4CB Xathrid Curse
Each player begins the game with an emblem that has "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 7 life."
Deck Size: 4 Land Rule: None Additional Banned list: Leyline of Punishment (Please be sure to review the regular ban list and the land rule ban list at the end of this post)
Commentary
Lifegain or very precise triggers/tapland control seems like a good way to play this round. We'll see what comes out on top!
Mogg vs psly4mne when psly4mne is on the play is probably my favorite game in a long time.
2Feyd_Ruin : Shot in the Dark Chancellor of the Dross / Foil / Island / Sea's Claim
The Sea's Claim looks like a great fun-of, but you are relying on the emblem to do all your work.
4InfiniteNutshell : On the doorstep Death's Shadow / Daze / Stifle / Watery Grave
Stifle can either be gain 7 life, or prevent an opponent from winning. Death's Shadow is the right amount of slow, but potentially vulnerable.
How to Enter
Anyone is free to enter the Perfect Hand Magic League. To enter, simply send a private message (PM) to the user PerfectHandMagic with your deck submission. The standard rules of the format are explained below in the click-able spoilers. If you get stuck or need some advice, please don't hesitate to speak up on this thread or send a private message to user PerfectHandMagic for tips and tutorials. Decks are commonly submitted as:
Card 1 / Card 2 / Card 3
(eg. for a 3 card format)
Please submit your hand by 00:00 GMT Tuesday July 5.
You Make the Format
In PHM we vote on the formats YOU want to play! Submit your ideas for formats into the thread below, and they will be added to the vote for next week's format selection.
Contents
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Deck Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
6. Scoring
7. Variant Format Rules
1. Overview
Perfect Hand Magic (PHM) is a competitive strategy game for two or more players. It can be played using pencil and paper; however, it's most commonly played via online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form that player's hand. Once all players have chosen hands, the hands are revealed and scored.
The object of the game is to choose the hand that will score the most points. The score for each hand is determined by the result that it would achieve if it were used to play two games of Magic – one match – against each competing hand; the rules for these theoretical games are covered in Section 2 – Game Rules. During each theoretical game, the theoretical player of each hand employs the strategy that will maximize the score for his or her hand, taking into account the strategy of his or her opponent.
A hand scores 3 points for each game that it would win, 0 points for each game it would lose, and 1 point for each game that would end in a draw. However, a hand scores only 2 points for any match that would have a symmetrical result, regardless of whether the result would be two drawn games or a win for each hand.
The composition of a hand is limited only by a short banned list and a few restrictions on the game states that it can enable; these restrictions are covered in Section 3 – Deck Composition.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
2.1a. Changes to the Comprehensive Rules or the Oracle text of a card take effect at the following times:
i. Changes that would take effect during the prerelease for a set take effect during the first round for which cards from that set may be submitted instead.
ii. Changes that would take effect at any other time take effect during the first round for which those rules have been in effect since the start of the round instead.
2.1b. Ignore any part of an instruction that isn't covered by these rules or the rules of Magic.
2.2. A player's opening hand contains that player's chosen cards.
2.3. Players' libraries begin the game empty.
2.3a. A player doesn't lose the game as a result of being unable to draw a card.
2.4. A cost or effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits the player who paid that cost or the owner of the source of that effect instead.
2.5. Each player is the starting player for one game in each match.
2.6. Players know the identities of all face-down cards and cards in hidden zones, and players know which decisions have been made by other players.
2.7. If a game would continue indefinitely, then the game is a draw.
2.8. If a loop containing at least one optional action would be repeated indefinitely during a turn, then any player may propose a number of times for that loop to repeat instead. If a player does, then each other player may propose a different number and the loop is repeated for the greatest number of times proposed instead. No player is required to make a choice that would end a loop that crosses multiple turns.
2.9. Cards can't be brought into the game from outside the game.
3. Hand Construction Rules
3.1. A player may not choose an opening hand that could enable that player to achieve any of the following results before an opponent's second turn would begin, such that that opponent could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in at least one of these results:
i. win the game
ii. take an infinite number of turns
iii. cause a card to leave an opponent's hand.
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.1a. That player's hand would be legal if that player's opponents' cards had no rules text.
3.1b. That player's hand would be legal if that player's opponents had no maximum hand size.
3.1c. That player could achieve one of these results only during a game that was restarted after an opponent's second turn had begun.
3.1d. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be put onto the battlefield by that effect.
3.1e. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be in that opponent's hand once that effect resolved.
3.2. A hand may contain any number of copies of any card legal in Vintage.
3.2a. An unreleased card is treated as though it's legal in Vintage if it will become legal in Vintage upon release and if the release notes for the set that contains that card were published prior to the start of the round (See rule 4.1).
3.3. A hand may not contain any cards on the PHM Banned List.
4. Entry
4.1. A player plays a round of PHM by submitting a list of his or her chosen cards to the PHM moderator.
4.2. A player may change his or her hand until the posted deadline.
4.2a. If a player submits an illegal hand, then the moderator will try to notify that player to change his or her hand prior to the deadline. If the hand is discovered to be illegal after the deadline – or if the player does not submit a new hand – then the moderator may either disqualify that hand or replace it with a similar hand, in which any cards causing that hand to be illegal have been removed or replaced.
4.2b. The moderator also will try to notify a player if that player's hand doesn't enable that player to win the game against any possible hand.
4.3. A player may name his or her hand. If that player doesn't, then the PHM moderator may name it. The PHM moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
5.1. PHM League play consists of four rounds of PHM.
5.2. Each round, a player earns League points according to the following formula:
League Points = Points Scored / Number of Opponents x 100 (rounded to the nearest integer)
5.3. The player with the most League points at the end of League play is the PHM League winner.
5.3a. If multiple players have the most League points at the end of the League, then the PHM moderator may allow those players to play additional rounds until only one of those players has the most League points or until a specified number of additional rounds have been played.
6. Scoring
6.1. A table of match results is posted at the end of each round. Each row lists one player's results against each other player. A player's points and League points are tallied at the end of his or her row.
6.2. A player may earn bonus League points as specified by the PHM moderator.
6.3. Each player is responsible for determining the match results for his or her hand.
6.3a. Players are encouraged to determine or verify additional match results.
6.3b. An undetermined match result is counted as a loss for both players in that match.
6.3c. A player may challenge any result until the moderator announces that the result is final.
7. Variant Format Rules
7.1. Perfect Hand Magic has been played with hands containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Deck Construction Rules have been adapted to create hundreds of variant formats. Five commonly-played variants are described in Sections 7.3-7.7.
7.2. The rules of a variant format overwrite any other applicable rules.
7.2a. Some variant formats generate continuous effects. A continuous effect generated by a variant format is treated as having the earliest timestamp within a layer or sublayer. If continuous effects generated by multiple variant formats would apply in the same layer or sublayer, assign timestamps to those effects in the order that the variant formats are listed in the rules or name of the round.
7.2b. Some variant formats require a player to make some number of decisions in addition to or instead of submitting a hand. A player's submission must comply with the Hand Construction Rules, taking into account any decisions made at this time.
7.2c. Some variant formats require players to make decisions "before the start of each game". For these decisions, follow the "Active Player, Nonactive Player order" rule, replacing "active player" with "starting player".
7.3. Land Rule Variant.
7.3a. This is the basic land rule (LR). Any player may play a basic land or basic snow land of the subtype of his or her choice from outside the game any time he or she could normally play a land. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.3b. This is the extra land rule (ELR). Any player may play a basic land or basic snow land of the subtype of his or her choice from outside the game any time he or she could normally play a land. Any player may play an additional land on each of his or her turns from his or her hand. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.3c. This is the draw land rule (DLR). If a player would draw a card from an empty library, that player puts a basic land or basic snow land card of the subtype of his or her choice from outside the game into his or her hand instead. The starting player doesn't skip the draw step of his or her first turn. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.4a. 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.
My apologies on the poll that was supposed to happen over the weekend. We'll do that this weekend, and then we'll be on the new schedule. Hands for last week will be posted within 2 hours of this post.
5CB, no land rule.
Prevent all noncombat damage. If a creature would deal combat damage, prevent all but one of that damage.
