Hand Size: 3 cards
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Each player starts the game with an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, you may exile target permanent you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control. This ability can't be countered by spells or abilities."
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: 2 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. [/i]
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
Per the suggestion in the previous thread, I like the idea of re-running a format with a different hand size, and I agree that this is a good format for it.
Oh man, you guys went way spikier this week than I thought you would.
4 | 0 ? 0 X ? 0 0 0 | 0
1. 0-6. Land locked.
2. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
3. 0-6. Land locked.
4. X
5. On my play, if you play Sol Ring -> Oath I KKcommand the PW out of your hand then steal Oath next turn, same if you Sol Ring and hold. If you don't Sol Ring. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
6. 0-6. You obviously win on your play. On your draw I hold KKcommand for witness, but you just wait to protect Witness with Echoing Truth.
7. 0-6. Damn pro blue.
8. 0-6. I try to steal Legion's Landing, you counter, attack with 3 things to flip legion's landing, then play venser and land lock me.
vs. 01 CalvinSchwa: OTD, Landing eats Daze, buys a turn for Denial, Venser wins. 6-0
vs. 02 Convoy_Avenger: Too slow. 6-0
vs. 03 Magus of the Aesthetic: Oof. Nice combo. 0-6
vs. 04 ManyCookies: I think my tokens just get out of hand? 6-0
vs. 05 superbajt: Denial Angrath OTD, tokens stall out. OTP no Oath = easy win. 4-1
vs. 06 Tatterhood: OTD I have diverse blockers, OTP counter Witness. 4-1
vs. 07 tomsloger: Landing slips under Drain, wins. 6-0
Also, I believe Magus of the Aesthetic sweeps everyone except CalvinSchwa, who chops it.
I'm not fully awake yet so some of these are suspect. I am now confident in these but I guess someone else should look at the conflicting one.
1) 3-3. On the play there are couple scenarios depending on how Daze is used but none of them stop me from playing Witness or from playing Time Walk afterwards to start the combo. On the draw I never get to two mana.
2) 6-0. Play or draw, my opponent never gets to four mana and the Flickerwisp is irrelevant.
3) 0-6. Yeah, that's pretty unbeatable.
4) 3-3? I agree I win on the play, but I don't think I win on the draw. If I try to hold Witness back until I have five mana, K-Command eats my hand.
5) 3-3. On the play I can combo before Angrath comes down. On the draw I'm a turn too slow. I'd be able to get a draw if Angrath's +1 didn't have the life loss attached, but alas. I'd still lose to tokens because I can be forced to hold my Truths until postcombat.
7) 1-4. I can't beat Akroma or stop her from appearing, but on the play I can take infinite turns in her face. On the draw my Witness gets countered.
8) 1-4. I agree with WhammeWhamme's logic.
I also 4-1 Personman for whatever that's worth.
I'm happy enough with what I submitted but I do kind of feel like a dunce for not even considering the possibility of going mana denial.
I knew going into this hand, that there was some busted combo potential, but I didn't want to waste brain power trying to figure something out, so I went with a silly list. Ramping wouldn't have given me a reasonable way to win (I guess I could have gone for a Draw approach) . But I wasn't fishing for points, so *shrug*
So I was surprised not to see my hand here, since I submitted well before the deadline. I didn't have a reply saying my hand was illegal or anything.. and then I noticed that somehow, MTGS had allowed me to PM my hand to myself. I swear it was submitted on time. It was
.
vs.
1) CalvinSchwa :: Gollum and the Ring
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
1) CalvinSchwa :: Gollum and the Ring
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
2) Convoy_Avenger 6-0
I settle your lands.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic 3-3
OTD, you can do your thing. OTP, Daze stops you for a turn and I can kill your lands.
4) ManyCookies 6-0
I Daze the creature and settle your lands.
4.5) Personman 6-0
Agreed.
5) superbajt 3-3
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
OTD, flickering Oath gets you there. OTP, killing your lands and using Daze keeps you off the mana to cast it.
6) Tatterhood 3-3
OTP, landlock. OTD, you can Truth my Sol Ring on my upkeep to delay me one turn, Time Walk -> Witness the following turn, and even after I kill 2 of your lands you can then go infinite and eventually bounce my Settler for the win.
7) tomsloger 6-0
Daze and landkill gets there.
8) WhammeWhamme 0-6
Agreed.
It was a neat tech with Legion's Landing and Oath of Gideon. Two things I'm disappointed about: one, Sol Ring + Hushwing Gryff lets me play Gryff on their upkeep on the play, which is cool. Some variant of this could've enabled a discard strat too. Admittedly, these probably would've done far worse than my unexpectedly decent actual performance, but they've been neat.
Two, on further reflection I should've set the name to something involving Catan.
| X 6 3 6 [6] 3 3 6 0 | 30 |
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"It is better for all the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes... Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
1) CalvinSchwa :: Gollum and the Ring - 3 - On the draw Daze stops the turn 1 lock and Goblin Settler keeps me off mana for the rest of the game. On the play the lock is set.
2) Convoy_Avenger - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
3) I named my deck "Dr. Dare Rides Again" and I don't remember why anymore. Probably something about Ashen Rider and me saving my submission as a draft last week.
4) ManyCookies - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
5) superbajt - 6 - Sol Ring and Oath of Gideon come down but Ashen Rider exiles Oath before it becomes a problem and races the tokens. The lock prevents Angrath from being cast.
6) Tatterhood - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
7) tomsloger - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
8) WhammeWhamme - 6 - Legion's Landing comes down but Ashen Rider exiles it before it becomes a problem and races the token. The lock prevents anything else from being cast.
[9]) Personman - 6 - Ashen Rider stops the combo.
5) Superbajt
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
5 | 3 6 0 ? X 3 3 1 X | 13+?
I had no idea there are so many broken things to do with this format... And resolving games is again abysmal. Maybe I'm just lazier and lazier My deck is definitely on the weaker side, no really broken things.
1) CalvinSchwa :: Gollum and the Ring
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
3-3. On play, I stick Oath with 4 mana T2 and win. On draw:
You: Island, Sol Ring
Me: Plains, Sol Ring
You: Mountain, Goblin, destroy Plains.
I can't have more than 3 mana, and you can Daze Oath. I lose.
2) Convoy_Avenger
Flickerwisp / Parallax Tide / Parallax Wave
6-0, though I'm not entirely sure.
OTP, I can play all my cards. I + Angrath, you discard Tide, and catch Angrath in Flickerwisp. Then you Wave away the tokens. Thing is, you can't restart Wave, because if you release Angrath, I can just steal Flickerwisp and you have no outs. I win.
OTD, I deploy Oath, then you are able to mana screw me with Tide and Wisp and Wave away tokens for a bit, but not long enough, and ultimately I overwhelm you. You can wait with Flickerwisp for Angrath, but then we are back to my play scenario.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic
Ashen Rider / Lion's Eye Diamond / Unburial Rites
0-6. I can't see any out.
4) ManyCookies
Catch // Release / Kolaghan's Command / Nantuko Tracer
¯\_( - )_/¯ indeed. I don't have enough brainpower for this. What do you say for 2-2?
6) Tatterhood
Echoing Truth / Eternal Witness / Time Walk
3-3. I was sure the rule 3.1 forbids taking an extra turn early, I should reconsider Time Walk in future formats.
To win you need to make sure I don't have creatures and either have inf turns, or Angrath is dead.
To not lose, you need to make sure you have inf turns,
OTP, to summarize: I can + Angrath thrice before you have 5 mana to start chain, or twice (enough) if you Time Walk before. If you play Witness in any point earlier, I just steal it with PW, and if you don't it gets discarded. Then I win.
OTD, you are fast enough to beat me.
7) tomsloger
Akroma, Angel of Fury / Mana Drain / Mana Drain
3-3. OTD, you can counter both my threats and win.
OTP is more interesting. I always can play Oath. It seems that Akroma is faster than tokens due to firebreathing, but if you don't counter Angrath you just lose. You have to hold Drain (which requires two Islands), but then Akroma is too late and tokens win the game.
8) WhammeWhamme
Arcane Denial / Legion's Landing / Venser, Shaper Savant
I think I agree with 1-4.
OTD you counter Oath, sure, you win.
OTP I always have more creatures, and you even can't reliably flip Landing for a long time, but I can't attack, because yours have lifelink and you'd beat me in a race. We draw with me on 20 and you on 112309923020930 life, if it makes you fell better
That's another week that LED+Unburial Rites+big creature with flavor of the week nearly sweeps the field. I think that's something to add to watch list.
Also, that's another week won by mana denial strategy in LR. I'd like to ask - what do you think about changing 3.1 by adding clause preventing land denial in LR? Of course it wouldn't be elegant, because you can dodge land getting destroyed by not playing lands, but that's not the point
5) superbajt
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
I think this is 2-2. I don't play Flickerwisp until you play Angrath (because that can lock him out for the rest of the game) You play your Oath, and I exile them. Neither of us can advance our board state without losing.
6) Tatterhood
Echoing Truth / Eternal Witness / Time Walk
0-6, Locks me out
7) tomsloger
Akroma, Angel of Fury / Mana Drain / Mana Drain
0-6, This is just hilariously "Fair" good against me.
Those are good ideas. LED + Unburial Rites + best creature is really brutal in otherwise slow land rule formats.
Which this one wasn't, exactly, but it does kinda invalidate a lot of decks.
Agreed - running a lot of 3CH LR rounds in quick succession is helping me to get a better understanding of which cards may be problematic in the format in general. I don't intend to act on anything too quickly, but I'm paying attention.
Regarding a prohibition on mana denial in general - I'm not necessarily against it, but I think the implementation could be difficult. The scope of this round was more than just a restriction on mana denial, but it may serve as a useful example nonetheless.
"You cannot submit a deck that can prevent lands being played by your opponent before your opponent's third turn.
You cannot submit a deck that can cause a land that has been played by your opponent to leave play before your opponent's third turn."
The extra turn is because Braids, Pardic Miner etc. are the default, whereas instant speed discard and "I win" is unusual.
"A player may not choose an opening hand that would enable him or her to cause an opponent to not being able play a land or lose control of a basic land before the opponent's second turn ends if the opponent plays a land in each of his or her turn. Ignore this rule if the player's hand would be legal if that player's opponents' cards had no rules text."
I mirrored 3.1 with changing "begins" to "ends" to catch T1 Braids, as it is indeed a part of problem.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
3CH LR Conjurer's Closet
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Hands:
1) CalvinSchwa :: Gollum and the Ring
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
2) Convoy_Avenger
Flickerwisp / Parallax Tide / Parallax Wave
3) Magus of the Aesthetic
Ashen Rider / Lion's Eye Diamond / Unburial Rites
4) ManyCookies
Catch // Release / Kolaghan's Command / Nantuko Tracer
5) superbajt
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
6) Tatterhood
Echoing Truth / Eternal Witness / Time Walk
7) tomsloger
Akroma, Angel of Fury / Mana Drain / Mana Drain
8) WhammeWhamme
Arcane Denial / Legion's Landing / Venser, Shaper Savant
9) Personman
Dark Depths / Mana Drain / Thespian's Stage
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
1| X 6 3 6 3 3 6 0 6 | 30 | 375
2| 0 X 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 | 02 | 025
3| 3 6 X 6 6 6 6 6 6 | 44 | 550
4| 0 6 0 X 6 3 0 0 0 | 14 | 175
5| 3 6 0 0 X 3 3 1 0 | 13 | 163
6| 3 6 0 3 3 X 1 1 4 | 18 | 225
7| 0 6 0 6 3 4 X 0 0 | 18 | 225
8| 6 6 0 6 4 4 6 X 6 | 38 | 475
9| 0 2 0 6 6 1 6 0 X | 21 | 263
Magus of the Aesthetic 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
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
2CH LR 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. [/i]
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
Per the suggestion in the previous thread, I like the idea of re-running a format with a different hand size, and I agree that this is a good format for it.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
I'll fix that when I'm signed into the phm account.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
Feyd used to run this game and currently runs the PHM drafts.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
Please take a look and score your row.
Also, please welcome new player Tatterhood!
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
4 | 0 ? 0 X ? 0 0 0 | 0
1. 0-6. Land locked.
2. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
3. 0-6. Land locked.
4. X
5. On my play, if you play Sol Ring -> Oath I KKcommand the PW out of your hand then steal Oath next turn, same if you Sol Ring and hold. If you don't Sol Ring. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
6. 0-6. You obviously win on your play. On your draw I hold KKcommand for witness, but you just wait to protect Witness with Echoing Truth.
7. 0-6. Damn pro blue.
8. 0-6. I try to steal Legion's Landing, you counter, attack with 3 things to flip legion's landing, then play venser and land lock me.
vs. 01 CalvinSchwa: OTD, Landing eats Daze, buys a turn for Denial, Venser wins. 6-0
vs. 02 Convoy_Avenger: Too slow. 6-0
vs. 03 Magus of the Aesthetic: Oof. Nice combo. 0-6
vs. 04 ManyCookies: I think my tokens just get out of hand? 6-0
vs. 05 superbajt: Denial Angrath OTD, tokens stall out. OTP no Oath = easy win. 4-1
vs. 06 Tatterhood: OTD I have diverse blockers, OTP counter Witness. 4-1
vs. 07 tomsloger: Landing slips under Drain, wins. 6-0
Also, I believe Magus of the Aesthetic sweeps everyone except CalvinSchwa, who chops it.
I'm not fully awake yet so some of these are suspect.I am now confident in these but I guess someone else should look at the conflicting one.1) 3-3. On the play there are couple scenarios depending on how Daze is used but none of them stop me from playing Witness or from playing Time Walk afterwards to start the combo. On the draw I never get to two mana.
2) 6-0. Play or draw, my opponent never gets to four mana and the Flickerwisp is irrelevant.
3) 0-6. Yeah, that's pretty unbeatable.
4) 3-3? I agree I win on the play, but I don't think I win on the draw. If I try to hold Witness back until I have five mana, K-Command eats my hand.
5) 3-3. On the play I can combo before Angrath comes down. On the draw I'm a turn too slow.
I'd be able to get a draw if Angrath's +1 didn't have the life loss attached, but alas.I'd still lose to tokens because I can be forced to hold my Truths until postcombat.7) 1-4. I can't beat Akroma or stop her from appearing, but on the play I can take infinite turns in her face. On the draw my Witness gets countered.
8) 1-4. I agree with WhammeWhamme's logic.
I also 4-1 Personman for whatever that's worth.
I'm happy enough with what I submitted but I do kind of feel like a dunce for not even considering the possibility of going mana denial.
I point out in a bit.
.
vs.
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
Can't pay for Daze, 0-6.
2) Convoy_Avenger
Flickerwisp / Parallax Tide / Parallax Wave
Drain Flickerwisp, can't win through Wave/Tide. 2-2
3) Magus of the Aesthetic
Ashen Rider / Lion's Eye Diamond / Unburial Rites
This is sweet. 0-6
4) ManyCookies
Catch // Release / Kolaghan's Command / Nantuko Tracer
I lose Drain to Command, but can then make Marit on ManyCookies's t4/5 end step, to dodge Catch. 6-0.
5) superbajt
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
Counter Angrath, win. 6-0.
6) Tatterhood
Echoing Truth / Eternal Witness / Time Walk
On my play, I can counter Witness, but that leaves no defense against Truth so I can't win. On the draw I don't get to take many turns. 1-4
7) tomsloger
Akroma, Angel of Fury / Mana Drain / Mana Drain
My uncounterable threat is bigger and faster. 6-0.
8) WhammeWhamme
Arcane Denial / Legion's Landing / Venser, Shaper Savant
Venser beats Marit, and waiting for Drain backup just lets WhammeWhamme have Denial. 0-6
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
2) Convoy_Avenger 6-0
I settle your lands.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic 3-3
OTD, you can do your thing. OTP, Daze stops you for a turn and I can kill your lands.
4) ManyCookies 6-0
I Daze the creature and settle your lands.
4.5) Personman 6-0
Agreed.
5) superbajt 3-3
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
OTD, flickering Oath gets you there. OTP, killing your lands and using Daze keeps you off the mana to cast it.
6) Tatterhood 3-3
OTP, landlock. OTD, you can Truth my Sol Ring on my upkeep to delay me one turn, Time Walk -> Witness the following turn, and even after I kill 2 of your lands you can then go infinite and eventually bounce my Settler for the win.
7) tomsloger 6-0
Daze and landkill gets there.
8) WhammeWhamme 0-6
Agreed.
It was a neat tech with Legion's Landing and Oath of Gideon. Two things I'm disappointed about: one, Sol Ring + Hushwing Gryff lets me play Gryff on their upkeep on the play, which is cool. Some variant of this could've enabled a discard strat too. Admittedly, these probably would've done far worse than my unexpectedly decent actual performance, but they've been neat.
Two, on further reflection I should've set the name to something involving Catan.
| X 6 3 6 [6] 3 3 6 0 | 30 |
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
1) CalvinSchwa :: Gollum and the Ring - 3 - On the draw Daze stops the turn 1 lock and Goblin Settler keeps me off mana for the rest of the game. On the play the lock is set.
2) Convoy_Avenger - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
3) I named my deck "Dr. Dare Rides Again" and I don't remember why anymore. Probably something about Ashen Rider and me saving my submission as a draft last week.
4) ManyCookies - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
5) superbajt - 6 - Sol Ring and Oath of Gideon come down but Ashen Rider exiles Oath before it becomes a problem and races the tokens. The lock prevents Angrath from being cast.
6) Tatterhood - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
7) tomsloger - 6 - Ashen Rider only allows one land on the battlefield at a time.
8) WhammeWhamme - 6 - Legion's Landing comes down but Ashen Rider exiles it before it becomes a problem and races the token. The lock prevents anything else from being cast.
[9]) Personman - 6 - Ashen Rider stops the combo.
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
5 | 3 6 0 ? X 3 3 1 X | 13+?
I had no idea there are so many broken things to do with this format... And resolving games is again abysmal. Maybe I'm just lazier and lazier My deck is definitely on the weaker side, no really broken things.
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
3-3. On play, I stick Oath with 4 mana T2 and win. On draw:
You: Island, Sol Ring
Me: Plains, Sol Ring
You: Mountain, Goblin, destroy Plains.
I can't have more than 3 mana, and you can Daze Oath. I lose.
2) Convoy_Avenger
Flickerwisp / Parallax Tide / Parallax Wave
6-0, though I'm not entirely sure.
OTP, I can play all my cards. I + Angrath, you discard Tide, and catch Angrath in Flickerwisp. Then you Wave away the tokens. Thing is, you can't restart Wave, because if you release Angrath, I can just steal Flickerwisp and you have no outs. I win.
OTD, I deploy Oath, then you are able to mana screw me with Tide and Wisp and Wave away tokens for a bit, but not long enough, and ultimately I overwhelm you. You can wait with Flickerwisp for Angrath, but then we are back to my play scenario.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic
Ashen Rider / Lion's Eye Diamond / Unburial Rites
0-6. I can't see any out.
4) ManyCookies
Catch // Release / Kolaghan's Command / Nantuko Tracer
¯\_( - )_/¯ indeed. I don't have enough brainpower for this. What do you say for 2-2?
6) Tatterhood
Echoing Truth / Eternal Witness / Time Walk
3-3. I was sure the rule 3.1 forbids taking an extra turn early, I should reconsider Time Walk in future formats.
To win you need to make sure I don't have creatures and either have inf turns, or Angrath is dead.
To not lose, you need to make sure you have inf turns,
OTP, to summarize: I can + Angrath thrice before you have 5 mana to start chain, or twice (enough) if you Time Walk before. If you play Witness in any point earlier, I just steal it with PW, and if you don't it gets discarded. Then I win.
OTD, you are fast enough to beat me.
7) tomsloger
Akroma, Angel of Fury / Mana Drain / Mana Drain
3-3. OTD, you can counter both my threats and win.
OTP is more interesting. I always can play Oath. It seems that Akroma is faster than tokens due to firebreathing, but if you don't counter Angrath you just lose. You have to hold Drain (which requires two Islands), but then Akroma is too late and tokens win the game.
8) WhammeWhamme
Arcane Denial / Legion's Landing / Venser, Shaper Savant
I think I agree with 1-4.
OTD you counter Oath, sure, you win.
OTP I always have more creatures, and you even can't reliably flip Landing for a long time, but I can't attack, because yours have lifelink and you'd beat me in a race. We draw with me on 20 and you on 112309923020930 life, if it makes you fell better
That's another week that LED+Unburial Rites+big creature with flavor of the week nearly sweeps the field. I think that's something to add to watch list.
Also, that's another week won by mana denial strategy in LR. I'd like to ask - what do you think about changing 3.1 by adding clause preventing land denial in LR? Of course it wouldn't be elegant, because you can dodge land getting destroyed by not playing lands, but that's not the point
Which this one wasn't, exactly, but it does kinda invalidate a lot of decks.
Flickerwisp / Parallax Tide / Parallax Wave
Daze / Goblin Settler / Sol Ring
0-6, Locks me out.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic
Ashen Rider / Lion's Eye Diamond / Unburial Rites
0-6, Locks me out.
4) ManyCookies
Catch // Release / Kolaghan's Command / Nantuko Tracer
Surprisingly complex. Give me a few.
5) superbajt
Angrath, the Flame-Chained / Oath of Gideon / Sol Ring
I think this is 2-2. I don't play Flickerwisp until you play Angrath (because that can lock him out for the rest of the game) You play your Oath, and I exile them. Neither of us can advance our board state without losing.
6) Tatterhood
Echoing Truth / Eternal Witness / Time Walk
0-6, Locks me out
7) tomsloger
Akroma, Angel of Fury / Mana Drain / Mana Drain
0-6, This is just hilariously "Fair" good against me.
8) WhammeWhamme
Arcane Denial / Legion's Landing / Venser, Shaper Savant
0-6, Yup
ManyCookies is complex, but since I did so poorly, not sure it's worth figuring out!
superbajt, don't think you win those, think it's stalemate.
Regarding a prohibition on mana denial in general - I'm not necessarily against it, but I think the implementation could be difficult. The scope of
this round was more than just a restriction on mana denial, but it may serve as a useful example nonetheless.
Follow me to be notified when weekly Perfect Hand Magic results are posted
You cannot submit a deck that can cause a land that has been played by your opponent to leave play before your opponent's third turn."
The extra turn is because Braids, Pardic Miner etc. are the default, whereas instant speed discard and "I win" is unusual.
I mirrored 3.1 with changing "begins" to "ends" to catch T1 Braids, as it is indeed a part of problem.