Only cards from the Innistrad or shadows over innistrad blocks may be submitted. Deck Size: 4 Land Rule: Basic Land Rule Additional Banned list: remember to check the land rule banlist oh wait theres nothing on there from innistrad. Commentary
ive played quite a lot of both of these blocks in limited, but very little in PHM (except, of course, chalice of life)
but it doesnt seem quite as good without workshop.
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.
The things that get around the rule (Chancellor of the Forge, Assault // Battery, big morphs) don't kill in time for turn 5 to roll around.
Assault // Battery wouldn't be legal in this format. "Is this card's converted mana cost 5 or greater" is not something that either side of the card can say yes to; its CMC is 1 and 4.
Learn To Read
Submit a 2-card hand and a 2-card ordered library.
Skip your draw step.
Land rule.
Dream Halls
I remember this format being really fun and ridiculous way back in the day. Let's do it again.
(5 cards, you may discard a card that shares a color with a spell instead of paying its casting cost.)
Dream Halls
I remember this format being really fun and ridiculous way back in the day. Let's do it again.
(5 cards, you may discard a card that shares a color with a spell instead of paying its casting cost.)
It was - do note that it had an extensive banned list that probably deserves review.
From the repository, here are all of the times Dream Halls has been played prior to PHML:
Rather than pay the mana cost for a spell, its controller may discard a card that shares a color with that spell.
Versions:
5CH Dream Halls (1,2,3,4)
3CHX LF No Bans/Dream Halls (1,2)
hi. ill have time at a computer to put the round up this evening (maybe ~12 hours from now). sorry for the delay.
also, if anyone else would be able to post rounds for awhile, summer is my busy time and id appreciate it.
if interested, PM me and i can get you access to the PHM account.
1: Declaration deals with avacyn, unmaking deals with either arlinn or mayor, the other dukes things out with your arlinn, and probably leaves behind enough things to block giest, but likely not swing in. descent is a clean-up card, nuking everything, but probably too slowly to prevent a kill. I'm guessing 2-2.
2: Your goldfish: T1 Neonite T2: stalker, swing neonite T3 swing both, crack neonite, shuffle in miracle T4 draw miracle swing with stalker, shuffle in miracle T5 draw miracle, swing with stalker for a total for 17. T6 kill.
My goldfish: T2 Mayor T3 take off to flip mayor T4 Arlinn make a wolf mayor makes a wolf T5 Arlin plus, swing for 12 T6 Arlinn plus, swing lethal.
When I'm on the play, this lines up with a win for me. When I'm on the draw, taking a turn off to flip mayor turns into you casting two spells, which means I don't get in enough power to race. So I'm calling this one 3-3.
On the play:
T1: Plains / Forest Pilgrim
T2: Forest Mayor / Island Geist
T3: Mountain Declaration / Plains Geist swing for 6
T4: Swamp Arlinn 2xwolf / Forest Garuk trades with mayor Geist trades with a wolf, token kills arlinn
T5: Swamp Descent, swing with token for 2 / Plains Sigaurda
T6: exile a land apiece, Swamp / Plains Siguarda swing for 5
T7: exile: 3 lands apiece, Swamp / Plains Siguarda swing for 5
T8: exile: 6 lands apiece, swamp / Plains Siguarda swing for lethal
On the draw is worse, so 0-6.
Anguished unmaking for the arlinn, bonfire for the mayor. Seasons Past to get back unmaking to take care of the descent. But is there enough time for all of that?
On the draw:
T1: Plains / Forest
T2: Swamp Cellar Door / Mountain Mayor
T3: Mountain bonfire / Swamp
T4: Forest / Swamp Arlinn Wolf
T5: Forest Unmake arlinn / Swamp Descent Swing 2
T6: Forest Seasons Past / Exile:1 land each Swamp swing 2
T7: Forest Unmake Descent / swing 2
T8: bonfire for 2 cleans the way for repeated return/burn.
