Commentary
infinite mana is very powerful. maybe you didnt know.
3 Card Infinity
Each player begins the game with infinite mana of each color in his or her mana pool. Mana doesn't empty from mana pools at the end of phases, steps or turns.
Each player may cast only one spell each turn.
Other than basic lands, each player may activate only one ability each turn.
4 turkeytron : Wizards of the karakas Karakas / Teferi, mage of zhalfir / Venser shaper, savant
its nice to not have to resolve another spell to activate your venser, but you do need teferi to survive to turn draws into wins.
The Grid X | 1 2 3 4 5 6
1| X 0 1 0 6 2 | 09 | 180
2| 6 X 0 6 6 6 | 24 | 480
3| 4 6 X 0 6 6 | 22 | 440
4| 6 0 6 X 6 6 | 24 | 480
5| 0 6 0 0 X 6 | 14 | 280
6| 2 0 0 0 0 X | 02 | 040
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.
1: 6-0: Beacon does the job.
3: 0-6, unless nerdyjoe would like to repeat-bounce my Lightkeeper.
4: 6-0: Venser is tasked with stopping either Beacon or Lightkeeper each turn, allowing Factory to make tokens.
5: 6-0: Leyline is ineffective against Beacon. Each activation of Elixir effectively counters one casting of Beacon, provided there are no other cards to shuffle back (which would delay the redraw of elixir). However, tomsloger needs to cast Beast Within three times [destroying Factory, token (destroying Leyline isn't ideal, because it leads to an additional redraw), and Lightkeeper]. Since I lead with Beacon before the first elixir activation, I can deal enough damage.
6: 6-0: xStormaggedonx can't race life totals, due to Lightkeeper. He's forced into using elixir + removal (2 draws) against Beacon + token (1 draw), and loses that race.
1 Commandeer is dead. I go for sabretooth: If you gather it, then on your upkeep I venser, bouncing sabretooth. You can play the chimera or not. I then get to play out my creatures, sabretooth first, and you only get to take one, I'm left with more power. And I race to victory. If you don't gather it, I get to beat with it. If you try to cast a blocker, I venser it, and then bounce venser. So on the play, I win.
On the draw.... You get chimera down. Then if i cast venser, it gets gets traded and bounces chimera. Similarly, voidstone gets gathered, locks out sabretooth. So my only play is sabretooth. Which gets traded. If not, I pressure your life total til you block with chimera. At which point I cast venser. If you gather venser, Voidstone comes down and has a faster clock. If you don't gather venser, I beat until you die. So sabretooth gets traded with chimera. I still can't play venser (you'd gather it, bounce chimera, sets me way back.) and I still can't play voidstone (gathered, locks out venser). So you have a 4/3 and I have a 3/3. Neither of us want to swing (I don't since you'd happily race, you don't, since if we trade, I get to do the line I described earlier). So we stare at eachother for eternity.
2 Voidstone on beacon shuts down your removal, venser and sabretooth tag-team to keep the factory down (bouncing it eot, upkeep bounce the token it made (if any)). Sabretooth swings indefinitiely, the angel is never bounced, blocked by gargoyle. You pick a number for multi-kicker, I take approximately half as many turns to kill you.
4 Oh the headaches. I'll accept turkeytron's analysis. The sabretooth/karakas split was something I wasn't sure of. I had also considered teferi, but didn't want to rely on him sticking. 0-6
5 Voidstone on Beast sets up an easy beatdown plan
6 on my turn, Voidstone on Urza's rage sets up venser to counter eviction, sabretooth swings to victory. You don't do anything (besides drop elixir) on turn 1, so I'm sort of always on the play. I've got 9 power to swing with to your 5 a turn you gain.
I don't think decree of silence is legal. "all cards that counter or exile another spell as an effect of a spell" are banned. I guess it's up to interpretations, but I read that as any card that could counter (or exile) a spell is banned. I totally missed mana short. However, if the "infinite" were implemented differently, it would do nothing. I.e. As a mana ability, each player may add any amount of mana of any color to their mana pool. This would have changed no results in how any of the games actually played out, and would make mana short perfectly worthless.
infinite mana is very powerful. maybe you didnt know.
3 Card Infinity
Each player begins the game with infinite mana of each color in his or her mana pool. Mana doesn't empty from mana pools at the end of phases, steps or turns.
Each player may cast only one spell each turn.
Other than basic lands, each player may activate only one ability each turn.
Please note the ban list for this round
Deck Size: 3
Land Rule: None
Additional Banned list: Mindslaver, Beacon of Immortality, Capsize, Chorus of the Conclave, Door to Nothingness, Legacy Weapon, Orim's Chant, Silence, Time Stop, all cards that counter or exile another spell as an effect of a spell, all cards that can give extra turns, all cards containing an {X} (please remember to check the regular PHM Banned List)
The Entries
1 Madmanquail : Command and Control
Commandeer / Gather Specimens / Perplexing Chimera
this looks like a deck i would play in real life. i hope it does well
2 Mogg : Assembly Line
Beacon of Destruction / Lightkeeper of Emeria / Urza's Factory
life and fire and a bunch of dudes. i dig it.
3 nerdyjoe : Ban Venser
Voidstone Gargoyle / Temur Sabertooth / Venser, Shaper Savant
maybe we should have. this is epicly disruptive
4 turkeytron : Wizards of the karakas
Karakas / Teferi, mage of zhalfir / Venser shaper, savant
its nice to not have to resolve another spell to activate your venser, but you do need teferi to survive to turn draws into wins.
5 tomsloger : belixir rides again
beast within / elixir of immortality / leyline of the void
still my favorite hand. im not even certain the third card matters this round.
6 xStormaggedonx : Immortal Burn
Elixir of Immortality / Urza's Rage / Merciless Eviction
uncounterable and can't be prevented is pretty sweet.
The Grid
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6
1| X 0 1 0 6 2 | 09 | 180
2| 6 X 0 6 6 6 | 24 | 480
3| 4 6 X 0 6 6 | 22 | 440
4| 6 0 6 X 6 6 | 24 | 480
5| 0 6 0 0 X 6 | 14 | 280
6| 2 0 0 0 0 X | 02 | 040
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Deck Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
6. Scoring
7. Variant Format Rules
1. Overview
Perfect Hand Magic (PHM) is a competitive strategy game for two or more players. It can be played using pencil and paper; however, it's most commonly played via online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form that player's hand. Once all players have chosen hands, the hands are revealed and scored.
The object of the game is to choose the hand that will score the most points. The score for each hand is determined by the result that it would achieve if it were used to play two games of Magic – one match – against each competing hand; the rules for these theoretical games are covered in Section 2 – Game Rules. During each theoretical game, the theoretical player of each hand employs the strategy that will maximize the score for his or her hand, taking into account the strategy of his or her opponent.
A hand scores 3 points for each game that it would win, 0 points for each game it would lose, and 1 point for each game that would end in a draw. However, a hand scores only 2 points for any match that would have a symmetrical result, regardless of whether the result would be two drawn games or a win for each hand.
The composition of a hand is limited only by a short banned list and a few restrictions on the game states that it can enable; these restrictions are covered in Section 3 – Deck Composition.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
2.2. A player's opening hand contains that player's chosen cards.
2.3. Players' libraries begin the game empty.
2.4. A cost or effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits the player who paid that cost or the owner of the source of that effect instead.
2.5. Each player is the starting player for one game in each match.
2.6. Players know the identities of all face-down cards and cards in hidden zones, and players know which decisions have been made by other players.
2.7. If a game would continue indefinitely, then the game is a draw.
2.8. If a loop containing at least one optional action would be repeated indefinitely during a turn, then any player may propose a number of times for that loop to repeat instead. If a player does, then each other player may propose a different number and the loop is repeated for the greatest number of times proposed instead. No player is required to make a choice that would end a loop that crosses multiple turns.
2.9. Cards can't be brought into the game from outside the game.
3. Hand Construction Rules
3.1. A player may not choose an opening hand that could enable that player to achieve any of the following results before an opponent's second turn would begin, such that that opponent could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in at least one of these results:
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.2. A hand may contain any number of copies of any card legal in Vintage.
3.3. A hand may not contain any cards on the PHM Banned List.
4. Entry
4.1. A player plays a round of PHM by submitting a list of his or her chosen cards to the PHM moderator.
4.2. A player may change his or her hand until the posted deadline.
4.3. A player may name his or her hand. If that player doesn't, then the PHM moderator may name it. The PHM moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League
5.1. PHM League play consists of four rounds of PHM.
5.2. Each round, a player earns League points according to the following formula:
5.3. The player with the most League points at the end of League play is the PHM League winner.
6. Scoring
6.1. A table of match results is posted at the end of each round. Each row lists one player's results against each other player. A player's points and League points are tallied at the end of his or her row.
6.2. A player may earn bonus League points as specified by the PHM moderator.
6.3. Each player is responsible for determining the match results for his or her hand.
7. Variant Format Rules
7.1. Perfect Hand Magic has been played with hands containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Deck Construction Rules have been adapted to create hundreds of variant formats. Five commonly-played variants are described in Sections 7.3-7.7.
7.2. The rules of a variant format overwrite any other applicable rules.
7.3. Land Rule Variant.
7.4. Sanctioned Magic Format Variant.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.6. Backbuild.
7.7. Bonus Points.
PHM Banned List
The following cards are automatically banned in all Perfect Hand Magic League rounds unless otherwise specified by the round rules. Each round may have an additional banned list that extends beyond, but always includes, these cards.
Acceleration
Channel
Fastbond
Flash
Show and Tell
Disruption
Pact of Negation
Chancellor of the Annex
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Trinisphere
Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Win Conditions
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Barren Glory
Laboratory Maniac
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Vampire Hexmage
Land Rule Banned List
"Land Rule" is the most common variant for PHM, and thus a separate ban list has been developed to allow for easier moderation. The following cards are banned in Perfect Hand Magic League rounds when a Land Rule is used. There will be a reminder of this on the round rules.
