MTG Salvation

5 Card Alphabetized

Each player can't play cards from his or her hand unless those cards have names which are the lowest alphabetically among card names in that player's hand.

For example, Black Lotus/Conjurer's Bauble/Leyline of the Void/Thalia, Guardian of Thraben/Wipe Away would be a solid deck, because it plays its cards in alphabetical order.

Deck Size: 5
Land Rule: None
Additional Banned list: None (please remember to check the regular PHM Banned List)

Contents

1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Deck Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
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 online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form that player's 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 theoretical player of each hand employs the strategy that will maximize 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 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 – Deck Composition.


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 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. A cost or effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits the player who paid that cost or 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 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 could enable that player 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 – 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 that player doesn't, then the PHM moderator may name it. The PHM moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or discretion.


5. Perfect Hand Magic League

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 have 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 results 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 containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Deck 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 or basic snow land of the subtype 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 or basic snow land of the subtype 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 or basic snow land card of the subtype 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.

7.4a. 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. A player must choose an opening hand that enables that player to win both games of a match against at least one legal hand, irrespective of rule 7.5a.

7.6. Backbuild.

7.6a. Players exchanges hands before the start of each match. A hand must enable the player of that hand to win both games of a match against a specified hand or specified hands. Ignore rule 3.1.

7.7. Bonus Points.

7.7a. A player earns bonus points if his or her hand meets specified requirements.

PHM Banned List
The following cards are automatically banned in all Perfect Hand Magic League rounds unless otherwise specified by the round rules. Each round may have an additional banned list that extends beyond, but always includes, these cards.

Acceleration
Channel
Fastbond
Flash
Show and Tell

Disruption
Pact of Negation
Chancellor of the Annex
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Trinisphere

Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland

Win Conditions
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Barren Glory
Laboratory Maniac
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Vampire Hexmage

Land Rule Banned List
"Land Rule" is the most common variant for PHM, and thus a separate ban list has been developed to allow for easier moderation. The following cards are banned in Perfect Hand Magic League rounds when a Land Rule is used. There will be a reminder of this on the round rules.

Acceleration
Black Lotus

Disruption
Balancing Act
Energy Field
Time Walk

Win Conditions
Beacon of Creation
Maralen of the Mornsong
Nezumi Shortfang
Red Sun's Zenith
White Sun's Zenith

02 WhammeWhamme :: "The Might of Kjeld"
Leyline of Singularity / Karakas / Kjeldoran Warrior / Mishra's Workshop / Wheel of Torture
0-6 kjeldoran warrior gets there! (or possible karakularity bones us)

03 nerdyjoe :: "Scepter Tricks"
Ancient Tomb / Gustha's Scepter / Lodestone Golem / Mishra's Workshop / Sphere of Resistance
6-0 we dont need no stinking spells

04 Mogg :: "Never get warm"
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Frost Titan / Nevermore
2-2 you can't attack

05 Feyd_Ruin :: "What not to wear featuring Thalia"
Leyline of Singularity / Karakas / Mox Pearl / Thalia, Guardian of Thraben / Wear // Tear
0-6 leylined again

06 Subtle_Relevance :: "The call of the void"
Leyline of the Void / Chalice of the Void / Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
6-0 outrace even on the draw