On the play:
T1: Forest / Swamp
T2: Mountain mayor / Plains Cellar Door
T3: Swamp swing 1 / Mountain Unmake Mayor (20:16)
T4: swamp arlinn 0 / Forest (20:16)
T5: swamp descent arlin +1 swing 3 / Mountain Bonfire for 2 redirect to arlinn (20:13)
T6: exile declaration/door swamp arlinn -1/ Forest Seasons past (20:10)
T7: exile 2 lands each swamp arlin 0 / Forest and bonfire for 2 takes care of arlinn and wolf
T8: exile 3 lands each swamp / Forest unmake descent
now repeated bonfires gets there
On the play:
T1: Forest / Forest
T2: Plains / Island Mayor
T3: Mountain Mayor / Island (don't play mayor, declartion blows out. Don't purge, leaves things going poorly)
T4: mayors transform Swamp Arlinn Countered get a wolf / Mayors transform Plains Purge mayor
T5: swamp descent / Plains
T6: exile 1 land each swamp declaration mayor swing 2 / plains mayor (20:18)
T7: exile 2 land/landclue swamp swing 2 / mayor flips plains swing 3 make a wolf (17:16)
T8: boardstate after exile: Forest Wolf Descent / Forest Mayor Wolf
this leads to you ending up with just a mayor in your next upkeep, so you'd win this line. I'm sure there are others.
Will do my round a bit later but my goldfish:
1- mountain, neonate
2- island, stalker, swing for 1
3- forest, sac neonate, discard blessings, journey in response to draw, draw, miracle, swing for 5
4- swing for 5, journey blessings into deck
5- draw blessings, miracle, swing for 9 and game
Note on my deck: It can reshuffle indefinitely by looping Memories. This was Not Really Good Enough.
vs. 01 Charlie: ...my brain hurts. I think OTP helps but bleh. 0-6
vs. 02 HerziQuerzi: Liliana can kill Stalker. 6-0
vs. 03 Mogg: Sigarda, dang. 0-6
vs. 04 nerdyjoe: Liliana is pretty good. Kills Mayors, discards cards. 6-0
vs. 05 Personman: ...wow, his deck be complicated. Basically, I have to race him with tokens, while getting Bonfired.
Oh, and Cellar Door mills me FTL. 0-6
vs. 06 piato: Liliana does make piato discard at least a Thunderbolt, tokens make life harder. Think I got it? 6-0
vs. 07 Reyemile: Dissipate stops constant reshuffling, but then can't stop Liliana from eating stuff. 6-0
vs. 08 SeeNamedPerson: Nope. 0-6
vs. 09 tidalslimshady: I make more tokens. Inevitability. 6-0
vs. 10 tomsloger: I'm saying this splits because see below for my brain melting. 3-3
breakdown:
Tom1: Land
WW1: Land
T2: Land, Mayor
W2: Land, tokens
T3: Land, Mayor (skipping a Mayor is pointless)
W3: Land, Liliana, kill Mayor (can't flip)
T4: Mayor, Mayor.
W4: Reshuffle tokens for the NOT LOSING
T5: Swing for 9
W5: (Mayors flip) tokens and reshuffle
T6: (Mayors unflip) Can swing, but loses a Mayor (4 tokens)
vs. 07 Reyemile: Dissipate stops constant reshuffling, but then can't stop Liliana from eating stuff. 6-0
On the play I just Dissipate Liliana. 3-3
If Liliana is dissipated, I can force-unflip Mayors (/prevent flip) and generate a ton of tokens on the ground, because my reshuffle cards can target each other.
1 Charlie : power
Geist of Saint Traft / Archangel Avacyn / Anguished Unmaking / Arlinn Kord
On your play you get me for sure, because you can save Geist from t5 Bonfire with Avacyn. On my play you can't, and I'm pretty sure you don't have a line that kills me before I can recur one piece of removal. If you try to hold Geist and Avacyn til you have 8 mana, I just keep playing to kill you and don't mind taking 10 on the turn your stuff is indestructible. 3-3.
2 HerziQuerzi : Memory Lane
Insolent Neonate / Invisible Stalker / Blessings of Nature / Memory's Journey
It's really sad that I don't beat you, since you're running the two things my deck looks decent against - hexproof and library recursion. But even on my play you can hold Stalker until you can hardcast Blessings with it on turn 7, and then before I can kill it t11, you can upkeep Journey, I Cellar, you flashback Journey and miracle Blessing #2, which wins it for you easily. 0-6.
