diff --git a/forge-ai/pom.xml b/forge-ai/pom.xml
index 3f5cc7a4880..088df599180 100644
--- a/forge-ai/pom.xml
+++ b/forge-ai/pom.xml
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
             <artifactId>forge-core</artifactId>
             <version>${project.version}</version>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>forge</groupId>
+            <artifactId>forge-game</artifactId>
+            <version>${project.version}</version>
+        </dependency>
 
     </dependencies>
 </project>
diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameAction.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameAction.java
index a699e9cc5f4..7be7d09f24d 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameAction.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameAction.java
@@ -1474,7 +1474,6 @@ public class GameAction {
     public void startGame(GameOutcome lastGameOutcome) {
         Player first = determineFirstTurnPlayer(lastGameOutcome);
 
-        List<GameType> variants = game.getRules().getAppliedVariants();
         GameType gameType = game.getRules().getGameType();
         do {
             if (game.isGameOver()) { break; } // conceded during "play or draw"
@@ -1494,7 +1493,7 @@ public class GameAction {
             game.setAge(GameStage.Play);
 
             //<THIS CODE WILL WORK WITH PHASE = NULL>
-            if (variants.contains(GameType.Planechase)) {
+            if (game.getRules().hasAppliedVariant(GameType.Planechase)) {
                 first.initPlane();
             }
 
diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameRules.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameRules.java
index a5dc2d1fd90..532133db4a5 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameRules.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/GameRules.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package forge.game;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.List;
 
 public class GameRules {
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ public class GameRules {
     private int gamesPerMatch = 3;
     private int gamesToWinMatch = 2;
     private boolean playForAnte = false;
-    private List<GameType> appliedVariants = new ArrayList<GameType>(4);
+    private EnumSet<GameType> appliedVariants = EnumSet.noneOf(GameType.class);
     
     public GameRules(GameType type) {
         this.gameType = type;
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@ public class GameRules {
     }
 
     public void setAppliedVariants(List<GameType> appliedVariants) {
-        this.appliedVariants = appliedVariants;
+        this.appliedVariants = EnumSet.copyOf(appliedVariants);
     }
 
-    public List<GameType> getAppliedVariants() {
-        return appliedVariants;
+    public boolean hasAppliedVariant(GameType variant) {
+        return appliedVariants.contains(variant);
     }
 
     // it's a preference, not rule... but I could hardly find a better place for it
diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/phase/PhaseHandler.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/phase/PhaseHandler.java
index e2d4898585d..acfdcaed5f1 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/phase/PhaseHandler.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/phase/PhaseHandler.java
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ public class PhaseHandler implements java.io.Serializable {
 
         Player next = getNextActivePlayer();
 
-        if (game.getRules().getAppliedVariants().contains(GameType.Planechase)) {
+        if (game.getRules().hasAppliedVariant(GameType.Planechase)) {
             for (Card p :game.getActivePlanes()) {
                 if (p != null) {
                     p.setController(next, 0);
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/control/FControl.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/control/FControl.java
index c3408e172e7..387b818bc71 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/control/FControl.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/control/FControl.java
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ public enum FControl implements KeyEventDispatcher {
     }
 
     public void startMatch(GameType gameType, List<RegisteredPlayer> players) {
-        startMatch(gameType, new ArrayList<GameType>(0), players);
+        startMatch(gameType, null, players);
     }
 
     public void startMatch(GameType gameType, List<GameType> appliedVariants, List<RegisteredPlayer> players) {
@@ -577,7 +577,8 @@ public enum FControl implements KeyEventDispatcher {
         }
 
         GameRules rules = new GameRules(gameType);
-        rules.setAppliedVariants(appliedVariants);
+        if( null != appliedVariants )
+            rules.setAppliedVariants(appliedVariants);
         rules.setPlayForAnte(Singletons.getModel().getPreferences().getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_ANTE));
         rules.setManaBurn(Singletons.getModel().getPreferences().getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_MANABURN));
         rules.canCloneUseTargetsImage = Singletons.getModel().getPreferences().getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_CLONE_MODE_SOURCE);
diff --git a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/gui/GuiDisplayUtil.java b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/gui/GuiDisplayUtil.java
index dd3df21f75a..32783220dc1 100644
--- a/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/gui/GuiDisplayUtil.java
+++ b/forge-gui/src/main/java/forge/gui/GuiDisplayUtil.java
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ public final class GuiDisplayUtil {
 
     public static void devModePlaneswalkTo() {
         final Game game = getGame();
-        if (!game.getRules().getAppliedVariants().contains(GameType.Planechase)) { return; }
+        if (!game.getRules().hasAppliedVariant(GameType.Planechase)) { return; }
         final Player p = game.getPhaseHandler().getPlayerTurn();
 
         final List<PaperCard> allPlanars = new ArrayList<PaperCard>();