Acceleration
Black Lotus
Disruption
Balancing Act
Energy Field
Time Walk
Win Conditions
Beacon of Creation
Maralen of the Mornsong
Nezumi Shortfang
Red Sun's Zenith
White Sun's Zenith
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
5 tomsloger : belixir rides again
beast within / elixir of immortality / leyline of the void
Commandeer / Gather Specimens / Perplexing Chimera
0-6 commandeering elixir is pretty good
2 Mogg : Assembly Line
Beacon of Destruction / Lightkeeper of Emeria / Urza's Factory
6-0 infinite lifegain does eventually lose to infinite beasts.
3 nerdyjoe : Ban Venser
Voidstone Gargoyle / Temur Sabertooth / Venser, Shaper Savant
0-6 gargoyle names beast within.
4 turkeytron : Wizards of the karakas
Karakas / Teferi, mage of zhalfir / Venser shaper, savant
2-2 i think. this one is puzzling.
6 xStormaggedonx : Immortal Burn
Elixir of Immortality / Urza's Rage / Merciless Eviction
6-0 beasts win eventually
2| 6 X 0 6 6 6 | 24 | 480
1: 6-0: Beacon does the job.
3: 0-6, unless nerdyjoe would like to repeat-bounce my Lightkeeper.
4: 6-0: Venser is tasked with stopping either Beacon or Lightkeeper each turn, allowing Factory to make tokens.
5: 6-0: Leyline is ineffective against Beacon. Each activation of Elixir effectively counters one casting of Beacon, provided there are no other cards to shuffle back (which would delay the redraw of elixir). However, tomsloger needs to cast Beast Within three times [destroying Factory, token (destroying Leyline isn't ideal, because it leads to an additional redraw), and Lightkeeper]. Since I lead with Beacon before the first elixir activation, I can deal enough damage.
6: 6-0: xStormaggedonx can't race life totals, due to Lightkeeper. He's forced into using elixir + removal (2 draws) against Beacon + token (1 draw), and loses that race.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
X | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | PT | Points
3 | 4 6 X 0 6 6 | 22 | 440
1 Commandeer is dead. I go for sabretooth: If you gather it, then on your upkeep I venser, bouncing sabretooth. You can play the chimera or not. I then get to play out my creatures, sabretooth first, and you only get to take one, I'm left with more power. And I race to victory. If you don't gather it, I get to beat with it. If you try to cast a blocker, I venser it, and then bounce venser. So on the play, I win.
On the draw.... You get chimera down. Then if i cast venser, it gets gets traded and bounces chimera. Similarly, voidstone gets gathered, locks out sabretooth. So my only play is sabretooth. Which gets traded. If not, I pressure your life total til you block with chimera. At which point I cast venser. If you gather venser, Voidstone comes down and has a faster clock. If you don't gather venser, I beat until you die. So sabretooth gets traded with chimera. I still can't play venser (you'd gather it, bounce chimera, sets me way back.) and I still can't play voidstone (gathered, locks out venser). So you have a 4/3 and I have a 3/3. Neither of us want to swing (I don't since you'd happily race, you don't, since if we trade, I get to do the line I described earlier). So we stare at eachother for eternity.
2 Voidstone on beacon shuts down your removal, venser and sabretooth tag-team to keep the factory down (bouncing it eot, upkeep bounce the token it made (if any)). Sabretooth swings indefinitiely, the angel is never bounced, blocked by gargoyle. You pick a number for multi-kicker, I take approximately half as many turns to kill you.
4 Oh the headaches. I'll accept turkeytron's analysis. The sabretooth/karakas split was something I wasn't sure of. I had also considered teferi, but didn't want to rely on him sticking. 0-6
5 Voidstone on Beast sets up an easy beatdown plan
6 on my turn, Voidstone on Urza's rage sets up venser to counter eviction, sabretooth swings to victory. You don't do anything (besides drop elixir) on turn 1, so I'm sort of always on the play. I've got 9 power to swing with to your 5 a turn you gain.
Mana Short / Decree of Silence / Chancellor of the Forge
6-0's the entire field.
Sometimes I really hate myself for forgetting to enter.
No longer staff here.
Mana Short is genius, as well.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
1| X 0 1 0 6 2 | 09 | 180
2| 6 X 0 6 6 6 | 24 | 480
3| 4 6 X 0 6 6 | 22 | 440
4| 6 0 6 X 6 6 | 24 | 480
5| 0 6 0 0 X 6 | 14 | 280
6| 2 0 0 0 0 X | 02 | 40
1-6: 2-2: Commandeer stops Elixir and Eviction stops Chimera.
Disputed Results:
4-5: (6-0 / 2-2): 6-0: tt's explanation makes sense to me.
Mogg and turkeytron win.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy