This is the results for Perfect Hand Magic League 37:04.
Perfect Hand Magic League 37:04
This round was 3 Card LR - One Word Only.
Commentary
Wow, what a cool rule! Thanks to nerdyjoe for the great idea. This week has turned up some very nice little niche cards. Arboria in particular has popped up not once but twice! Good to see a return from Heinsun as well as a re-sub from HerziQuerzi - a particular welcome to both of you!
Next week's format will be 4CLR Battle For Zendikar Block Party, a chance to see the new cards put to the test! New ideas for formats are very welcome - post them in the thread below, don't be shy!
3 Card Land Rule - One Word Only
The names of cards in your deck must each consist of exactly one word (i.e. no spaces). Hyphenated words count as a single word.
e.g. Acid-Spewer Dragon is a two-word card name and thus would not be legal this week.
Deck Size: 3 Land Rule: Basic Land Rules (7.3a, below) Additional Banned list: Land Rule Banned list (please remember to check Land Rule and regular PHM Banned Lists, which are shown in the spoiler below)
The Entries 01 Madmanquail :: "Goodness" Moat / Purity / Counterspell Moat stops land based creatures. Purity blocks air attacks while also preventing spell-based damage, and counterspell protects and disrupts. How could anyone beat that???
03 nerdyjoe :: "Poxy" Pox / Smokestack / Mobilization This is a nice, synergistic deck. Have fun calculating smokestack!
04 HerziQuerzi :: "Simic" Exploration / Annul / Aetherling Aetherling is a powerful card when you have a bajillion islands at your disposal...but will Annul be strong enough as support?
05 WhammeWhamme :: "Dissed" Exploration / Dissipate / Progenitus This looks reasonable...although Progentius was certainly a known quantity this week!
06 Heinsun :: "Slowdown" Arboria / Nevermore / Subversion In a relatively large format, it's interesting to see arboria popping up again!
07 xStormaggedonx :: "Æpocopate" Syncopate / Apocalypse / Aetherling Apocalypse is a funky choice. Syncopate is presumably a concession to the feared progenitus, although it will be weaker against exploration decks
08 tomsloger :: "Obvious!" Exploration / Eureka / Progenitus Interesting choice...I think the field is ready for progenitus this week
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.
7.4a. 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.
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.
Card names must be in english. There isn't a great sense of what "one word names" means in korean or chinese (at least to me, i can't tell them apart), and german cards generally have fewer words, allowing for Earthcraft / Eichhörnchen-Nest / Goblin-Bombardierung or something simmilar.
It's implied, but it should probably be explicit.
Hope MMQ doesn't mind, but I went ahead and added the "English only" so that no one tries a sneaky sneak.
I'll admit that I'm posting this to push the meta a little bit in the direction I want it to go, but here's a deck-to-beat:
Exploration / Eureka / Progenitus
There's nearly 0 removal for progenitus or exploration, so a turn 2 or turn 5 recurring hard to remove threat might be something you need to be able to beat.
4v3 - Annul the Smokestack , then I can blink AEtherling to avoid saccing it to Pox. 6-0
4v4 - A battle for the ages. X-X
4v5 - If I go first, I can Annul the Exploration and drop AEtherling before there's enough mana for Dissipate. Otherwise, I'm out of luck. 3-3
4v6 - An annoying case where every card in your deck is something I can Annul but I'd need to get rid of two to actually win. 0-6
4v7 - The Syncopate drastically delays my AEtherling, and even though I can get it out first if I start, I'll be tapped out and you can cast Apocalypse the following turn to force the draw. 1-3
4v8 - If I go first, I can counter Exploration and drop AEtherling fast enough to outpace in terms of damage. Otherwise, I, uh, don't. 3-3
XX | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | PT | Points
03 | 0 6 X 0 x 2 1 6 |
So the most obvious line is to drop smokestack, mobilization, and force the opponent to sac everything. Pox is to hit (the first) progenitus, or clean up, or force things out of hand, or whatever.
vs 01: Literal Counterspell makes things fun, recurring purity is cool too. 0-6
If I play Smokestack on turn 4, if you don't counterspell, I can force the tie.
I can play Mobilization the turn before.
If you moat before 6 lands, I get to sneak in Smokestack.
