"Magic Smacker 101: Mga nalipong kaalaman mula sa mga eksperto..."

"Magic Smacker 101: Mga nalipong kaalaman mula sa mga eksperto..."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Bilang isang magikero na naging aktibo nung panahong 2003. Kakalabas pa lang ng Scourge at ako ay nawili sa kakabili ng mga cards ng kaliwa't kanan. Sa aking pamimili (Aka Hoarding) sa halos isang dekada marami akong mga nakilalang mga personalidad na di ko babangitin sa blog na ito. 

Ang mga taong ito ay tinatawag na smacker ng karamihan , negosyante ng mga nakakaintindi. 

Sa halos isang dekada marami akong naintindihan at natutunan sa kanilang mga gawi. Ito ay isang maliit na expose. Katawa tawa ang iba sa mga smacker tips na ito ngunit ang mga nakasaad dito ay pamamaraan na ginamit na at patuloy na ginagamit sa kalakaran ng pagbebenta ng Magic. 

Di man aminin at di man sabihin ngunit ang mga obserbasyong ito ay pawang katotohanan lamang. Ito ang mga smacker tips. Kung kilala mo ang mga taong nandito wag mo silang pangalanan...isa silang importanteng parte ng ating aktibong paglalaro ng magic , kung wala sila eh mauubusan ka ng piyesa kung kailangan na kailangan mo. Tumawa ka na lang at mag-isip. Matutunan ang kanilang mga gawi at maaaring bukas ikaw na din ang maging tunay na smacker.  

#1 - Laging magipit ng pera sa wallet...di mo alam kung kailan ka makakabili ng 200 na Snapcaster...

#2 - Wag magbigay ng presyo...Hayaang ang biktima...este Seller ang maghukay ng sariling hukay...este magbigay ng presyo...

#3 - Ipackage mo! Kung ayaw nila ng 100 apat na piraso ibenta mo na lang ng 25 isa...makakamura sila sa set...

"Ang magic cards dapat set lalo na at kailangan sa strategy mo...pag kulang sa apat parang off eh..."

#4 - Habang tumitingin ng binder wag magpapakita ng interes...ang kinang ng mata ang nagbibigay ng presyo...kamatayan ng deal ang magpakita ng interes...

#5 - Kapag may nagbigay ng presyo ng sobrang baba sa talagang presyo...magkunwaring nagdadalawang isip at magbuntong hininga habang naglalabas ng pera na kunyari eh parang ikaw ang nasmack...

"Ang mahal naman ng Emrakul mo na foil sir...150?...sige kunin ko na..."

#6 -kapag may tumitigin ng binder at di niya kaagad kinuha ang isang card...ituro mo ito at tanungin kong magkano...ang pagturo ay parang pagreserba na din...kupal lang ng kaunti pero reserba pa din...wag pansinin ang masamang tingin ng taong tumitingin pa sa binder...

"Nafinger sa binder?....Reserved!!!"

#7 - May pera sa piso piso...Ang pisong Gray Merchant of Asphodel ngayon  , 20 na bukas...50 sa makalawa...

#8 - Wag makikipagdeal sa mga taong may hawak na pricelist...Gayun din pumili ng lugar na walang wifi para di makita ang bagong presyo ng mga cards na hawak sa cellphone o ipad.

# 9 - Laging tumawad...kung 350 ang benta ibaba sa 200...kung pumayag ay ok..kung hindi taasan ng kaunti ang offer...pag ayaw pa din...may mga iba pang mabibilhan...

# 10 - Maging pasensiyoso...maaaring parang puro basura ang nabiling card pero pag tumaas eh magiging ginto din ang mga ito...Ang Nightveil Specter na 50 ngayon ay 250 na sa susunod na linggo.

Marami pang mga smacker tips...kung ikaw ay madale ng mga wala dito...tumawa ka na lang...parte yan ng paglalaro ng paborito nating card game.

__________________________________________________

Disclaimer: Ang mga kaalamang nakasaad dito ay mga nakalap lang ng may akda--- di niya ginagawa ang mga bagay na ito...yun lang...Promise!

"Mga Tipo ng Magikero sa isang Community"

"Mga Tipo ng Magikero sa isang Community"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Ang isang community ay nabubuo ng mga manlalaro sa isang lugar. Di na importante ang estado sa buhay . kasarian o edad ang mahalaga eh masayang nakakapaglaro. Nguni't sa isang komunidad eh marami ding personalidad. Ito ang ilan sa mga tao sa ating Magic Neighborhood.Minsan ang isang tao eh halo ng isa ,dalawa o tatlo sa mga personalidad.

1) Spoiler - May nakalaban ka na nagpepredict ng move mo bago ka pa tumira? Parang Omenspeaker sa galing! Na Scry na niya ang buong hand mo ng walang Thought seize. Spoilers ang tawag sa kanila kasi lahat na preview na nila...Uy Counter na yan...Devour flesh na sir?...May Supreme Verdict ka na ano?

2) Lulubog Lilitaw - Islaw Palitaw...parte na sa magic ang consistent na phase in at phase out , minsan financial ang dahilan , minsan oras , bagong asawa , anak o trabaho. Ganun lang talaga. Ang buhay malaking sagabal sa pagmamagic.

3) Judge - Parang Coach Jawo din . yung player na tipong may kalaban eh nanonood ng laban mo at biglang magjajudge call...Di puwede yung combo na yan kasi...Kitam? Judge!!!

4) Brewer - Combo ba ang kailangan mo? Pang Pauper , Standard , EDH , Modern o Legacy? Mas maraming brewer mas masaya ang community...kailangan matulungan ang mga nagsisimula...

5) Supplier - Sa isang grupo may isang nilalang na napakaraming contact...Mabilis pa sa alas kuwatro na makakakuha ng kailangan mong piyesa...Siya ang mahilig tumingin sa mga FB groups tulad MTG Tambayan para sa mga latest na deals o di kaya eh mabilis na kumausap ng tao para makagamit ka ng Ashiok tuwing tournament kasi di mo pa kayang bumili. 

6) Neophyte/ Rookie - Ang kinabukasan ng ating laro...laging natuturuan...laging kasama at laging enthusiastic dahil ang daming gustong malaman...

7) Resident Tatang - Lahat ng community may at least is na ganito...kailangan igalang at kailangan din kalaruin ng maayos...wag lang mang Mama moves...

8) Emo - Emosyonal talaga...nambabaliktad ng lamesa kapag natatalo? Di nakikipagkamay at tatayo na lang? Di na nagsasalita kahit tapos na ang laban? Emo...

9) Drunken Master - Lalo na sa community na nilalaruan ko may isa talagang player na gumagaling pag nakakainom...yung tipong unstoppable kapag nakainom na...yung tipong susukahan ka sa tuwa pag tapos na yung laban...

10) Volition Reins - Dahil marami sa ating mga magikero ang tunay na guwapo at macho. Marami sa atin ang may mga asawa at magagandang girl friend. 

Marami din sa atin ang madalas di nakakapaglaro dahil sa Volition Reins. Ang kamay na bakal at matinding Eye of Sauron look na nakakamatay , yan ang ating mga kabiyak...pare na Volitions Reins na na naman si...

At yan ang mga magikero in your neighborhood.Alin ka sa mga taong ito? Kung may mga di pa ako nasama malamang di ko pa sila nakikilala.Mag iwan ng mensahe kung sino ang mga di pa nasama and as usual keep on playing!

"Waking"

"Waking"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I

The Sudden Impact

The Darkness

The Smell of Alcohol

The Overwhelming sadness

II

I look up every day

Stare at the ceiling and free my mind away

I breathe , I think

I weep , I speak

III

I lie here trapped

my body broken , motionless

I am a ghost in this shell

I woke to this hell.

IV

The Sudden Impact

The Sudden Madness

The smell of the hospital

Waking strapped to this harness...

"Rehab Patient #8"

"Rehab Patient #8"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I

I woke up in this bed

Screws bolted in my head

Along with the others who are moaning

Along with the others who are suffering

II

Oh how I wish to walk

To Jump and Swim and Run

Oh how I wish these things 

to simply be rolling under the sun

III

But I cannot feel them

They are a memory for me

I was born with 2 of them

Now these legs are as useless as can be

IV

As helpless as I am

I try to move and it results in nothing

I am simply a dying soul

Nothing more in this mortal trapping

"Batman Lies"

"Batman Lies"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I loved the first two Batman films from Chris Nolan. The 3rd installment fell short in my book because it tried to incorporate so much from the Batman comics that it did not come off as a great product , too much sugar , too much spice just not a nice blend. Now as I have been taking my Pre-Residency in the POC I have found another reason by I did not like the last batman film.

I followed Knightdall and The No Mans Land Story Arcs and there are so many things that could have been taken from there to make the Batman Swan Song much better. When Bane broke Batman's back in the comics it took a lot of time for him to get back up. About a year or more that the Monk Assassin Azrael took the mantle for awhile before a lot of others reappeared to be the Bat's successor. It made a lot more sense.

I know that everyone hates the guy who points out the things that nobody saw...Today I will be that guy.

So in the movie they decide that Bane(This Noble Bane was much better than the Tim Burton henchman Bane) would make a grand appearance and then break the Batmans back because he is so out of shape that he can't fight this monster. It was done in the context of the story and fit in well however...

After almost a month here in the Spinal/Rehab Ward of the POC. I have seen that the movies have lied to us again! In that particular scene where Batman suffered a severe Spinal Cord Injury that paralyzed him , even causing his bones to protrude out. It took him less than a month to get up on his feet and jump that same Ledge that Thalia did while she was in top physical condition. 

This is totally insane! No one can heal that fast!It takes months for a patient to have a Spinal Cord Injury to even sit up! If your name is not Wolverine there is no way that you are going to stand up ,  let alone jump that freaking ledge!

"You know it is impossible don't you?"

I ranted this to one of my friends Nor and she said that "Kuya , not everyone who watched that movie is a doctor..."

I was a Doctor then , just not affected by being in the Spinal Ward. 

Now that I have gotten that off my chest...Back to our regularly scheduled program...

"Army of the Weird: Mono Blue Weenies?"

"Army of the Weird: Mono Blue Weenies?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

Blue has never been known for its aggressive nature.People who play with the color never have the look that they are in a hurry to attack you. Of course their deck builds would be a lot different than mine. Even when playing Blue I love finding ways to get on with the damage dealing.

Here is a deck that looks a bit underwhelming on paper but built for the attack:

22 X Islands

4 X Vaporkin - 2/1

4 X Omen Speaker - 1/3

4 X Cloudfin Raptor - 0/1

4 X Frostburn Weird - 1/4

4 X Stealer of Secrets - 2/2

4 X Metropolis Sprite - 1/2

_________________

24 creatures

4 X Disperse

4 X Voyage's End

3 X Hands of Binding

3 X Hidden Strings

________________

14 Spells

Sideboard:

4 X Cancel

4 X Essence Scatter

4 X Paralyzing grasp

The most efficient creatures created for weenie builds all come from white. I mean if you look at some of the white Boros creatures you see the 3/1 Daring Skyjek or the Cavalry Pegasus that makes all those harmless humans reach for the sky and kill with a speed that used to be the territory of Red. However weenie is not entirely white's domain , they just have the sort of support that makes these seemingly harmless creatures deadlier with each passing turn. 

Blue does not have the same level of power and there are no stat pumpers here. What it does though is a different means of Sligh. The Bounce. I would have loved to include unblockable creatures here but they do not exist in the common slot for standard pauper as of now.(Except for Deathcult Rogue , more on him later) So what I will attempt to do is go aggro with creatures that are not meant to go aggro.

If I cannot include unblockable creatures then I will include the 2nd best thing. Flying Creatures! Blue has an abundance of them here. Vaporkin  , Cloudfin Raptor and Metropolis Sprite. They all look weak but an opponent with no flying creatures would be hard pressed for an answer. I did not include the big flyers or Deathcult Rogue because the aim of this deck is to attack the earliest possible time.

Stealer of Secrets is here for the draw because you would want a lot of creatures on your side of the board for your assaults. The attacks might not be all that impressive but with a steady flow of damage by the 2's and 1's , 20 life points won't last for long. It is all about the number of attacks that actually hit your opponent , much like in boxing. 

Now on to the defensive cards of the deck. Disperse and Voyage's End are the ever present bouncers. Big Creatures hitting the board? No problem. Ethereal armor creature beating you down? Bounce. Hexproof Elf that has gotten too big for comfort? Disperse that advantage.

Hands of Binding and Hidden Strings are more insidious in nature. The binding taps a creature which makes it more inferior than the Hidden Strings that taps and untaps permanents. Both spells can be ciphered and provide effective creature control. Hidden Strings also acts a a wonderful Untapper of lands so that you could bluff with a Bounce or a Counter(If you are in to that sort of thing) or  even creatures that just attacked for your defense.  

This deck might run into problem against Hexproof creatures but then again what are the odds of the Glade cover scout ruining your day consistently? This is the main reason for Disperse here since it can just bounce an Ethereal Armor during a critical attack.With that glaring weakness covered you just need to be patient and the win shall be yours. 

Sigh. I hate waiting.

"Who needs a Hero?: Selesnyan Heroics Pauper 2013"

"Who needs a Hero?: Selesnyan Heroics Pauper 2013"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Normally cults are not what you would call forces for good but if you have a bunch of them worshipping the World Spirit and asking Gardens to bloom where there was nothing but ruin then they cannot be all bad right? Some might say they are downright heroic.

Here is my take on the White/Green archetype in Standard pauper:

7 X Plains

11 X Forest

4 X Selesnya Guildgate

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22 Lands

4 X Elvish Mytic

4 X Wingsteed Rider

4 X Staunch Hearted Warrior

4 X Spire Tracer

4 X Centaur Herald

________________________

20 creatures

4 X Ethereal Armor

4 X Chosen by Heliod

4 X Celestial Flare

4 X Pacifism

4 X Giant Growth

______________

18 spells

So what is the point of the whole deck? Why to make gigantic things out of all these little critters. Giant Growth already makes things big at +3/+3 so imagine a 6/6 Wing Steed rider once it gets hit with one and a flyer at that!

You would notice that the mana curve of this deck is quite steep. maxing out at 4 mana and a possible difficult cast requirement of 2 plains and 1 colorless mana for the wing steed rider.Despite the possible danger the presence of the Elvish Mystique makes the casting of your main battle creatures much easier. 

Staunch Hearted Warrior and Wingsteed Rider are the main Heroes here.And for good reason they grow bigger with every spell that targets them.Sometimes even making the Ethereal armor redundant but hey if there is more than one way to win in your deck I'm sure you want to take advantage of it.

The Spire Tracer is a one cast elf that is also one of my favorites because she reminds me so much of that elf from Scourge that caused so much problems against affinity decks because of the Blanchwood armor that attaches to it and it remains unblocked. This particular card is also sure to cause match up problems because there are only a handful of flying creatures appearing in Standard Pauper and if they do come into play chances are this Ledge jumping elf would be much bigger than them. I picture it going to town again and again with a few nifty Auras on it.

So basically you have early Beats with the Spire Tracer and the Centaur Herald and late beats with the Wingsteed Rider and Staunch Hearted Warrior. The beat down keeps on coming and the second salvo of creatures are bigger too.

There are a handful of Selensyan builds out their but these heroic creatures are sure to keep everyone on their toes when they come in to play. I am itching to play test the decks worthiness.

Well Keep on playing. Keep on brewing. See you next time. 

"Rise of the Auras: Aura All Stars Pauper 2013"

"Rise of the Auras: Aura All Stars Pauper 2013"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

As a magic player I seldom make 3 colored decks and for good reason....I just can't get the correct mix of mana. Now the whole point of this deck is to showcase the best of the Common Auras from the Theros Block. I have always been a big fan of Auras even if I get beaten down a lot because of them. The time has come for the Aura's to take center stage. Here is the Doran colored deck list that I came up with.

4 X Selesnyan Guildgate 

4 X Orzhov Guildgate 

2 X Golgari Guildgate 

4 X Plains

5 X Swamp

3 X Forest

________________

22 Lands

4 X Hopeful Eidolon  

4 X Leafcrown Dryad 

4 X Baleful Eidolon 

4 X Observant Alseid 

4 X Auramancer 

___________________

20 Creatures

4 X Ethereal Armor 

4 X Scourge Mark

3 X Commune with the Gods 

4 X Devour Flesh 

3 X Pacifism

________________

18 Spells

Sideboard:
4 X Celestial Flare
3 X Gods Willing
4 X Dark Favor
1 X Pacifism
3 X Shrivel

Now right off the bat the mana seems like a problem because of the massive amount of tap lands in the deck. Imagine getting 4 guildgates in your opening hand. I hope it does not happen when I play test this deck.

Now that I got the negatives out of the way this deck is really an Aura assault deck. 20 Aura Creatures with Bestow are in full display.  And yes this is a tricolored Ethereal Armor deck.Everything in it was meant to boost the 1 mana costing enchantment. Can you imagine how quickly these creatures can grow? The word you are looking for here is fast. Really fast. 

And damage dealing? Let us just say huge. If all of the creatures attached to let us say the Auramancer it would be a 7/7 Lifelink , Deathtouch , Vigilant creature with Reach! A single Ethereal Armor added to the mix  would mean it becomes a 12/12  First Striking , Lifelink , Deathtouch  , Vigilant creature with Reach!

Normally though this kind of thing would not be possible since opponents die at an earlier stage of the game. A single 5/5 creature is hard enough to deal with. And at 20 life points it is a matter of just 4 unopposed swings!

I chose Scourge Mark over Dark favor in this deck because I needed more card drawing. Commune with the Gods is also needed here or as liked to call it the better version of Commune with nature , with all the creatures and enchantments here this spell will help you in gaining access to what you need. 

Auramancer rounds up the gang because it is enchantment or creature recursion. It can even be an attacker like I pictured in the previous paragraphs.

Ethereal is still the king of the hill in Standard Pauper would this version lenghten its undisputed popularity? Only time will tell. 

"Prophet of Kruphix EDH: Dance for me"

"Prophet of Kruphix EDH: Dance for me"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

One of the best scenes from the movie 300 was the dance of the Oracle as Leonidas tried to determine the will of the gods. 

In the fluid dance the will of the deities enter and it is translated. People do not care much for the ugly translators but were having several different degrees of reactions to the Oracle and her gauzy dress.

Now on to my Magic article before I digress into even more Gauzy things....

In the world of Theros , the gods will it that you have extra mana for instant speed shenanigans and that your creatures could also be cast at any time. Basically a cross Between Yeva , Teferi and Seedborn Muse this particularly graceful prophet gives you so much advantage on the battlefield. Since it is in the Simic colors as well it allows you access to one of the best color combinations Controlled Power. 

Untapping lands and creatures at each of your opponents turns is great. Many EDH players have made the prize of Seedborn Muse sky rocket because they want this ability of Untapping Lands at each turn. Keeping the threat of Instant speed Reprisal or Denial.

The Mana Availability alone is great but the Prophets second ability actually gives you an outlet for all the mana that will be available for you. Casting more creatures at any point in the game! Instant Blockers(Any creature) ,Instant tappers (Leonin Snarecaster) , Instant Bouncers , Instant Land ramp (Wildwood Elves) or Card draw (Phyrexian Rager) or even Sacrifice effects( Slum Reaper).

Let us talk about Numbers for a moment. If you have 8 mana that could be juiced out of your lands and you have 3 opponents then you potentially have an extra 24 available mana at each of their turns should you decide to use it! Note than an Upwelling could potentially be good here since it allows the mana to stay in your mana pool. It is just there to use with more on the way. I know that Omnath would fit in just as well and doubles as an Upwelling on a big stick.

While creatures are the main spells that the Prophet points you to cast. A simple Leyline of Anticipation could allow you to cast anything at any time in the game! With at least 24 extra mana available to you and probably a card drawing engine there is no end to the things that you could cast. For as long as you have Blue and Green in your commander Identity then you could always play this prophet and try your different combinations.

With a Leyline of Anticipation in play imagine casting a Planeswalker (Any of those in Blue or Green for EDH I mean) any time you could cast an instant. At the end of your opponents turn perhaps? Jace , Tezzeret , Nissa and Garruk are available with just the two colors of this prophet. I always did want to cast a planeswalker as an Instant. Sadly there is no way of putting a counter on them unless you already have a Doubling season into play as well. The Planeswalker you choose could already use his Ultimate ability on your turn without the need to cast it with any additional mana. You could protect it and make sure that the ticking timebomb that it really is will be sure to set off. I didn't think I could pull something like this before but with the Prophet I just might be able to now. 

   

"Out of the Shadows: Dimir Knives Pauper"

"Out of the Shadows: Dimir Knives"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

The Dimir have been known to manipulate people from the shadows. Much like Ninja's in ancient Japan they gather information and seldom attack physically. Mind attacks are the norm but what if there was some secret faction inside the Dimir that handles assassinations. 

A swift blow to the side of the ribs and a problem goes away. Surgical precision.Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you The Dimir Knives:

9 X Island

9 X Swamp

4 X Guildgate

______________

22 Lands

4 X Omen Speaker

4 X Metropolis Sprite

4 X Dead Reveler

4 X Vaporkin

4 X Dagger Dome Imp

__________________

20 Creatures

4 X Dark Favor

4 X Devour Flesh

4 X Voyages End

4 X Disperse

2 X Scourge mark

_______________

18 spells

3 X Gristly Spectacle

Ok. On to the deck itself. Blue Black Slight anyone? I have never seen so many deck variations before. Standard Pauper is teeming with so many ideas that you might be battling a dominant deck now and then answer the challenge of another contender the following week. 

Dimir Knives promises a more powerful kick in the throat because of all the Evasion in this deck. Dark Favor is the key card here because any of the creatures in this deck become monstrous. A 5/2 Flying Vapor kin is not really something you would ignore if you want to stay in the game or how about a 4/4 Omen speaker? The Dark Favor could turn the seemingly harmless to the overtly horrific.

It was really a toss up between Deathcult Rogue and Dead Reveler in the 3 mana slot here. Now I have always said that the Dead Reveler is one of my favorite cards in common. An Unleashed 3/4 is way better than an unblockable 2/2 any day in my book. It might be off from the Dimir theme a little bit but this is really the better choice.With that said you could still try the Rogue if you prefer him. Dark Favor makes him a 5/3 as well. Not bad for an unblockable dude.

I like the promise of this deck. Can the Dimir Knives overthrow the current Kings of Pauper. It might be high time to find out for yourself.

"Going Green: Mono Green Pauper 2013"

"Going Green: Mono Green Pauper 2013"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Mono green has always been a formidable opponent.Green does not have the ability of blue to deny a spell or the raw burning power of Red or the control of white or the killing power of black. What green has though is an abundance of creatures big and small and the ability to cast those creatures much earlier.

Green Power has this standard pauper deck list:

22 X Forests

4 X Elvish Mystic

4 X Gladecover Scout

4 X Spire Tracer

4 X Centaurs Herald

4 X Voyager Satyr 

4 X Ivylane Denizen

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24 creatures

4 X Slaughter Horn

4 X Scabclan Charger

4 X Forced Adaptation

2 X Mighty Chorus 

_____________________

14 Spells

This deck starts of with a couple of easy to cast creatures like Elvish Mystic , Gladecover Scout , Spire Tracer and Centaurs Herald. Yup the Elf crew is here again and they are all mean little creatures. 

The latest green Standard Mana acceleration at the common slot last held by Llanowar Elves has now been taken over by Elvish Mystic , he makes sure that you get to have the Ivylane Denizen and Staunch- Hearted Warrior as early as turn 3 with enough mana to trigger the Ivylane Denizen to put a +1/+1 on any target creature. These 4 casting creatures are at the heart of a massive combo in this deck.

This deck has no noticeable removal spells. Not even a pit fight. There are no lack of creatures here though and you could be sure than when you have really big creatures players are always hesitant to attack which forms your natural defense. Intimidation is key here.Growing to the massive size that you need even before your opponent could set up defenses.

Slaughter Horn and Scabclan Charger are great Pump creatures for your attacks or could just simply be cast whenever you need a trigger or another body on the battlefield. 

Mighty Chorus is a great addition here because of the numerous 1 drop creatures in the deck you are sure to make one creature really massive due to the number of creatures attacking.

Often times because of the decks aggressive build opponents are forced to block more than they actually attack. With this much muscle on your side how could things go wrong? 

"Detain and Destroy: Azorius Ethereal Armor"

"Detain and Destroy: Azorius Ethereal Armor"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

The current Pauper format is a healthy mix of unique decks but one meta concept emerges and this is heralded by Ethereal Armor. Some players could not sing enough praises on how powerful this single card is in Pauper Standard. 

This is a spin on one of the most famous decks that are making the rounds of the pauper scene:

9 X Plains

9 X Islands

4 X Azorius Guildgate

__________________

22 Lands

3 X Azorius Arrester

3 X Wavecrash Triton

3 X Master of Diversion

3 X Nimbus Naiad

4 X Hopeful Eidolon

4 X Observant Alsied

______________________

22 creatures

3 X Chosen by Heliod

4 X Ethereal Armor

4 X Pacifism

4 X Voyage's End

3 X Aqueous Form

________________

18 Spells

Sideboard:

4 X Celestial Flare

Now to start off I would like to state that this deck is not as powerful as Mono-white or the White/Green builds of this powerhouse concept. The mana curve is also a bit high since there are lot of 3 drops in the mix. So there I said it this deck may relatively suck however let me get to the good part. (and there is a good part...)

What the deck gives up in Mana Curve or in Power it makes up in Control of creatures on the battlefield. Detain and Tap effects are the main weapons here. With all the tapped or detained or bounced creatures this deck is basically a blue/ White Sligh deck. Though the power build up is slow the damage is sure to go through.

7 different enchantments and 3 of them creatures too that have the bestow mechanic. Casting these creatures is slow but since control is not an issue the delays are quite ok. 

Wavecrash Triton and his Heroic ability deals with your opponents creatures by tapping them until the next turn. Master of Diversion taps creatures when attacking as well. A single Ethereal Armor on any of these creatures spells doom. Since the enchantments themselves are the control like Pacifism this all adds up to the +1/+1 of the Ethereal armor. 

There is enough control here to go around and though a lot of players may go for the speedier decks this one particular build is solid all around. 

"Tempt with Reflections: Another Elephant Party"

"Tempt with Reflections: Another Elephant Party"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

The game of EDH just got more fun after a lot of cards came out in Commander 2013. One of my early favorites is the card Tempt with Reflections which is a potentially fun card to play with a couple of people around the table.

To start off this is actually another Rites of Replication.In my book a better one and a whole lot cheaper at 4 mana and it does not have the high kicker cost. The trick is to talk your opponents or convince them that they actually need a copy of the creature you just copied. 

I once heard the story of an Elephant party where a Terastodon was copied with a kicked Rites of Replication making 6 copies and then the Rites was copied by 2 other players. To make a long story short a lot of permanents were destroyed and ended up with a lot of 3/3 Elephants. An Elephant Party!

Now with this new card. The chances of that happening are much slimmer. People would still have to choose to put a copy of your creature into the battlefield. They have to weigh that decision with the knowledge that you are actually getting more when the spell resolves. Does an annoying artifact or enchantment affect the board asymmetrically? are people getting burned by Havoc Festival? Well with a copied Terastodon or Woodfall Primus each player can decide to destroy any permanent that is causing an unfair advantage. They would just have to contend with the tokens they just gave you later on. Don't expect them to give you any when there is no distinct advantage on their side and even if they do decide to put a token of their it might just mean that they have a massive sweeper in their hand should you try anything funny.

Well , timing is everything with this card but it will surely be fun to watch as players make decisions that could potentially bite them in the ass in the succeeding turns. So it is your job that they give in to the temptation because in the end you have more creatures for your army than they do.   

"Outbreak Survivor Tablas: Alpha and the Shells "

"Outbreak Survivor Tablas: Alpha and the Shells "

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

(My name is not important. I was sent to seek out the survivors of the Outbreak in Tablas. My task has not been easy as there are so few of them. For this survivor I found myself in a cave in Calatrava , the Northernmost part of all Tablas) 

(The cave is dark and the paths twisted into blind places that could easily be my death. My Blind guide did not want us to light anything. He said that he could take me to the middle of the cave without any help.Though I have an implanted tracker and could easily be found , the depths of this cave system slightly made me uneasy.)

(I heard the moaning before I saw them. Then the sound of shackles as the Yawa tried to reach us. I believe that this was a passage way that were lined with them to discourage anyone from coming in. My guide said to stay in the middle of the path , though in the dark I did not know where that was exactly. When we reached the end I was asked to keep my eyes closed as a light was opened.)

(When I opened my eyes I was a few feet away from Alpha Fortales. Her hair was weirdly kept and it made me wonder how she was able to do that in the middle of nowhere.)

"I am sorry about the welcoming committee in that last passage. There are about  16 yawa there. All of them are my family and you might be wondering how I was able to find out who they were though they were badly decomposing? Most of them don't even have faces or skin to speak of. It was not easy to identify them only...I have a gift."

(please continue...)

"I can speak to the dead. You look doubtful so let me tell you one thing. Your partner says...Well , your ex-partner says Let this one go , she does not know anything. You do know this guy right? The guy with the great big scar right across his face. So please put the safety back on that gun of yours and let me start my story."

( I touch the gun in my skirt and slam it on the table in front of us)

"There , all the better for me to continue right? Now even before this whole mess with the Yawa my family and I could always see spirits , they are constantly around the living and are trying to communicate. Mostly people who still have things to do or finish stay and need my family and I to help them. After the undead came there was a lot more of these spirits roaming around across Tablas. Do you have any idea what kind of psychic backlash the Yawa had caused  here? 40,000 dead. 40,000 spirits that were trapped here. In the beginning I would be seeing 5 or 10 showing up at the same time. When they started appearing 20 to a hundred in just a few hours then I knew that something was really wrong. I was never afraid of the Yawa and their moans , I was afraid though of the hundreds of anguished voices that were suddenly in my ear. I was isolated from others because of this gift but even in my isolation those souls found me and they were all shouting at me to do something , to save a family member , to kill someone  , to warn others that the Yawa were coming. I was trained to shut them out and focus but some of my cousins , even those who just learned that they also had this same gifts , they succumbed to the constant barrage of pleas and killed themselves."

"My best friend Kate came to me in this very cave. She said that I had to help her. She was dead. She knew she was because while she was alive she would never had found me here. She told me that a lot more were coming my way. She asked me to destroy her body so that she could move on. She did not want her desecrated body to create more monsters. Imagine that? Seeing your own undead body devour others , turn them into more Yawa when they survive or being doomed to wander the countryside. All the while you are a spirit that is powerless to do anything. Look at me Miss , do I look like the type who would survive without a lot of help? I did have a lot of help from my family , they were my early warning devices , they would shake me violently or shout at me when I fell asleep. My mission was to destroy the shells that they were evicted from and I did a lot of them. I released them from here so that they could move on knowing that no part of them remained to hurt the living. Of course destroying the shells of my own family was different , despite their advanced decay and potential for another outbreak I just could not destroy them. My Mom and Dad are in the passage way but their souls have moved on. Maybe because they knew that I could take care of things here. It makes you wonder about us , about how we are soul and body and how if the body could be corrupted our souls remain untarnished. "

"The island is more secure now but not totally , there might be a few shells walking  , maybe down south but not a single spirit has come to me from there so I might not be sure. The cool thing is when I could help out army units track down pockets of Yawa's trapped under tunnels or in locked basements. There are many spirits who help out so that they could cleanse themselves which makes me want to help even more. All the other countries might have technology to help them cope when something like this happens to them but here , we have our spirituality , we have our faith and with these souls that go hand in hand with us to cleanse the Yawa from this land."

"It might be demoralizing for soldiers to see the vast number of Shells that they need to clear out but with less and less casualties because of our "guides" it really is a big boost to morale especially when the island was being retaken. I was happy to be a part of that."

(So what do you plan to do now?)

"My battle is far from over. I have a lot of students here.Kids that were lost , kids with the same talents as mine that might not be able to survive if the dead rise again and unleash another Pyschic barrage of souls. I will be here in this cave making sure that when the island needs us we will be ready."

(And if Humanity will need you would you be willing to leave this darkness?)

"I would leave this Darkness only if Tablas needs me..."

( The interview ended and the light was turned off.As my blind guide led me out I just had to wonder if we were the one's who were truly in the dark about the Yawa and not Alpha and her students in that cave.)

"The Child Runs Through"

"The Child Runs Through"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

After going back to North Susana Heights a couple of weeks back to send off my cousin back to the states. I was reminded of a particular ghost that I have seen here in the past.

It was a time when my wife was still working for ACS and her team was practicing for a presentation in the area. Now I didn't particularly like the aura that this place emanated. Despite all the lamp posts the houses still looked dark and very sinister. Some of them were deserted and some just had caretakers living in them. 

When we reached the house they were supposed to practice in  , I was immersed in all the conversations that I didn't even feel anything in the place. It was a different matter though when I sat in the living room alone while the practice session was going on outside. 

There was a large TV dominating the entire living room and on the right was a screen door that lead to a little open area outside. The left side just opened to the kitchen. So I was just sitting there listening to all the laughter as people messed up lines and had to try again. Then I saw the head peeking through at the screen door on the right. It was a child. I looked at it because I don't remember seeing any kids in this house when I came in. 

The laughter continued outside. The screen door opened. The child came in the living room and run toward the kitchen. I followed it and when I looked it was no longer there. I shook my head.Things like this were nothing new to me after all.

When I told the host of the practice she did confirm the presence of this particular ghost child. It has been there with them since they moved in and it has been like a part of their family. I did not feel anything else in the place but it might not be the case the next time I go there. Here is to hoping that I am wrong. 

"Out of Body time"

"Out of Body time"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

After watching Insidious 1 and learning that both father and son could do astral projection I must say that I was very disappointed. My own experience with Astral Projection happened while I was still working for Accenture as an AT&T DSL tech support. Now in order to boost attendance there was an attendance incentive that was approved. You could not be late logging in , during any of your breaks (both 15 minutes and Lunch) and you must not incur any absences during the month. I was able to receive this incentive for 2 straight months. It was really hard because even in breaks you could not even relax.It did not matter if it was the last day of the month , any tardiness would forfeit the incentive. So you had agents who were on edge.

It was in this environment that my astral projection experience occurred. I was able to sleep in one of the quiet rooms. A 6 X 5 Room that was designed to hold a table and 2 comfortable arm chairs. Perfect for one on one coachings and performance evaluations which also doubled as a sleeping area in a pinch. So there I was sleeping and I still felt like I was going to be late.I felt myself hurriedly rising up. I passed through the armchair by my feet in my hurry to go through the door. I found the feeling to be odd since I passed by the  a solid chair. I looked around and my body was still lying there , I was still asleep and I was out here somehow. I did not know how I triggered going out and I was panicking that I did not know how to get back. SO I just went back and laid down on my body and hope for the best.

 Apparently that did the trick and I am still here in my flesh and blood shell. One wonders if I took anything with me. I believe that the stress level caused that Astral projection and so after 2 months of getting the incentive I stopped and just rested. Let the others get the incentive  , I would love to enjoy my breaks in peace. 

"The Veterans Psychiatric Ward Send off"

"The Veterans Psychiatric Ward Send off"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I was assigned to Ward 5 or the Psychiatric Ward of The Veterans Hospital in Quezon City  when I was a Senior Intern. The days were pretty normal and they went by so fast. The nights though were a different matter and the worst of it was the last night that I spent there.

During that time I was supposed to be with another Intern and 2 Junior Interns from Angeles. As it turned out due to some scheduling issues I ended up spending that last duty all alone. Now the duty was great because after the last monitoring of patients at around 6 pm the place was all quiet. There were no admissions or referrals coming in from the other departments. No ER calls. Nothing. It would be a relaxing last duty with or without any ones company.

So I settled into the Interns area which was a big area at the back. I was updating all the things that I needed to update. I was typing all the things that needed to be finished. So I find myself poofed and sleeping at the long table right below the ceiling fan. For some reason though it was the summer months it was an extremely cold night. Colder than most nights that I have been there actually. I felt something touch the back of my neck briefly. I turned around and no one was there. 

I went back to sleep but it seemed that whatever what was there was not going away. I felt something running back and forth behind my chair. The air changed as whatever it was passed me by. It was as if someone was running with their hands past my head and waking me up. I did wake up and pleaded with whatever it was to leave me alone. I still had to endorse in the morning. The running stopped that night.

I would later learn that the same ceiling fan I was sleeping under was the site of a suicide. One patient hung himself there and there were several hauntings in that place as well. Maybe it also had something to do with all the uncontrolled psychic energy in the area. One of my friends kidded around saying that it was just the ghosts send off. They wont be seeing me again and they just want to say goodbye.

I was happy to go. I didn't want to stick around to see what else it might escalate to.   

"The Spinal Ward Influence"

"The Spinal Ward Influence"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Since I started my Pre-Residency here at the Philippine Orthopedic Center I have began noticing certain changes in the way I drive. I have been assigned to the Spinal Ward for close to a month now and talking to all the patients have really changed my perspective about Driving , Speed and Disability. 

The majority of the cases in the Spinal Ward are Spinal fractures resulting from Motor Vehicle Accidents. Being hit by a Motorcycle or Car is one thing because accidents happen all the time and often times it is not the patients fault , it is an external force beyond their control that gave them the injury. 

However there are dozens of cases of Drunk Driving , Inexperienced Drivers or Sometimes plain old bad luck that points to one culprit. Motorcycles. This leads to one conclusion. Never Ride Motorcycles. Even with a helmet and protective gear on there is no guarantee that you would not splatter yourself along with a few others on a concrete divider somewhere. 

Even a simple fall from a motorbike could lead to an awful spinal cord injury. Imagine falling from the height of a motorcycle  , you hit your back on the concrete. You suddenly do not feel both of your legs and are no longer able to stand up. A scary thought for some  , scarier still is the thought that you could never walk again or even if you could walk it would take you years and countless hours of Physical Rehabilitation.And this is just because you did not want to listen.

I am sure that in the long hours of lying on their backs our patients look back again and again in their minds and remember the reason why they are here. Someone told me that not a moment goes by that he does not think of his accident.If he could reverse time and prevent what is happening to him right now. He would.

If only they did not drive so recklessly that night , if only he said no to the offered Inuman , only if he went home early like his wife told him to. They look back at what their life was like but are faced by the grim reality that this is their life now. Lying back on a bed until they are able to at least support themselves with their Upper extremities. 

What changed in me during all this time is that I am now more giving and forgiving regarding our brothers and sisters who ride motorbikes or scooters. Valenzuela City where I live and Edsa which I ply to get home is simply full of darting Bikes that weave in and out of traffic , effectively cutting the lanes for cars, buses and other bikes.  I usually get mad and do defensive driving(AKA I don't let anything pass). However after seeing the patients at the spinal ward , I just let the bikes pass now. Better to be patient than see them as a patient later.

I am careful not to hit a single one because wherever I am in the Philippines the patient that I would injure would be admitted to no where else but here at POC. The motorist that you hit today will be your patient later. 

I swore to myself that I would never give any person such an awful reality.No one deserves it and surely no one deserves it from me. 

I continue to pray that though these bikes continue to swerve at me that God will give me the patience and visual acuity not to hit any of them.In my book it is ok to treat them when they come in. It is not ok if I caused the injuries myself.

I cross my fingers whenever I go anywhere.My luck is still holding out.