Only cards with mana abilities may be submitted.
If a card's back face has a mana ability, it may be submitted.
(An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t have a target, it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves, and it’s not a loyalty ability.
A triggered ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t have a target, it triggers from the resolution of an activated mana ability, and it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves.)
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
Also this tripped me up, a triggered mana producing ability is a mana ability only if it triggers off an activated mana ability. So stuff like Burning Tree Emissary is no-go.
Hand Size: 3 cards
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Each player starts the game with 100 life.
Each player doesn't lose the game unless he or she has 0 or less life and can't win the game if an opponent has 1 or more life.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
This format was suggested a few months ago. I don't remember who proposed it, but it's a cool idea.
Would this format still allow alternate win conditions eg Approach of the Second Sun? After all, the Comp Rules separate the two, and with eg Platinum Angel the 'you can't lose' and 'they can't win' are separated. I'm fine if this is intended, just wasn't sure if it was.
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"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.
Would this format still allow alternate win conditions eg Approach of the Second Sun? After all, the Comp Rules separate the two, and with eg Platinum Angel the 'you can't lose' and 'they can't win' are separated. I'm fine if this is intended, just wasn't sure if it was.
Good question.
Please refer to the updated text. Note that you can still with Approach of the Second Sun, but doing so would require your opponent still to be alive with 0 life (Lich, Phyrexian Unlife, etc.).
For reference, I drop Procession on Turn 2 (can't cast it off gilded lotus, sadly) and can activate it on turn 3.
1. 3-3. How does your deck work lol. I see. Fortunately for me, your combo is a T4 kill since you can't make triple blue mana on T3 without tapping the wolf-run. So I procession a combo piece on T3 and win. DERP, Architect can tap itself. Alright in that case I snipe piki on the play and lose on the draw.
2. 6-0. I don't actually tap my land on my second turn, so I'm not slowed down and hit the Vorn on T3 after taking 8/16 damage.
3. 0-6 How dare you play LD in a basically mono-land format.
4. X
5. 6-0, I have procession up in time to stop the flip+kill on turn 4.
6. 6-0, damn you hexproof. Wait you can't activate winged temple and attack with lumbering falls. I hold up mana on your turn, if you try to activate mutavault I exile it, if you activate Lumbering Falls I make a saproling end step. I take two Lumbering Falls hits to stick two saprolings on the board. If you attack with Falls I chump and replace the chumper end step, then attack with the other saproling for 1. If you don't attack I make a saproling, eventually amassing 22 1/1s and winning that way.
7. 6-0. I eventually hit birds and hierach and pick off whatever straggling vampires are left (note that Procession flips with 3 CARDS, I can exile as many tokens as I want). You don't goldfish nearly fast enough to stop me.
8. 6-0, See #2, Mycon doesn't end up relevant quickly enough.
I spent a fair amount of time getting this deck to work, as Mogg can attest to. The crucial thing was being able to win or advance the game while leaving Procession mana open, otherwise I'd just draw a bunch of games either running into manlands or dying on the crackback. I went through several Dreadship Reef+Celestial Colonnade variants looking for something that could drop Procession early enough (earliest activation I got was T4), before doing a gatherer search for "create"/"damage"/"lose life" and finding the City-Tree. I spent a bit more time seeing if I could get a turn 2 activation, but didn't find one.
Also I expected the fatty decks to use Morselhoarder. It only uses two lotuses, so you get two flex spots to cover various bases or set up T3 kills (Mutavault, x2 Cathedral of War, Hadana's Climb). I was gonna run Lotus//Lotus//Morselhoarder//Mutavault//Cathedral of War if I couldn't figure out the Procession deck.
1) 3-3. Vorinclex slows the combo down by one two turns, which is enough. (City staying tapped forces Wolf Run to be tapped for mana on turn 3, which in turn means the Wolf Run isn't available to activate until turn 5. Alternatively, waiting for the City to untap still leaves the combo until turn 5 because of phasing.) Calvin's right, I lose on the draw.
2) 6-0. Either the Vorinclexes trade and Mycon eventually wins, or my Vorinclex runs over the spirit guides.
3) 6-0. Vorinclex outraces.
4) 0-6. Agree with ManyCookies.
5) 3-3. On the play, Vorinclex outraces. On the draw you never actually tap a land for mana after turn 1 so he doesn't slow you down and your three-turn clock beats mine. The bit about not having to tap lands isn't true, but nonetheless he doesn't slow you down enough for it to matter.
6) 0-6. Real happy this was the only Karakas deck.
vault
karakas swing 2
swing 2 growth chamber
karakas climb, fire up vault to catch counter
falls swing 4
swing 10
swing 10
1) 0-6 They goldfish turn 5.
2) 6-0 vorinclex gets bounced, guides get stonewalled until I fly over with a fat mutavault
3) 0-6 They goldfish turn 5.
4) 0-6 Lumbering falls stonewalls procession, but City-Tree spits out dudes early, and replaces the ones that die to blocks. I think I lose.
5) 0-6 They goldfish turn 4
6) XXX Should have played inkmoth or blinkmoth or mishra's factory over mutavault. There was also only one matchup where hexproof may have been relevant, so some more efficient other manland could have helped.
7) ?? I think I win. They can chip in the air, but I can block the ground, my things start bigger (for Climb mirrors). They do get landing tokens that are jumped as a hard to block threat, but does a 6/6 hexproof beater take care of that? I think so.
8) 6-0 vorinclex gets bounced, mycon is way too slow.
4) ?? Lumbering falls stonewalls procession, but City-Tree spits out dudes early, and replaces the ones that die to blocks. I think I lose.
Oh durr. I assumed you could Winged Temple the Lumbering Falls, but you don't have the mana for that.
In that case I 6-0. I hold up mana on your turn, if you try to activate mutavault I exile it, if you activate Lumbering Falls I make a saproling end step. I take two Lumbering Falls hits to stick two saprolings on the board. Then if you attack with Falls I chump and replace the chumper end step, then attack with the other saproling for 1. If you don't attack I make a saproling, eventually amassing 22 1/1s and winning that way.
Am I missing something about CalvinSchwa's deck? It wins on turn 3 unless I'm mistaken, but both ManyCookies and nerdyjoe seem to think it's slower. (Though obviously this doesn't make a difference for nerdyjoe anyway.)
1. Play Teferi's Isle.
2. Isle phases out. Play City, tap it to play Pili-Pala.
3. Isle phases in and untaps. Tap Isle and City to play Architect. Play Wolf Run. Attack with Pili-Pala. Before damage, tap Architect to itself and filter the mana through Pili-Pala to make U. Turn Pili-Pala blue, make a billion mana and activate Wolf Run to pump the Pili-Pala up.
Vorinclex slows it down by multiple turns, but I believe it beats all of the non-Vorinclex decks on the play.
The only issue I see with the deck is that as sweet as Teferi's Isle is, I'm pretty sure replacing it with Saprazzan Skerry would've been just better. You don't even need the City at that point because you can play the Architect on turn 2 off Skerry + Wolf Run and immediately tap it to itself to play Pili-Pala.
2) Convoy_Avenger 3-3 OTP, I can T3 play City and Architect, then tap Architect to itself to play Pili-Pala; then play Run, swing, and go infinite T4. OTD, you kill me first.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic 3-3 T2 Pili-Pala off of City. From there, OTP I swing and kill you T3, OTD you Encroaching Wastes my Isle during my upkeep.
4) ManyCookies 3-3 Agreed.
5) MyNameIsFourteen 6-0 I kill T3, you kill T4. (If I counted correctly, that is.)
6) nerdyjoe 6-0 I'm faster.
7) Superbajt 6-0 I'm faster.
8) Tatterhood 3-3 I believe this is the same situation as Convoy_Avenger.
| X 2 2 2 6 6 6 2 | 26 |
@Tatterhood: Yes, Saprazzan Skerry would indeed be far better lol.
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"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.
Skerry would have let you play a utility land and shielded your deck against Encroaching Wastes (running out the utility land instead of Wolf Run on T2). Had you forseen the Vorn decks, Karakas+combo would have 6-0'd everyone except me. Your deck is still awesome though, and actually swept on the play.
1) CalvinSchwa - 3 - Agreed.
2) Convoy_Avenger - 0 - Vorinclex races.
3) I was expecting more lands. I think any mox would have been better than Encroaching Wastes.
4) ManyCookies :: Saproling Parade - 6 - LD is good when you expect a lot of lands.
5) MyNameIsFourteen - 0 - Hadana's Climb races.
6) nerdyjoe - 6 - Agreed.
7) Superbajt - 6 - I think this hand goldfishes a turn 6 kill on the play (explained below) and I goldfish a turn 5 kill on the draw. Plus I can answer any land and I think that foils your strategy.
8) Tatterhood - 0 - Vorinclex races.
T1: Savannah, BoP
T2: Hierarch, Hadana's Climb, counter on BoP
T3: counter on BoP, attack for 3, Legion's Landing
T4: counter on BoP flipping Hadana's Climb, attack with all for 4 flipping Legion's Landing
T5: attack with BoP, Winged Temple pumps it to 8/9
T6: attack with BoP, Winged Temple pumps it to 8/9 for lethal
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5CH Only Mana Sources
Land Rule: None.
Format Rule:
If a card's back face has a mana ability, it may be submitted.
(An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t have a target, it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves, and it’s not a loyalty ability.
A triggered ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t have a target, it triggers from the resolution of an activated mana ability, and it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves.)
Additional Bans: Dust Bowl, Field of Ruin
Hands:
1) CalvinSchwa
City of Traitors / Grand Architect / Kessig Wolf Run / Pili-Pala / Teferi's Isle
2) Convoy_Avenger
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Elvish Spirit Guide / Elvish Spirit Guide / Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
3) Magus of the Aesthetic :: Black Mirror
Blinkmoth Nexus / Blinkmoth Nexus / Encroaching Wastes / Inkmoth Nexus / Sol Ring
4) ManyCookies :: Saproling Parade
Black Lotus / Mox Pearl / Gilded Lotus / Profane Procession / Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
5) MyNameIsFourteen
Hadana's Climb / Inkmoth Nexus / Inkmoth Nexus / Simic Signet / Sol Ring
6) nerdyjoe
Hadana's Climb / Karakas / Lumbering Falls / Mutavault / Simic Growth Chamber
7) Superbajt
Birds of Paradise / Hadana's Climb / Legion's Landing / Noble Hierarch / Savannah
8) Tatterhood
Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Utopia Mycon / Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Results:
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
1| X 3 3 3 6 6 6 3 | 26 | 371
2| 3 X 6 0 3 0 6 0 | 16 | 229
3| 3 0 X 6 0 6 6 0 | 20 | 286
4| 3 6 0 X 6 6 6 6 | 32 | 457
5| 0 3 6 0 X 6 6 3 | 22 | 314
6| 0 6 0 0 0 X 6 6 | 18 | 257
7| 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 | 00 | 000
8| 3 6 6 0 3 0 6 X | 22 | 314
ManyCookies 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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Also this tripped me up, a triggered mana producing ability is a mana ability only if it triggers off an activated mana ability. So stuff like Burning Tree Emissary is no-go.
Tentatively, next week's format will be:
3CH LR Slow Roll
Land Rule: Basic Land Rule.
Format Rule:
Each player doesn't lose the game unless he or she has 0 or less life and can't win the game if an opponent has 1 or more life.
Please post if you have any comments or suggestions!
This format was suggested a few months ago. I don't remember who proposed it, but it's a cool idea.
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--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.
Please refer to the updated text. Note that you can still with Approach of the Second Sun, but doing so would require your opponent still to be alive with 0 life (Lich, Phyrexian Unlife, etc.).
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Please take a look and score your row.
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For reference, I drop Procession on Turn 2 (can't cast it off gilded lotus, sadly) and can activate it on turn 3.
1. 3-3.
How does your deck work lol.I see.Fortunately for me, your combo is a T4 kill since you can't make triple blue mana on T3 without tapping the wolf-run. So I procession a combo piece on T3 and win.DERP, Architect can tap itself. Alright in that case I snipe piki on the play and lose on the draw.2. 6-0. I don't actually tap my land on my second turn, so I'm not slowed down and hit the Vorn on T3 after taking 8/16 damage.
3. 0-6 How dare you play LD in a basically mono-land format.
4. X
5. 6-0, I have procession up in time to stop the flip+kill on turn 4.
6. 6-0,
damn you hexproof.Wait you can't activate winged temple and attack with lumbering falls. I hold up mana on your turn, if you try to activate mutavault I exile it, if you activate Lumbering Falls I make a saproling end step. I take two Lumbering Falls hits to stick two saprolings on the board. If you attack with Falls I chump and replace the chumper end step, then attack with the other saproling for 1. If you don't attack I make a saproling, eventually amassing 22 1/1s and winning that way.7. 6-0. I eventually hit birds and hierach and pick off whatever straggling vampires are left (note that Procession flips with 3 CARDS, I can exile as many tokens as I want). You don't goldfish nearly fast enough to stop me.
8. 6-0, See #2, Mycon doesn't end up relevant quickly enough.
I spent a fair amount of time getting this deck to work, as Mogg can attest to. The crucial thing was being able to win or advance the game while leaving Procession mana open, otherwise I'd just draw a bunch of games either running into manlands or dying on the crackback. I went through several Dreadship Reef+Celestial Colonnade variants looking for something that could drop Procession early enough (earliest activation I got was T4), before doing a gatherer search for "create"/"damage"/"lose life" and finding the City-Tree. I spent a bit more time seeing if I could get a turn 2 activation, but didn't find one.
Also I expected the fatty decks to use Morselhoarder. It only uses two lotuses, so you get two flex spots to cover various bases or set up T3 kills (Mutavault, x2 Cathedral of War, Hadana's Climb). I was gonna run Lotus//Lotus//Morselhoarder//Mutavault//Cathedral of War if I couldn't figure out the Procession deck.
onetwo turns, which is enough.(City staying tapped forces Wolf Run to be tapped for mana on turn 3, which in turn means the Wolf Run isn't available to activate until turn 5. Alternatively, waiting for the City to untap still leaves the combo until turn 5 because of phasing.)Calvin's right, I lose on the draw.2) 6-0. Either the Vorinclexes trade and Mycon eventually wins, or my Vorinclex runs over the spirit guides.
3) 6-0. Vorinclex outraces.
4) 0-6. Agree with ManyCookies.
5) 3-3. On the play, Vorinclex outraces.
On the draw you never actually tap a land for mana after turn 1 so he doesn't slow you down and your three-turn clock beats mine.The bit about not having to tap lands isn't true, but nonetheless he doesn't slow you down enough for it to matter.6) 0-6. Real happy this was the only Karakas deck.
7) 6-0. Vorinclex outraces.
Hadana's Climb / Karakas / Lumbering Falls / Mutavault / Simic Growth Chamber
Goldfish turn: 7
karakas swing 2
swing 2 growth chamber
karakas climb, fire up vault to catch counter
falls swing 4
swing 10
swing 10
1) 0-6 They goldfish turn 5.
2) 6-0 vorinclex gets bounced, guides get stonewalled until I fly over with a fat mutavault
3) 0-6 They goldfish turn 5.
4) 0-6 Lumbering falls stonewalls procession, but City-Tree spits out dudes early, and replaces the ones that die to blocks. I think I lose.
5) 0-6 They goldfish turn 4
6) XXX Should have played inkmoth or blinkmoth or mishra's factory over mutavault. There was also only one matchup where hexproof may have been relevant, so some more efficient other manland could have helped.
7) ?? I think I win. They can chip in the air, but I can block the ground, my things start bigger (for Climb mirrors). They do get landing tokens that are jumped as a hard to block threat, but does a 6/6 hexproof beater take care of that? I think so.
8) 6-0 vorinclex gets bounced, mycon is way too slow.
6 | 0 6 0 0 0 X ? 6 | 257
Oh durr. I assumed you could Winged Temple the Lumbering Falls, but you don't have the mana for that.
In that case I 6-0. I hold up mana on your turn, if you try to activate mutavault I exile it, if you activate Lumbering Falls I make a saproling end step. I take two Lumbering Falls hits to stick two saprolings on the board. Then if you attack with Falls I chump and replace the chumper end step, then attack with the other saproling for 1. If you don't attack I make a saproling, eventually amassing 22 1/1s and winning that way.
1. Play Teferi's Isle.
2. Isle phases out. Play City, tap it to play Pili-Pala.
3. Isle phases in and untaps. Tap Isle and City to play Architect. Play Wolf Run. Attack with Pili-Pala. Before damage, tap Architect to itself and filter the mana through Pili-Pala to make U. Turn Pili-Pala blue, make a billion mana and activate Wolf Run to pump the Pili-Pala up.
Vorinclex slows it down by multiple turns, but I believe it beats all of the non-Vorinclex decks on the play.
The only issue I see with the deck is that as sweet as Teferi's Isle is, I'm pretty sure replacing it with Saprazzan Skerry would've been just better. You don't even need the City at that point because you can play the Architect on turn 2 off Skerry + Wolf Run and immediately tap it to itself to play Pili-Pala.
3) Magus of the Aesthetic 3-3 T2 Pili-Pala off of City. From there, OTP I swing and kill you T3, OTD you Encroaching Wastes my Isle during my upkeep.
4) ManyCookies 3-3 Agreed.
5) MyNameIsFourteen 6-0 I kill T3, you kill T4. (If I counted correctly, that is.)
6) nerdyjoe 6-0 I'm faster.
7) Superbajt 6-0 I'm faster.
8) Tatterhood 3-3 I believe this is the same situation as Convoy_Avenger.
| X 2 2 2 6 6 6 2 | 26 |
@Tatterhood: Yes, Saprazzan Skerry would indeed be far better lol.
--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 - 3 - Agreed.
2) Convoy_Avenger - 0 - Vorinclex races.
3) I was expecting more lands. I think any mox would have been better than Encroaching Wastes.
4) ManyCookies :: Saproling Parade - 6 - LD is good when you expect a lot of lands.
5) MyNameIsFourteen - 0 - Hadana's Climb races.
6) nerdyjoe - 6 - Agreed.
7) Superbajt - 6 - I think this hand goldfishes a turn 6 kill on the play (explained below) and I goldfish a turn 5 kill on the draw. Plus I can answer any land and I think that foils your strategy.
8) Tatterhood - 0 - Vorinclex races.
T2: Hierarch, Hadana's Climb, counter on BoP
T3: counter on BoP, attack for 3, Legion's Landing
T4: counter on BoP flipping Hadana's Climb, attack with all for 4 flipping Legion's Landing
T5: attack with BoP, Winged Temple pumps it to 8/9
T6: attack with BoP, Winged Temple pumps it to 8/9 for lethal