EDIT: The round rule has changed slightly. I was having difficulty coming up with a non-clunky way to have damage prevented in combat. This is fixed now, and leyline of punishment is extra banned. Various other Rakdosy things seem fair. Everlasting Torment is the card most like it, but the investment in cards/time to get it into play seems like a fair tradeoff for the effect, when lifeloss is still perfectly viable.
Banlist discussions, anything else people want to add before the round is put up, you should do that now in this thread. In addition, there is a new poll for next next week's format.
To reiterate my thought from the thread where I proposed Slap Fight: Leyline of Punishment seems like too easy a way around the round rule, but all the other cards that make damage unpreventable seem fine. But I haven't thought much yet about what might actually be good in this format so I'm open to all opinions about banned lists.
To reiterate my thought from the thread where I proposed Slap Fight: Leyline of Punishment seems like too easy a way around the round rule, but all the other cards that make damage unpreventable seem fine. But I haven't thought much yet about what might actually be good in this format so I'm open to all opinions about banned lists.
Round rules aren't "preventing" damage, so Leyline does nothing.
1. 6-0: Foil Groundbreaker/Offering. You die upkeep third, before you cast the other.
2. xxx
3. 0-6: I can foil Immortality, but then Mirror wins it.
4. 0-6: Daze stops foil. Shadow/Stifle races.
5. 0-6: Nevermore->Foil Forces a bad foil. Chronatog wins.
6. 6-0. Foil Blood.
7. 6-0. Foil Lotus.
8. 0-6. Can't stop the Sundial.
9. 6-0. Foil Sol Ring.
vs. 01 BronYAur: ...stupid Misstep. 0-6
vs. 02 Feyd_Ruin: ...stupid Foil. Seeing a deck design flaw here. 0-6
vs. 03 HeziQuerzi: Effectively a Mirror Match. 2-2
vs. 04 InfiniteNutshell: ...stupid Daze. 3-3
vs. 05 Mogg: Eater of Days works OTP I think, as 'tog is once per turn. 3-3
vs. 06 nerdyjoe: Eater makes him take 3 turns in a row. 6-0
vs. 07 Personman: Mirror grinds through unbound life. 6-0
vs. 08 psly4mne: Mirror stalls it out. 2-2
7 Personmann : Haunted valley
Black Lotus / Nomads En-Kor / Daru Spiritualist / Diamond Valley
vs.
1. BronYAur : Life or Death
Black Lotus / Mental Misstep / Solemn Offering / Groundbreaker
I knew I was taking a big risk being vulnerable to Foil AND misstep.
On the play, I can block Groundbreaker to take only 5, but I'm on the play, so I lose anyway. 0-6
2. Feyd_Ruin : Shot in the Dark
Chancellor of the Dross / Foil / Island / Sea's Claim
See above. 0-6.
I very, very nearly submitted this deck, but with Nether Spirit over Claim. That would've gotten you a 3-3 vs. InfiniteNutshell at least.
3. HerziQuerzi : Never say Die
Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Elixir of Immortality / Lich's Mirror
What's better than gaining infinite life once? Gaining 5 life infinite times. 0-6.
4. InfiniteNutshell : On the doorstep
Death's Shadow / Daze / Stifle / Watery Grave
On the play I just win. On the draw I get Dazed. 3-3.
5. Mogg : You take the turns
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Chronatog / Nevermore
On the play I just win. On the draw a raven yells at me. 3-3.
6. nerdyjoe : The Mirror-Breaker
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Erase / Exquisite Blood
I'm not too sure what's going on with Erase here. Anyway, it would be a draw, but Nomads can attack. 6-0
8. psly4mne : Infinite wurms
City of Traitors / Sundial of the Infinite / Nourishing Shoal / Autochthon Wurm
Once again, Nomad beats to the rescue. 6-0.
9. WhammeWhamme : What drawback?
Eater of Days / Sol Ring / Mishra's Workshop / Lich's Mirror
My combo is real bad to Mirror. And not having a counterspell is real bad to Eater. 0-6.
10.Reyemile : Lifeline
Leyline of Sanctity / Chancellor of the Dross / Chancellor of the Dross / Soul Spike
10 Damage Is Not Enough. 6-0.
oh, right, that thing targets creatures. 0-6.
7 | 0 0 0 3 3 6 X 6 0 6 | 22
Turns out my decision to submit a fun combo over a boring Foil cost me 10 points :/
3v1 - Offering offs Mirror, and Misstep takes Elixir. 0-6
3v2 - I open with Mirror. If you counter, you lose the ability to cast Sea's Claim and I use Elixir and try again. 6-0
X
3v4 - On the play, I get Lich's Mirror down before you can Daze it, and on the draw you Daze it but then I can use Elixir to buy myself the extra turn I need after you Stifle the 7 life loss trigger. 6-0
3v5 - Nevermore shuts down my Mirror recursion. 0-6
3v6 - You have nothing to stop my Mirror, but I have nothing to stop your life gain. 2-2
3v7 - Infinite Mirror recursion beats unreasonably large (but ultimately finite) lifegain. 6-0
3v8 - Neither of us can die. 2-2
3v9 - I expected more than one Mirror mirror. 2-2
3v10 - Speeding up the clock doesn't stop my Lich's Mirror recursion. 6-0
Leyline of Sanctity / Chancellor of the Dross / Chancellor of the Dross / Soul Spike
Leyline was 100% useless this round, and I almost never needed the Soul Spike. I would have had the same clock with just two Chancellors; the other two cards should have been Foil/Island.
Vs 4 on the draw, I lead by going to 30 and putting him to 10 on the first upkeep. Then he goes to 3, then to 1 to play Shadow. I go to 23 on my upkeep. He stifles next upkeep to buy a turn, swinging for 12 and putting me to 11. Upkeep puts me to 4, hanging on by the skin of my teeth for the win. On the play, the line is the same except I'm 7 life behind so I lose.
Vs 7: I can kill Nomads or Spiritualist, whichever gets resolved first. it starts 26 to 17, because Soul Spike will target Spiritualist, which will be sacrificed to Diamond Valley in response. That's still enough life differential for me to win, play or draw.
Vs 9: Whamme can't play a T1 mirror, so he dies on his turn 2 upkeep. I can survive until my turn 5 upkeep since I start at 30 life, so even skipping two turns doesn't save him.
Most matches I win on the play by using Daze on a Lotus or a threat, then swinging with my 9/9 Death's Shadow on turn 2, and if needed, using Stifle on the emblem to live through turn 3. Most matches I lose on the draw because my opponent does all their relevant stuff turn 1, and I can't cast Daze until I drop Watery Grave.
Sadly, I didn't get to use Stifle as anything other than an Angel's Mercy for U.
Looks like there are a couple of disagreements here - can someone check my row? Thanks!
EDIT: Figured out why I lose to psly4mne on the play; updated the match description below.
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
4| 6 6 3 X 0 6 3 0 3 3
vs 1 BronYAur : Black Lotus / Mental Misstep / Solemn Offering / Groundbreaker
6-0: I let Death's Shadow get Misstep'd turn 1, then I can safely Stifle the emblem to stay alive longer
vs 2 Feyd_Ruin : Chancellor of the Dross / Foil / Island / Sea's Claim
6-0: Daze beats Foil and the drain 3 from the chancellor isn't enough to stop my gameplan
vs 3 HerziQuerzi : Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Elixir of Immortality / Lich's Mirror
3-3: I win on the play, since Lich's Mirror is vulnerable to Daze and 5 life from an Elixir activation isn't enough to hold out against Death's Shadow and Stifle. On the draw I can't stop the Mirror.
vs 4 InfiniteNutshell
x
vs 5 Mogg: Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Chronatog / Nevermore
0-6: I can't stop Mogg from dropping Chronatog, skipping turns, and blocking my Shadow.
vs 6 nerdyjoe : Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Erase / Exquisite Blood
6-0: On the play I Daze a Lotus and you're hozed. On the draw you cast Exquisite Blood on turn 1, but my beatdown is still fast enough to kill you.
vs 7 Personmann : Black Lotus / Nomads En-Kor / Daru Spiritualist / Diamond Valley
3-3: On your play, you gain 10000 or so life on turn 1. On my play I Daze the Lotus.
vs 8 psly4mne : City of Traitors / Sundial of the Infinite / Nourishing Shoal / Autochthon Wurm
3-3: I can deal with you gaining 15 life or shutting off your emblem indefinitely, but not both at once, so I win only on the play when I can Daze the Sundial.
CORRECRTION 0-6: If psly4mne waits until turn 2 to try to cast the Sundial, I can't Daze it or else I won't have mana to keep myself alive with Stifle. (I also can't Stifle my emblem preemptively on turn 2, because I'm relying on Death's Shadow becoming a 9/9.) Since they stop taking emblem hits once Sundial resolves, they just barely hold out, going down to 3 life before I die.
vs 9 WhammeWhamme : Eater of Days / Sol Ring / Mishra's Workshop / Lich's Mirror
3-3: More like Eater of Daze
vs 10 Reyemile : Leyline of Sanctity / Chancellor of the Dross / Chancellor of the Dross / Soul Spike
3-3: I win on the draw for a change!
Went over InfiniteNutshell's disagreements in person, here are our findings:
vs Mogg: Seems like you definitely 6-0. On your play you can skip two turns and Nevermore stifle and that's enough for sure. On InfiniteNutshell's play, they can either daze a lotus to prevent Nevermore or stifle a round rule trigger but not both (so it has to be the lotus, because otherwise Nevermore names Stifle), and can't stifle Chronatog at all before you skip two turns. The best line seems to be:
vs Reyemile: explanation looks right, but seems like you typo'd a 2 for a 3.
vs HerziQuerzi on the play is pretty interesting. If HQ ever resolves mirror, e wins, but Daze makes that tricky. However, forcing the Daze means InfiniteNutshell can't Stifle the round rule trigger the next turn, so at first it looks good for HQ. However, it turns out that a cool thing to do in the round that hurts you is hurt yourself even more:
Case 1:
1. Shadow, 11.
1. City, lotus, daze, pay, elixir, activate. 18.
2. replay land going to 2, swing for 11 to 7.
2. die
There are two other strategies HQ can consider:
2: Play Elixir t2 and activate it without lotus t2
3: Do nothing t1 to avoid Daze allowing a land replay, and try to prevent stifle by forcing daze t2
Case 2:
1. Shadow, 11.
1. City, Lotus, Daze, pay, elixir. 13.
2. 4, replay land, 2, swing for 11 to 2. Not Dazing to have stifle up isn't good since, e can't stifle the round rule this turn or Shadow wouldn't be big.
2. Activate in response to round rule trigger, gets stifled, or not, it only takes HQ to 7 anyway. Dead.
Case 3:
1. Shadow, 11.
1. Nothing, 13
2. 4, Attack for 9 to 4
2. Dead
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4CB Xathrid Curse
Each player begins the game with an emblem that has "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 7 life."
Deck Size: 4
Land Rule: None
Additional Banned list: Leyline of Punishment (Please be sure to review the regular ban list and the land rule ban list at the end of this post)
Commentary
Lifegain or very precise triggers/tapland control seems like a good way to play this round. We'll see what comes out on top!
Mogg vs psly4mne when psly4mne is on the play is probably my favorite game in a long time.
Submissions
1BronYAur : Life or Death
Black Lotus / Mental Misstep / Solemn Offering / Groundbreaker
This is a little bit narrow, but probably has enough power.
2Feyd_Ruin : Shot in the Dark
Chancellor of the Dross / Foil / Island / Sea's Claim
The Sea's Claim looks like a great fun-of, but you are relying on the emblem to do all your work.
3HerziQuerzi : Never say Die
Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Elixir of Immortality / Lich's Mirror
After the recent poor showing of Lich's Mirror, I look forward to this working quite well for you.
4InfiniteNutshell : On the doorstep
Death's Shadow / Daze / Stifle / Watery Grave
Stifle can either be gain 7 life, or prevent an opponent from winning. Death's Shadow is the right amount of slow, but potentially vulnerable.
5Mogg : You take the turns
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Chronatog / Nevermore
A great way to get under counterspells as well as dodging the lifeloss.
6nerdyjoe : The Mirror-Breaker
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Erase / Exquisite Blood
Probably too narrow of an answer, as it doesn't even break the mirror in the format.
7Personmann : Haunted valley
Black Lotus / Nomads En-Kor / Daru Spiritualist / Diamond Valley
As a one-off lifegain event, this seems narrow in it's scope, but maybe it's enough.
8psly4mne : Infinite wurms
City of Traitors / Sundial of the Infinite / Nourishing Shoal / Autochthon Wurm
Skipping your turn isn't so bad when you don't want to do anything during your turn. I wonder if this is enough.
9WhammeWhamme : What drawback?
Eater of Days / Sol Ring / Mishra's Workshop / Lich's Mirror
This is relatively fragile, but it has skipped turns and an insurance plan.
10Reyemile : Lifeline
Leyline of Sanctity / Chancellor of the Dross / Chancellor of the Dross / Soul Spike
Gaining lots of life and tossing out lifeloss is fun. It also puts quite the clock down.
How to Enter
Anyone is free to enter the Perfect Hand Magic League. To enter, simply send a private message (PM) to the user PerfectHandMagic with your deck submission. The standard rules of the format are explained below in the click-able spoilers. If you get stuck or need some advice, please don't hesitate to speak up on this thread or send a private message to user PerfectHandMagic for tips and tutorials. Decks are commonly submitted as:
Card 1 / Card 2 / Card 3
(eg. for a 3 card format)
Please submit your hand by 00:00 GMT Tuesday July 5.
You Make the Format
In PHM we vote on the formats YOU want to play! Submit your ideas for formats into the thread below, and they will be added to the vote for next week's format selection.
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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5CB, no land rule.
Prevent all noncombat damage. If a creature would deal combat damage, prevent all but one of that damage.
EDIT: The round rule has changed slightly. I was having difficulty coming up with a non-clunky way to have damage prevented in combat. This is fixed now, and leyline of punishment is extra banned. Various other Rakdosy things seem fair. Everlasting Torment is the card most like it, but the investment in cards/time to get it into play seems like a fair tradeoff for the effect, when lifeloss is still perfectly viable.
Banlist discussions, anything else people want to add before the round is put up, you should do that now in this thread. In addition, there is a new poll for next next week's format.
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2. xxx
3. 0-6: I can foil Immortality, but then Mirror wins it.
4. 0-6: Daze stops foil. Shadow/Stifle races.
5. 0-6: Nevermore->Foil Forces a bad foil. Chronatog wins.
6. 6-0. Foil Blood.
7. 6-0. Foil Lotus.
8. 0-6. Can't stop the Sundial.
9. 6-0. Foil Sol Ring.
2 | 6 X 0 0 0 6 6 0 6 | 24 | 300
No longer staff here.
2. 6-0: Sundial wins
3. 2-2: Sundial and Mirror deadlock
4. 6-0: Shoal wins
5. 1-4: On the play, Sundial and Chronatog deadlock
6. 6-0: Erase was an odd choice. Sundial wins.
7. 0-6: Nomad beatdown wins.
8. xxx
9. 0-6: Eater beatdown wins.
10. 6-0: Sundial wins
8 | 6 6 2 6 1 6 0 X 0 6 | 33 |
vs. 02 Feyd_Ruin: ...stupid Foil. Seeing a deck design flaw here. 0-6
vs. 03 HeziQuerzi: Effectively a Mirror Match. 2-2
vs. 04 InfiniteNutshell: ...stupid Daze. 3-3
vs. 05 Mogg: Eater of Days works OTP I think, as 'tog is once per turn. 3-3
vs. 06 nerdyjoe: Eater makes him take 3 turns in a row. 6-0
vs. 07 Personman: Mirror grinds through unbound life. 6-0
vs. 08 psly4mne: Mirror stalls it out. 2-2
9 | 0 0 2 2 2 6 6 2 X | 20 |
Black Lotus / Nomads En-Kor / Daru Spiritualist / Diamond Valley
vs.
Black Lotus / Mental Misstep / Solemn Offering / Groundbreaker
I knew I was taking a big risk being vulnerable to Foil AND misstep.
On the play, I can block Groundbreaker to take only 5, but I'm on the play, so I lose anyway. 0-6
2. Feyd_Ruin : Shot in the Dark
Chancellor of the Dross / Foil / Island / Sea's Claim
See above. 0-6.
I very, very nearly submitted this deck, but with Nether Spirit over Claim. That would've gotten you a 3-3 vs. InfiniteNutshell at least.
3. HerziQuerzi : Never say Die
Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Elixir of Immortality / Lich's Mirror
What's better than gaining infinite life once? Gaining 5 life infinite times. 0-6.
4. InfiniteNutshell : On the doorstep
Death's Shadow / Daze / Stifle / Watery Grave
On the play I just win. On the draw I get Dazed. 3-3.
5. Mogg : You take the turns
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Chronatog / Nevermore
On the play I just win. On the draw a raven yells at me. 3-3.
6. nerdyjoe : The Mirror-Breaker
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Erase / Exquisite Blood
I'm not too sure what's going on with Erase here. Anyway, it would be a draw, but Nomads can attack. 6-0
8. psly4mne : Infinite wurms
City of Traitors / Sundial of the Infinite / Nourishing Shoal / Autochthon Wurm
Once again, Nomad beats to the rescue. 6-0.
9. WhammeWhamme : What drawback?
Eater of Days / Sol Ring / Mishra's Workshop / Lich's Mirror
My combo is real bad to Mirror. And not having a counterspell is real bad to Eater. 0-6.
10.Reyemile : Lifeline
Leyline of Sanctity / Chancellor of the Dross / Chancellor of the Dross / Soul Spike
10 Damage Is Not Enough. 6-0.oh, right, that thing targets creatures. 0-6.
7 | 0 0 0 3 3 6 X 6 0 6 | 22
Turns out my decision to submit a fun combo over a boring Foil cost me 10 points :/
Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Elixir of Immortality / Lich's Mirror
3 | 0 6 X 6 0 2 6 2 2 6 | 30 | 333
3v2 - I open with Mirror. If you counter, you lose the ability to cast Sea's Claim and I use Elixir and try again. 6-0
X
3v4 - On the play, I get Lich's Mirror down before you can Daze it, and on the draw you Daze it but then I can use Elixir to buy myself the extra turn I need after you Stifle the 7 life loss trigger. 6-0
3v5 - Nevermore shuts down my Mirror recursion. 0-6
3v6 - You have nothing to stop my Mirror, but I have nothing to stop your life gain. 2-2
3v7 - Infinite Mirror recursion beats unreasonably large (but ultimately finite) lifegain. 6-0
3v8 - Neither of us can die. 2-2
3v9 - I expected more than one Mirror mirror. 2-2
3v10 - Speeding up the clock doesn't stop my Lich's Mirror recursion. 6-0
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Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Chronatog / Nevermore
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
5| 6 6 6 3 X 6 3 4 3 6 | 40 | 467
I agree with all of my matches that have been posted so far.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Leyline was 100% useless this round, and I almost never needed the Soul Spike. I would have had the same clock with just two Chancellors; the other two cards should have been Foil/Island.
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
0| 6 6 0 3 0 0 6 0 6 x | 26 | 288
Interesting matchups:
Vs 4 on the draw, I lead by going to 30 and putting him to 10 on the first upkeep. Then he goes to 3, then to 1 to play Shadow. I go to 23 on my upkeep. He stifles next upkeep to buy a turn, swinging for 12 and putting me to 11. Upkeep puts me to 4, hanging on by the skin of my teeth for the win. On the play, the line is the same except I'm 7 life behind so I lose.
Vs 7: I can kill Nomads or Spiritualist, whichever gets resolved first. it starts 26 to 17, because Soul Spike will target Spiritualist, which will be sacrificed to Diamond Valley in response. That's still enough life differential for me to win, play or draw.
Vs 9: Whamme can't play a T1 mirror, so he dies on his turn 2 upkeep. I can survive until my turn 5 upkeep since I start at 30 life, so even skipping two turns doesn't save him.
Most matches I win on the play by using Daze on a Lotus or a threat, then swinging with my 9/9 Death's Shadow on turn 2, and if needed, using Stifle on the emblem to live through turn 3. Most matches I lose on the draw because my opponent does all their relevant stuff turn 1, and I can't cast Daze until I drop Watery Grave.
Sadly, I didn't get to use Stifle as anything other than an Angel's Mercy for U.
Looks like there are a couple of disagreements here - can someone check my row? Thanks!
EDIT: Figured out why I lose to psly4mne on the play; updated the match description below.
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
4| 6 6 3 X 0 6 3 0 3 3
vs 1 BronYAur : Black Lotus / Mental Misstep / Solemn Offering / Groundbreaker
6-0: I let Death's Shadow get Misstep'd turn 1, then I can safely Stifle the emblem to stay alive longer
vs 2 Feyd_Ruin : Chancellor of the Dross / Foil / Island / Sea's Claim
6-0: Daze beats Foil and the drain 3 from the chancellor isn't enough to stop my gameplan
vs 3 HerziQuerzi : Black Lotus / City of Traitors / Elixir of Immortality / Lich's Mirror
3-3: I win on the play, since Lich's Mirror is vulnerable to Daze and 5 life from an Elixir activation isn't enough to hold out against Death's Shadow and Stifle. On the draw I can't stop the Mirror.
vs 4 InfiniteNutshell
x
vs 5 Mogg: Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Chronatog / Nevermore
0-6: I can't stop Mogg from dropping Chronatog, skipping turns, and blocking my Shadow.
vs 6 nerdyjoe : Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Erase / Exquisite Blood
6-0: On the play I Daze a Lotus and you're hozed. On the draw you cast Exquisite Blood on turn 1, but my beatdown is still fast enough to kill you.
vs 7 Personmann : Black Lotus / Nomads En-Kor / Daru Spiritualist / Diamond Valley
3-3: On your play, you gain 10000 or so life on turn 1. On my play I Daze the Lotus.
vs 8 psly4mne : City of Traitors / Sundial of the Infinite / Nourishing Shoal / Autochthon Wurm
3-3: I can deal with you gaining 15 life or shutting off your emblem indefinitely, but not both at once, so I win only on the play when I can Daze the Sundial.
CORRECRTION 0-6: If psly4mne waits until turn 2 to try to cast the Sundial, I can't Daze it or else I won't have mana to keep myself alive with Stifle. (I also can't Stifle my emblem preemptively on turn 2, because I'm relying on Death's Shadow becoming a 9/9.) Since they stop taking emblem hits once Sundial resolves, they just barely hold out, going down to 3 life before I die.
vs 9 WhammeWhamme : Eater of Days / Sol Ring / Mishra's Workshop / Lich's Mirror
3-3: More like Eater of Daze
vs 10 Reyemile : Leyline of Sanctity / Chancellor of the Dross / Chancellor of the Dross / Soul Spike
3-3: I win on the draw for a change!
vs Mogg: Seems like you definitely 6-0. On your play you can skip two turns and Nevermore stifle and that's enough for sure. On InfiniteNutshell's play, they can either daze a lotus to prevent Nevermore or stifle a round rule trigger but not both (so it has to be the lotus, because otherwise Nevermore names Stifle), and can't stifle Chronatog at all before you skip two turns. The best line seems to be:
1. 11 life, Shadow
1. 13 life Lotus (dazed), Lotus, 'tog, activate
2. 4 life, attack, block, activate
3. lose.
vs Reyemile: explanation looks right, but seems like you typo'd a 2 for a 3.
vs HerziQuerzi on the play is pretty interesting. If HQ ever resolves mirror, e wins, but Daze makes that tricky. However, forcing the Daze means InfiniteNutshell can't Stifle the round rule trigger the next turn, so at first it looks good for HQ. However, it turns out that a cool thing to do in the round that hurts you is hurt yourself even more:
Case 1:
1. Shadow, 11.
1. City, lotus, daze, pay, elixir, activate. 18.
2. replay land going to 2, swing for 11 to 7.
2. die
There are two other strategies HQ can consider:
2: Play Elixir t2 and activate it without lotus t2
3: Do nothing t1 to avoid Daze allowing a land replay, and try to prevent stifle by forcing daze t2
Case 2:
1. Shadow, 11.
1. City, Lotus, Daze, pay, elixir. 13.
2. 4, replay land, 2, swing for 11 to 2. Not Dazing to have stifle up isn't good since, e can't stifle the round rule this turn or Shadow wouldn't be big.
2. Activate in response to round rule trigger, gets stifled, or not, it only takes HQ to 7 anyway. Dead.
Case 3:
1. Shadow, 11.
1. Nothing, 13
2. 4, Attack for 9 to 4
2. Dead