I can pox when you're on 5 lands, but you just moat the next turn (since i'll have thrown away my smokestack)
I just don't have a way to race before purity comes down. Purity > Aetherling.
vs 02: Thanks to non-interaction, this is very easy to calculate. 6-0
My turns:
1: Swamp
2: Swamp
3: Plains Mobilization
4: Plains Stax
5: Plains Solider uptick stax (-1 permanent) (1 total)
6: Sac Soldier to stax uptick stax Plains Soldier Soldier (-2 permanents) (3 total)
7: Sac two soldiers to stax uptick stax Plains Soldier Soldier (-3 permanents) (6 total)
8: Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax Plains Soldier (-3 permanents) (9 total)
9: Soldier Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax Plains Soldier (-3) (12)
10: Soldier Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax Plains Soldier (-3) (15)
11: Soldier Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax uptick stax Plains Soldier (-4) (19)
12: Soldierx3 Sac 4 to stax Plains Soldier (-4) (23)
13: Soldierx4 Sac 4 to stax Plains (-4) (27)
14: Soldierx4 Sac 4 to stax Plains (-4) (31)
On the upkeep of your 14/15th turn, you have to have sacced all permanents you own, including arboria. Subversion triggers at most 11 times.
15+ make more soldiers, eventually attack with them.
Your turns
1: Forest Exploration Forest (+3) (0 total in upkeep)
2: Forest Swamp Arboria (+3) (3 total in upkeep)
3: Swamp Swamp Subversion (+3) (6 total in upkeep)
4+: Land Land (+2) (2*turn# + 1 total in upkeep)
vs 04: I think I lose 0-6
vs 06: 2-2
On the draw:
Nevermore comes down turn 3 seeing 2 swamps in play. Nevermore names:
Pox: This becomes a faster version of vs 02. I win.
Smokestack: Cast Pox, you have to choose between not winning (discard subversion) or losing (discard arboria).
Mobilization: Play Smokestack. If you play arboria or subversion, I set up the spindown of annihilaton, so that I pass with just smokestack with 4 soot counters. Due to symmetries, you will end up saccing both the card you played an nevermore. If you played arboria, then I get to play mobilization and then pox away subversion before it comes down. If you played subversion, we tie.
There are multiple lines for you to force a tie, and you can't force a win. 1-1 so far.
On the play:
Playing Mobilization before nevermore comes down lets you name smokestack or pox. Naming pox loses you the game since i can get down stax to wipe your board. Naming Smokestack means I cast pox, and you're once again presented with the choice of not winning (discard subversion) or losing (discard arboria).
vs 07: This is, I think, a very interesting matchup.
If I lead with smokestack. You can syncopate it, if you want.
If you don't, on my next turn, i put a soot counter on it. If I'm on the play, this then locks out appocolypse and aetherling, tie (since i can't cast my wincon into syncopate). If I'm on the draw, you can appocolypse it away, but then I get to win. So you don't, and we still tie.
If you syncopate it, I guess I lose.
So maybe I lead with moblization. You can syncopate it, if you want.
If you do, I follow up with smokestack, locking you out, tie.
If you don't, I spew tokens, until I have to cast stacks to keep you at 6 mana max.
Let's evaluate this race.
On the draw:
Y1: Island
M1: Swamp
Y2: Mountain
M2: Swamp
Y3: Mountain
M3: Plains Mobilization
Y4: Mountain
M4: Plains Soldier
Y5: Island
M5: Swamp Smokestack into syncopate swing (19)
Y6: Island (you don't play aetherling here since I'd pox it)
M6: Plains Soldier Pox (both -2 lands, -7 health -1 soldier for me.) Swing (11)
Y7: Island
M7: Plains Soldier swing (10)
Y8: Island Aetherling
M8: Plains Soldier Soldier swing (one blocked)(9)
Y9: Island Aetherling unblockable 8/1 swing (5) flicker
M9: Plains Soldier Soldier swing (one blocked) (7)
Y10: Aetherling unblockable 5/4 ftw.
On the play:
M1: Swamp
Y1: Mountain
M2: Swamp
Y2: Mountain
M3: Plains Mobilization
Y3: Mountain
M4: Plains Soldier
Y4: Island
M5: Swamp Soldier swing (19)
Y5: Island
M6: Plains Smokestack into syncopate swing (17)
Y6: Island
M7: Soldier Pox (both -2 lands, -7 health to me, -6 health to you, -1 soldier for me) Plains swing (9)
Y7: Island
M8: Plains 2x soldier swing (7)
Y8: Aetherling
M9: Plains 2x soldier swing one blocked (4)
Y9: Island Aetherling unblockable 8/1 swing (5) flicker
M10: Swing with 5 soldiers one blocked for exactsies.
