5 Card - Mana Dependency Commentary
i think this was an interesting format. but i think that the life totals will end up mattering way less than the possibility of a deck that started at 1.
Next week's format will be 3C nonbasic land rule. should be interesting.
Each players starting life total is equal to the total converted mana cost of cards in their hand. (Players cannot submit a hand which would start with 0 life.) Deck Size: 5 Land Rule: None
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.
Each "card" you submit is a split card with two cards that share a casting cost.
2 card hand, Basic Land Rule
Example deck:
Molten vortex // Monastery Swiftspear / Life from the Loam // Boreal Centaur
In every zone except the battlefield, treat it as a split card (rule 708). If it would enter the battlefield, if it was cast, it enters as the half that was cast. If it enters the battlefield any other way, you may choose which half it enters as. You cannot have a non-permanent enter the battlefield, instead it wouldn't.
A few more examples to follow, illustrating the above.
Remove Soul // Negate can counter Misthollow Griffin // Jace, the Mind Sculptor, no matter which way it is cast.
Unburial Rites // Charging Bandits can bring back Myojin of the Seeing Winds // Omniscience as Omniscince (which then is pretty useless as there are no cards left in hand), but if it brings back Cavalry Master // Wrath of God, you can only have Cavalry Master enter play.
Nether Spirit // Faerie Macabre can be discarded to exile cards, then come back in your upkeep as a flying 2/2 (only if there are no other creatures in your graveyard), but Gravecrawler // Bile Urchin can only come back from the graveyard as a Gravecrawler (only if you control another zombie).
Karakas // Evermind is an allowed card but Lotus Bloom // Lotus Petal is not.
Dromar's Charm // Esper Charm is basically never a dead card.
Council of the Absolute // Ojutai's Command can be cast as Council, and name Utter End. Then your Utter End // Alms Beast costs BW if you cast vindicate and 2BW if you cast Alms Beast, and your opponent can cast Utter End // One Thousand Lashes targeting your Council, but only as One Thousand Lashes.
You can cast Rattleclaw Mystic / Tarmogyof face down, but you can only flip it up into Rattleclaw Mystic (since, despite being concealed, it was cast as Mystic, and therefore enters as a copy of Mystic). If instead you manifest it (since your opponent cast timetwister with notion theif out, and you want the top of your deck to go Lightform // Council's Judgement, Rattleclaw Mystic // Tarmogyof), you can flip it up by paying 1G to either half.
Admittedly this would be a very complicated format (deserving of the "Ph.D."), but I think it would be fun.
I'm still kind of generally confused about this format. Is there a place with a lot of information I can read up on it? Kind of forgot about the last one I entered.. going to follow this one this time.
I'm still kind of generally confused about this format. Is there a place with a lot of information I can read up on it? Kind of forgot about the last one I entered.. going to follow this one this time.
you can find the complete rules and various information here in the repository, and feel free to ask me any questions you have by private message.
good luck!
It seems like every format is new, so you're literally going into it blind, am I wrong in thinking this? Or is there an archive of past "decks" that would have won this particular rules set?
There's a few recurring decks and themes. Round can be land rule rounds, where you get unlimited lands (in one way or another, usually limited to one per turn) in exchange for a longer ban list, and non-land rule rounds.
Some key decks from each type are as follows:
Non-Land rule:
Mayor of Avabruck / other stuff
Dark Depths / Thespian Stage / other stuff (Usually Urborg, Tomb of Yagmoth makes this list)
Shelldock Isle / Emrakul / Lions Eye Diamond
Lions Eye Diamond / Unburial Rites / Your favorite hate creature
Land rule (Exploration can go in very deck):
Elixir of Immortality / Beast Within
Thrun
Molten Vortex (when you draw the lands)
A few key "sideboard" cards depending on the specific rules of the week are:
Capsize. For rounds where mana is promised to be easily availiable, this solves most problems.
Faerie Macabre. When graveyard schenanigans are expected, instant removal on a win condition is great.
Voidstone Gargoyle / Council of the Absolute. Preventing your opponent from doing things is good.
That's a reasonably large subset of the stable meta-game from week to week. Round rules make some of these better than others, and there are times when oddball cards are absolutely insane, eg:
Equipoise is insane when players skip their untap step (so nothing ever phases in).
Recantation when we had a round rule that switched which player's "perma-enchantment" was in play each turn, with them phasing out if they would leave the battlefield.
In any given week, if you can find the bomb like the ones above, you can easily win against basically everyone else. Someone may play the "I don't want to lose" deck, and it's rare to get 6 points against every person.
Thanks for the information! Now that I see the Dark Depths/Thespian Stage thing, I'm pretty sure my submitted list is going to do poorly. Live and learn I guess!
Thanks for the information! Now that I see the Dark Depths/Thespian Stage thing, I'm pretty sure my submitted list is going to do poorly. Live and learn I guess!
you can resubmit up until the deadline on monday. i change my entries frequently
[quote]The current style with the shifting format seems to have kept the game thriving for a record-breaking length thanks to interest from new players like you!
Since I've been eagerly anticipating the point at which we do break the record, I can say that we're not quite there yet.
We'll break 5CH Season 2's record 173 rounds in roughly five months' time.
we have no restricted list! you can play all the loti and moxen you want
As a point of reference, three Loti in five cards can be a potent strategy.
Power level of hands is checked less by our banned list (one does exist), than by the outcome-based restrictions specific to this format. I.e., you can't submit a hand that can win the game or make an opponent discard a card before his or her second turn – this is the general rule; the more specific and technical language can be found in the opening post of this thread.
Is it legal to have a hand that could technically win on/before turn two, but opt out of swinging/winning? Or is the nature of the rule so that you can't even potentially win before your opponent has a second upkeep?
1Artscrafter : Under the Radar
Island / Mistvein Borderpost / Invisible Stalker / Daze / Faerie Macabre
0-6 I believe. Daze stops me both ways.
3FeydRuin : screw your life totals
Leyline of Singularity / Karakas / Inkmoth Nexus / Blazing Shoal / Bogardan Hellkite
6-0 needle will name karakas or inkmoth, my creature blocks your creature.
4Heinsun : orzhov control
City of Traitors / Orzhov Basilica / Sphere of Resistance / Vindicate / Sin Collector
0-6 Sphere comes down faster than I can do anything.
5HerziQuerzi : Immortal Coil
Mishra's Workshop / Sol Ring / Sol Ring / Lich's Mirror / Platinum Angel
2-2 My flying is bigger than your flyer EDIT: Guess you don't need to block/attack.
6Madmanquail : marit and the no spells
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Black Lotus / Nether Void
0-6 Unfortunately I don't actually get to play Pithing needle turn 1.
7Nerdyjoe : emrafoil
Foil / Island / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Bazaar of Baghdad / Shelldock Isle
2-2 On the play I sneak in needle stopping you from winning, on the draw I win whenever you activate Baghdad
8Tidalslimshady : dying breath
Peat bog / black lotus / black lotus / plunge into darkness / near death Experience
Can't this hand win before I get my second upkeep? 0-6
9tomsloger : hans christian andersen
grove of burnwillows / llanowar mentor / emrakul, the aeons torn / pithing needle / nature's claim
How do you get emmy down at all? o_O 6-0
10Whammewhamme : pox on your faemily
Jwar Island Refuge / Dreadship Reef / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Smallpox / Faerie Macabre
4-1 Pithing needle stops storage counters. On the draw, smallpox cripples us both
Not my greatest showing, but it looks like I picked up a couple of points since my first tally.
1 Artscrafter : Under the Radar
Island / Mistvein Borderpost / Invisible Stalker / Daze / Faerie Macabre
1 | X 6 0 1 2 0 2 1 3 0 | 14
v2: Counter Serra Ascendant. 6-0
v3: I can counter Blazing Shoal but I can't race infect vs 14 life. 0-6
v4: T1 sphere locks me out when I'm on the draw. On the play I can threaten Daze on the sphere long enough to land Stalker, but you get Collector down shortly afterward. I can't race your 2/1 with my 1/1 so I hold it as a blocker forever, and you can't remove it to get in. 1-4
v5: I can counter and subsequently exile Platinum Angel but I can't stop you from recycling Lich's Mirror forever. 2-2
v6: Marit OP. I knew there was a reason I was packing Karakas in an earlier build. I can counter Nether Void on the play but it doesn't matter. 0-6
v7: Faerie stops Emrakul shenanigans, but I can't play around Foil to land my wincon. 2-2
v8: Edit: Agreed with the analysis below. The fact that you can't play Near-Death and Plunge in your main phase without losing to Stalker means I can hold off your Plunge and draw when I'm on the play.
v9: I counter Mentor on the play and... don't, on the draw. 3-3
v10: I think you just win by sitting there until you can hardcast Emrakul. 0-6
@Tom: Daze doesn't have an activated ability. Naming it with Pithing Needle does nothing.
5v1 - You Daze and exile the angel but the Lich cycles on. 2-2
5v2 - Your Serra is bigger, but you have no way to get past my Lich's Mirror. 2-2
5v3 - I can use Platinum Angel to trade as a blocker, and if you Karakas it, you can't activate Inkmoth. 2-2
5v4 - Not being able to drop my Angel means it's easy for you to Vindicate my Mirror. 0-6
5v6 - Even if I get the Mirror down on the play, I won't be able to drop Angel and when I restart I won't be able to cast Mirror either. 0-6
5v7 - Foil shuts me down, and even if it didn't, you can drop Emrakul way before I could win with Angel. 0-6
5v8 - Since Near-Death requires you to have 1 life as your upkeep begins to trigger, you can't instant speed plunge on turn two, giving me enough time to get the Angel down. 6-0
5v9 - Nature's Claim deals with Angel, Emrakul deals with Mirror. 0-6
5v10- Pox gets rid of my Angel, and the inevitable Emrakul gets rid of my Mirror. 0-6
08|4 6 2 0 0 0 0 X 0 6|18
V1 4-1 on the play I go land lotus lotus and then you can't play your border post or you wouldn't have an island and I still pay for daze. On the draw you go island, post go, I go lotus lotus bog you go island stalker and now I have to play everything on my mainphase or I get dazed someway but I can't go to 1 life I have to go to 2 now we draw
V2 6-0 you can't attack for enough fast enough
V3 2-2 we both win on the play
V4 0-6 I can't beat sphere
V5 0-6 you cannot lose... Litterly but I still "win" sorta
V6 0-6 gg nether void
V7 2-2 you got it
V9 0-6 I get claimed
V10 6-0 your disruption does nothin to me
Commentary
i think this was an interesting format. but i think that the life totals will end up mattering way less than the possibility of a deck that started at 1.
Next week's format will be 3C nonbasic land rule. should be interesting.
Deck Size: 5
Land Rule: None
The Entries
1Artscrafter : Under the Radar
Island / Mistvein Borderpost / Invisible Stalker / Daze / Faerie Macabre
Slow, but two pieces of disruption is nice. Starts at 10 life.
2Convoy_Avenger : dragon-based lifegain
Draco / Draco / Blossoming Sands / Serra Ascendant / Pithing Needle
Serra ascendant is a nice find. Starts at 34 life.
3FeydRuin : screw your life totals
Leyline of Singularity / Karakas / Inkmoth Nexus / Blazing Shoal / Bogardan Hellkite
Creature control + fast, creature-based win. Ouch. Starts at 14 life.
4Heinsun : orzhov control
City of Traitors / Orzhov Basilica / Sphere of Resistance / Vindicate / Sin Collector
Tax, removal, discard. Heck yeah. Starts at 8 life.
5HerziQuerzi : Immortal Coil
Mishra's Workshop / Sol Ring / Sol Ring / Lich's Mirror / Platinum Angel
Hard to beat someone twice. Starts at 14 life.
6Madmanquail : marit and the no spells
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Black Lotus / Nether Void
Nether void seems really strong. Especially with your speed. Starts at 4 life.
7Nerdyjoe : emrafoil
Foil / Island / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Bazaar of Baghdad / Shelldock Isle
Foil is good. Emrakul is good. Nuff said. Starts at 19 life.
8Tidalslimshady : dying breath
Peat bog / black lotus / black lotus / plunge into darkness / near death Experience
Fast win, but not a lot of interaction. Starts at 7 life.
9tomsloger : hans christian andersen
grove of burnwillows / llanowar mentor / emrakul, the aeons torn / pithing needle / nature's claim
I found a way to play a creature turn 1. Go me. Starts at 18 life.
10Whammewhamme : pox on your faemily
Jwar Island Refuge / Dreadship Reef / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Smallpox / Faerie Macabre
pox, small or large, is great. this should be good. Starts at 20 life (the way its meant to be.)
1 | X 6 0 1 2 0 2 1 1 0 | 13 | 144
2 | 0 X 2 0 2 0 2 0 6 4 | 16 | 178
3 | 6 2 X 0 6 2 4 3 0 3 | 24 | 267
4 | 4 6 6 X 6 0 6 6 3 6 | 42 | 467
5 | 2 2 0 0 X 0 0 6 0 0 | 10 | 111
6 | 6 6 2 6 6 X 0 6 4 6 | 42 | 467
7 | 2 2 1 0 6 6 X 6 6 0 | 29 | 322
8 | 4 6 3 0 0 0 0 X 0 6 | 18 | 200
9 | 4 0 6 3 6 1 0 6 X 6 | 31 | 344
0 | 6 1 3 0 6 0 6 0 0 X | 21 | 233
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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Richard Garfield, Ph.D.
2 (4) card hand.
Each "card" you submit is a split card with two cards that share a casting cost.
2 card hand, Basic Land Rule
Example deck:
Molten vortex // Monastery Swiftspear / Life from the Loam // Boreal Centaur
In every zone except the battlefield, treat it as a split card (rule 708). If it would enter the battlefield, if it was cast, it enters as the half that was cast. If it enters the battlefield any other way, you may choose which half it enters as. You cannot have a non-permanent enter the battlefield, instead it wouldn't.
A few more examples to follow, illustrating the above.
Remove Soul // Negate can counter Misthollow Griffin // Jace, the Mind Sculptor, no matter which way it is cast.
Unburial Rites // Charging Bandits can bring back Myojin of the Seeing Winds // Omniscience as Omniscince (which then is pretty useless as there are no cards left in hand), but if it brings back Cavalry Master // Wrath of God, you can only have Cavalry Master enter play.
Nether Spirit // Faerie Macabre can be discarded to exile cards, then come back in your upkeep as a flying 2/2 (only if there are no other creatures in your graveyard), but Gravecrawler // Bile Urchin can only come back from the graveyard as a Gravecrawler (only if you control another zombie).
Karakas // Evermind is an allowed card but Lotus Bloom // Lotus Petal is not.
Dromar's Charm // Esper Charm is basically never a dead card.
Council of the Absolute // Ojutai's Command can be cast as Council, and name Utter End. Then your Utter End // Alms Beast costs BW if you cast vindicate and 2BW if you cast Alms Beast, and your opponent can cast Utter End // One Thousand Lashes targeting your Council, but only as One Thousand Lashes.
You can cast Rattleclaw Mystic / Tarmogyof face down, but you can only flip it up into Rattleclaw Mystic (since, despite being concealed, it was cast as Mystic, and therefore enters as a copy of Mystic). If instead you manifest it (since your opponent cast timetwister with notion theif out, and you want the top of your deck to go Lightform // Council's Judgement, Rattleclaw Mystic // Tarmogyof), you can flip it up by paying 1G to either half.
Admittedly this would be a very complicated format (deserving of the "Ph.D."), but I think it would be fun.
Forest / Forest / Forest / Forest / Helix Pinnacle
With both Blank Cards being more Draco's, of course.
good luck!
Some key decks from each type are as follows:
Non-Land rule:
Mayor of Avabruck / other stuff
Dark Depths / Thespian Stage / other stuff (Usually Urborg, Tomb of Yagmoth makes this list)
Shelldock Isle / Emrakul / Lions Eye Diamond
Lions Eye Diamond / Unburial Rites / Your favorite hate creature
Land rule (Exploration can go in very deck):
Elixir of Immortality / Beast Within
Thrun
Molten Vortex (when you draw the lands)
A few key "sideboard" cards depending on the specific rules of the week are:
Capsize. For rounds where mana is promised to be easily availiable, this solves most problems.
Faerie Macabre. When graveyard schenanigans are expected, instant removal on a win condition is great.
Voidstone Gargoyle / Council of the Absolute. Preventing your opponent from doing things is good.
That's a reasonably large subset of the stable meta-game from week to week. Round rules make some of these better than others, and there are times when oddball cards are absolutely insane, eg:
Equipoise is insane when players skip their untap step (so nothing ever phases in).
Recantation when we had a round rule that switched which player's "perma-enchantment" was in play each turn, with them phasing out if they would leave the battlefield.
In any given week, if you can find the bomb like the ones above, you can easily win against basically everyone else. Someone may play the "I don't want to lose" deck, and it's rare to get 6 points against every person.
Are things that are restricted in Vintage restricted here? ie. Can I play 2 or more black lotus?
Since I've been eagerly anticipating the point at which we do break the record, I can say that we're not quite there yet.
We'll break 5CH Season 2's record 173 rounds in roughly five months' time.
As a point of reference, three Loti in five cards can be a potent strategy.
Power level of hands is checked less by our banned list (one does exist), than by the outcome-based restrictions specific to this format. I.e., you can't submit a hand that can win the game or make an opponent discard a card before his or her second turn – this is the general rule; the more specific and technical language can be found in the opening post of this thread.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
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9tomsloger : hans christian andersen
grove of burnwillows / llanowar mentor / emrakul, the aeons torn / pithing needle / nature's claim
Island / Mistvein Borderpost / Invisible Stalker / Daze / Faerie Macabre
6-0 i get down mentor easily on the play. on the draw needle names daze to do it. outrace either way.
2Convoy_Avenger : dragon-based lifegain
Draco / Draco / Blossoming Sands / Serra Ascendant / Pithing Needle
0-6 cant get emmy down fast enough to block.
3FeydRuin : screw your life totals
Leyline of Singularity / Karakas / Inkmoth Nexus / Blazing Shoal / Bogardan Hellkite
6-0 pithing needle and natures claim each stop your win con or your creature control. not sure of the exact line, but i have to win it.
4Heinsun : orzhov control
City of Traitors / Orzhov Basilica / Sphere of Resistance / Vindicate / Sin Collector
1-4. on the play, mentor comes down and makes a token to trade with sin collector before being vindicated.
5HerziQuerzi : Immortal Coil
Mishra's Workshop / Sol Ring / Sol Ring / Lich's Mirror / Platinum Angel
6-0 natures claim angel. make sure i have emmy on board before i kill you so annhilator takes care of mirror.
6Madmanquail : marit and the no spells
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Black Lotus / Nether Void
1-4 pithing needle for the draw on the play.
7Nerdyjoe : emrafoil
Foil / Island / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Bazaar of Baghdad / Shelldock Isle
0-6 i think. foil does the trick.
8Tidalslimshady : dying breath
Peat bog / black lotus / black lotus / plunge into darkness / near death Experience
6-0 claim is pretty good against enchantment based win cons.
10Whammewhamme : pox on your faemily
Jwar Island Refuge / Dreadship Reef / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Smallpox / Faerie Macabre
6-0 pithing needle stops storage counters. one creature is plenty.
results for:
2Convoy_Avenger : dragon-based lifegain
Draco / Draco / Blossoming Sands / Serra Ascendant / Pithing Needle
Island / Mistvein Borderpost / Invisible Stalker / Daze / Faerie Macabre
0-6 I believe. Daze stops me both ways.
3FeydRuin : screw your life totals
Leyline of Singularity / Karakas / Inkmoth Nexus / Blazing Shoal / Bogardan Hellkite
6-0 needle will name karakas or inkmoth, my creature blocks your creature.
4Heinsun : orzhov control
City of Traitors / Orzhov Basilica / Sphere of Resistance / Vindicate / Sin Collector
0-6 Sphere comes down faster than I can do anything.
5HerziQuerzi : Immortal Coil
Mishra's Workshop / Sol Ring / Sol Ring / Lich's Mirror / Platinum Angel
2-2 My flying is bigger than your flyer EDIT: Guess you don't need to block/attack.
