Hand Size: 3 cards
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
All permanents have:
1) "Sacrifice this permanent: Add one mana of any type to your mana pool" and;
2) "Sacrifice this permanent: This permanent deals 1 damage to target creature or player."
If a permanent would be put into a graveyard, exile it instead.
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
I meant to ask this last week. I saw some cards from Rivals of Ixalan in the sealed pool for PHM draft. Are they legal here too? Would they have been legal last week?
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).
Each player starts the game with an emblem with "Whenever you tap a land for colored mana, add to your mana pool one mana of any type that land produced" and "Whenever any amount of mana empties from your mana pool, you lose that much life." (Spending mana causes it to empty from your mana pool.)
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: LazyDeckbuilding
Dark Depths / Sol Ring / Thespian's Stage
1) Anachronity
Leyline of Sanctity / Predator Ooze / Swan Song
6-0 If only Ooze could fly.
2) Curvograph :: Stagnation
Braids, Cabal Minion / Land Equilibrium / Mana Crypt
Welcome to PHM! Land equilibrium is a card that I just read for the first time. If I'm reading right it is awesome in this format.
If you're on the play you go island, crypt, equilibrium saccing island, I now can't play land and you can play and sac a land each turn.
0-6.
3) Feyd_Ruin: In the Revenge Business
Gaea's Revenge / Mana Crypt / Mana Crypt
You kill me during with your 3rd land drop. I kill you with my third combat step.
3-3
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Wrote 2,700 Words This Week, So Here Are Three Cards From The FAQ
Azusa, Lost but Seeking / Dark Ritual / Voidstone Gargoyle
Your t1 is something like
swamp, sac for BG
dark ritual BBBG
asuza, B
Plains, plains, tap and sac for BWWWW, gargoyle.
Then you're attacking for 5 each turn (including sacrificing a land for damage) So in a race you win on the combat step of your 5th turn.
You shut off my sol ring, so my race is
Land
Depths
Stage, Lage
Attack for 20.
Even when you're on the play, lage interrupts your rush (by being an untapped blocker) when I have at least 10 life. That is enough cushion for me to force a gargoyle chump and then kill you the following turn.
7) Personman
Banefire / Ensnaring Bridge / Leyline of Sanctity
I cannot beat T1 enstaring bridge (saccing leyline for mana)
0-6
8) Superbajt
Eternal Scourge / Food Chain / Nature's Claim
This is just a race right? You remove my sol ring, so I make lage during my 3rd turn and kill on 4, but you combo off on turn 3
0-6
9) WhammeWhamme
Commandeer / Land Equilibrium / Mana Drain
I think I can beat this land equilibrium deck when I'm on the play.
Stage, Sol Ring, go
Island, go
Depths, lage, go
Ilsand, Equilibrium, go
attack, GG.
If you comandeer the sol ring, then you just have your 19 turn clock, which Lage beats.
3-3
6 | 6 0 2 6 0 X 0 0 2 | 16
As much as I hate Dark Depths and as much as this hand was bad this week, I'm glad I submitted it because none of my other ideas would have fared better. I really wanted to jam a fast Mindslaver (or Emrakul, the promised end) to make people sac their wincons or loop Riftsweepers, but the former just wouldn't work and the latter would have been way too slow. Food chain + eternal scourge is a much better version of the exile loop idea.
1. 0-6, damn that hard meta-game call.
2. 0-6, heya! I was about to say braids doesn't work in this format, but my GOD land equilibrium is evil.
3. 3-3, damn that kills quick.
4. 6-0, i unmaking the golem, win from there.
5. X
6. 6-0, unmaking handles marit.
7. 6-0, I unmaking sanctity and win the turn after.
8. 2-2? You might have the edge with the cheaper food chain buster, not 100% sure.
9. 0-6 I'm pretty sure I have a somewhat complicated win on the play, but about to pass out and too tired to verify. Nevermind drain sends scourge to the GY.
Took me a second to figure out what the Eternal Scourges were doing, I had completely forgotten the exile clause. Neat!