3 Mogg : There Are Wrong Answers
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Garruk Relentless / Geist of Saint Traft / Sigarda, Host of Herons
0-6.
4 nerdyjoe : muh metagame
Declaration in stone / Arlinn Kord / Descent into Madness / Mayor of Avabruck
7 Reyemile : mayoral control
Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Angelic Purge / Dissipate
You can either exile Bonfire or Seasons Past, and either way I can't win but you can also never get a token: if you play both mayors turn 7 and counter bonfire, I Anguish one on your turn and Season's Past on my turn, so it doesn't flip. 2-2.
8 SeeNamedPerson : shes a witch!
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Lingering Souls / Increasing Devotion / Burn at the Stake
agree with 0-6.
9 tidalslimshady : the undead horde
Call the bloodline / Sanitarium Skeleton / Anguished unmaking / Frightful delusion
6-0.
10 tomsloger : mayoral mayoralities
Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck
You on the play:
2: Mayor
2: Cellar
3: Nothing
3: Anguished (17)
4: Mayor
4: Bonfire
5: Mayor Mayor
5:
6: swing 8, 2 tokens
6: Seasons Past both
7: I lose. Ok, so going back to turn 4:
4: Mayor
4: Nothing
5: Swing 3, token. No reason to Mayor, as I'll have bonfire again by 7 if I use it.
5: Nothing
6: Swing 6 (8) token. Mayor.
6: Season's past.
7: Die
Ok so let's try going back to turn 2:
2: Mayor
2: Nothing
3: Swing (17), token
3: Anguished (14)
4: Mayor, swing (12)
4: Bonfire
5: Swing (10), Mayor
5: Cellar
6: Swing (7)
6: Seasons Past
7: Swing (1), 2nd token
7: Bonfire clear
8: Mayor
8: Seasons & Die :/
But I should get you this way on my play for sure. 3-3.
1: 4: Sigarda kills Arlinn and can block everything. Playing first, it's fast enough to race.
2: 3: We both win t5.
4: 6: Per nerdyjoe's analysis.
5: 6: Bonfire is slow.
6: 4: Race playing first; playing second, one geist swing equals two Thunderbolts.
7: 3: My curve applies too much pressure playing first; playing second, Mayor – with Dissipate for Garruk – is good enough.
8: 0: This hand is great.
9: 6: Too much pressure from Geist, and I keep Garruk in hand so Sigarda won't be discarded to Delusion.
0: 6: Geist plus Geist tokens hit for at least ten damage, Garruk at least kills one Mayor, and Sigarda finishes the job.
1: 6: Fateful hour is relevant here. Liliana makes me sacrifice Pilgrim, then Geist trades with two tokens and Liliana. I can attack WW to five, but Fateful hour gives WW 11 tokens when I'm on 10 life. Playing first, my Sigarda is a bit too fast. EDIT: I can win if I sacrifice Geist instead of Pilgrim:
Shouldn't have played such a complicated deck
I was trying to find a PW which also triggers Avacyn, but then Arlinn was disappointing.
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
3| X 3 1 2 3 6 3 0 6 3 6 | 36 |
vs 2: 3-3 On draw I lost to T5 goldfish, on play T3 Geist T4 Arlinn make a token, if he attacks me he lose the race, if he doesn't I play T5 Avacyn and beat him out.
vs 3: 1-4 Mirror match except he is one turn faster.
vs 4: 2-2 I don't think I can kill fast enough.
vs 5: 3-3
vs 6: 6-0 I can either self damage or Unmaking your win condition.
vs 7: 3-3 I guess, on draw I obviously lose, on play I will T3 Geist into T4 Unmaking->Dissipate and then your purge can't remove my PW
vs 8: 0-6
vs 9: 6-0.
vs 10: 3-3
vs 11: 6-0, Arlinn wins the PW grind
2-6: 0: Trisk is faster, and HQ can spend a turn gaining life to avoid death to Tridekaphobia, since Stalker hits in large increments.
2-7: 3: Reyemile playing second, Dissipate on Stalker only buys a turn, which isn't enough.
2-9: 6: Totally non-interactive.
2-0: 6: Also non-interactive.