So I calculate 1-4.
vs 08: Ideally I'd 6-0 this, and I think I do... Which I've confirmed below.
On the draw:
Assuming Eureka turn 2, I put in Smokestack, Mobilization. I play swamp. You swing projenitus, I go to 10. I play swamp, pox, going to 6. You get up to 6 lands. I uptick smokestack, play a plains, make a soldier. You go to 7 lands. I sac soldier, play a plains. You go to 8 lands. I sac a soldier, uptick smokestack, play a plains, make a soldier. You are land-neutral at 8. In my upkeep I make a soldier, sac it and the old one to smokestack, play another plains, make a new soldier. I now can gradually make an army to kill you, and wipe out all your permanents.
On the play:
Basically the same thing, except I don't have to tick up stack so fast to keep you from re-playing Progenitus, and I don't take the first swing, since I get to cast pox the turn after you cast it.
On the draw:
No eureka.
Y1: Forest Exploration Forest
M1: Swamp
y2: Plains Plains
M2: Swamp
Y3: Island Island
M3: Plains Moblization
Y4: Swamp Swamp
M4: Plains Smokestack
Y5: Mountain Mountain Progenitus
M5: uptick Smokestack Swamp Pox (forcing the discard of Eureka, preventing any later schenanigans)
Y6: sac Island, Island Swamp
M6: Upkeep make a soldier, sac soldier to stax. Play Plains
Y7: sac Swamp, Swamp Swamp
M7: Upkeep soldier, sac to stax. Play Plains
Y8: sac swamp, Swamp Mountain
M8: Upkeep soldier, sac to stax, uptick stax, play plains, make soldier
Y9: sac swamp mountain, swamp mountain
from here, i can pay my stax costs, you don't get to recast progenitus, eventually i play enough lands to overwhelm with soldiers.
07 xStormaggedonx :: "Æpocopate" Syncopate / Apocalypse / Aetherling
4-1 on the play, you can't counter turn 2 eureka and lose.
on the draw, you can't counter turn 3 eureka and have to apocalypse on turn 5 and exile aetherling for the draw.
vs. 01 Madmanquail: Counterspell is rather awkward. 0-6
vs. 02 Feyd_Ruin: Counter either Arboria or Subversion for the 4-1.
vs. 03 nerdyjoe: I counter Mobilization and win eventually. 6-0
vs. 04 HerziQuerzi: OTP, I counter Aetherling and win eventually. 3-3
vs. 06 Heinsun: Nevermore names Dissipate, which is awkward. 0-6
vs. 07 Stormageddonx: OTD, I have to Dissipate Aetherling and he can Apocalypse Projenitus (Syncopate is a blank vs. faster mana). OTP, I don't; I just drop Proj and race. 4-1
vs. 08 tomsloger: I win the race off his Eureka or counter his one. 6-0
Oh. Thanks for finding that. Though it wasn't that I forgot Exploration, I forgot to include the single blue mana for Syncopate beyond the X. Good catch.
This is the results for Perfect Hand Magic League 37:04.
Perfect Hand Magic League 37:04
This round was 3 Card LR - One Word Only.
Commentary
Wow, what a cool rule! Thanks to nerdyjoe for the great idea. This week has turned up some very nice little niche cards. Arboria in particular has popped up not once but twice! Good to see a return from Heinsun as well as a re-sub from HerziQuerzi - a particular welcome to both of you!
Next week's format will be 4CLR Battle For Zendikar Block Party, a chance to see the new cards put to the test! New ideas for formats are very welcome - post them in the thread below, don't be shy!
3 Card Land Rule - One Word Only
The names of cards in your deck must each consist of exactly one word (i.e. no spaces). Hyphenated words count as a single word.
e.g. Acid-Spewer Dragon is a two-word card name and thus would not be legal this week.
Deck Size: 3
Land Rule: Basic Land Rules (7.3a, below)
Additional Banned list: Land Rule Banned list (please remember to check Land Rule and regular PHM Banned Lists, which are shown in the spoiler below)
The Entries
01 Madmanquail :: "Goodness"
Moat / Purity / Counterspell
Moat stops land based creatures. Purity blocks air attacks while also preventing spell-based damage, and counterspell protects and disrupts. How could anyone beat that???
02 Feyd_Ruin :: "Brief"
Arboria / Exploration / Subversion
Arboria is a really nice find, great stuff!
03 nerdyjoe :: "Poxy"
Pox / Smokestack / Mobilization
This is a nice, synergistic deck. Have fun calculating smokestack!