7) Personman
Banefire / Ensnaring Bridge / Leyline of Sanctity
1) Anachronity
Leyline of Sanctity / Predator Ooze / Swan Song
Sanctity + Swan Song beats Sanctity + Bridge. Then it's a race. It goes:
My play:
1: Sac Sanctity + Land for Bridge, response Sanctity + Song.
1: Forest
2: Land, attack for 2 (18)
2: Land, sac one for Ooze
3: 2L, 16
3: attack for 2 (18)
4: 3L, 14
4: atk 3, 15
5: 4L, 12
5: atk 4, 11
6: 5L, 10
6: atk 5, 6
7: Banefire lethal
so instead, Anachronity sits back and does nothing, Bridge keeps me alive and Leyline keeps em alive, we draw.
My draw:
1: Leyline, Land
1: Leyline, Land, Bridge, tap land to counter. Now I don't have Banefire, and lose the race.
1-4
Song can't counter artifacts. 2-2.
2) Curvograph :: Stagnation
Braids, Cabal Minion / Land Equilibrium / Mana Crypt
On the draw, if I start with Leyline, I'm forced to give it up to shoot Braids in response to the trigger, then sac a land to finish her. Land Equilibrium comes down t2, and locks me out. If I hold Leyline, t1 Land Eq just wins.
On the play, if I play a land and pass, I can wait for Braids, then double shoot her without losing Leyline. Then I actually win, since Curvograph has no way to get rid of lands for Land Eq except shooting emself in the face. If Land Eq comes down first, there's still no way to sac lands Curvograph can sac a few lands at eir own face, and then I can't double-shoot Braids without losing Leyline.
0-6
3) Feyd_Ruin: In the Revenge Business
Gaea's Revenge / Mana Crypt / Mana Crypt
Bridge just wins. 6-0.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Wrote 2,700 Words This Week, So Here Are Three Cards From The FAQ
Azusa, Lost but Seeking / Dark Ritual / Voidstone Gargoyle
t1 Voidstone on Bridge is pretty good, except that I just play lands and shoot both creatures until they are dead, and then win. Though, I guess it's a bit of a race, since I'm giving up so many lands. It would be a close race if I didn't have Leyline.
vs. 01 Anachronity: OTP, Equilibrium for the draw. 1-4
vs. 02 Curvograph: OTD, I can Commandeer Equilibrium for the win if Curvograph leads with it.
Otherwise, I drop a land into Braids and can double land ping Braids, then get Equilibrium. Eq. wins. 6-0
vs. 03 Feyd_Ruin: Can't stop the Revenge. 0-6
vs. 04 Magus of the Aesthetic: OTP, Equilibrium wins. OTD, Voidstone keeps me off it. 3-3
vs. 05 ManyCookies: OTP Equilibrium wins, OTD Drain stops the combo and Equi. forces Unmaking to win the race. 6-0
vs. 06 MyNameIsFourteen: OTP Equilibrium wins. 3-3
vs. 07 Personman: Equilibrium ties with Leyline. 2-2
vs. 08 Superbajt: Once again, Drain stops the combo (a countered Scourge goes to the Graveyard) and I narrowly win the race. 6-0
I find it funny that it's the lifegain/lifeloss of Nature's Claim and Anguished Unmaking that decided two matches.
I really didn't like this week's format. IMO it was overcomplicated (3 different effects), breakable by several cards (Land Equilibrium, Leyline of Sancticity, Eternal Scourge) and causing too much counting (How many lands do I have, should I use them to shoot creatures or to cast spells or to go to the face?).
As for deck, I don't know if Nature's Claim was the best choice for this deck. I thought about Anguished Unmaking, but I wanted to beat things before I combo without sacing lands.
1) Anachronity
Leyline of Sanctity / Predator Ooze / Swan Song
3-3?. On play, I claim Leyline, you can't stop me. You can then Song Food Chain, but I think I beat you with my recursive blocker to the face. Will return to math later.
On draw, you Song Claim. Lands to the face or to remove blocker kill me.
2) Curvograph :: Stagnation
Braids, Cabal Minion / Land Equilibrium / Mana Crypt
EDIT:
0-6. Explained by Curvograph below.
3) Feyd_Ruin: In the Revenge Business
Gaea's Revenge / Mana Crypt / Mana Crypt
6-0. You can sac Crypts and lands to get rid of my recursive blockers, but not enough times to stop me from comboing out.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Wrote 2,700 Words This Week, So Here Are Three Cards From The FAQ
Azusa, Lost but Seeking / Dark Ritual / Voidstone Gargoyle
?-? That's the matchup I have no idea if I win or lose. There is a race for sure. I will return to it eventually.
5) ManyCookies :: Omnomnom
Anguished Unmaking / Eternal Scourge / Food Chain
3-3? Yeah, I also have no idea, maybe you win because you are +1 life total. If you ask me, let's agree on 3-3 and go on with our lives.
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: LazyDeckbuilding
Dark Depths / Sol Ring / Thespian's Stage
EDIT:
6-0. MyNameIsFourteen is right, he can't interact and
9) WhammeWhamme
Commandeer / Land Equilibrium / Mana Drain
0-6. I already wrote my post and was ready to send it with me claiming to be 6-0 here, but I forgot about Scourge going to graveyard when Drained. Oh well.
@superbajt how exactly do I make some ring and Lage on turn 2? If my lands are stage and depths, I have to tap stage to cast Sol ring, and then I can't also tap stage to make Lage.
-> OTD: 1st turn: basic, Mana Crypt and LE (basic gets sacrificed for mana). This way you are limited to at most one land. 2nd turn: basic land and pass, 3rd turn: second basic land and Braids, one land and Crypt get sacrificed. This way you are unable to remove Braids, as you cannot sacrifice two permanents to kill her without losing Leyline.
1. Braids stays: she races and has fuel. You lose a permanent each turn due to LE.
2. Braids dies from sacrifice of Leyline and a land: you are left without lands and leyline. LE locks.
3. You play Bridge on your first turn (afterwards it is impossible): LE locks.
Banefire is effectively useless as it requires mana you don't have (or get it from sacrifice of Leyline which does not help) 3
Ah, yep, it was late and I just didn't fully consider the difference when you have LE first. Updated, and welcome to PHM!
Disagree with Curvograph, Personman, WhammeWhamme EDIT: and Feyd_Ruin. I still need to math out the two Scourge rounds.
2) vs. Curvograph: This looks like a win for me, since Braids doesn't make me sacrifice enchantments. See below. ~ 6-0
3) vs. Feyd_Ruin: I can't counter anything, but that poor elemental doesn't have trample so I can chump it with Ooze until I ping you to death. ~ 6-0
4) vs. Magus of the Aesthetic: Leyline alone wins this. ~ 6-0
5) vs. ManyCookies and 8) vs. Superbajt, I need to math these out.
6) vs. MyNameIsFourteen: Marit Lage gets me. ~ 0-6
7) vs. Personman: Neither of us can kill the other's Leyline, Song can't counter artifacts, and Ooze can't get past your Bridge. ~ 2-2
9) vs. WhammeWhamme: Commandeer is noncreature, so T1 Ooze wins it. ~ 6-0
8 | X 6 6 6 ? 0 2 ? 6 | 26 | 325+
with me OTD, if you T1 Equilibrium then...
y1: Crypt, land, tap+sac land and tap Crypt for Equilibrium. I sacrifice Leyline to Song it.
m1: land, pass.
y2: take 3 from Crypt, play land, cast Braids, ping me for 1 with your remaining mana source, swing 2 with the bird I gave you. (17-17)
m2: sac land to ping Braids 1 in response to her trigger. Play land and sac that as well to kill Braids. You sac her in response to ping me 1. (16-17)
y3: land, sac to ping, swing bird for 2 (13-17)
m3: land, pass
y4: same thing. (10-17)
m4: land, play Ooze (1 tapped land remaining)
y5: same thing. (7-17)
m5: land, sac both lands to kill the bird and you ping me with it in response, swing Ooze (6-16)
from there, Ooze races you pinging me with lands
casting Braids on your T1 doesn't work as best I can tell, since then you'd need to sacrifice your remaining Crypt/land to her. I can always sac Leyline to Song your Equilibrium
Anachronity is *right*, but it's slightly more complicated; OTP, I can Mana Drain turn 1, so it's actually play a forest, pass the turn, and then I can either drop Land Equilibrium and lose to the Ooze (sac Leyline), or keep Drain up and watch it get Swan Songed.
I really didn't like this week's format. IMO it was overcomplicated (3 different effects), breakable by several cards (Land Equilibrium, Leyline of Sancticity, Eternal Scourge) and causing too much counting (How many lands do I have, should I use them to shoot creatures or to cast spells or to go to the face?).
Eh I thought this was reasonably interesting, and I think the three abilities made sense together (sac stuff, exile clause so we don't get the obvious sac loops).
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3CH LR Squandered Goblin Curtains
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
2) "Sacrifice this permanent: This permanent deals 1 damage to target creature or player."
If a permanent would be put into a graveyard, exile it instead.
Hands:
1) Anachronity
Leyline of Sanctity / Predator Ooze / Swan Song
2) Curvograph :: Stagnation
Braids, Cabal Minion / Land Equilibrium / Mana Crypt
3) Feyd_Ruin: In the Revenge Business
Gaea's Revenge / Mana Crypt / Mana Crypt
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Wrote 2,700 Words This Week, So Here Are Three Cards From The FAQ
Azusa, Lost but Seeking / Dark Ritual / Voidstone Gargoyle
5) ManyCookies :: Omnomnom
Anguished Unmaking / Eternal Scourge / Food Chain
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: LazyDeckbuilding
Dark Depths / Sol Ring / Thespian's Stage
7) Personman
Banefire / Ensnaring Bridge / Leyline of Sanctity
8) Superbajt
Eternal Scourge / Food Chain / Nature's Claim
9) WhammeWhamme
Commandeer / Land Equilibrium / Mana Drain
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
1| X 6 6 6 6 0 2 3 6 | 34 | 425
2| 0 X 3 3 6 6 6 6 0 | 28 | 350
3| 0 3 X 6 3 3 0 3 6 | 20 | 250
4| 0 3 0 X 0 0 0 3 3 | 06 | 075
5| 0 0 3 6 X 6 6 3 0 | 22 | 275
6| 6 0 3 6 0 X 0 0 3 | 16 | 200
7| 2 0 6 6 0 6 X 0 2 | 22 | 275
8| 3 0 3 3 3 6 6 X 0 | 20 | 250
9| 0 6 0 3 6 3 2 6 X | 24 | 300
Anachronity wins!
Rules and Banned List
Cards on the PHM Banned List are always banned, and cards on the Land Rule Banned List are banned as well when the round uses a Land Rule.
1. Overview
2. Game Rules
3. Hand Construction Rules
4. Entry
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
6. Scoring
7. Variant Format Rules
1. Overview
Perfect Hand Magic (PHM) is a competitive strategy game for two or more players. It can be played using pencil and paper; however, it's most commonly played via an online forum. To play the game, each player secretly chooses a specified number of Magic cards which form his or her hand. Once all players have chosen hands, the hands are revealed and scored.
The object of the game is to choose the hand that will score the most points. The score for each hand is determined by the result that it would achieve if it were used to play two games of Magic – one match – against each competing hand; the rules for these theoretical games are covered in Section 2 – Game Rules. During each theoretical game, the player of each hand employs the strategy that maximizes the score for his or her hand, taking into account the strategy of his or her opponent.
A hand scores 3 points for each game that it would win, 0 points for each game that it would lose, and 1 point for each game that would end in a draw. However, a hand scores only 2 points for any match that would have a symmetrical result, regardless of whether the result would be two drawn games or a win for each hand.
The composition of a hand is limited only by a short banned list and a few restrictions on the game states that it can enable; these restrictions are covered in Section 3 – Hand Construction Rules.
2. Game Rules
2.1. Except for the changes described in these rules, games follow the rules for a normal game of Magic.
ii. Changes that would take effect at any other time take effect during the first round for which those rules have been in effect since the start of the round instead.
2.1b. Ignore any part of an instruction that isn't covered by these rules or by the rules of Magic.
2.2. A player's opening hand contains that player's chosen cards.
2.3. Players' libraries begin the game empty.
2.4. An effect that would produce a random result produces the result that least benefits the owner of the source of that effect instead.
2.5. Each player is the starting player for one game in each match.
2.6. Players know the identities of all face-down cards and all cards in hidden zones, and players know which decisions have been made by other players.