4-7: 3: This match hinges on whether Reyemile can Dissipate Arlinn. Playing first, Reyemile can deal with the early threat of Mayor, then counter Arlinn and make enough tokens for Mayor to survive Descent.
4-9: 0: Arlinn needs to ultimate at some point to keep pace with Call, and that isn't feasible.
4-0: 0: Two Mayors is enough to force a Declaration, and there are two more after that.
6-7: 1: Reyemile holds Dissipate for the second Bolt and swings with Mayor at opportune times (1 damage and 3 damage and trisk life loss).
6-9: 0: Triskaidekaphobia is Unmade.
6-0: 6: Trisk makes everyone lose 1 life, and Pilgrim blocks the second hit from Mayor
7-9: 6: Double Mayor is too much pressure.
7-0: 1: In order to make Dissipate do anything, Reyemile passes first without casting anything. Tom gets to make tokens and then transforms all of the Mayors back by casting two Mayors (one gets Dissipated). Reyemile Purges a Mayor, then Tom passes without casting anything, and Reyemile gets to make tokens first. Although Tom is continuously half-a-turn ahead in terms of tokens, it doesn't matter because he can't leverage them into extra unblocked creatures. When Tom starts, he wins, because Reyemile can't afford to hold back his second Mayor to leave up Dissipate.
9-0: 0: Too many Mayors.
Disputes:
2-4: NJ has this as 3-3. I have it as 6-0 for HQ. I think NJ's goldfish line misses that journey + blessing re-flips Mayor.
2-6: NJ has this as 3-3. I have it as 4-1 to piato. piato saves the second bolt to use in response to the lethal Trisk trigger.
vs. 07 Reyemile: Dissipate stops constant reshuffling, but then can't stop Liliana from eating stuff. 6-0
On the play I just Dissipate Liliana. 3-3
If Liliana is dissipated, I can force-unflip Mayors (/prevent flip) and generate a ton of tokens on the ground, because my reshuffle cards can target each other.
vs. 07 Reyemile: Dissipate stops constant reshuffling, but then can't stop Liliana from eating stuff. 6-0
On the play I just Dissipate Liliana. 3-3
If Liliana is dissipated, I can force-unflip Mayors (/prevent flip) and generate a ton of tokens on the ground, because my reshuffle cards can target each other.
but you can only do this every other turn, since you're shuffling in two cards but drawing one per turn. On the alternate turns, my mayors flip and I get guys. 2 wolves per two turns easily beats 2 humans per 2 turns
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
4CH Innistrad Plane
Deck Size: 4
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule
Additional Banned list: remember to check the land rule banlist oh wait theres nothing on there from innistrad.
Commentary
ive played quite a lot of both of these blocks in limited, but very little in PHM (except, of course, chalice of life)
but it doesnt seem quite as good without workshop.
Entries
1Charlie : power
Geist of Saint Traft / Archangel Avacyn / Anguished Unmaking / Arlinn Kord
an excellent first entry. cant go wrong with powerful cards
2HerziQuerzi : Memory Lane
Insolent Neonate / Invisible Stalker / Blessings of Nature / Memory's Journey
i dont totally know how this works, but 5/5 stalker seems good
3Mogg : There Are Wrong Answers
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Garruk Relentless / Geist of Saint Traft / Sigarda, Host of Herons
a very hard to answer deck.
4nerdyjoe : muh metagame
Declaration in stone / Arlinn Kord / Descent into Madness / Mayor of Avabruck
oh good. 3 decks without mayor had me worried
5Personman : shelter
Anguished Unmaking / Bonfire of the Damned / Seasons Past / Cellar Door
this deck reads like freeverse poetry. i dig it.
6piato : triskets
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Thunderbolt / Thunderbolt / Triskaidekaphobia
well im rooting for you.
7Reyemile : mayoral control
Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Angelic Purge / Dissipate
this deck is at least half amazing.
8SeeNamedPerson : shes a witch!
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Lingering Souls / Increasing Devotion / Burn at the Stake
burn at the stake is a great wincon, but so is lingering souls.
9tidalslimshady : the undead horde
Call the bloodline / Sanitarium Skeleton / Anguished unmaking / Frightful delusion
i loved this synergy in soi limited. should be good here too.
10tomsloger : mayoral mayoralities
Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck
[cackles evilly]
11WhammeWhamme : long forgotten gatherings
Memory's Journey / Memory's Journey / Gather the Townsfolk / Liliana of the Veil
thats a lot of tokens
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
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
Battlecruisers
3 card Land rule.
Every card submitted must have a cmc of 5 or more. No lands, no leylines, just big old fashioned battlecruisers.
The things that get around the rule (Chancellor of the Forge, Assault // Battery, big morphs) don't kill in time for turn 5 to roll around.
Only cards printed in the pre modern border are legal
Learn To Read
Submit a 2-card hand and a 2-card ordered library.
Skip your draw step.
Land rule.
Dream Halls
I remember this format being really fun and ridiculous way back in the day. Let's do it again.
(5 cards, you may discard a card that shares a color with a spell instead of paying its casting cost.)
It was - do note that it had an extensive banned list that probably deserves review.
From the repository, here are all of the times Dream Halls has been played prior to PHML:
Versions:
3CHX LF No Bans/Dream Halls (1,2)
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
also, if anyone else would be able to post rounds for awhile, summer is my busy time and id appreciate it.
if interested, PM me and i can get you access to the PHM account.
sorry for the delay
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
Declaration in stone / Arlinn Kord / Descent into Madness / Mayor of Avabruck
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | PT | Points
4 | 2 3 0 X 0 3
My goldfish: T2 Mayor T3 take off to flip mayor T4 Arlinn make a wolf mayor makes a wolf T5 Arlin plus, swing for 12 T6 Arlinn plus, swing lethal.
When I'm on the play, this lines up with a win for me. When I'm on the draw, taking a turn off to flip mayor turns into you casting two spells, which means I don't get in enough power to race. So I'm calling this one 3-3.
T1: Plains / Forest Pilgrim
T2: Forest Mayor / Island Geist
T3: Mountain Declaration / Plains Geist swing for 6
T4: Swamp Arlinn 2xwolf / Forest Garuk trades with mayor Geist trades with a wolf, token kills arlinn
T5: Swamp Descent, swing with token for 2 / Plains Sigaurda
T6: exile a land apiece, Swamp / Plains Siguarda swing for 5
T7: exile: 3 lands apiece, Swamp / Plains Siguarda swing for 5
T8: exile: 6 lands apiece, swamp / Plains Siguarda swing for lethal
On the draw is worse, so 0-6.
On the draw:
T1: Plains / Forest
T2: Swamp Cellar Door / Mountain Mayor
T3: Mountain bonfire / Swamp
T4: Forest / Swamp Arlinn Wolf
T5: Forest Unmake arlinn / Swamp Descent Swing 2
T6: Forest Seasons Past / Exile:1 land each Swamp swing 2
T7: Forest Unmake Descent / swing 2
T8: bonfire for 2 cleans the way for repeated return/burn.
On the play:
T1: Forest / Swamp
T2: Mountain mayor / Plains Cellar Door
T3: Swamp swing 1 / Mountain Unmake Mayor (20:16)
T4: swamp arlinn 0 / Forest (20:16)
T5: swamp descent arlin +1 swing 3 / Mountain Bonfire for 2 redirect to arlinn (20:13)
T6: exile declaration/door swamp arlinn -1/ Forest Seasons past (20:10)
T7: exile 2 lands each swamp arlin 0 / Forest and bonfire for 2 takes care of arlinn and wolf
T8: exile 3 lands each swamp / Forest unmake descent
now repeated bonfires gets there
Arlinn can bolt me, so that's a thing.
On the play:
T1: Forest / Forest Pilgrim
T2: Plains Declaration / Mountain Bolt (17:20)
T3: Mountain Mayor / Swamp Bolt (14:20)
T4: Swamp Arlinn 0 swing 1 / Swamp Trisk (14:19)
T5: Swamp Descent Arlinn +1 swing 5 / swamp minus trisk (13:13)
T6: exile land/clue swamp arlinn -1 me / upkeep lose
On the draw:
T1: Forest Pilgrim / Forest
T2: Mountain bolt swing 1 / plains declaration (16:20)
T3: Mountain bolt / mountain mayor (13:20)
T4: Swamp Trisk / swamp arlinn swing 1 (13:19)
T5: upkeep win
3-3
Here's hoping that declaration does work.
