Rule 3.1 is ammended to replace "before an opponent's second turn" with "before an opponent's fourth turn". Deck Size: 3 Land Rule: Basic Land Rule Additional Banned list: None (Please be sure to review the regular ban list and the land rule ban list at the end of this post) Commentary
This is somewhere between 3CB vanilla and the turn 50 round. I suspect it will feel more like vanilla. Time will tell.
3InfiniteNutshell : Hop in my Time Machine! Darksteel Relic / Dark Ritual / Phylactery Lich
Indestructability all around. Great for match-ups that care about destroying things.
4Mogg : Sphinx that will Steal Win(d)s Lion's Eye Diamond / Sphinx of the Steel Wind / Unburial Rites
Lifelink, protection are very good effects to have on a beater. The resiliancy of hardcasting your threat, casting rites if it is destroyed, and then flashing back rites is amazing to have. I don't think it will come up though.
5nerdyjoe : Bouncy Castle Capsize / Recoil / Mistcutter Hydra
Capsize is amazing in land rule rounds, it can often establish a hard lock. Maybe Fireball would have been better than the hydra.
7Reyemile : Land Control Exploration / Mental Misstep / Keldon Arsonist
Misstep for opposing explorations is great tech. Attacking mana is always a good approach.
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)
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.
1-2: 6-0 Judgment eats Student.
1-3: 6-0 Judgment eats Lich.
1-4: 6-0 Judgment eats Sphinx.
1-5: 0-6 I have to save Denial for Capsize, which means I have to let Recoil happen and discard Judgment, and Walker bounced at the right time can't race Hydra.
1-6: 3-3 On the play, I can hit Exploration with Judgment on curve and get Walker out of bolt range just in time. Not so much on the draw.
1-7: 3-3 Landlocked on the draw before I can get Walker down. I get it on the play.
1-8: 6-0 Counter Lattice.
1-9: 0-6 I delay the combo to turn 7, but that's still faster than Walker beats.
01 | X 6 6 6 0 3 3 6 0 | 28
Interesting. I went with something that could deal with Belixir and Neverwarden and neither showed up this week.
2) Student of Warfare / Rebuff the Wicked / Leyline of the Void
6-0 A mere mortal warrior cannot defeat the lich! (just barely - on the draw, the student can get me down to 1 life before I get the kill)
4) Lion's Eye Diamond / Sphinx of the Steel Wind / Unburial Rites
0-6 This is basically doing the same trick as I am of dropping a tough-to-kill creature with a 4-turn clock on turn 1, only Mogg chose to do it with good cards instead of silly cards.
5) Capsize / Recoil / Mistcutter Hydra
0-6 Recoil wipes me by bouncing the Relic
6) Exploration / Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle / Spelljack
6-0 What volcano? Feels like just a light rain to me!
7) Exploration / Mental Misstep / Keldon Arsonist
0-6 Can't cast Ritual against Mental Misstep, and can't get the Lich out against Arsonist firing every turn without Ritual. Why aren't my lands indestructible too???
8) Exploration / March of the Machines / Mycosynth Lattice
0-6 March is basically *the* hard counter to me
Sadly, by the time Lattice would let me use the Lich as its own Phylactery, I don't have any lands to start a Ritual with. : (
9) Pestermite / Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker / Arcane Denial
0-6 On the draw, their combo goes off before I can seal the deal. On the play, they can slow me down a turn by flashing in Pestermite before I attack, and then their combo goes off before I can seal the deal.
Oh looks like BronYAur disagrees about our match (2 vs 3). I wrote it out in more detail; let me know if I'm missing anything. The key is that if anyone ever blocks, the Student dies, so I can go ahead and attack every turn.
My play
My 1 (20): Drop lich
Their 1 (20): Drop student
My 2 (20): Swing for 5
Their 2 (15): Go to level 2, swing for 3
My 3 (17): Swing for 5
Their 3 (10): Go to level 5, swing for 3
My 4 (14): Swing for 5
Their 4 (5): Level 7+, swing for 8
My 5 (6): Swing for the kill
My draw:
Their 1 (20): Student
My 1 (20): Lich
Their 2 (20): Level to 2 but student can't safely attack into untapped Lich.
My 2 (20): Swing for 5
Their 3 (15): Level to 5, swing for 3
My 3 (17): Swing for 5
Their 4 (10): Level 7+, swing for 8
My 4 (9): Swing for 5
Their 4 (5): Swing for 8
My 5 (1): Swing for the kill
vs. 01 Artscrafter: I can cast EOT6 Pestermite T7 Kiki-with-counter-backup before dying to Walker (it goldfishes turn 10 by my count). 6-0
vs. 02 BronYAur: Pestermite stops turn 5 Student kill. 6-0
vs. 03 InfiniteButshell: Pestermite stops turn 5 Lich kill. 6-0
vs. 04 Mogg: Pestermite stops turn 5 Sphinx kill. 6-0
vs. 05 nerdyjoe: Bounce doesn't stop the Mite. 6-0
vs. 06 Personman: I outrace Valakut and have a counter. 6-0
vs. 07 Reyemile: Either counter Arsonist OTP or get landkilled out of the match OTD. 3-3
vs. 08 tomsloger: I counter Lattice. 6-0
vs. WhammeWhamme, me on the play:
1: Forest, exp., Mountain
1:
2: Mountain, Island
2:
3: Island Island
3: Casting pestermite -> Spelljack
4: Mountain Mountain
4: Still can't back it up
5: Mountain Valakut
5: Can cast pestermite, I let it through, can't cast Kiki. It'll die next turn so hold it.
6: 6 to face, 14.
6: Same as before.
7: 6 to face, 8. But now Whamme can flash pestermite in my endstep with backup, and i can't kill it before e can cast kiki with backup on t7. So I'd have to try to kill faster. Killing by t7 means playing 0 islands, which means I can't ramp up to Spelljack mana in one turn if e starts to play things. So I lose.
vs Artscrafter see below
vs nerdyjoe, Spelljack is useless (because I don't care at all about Capsize every turn until t12 when the game is long over) so I hold it to discard to recoil. Bouncing exploration basically doesn't do anything. I win on t7, and hydra can't even safely come down until then.
1 on the play:
1: Island
1: Forest Exploration Valakut
2: Plains, Walker @1
2: Mountain Mountain
3: Plains, Judgment exiling Exploration
3: Mountain (3)
4: Tick Walker to 2
4: Mountain (4)
5: Tick Walker to 3
5: Mountain (5)
6: Tick Walker to 4
6: Mountain, Valakut bolts face
7: Swing for 4 with Walker
(etc, 1 wins the race.)
6 on the play allows either Spelljack mana to be up for Judgment (forcing a 2-turn delay for counter backup) or just simply enough extra Mountains played already that Walker either dies to Valakut or doesn't come out until turn 8.
3CB LR Turn 4
Rule 3.1 is ammended to replace "before an opponent's second turn" with "before an opponent's fourth turn".
Deck Size: 3
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule
Additional Banned list: None (Please be sure to review the regular ban list and the land rule ban list at the end of this post)
Commentary
This is somewhere between 3CB vanilla and the turn 50 round. I suspect it will feel more like vanilla. Time will tell.
Entries
1Artscrafter : Walker control
Hangarback Walker / Council's Judgment / Arcane Denial
Council's Judgement is nearly always amazing. It should see more play than it does.
2BronYAur : White Weenie
Student of Warfare / Rebuff the Wicked / Leyline of the Void
Student kills on turn 5. Protection is good, but may not be enough.
3InfiniteNutshell : Hop in my Time Machine!
Darksteel Relic / Dark Ritual / Phylactery Lich
Indestructability all around. Great for match-ups that care about destroying things.
4Mogg : Sphinx that will Steal Win(d)s
Lion's Eye Diamond / Sphinx of the Steel Wind / Unburial Rites
Lifelink, protection are very good effects to have on a beater. The resiliancy of hardcasting your threat, casting rites if it is destroyed, and then flashing back rites is amazing to have. I don't think it will come up though.
5nerdyjoe : Bouncy Castle
Capsize / Recoil / Mistcutter Hydra
Capsize is amazing in land rule rounds, it can often establish a hard lock. Maybe Fireball would have been better than the hydra.
6Personman : Eruption
Exploration / Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle / Spelljack
Valakut will probably do good work for you. I don't know how often you'll get to cast spelljack.
7Reyemile : Land Control
Exploration / Mental Misstep / Keldon Arsonist
Misstep for opposing explorations is great tech. Attacking mana is always a good approach.
8tomsloger : Maximum creatures
exploration / march of the machines / mycosynth lattice
When this works, it is brutal. It might be a little bit slow.
9WhammeWhamme : Turn 5 splinter twin.
Pestermite / Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker / Arcane Denial
The power of splinter twin is not to be underestimated.
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)
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
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Yes, this is the intended behavior. It is kind of the opposite of the 5CMC round.
Sorry for the delay, I was traveling today. I also don't know why bold text flags don't seem to be working.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
1 Artscrafter - Walker Control
Hangarback Walker / Council's Judgment / Arcane Denial
1-2: 6-0 Judgment eats Student.
1-3: 6-0 Judgment eats Lich.
1-4: 6-0 Judgment eats Sphinx.
1-5: 0-6 I have to save Denial for Capsize, which means I have to let Recoil happen and discard Judgment, and Walker bounced at the right time can't race Hydra.
1-6: 3-3 On the play, I can hit Exploration with Judgment on curve and get Walker out of bolt range just in time. Not so much on the draw.
1-7: 3-3 Landlocked on the draw before I can get Walker down. I get it on the play.
1-8: 6-0 Counter Lattice.
1-9: 0-6 I delay the combo to turn 7, but that's still faster than Walker beats.
01 | X 6 6 6 0 3 3 6 0 | 28
Interesting. I went with something that could deal with Belixir and Neverwarden and neither showed up this week.
4| 0 0 6 X 0 3 6 6 0 | 20 | 250
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 7 8 9
3 | 0 6 X 0 0 6 0 0 0 | 12
Wow I won two matches! I did not expect to do that well! Details below.
1) Hangarback Walker / Council's Judgment / Arcane Denial
0-6 Council's Judgment wipes me
2) Student of Warfare / Rebuff the Wicked / Leyline of the Void
6-0 A mere mortal warrior cannot defeat the lich! (just barely - on the draw, the student can get me down to 1 life before I get the kill)
4) Lion's Eye Diamond / Sphinx of the Steel Wind / Unburial Rites
0-6 This is basically doing the same trick as I am of dropping a tough-to-kill creature with a 4-turn clock on turn 1, only Mogg chose to do it with good cards instead of silly cards.
5) Capsize / Recoil / Mistcutter Hydra
0-6 Recoil wipes me by bouncing the Relic
6) Exploration / Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle / Spelljack
6-0 What volcano? Feels like just a light rain to me!
7) Exploration / Mental Misstep / Keldon Arsonist
0-6 Can't cast Ritual against Mental Misstep, and can't get the Lich out against Arsonist firing every turn without Ritual. Why aren't my lands indestructible too???
8) Exploration / March of the Machines / Mycosynth Lattice
0-6 March is basically *the* hard counter to me
Sadly, by the time Lattice would let me use the Lich as its own Phylactery, I don't have any lands to start a Ritual with. : (
9) Pestermite / Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker / Arcane Denial
0-6 On the draw, their combo goes off before I can seal the deal. On the play, they can slow me down a turn by flashing in Pestermite before I attack, and then their combo goes off before I can seal the deal.
My play
My 1 (20): Drop lich
Their 1 (20): Drop student
My 2 (20): Swing for 5
Their 2 (15): Go to level 2, swing for 3
My 3 (17): Swing for 5
Their 3 (10): Go to level 5, swing for 3
My 4 (14): Swing for 5
Their 4 (5): Level 7+, swing for 8
My 5 (6): Swing for the kill
My draw:
Their 1 (20): Student
My 1 (20): Lich
Their 2 (20): Level to 2 but student can't safely attack into untapped Lich.
My 2 (20): Swing for 5
Their 3 (15): Level to 5, swing for 3
My 3 (17): Swing for 5
Their 4 (10): Level 7+, swing for 8
My 4 (9): Swing for 5
Their 4 (5): Swing for 8
My 5 (1): Swing for the kill
vs. 01 Artscrafter: I can cast EOT6 Pestermite T7 Kiki-with-counter-backup before dying to Walker (it goldfishes turn 10 by my count). 6-0
vs. 02 BronYAur: Pestermite stops turn 5 Student kill. 6-0
vs. 03 InfiniteButshell: Pestermite stops turn 5 Lich kill. 6-0
vs. 04 Mogg: Pestermite stops turn 5 Sphinx kill. 6-0
vs. 05 nerdyjoe: Bounce doesn't stop the Mite. 6-0
vs. 06 Personman: I outrace Valakut and have a counter. 6-0
vs. 07 Reyemile: Either counter Arsonist OTP or get landkilled out of the match OTD. 3-3
vs. 08 tomsloger: I counter Lattice. 6-0
Almost a clean sweep, but Reyemile got the chop.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Exploration / Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle / Spelljack
6 | 3 3 0 3 6 X 0 3 0 | 14
vs. WhammeWhamme, me on the play:
1: Forest, exp., Mountain
1:
2: Mountain, Island
2:
3: Island Island
3: Casting pestermite -> Spelljack
4: Mountain Mountain
4: Still can't back it up
5: Mountain Valakut
5: Can cast pestermite, I let it through, can't cast Kiki. It'll die next turn so hold it.
6: 6 to face, 14.
6: Same as before.
7: 6 to face, 8. But now Whamme can flash pestermite in my endstep with backup, and i can't kill it before e can cast kiki with backup on t7. So I'd have to try to kill faster. Killing by t7 means playing 0 islands, which means I can't ramp up to Spelljack mana in one turn if e starts to play things. So I lose.
vs Artscrafter see below
vs nerdyjoe, Spelljack is useless (because I don't care at all about Capsize every turn until t12 when the game is long over) so I hold it to discard to recoil. Bouncing exploration basically doesn't do anything. I win on t7, and hydra can't even safely come down until then.
7 | 2 6 6 0 4 6 x 6 2 | 32
1: Island
1: Forest Exploration Valakut
2: Plains, Walker @1
2: Mountain Mountain
3: Plains, Judgment exiling Exploration
3: Mountain (3)
4: Tick Walker to 2
4: Mountain (4)
5: Tick Walker to 3
5: Mountain (5)
6: Tick Walker to 4
6: Mountain, Valakut bolts face
7: Swing for 4 with Walker
(etc, 1 wins the race.)
6 on the play allows either Spelljack mana to be up for Judgment (forcing a 2-turn delay for counter backup) or just simply enough extra Mountains played already that Walker either dies to Valakut or doesn't come out until turn 8.
if I don't try to get UUU:
1 Forest Ex Valakut
1 Plains
2 Mountain Mountain
2 Plains
3 Mountain Mountain
3 Judgment
4 Mountain (17)
4
5 Mountain (14)
5
6 Mountain (11)
6
7 Mountain (8)
ok nvm I race.