04 HerziQuerzi :: "Simic"
Exploration / Annul / Aetherling
Aetherling is a powerful card when you have a bajillion islands at your disposal...but will Annul be strong enough as support?
05 WhammeWhamme :: "Dissed"
Exploration / Dissipate / Progenitus
This looks reasonable...although Progentius was certainly a known quantity this week!
06 Heinsun :: "Slowdown"
Arboria / Nevermore / Subversion
In a relatively large format, it's interesting to see arboria popping up again!
07 xStormaggedonx :: "Æpocopate"
Syncopate / Apocalypse / Aetherling
Apocalypse is a funky choice. Syncopate is presumably a concession to the feared progenitus, although it will be weaker against exploration decks
08 tomsloger :: "Obvious!"
Exploration / Eureka / Progenitus
Interesting choice...I think the field is ready for progenitus this week
The Grid
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | PT | Points
1 | X 4 6 6 6 0 2 6 | 30 | 429
2 | 1 X 0 0 1 2 0 6 | 10 | 143
3 | 0 6 X 0 0 2 1 6 | 15 | 214
4 | 0 6 6 X 3 0 4 3 | 20 | 286
5 | 0 4 6 3 X 0 4 6 | 22 | 314
6 | 6 2 2 6 6 X 1 6 | 29 | 414
7 | 2 6 4 1 1 4 X 1 | 19 | 271
8 | 0 0 0 3 0 0 4 X | 06 | 086
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.
2.2. A player's opening hand contains that player's chosen cards.
2.3. Players' libraries begin the game empty.
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:
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
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.
4.3. 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:
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 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.
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.
7.3. Land Rule Variant.
7.4. Sanctioned Magic Format Variant.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.6. Backbuild.
7.7. Bonus Points.
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
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Card names must be in english. There isn't a great sense of what "one word names" means in korean or chinese (at least to me, i can't tell them apart), and german cards generally have fewer words, allowing for Earthcraft / Eichhörnchen-Nest / Goblin-Bombardierung or something simmilar.
Also
Hope MMQ doesn't mind, but I went ahead and added the "English only" so that no one tries a sneaky sneak.
No longer staff here.
Exploration / Eureka / Progenitus
There's nearly 0 removal for progenitus or exploration, so a turn 2 or turn 5 recurring hard to remove threat might be something you need to be able to beat.
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Syncopate / Apocalypse / Ætherling
goal is to play aetherling, then apocalypse, while apocalypse is on the stack blink aetherling to save it, and counter any disruption
7 | 6 6 ? 0 3 6 X 3 | 24 |
I'm probably wrong about some of these.
EDIT: Yes I was very wrong hahaha
updated score:
7 | 6 6 4 4 1 1 X 1 | 23 |
4v2 - Annul the Arboria and I'm high flying. 6-0
4v3 - Annul the Smokestack , then I can blink AEtherling to avoid saccing it to Pox. 6-0
4v4 - A battle for the ages. X-X
4v5 - If I go first, I can Annul the Exploration and drop AEtherling before there's enough mana for Dissipate. Otherwise, I'm out of luck. 3-3
4v6 - An annoying case where every card in your deck is something I can Annul but I'd need to get rid of two to actually win. 0-6
4v7 - The Syncopate drastically delays my AEtherling, and even though I can get it out first if I start, I'll be tapped out and you can cast Apocalypse the following turn to force the draw. 1-3
4v8 - If I go first, I can counter Exploration and drop AEtherling fast enough to outpace in terms of damage. Otherwise, I, uh, don't. 3-3
03 | 0 6 X 0 x 2 1 6 |
So the most obvious line is to drop smokestack, mobilization, and force the opponent to sac everything. Pox is to hit (the first) progenitus, or clean up, or force things out of hand, or whatever.
vs 01: Literal Counterspell makes things fun, recurring purity is cool too. 0-6
I can play Mobilization the turn before.
If you moat before 6 lands, I get to sneak in Smokestack.
I can pox when you're on 5 lands, but you just moat the next turn (since i'll have thrown away my smokestack)
I just don't have a way to race before purity comes down. Purity > Aetherling.
vs 02: Thanks to non-interaction, this is very easy to calculate. 6-0
1: Swamp
2: Swamp
3: Plains Mobilization
4: Plains Stax
5: Plains Solider uptick stax (-1 permanent) (1 total)
6: Sac Soldier to stax uptick stax Plains Soldier Soldier (-2 permanents) (3 total)
7: Sac two soldiers to stax uptick stax Plains Soldier Soldier (-3 permanents) (6 total)
8: Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax Plains Soldier (-3 permanents) (9 total)
9: Soldier Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax Plains Soldier (-3) (12)
10: Soldier Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax Plains Soldier (-3) (15)
11: Soldier Soldier Sac three soldiers to stax uptick stax Plains Soldier (-4) (19)
12: Soldierx3 Sac 4 to stax Plains Soldier (-4) (23)
13: Soldierx4 Sac 4 to stax Plains (-4) (27)
14: Soldierx4 Sac 4 to stax Plains (-4) (31)
On the upkeep of your 14/15th turn, you have to have sacced all permanents you own, including arboria. Subversion triggers at most 11 times.
15+ make more soldiers, eventually attack with them.
Your turns
1: Forest Exploration Forest (+3) (0 total in upkeep)
2: Forest Swamp Arboria (+3) (3 total in upkeep)
3: Swamp Swamp Subversion (+3) (6 total in upkeep)
4+: Land Land (+2) (2*turn# + 1 total in upkeep)
vs 04: I think I lose 0-6
vs 06: 2-2
Nevermore comes down turn 3 seeing 2 swamps in play. Nevermore names:
Pox: This becomes a faster version of vs 02. I win.
Smokestack: Cast Pox, you have to choose between not winning (discard subversion) or losing (discard arboria).
Mobilization: Play Smokestack. If you play arboria or subversion, I set up the spindown of annihilaton, so that I pass with just smokestack with 4 soot counters. Due to symmetries, you will end up saccing both the card you played an nevermore. If you played arboria, then I get to play mobilization and then pox away subversion before it comes down. If you played subversion, we tie.
There are multiple lines for you to force a tie, and you can't force a win. 1-1 so far.
On the play:
Playing Mobilization before nevermore comes down lets you name smokestack or pox. Naming pox loses you the game since i can get down stax to wipe your board. Naming Smokestack means I cast pox, and you're once again presented with the choice of not winning (discard subversion) or losing (discard arboria).
vs 07: This is, I think, a very interesting matchup.
If you don't, on my next turn, i put a soot counter on it. If I'm on the play, this then locks out appocolypse and aetherling, tie (since i can't cast my wincon into syncopate). If I'm on the draw, you can appocolypse it away, but then I get to win. So you don't, and we still tie.
If you syncopate it, I guess I lose.
So maybe I lead with moblization. You can syncopate it, if you want.
If you do, I follow up with smokestack, locking you out, tie.
If you don't, I spew tokens, until I have to cast stacks to keep you at 6 mana max.
Let's evaluate this race.
On the draw:
Y1: Island
M1: Swamp
Y2: Mountain
M2: Swamp
Y3: Mountain
M3: Plains Mobilization
Y4: Mountain
M4: Plains Soldier
Y5: Island
M5: Swamp Smokestack into syncopate swing (19)
Y6: Island (you don't play aetherling here since I'd pox it)
M6: Plains Soldier Pox (both -2 lands, -7 health -1 soldier for me.) Swing (11)
Y7: Island
M7: Plains Soldier swing (10)
Y8: Island Aetherling
M8: Plains Soldier Soldier swing (one blocked)(9)
Y9: Island Aetherling unblockable 8/1 swing (5) flicker
M9: Plains Soldier Soldier swing (one blocked) (7)
Y10: Aetherling unblockable 5/4 ftw.
On the play:
M1: Swamp
Y1: Mountain
M2: Swamp
Y2: Mountain
M3: Plains Mobilization
Y3: Mountain
M4: Plains Soldier
Y4: Island
M5: Swamp Soldier swing (19)
Y5: Island
M6: Plains Smokestack into syncopate swing (17)
Y6: Island
M7: Soldier Pox (both -2 lands, -7 health to me, -6 health to you, -1 soldier for me) Plains swing (9)
Y7: Island
M8: Plains 2x soldier swing (7)
Y8: Aetherling
M9: Plains 2x soldier swing one blocked (4)
Y9: Island Aetherling unblockable 8/1 swing (5) flicker
M10: Swing with 5 soldiers one blocked for exactsies.
So I calculate 1-4.
vs 08: Ideally I'd 6-0 this, and I think I do... Which I've confirmed below.