On the play:
T1: Forest / Forest
T2: Plains / Island Mayor
T3: Mountain Mayor / Island (don't play mayor, declartion blows out. Don't purge, leaves things going poorly)
T4: mayors transform Swamp Arlinn Countered get a wolf / Mayors transform Plains Purge mayor
T5: swamp descent / Plains
T6: exile 1 land each swamp declaration mayor swing 2 / plains mayor (20:18)
T7: exile 2 land/landclue swamp swing 2 / mayor flips plains swing 3 make a wolf (17:16)
T8: boardstate after exile: Forest Wolf Descent / Forest Mayor Wolf
this leads to you ending up with just a mayor in your next upkeep, so you'd win this line. I'm sure there are others.
1- mountain, neonate
2- island, stalker, swing for 1
3- forest, sac neonate, discard blessings, journey in response to draw, draw, miracle, swing for 5
4- swing for 5, journey blessings into deck
5- draw blessings, miracle, swing for 9 and game
vs. 01 Charlie: ...my brain hurts. I think OTP helps but bleh. 0-6
vs. 02 HerziQuerzi: Liliana can kill Stalker. 6-0
vs. 03 Mogg: Sigarda, dang. 0-6
vs. 04 nerdyjoe: Liliana is pretty good. Kills Mayors, discards cards. 6-0
vs. 05 Personman: ...wow, his deck be complicated. Basically, I have to race him with tokens, while getting Bonfired.
Oh, and Cellar Door mills me FTL. 0-6
vs. 06 piato: Liliana does make piato discard at least a Thunderbolt, tokens make life harder. Think I got it? 6-0
vs. 07 Reyemile: Dissipate stops constant reshuffling, but then can't stop Liliana from eating stuff. 6-0
vs. 08 SeeNamedPerson: Nope. 0-6
vs. 09 tidalslimshady: I make more tokens. Inevitability. 6-0
vs. 10 tomsloger: I'm saying this splits because see below for my brain melting. 3-3
breakdown:
Tom1: Land
WW1: Land
T2: Land, Mayor
W2: Land, tokens
T3: Land, Mayor (skipping a Mayor is pointless)
W3: Land, Liliana, kill Mayor (can't flip)
T4: Mayor, Mayor.
W4: Reshuffle tokens for the NOT LOSING
T5: Swing for 9
W5: (Mayors flip) tokens and reshuffle
T6: (Mayors unflip) Can swing, but loses a Mayor (4 tokens)
If Liliana is dissipated, I can force-unflip Mayors (/prevent flip) and generate a ton of tokens on the ground, because my reshuffle cards can target each other.
Anguished Unmaking / Bonfire of the Damned / Seasons Past / Cellar Door
1 Charlie : power
Geist of Saint Traft / Archangel Avacyn / Anguished Unmaking / Arlinn Kord
On your play you get me for sure, because you can save Geist from t5 Bonfire with Avacyn. On my play you can't, and I'm pretty sure you don't have a line that kills me before I can recur one piece of removal. If you try to hold Geist and Avacyn til you have 8 mana, I just keep playing to kill you and don't mind taking 10 on the turn your stuff is indestructible. 3-3.
2 HerziQuerzi : Memory Lane
Insolent Neonate / Invisible Stalker / Blessings of Nature / Memory's Journey
It's really sad that I don't beat you, since you're running the two things my deck looks decent against - hexproof and library recursion. But even on my play you can hold Stalker until you can hardcast Blessings with it on turn 7, and then before I can kill it t11, you can upkeep Journey, I Cellar, you flashback Journey and miracle Blessing #2, which wins it for you easily. 0-6.
3 Mogg : There Are Wrong Answers
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Garruk Relentless / Geist of Saint Traft / Sigarda, Host of Herons
0-6.
4 nerdyjoe : muh metagame
Declaration in stone / Arlinn Kord / Descent into Madness / Mayor of Avabruck
agree with 6-0.
6 piato : triskets
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Thunderbolt / Thunderbolt / Triskaidekaphobia
It Anguishes me greatly to say that I 6-0 you.
7 Reyemile : mayoral control
Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Angelic Purge / Dissipate
You can either exile Bonfire or Seasons Past, and either way I can't win but you can also never get a token: if you play both mayors turn 7 and counter bonfire, I Anguish one on your turn and Season's Past on my turn, so it doesn't flip. 2-2.
8 SeeNamedPerson : shes a witch!
Avacyn's Pilgrim / Lingering Souls / Increasing Devotion / Burn at the Stake
agree with 0-6.
9 tidalslimshady : the undead horde
Call the bloodline / Sanitarium Skeleton / Anguished unmaking / Frightful delusion
6-0.
10 tomsloger : mayoral mayoralities
Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck / Mayor of Avabruck
You on the play:
2: Mayor
2: Cellar
3: Nothing
3: Anguished (17)
4: Mayor
4: Bonfire
5: Mayor Mayor
5:
6: swing 8, 2 tokens
6: Seasons Past both
7: I lose. Ok, so going back to turn 4:
4: Mayor
4: Nothing
5: Swing 3, token. No reason to Mayor, as I'll have bonfire again by 7 if I use it.
5: Nothing
6: Swing 6 (8) token. Mayor.
6: Season's past.
7: Die
Ok so let's try going back to turn 2:
2: Mayor
2: Nothing
3: Swing (17), token
3: Anguished (14)
4: Mayor, swing (12)
4: Bonfire
5: Swing (10), Mayor
5: Cellar
6: Swing (7)
6: Seasons Past
7: Swing (1), 2nd token
7: Bonfire clear
8: Mayor
8: Seasons & Die :/
But I should get you this way on my play for sure. 3-3.
2: Mayor
2: Cellar
3: Swing (19)
3: Nothing
4: Swing (16), token
4: Nothing
5: Swing (10), 2 tokens
11 WhammeWhamme : long forgotten gatherings
Memory's Journey / Memory's Journey / Gather the Townsfolk / Liliana of the Veil
agree with 6-0.
5 | 3 0 0 6 X 6 2 0 6 3 6 | 30
3| 4 3 X 6 6 4 3 0 6 6 6 | 42 | 420
1: 4: Sigarda kills Arlinn and can block everything. Playing first, it's fast enough to race.
2: 3: We both win t5.
4: 6: Per nerdyjoe's analysis.
5: 6: Bonfire is slow.
6: 4: Race playing first; playing second, one geist swing equals two Thunderbolts.
7: 3: My curve applies too much pressure playing first; playing second, Mayor – with Dissipate for Garruk – is good enough.
8: 0: This hand is great.
9: 6: Too much pressure from Geist, and I keep Garruk in hand so Sigarda won't be discarded to Delusion.
0: 6: Geist plus Geist tokens hit for at least ten damage, Garruk at least kills one Mayor, and Sigarda finishes the job.
1: 6:
Fateful hour is relevant here. Liliana makes me sacrifice Pilgrim, then Geist trades with two tokens and Liliana. I can attack WW to five, but Fateful hour gives WW 11 tokens when I'm on 10 life. Playing first, my Sigarda is a bit too fast.EDIT: I can win if I sacrifice Geist instead of Pilgrim:m: 1, pilgrim
w: 2, 2 1/1
m: 2, geist
w: 3, liliana (sacrifice geist), attack with one token
m: 19, 4
w: 4, journey, 4 1/1, discard (garruk / journey)
m: 14, 4, sigarda
w: flashback journey, gather, 6 1/1
m: attack
w: 15, flashback journey, , gather, 8 1/1, attack (pilgrim trades with token), 7 1/1
m: 15
w: 10
m: 8
w: 5
m: 1
w: 0
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
I was trying to find a PW which also triggers Avacyn, but then Arlinn was disappointing.