2.7. If a game would continue indefinitely, then the game is a draw.
2.8. If a loop containing at least one optional action would be repeated indefinitely during a turn, then any player may propose a number of times for that loop to repeat instead. If a player does, then each other player may propose a different number and the loop is repeated for the greatest number of times proposed instead. No player is required to make a choice that would end a loop that crosses multiple turns.
2.9. Cards can't be brought into the game from outside the game.
3. Hand Construction Rules
3.1. A player may not choose an opening hand that would enable him or her to achieve any of the following results before an opponent's second turn would begin, such that that opponent could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in at least one of these results:
ii. Take an infinite number of turns.
iii. Cause a card to leave an opponent's hand.
Ignore this rule in the following cases:
3.1b. That player's hand would be legal if that player's opponents had no maximum hand size.
3.1c. That player could achieve one of these results only during a game that was restarted after an opponent's second turn had begun.
3.1d. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be put onto the battlefield by that effect.
3.1e. All cards that would leave an opponent's hand during the resolution of an effect would be in that opponent's hand once that effect resolved.
3.2. A hand may contain any number of copies of any card legal in Vintage.
3.3. A hand may not contain any cards on the PHM Banned List.
4. Entry
4.1. A player plays a round of PHM by submitting a list of his or her chosen cards to the PHM moderator.
4.2. A player may change his or her hand until the posted deadline.
4.2b. The moderator also will try to notify a player if that player's hand doesn't enable that player to win the game against any possible hand.
4.3. A player may name his or her hand. If he or she doesn't, then the moderator may name it. The moderator may also rename a player's hand at his or her discretion.
5. Perfect Hand Magic League (PHML)
5.1. PHM League play consists of four rounds of PHM.
5.2. Each round, a player earns League points according to the following formula:
5.3. The player with the most League points at the end of League play is the PHM League winner.
6. Scoring
6.1. A table of match results is posted at the end of each round. Each row lists one player's result against each other player. A player's points and League points are tallied at the end of his or her row.
6.2. A player may earn bonus League points as specified by the PHM moderator.
6.3. Each player is responsible for determining the match results for his or her hand.
6.3b. An undetermined match result is counted as a loss for both players in that match.
6.3c. A player may challenge any result until the moderator announces that the result is final.
7. Variant Format Rules
7.1. Perfect Hand Magic has been played with hands typically containing between one and seven cards. Additionally, the Game Rules and Hand Construction Rules have been adapted to create hundreds of variant formats. Five commonly-played variants are described in Sections 7.3-7.7.
7.2. The rules of a variant format overwrite any other applicable rules.
7.2b. Some variant formats require a player to make some number of decisions in addition to or instead of submitting a hand. A player's submission must comply with the Hand Construction Rules, taking into account any decisions made at this time.
7.2c. Some variant formats require players to make decisions "before the start of each game". For these decisions, follow the "Active Player, Nonactive Player order" rule, replacing "active player" with "starting player".
7.3. Land Rule Variant.
7.3b. This is the extra land rule (ELR). Any player may play a basic land of his or her choice from outside the game any time he or she could normally play a land. Any player may play an additional land on each of his or her turns from his or her hand. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.3c. This is the draw land rule (DLR). If a player would draw a card from an empty library, that player puts a basic land of his or her choice from outside the game into his or her hand instead. The starting player doesn't skip the draw step of his or her first turn. A hand may not contain any cards on the Land Rule Banned List.
7.4. Sanctioned Magic Format Variant.
7.5. Life Rule (LF).
7.5b. Irrespective of rule 7.5a, a player must choose an opening hand that enables him or her to win both games of a match against at least one hand, such that the player of the losing hand could make no sequence of decisions that would not result in that player losing the game. The losing hand must conform with the Hand Construction Rules but need not consider this rule.
7.6. Backbuild.
7.7. (Bonus).
Beast Within________________________Beacon of Creation
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Black Lotus
Channel_____________________________Energy Field
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Fastbond____________________________Nezumi Shortfang
Flash_______________________________Red Sun's Zenith
Force of Will_______________________White Sun's Zenith
Ghost Quarter
Laboratory Maniac
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Leyline of the Meek
Magus of the Moon
Meddling Mage
Pact of Negation
Show and Tell
Strip Mine
The Rack
Trinisphere
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Wasteland
Channel_____________________________Black Lotus
Fastbond
Flash
Show and Tell
Disruption
Beast Within________________________Balancing Act
Chancellor of the Annex_____________Energy Field
Force of Will
Leyline of Anticipation
Leyline of Singularity
Pact of Negation
Trinisphere
Lands
Ghost Quarter
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Win Conditions
Barren Glory________________________Beacon of Creation
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn_____________Maralen of the Mornsong
Laboratory Maniac___________________Nezumi Shortfang
Leyline of the Meek_________________Red Sun's Zenith
Magus of the Moon___________________White Sun's Zenith
Meddling Mage
The Rack
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Vampire Hexmage
Format Ideas?
Additional Resources
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So yeah, I think Atzocan Seer is a fair game now Not Arterial Flow, though
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5CH Overabundance
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
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Please take a look and score your row.
We also have a new player. Welcome, Curvograph!
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Dark Depths / Sol Ring / Thespian's Stage
1) Anachronity
Leyline of Sanctity / Predator Ooze / Swan Song
6-0 If only Ooze could fly.
2) Curvograph :: Stagnation
Braids, Cabal Minion / Land Equilibrium / Mana Crypt
Welcome to PHM! Land equilibrium is a card that I just read for the first time. If I'm reading right it is awesome in this format.
If you're on the play you go island, crypt, equilibrium saccing island, I now can't play land and you can play and sac a land each turn.
0-6.
3) Feyd_Ruin: In the Revenge Business
Gaea's Revenge / Mana Crypt / Mana Crypt
You kill me during with your 3rd land drop. I kill you with my third combat step.
3-3
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Wrote 2,700 Words This Week, So Here Are Three Cards From The FAQ
Azusa, Lost but Seeking / Dark Ritual / Voidstone Gargoyle
swamp, sac for BG
dark ritual BBBG
asuza, B
Plains, plains, tap and sac for BWWWW, gargoyle.
Then you're attacking for 5 each turn (including sacrificing a land for damage) So in a race you win on the combat step of your 5th turn.
You shut off my sol ring, so my race is
Land
Depths
Stage, Lage
Attack for 20.
6-0
5) ManyCookies :: Omnomnom
Anguished Unmaking / Eternal Scourge / Food Chain
I cannot defeat T2 Anguished unmaking.
0-6
7) Personman
Banefire / Ensnaring Bridge / Leyline of Sanctity
I cannot beat T1 enstaring bridge (saccing leyline for mana)
0-6
8) Superbajt
Eternal Scourge / Food Chain / Nature's Claim
This is just a race right? You remove my sol ring, so I make lage during my 3rd turn and kill on 4, but you combo off on turn 3
0-6
9) WhammeWhamme
Commandeer / Land Equilibrium / Mana Drain
I think I can beat this land equilibrium deck when I'm on the play.
Stage, Sol Ring, go
Island, go
Depths, lage, go
Ilsand, Equilibrium, go
attack, GG.
If you comandeer the sol ring, then you just have your 19 turn clock, which Lage beats.
3-3
As much as I hate Dark Depths and as much as this hand was bad this week, I'm glad I submitted it because none of my other ideas would have fared better. I really wanted to jam a fast Mindslaver (or Emrakul, the promised end) to make people sac their wincons or loop Riftsweepers, but the former just wouldn't work and the latter would have been way too slow. Food chain + eternal scourge is a much better version of the exile loop idea.
Anguished Unmaking / Eternal Scourge / Food Chain
1. 0-6, damn that hard meta-game call.
2. 0-6, heya! I was about to say braids doesn't work in this format, but my GOD land equilibrium is evil.
3. 3-3, damn that kills quick.
4. 6-0, i unmaking the golem, win from there.
5. X
6. 6-0, unmaking handles marit.
7. 6-0, I unmaking sanctity and win the turn after.
8. 2-2? You might have the edge with the cheaper food chain buster, not 100% sure.
9. 0-6
I'm pretty sure I have a somewhat complicated win on the play, but about to pass out and too tired to verify.Nevermind drain sends scourge to the GY.7) Personman
Banefire / Ensnaring Bridge / Leyline of Sanctity
1) Anachronity
Leyline of Sanctity / Predator Ooze / Swan Song
Sanctity + Swan Song beats Sanctity + Bridge. Then it's a race. It goes:
My play:
1: Sac Sanctity + Land for Bridge, response Sanctity + Song.
1: Forest
2: Land, attack for 2 (18)
2: Land, sac one for Ooze
3: 2L, 16
3: attack for 2 (18)
4: 3L, 14
4: atk 3, 15
5: 4L, 12
5: atk 4, 11
6: 5L, 10
6: atk 5, 6
7: Banefire lethal
so instead, Anachronity sits back and does nothing, Bridge keeps me alive and Leyline keeps em alive, we draw.
My draw:
1: Leyline, Land
1: Leyline, Land, Bridge, tap land to counter. Now I don't have Banefire, and lose the race.
1-4
Song can't counter artifacts. 2-2.
2) Curvograph :: Stagnation
Braids, Cabal Minion / Land Equilibrium / Mana Crypt
On the draw, if I start with Leyline, I'm forced to give it up to shoot Braids in response to the trigger, then sac a land to finish her. Land Equilibrium comes down t2, and locks me out. If I hold Leyline, t1 Land Eq just wins.
On the play, if I play a land and pass, I can wait for Braids, then double shoot her without losing Leyline. Then I actually win, since Curvograph has no way to get rid of lands for Land Eq except shooting emself in the face. If Land Eq comes down first,
there's still no way to sac landsCurvograph can sac a few lands at eir own face, and then I can't double-shoot Braids without losing Leyline.0-6
3) Feyd_Ruin: In the Revenge Business
Gaea's Revenge / Mana Crypt / Mana Crypt
Bridge just wins. 6-0.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Wrote 2,700 Words This Week, So Here Are Three Cards From The FAQ
Azusa, Lost but Seeking / Dark Ritual / Voidstone Gargoyle
t1 Voidstone on Bridge is pretty good, except that I just play lands and shoot both creatures until they are dead, and then win. Though, I guess it's a bit of a race, since I'm giving up so many lands. It would be a close race if I didn't have Leyline.
6-0
5) ManyCookies :: Omnomnom
Anguished Unmaking / Eternal Scourge / Food Chain
Agree, 0-6.
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: LazyDeckbuilding
Dark Depths / Sol Ring / Thespian's Stage
Bridge just wins. 6-0.
8) Superbajt
Eternal Scourge / Food Chain / Nature's Claim
Claim is just as good as Unmaking here, 0-6.
9) WhammeWhamme
Commandeer / Land Equilibrium / Mana Drain
Well, it's definitely not possible for me to lose! Sadly, it is equally impossible for me to win.
2-2.
vs. 02 Curvograph: OTD, I can Commandeer Equilibrium for the win if Curvograph leads with it.
Otherwise, I drop a land into Braids and can double land ping Braids, then get Equilibrium. Eq. wins. 6-0
vs. 03 Feyd_Ruin: Can't stop the Revenge. 0-6
vs. 04 Magus of the Aesthetic: OTP, Equilibrium wins. OTD, Voidstone keeps me off it. 3-3
vs. 05 ManyCookies: OTP Equilibrium wins, OTD Drain stops the combo and Equi. forces Unmaking to win the race. 6-0
vs. 06 MyNameIsFourteen: OTP Equilibrium wins. 3-3
vs. 07 Personman: Equilibrium ties with Leyline. 2-2
vs. 08 Superbajt: Once again, Drain stops the combo (a countered Scourge goes to the Graveyard) and I narrowly win the race. 6-0
I find it funny that it's the lifegain/lifeloss of Nature's Claim and Anguished Unmaking that decided two matches.
As for deck, I don't know if Nature's Claim was the best choice for this deck. I thought about Anguished Unmaking, but I wanted to beat things before I combo without sacing lands.
8) Superbajt
Eternal Scourge / Food Chain / Nature's Claim
XX | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | PT
08 | 3 0 3 ? 3 6 6 X 0 | 18?
? ? ?
1) Anachronity
Leyline of Sanctity / Predator Ooze / Swan Song
3-3?. On play, I claim Leyline, you can't stop me. You can then Song Food Chain, but I think I beat you with my recursive blocker to the face. Will return to math later.
On draw, you Song Claim. Lands to the face or to remove blocker kill me.
2) Curvograph :: Stagnation
Braids, Cabal Minion / Land Equilibrium / Mana Crypt
EDIT:
0-6. Explained by Curvograph below.
3) Feyd_Ruin: In the Revenge Business
Gaea's Revenge / Mana Crypt / Mana Crypt
6-0. You can sac Crypts and lands to get rid of my recursive blockers, but not enough times to stop me from comboing out.
4) Magus of the Aesthetic :: I Wrote 2,700 Words This Week, So Here Are Three Cards From The FAQ
Azusa, Lost but Seeking / Dark Ritual / Voidstone Gargoyle
?-? That's the matchup I have no idea if I win or lose. There is a race for sure. I will return to it eventually.
5) ManyCookies :: Omnomnom
Anguished Unmaking / Eternal Scourge / Food Chain
3-3? Yeah, I also have no idea, maybe you win because you are +1 life total. If you ask me, let's agree on 3-3 and go on with our lives.
6) MyNameIsFourteen :: LazyDeckbuilding
Dark Depths / Sol Ring / Thespian's Stage
EDIT:
6-0. MyNameIsFourteen is right, he can't interact and
7) Personman
Banefire / Ensnaring Bridge / Leyline of Sanctity
6-0. Claim Leyline, combo.
9) WhammeWhamme
Commandeer / Land Equilibrium / Mana Drain
0-6. I already wrote my post and was ready to send it with me claiming to be 6-0 here, but I forgot about Scourge going to graveyard when Drained. Oh well.
3) vs. Feyd_Ruin: I can't counter anything, but that poor elemental doesn't have trample so I can chump it with Ooze until I ping you to death. ~ 6-0
4) vs. Magus of the Aesthetic: Leyline alone wins this. ~ 6-0
5) vs. ManyCookies and 8) vs. Superbajt, I need to math these out.
6) vs. MyNameIsFourteen: Marit Lage gets me. ~ 0-6
7) vs. Personman: Neither of us can kill the other's Leyline, Song can't counter artifacts, and Ooze can't get past your Bridge. ~ 2-2
9) vs. WhammeWhamme: Commandeer is noncreature, so T1 Ooze wins it. ~ 6-0
8 | X 6 6 6 ? 0 2 ? 6 | 26 | 325+
y1: Crypt, land, tap+sac land and tap Crypt for Equilibrium. I sacrifice Leyline to Song it.
m1: land, pass.
y2: take 3 from Crypt, play land, cast Braids, ping me for 1 with your remaining mana source, swing 2 with the bird I gave you. (17-17)
m2: sac land to ping Braids 1 in response to her trigger. Play land and sac that as well to kill Braids. You sac her in response to ping me 1. (16-17)
y3: land, sac to ping, swing bird for 2 (13-17)
m3: land, pass
y4: same thing. (10-17)
m4: land, play Ooze (1 tapped land remaining)
y5: same thing. (7-17)
m5: land, sac both lands to kill the bird and you ping me with it in response, swing Ooze (6-16)
from there, Ooze races you pinging me with lands
casting Braids on your T1 doesn't work as best I can tell, since then you'd need to sacrifice your remaining Crypt/land to her. I can always sac Leyline to Song your Equilibrium
- Rabid Wombat
3 | 2 3 X 6 3 3 0 3 6 | 22 | 275
1. 2-2 Predator Ooze infi-block
2. 3-3 Land Equilibrium can draw it.
3. xxx
4. 6-0 Revenge races Voidstone drop, swings away
5. 3-3 3rd turn kills trade
6. 3-3 3rd turn kills trade
7. 0-6 2nd turn bridge.
8. 3-3 3rd turn kills trade
9. 6-0 Either Revenge, or Wasted Commandeer.
No longer staff here.
Ah whale.
Eh I thought this was reasonably interesting, and I think the three abilities made sense together (sac stuff, exile clause so we don't get the obvious sac loops).