Walkthrough: opening hand actions

File: opening-hand.mtgr (format 0.3.0)

PlayerA (recording) is the starting player. They replace a bad hand with Serum Powder, keep a hand with Leyline of the Void and Chancellor of the Annex, and use both before the game starts. PlayerB, on the draw, starts with Gemstone Caverns. Then Leyline and Chancellor do their jobs in the first two turns. The decision behind this is decisions/0018-opening-hand-actions-and-replacement-effects.md.

Serum Powder

0:17   #1 "Serum Powder" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   #2 "Swamp" move hand -> exile by #1
...
0:17   new card #15 "Leyline of the Void" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #15 "Leyline of the Void" move library -> hand as draw by #1
...
0:24   "PlayerA" keep

"Any time you could mulligan and this card is in your hand, you may exile all the cards from your hand, then draw that many cards." This is not a mulligan, so there is no mulligan line: the whole hand moves to exile and seven new cards are drawn, all caused by Serum Powder (#1). PlayerA then keeps the new hand.

Opening hand actions

0:24   "PlayerA" keep
0:29   "PlayerB" keep
0:31   #15 "Leyline of the Void" move hand -> battlefield by #15
0:32   #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" reveal by #16
0:32   new effect #22 of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA" by #16
0:36   #8 identify "Gemstone Caverns"
0:36   #8 "Gemstone Caverns" move hand -> battlefield by #8
0:36   #8 "Gemstone Caverns" counters "luck" 0 -> 1 by #8
0:36   #9 identify "Lightning Bolt"
0:36   #9 "Lightning Bolt" move hand -> exile by #8

• These actions come after every player has kept: PlayerA's first as the starting player, then PlayerB's (CR 103.6).
• Each is caused by the card that allows it. Leyline begins the game on the battlefield; Chancellor is revealed.
• Revealing Chancellor creates a delayed triggered ability: "If you do, when each opponent casts their first spell of the game, ..." (CR 603.7a: delayed triggered abilities can be created "as a result of a static ability that allows a player to take an action"). Like any delayed trigger, it is a new effect, caused by the card, and it stays in the keyframes until it triggers (decision 0030).
• Gemstone Caverns was a hidden card in PlayerB's hand, so it is identified as it becomes public. It begins the game with a luck counter, written straight after it enters (CR 122.6). PlayerB then exiles a card from their hand, which is face up in exile and so also identified.
• A card that is kept in hand instead writes nothing.

The turn 1 keyframe starts with all of this in place:

0:38     #8 "Gemstone Caverns" battlefield "PlayerB" counters "luck" 1
0:38     #9 "Lightning Bolt" exile
...
0:38     #15 "Leyline of the Void" battlefield "PlayerA"
0:38     #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" hand "PlayerA"
...
0:38     #22 effect of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA"

Leyline of the Void: replacement effects

On turn 1, PlayerA casts Thoughtseize and takes Ragavan. With Leyline on the battlefield, the discarded card is exiled instead of going to PlayerB's graveyard:

0:53     #18 "Thoughtseize" choose object #10 "Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"
0:53     #10 "Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" move hand -> exile as discard by #18 replacement #15

• The cause is still Thoughtseize (by #18): it made PlayerB discard.
• replacement #15 says Leyline's replacement effect changed where the card went (CR 614.1a).
• It is still a discard (CR 701.9a; only the modified event happens, CR 614.6), so as discard stays, and "whenever an opponent discards" abilities would still see it.
• The line records what actually happened. The card never went to the graveyard (CR 614.6), so there is no graveyard move.

Thoughtseize itself goes to PlayerA's own graveyard, which Leyline does not affect.

Chancellor of the Annex: the delayed trigger

On turn 2, PlayerB casts their first spell of the game:

1:07     #12 "Expedition Map" cast from hand
1:07     "PlayerB" pay {R} by cost:#12
1:07     new ability #26 triggered of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA" in stack from #22
1:07     #22 cease by rule:delayed-trigger
...
1:10     #26 resolve
1:13     #26 choose option "pay {1}" by "PlayerB"
1:13     new ability #27 mana of #8 "Gemstone Caverns" "{T}: Add {C}. If Gemstone Caverns has a luck counter on it, instead add one mana of any color." controller "PlayerB"
1:13     #8 "Gemstone Caverns" tap by cost:#27
1:13     "PlayerB" add {U} by #27
1:13     "PlayerB" pay {U} by cost:#26
1:13     #26 cease by rule:resolve

• The trigger comes from the delayed triggered ability made by the reveal, so its line ends from #22. It triggers only once (CR 603.7b), so effect #22 ceases as it triggers. Its source, #16, is still in PlayerA's hand.
• Whether to pay is PlayerB's choice, though the ability is PlayerA's, so the choice line ends by "PlayerB".
• PlayerB pays with Gemstone Caverns, activating its mana ability in the middle of resolution (CR 605.3a). The luck counter lets it make blue mana.
• Paying "unless" is a cost (CR 118.12a), so the payment is by cost:#26. Expedition Map is not countered and resolves.

The end

1:16     incomplete "example ends here"
*

The game is not finished in this file, so its result is *.

The full file

[Mtgr "0.3.0"]
[Event "Modern League"]
[Site "MTGO"]
[Date "2026.11.02"]
[Round "-"]
[Player1 "PlayerA"]
[Player2 "PlayerB"]
[Result "*"]
[Format "Modern"]
[Match "example-opening-hand"]
[Game "1"]
[Perspective "PlayerA"]
[TimeControl "1500"]
[UTCDate "2026.11.02"]
[UTCTime "19:05:00"]

0:00 deck "PlayerA" unknown
0:00 pregame
0:00   keyframe
0:00     player "PlayerA" life 20 poison 0 library 60
0:00     player "PlayerB" life 20 poison 0 library 60
0:03   "PlayerA" roll 5
0:03   "PlayerB" roll 2
0:08   "PlayerA" choose first "PlayerA"
0:09   new card #1 "Serum Powder" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:09   #1 "Serum Powder" move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new card #2 "Swamp" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:09   #2 "Swamp" move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new card #3 "Swamp" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:09   #3 "Swamp" move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new card #4 "Swamp" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:09   #4 "Swamp" move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new card #5 "Swamp" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:09   #5 "Swamp" move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new card #6 "Griselbrand" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:09   #6 "Griselbrand" move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new card #7 "Griselbrand" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:09   #7 "Griselbrand" move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new hidden #8 owner "PlayerB" in library
0:09   #8 move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new hidden #9 owner "PlayerB" in library
0:09   #9 move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new hidden #10 owner "PlayerB" in library
0:09   #10 move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new hidden #11 owner "PlayerB" in library
0:09   #11 move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new hidden #12 owner "PlayerB" in library
0:09   #12 move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new hidden #13 owner "PlayerB" in library
0:09   #13 move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:09   new hidden #14 owner "PlayerB" in library
0:09   #14 move library -> hand as draw by rule:opening-hand
0:17   #1 "Serum Powder" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   #2 "Swamp" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   #3 "Swamp" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   #4 "Swamp" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   #5 "Swamp" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   #6 "Griselbrand" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   #7 "Griselbrand" move hand -> exile by #1
0:17   new card #15 "Leyline of the Void" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #15 "Leyline of the Void" move library -> hand as draw by #1
0:17   new card #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" move library -> hand as draw by #1
0:17   new card #17 "Swamp" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #17 "Swamp" move library -> hand as draw by #1
0:17   new card #18 "Thoughtseize" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #18 "Thoughtseize" move library -> hand as draw by #1
0:17   new card #19 "Griselbrand" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #19 "Griselbrand" move library -> hand as draw by #1
0:17   new card #20 "Polluted Delta" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #20 "Polluted Delta" move library -> hand as draw by #1
0:17   new card #21 "Watery Grave" owner "PlayerA" in library
0:17   #21 "Watery Grave" move library -> hand as draw by #1
0:24   "PlayerA" keep
0:29   "PlayerB" keep
0:31   #15 "Leyline of the Void" move hand -> battlefield by #15
0:32   #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" reveal by #16
0:32   new effect #22 of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA" by #16
0:36   #8 identify "Gemstone Caverns"
0:36   #8 "Gemstone Caverns" move hand -> battlefield by #8
0:36   #8 "Gemstone Caverns" counters "luck" 0 -> 1 by #8
0:36   #9 identify "Lightning Bolt"
0:36   #9 "Lightning Bolt" move hand -> exile by #8
0:38 turn 1 "PlayerA"
0:38   keyframe
0:38     player "PlayerA" life 20 poison 0 library 46
0:38     player "PlayerB" life 20 poison 0 library 53
0:38     #1 "Serum Powder" exile
0:38     #2 "Swamp" exile
0:38     #3 "Swamp" exile
0:38     #4 "Swamp" exile
0:38     #5 "Swamp" exile
0:38     #6 "Griselbrand" exile
0:38     #7 "Griselbrand" exile
0:38     #8 "Gemstone Caverns" battlefield "PlayerB" counters "luck" 1
0:38     #9 "Lightning Bolt" exile
0:38     #10 hand "PlayerB"
0:38     #11 hand "PlayerB"
0:38     #12 hand "PlayerB"
0:38     #13 hand "PlayerB"
0:38     #14 hand "PlayerB"
0:38     #15 "Leyline of the Void" battlefield "PlayerA"
0:38     #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" hand "PlayerA"
0:38     #17 "Swamp" hand "PlayerA"
0:38     #18 "Thoughtseize" hand "PlayerA"
0:38     #19 "Griselbrand" hand "PlayerA"
0:38     #20 "Polluted Delta" hand "PlayerA"
0:38     #21 "Watery Grave" hand "PlayerA"
0:38     #22 effect of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA"
0:38   untap
0:38   upkeep
0:38   precombat-main
0:41     #17 "Swamp" play from hand
0:43     new ability #23 mana of #17 "Swamp" "({T}: Add {B}.)" controller "PlayerA"
0:43     #17 "Swamp" tap by cost:#23
0:43     "PlayerA" add {B} by #23
0:44     #18 "Thoughtseize" cast from hand
0:44     #18 "Thoughtseize" target "PlayerB"
0:44     "PlayerA" pay {B} by cost:#18
0:44     "PlayerA" priority
0:44       stack
0:44         #18 "Thoughtseize" controller "PlayerA" target "PlayerB"
0:44     "PlayerA" pass
0:44     "PlayerB" priority
0:44       stack
0:44         #18 "Thoughtseize" controller "PlayerA" target "PlayerB"
0:47     "PlayerB" pass
0:47     #18 "Thoughtseize" resolve
0:47     #10 identify "Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"
0:47     #10 "Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" reveal by #18
0:47     #11 identify "Mountain"
0:47     #11 "Mountain" reveal by #18
0:47     #12 identify "Expedition Map"
0:47     #12 "Expedition Map" reveal by #18
0:47     #13 identify "Spirebluff Canal"
0:47     #13 "Spirebluff Canal" reveal by #18
0:47     #14 identify "Unholy Heat"
0:47     #14 "Unholy Heat" reveal by #18
0:53     #18 "Thoughtseize" choose object #10 "Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"
0:53     #10 "Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" move hand -> exile as discard by #18 replacement #15
0:53     "PlayerA" life 20 -> 18 by #18
0:53     #18 "Thoughtseize" move stack -> graveyard by rule:resolve
0:55   beginning-of-combat
0:55   declare-attackers
0:55   end-of-combat
0:56   postcombat-main
0:56   end
0:57   cleanup
0:58 turn 2 "PlayerB"
0:58   keyframe
0:58     player "PlayerA" life 18 poison 0 library 46
0:58     player "PlayerB" life 20 poison 0 library 53
0:58     #1 "Serum Powder" exile
0:58     #2 "Swamp" exile
0:58     #3 "Swamp" exile
0:58     #4 "Swamp" exile
0:58     #5 "Swamp" exile
0:58     #6 "Griselbrand" exile
0:58     #7 "Griselbrand" exile
0:58     #8 "Gemstone Caverns" battlefield "PlayerB" counters "luck" 1
0:58     #9 "Lightning Bolt" exile
0:58     #10 "Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" exile
0:58     #11 "Mountain" hand "PlayerB"
0:58     #12 "Expedition Map" hand "PlayerB"
0:58     #13 "Spirebluff Canal" hand "PlayerB"
0:58     #14 "Unholy Heat" hand "PlayerB"
0:58     #15 "Leyline of the Void" battlefield "PlayerA"
0:58     #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" hand "PlayerA"
0:58     #17 "Swamp" battlefield "PlayerA" tapped
0:58     #18 "Thoughtseize" graveyard "PlayerA"
0:58     #19 "Griselbrand" hand "PlayerA"
0:58     #20 "Polluted Delta" hand "PlayerA"
0:58     #21 "Watery Grave" hand "PlayerA"
0:58     #22 effect of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA"
0:58   untap
0:58   upkeep
1:00   draw
1:00     new hidden #24 owner "PlayerB" in library
1:00     #24 move library -> hand as draw by rule:draw
1:00   precombat-main
1:04     #11 "Mountain" play from hand
1:06     new ability #25 mana of #11 "Mountain" "({T}: Add {R}.)" controller "PlayerB"
1:06     #11 "Mountain" tap by cost:#25
1:06     "PlayerB" add {R} by #25
1:07     #12 "Expedition Map" cast from hand
1:07     "PlayerB" pay {R} by cost:#12
1:07     new ability #26 triggered of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA" in stack from #22
1:07     #22 cease by rule:delayed-trigger
1:07     "PlayerB" priority
1:07       stack
1:07         #26 triggered of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA"
1:07         #12 "Expedition Map" controller "PlayerB"
1:09     "PlayerB" pass
1:09     "PlayerA" priority
1:09       stack
1:09         #26 triggered of #16 "Chancellor of the Annex" "When each opponent casts their first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player pays {1}." controller "PlayerA"
1:09         #12 "Expedition Map" controller "PlayerB"
1:10     "PlayerA" pass
1:10     #26 resolve
1:13     #26 choose option "pay {1}" by "PlayerB"
1:13     new ability #27 mana of #8 "Gemstone Caverns" "{T}: Add {C}. If Gemstone Caverns has a luck counter on it, instead add one mana of any color." controller "PlayerB"
1:13     #8 "Gemstone Caverns" tap by cost:#27
1:13     "PlayerB" add {U} by #27
1:13     "PlayerB" pay {U} by cost:#26
1:13     #26 cease by rule:resolve
1:13     "PlayerB" priority
1:13       stack
1:13         #12 "Expedition Map" controller "PlayerB"
1:14     "PlayerB" pass
1:14     "PlayerA" priority
1:14       stack
1:14         #12 "Expedition Map" controller "PlayerB"
1:16     "PlayerA" pass
1:16     #12 "Expedition Map" resolve
1:16     #12 "Expedition Map" move stack -> battlefield by rule:resolve
1:16     incomplete "example ends here"
*