0 6 6 6 6 X 0 | 36 | 400
WhammeWhamme get's it with Liliana's Defeat. Magus of the Aesthetic is the only other player with a 1 drop that gets under the lock, but Dreadwing can't trade/race Braids, and sac'ing him to get to 2 mana isn't enough either.
No longer staff here.
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
vs
1. 6-0. I vessel, you're basically forced to pulse it. You can activate Call end step to stick one vampire a turn, but then I just wait until turn 8 for clear+Nixilis.
2. 6-0. I spam BSZ to clear riffraff until Mogis drops. I play Ob Nixilis + uptick when you have one fairy in play. Nixilis goes to 2 loyalty from fairy+mogis, then I spam BSZ and start upticking. If you redirect to Nixilis you lose 2 a turn and I take nothing, if you go to me I take net 1 a turn and you take 2.
3. 3-3. On my play I take 7 -> 5 -> 3 -> 0 and eventually wipe board, on draw I take 7 -> 7 -> 5 -> 3 and lose.
4. 2-2. I vessel, you hold countersquall and draw.
5. X
6. 2-2. I vessel, you hold countersquall and draw.
7. 2-2. I vessel, you hold Charm and draw.
8. 0-6. lol braids.
9. 4-1. Hello mirror match! I vessel your non vraska cards. On the play I downtick and make a Demon. If Vraska downticks on Ob she dies to demon. If Vraska downticks on Demon, Nix + Vraska both uptick to 3, then Nix repeats the fork but with Vraska at 3 loyalty.
On the draw, Vraska starts at 6 loyalty when I play Nix and can destroy Demon -> Nixilis to force the draw.
5 | 6 6 3 2 X 2 2 0 4| 24
Unfortunately I thought the control decks would be running faster permanent removal (e.g Dark Betrayal/Liliana's Defeat) or another win condition in their "flex" spot, but instead they ran counterspells and got to draw against Nixilis.
A friend suggested the Braids deck, but I thought there'd be a lot of Dark Betrayal/Liliana's Defeat + some number of Putrid Imp reanimator decks and decided against it. He also thought there would be a lot of countersqualls, so I suppose the lesson is listen to my clearly smarter friend who has a way better pulse on the meta than I do.
I think the Ob Nixilis + BSZ core was really good, it's the flex spot that got me into draws instead of wins. Ah well. For my own amusement, what happens if I had gone with Countersquall instead of vessel?
1. same.
2. same.
3. same.
4. 6-0, hold countersquall either to protect Ob Nix on an empty board or to protect BSZ if he plays his finisher, Ob Nix beats Anguished.
5. X
6. 6-0, do everything under CS protection and make the same plays two turns later.
7. 6-0, I match your counter with CS, I BSZ your dragon and kill you with Ob Nix upticks.
8. same.
9. 2-2, You throw Defeat and Vraska at Ob (one eats CS), then BSZ the demon down.
So I'd have netted 10 points and been just behind the braids deck, neat.
No longer staff here.
It should not have taken me 2.5 hours to score this. I played out a lot of lines for several matches and I still only scored 5 points.
Dromar's Charm / Fevered Convulsions / Silumgar, the Drifting Death
vs.
1) Anachronity
Call the Bloodline / Maelstrom Pulse / Veilborn Ghoul
I only take like 12 damage or something before Convulsions outpaces Call the Bloodline, and Maelstrom Pulse can't touch Silumgar. Also Silumgar kills everything whenever it attacks. 6-0.
2) CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme
Bitterblossom / Mogis, God of Slaughter / Stillmoon Cavalier
I {i]think[/i] I just win as soon as I play Silumgar. I'm not quite sure how fast you are though, it might be too fast. I'm probably countering Stillmoon on the play and Mogis on the draw. If I get Stillmoon, you've hit me for 5 before I attack with Silumgar, plus 4 from Mogis, and you're at 17 from bitterblossom. So you go to 13, I go to 9, you go to 9, I go to 7, I win. On the draw, you stick Stillmoon, so I instead take 6 from faeries and 13 from Stillmoon before I attack, which sadly puts me low enough that you can hold Mogis til I have to play Silumgar, so I can't counter it. 3-3.
3) Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit!
Exhume / Putrid Imp / Spirit of the Night
This is pretty sweet. I've got nothing. 0-6.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Shirley Temple
Anguished Unmaking / Countersquall / Dreadwing
This is basically exactly the deck I built against. 6-0.
5) ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
Holy crap, Vessel is strong. I had no idea that card existed. Best I can do is keep Charm for Ob and draw. 2-2.
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: UB 1B Kenobi, But BB8 Is 3 More Than I Need
Bitterblossom / Chainer's Edict / Countersquall
Chainer's Edict has Flashback, so I'm definitely not winning. If I get Convulsions down, though, you're not allowed to play Bitterblossom, and Charm is enough to make sure that I do, even on the draw. I'm pretty sure turn 5 is fast enough. 2-2
8) Superbajt :: Do You Have A One-Drop?
Braids, Cabal Minion / Dark Ritual / Dark Ritual
I literally checked the banlist for Braids, was kinda surprised it wasn't there, and then 100% forgot about it somehow when making the rest of my deck. This stomps everything but Exhume, right? 0-6.
9) WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story
Black Sun's Zenith / Liliana's Defeat / Vraska the Unseen
Counter Zenith, Ignore Defeat, Silumgar the Assassins. 6-0.
I had submitted Shrieking Affliction but I quickly changed it to Dreadwing. I thought people might be playing one proactive spell and two reactive cards, which blanks Affliction. I don't think swapping to Dreadwing scored any better but it did make the round much harder for me to score. Ah well.
It never occurred to me to play something with protection from black even though it seems obvious now. Reanimator crossed my mind but I dismissed it after realizing the usual suspects were off the table. Plus maybe someone would be crazy enough to run graveyard hate.
Going forward I want to stop running reactive spells plus one threat. The hands that are all threats or all answers seem to be doing well. All-in hands seem to do even better in weeks where they're hard to disrupt.
I'm amazed that Silumgar's trigger was relevant so often. I thought I might get someone, but there was nothing about this format that screamed tokens to me.
I'm also amazed that Braids hasn't shown up more in other random 3CH rounds. In 2CB long ago it was one of the big reasons for banning Lotus (since Ritual isn't enough) but in 3CH it just blanks so many decks.
Braids, Cabal Minion / Dark Ritual / Dark Ritual
Feyd_Ruin, you spoiled my fun :'( Your my line is correct. Well, I'm going to do it anyway.
8 | 6 6 0 6 6 6 6 X 0 | 36 | 400
1) Anachronity
Call the Bloodline / Maelstrom Pulse / Veilborn Ghoul
6-0. No, you don't.
2) CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme
Bitterblossom / Mogis, God of Slaughter / Stillmoon Cavalier
6-0. No, you don't.
3) Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit!
Exhume / Putrid Imp / Spirit of the Night
0-6. Yes, you do.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Shirley Temple
Anguished Unmaking / Countersquall / Dreadwing
6-0. Well, you do... But it doesn't matter.
5) ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
6-0. No, you don't.
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: UB 1B Kenobi, But BB8 Is 3 More Than I Need
Bitterblossom / Chainer's Edict / Countersquall
6-0. No, you don't.
7) Personman
Dromar's Charm / Fevered Convulsions / Silumgar, the Drifting Death
6-0. No, you don't.
9) WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story
Black Sun's Zenith / Liliana's Defeat / Vraska the Unseen
0-6. Yes, you do.
For the majority of time, I tried to perfect a Pestilence deck. I probably would submit Circle of Affliction / Stillmoon Cavalier / Pestilence if I went this route. I see that it would be awful. I was talking to my friend about this round, and I noticed that apart from virtually any removal for enchantments, I lose to reanimator and Braids. He then suggested the deck I submitted. The cocky name is mine, though
I'm really lucky there is only one Putrid Imp reanimator in this round, so I got very good results. An other win con I was worrying about was Shrieking Affliction, I'm surprised noone submitted it. Also, a huge upside of this hand is that you can check results in about one minute.
An other fun deck my friend proposed is 3x Demigod of Revenge. I see that it isn't as easy to score as it seems at the first glance, but probably wouldn't be very good.
Disagree with ManyCookiesBlurhk, I'm dumb.3) Spirit races me. ~ 0-6
4) Looks like 3-3 to me. See below. ~ 3-3
5) BSZ protects Ob Nixilis. ~ 0-6
6) Either Squall stops Call and Pulse stops Blossom, in which case Ghoul wins it, or Squall stops Pulse and Call beats Blossom. ~ 6-0
7) Sulimgar solos me. ~ 0-6
8) No, I don't have a one-drop ~ 0-6
9) Pulse stops Vraska, so you hold Vraska to stop Call (or else I could make vampires EoT and attack before you can BSZ it away) and BSZ kills Ghoul whenever I cast it. ~ 2-2
y1 - Dreadwing
m1 - ~
y2 - ~
m2 - Call, you Countersquall it
m3 - Pulse Dreadwing, it's a draw.
or...
y2 - ~
m2 - Call
y3 - Unmaking
m3 - ~
y4 - Dreadwing
m4 - ~
y5 - pump, swing 4
m5 - Ghoul
y6 - pump once, swing 4
m6 - swing 4
(you win)
or we both hold our cards...
m4 - Call, vampire, you need to keep Squall, but you Unmaking in response so I can't get a second one.
y5 - Dreadwing
m5 - Ghoul, swing 1 (21-19)
y6 - pump once to hold Squall, swing 4 (17-19)
m6 - swing 5 (18-14)
y7 - pump, swing 4 (14-14)
m7 - swing 5 (14-9)
y8 - pump twice, swing 7 (7-9)
m8 - swing 5 (8-4)
y9 - pump 3 times because Pulse is a sorcery, swing 10 for the win
OTP the same line works to give me the win, since I would have won next turn. You need to wait until you have 6 mana to try to play Dreadwing since you need to Unmaking my Call as soon as it hits play, which means I always start us off on my turn 4.
1 | X 3 0 3 0 6 0 0 2 | 12 | 150
- Rabid Wombat
Oops.
- Rabid Wombat
vs. 01 Anachronity: I can kill Ghoul forever, but Pulse kills Vraska. 2-2
vs. 02 CalvinSchwa: Mogis beats me, dang it. 0-6
vs. 03 Feyd_Ruin: ...dang yes it races. 3-3 (2 points I know)
vs. 04 Magus of the Aesthetic: Too much removal, nobody wins. 2-2
vs. 05 ManyCookies: Vessel works well. Vraska OTP draws apparently? How nice. 1-4
vs. 06 MyNameIsFourteen: I think OTP I force Countersquall on Vraska. 1-4
vs. 07 Personman: We have too much removal, nobody wins. 2-2
vs. 08 Superbajt: Yay 1 drop removal. Defeat Braids, win at leisure. 6-0
Bitterblossom / Chainer's Edict / Countersquall
Call the Bloodline / Maelstrom Pulse / Veilborn Ghoul
0-6 as you said above.
2) CalvinSchwa :: No Coherent Theme
Bitterblossom / Mogis, God of Slaughter / Stillmoon Cavalier
When I'm on the play, I counter Bitterblossom, edict cavalier, and race Mogis with bitterblossom.
When you're on the play, Cavallier uses faires as cover and races even though I counter mogis.
3-3
3) Feyd_Ruin :: That's the Spirit!
Exhume / Putrid Imp / Spirit of the Night
On the play I counter exhume.
On the draw Pro black spirit kills me before I get to enough mana to flash back the edict.
3-3
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Shirley Temple
Anguished Unmaking / Countersquall / Dreadwing
You proposed that this is 6-0 for me. I disagree.
You can't beat chainers edict, but when you're on the play I can't beat Countersquall AND Anguished Unmaking.
4-1*
5) ManyCookies :: Sunshine and Lollipops
Black Sun's Zenith /Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath / Vessel of Malignity
I agree. 2-2
7) Personman
Dromar's Charm / Fevered Convulsions / Silumgar, the Drifting Death
I agree. 2-2
8) Superbajt :: Do You Have A One-Drop?
Braids, Cabal Minion / Dark Ritual / Dark Ritual
I do not. 0-6
9) WhammeWhamme :: Ixalan's Story
Black Sun's Zenith / Liliana's Defeat / Vraska the Unseen
Turn 3 I get my first token (19)
you defeat it.
Turn 4 I get my first token again (18)
you go for the zenith and I counter. <18>
Turn 5 I get a second token and attack (17)<17>
If you vraska and kill blossom, I kill vraska and then you with 2 tokens racing my bitterblossom.
So you vraska and +1 [6]
I get a third token and attack you (16)<15>[6]
You +vraska (16)<15>[7]
I get a 4th token and attack you for 3 (15)<12>[7]
-If you do anything other than +vraska, I have enough tokens to kill her and then you while leaving blockers for the assasins if you make them. My tokens attacking you race bitterblossom damaging me.
But when you're on the play I have to hold the counter for vraska and we draw.
4-1
6 | 0 2 2 4* 2 X 2 0 4 | 16
Not a great week for me, but I'll confess my heart wasn't in it. I just picked a pet card from when I played constructed, a favorite card from pauper, and a 2 mana counter and sent it in. Next weeks format is making my brain hurt, so I predict similar failure.