6Madmanquail : marit and the no spells
Dark Depths / Thespian's Stage / Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth / Black Lotus / Nether Void
0-6 Unfortunately I don't actually get to play Pithing needle turn 1.
7Nerdyjoe : emrafoil
Foil / Island / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Bazaar of Baghdad / Shelldock Isle
2-2 On the play I sneak in needle stopping you from winning, on the draw I win whenever you activate Baghdad
8Tidalslimshady : dying breath
Peat bog / black lotus / black lotus / plunge into darkness / near death Experience
Can't this hand win before I get my second upkeep? 0-6
9tomsloger : hans christian andersen
grove of burnwillows / llanowar mentor / emrakul, the aeons torn / pithing needle / nature's claim
How do you get emmy down at all? o_O 6-0
10Whammewhamme : pox on your faemily
Jwar Island Refuge / Dreadship Reef / Emrakul, the Aeons Torn / Smallpox / Faerie Macabre
4-1 Pithing needle stops storage counters. On the draw, smallpox cripples us both
2 | 0 X 2 0 2 0 2 0 6 4 | 16
Not as well as I hoped.
1 Artscrafter : Under the Radar
Island / Mistvein Borderpost / Invisible Stalker / Daze / Faerie Macabre
1 | X 6 0 1 2 0 2 1 3 0 | 14
v3: I can counter Blazing Shoal but I can't race infect vs 14 life. 0-6
v4: T1 sphere locks me out when I'm on the draw. On the play I can threaten Daze on the sphere long enough to land Stalker, but you get Collector down shortly afterward. I can't race your 2/1 with my 1/1 so I hold it as a blocker forever, and you can't remove it to get in. 1-4
v5: I can counter and subsequently exile Platinum Angel but I can't stop you from recycling Lich's Mirror forever. 2-2
v6: Marit OP. I knew there was a reason I was packing Karakas in an earlier build. I can counter Nether Void on the play but it doesn't matter. 0-6
v7: Faerie stops Emrakul shenanigans, but I can't play around Foil to land my wincon. 2-2
v8: Edit: Agreed with the analysis below. The fact that you can't play Near-Death and Plunge in your main phase without losing to Stalker means I can hold off your Plunge and draw when I'm on the play.
v9: I counter Mentor on the play and... don't, on the draw. 3-3
v10: I think you just win by sitting there until you can hardcast Emrakul. 0-6
@Tom: Daze doesn't have an activated ability. Naming it with Pithing Needle does nothing.
5v2 - Your Serra is bigger, but you have no way to get past my Lich's Mirror. 2-2
5v3 - I can use Platinum Angel to trade as a blocker, and if you Karakas it, you can't activate Inkmoth. 2-2
5v4 - Not being able to drop my Angel means it's easy for you to Vindicate my Mirror. 0-6
5v6 - Even if I get the Mirror down on the play, I won't be able to drop Angel and when I restart I won't be able to cast Mirror either. 0-6
5v7 - Foil shuts me down, and even if it didn't, you can drop Emrakul way before I could win with Angel. 0-6
5v8 - Since Near-Death requires you to have 1 life as your upkeep begins to trigger, you can't instant speed plunge on turn two, giving me enough time to get the Angel down. 6-0
5v9 - Nature's Claim deals with Angel, Emrakul deals with Mirror. 0-6
5v10- Pox gets rid of my Angel, and the inevitable Emrakul gets rid of my Mirror. 0-6
05 | 2 2 2 0 X 0 0 6 0 0 | 12
All these Emrakul win-cons, jeez.
V1 4-1 on the play I go land lotus lotus and then you can't play your border post or you wouldn't have an island and I still pay for daze. On the draw you go island, post go, I go lotus lotus bog you go island stalker and now I have to play everything on my mainphase or I get dazed someway but I can't go to 1 life I have to go to 2 now we draw
V2 6-0 you can't attack for enough fast enough
V3 2-2 we both win on the play
V4 0-6 I can't beat sphere
V5 0-6 you cannot lose... Litterly but I still "win" sorta
V6 0-6 gg nether void
V7 2-2 you got it
V9 0-6 I get claimed
V10 6-0 your disruption does nothin to me