Assuming Eureka turn 2, I put in Smokestack, Mobilization. I play swamp. You swing projenitus, I go to 10. I play swamp, pox, going to 6. You get up to 6 lands. I uptick smokestack, play a plains, make a soldier. You go to 7 lands. I sac soldier, play a plains. You go to 8 lands. I sac a soldier, uptick smokestack, play a plains, make a soldier. You are land-neutral at 8. In my upkeep I make a soldier, sac it and the old one to smokestack, play another plains, make a new soldier. I now can gradually make an army to kill you, and wipe out all your permanents.
On the play:
Basically the same thing, except I don't have to tick up stack so fast to keep you from re-playing Progenitus, and I don't take the first swing, since I get to cast pox the turn after you cast it.
On the draw:
No eureka.
Y1: Forest Exploration Forest
M1: Swamp
y2: Plains Plains
M2: Swamp
Y3: Island Island
M3: Plains Moblization
Y4: Swamp Swamp
M4: Plains Smokestack
Y5: Mountain Mountain Progenitus
M5: uptick Smokestack Swamp Pox (forcing the discard of Eureka, preventing any later schenanigans)
Y6: sac Island, Island Swamp
M6: Upkeep make a soldier, sac soldier to stax. Play Plains
Y7: sac Swamp, Swamp Swamp
M7: Upkeep soldier, sac to stax. Play Plains
Y8: sac swamp, Swamp Mountain
M8: Upkeep soldier, sac to stax, uptick stax, play plains, make soldier
Y9: sac swamp mountain, swamp mountain
from here, i can pay my stax costs, you don't get to recast progenitus, eventually i play enough lands to overwhelm with soldiers.
On the play is less time/less damage/harder lock.
08 tomsloger :: "Obvious!"
Exploration / Eureka / Progenitus
Moat / Purity / Counterspell
0-6 moated
02 Feyd_Ruin :: "Brief"
Arboria / Exploration / Subversion
0-6 arboria-ed
03 nerdyjoe :: "Poxy"
Pox / Smokestack / Mobilization
0-6 probably poxed.
04 HerziQuerzi :: "Simic"
Exploration / Annul / Aetherling
3-3 its a race when you can counter exploration, but you win it by a turn
05 WhammeWhamme :: "Dissed"
Exploration / Dissipate / Progenitus
0-6 you attack first
06 Heinsun :: "Slowdown"
Arboria / Nevermore / Subversion
0-6 arboria-ed
07 xStormaggedonx :: "Æpocopate"
Syncopate / Apocalypse / Aetherling
4-1 on the play, you can't counter turn 2 eureka and lose.
on the draw, you can't counter turn 3 eureka and have to apocalypse on turn 5 and exile aetherling for the draw.
Still very interesting that our decks were so similar.
1. 1-4. Play: Arboria hits but subversion is countered. Draw: Arboria countered; Purity races Subversion.
2. xxx
3. 0-6. Stax'd to death, eventually.
4. 0-6. Annul hits Arboria. Ætherling races subversion.
5. 1-4. Arboria hits on play. Dissipate Subversion. Dissipate Arboria on draw.
6. 2-2. Subversions tie.
7. 0-6. Ætherling->Exile->Apocalypse forces a win.
8. 6-0. Arboria stops Prog. Subversion finally works.
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2 | 1 X 0 0 1 2 0 6 | 10 | 143
No longer staff here.
vs. 02 Feyd_Ruin: Counter either Arboria or Subversion for the 4-1.
vs. 03 nerdyjoe: I counter Mobilization and win eventually. 6-0
vs. 04 HerziQuerzi: OTP, I counter Aetherling and win eventually. 3-3
vs. 06 Heinsun: Nevermore names Dissipate, which is awkward. 0-6
vs. 07 Stormageddonx: OTD, I have to Dissipate Aetherling and he can Apocalypse Projenitus (Syncopate is a blank vs. faster mana). OTP, I don't; I just drop Proj and race. 4-1
vs. 08 tomsloger: I win the race off his Eureka or counter his one. 6-0
0 4 6 3 X 0 4 6 | 22
Madmanquail180 300 367 429 | 1276
WhammeWhammeXXX 467 233 314 | 1014
tomsloger280 XXX 433 086 | 0799
HerziQuerziXXX XXX 400 286 | 0686
nerdyjoe440 000 000 214 | 0654
Feyd_RuinXXX XXX 467 143 | 0610
turkeytron480 XXX 100 XXX | 0580
Mogg480 XXX XXX XXX | 0480
HeinsunXXX XXX XXX 414 | 0414
xStormageddonx040 XXX XXX 271 | 0311
ViolentturkeyXXX 267 XXX XXX | 0267
Madmanquail wins PHML 37 with an average score of 319.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy