Hand Size: See format rule.
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
Each player may submit up to five cards. For each card less than five a player submits, he or she may start the game with a Lotus Vale on the battlefield.
Permanents named Lotus Vale have hexproof and indestructible.
Be sure to review the rules and banned list(s) by clicking below.
Cards on the PHM Banned List are always banned, and cards on the Land Rule Banned List are banned as well when the round uses a Land Rule.
Contents
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Hand Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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 an online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form his or her 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 player of each hand employs the strategy that maximizes 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 that 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 – Hand Construction Rules.
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 by 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. An effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits 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 all 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 would enable him or her 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 has passed – 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 he or she doesn't, then the moderator may name it. The moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or her discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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 has 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 result 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 typically containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Hand 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 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 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 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. Irrespective of rule 7.5a, a player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against at least one hand, such that the player of the losing hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in that player losing the game. The losing hand must conform with the Hand Construction Rules but need not consider this rule.
7.6. Backbuild.
7.6a. Players exchange hands before the start of each match. Each player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against a specified hand or specified hands, such that the player of any specified hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in the player of that specified hand losing the game. Ignore rule 3.1.
7.7. (Bonus).
7.7a. A player earns bonus points if his or her hand meets specified requirements.
PHM Banned List_________________Land Rule Banned List
Hand Size: 3 cards
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Only black cards may be submitted (including multicolored cards).
If an effect controlled by a player's opponent would cause that player to discard a card, that player discards that card, but may put it on top of his or her library instead of into his or her graveyard.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
One of my all-time favorite rounds to play was week 2 of Clairval's 3CH LR Only White. That was four-and-a-half years ago, so maybe it's time now to try again with another color.
Is "Only Black" not interesting enough on its own? Maybe it's cuz I'm sorta new here but I feel like Only Black + Library of Leng is more format than we need.
I imagine the idea is that Black Only pushes you heavily towards discard, which invalidates a lot of strategies. The Library clause just opens up the format, it's not really something you can take advantage of (since it says "controlled by a player's opponent").
I imagine the idea is that Black Only pushes you heavily towards discard, which invalidates a lot of strategies. The Library clause just opens up the format, it's not really something you can take advantage of (since it says "controlled by a player's opponent").
Correct. Clairval initially identified that the format would be most interesting if it were played with the weakest color, which he identified as white.
I like that approach, and chose black on the basis that it's likely the next weakest color. That said, black is proficient in many forms of discard (in a weird reconfiguration of the traditional color pie, it's probably third behind blue and red in LR formats currently, but still solid), and I think the format will be more open if discard-as-disruption is weakened.
Ahhh. I had missed that it was only 'controlled by opponent' and thus it was just a discard hoser, not an engine for abuse. Concern retracted.
EDIT: Deleted the part where I signed my name. This is a forum, not an email, my name is over to the left for free.
Ahhh. I had missed that it was only 'controlled by opponent' and thus it was just a discard hoser, not an engine for abuse. Concern retracted.
-Mike
To be fair, calling it Library of Lengis a bit misleading, since the card doesn't care who controls the effect, but it was the closest thing to what I wanted the rule to do.
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
vs
1. 6-0. Voidstone Golem on Bargain. I play out both things and smack with 4/4 voidstone, leaving angel back so the ascendants can't gain 30 life on backswings.
2. 6-0. Golem on Iona.
3. 6-0, Golem on Rude.
4. X
5. 3-3. On the play you drop WSZ and I die pretty badly. But hilariously enough, I do better on the draw: I cast savage summoning on upkeep, which you WSZ for 6 in response to (if you render silent, I hardcast golem next turn and easily win against 3 cats). I then drop angel of sanctions off the summonings and hardcast golem next turn. You have 5 2/2s against my 4/5 and 3/3, I get first swing and (barely) win the race.
6. 6-0, Golem on Council's Judgement, hammer can't kill the 4/4 golem.
7. 2-2. Hello handsome! I play for the draw here; if you cast savage, I respond with my own, put in golem naming Sigarda, and our golems stare angrily at each other. If you hard cast Sigarda, I savage angel (hitting nothing) and hardcast voidstone on your voidstone. I double block any attack from sigarda, which leaves me with either a voidstone lock or a 4/5 angel that blocks your 4/4 savage'd golem.
8. 2-2. Well first, you can't depths-stage and also hold disallow for the angel trigger. An interesting line is manually removing depths counters, transforming stage into a lotus vale, then remove the last ice counter with one vale while holding up a disallow with the other. But when you turn Stage into a vale (which requires tapping both lands), I savage in Voidstone naming disallow, then hardcast Angel of Sanctions on my next turn. You can crack depths on my turn and dodge the angel, but then I just chump with Angel and embalm it back.
Voidstone Gargoyle is pretty good against 3 cards with the same name. 6-0
2) CalvinSchwa
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Leyline of Lifeforce // 3x Lotus Vale
Voidstone is also good against only one card. 6-0
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Didn't Playtest This At All
Rude Awakening / Progenitus // 3x Lotus Vale
As above. 6-0
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
Cool deck! I think we draw? If someone plays Summoning, the opponent will respond with Summoning and then Gargoyle on the other card, then two Gargoyles will stare at each other. If we trade, I do nothing until you play Sanctions, and then Sigarda is bigger. 2-2
See below, 6-0
5) MyNameIsFourteen :: Banned Cards May Be More Legal Than They Appear
Render Silent / White Sun's Zenith // 3x Lotus Vale
Looking at ManyCookies's logic above, on the draw I could end up with a 6/6 Sigarda and a 3/4 Void vs your 6 cats. That does not allow me to race. Come to think of it, it doesn't allow ManyCookies to race either - 5 2/2s kills in two turns, a 3/3 and a 4/5 in 3. However, it does let me survive: You swing with 6 and I block and kill 2, going to 12. Then you swing with 4 and I block and kill 2, going to 8. Then I would win, so, instead, you don't do that.
On the play, you get to attack before I have two things, but it's still enough to block and survive. I go to 10, then to 4, and then to 2, but survive. I think this is likely the same for ManyCookies? 2-2
If you ever tap out to get Hammer back, I play Sigarda. You have to council. Then I can Savage + Void naming hammer and win. Oh actually even before you tap for Hammer, I can just Savage + Void naming Judgment right away, and the 4/4 Gargoyle easily races Hammer. 6-0
Right, thank you. Thought the lands came down all at once or something.
ManyCookies, take a look at my match vs MyNameIsFourteen, I think it's a little different than you said. Though probably the same score.
You hold back voidstone until the last attack and smack with sigarda. You smack him twice and put him down to 8, he smacks back for 10 then 8 and puts you to 2. Then you swing with both Sigarda and Voidstone for 9 and win. I do the same thing, with less power but fewer opposing cats.
Edit: I think personman has me. I can't actually let golems trade, because otherwise his sigarda beats my sanctions (hexproof). So he gets first swing in the 4/4 race and I lose that way.
Edit2: ...however, I can savage in Angel before he golems (hitting nothing), in which case he drops golem naming my golem. I chump sigarda -> embalm angel and hit his golem -> play my golem, double block the sigarda -> THOSE golems stare at each other.
Edit3: Ah drat, Voidstone Golem stops activated abilities from anywhere! So if I play angel he just names angel with his golem, and then I can't double block and enbalm the angel.
5) MyNameIsFourteen :: Banned Cards May Be More Legal Than They Appear
Render Silent / White Sun's Zenith // 3x Lotus Vale
1) Anachronity
Bargain / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant // 1x Lotus Vale
You make 3 1/1's during your first turn. I make 6 2/2s during your first turn. 6-0
2) CalvinSchwa
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Leyline of Lifeforce // 3x Lotus Vale
You cast Iona, I make 6 2/2s in response. I attack for 10, then 8, then 6. Or more damage if you start attacking. 6-0
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Didn't Playtest This At All
Rude Awakening / Progenitus // 3x Lotus Vale
I counter Rude awakening and make 3 cats. Or if you end your turn without casting the sorcery, I make 6 cats. Did I miss something? 6-0
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
I'll talk to the savage summoning matchups at the end, since you and Personman are still debating and I may have my own ideas.
6) Superbajt
Council's Judgment / Disallow / Hammer of Bogardan // 2x Lotus Vale
Counci's Judgement slows me down a tiny bit, and Disalow means I have to make 3 cats at a time (floating mana to counter your counter each time) but 3 cats at a time is faster than Hammer. 6-0
7) Personman
Savage Summoning / Sigarda, Host of Herons / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
See 4.
8) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Disallow / Disallow / Thespian's Stage // 1x Lotus Vale
Apparently submitting decks that lose to Dark Depths is my jam. 0-6
Ok lets talk about savage summoning matchups. I think we're probably 3-3 based on your discussions so far. We all agree that I win when I'm on the draw, right? I'd like to think about the sigarda matchup when I'm on the play for a bit.
So when I'm on the play vs Sigarda/Savage Summoning/Voidstone
You cast Savage Summoning on my upkeep, and I let it resolve.
--
If you cast 6/6 sigarda, then I'm going to be able to counter Gargoyle when the time comes, and make 3 cats per turn in the meantime. I think those cats will race sigarda alone:
Sigarda hits me to 14, I make 3 cats.
I hit you to 14.
Sigarda hits me to 8, I make 3 cats.
I hit you to 2.
Sigarda hits me to 2, I make 3 cats.
I kill you.
So, back in my first upkeep, you've got to make 4/4 gargoyle instead.
---
You cast Savage Summoning on my upkeep, and I let it resolve. You cast Gargoyle (4/4), and in response I make 6 cats.
You main-phase your 5/5 sigarda and pass.
If I attack now I loose 2 cats and all hope.
You attack with sigarda (15)
I attack with 6 cats (10) now only 5 cats.
You attack with sigarda (10)
I attack with 5 cats (2) now 4 cats
You attack with sigarda (5)
I attack with 4 cats and win.
So, back when you started the race, you must instead not attack. Sigarda, Gargoyle, and 6 cats stare at each other forever.
I asert that we are 4-1
Lets try the same logic against the other angel. I don't think it works out my way.
You cast Savagse Summoning on my upkeep and I let it resolve. You have to make Gargoyle for basically the same reason as above.
I make 6 cats in response.
You make angel of sanctions on your main phase, eat one cat (5 cats remain) and attack with gargoyle (I go to 16)
I attack with 5 cats (12) now 4 cats
You attack with gargoyle (12)
I attack with 4 cats (4) now 3 cats
You attack with gargoyle (8)
I attack with 3 cats and kill you.
So, back when you started the race, you must instead not attack. Angel of Sanctions, Gargoyle, and 5 cats stare at each other forever.
Ah I see. I missed that you can cast WSZ in response to golem cast instead of summonings, so we don't get to cast our angel off summonings. In that case, I concur with your results, although your analysis is a bit off:
I attack with 4 cats (4) now 3 cats
This would put me to 6, not 4. I swing with golem (8), you swing with 3 cats (2) now 2 cats... and now I can't attack with golem without a cat sneaking past for exact lethal, and my alpha of 7 damage only puts you to 1. So close!
We all agree that I win when I'm on the draw, right?
No, my writeup has us at 2-2, with the same logic you wrote up above regarding why we draw when I'm on the draw. When you're on the draw, I was saying that I think even though you get to attack with 6 when I have only Voidstone, I go 10 -> 4 -> 2 -> stable. Am I missing something?
^If you're on the play, he makes six tokens end step, you summonings in voidstone, and then he holds up counter magic for sigarda and 10 -> 8 -> 6s you. If you hardcast anything, he counters+makes 3 tokens.
Alright I'm pretty confident you 6-0 our mirror. You win if we end up in golem stareoff, which happens if I don't respond to you Golem or try to summonings on your turn, because your hexproof 5/5 angel trumps my effective 3/4 angel. Playing my angel in response to your golem gets beat by the following line: golem naming angel, drop Sigarda next turn -> killing the angel via forced Sigarda double block -> having a 4/4 summonings golem vs my 3/3 hardcast golem. And this always happens on my turn, so I never get in a free swing with my angel.
2) CalvinSchwa
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Leyline of Lifeforce // 3x Lotus Vale
0-6. Iona names W.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Didn't Playtest This At All
Rude Awakening / Progenitus // 3x Lotus Vale
6-0. Judgement for Progenitus.
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
0-6. Savage Summonings has definitely too much text on it, any less and I could draw.
5) MyNameIsFourteen :: Banned Cards May Be More Legal Than They Appear
Render Silent / White Sun's Zenith // 3x Lotus Vale
0-6. Can't stop protected Zenith.
7) Personman
Savage Summoning / Sigarda, Host of Herons / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
0-6. Even more Savage Summoning text.
8) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Disallow / Disallow / Thespian's Stage // 1x Lotus Vale
0-6. End step Marit is very sad for me. Any other scenario would allow me to protected Judgement.
Well, when I constructed my hand, I thought Council's Judgement can hit lands. Also, I thought Hammer can be easier returned to hand. It still won some matches, I'm not totally unhappy.
When I noticed Judgement's mediocrity, I found antoher hand, but forgot to submit it. It would be: Silence / Upheaval / Dryad Arbor // 2 Lotus Vale
Deck would have two modes: T1 Upheaval (with Silence for their T1), kill with Arbor, GG, or T1 Arbor, T2 Silence - Upheval, kill with Arbor, GG.
It would sweep (only interesting matchup is with Summonings, maybe I wouldn't win with ManyCookies, but would with Personman). I'm really sad I didn't do it.
@Personman - This line should let me win against the savage summoning decks when those decks are on the play:
At some point during your first turn, you cast savage summoning.
With that on the stack, I tap out, cast WSZ for X=3, and use the remaining mana to cast Render Silent targeting the Savage Summoning.
This doesn't counter the Savage Summoning, but it does forbid you from playing spells for the rest of the turn, so at the end of your turn I have 3 cats and you have an empty board.
On my turn I draw WSZ, attack (14 life remaining) and cast WSZ for X=6.
Your second turn you hard cast one of your creatures.
On my next turn you're staring down 9 cats (8 if you cast Angel of Sanctions) and you need to block 7 of them, but you only have one creature in play. GG.
So like I said, 4-1
PS if you decide to pass your first turn without doing anything, I float 9 mana in your end step and cast WSZ for X=3 anyway. That way if you try to savage summoning in response or after it resolves, I have mana to cast Render Silent and reach the same outcome.
PPS if you then don't cast savage summoning on your turn and let my mana leave the pool, my second turn is different:
-attack for 6 as before (14)
-wait. If you cast savage summoning, make 3 more cats and 'counter' savage summoning. If you don't, make 3 more cats in end step, floating mana to prevent savage summoning.
-On your turn, you make a creature and pass. You can even boost it with savage summoning if you're still holding onto it. I'm tapped out. But it doesn't matter.
If it is gargoyle:
-I attack with 6 cats, you take 10 down to 4 (5 cats remain)
-You make angel (4 cats remain)
-I attack with 4 cats, you block 2 and lose.
If it is angel, you exile one of the six cats (5 remain)
- I attack with 5 cats taking you from 14 to 6, I cast WSZ again for 6 more cats. (10 cats remain)
- You make gargoyle and pass.
- I attack with 10 cats, you block 2, you take 16 and lose.
If your angel is Sigarda instead of Sanctions, this goes even more in my favor.
When I noticed Judgement's mediocrity, I found antoher hand, but forgot to submit it. It would be: Silence / Upheaval / Dryad Arbor // 2 Lotus Vale
Deck would have two modes: T1 Upheaval (with Silence for their T1), kill with Arbor, GG, or T1 Arbor, T2 Silence - Upheval, kill with Arbor, GG.
It would sweep (only interesting matchup is with Summonings, maybe I wouldn't win with ManyCookies, but would with Personman). I'm really sad I didn't do it.
For most of the week I was working on decks centered on upheaval or sunder. The best I came up with was Sunder / Orims Chant / Memnite. I wish I had remembered Dryad Arbor!
My first deck was Sunder/Dispel/Memnite, but my first meta read was counterspell spam+threat which that just lost horribly to. Then I went with Realm Razer+Summonings to instant-blow up lands and beat any number of counterspells, then realized Summonings was awesome and other people were probably doing that, so then I tried to beat other savage summoning decks while still screwing over sorcery speed threat decks reasonably hard (which voidstone usually does).
I stand by my choice of Angel of Sanctions as secondary payload, despite it doing worse against this particular field than SIgarda. Beats removal+threat decks, wins against single disallow Depths decks or those not playing disallow (and drew otherwise), and it'd have been amazing against other savage golem decks if they weren't running exactly Sigarda!
Well, you DID do better against the field, except the mirror! Angel was definitely on my radar, but I anticipated more removal – there was actually none outside of Superbajt's deck! It's certainly a fine choice.
It's kind of amazing that three people wanted to run land hate that would've been really good, but then no one did. I thought about it in the abstract too but for some reason didn't get as far as planning out decks – I started out looking at counterspell builds, and then at "can't be countered" builds, and that led me to Summoning, and then I was too excited about Summoning + Voidstone to consider anything else.
Since we're having this great discussion can I take this opportunity to say the one thing I don't like about xcb is that I always want to have more discussion of the format as I'm prepping for it, but obviously that doesn't make sense if we're all trying to compete. This discussion after the fact is almost as good and I hope we can have more like it.
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5CH Lotus Vale
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
Permanents named Lotus Vale have hexproof and indestructible.
Hands:
1) Anachronity
Bargain / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant // 1x Lotus Vale
2) CalvinSchwa
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Leyline of Lifeforce // 3x Lotus Vale
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Didn't Playtest This At All
Rude Awakening / Progenitus // 3x Lotus Vale
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
5) MyNameIsFourteen :: Banned Cards May Be More Legal Than They Appear
Render Silent / White Sun's Zenith // 3x Lotus Vale
6) Superbajt
Council's Judgment / Disallow / Hammer of Bogardan // 2x Lotus Vale
7) Personman
Savage Summoning / Sigarda, Host of Herons / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
8) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Disallow / Disallow / Thespian's Stage // 1x Lotus Vale
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1| X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 00 | 000
2| 6 X 2 0 0 6 0 0 | 14 | 200
3| 6 2 X 0 0 0 0 0 | 08 | 114
4| 6 6 6 X 1 6 0 2 | 27 | 386
5| 6 6 6 4 X 6 4 0 | 32 | 457
6| 6 0 6 0 0 X 0 0 | 12 | 171
7| 6 6 6 6 1 6 X 0 | 31 | 443
8| 6 6 6 2 6 6 6 X | 38 | 543
WhammeWhamme wins!
Rules and Banned List
Cards on the PHM Banned List are always banned, and cards on the Land Rule Banned List are banned as well when the round uses a Land Rule.
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Hand Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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 an online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form his or her 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 player of each hand employs the strategy that maximizes 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 that 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 – Hand Construction Rules.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
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 by 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.
2.4. An effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits 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 all 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 would enable him or her 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:
ii. Take an infinite number of turns.
iii. Cause a card to leave an opponent's hand.
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.1b. 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.
3.3. 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.
4.2b. 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 he or she doesn't, then the moderator may name it. The moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or her discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
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 result 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.
6.3b. 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 typically containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Hand 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.
7.2b. 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.
7.3b. This is the extra land rule (ELR). Any player may play a basic land 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 of his or her choice from outside the game into his or her hand instead. The starting player doesn't skip the draw step of his or her first turn. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.4. Sanctioned Magic Format Variant.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.5b. Irrespective of rule 7.5a, a player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against at least one hand, such that the player of the losing hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in that player losing the game. The losing hand must conform with the Hand Construction Rules but need not consider this rule.
7.6. Backbuild.
7.7. (Bonus).
Beast Within________________________Beacon of Creation
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Black Lotus
Channel_____________________________Energy Field
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Fastbond____________________________Nezumi Shortfang
Flash_______________________________Red Sun's Zenith
Force of Will_______________________White Sun's Zenith
Ghost Quarter
Laboratory Maniac
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Leyline of the Meek
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
Pact of Negation
Show and Tell
Strip Mine
The Rack
Trinisphere
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Wasteland
Channel_____________________________Black Lotus
Fastbond
Flash
Show and Tell
Disruption
Beast Within________________________Balancing Act
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Energy Field
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Pact of Negation
Trinisphere
Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Win Conditions
Barren Glory________________________Beacon of Creation
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Laboratory Maniac___________________Nezumi Shortfang
Leyline of the Meek_________________Red Sun's Zenith
Magus of the Moon___________________White Sun's Zenith
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Format Ideas?
Additional Resources
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3CH Only Black / Library of Leng
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
If an effect controlled by a player's opponent would cause that player to discard a card, that player discards that card, but may put it on top of his or her library instead of into his or her graveyard.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
One of my all-time favorite rounds to play was week 2 of Clairval's 3CH LR Only White. That was four-and-a-half years ago, so maybe it's time now to try again with another color.
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Correct. Clairval initially identified that the format would be most interesting if it were played with the weakest color, which he identified as white.
I like that approach, and chose black on the basis that it's likely the next weakest color. That said, black is proficient in many forms of discard (in a weird reconfiguration of the traditional color pie, it's probably third behind blue and red in LR formats currently, but still solid), and I think the format will be more open if discard-as-disruption is weakened.
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EDIT: Deleted the part where I signed my name. This is a forum, not an email, my name is over to the left for free.
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Please take a look and score your row.
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Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
vs
1. 6-0. Voidstone Golem on Bargain. I play out both things and smack with 4/4 voidstone, leaving angel back so the ascendants can't gain 30 life on backswings.
2. 6-0. Golem on Iona.
3. 6-0, Golem on Rude.
4. X
5. 3-3. On the play you drop WSZ and I die pretty badly. But hilariously enough, I do better on the draw: I cast savage summoning on upkeep, which you WSZ for 6 in response to (if you render silent, I hardcast golem next turn and easily win against 3 cats). I then drop angel of sanctions off the summonings and hardcast golem next turn. You have 5 2/2s against my 4/5 and 3/3, I get first swing and (barely) win the race.
6. 6-0, Golem on Council's Judgement, hammer can't kill the 4/4 golem.
7. 2-2. Hello handsome! I play for the draw here; if you cast savage, I respond with my own, put in golem naming Sigarda, and our golems stare angrily at each other. If you hard cast Sigarda, I savage angel (hitting nothing) and hardcast voidstone on your voidstone. I double block any attack from sigarda, which leaves me with either a voidstone lock or a 4/5 angel that blocks your 4/4 savage'd golem.
8. 2-2. Well first, you can't depths-stage and also hold disallow for the angel trigger. An interesting line is manually removing depths counters, transforming stage into a lotus vale, then remove the last ice counter with one vale while holding up a disallow with the other. But when you turn Stage into a vale (which requires tapping both lands), I savage in Voidstone naming disallow, then hardcast Angel of Sanctions on my next turn. You can crack depths on my turn and dodge the angel, but then I just chump with Angel and embalm it back.
4 | 6 6 6 X 1 6 0 2| 27
Savage Summoning / Sigarda, Host of Herons / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
vs.
1) Anachronity
Bargain / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant // 1x Lotus Vale
Voidstone Gargoyle is pretty good against 3 cards with the same name. 6-0
2) CalvinSchwa
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Leyline of Lifeforce // 3x Lotus Vale
Voidstone is also good against only one card. 6-0
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Didn't Playtest This At All
Rude Awakening / Progenitus // 3x Lotus Vale
As above. 6-0
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
Cool deck! I think we draw?
If someone plays Summoning, the opponent will respond with Summoning and then Gargoyle on the other card, then two Gargoyles will stare at each other. If we trade, I do nothing until you play Sanctions, and then Sigarda is bigger. 2-2See below, 6-0
5) MyNameIsFourteen :: Banned Cards May Be More Legal Than They Appear
Render Silent / White Sun's Zenith // 3x Lotus Vale
Looking at ManyCookies's logic above, on the draw I could end up with a 6/6 Sigarda and a 3/4 Void vs your 6 cats. That does not allow me to race. Come to think of it, it doesn't allow ManyCookies to race either - 5 2/2s kills in two turns, a 3/3 and a 4/5 in 3. However, it does let me survive: You swing with 6 and I block and kill 2, going to 12. Then you swing with 4 and I block and kill 2, going to 8. Then I would win, so, instead, you don't do that.
On the play, you get to attack before I have two things, but it's still enough to block and survive. I go to 10, then to 4, and then to 2, but survive. I think this is likely the same for ManyCookies? 2-2
See below, 1-4
6) Superbajt
Council's Judgment / Disallow / Hammer of Bogardan // 2x Lotus Vale
If you ever tap out to get Hammer back, I play Sigarda. You have to council. Then I can Savage + Void naming hammer and win. Oh actually even before you tap for Hammer, I can just Savage + Void naming Judgment right away, and the 4/4 Gargoyle easily races Hammer. 6-0
8) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Disallow / Disallow / Thespian's Stage // 1x Lotus Vale
I can block Marit a couple times but it doesn't matter. 0-6
7 | 6 6 6 6 1 6 X 0 | 31
ManyCookies, take a look at my match vs MyNameIsFourteen, I think it's a little different than you said. Though probably the same score.
Wait hold a jiffy, can't the Dark Depths deck win before its opponent's turn 2?derp.You hold back voidstone until the last attack and smack with sigarda. You smack him twice and put him down to 8, he smacks back for 10 then 8 and puts you to 2. Then you swing with both Sigarda and Voidstone for 9 and win. I do the same thing, with less power but fewer opposing cats.
Edit: I think personman has me. I can't actually let golems trade, because otherwise his sigarda beats my sanctions (hexproof). So he gets first swing in the 4/4 race and I lose that way.
Edit2: ...however, I can savage in Angel before he golems (hitting nothing), in which case he drops golem naming my golem. I chump sigarda -> embalm angel and hit his golem -> play my golem, double block the sigarda -> THOSE golems stare at each other.
Edit3: Ah drat, Voidstone Golem stops activated abilities from anywhere! So if I play angel he just names angel with his golem, and then I can't double block and enbalm the angel.
Render Silent / White Sun's Zenith // 3x Lotus Vale
1) Anachronity
Bargain / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant // 1x Lotus Vale
You make 3 1/1's during your first turn. I make 6 2/2s during your first turn. 6-0
2) CalvinSchwa
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Leyline of Lifeforce // 3x Lotus Vale
You cast Iona, I make 6 2/2s in response. I attack for 10, then 8, then 6. Or more damage if you start attacking. 6-0
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Didn't Playtest This At All
Rude Awakening / Progenitus // 3x Lotus Vale
I counter Rude awakening and make 3 cats. Or if you end your turn without casting the sorcery, I make 6 cats. Did I miss something? 6-0
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
I'll talk to the savage summoning matchups at the end, since you and Personman are still debating and I may have my own ideas.
6) Superbajt
Council's Judgment / Disallow / Hammer of Bogardan // 2x Lotus Vale
Counci's Judgement slows me down a tiny bit, and Disalow means I have to make 3 cats at a time (floating mana to counter your counter each time) but 3 cats at a time is faster than Hammer. 6-0
7) Personman
Savage Summoning / Sigarda, Host of Herons / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
See 4.
8) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Disallow / Disallow / Thespian's Stage // 1x Lotus Vale
Apparently submitting decks that lose to Dark Depths is my jam. 0-6
Ok lets talk about savage summoning matchups. I think we're probably 3-3 based on your discussions so far. We all agree that I win when I'm on the draw, right? I'd like to think about the sigarda matchup when I'm on the play for a bit.
5 | 6 6 6 4 X 6 4 0| 32
You cast Savage Summoning on my upkeep, and I let it resolve.
--
If you cast 6/6 sigarda, then I'm going to be able to counter Gargoyle when the time comes, and make 3 cats per turn in the meantime. I think those cats will race sigarda alone:
Sigarda hits me to 14, I make 3 cats.
I hit you to 14.
Sigarda hits me to 8, I make 3 cats.
I hit you to 2.
Sigarda hits me to 2, I make 3 cats.
I kill you.
So, back in my first upkeep, you've got to make 4/4 gargoyle instead.
---
You cast Savage Summoning on my upkeep, and I let it resolve. You cast Gargoyle (4/4), and in response I make 6 cats.
You main-phase your 5/5 sigarda and pass.
If I attack now I loose 2 cats and all hope.
You attack with sigarda (15)
I attack with 6 cats (10) now only 5 cats.
You attack with sigarda (10)
I attack with 5 cats (2) now 4 cats
You attack with sigarda (5)
I attack with 4 cats and win.
So, back when you started the race, you must instead not attack. Sigarda, Gargoyle, and 6 cats stare at each other forever.
I asert that we are 4-1
Lets try the same logic against the other angel. I don't think it works out my way.
You cast Savagse Summoning on my upkeep and I let it resolve. You have to make Gargoyle for basically the same reason as above.
I make 6 cats in response.
You make angel of sanctions on your main phase, eat one cat (5 cats remain) and attack with gargoyle (I go to 16)
I attack with 5 cats (12) now 4 cats
You attack with gargoyle (12)
I attack with 4 cats (4) now 3 cats
You attack with gargoyle (8)
I attack with 3 cats and kill you.
So, back when you started the race, you must instead not attack. Angel of Sanctions, Gargoyle, and 5 cats stare at each other forever.
I assert that we are 4-1
This would put me to 6, not 4. I swing with golem (8), you swing with 3 cats (2) now 2 cats... and now I can't attack with golem without a cat sneaking past for exact lethal, and my alpha of 7 damage only puts you to 1. So close!
No, my writeup has us at 2-2, with the same logic you wrote up above regarding why we draw when I'm on the draw. When you're on the draw, I was saying that I think even though you get to attack with 6 when I have only Voidstone, I go 10 -> 4 -> 2 -> stable. Am I missing something?
Alright I'm pretty confident you 6-0 our mirror. You win if we end up in golem stareoff, which happens if I don't respond to you Golem or try to summonings on your turn, because your hexproof 5/5 angel trumps my effective 3/4 angel. Playing my angel in response to your golem gets beat by the following line: golem naming angel, drop Sigarda next turn -> killing the angel via forced Sigarda double block -> having a 4/4 summonings golem vs my 3/3 hardcast golem. And this always happens on my turn, so I never get in a free swing with my angel.
Council's Judgment / Disallow / Hammer of Bogardan // 2x Lotus Vale
Bargain / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant / Serra Ascendant // 1x Lotus Vale
6-0. I can snipe Ascendants and/or Disallow Bargain.
2) CalvinSchwa
Iona, Shield of Emeria / Leyline of Lifeforce // 3x Lotus Vale
0-6. Iona names W.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Didn't Playtest This At All
Rude Awakening / Progenitus // 3x Lotus Vale
6-0. Judgement for Progenitus.
4) ManyCookies
Angel of Sanctions / Savage Summoning / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
0-6. Savage Summonings has definitely too much text on it, any less and I could draw.
5) MyNameIsFourteen :: Banned Cards May Be More Legal Than They Appear
Render Silent / White Sun's Zenith // 3x Lotus Vale
0-6. Can't stop protected Zenith.
7) Personman
Savage Summoning / Sigarda, Host of Herons / Voidstone Gargoyle // 2x Lotus Vale
0-6. Even more Savage Summoning text.
8) WhammeWhamme
Dark Depths / Disallow / Disallow / Thespian's Stage // 1x Lotus Vale
0-6. End step Marit is very sad for me. Any other scenario would allow me to protected Judgement.
Well, when I constructed my hand, I thought Council's Judgement can hit lands. Also, I thought Hammer can be easier returned to hand. It still won some matches, I'm not totally unhappy.
When I noticed Judgement's mediocrity, I found antoher hand, but forgot to submit it. It would be:
Silence / Upheaval / Dryad Arbor // 2 Lotus Vale
Deck would have two modes: T1 Upheaval (with Silence for their T1), kill with Arbor, GG, or T1 Arbor, T2 Silence - Upheval, kill with Arbor, GG.
It would sweep (only interesting matchup is with Summonings, maybe I wouldn't win with ManyCookies, but would with Personman). I'm really sad I didn't do it.
At some point during your first turn, you cast savage summoning.
With that on the stack, I tap out, cast WSZ for X=3, and use the remaining mana to cast Render Silent targeting the Savage Summoning.
This doesn't counter the Savage Summoning, but it does forbid you from playing spells for the rest of the turn, so at the end of your turn I have 3 cats and you have an empty board.
On my turn I draw WSZ, attack (14 life remaining) and cast WSZ for X=6.
Your second turn you hard cast one of your creatures.
On my next turn you're staring down 9 cats (8 if you cast Angel of Sanctions) and you need to block 7 of them, but you only have one creature in play. GG.
So like I said, 4-1
PS if you decide to pass your first turn without doing anything, I float 9 mana in your end step and cast WSZ for X=3 anyway. That way if you try to savage summoning in response or after it resolves, I have mana to cast Render Silent and reach the same outcome.
PPS if you then don't cast savage summoning on your turn and let my mana leave the pool, my second turn is different:
-attack for 6 as before (14)
-wait. If you cast savage summoning, make 3 more cats and 'counter' savage summoning. If you don't, make 3 more cats in end step, floating mana to prevent savage summoning.
-On your turn, you make a creature and pass. You can even boost it with savage summoning if you're still holding onto it. I'm tapped out. But it doesn't matter.
If it is gargoyle:
-I attack with 6 cats, you take 10 down to 4 (5 cats remain)
-You make angel (4 cats remain)
-I attack with 4 cats, you block 2 and lose.
If it is angel, you exile one of the six cats (5 remain)
- I attack with 5 cats taking you from 14 to 6, I cast WSZ again for 6 more cats. (10 cats remain)
- You make gargoyle and pass.
- I attack with 10 cats, you block 2, you take 16 and lose.
If your angel is Sigarda instead of Sanctions, this goes even more in my favor.
For most of the week I was working on decks centered on upheaval or sunder. The best I came up with was Sunder / Orims Chant / Memnite. I wish I had remembered Dryad Arbor!
I stand by my choice of Angel of Sanctions as secondary payload, despite it doing worse against this particular field than SIgarda. Beats removal+threat decks, wins against single disallow Depths decks or those not playing disallow (and drew otherwise), and it'd have been amazing against other savage golem decks if they weren't running exactly Sigarda!
It's kind of amazing that three people wanted to run land hate that would've been really good, but then no one did. I thought about it in the abstract too but for some reason didn't get as far as planning out decks – I started out looking at counterspell builds, and then at "can't be countered" builds, and that led me to Summoning, and then I was too excited about Summoning + Voidstone to consider anything else.