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
3| X 3 1 2 3 6 3 0 6 3 6 | 36 |
vs 2: 3-3 On draw I lost to T5 goldfish, on play T3 Geist T4 Arlinn make a token, if he attacks me he lose the race, if he doesn't I play T5 Avacyn and beat him out.
vs 3: 1-4 Mirror match except he is one turn faster.
vs 4: 2-2 I don't think I can kill fast enough.
vs 5: 3-3
vs 6: 6-0 I can either self damage or Unmaking your win condition.
vs 7: 3-3 I guess, on draw I obviously lose, on play I will T3 Geist into T4 Unmaking->Dissipate and then your purge can't remove my PW
vs 8: 0-6
vs 9: 6-0.
vs 10: 3-3
vs 11: 6-0, Arlinn wins the PW grind
1| X 3 1 2 3 6 3 0 6 3 6 | 29 | 290
2| 3 X 3 6 6 0 3 3 6 6 0 | 32 | 320
3| 4 3 X 6 6 4 3 0 6 6 6 | 42 | 420
4| 2 0 0 X 0 1 3 3 0 0 0 | 07 | 070
5| 3 0 0 6 X 6 2 0 6 3 6 | 30 | 300
6| 0 6 1 4 0 X 1 1 0 6 1 | 20 | 200
7| 3 3 3 3 2 4 X 6 6 0 0 | 26 | 260
8| 6 3 6 3 6 4 0 X 6 6 6 | 44 | 440
9| 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 0 X 0 0 | 12 | 120
0| 3 0 0 6 3 0 6 0 6 X 3 | 24 | 240
1| 0 6 0 6 0 4 6 0 6 3 X | 30 | 300
2-6: 0: Trisk is faster, and HQ can spend a turn gaining life to avoid death to Tridekaphobia, since Stalker hits in large increments.
2-7: 3: Reyemile playing second, Dissipate on Stalker only buys a turn, which isn't enough.
2-9: 6: Totally non-interactive.
2-0: 6: Also non-interactive.
4-7: 3: This match hinges on whether Reyemile can Dissipate Arlinn. Playing first, Reyemile can deal with the early threat of Mayor, then counter Arlinn and make enough tokens for Mayor to survive Descent.
4-9: 0: Arlinn needs to ultimate at some point to keep pace with Call, and that isn't feasible.
4-0: 0: Two Mayors is enough to force a Declaration, and there are two more after that.
6-7: 1: Reyemile holds Dissipate for the second Bolt and swings with Mayor at opportune times (1 damage and 3 damage and trisk life loss).
6-9: 0: Triskaidekaphobia is Unmade.
6-0: 6: Trisk makes everyone lose 1 life, and Pilgrim blocks the second hit from Mayor
7-9: 6: Double Mayor is too much pressure.
7-0: 1: In order to make Dissipate do anything, Reyemile passes first without casting anything. Tom gets to make tokens and then transforms all of the Mayors back by casting two Mayors (one gets Dissipated). Reyemile Purges a Mayor, then Tom passes without casting anything, and Reyemile gets to make tokens first. Although Tom is continuously half-a-turn ahead in terms of tokens, it doesn't matter because he can't leverage them into extra unblocked creatures. When Tom starts, he wins, because Reyemile can't afford to hold back his second Mayor to leave up Dissipate.
9-0: 0: Too many Mayors.
Disputes:
2-4: NJ has this as 3-3. I have it as 6-0 for HQ. I think NJ's goldfish line misses that journey + blessing re-flips Mayor.
2-6: NJ has this as 3-3. I have it as 4-1 to piato. piato saves the second bolt to use in response to the lethal Trisk trigger.
SeeNamedPerson wins the round.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Mogg600 500 560 420 | 2080
WhammeWhamme489 100 320 300 | 1209
HerziQuerzi289 267 240 320 | 1116
SeeNamedPerson156 350 080 440 | 1026
tomsloger289 000 240 240 | 0769
nerdyjoe156 233 080 070 | 0539
PersonmanXXX XXX 230 300 | 0530
ArtscrafterXXX XXX 520 XXX | 0520
ReyemileXXX XXX 260 260 | 0520
tidalslimshady378 XXX XXX 120 | 0498
Feyd_RuinXXX 467 XXX XXX | 0467
AvatarDylaang356 XXX XXX XXX | 0356
piato156 XXX XXX 200 | 0356
psly4mneXXX XXX 320 XXX | 0320
CharlieXXX XXX XXX 290 | 0290
xStormaggedonx000 XXX 180 XXX | 0180
Mogg wins PHML 44 with an average score of 520.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy