Thursday, March 23, 2017

"What a Judge addiction teaches..."


"What a Judge addiction teaches..."
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Aven and her classmates sort of have a Judge Chewing gum addiction. It keeps them awake as the classes go on.They chew it socially when on breaks or on lunch. It has become a way for friends to share one and become closer. The consumption of the gum was so great that if Aven brought a whole bag or two not one will remain when she gets hope.  And all was fine and well until some of them decided to dispose of them by sticking it on the under side of desks and such. The teachers were not happy and banned it. 

Which leads to this funny story by Aven where in an act of defiance some of her classmates act as Judge Smugglers , bringing contraband candy in their bags into class risking a strike on their records when they get caught and then there were some who became the Judge Dealers who secretly passed on the banned chewing gum to others. Fueling the Chewing gum addiction that is well entrenched in their section and the other sections as well.

I don't know if I should be proud because Aven is learning to subvert rules and not just submit to whatever it is that is being offered or pushed on her. I can see a little rebellious streak in her because she always questions something if it does not seem right to her. Should I be concerned that this might lead to darker things in the future.I think that free thinking and free expression is one thing that we have always encouraged with her but for her to see something like this and for her classmates to do it at that age. Well Judge might be the root cause for some subversives in the future. After all take away a person freedom to do a thing and that person will find a way to do that same thing on the sly. This is why parents who are too controlling of their children end up dealing with problems that are a result of those strictness.

Aven knows that she can always talk to us though and hence this story.  Hanie and I even demonstrated some candy passing techniques because we were laughing at the whole thing. I don't know if that made it worse though but I guess this is why we are here to guide Aven

"Why I am going to GP Manila 2017:To War with my Brothers."


"Why I am going to GP Manila 2017:To War with my Brothers."
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD


"Ang mahal ng Registration fee!"
"Wala pa akong deck."
"Gusto ko side events lang."
"Mang smack lang ako dun."
"Ang Pangit. Progenitus yung GP card."

These are some of the things that I hear when Magic players talk about the upcoming Grand Prix Manila 2017. Yes it has become a tad more expensive than the last GP that I went to.
Yes Progenitus pales in comparison to Umezawa's Jitte , Goblin Guide or Griselbrand. 

And the more that you think about it the more that some might not go to this years GP and I have to be honest there was a time that I also did not want to go. 4k is still not something that you find just lying around. And the mental and physical experience of participating in a GP can be overwhelming too.

But I have banished all these thoughts from my mind because I will still be going and the reason is simple. It has always been a family affair.

My first GP was with my cousin Pong and my brother Aj. Pong even graciously treated me to the entrance. Even exchanged GP shirts with me. Something that I will always remember about him.

My 2nd GP was just me and Aj and it was another brother bonding moment.We were smarter , better prepared. Still did not make it to the 2nd day but had a lot of other stories to tell after wards.



This years GP despite already freezing my schedule and doing the necessary "Paalam sa Tunay na Commander" I wanted to back out but something changed. My Brother is still attending and I don't want him to be alone there. It was my brother from another mother Mark Abude that clinched it. I go to the GP once again. It will be his first time and my wife has a soft spot for him persuaded me with these simple words, "Di mo sasamahan si Mark?"

And just like that the tradition of GP's being family affairs will continue. I look forward to the time that Aven, my only daughter would be playing with me there. For now I will be with my brothers , going off to battles and adventures that await for us in the tables.With our shields or on it. We battle.

"Modern Masters 3: Paranoia Sets In"


"Modern Masters 3: Paranoia Sets In"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The paranoid in me is rearing it's ugly head again and as more and more of Modern Masters are spoiled something is gnawing at me in the inside. Yes this set is shaping up into a great one and the reprints are much needed and asked for for a long time now. People are having a difficult time staying salty and as card upon card is revealed you could see the smiles spreading on a lot of Magic players faces as if it was Christmas in March.

I however feel like something is amiss. Something must be up. Is Wizards of the coast distracting everyone with this very very very delicious Modern Master release? Enemy Fetches  , Damnation , even Liliana of the Veil! I simply cannot believe my own eyes that this set just keeps on giving goody upon goody and WoTC will eventually not ask something in return. 



Whatever that thing is at the moment we will eventually meet it some time down the road. People are not thinking about it but I will always have it at the back of my mind. Has WoTC finally caved in to the MTG Communities demands or is something else about to happen? The reason I write this is that I believe that there is something but like an unseen Geist I can't seem to know what it is. Like a sudden chill upon realizing it. 

Hooowell. Cest La Vie. Play whenever you can. Play as hard as you can. And hopefully it would not be the last.

"Brewer's Madness"

"Alam ko meron pa akong Fatal Push eh...."
"Brewer's Madness"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Ask yourself if you have at some point or are presently experiencing the following symptoms:

- Woken up at night and thought of a card piece that would fit perfectly in a deck you are making.

- Unable to sleep again because you are thinking of who among your friends or current card suppliers probably have the said piece.

- Has thought of running to the nearest NG or Comic Quest or Local Magic shop while out with family to check if they still have that land or spell that you are still missing.

- Has trouble not thinking straight of that incomplete deck.

- Has PM'ed , texted , emailed everyone you know that might have the cards that you need.

- Has said more than once that I don't need this card but bought it because you might need it later.

"Yes nakita ko rin!"
I have some good news and some bad news for you my friend. The good news is that you are as normal as any Magic player can get. The bad news is that you are in the grips of something that I would like to call Brewer's madness.

You are not alone in this affliction. As a Magic player we have had this more than once and it gets worse in the spoiler seasons. Worse I say because you can only imagine the cards and not hold them. Until you get copies in the Pre Release or a week after that you can only just imagine the interactions and combos. Think of the Modern Masters set or Commander sets that are coming out. 

Another bit of bad news is that Brewer's madness has no cure. On one hand believe me when I say that you don't ever want to be cured.

"Midweek Magic 2017 #12 - Standard learnings and Mental fatigue sets in"

"Bringing peace to your opponents"
"Midweek Magic 2017 #12 - Standard learnings and Mental fatigue sets in"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I guess it is possible to have too much of a good thing and I was feeling that a bit from last week and this week too. I have to admit that I am feeling a bit mental fatigued from playing the game that I love and I know that it does come with the territory. In my line of work I have to make rapid clinical assessments and decide on management choices in both my day and night clinics , filtering through hundreds of diseases and drugs in my mind at a fast pace to be able to respond to my patients needs. 

So what do I choose as my form of leisure? I chose a game where I also have to make threat assessments and manage my life totals and think of ways to win all the while making alliances or at times managing other players decks when we are in cooperative mode. "Way to go", my brain told me. "Make yourself more tired." Of course if you know me I never listen to my brain when it comes to resting when I want to play so bad.

"Guess where I am sticking this?"
Last week I began playtesting what I believe would be my deck for this years GP Manila(2017).And my first real standard test was against my brother , Aj who has been playing more of standard than I have at this point. FNM and tournament level style of play he has more experience than I do even if I was the one who got him hooked in this game.That night he was running a Boros vehicles deck that could take care of creatures and furnish wins via Peacewalker Activation of other vehicles or Siege Modification activations. 

I know that the whole point of the play test was to check the weaknesses of my deck , learn  how to react to certain situations , decide which lands to drop first or when to choose to play certain spells or creatures. Should I remove this potential threat or take in damage in the early rounds first. In essence it was to make sure that I play with the best possible outcomes based on the material that I had. 

My brother and I did this in Neutral Grounds Eton Centris and after a few rounds of almost even wins and losses I had to say that I had to use a lot of brain power on concentrating to win and react properly. Pros can do this instantaneously I know and could easily smooth out their decks easily as well. I had fun no doubt about it but I suddenly remembered those Grueling rounds of Game Days and past GP's. I sincerely have to do something about my brain stamina. Maybe enter into once of those trances where I shut off everything that is not vital. Tough luck with that.

So far I have encountered Boros Vehicles(AJ) ,  B/R Vampires(Ram) , R/G Energy (Janry) and Jund Energy(Raphael) ,even Temur Tower (Carlos). I look forward to battling Mardu Vehicles and the Saheeli cat's soon.I am thankful for the play testing guys and I maybe tired but there is so much more to learn. I hope I can survive these decks when the GP comes. Time to play test some more.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

"Midweek Magic 2017 #11 - Pain I welcome thee"


"Midweek Magic 2017 #11 - Pain I welcome thee"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

My HP Eton Centris Pantry Magic experience has always been full of interesting and varied gameplay. One week we are playing EDH , The next Modern , Standard , Pauper and now Archenemy.

This week I was able to play 2 rounds of Archenemy, It was Ram at the helm again like last week and he ran an Esper artifact deck led by Sharuum the Hegemon and featured what seemed like "Eternal turns" as he sacrificed wave upon wave of Artifacts to a Time Sieve. Oh and my favorite Blightsteel Colossus was also in this deck and since this creature was my favorite Ram would make sure that I would be the first one to die from it's Rusty , Infectious Metallic embrace. A Blightsteel Colossus with an Equipped Lightning Greaves can do that to you pretty quickly. Oily and Sick as I would describe this embrace from this familiar creature.

"pa-hug nga paps!"

I have to say that when it comes to threat assessment I have been singled out pretty much lately.And I would then die and watch from the sidelines like an NBA team that got eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.(Wow a nerd giving a sports analogy!).  It does not matter if it was Ram or Janry taking the helm of the Archenemy cards , it has to be the Sultai Doctor first and then try to eke out a win with the remaining players on the battlefield. 

And so I welcome pain. Normally my opponents will be so well committed to my destruction that they fail to win because they have spent their powerful spells, While it flatters me that I am considered a threat I still want to be able to play and not die pretty early. Hmmmm. It makes me ponder how I may just not welcome pain by playing a more diluted deck or simply play defense the whole time. Naaah. I know my friends and they expect me to be at my best when we play. What would be the point of defeating me if I was weak right?

Midweek Magic 2017 #10: An Archenemy win at last!



Midweek Magic 2017 #10: An Archenemy win at last!
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

We have been talking for weeks about reserving a corner room right next to the clinic so that we could have a place all to ourselves as the pantry does seem to get crowded on certain days and hours.

So we finally got one and it came on Thursday , the last possible day that I could play in Eton Centris. Since there was 4 of us in Ram , Pao and Vio. We had our third session of Archenemy, I still forgot to ask what expansion we were using.

Now since I run the only deck with control my fate is that I usually am the first to die. This night would be different. Pao would be running a deck that featured 2/3 vampires and Vio would be running a Black/Red Eldrazi deck that wanted to burn and attack. It featured the (in my book) very awesome enchantment  Molten Nursery along side pingers like Nettle drone and a whole host of Eldrazi.



Ram would be the designated Archenemy , still running his favorite Brain in a Jar deck that abused cards like Beck/Call and Far/Away as well Lingering Spirits and hand decimating cards like Despise and Duress. It also had a single Elesh Norn who was so awesome as a board wipe that she was all it took to beat us in the first round.

The second round of Archenemy however proved to be Ram's downfall , you see he knew the kind of pressure he would be facing since he created the two decks I was fighting with. Pao provided what seemed like an endless swarm of vampires and Vio would ping any tokens that dared land on the other side of the battlefield.

Jeng Beleren for the win!
These guys bought me time. I helped along by allowing an extra draw with Jace Beleren in play and given enough time we were able to mill out Ram's deck for our first group win. Historical? For us yeah. It means that there is a certain game play that you need to have in order to win. Oh and that reminds me to include something to remove Elesh Norn next time.

Great Job guys. More games in the future!

"Midweek Magic 2017 #9 - So this is what being an Archenemy feels like."



"Midweek Magic 2017 #9 - So this is what being an Archenemy feels like."
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The first time I tried my hands at Archenemy I found myself very excited. I was about to face off against 4 people though , which according to Ram was already 1 player too many for a regular Archenemy session. It was his idea that I take the reigns of the scheme cards after all. All of my opponents sat across me from a high pantry table and I could clearly see every one's battlefield conditions.

Archenemy is a variation of Magic that allows you to employ your regular 60 card deck with the inclusion of another set of cards called Schemes. After your draw phase you simply reveal a scheme from a scheme pile and you are able to take advantage of the scheme. We are using the first set of Archenemy cards and I am looking forward to the Nicol Bolas themed cards. These cards were designed to even the playing field for you and so you have cards that lets you take extra turns , destroy creatures or lands , copy existing artifacts. You get the idea. All cards let you have an unfair advantage should you draw them at the right time.

For my first drive as an Archenemy I decided on using my currently most powerful deck , The Sultai Super friends. The Sultai are villains after all and it even has Tasigur , the Golden Banana and Dragonlord Silumgar in it for added flavor.



Right off the bat when I started dropping lands , Ram and Pao who are my most consistent opponents instantly recognized the Opulent Palace and knew where I was headed with this deck. They have faced the deck enough times to know that I have ample mass removal in Damnation and Black Sun's Zenith and once the multitude of Planeswalkers come into play one by one they knew that they would in in serious trouble.

I must admit though that for a deck that has green in it my deck is a rather slow one with a lot of tapped lands coming in. And as bad luck would have it the first 2 schemes that I enacted were duds. The first one was a mass removal spell that mass removed nothing and the other one allowed me to copy an artifact which gave me a very powerful....Mana Rock!(My own sarcasm kills me)

Of course my schemes failed and after wiping the board twice my opponents were able to rally for my downfall which leads me to the conclusion that it was never in my cards to be a villain. I would be a very bumbling villain if I were. Or Sablay as we would say in tagalog.

Oh well. It was time to look forward to being a regular heroic Magic player next week. 

"Why Waze is like a Well meaning Parent..."



"Why Waze is like a Well meaning Parent..."
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I recently used the traffic App called Waze and was amazed at the amount of time that I saved going to and from work if I followed it's directions. 

I found myself entering side streets , places that were too vacant to be true because you would see all the red around you(indicating heavy traffic) and yet here you were cruising at an easy pace. I found streets that lead to places that I have long suspected would lead there but neither had the time or the inclination to explore. Waze taught me a lot in a span of weeks and I plan on using it till I can no longer use it.

One of the things I have realized is that Waze is like a well meaning parent. Like parents they set off a path for you that might necessarily be easy but it is probably the most efficient path for your success and so they set you on that path. Like a parent if you stray from that path Waze will try to correct you on that path until you reach a point where the app could no longer correct you and follow your path.

But there is something else here. I found that when using the app  , like a parent it See's things that you might not necessarily see like heavy traffic build up or accident prone places. Parents because they are older and more experienced are like that too. They know that if you go a certain way then it leads to somewhere that might amount to disaster or an accident. 

It is still up to you to decide where your path leads. As in with Waze it will be up to you to pick the route with most efficient time for you or you could stubbornly trudge on in that Heavily Red road that the app was trying to steer you clear from. I never had a problem trusting my parents. I never had a problem trusting Waze. I hope that now that I am a parent I could set a path for my only daughter that she may or may not take but what I really hope is that I can be involved in the steps she takes wherever it leads her.

"The Cyclist and The Eon Driver: No One Wins"


"The Cyclist and The Eon Driver: No One Wins"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Last year a man shot a cyclist dead after the latter scratched his car and beat him in hand to hand combat.

People tend to focus on the tragic shooting and the death of the cyclist. How it was so senseless and that the shooter was solely at fault for his actions. In a way he is and in other ways he isn't.

Looking at the video that was caught on a street CCTV. The two got into a fight in the middle of the street. The shooter who alighted from an EON was aggressive and the taller cyclist appeared to have some martial arts training as he was able to subdue the smaller man who came at him.

Then something strange happened and this is what I believe to be the cyclists fatal mistake. Instead of just riding away after his victory due to his superior martial arts skills , he then went to the open passenger side window of the car and put his head in it as if to taunt the already beaten man. Chances are he didn't poke his head in their just to ask if the guy was ok.

Since there was no audio one can only assume that things were said or not said. The words may not be known but results of them became painfully clear. One man is dead and the other is now serving time in jail.

The other odd thing was is that after seemingly taunting the driver , the cyclist nonchalantly walked away and kept on looking at the car as if daring the driver to do something. Or maybe just to check what the driver would do next buy whatever it was that he was doing he sure was taking his sweet time to go farther from harm's way. He just walked instead of immediately riding his bike and moving on with his life that ended tragically that day.

People would reason that things would have been different had the driver never had a gun in his car. In which I would say that even if without the gun the driver would have just ran over the cyclist or ram him if he had the chance.

In conclusion both men lost. The cyclist for gloating and the for the driver who had no control over his emotions at that time. And eventually expressed himself with a gun.

"Train to Busan: Late Late Movie Review"


"Train to Busan: Late Late Movie Review"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

By now a lot of people have already watched one of the most talked about films of 2016 , Train to Busan which literally has a plot that goes from Point A to Point B.From Seoul to Busan. With a couple of stops of course. 

Of course if you are familiar with Korean movies or even Kdramas you would know that they won't make this movie just about zombies or make these guys regular zombies. As you keep on watching you would soon realize that there is more to this movie than just surviving the fast zombies who are out to devour you.

1) Pulling at your heart strings and then ripping that sucker out.

At the heart of this zombie movie are the human characters. By the end you would find yourself rooting for them , wanting them to die or sad that are no longer alive.

The writer does a great job about making you care about the characters because of their relationships with each other.

The 2 Older sisters. The Father and Daughter. The Soon to be Father and his pregnant wife. The would be lovers. The despicable rich guy. The kind and dutiful train conductor. 

These people are real and are put in a situation where their individual will to live is put to the test. There are spoilers in the next paragraph or so  , so if you are one of those people who just woke up from a 1 year coma and has not watched this movie yet. You have been warned.



Let me look at the relationships of the characters one by one.

The older sisters did not seem to have any obvious part but to serve as zombie bait or fodder because of their physical frailty but then you see the contrast in personalities come to the fore when the kind sister voluntarily stops the zombie mass to let some of the survivors buy enough time to go through a train door.  
And the surviving sister then opens the same door on the other survivors as an act of revenge and also serves as a symbolism for her waning resolve to live.

The same waning of resolve can be scene about the would be lovers as the male baseball player just holds on tearfully and apologizing to his dying would have been girlfriend. The result is that the girl zombifies and takes a big chunk of him.One would ask why not run before she turns and then again the answer is loss of resolve to live against such horrors. Despite surviving longer it seemed that Death seemed like the most peaceful choice 

A lot of foreshadowing in the writers part made me wish I did not understand especially when one of the characters said "After all it's all about the sacrifice in then end."

The two male protagonists of this story will in the end make sacrifices that would ensure their loved one's survival. Actually with the exception of the rich , despicable guy all the characters know how to make sacrifices so that others could live.

You could hear audiences scream when the would be Father gets bitten in the hand and uses his all of his remaining time being human to keep the zombie mass from advancing. Here was this guy already turning into one of them and yet he continues to resist for his wife and unborn child which he had name moments before this heroic scene. Heck if you are going to die then you can do this for your child right?

For the main lead. All I can say is that his transformation from "cold , always busy dad" into "I am here and I will show you that I love you kind of Dad" could not have come at a much worse time. And he was the hero till the end. The sacrifice to make sure that his daughter lives.

The particular scene where he was saying goodbye yet again and for the last time would move you to tears even if you had no children of your own. Unless you were intensely making out the whole time or were trying to catch your 12th Ratata in the theater.

The scene where he transforms is a weird one since almost everyone who turns into a zombie seem to have their worst fears or disgusting truths come out of them. His own mother had really choice words for his estranged wife. The despicable rich guy seemed to turn into a child who just wants to see his mother in Busan one more time.



For the male lead though this last memory was that of touching his new born daughter. Probably the only time he smiled in this whole film. His transformation not only symbolized into being a zombie but reconnecting with those feelings of love with his own child. It provided a stark contrast because as he was feeling this euphoria his own daughter was screaming in agony because of his loss and on a train that no one can no longer operate.

In the end only a child and pregnant woman who in my opinion has done way too much running than I would allow a pregnant woman. I can picture the baby inside of her clinging on to their life with every hurried step she took.So imagine surviving that horrendous train ride and you are reaching a tunnel where you are in the sights of the Korean Army's best snipers.Sucks right?

During this scene where they cannot be properly identified as uninfected a shoot to kill order  is given and do you know what saves them? A song. A song that was meant to be sang for the dad who jumped to his death a mere few minutes ago. This also leads me to the conclusion that we should learn at least one Kpop song. That song might save your life in a zombie apocalypse. Learn your song well though because if you sing it badly enough , zombie or no zombie the snipers might shoot you anyway.

My friend was right in saying that this movie bodes well for the human race. Like i said we should all learn to kpop songs and learn what palli palli means. Oh and for goodness sakes learn to be a good dad every day and take a plane to Busan or maybe a boat next time.

"Tezzeret the Schemer: Scheming with the Schemer"


"Tezzeret the Schemer: Scheming with the Schemer"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

This whole Esper deck started when I bought my own brothers Tezzeret the Schemer just to add it to my Planeswalker collection. I bought a pack and lo and behold I got another Tezzeret! When one of our players Jus came by the clinic he also had a lone Tezzeret in his binder. I am a big believer in signs and the latter two was enough for me.

Tezzeret is a 4 mana planeswalker that enters the battlefield with 5 loyalty counters on him. You won't be able to shock him but against aggro decks those 5 loyalty counters aren't going to protect him all that much. And the whole field in Standard features a lot of beaters that could do the job. I wrote this probably to look at the card more and see what it can do.

Tezzeret's first ability doesn't really impress you since it just adds an Etherium cell in play and another loyalty counter on him. The Etherium cell can be sacrificed to add mana of any color however and this can serve as ramp so that you could use a 6 mana spell on turn 5. It can also add another artifact in play that could help you plop down a Gearseeker Serpent or Improvise to summon a Herald of Anguish.


Tezzeret's 2nd ability is a -2 one that gives +X/-X to target creature for each artifact you control. Needless to day Tezzeret needs a deck that has tons and tons of artifacts. In my deck he has Servo's from Servo exhibition and Cogworker's puzzleknot. He had Metalspinners Puzzleknot and Prophetic prism as well. More draw for me. In my test plays I really seem to have too many artifacts that I can kill a 5 or 6 powered creature as soon as Tezzeret arrive on the board. I still want to be able to pump my bigger creatures but I am afraid that I don't have anything that has a bigger toughness that 6. 


His ultimate ability is something that many players believe is the watered down version of another Tezzeret. I do agree that that other Tezzeret would be really brutal on the plane of Kaladesh.But heck this is what I get so this is what I will work with. In the right circumstance once you have reached this -7 ultimate it is usually lights out for your opponent. Even before casting this planeswalker you might have been able to take advantage of his 3 mana costing Touch. In which case a couple more hits ought to do the trick and with the abundance of artifacts on your side of the battlefield there won't ever be a shortage of targets for the emblem.

While scheming with the schemer might not be every one's cup of tea when it comes to the GP Manila 2017. I will run this deck and see where it leads me. And now some more play testing are in order.

"Gideon , Ally of Zendikar: Masaheng Barako"


"Gideon , Ally of Zendikar: Masaheng Barako"
by;
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I talked to my brother AJ last night and he told me that he could not sleep. When I asked why , he simply answered:

"Binaboy ako ni Gideon tol."

Of course he was referring to the planeswalker Gideon , Ally of Zendikar who has been in the ban list speculation rumor mill for awhile now because of his power in Standard. As my brother's story goes he met with an opponent who was able to use Tamiyo, Field Researcher's ultimate ability which is  Draw 3 cards and then you may cast non-land cards from your hand for free. Apparently his opponent already had 3 Gideon's in his hand or was able to draw them.Let me tell you about how Gideon is freakishly strong and why my brother hated this particular encounter.

For those currently playing standard the latest reincarnation of Gideon costs 4 mana , 2 Colorless and 2 White. And his starting loyalty is 4. He is unique since he is probably the only planeswalker that players could ultimate the moment he arrives on the battlefield.You can get an emblem that reads: give +1/+1 to all of your creatures. Basically an Anthem emblem that lets your little guys get bigger.


You don't have any little guys to make big you say? No problem. For 0 cost Gideon could make a 2/2 White Knight for you. That is his second skill after all.

As for Good old Gideon himself , his first skill  , gives him a +1 Loyalty counter and turns him into a 5/5 creature that is still a planeswalker  , Indestructible and prevent damage that would be dealt to him this turn.

The only draw back is that he cannot attack the turn he comes in as compared to Sarkhan Dragonspeaker who could. None of this matters though as the 5/5 Gideon could just stand around all day blocking bigger creatures , shrugging off burn and removal spells like they were nothing and still attack later on for the win.

I mean in Aether revolt he was able to get inside a gearhulk ,he got churned by the cogs inside and do you know what happened to that Gearhulk? The gearhulk was destroyed and Gideon emerged relatively unscathed with some slight discomfort. Only with some slight discomfort!


So going back to my brothers story. His opponent used Tamiyo , field researchers ultimate , plopped in 3 Gideons in succession. Use the ultimate of the first 2 and left the last Gideon so that he can be a 7/7 Human creature on the next turn.

Damn it Gideon. It was hard enough to deal with you when you were a 6/6 , now you have to be mana efficient and pump creatures too!

Needless to say my probably got some sleep but I bet in his dreams he was still being pummeled by Gideon , Masaheng Barako style.

"Dovin Baan - The "Frustrating Opponents" Diadem"


"Dovin Baan - The "Frustrating Opponents" Diadem"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

One look at Dovin Baan and you would instantly know that he is a stickler for rules and regulations. He has that whole sour , stick up his butt look that all nitpickers for rules have. Some people like him. Some people don't. The latter probably the reason why he isn't getting any serious game play or there is the slight probability that even the control players are not making room for him despite the things that he has to offer.Either way it makes me happy that I could get him on the cheap and experiment a bit. 

At 2 colorless mana and Azorius colors too expect this guy to be included in some pretty oppressive decks and I already suspect that one guy in our play group to have a set of this somewhere tucked away and will spring it on us the soonest possible time he could. When you summon Dovin Baan he has 3 starting loyalty counters.Not the sturdiest planeswalker but you hope that he sticks around to help you.

So let us take a look at this guys skills.
-3/0 to target creature and you gain a loyalty counter serves as protection to early to mid creatures. Mostly mid creatures. This also allows you to probably survive the next couple of turns so that you could set up what nefarious scheme you have under your sleeve. As an added bonus that creatures activated abilities cannot be played as well. So no tappers , no discarders , no destruction from those who could tap and do you harm. Yey.

Dovin Baan's second ability is a -1 which allows you to draw a card and gain 2 life. This would come in hand since you are probably trying to control the board state and there is a high probability that you have been taking hits from faster decks. The 2 life is no joke and the card draw might turn out to be that Fumigate or Yahenni's Expertise that you might need to stop your bleeding life points. All in all I might just play Dovin for this ability if there is no good target for his first skill.

For Dovin's ultimate ability he makes a good impression of Stasis or Static orb. For -7 Loyalty counters you get an emblem that says "Your opponents can't untap more than 2 permanents during their untap steps. At this point when you are able to activate Dovin Baan's final skill chances are you might have totally controlled your opponent. You are the only person on the battlefield able to untap everything and prepare for what ever your opponent will dish out next. Expect a rather frustrated opponent to just scoop as no one wants to sit through an experience of Draw-Go again and again.

Dovin Baan can be a lot of fun but only for the planeswalker who summons him and takes advantage of what he has to offer. In the end Dovin Baan might not receive any love from Standard players but he might have a place in EDH  decks that has Frustrating Opponents as a General strategy.


"Elevator Knock out"


"Elevator Knock out"
by:
V.F.De leon Jr. MD

So as I was settling in my desk I heard the head of security ask the nurse on duty if she was making an incident report about something that happened a few days ago.

An agent had apparently lost consciousness after being hit by a closing elevator. While it is not uncommon to be hit by a closing elevator I have often found that the lift doors open if they sense that they have hit something.

I have been hit by a closing elevator on numerous occasions but I have never been knocked out before so I was really curious as to how it all happened.So it made me wonder if this particular agent went in head first like some character in Naruto or had been tripped and hit their head on the pavement and then lost consciousness.

As I was turning to ask the security chief I noticed that he was already out of the door.Leaving me with this particular mystery. And the absurd thought that a head on exit was squished by the closing lift doors.

"Eyeglasses 2: Ano daw ulit?"



"Eyeglasses 2: Ano daw ulit?"
ni:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD


Me: Itong salamin niyo po ba eh pang malayuan o pang malapitan?
Patient: Para po ito sa pangmalapitan na malayo doc. Progressive po siya.
Me: Ok

"Eyeglasses: Ano daw?"


"Eyeglasses: Ano daw?"
ni:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Me: Itong salamin niyo po ba eh pang malayuan o pang malapitan?
Patient: Parang ganun na po...
Me: Hmmm. Ginagamit niyo pa ito para magbasa ng diyaryo o para magbasa ng malalayong letra?
Patient: Dito ko lang po sa medical ginagamit...
Me: Ahhh. Sige check na lang po natin mamaya.

"Ang Licensed Physisherman at ang mga Fisherman"


"Ang Licensed Physisherman at ang mga Fisherman"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Gaano kadaming beses mo bang puwedeng ma-spell ang salitang Fisherman? Aba madami pala. Sa aking linya ng trabaho marami akong nakakakasalamuha sa kanila at labis akong natutuwa sa mga sinusulat nila kung ano ang kanilang napiling trabaho.

Ito ay ilan lamang sa mga spelling na aking nakalap habang inaaliw ang sarili sa trabahong napili.

1) Phisherman - Pang Scam!
2) Pisherman - Ito yata yung hinahanap ni Nemo eh.
3) Pisserman - Palaging umiihi o laging galit?
4) Fisserman
5) Fishermhan - Ok na sana eh
6) Fissanman - Parang powder sa likod(malabo lang talaga ang sulat)
7) Fiherman - Di ko alam pero parang may kulang eh

Di ka talagang magiging bored kahit paulit ulit na ang tanong mo ay iba iba pa din ang sagot. 

"The Free"


"The Free"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I
I used to know you
The way your hand felt
The smell of your breathe
The way you would taste

II
So when I saw you
I found myself surprised
I felt nothing at all
Not even a little stirring inside

III
But I remember
How you brought me to my knees
And asked me to relinquish my crown
Asked me to be the beggar that I am

IV
I remembered but felt nothing
So I smiled at the once victorious
Forever free from Influence
Walking away from your possession

1/21/2017 - MVR  , TM Kalaw

"Your shouts unheard"


"Your shouts unheard"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

We go on in circles
Lost in this murky haze
We see others around us
People who we cannot reach

II
We shout in the dark
and these people continue to dream
We warn them of the chasm
but they plunge on ahead

III
We hear them fall
We hear them scream
They are all oblivious
trapped in this beautiful sleep

IV
We go on in circles
and we see fewer and fewer still
We keep on shouting.
They keep falling.

10/22/2017 - Sykes

"Rallyista"


"Rallyista"
ni:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I
Nakakapagod na din
Pagod na isip
Pagod na katawan
Halos mabuwal sa bawat ihip

II
Pero tumatayo at nagmamasid
Ganun pa din tulad ng dati
Wala namang nagbago
Ganito pa din tulad ng dati

III
Sumisigaw kasama ang karamihan
Tinataas ang kamao sa hangin
Na siyang nagdadala palayo ng hinaing
Nadadala , nadadala sa bawat ihip

10/22/2017 - Shaw

"Ang Blankong Papel"


"Ang Blankong Papel"
ni:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I
Blankong papel na naman ako
nasusulatan ng kung ano ano
Bukas ang isipan sa sabi mo
nakikinig pa din sa mga suyo

II
Pero minsan nakakaramdam din
Nagagalit , naiiyak , nadidismaya
Di naman yata lahat sa tama
Minsan di lahat ay masaya

III
Pero pag kumakawala ay inaayos
Pilit na inuupo sa silya
Binubusalan ang bibig
Bubulungan ng mga mahiwagang salita

IV
Hanggang sa mawala ang agam agam
Mapawi ang mga takot
Isasantabi ang bulong ng isip
Magtatago sa sarili sa loob ng sarili.

V
Blankong papel na naman ako
Nahipan ng hangin na galing sa iyo
Dito pa din , dito at nakaupo
Andito at naghihintay pa din sa iyo

10/22/2017 - Shaw

"The Dust Explosion"


"The Dust Explosion"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The last of the pillars of what was the indoor set of Oh my Dolls latest MV fell to the ash covered ground. It was with great effort that V , Blue and Red managed to get everyone out of the building in time.

Shock had set in and people were looking at each other for answers. People were touching themselves to check if they were still all in one piece and some were trying to reach love ones to tell them that they were ok. Noran had already jammed all the phone signals coming from the place to protect the master and his secret but the people still could not believe how they could have escaped from this explosion unscathed.

The now 7 members of Oh My Doll huddled together on the dusty street , their white flowing dresses now blackened by soot and  being turned into a dull brown at the hems by the dust of the road. None of them were speaking as they held tight to each others arms.

The PD and the camera crews were scratching their heads at what to do.It had taken them the better part of the week to build that set from scratch and it was now gone in an instant. V hated stepping in  and using his powers but this stage was important to YuuA and the continuation of his plans.

"We will call this a dust explosion." He said in his low , almost growling voice that commanded respect. "We would do a press release that everyone is ok and that the MV shoot will continue."

All heads turned to him as if he grew 3 horns and heads at the same time.

"That is impossible! We simply could not finish. It took almost a week to build everything! Plus all our equipment was burned in there!" The people started to pour their disbelief.

V looked on at the ruin. "Everyone calm yourselves. Let us break for lunch. PD, bring them all to a restaurant somewhere. Give me two hours."

The tall reed like PD shook his head. "I don't really know what you are planning to do but...I have seen you do so many things that I will do as you ask."

V gave a nod to the PD and to the girls who suspected what the dragon would be doing. YuuA looked at him and knew what it was that he was planning she smiled at him despite her fear.

When everyone was gone the ever scowling Blue came up to her master and said , "Is it wise to use your powers in this way master?"

"The plan is close to fruition and this needs to be done so that we could move forward." The Dragon said while rolling up his sleeves. "Step back. I need to build up some energy to do this."

Blue did so and watched from a distance as her master did something that only those closest to him could witness. Seemingly with his will and a few hand gestures the ashes climbed and formed timbers and timbers formed pillars and those that were eaten by the flames reformed to what they were previously , slowly and with much force matter clumped together to form the building that was once there and everything that was in it. V did this until the last speck of dust was restored to where it was prior to the explosion. To anyone who witnessed it they would not have suspected that this was merely a pile of rubble a few minutes ago.

Blue looked on in awe at what his master had restored. With his memory he had done what seemed like an impossible thing. This was merely one of the Creation dragons power.

V sat cross legged on the street and Blue once again came to offer him a towel for the sweat that was now escaping from every pore of his body.

"Magnificent Master." Blue said , "I expect you to get a lot of loving tonight."

"You know I didn't do it for that Blue."

"I know. But I believe you will still have it nonetheless." Blue grinned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The MV shooting continued with no more delays when the crew returned. The PD made the people sign non-disclosure waivers which they gratefully signed knowing quite well that no one would believe them if they told anyone anyway. They looked at the tall , weird looking man they called V and found something there that they could trust not fear. 

"Wish Upon the Dragon"


"Wish Upon the Dragon"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Jinyo looked at the shooting star that appeared and tried to follow it's path with her finger. It had already faded before she made her wish and she sighed deeply hoping that what she wanted would come true.

V noticed and tried to cheer her up. The view on the Dragon Towers balcony was beautiful but all that seemed to blend in the background as he looked at her  , nibbling her lips while lost in thought.

"You know , you would have a greater chance of your wish getting granted if you wished upon a dragon instead of a star." V said smiling.

"Really? Even if the dragon I know is temperamental , highly unreliable and is not in total control of his blood lust at times?" This was Jinyo's way of goading him but he was not in the mood to bite at her jabs tonight because she looked a bit lost.

"A dragon is a dragon and that particular one that you speak of is in a good mood today thanks to a meal he ate earlier."

Jinyo smiled and knew that she had to tell him now but she hesitated knowing that even if V had considerable power her wish would not be in his province to grant or even if he would grant it.

V assumed a benevolent pose with arms stretched to the sides and  his palms to the sky . V closed his eyes and tilted his head upwards and spoke, " I am the dragon V. Speak mortal and let me grant thy wish."

Jinyo looked at the serious thing V was doing and stopped herself from laughing."How can I make my wish when you are so serious?"

"It's not me. It's the ceremony."

"Can you be less serious?"

"I would say wishes are a very serious matter don't you think?" V said without breaking his pose. "So tell me what it is you wish and I will grant it."

"I wish that you would be with me forever."

V looked at Jinyo. Jinyo bit her lower lip in anticipation of the dragons answer but he merely stood with a blank expression on his face and without even a glance at her walked back into the dragon towers.

"So I missed my chance with the star and now the dragon has left me wanting."

"The Dragon Smokes"



"The Dragon Smokes"
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

The rooftop was particularly quiet this time of day as everyone was busy on the lower floors with the days routines and trainings. V was in a corner and he took a drag out of the cigarette he had lit up moments ago. He let go of his breathe and sighed a little bit deeper than he thought.

"You smoke?" It was Jinyo who had the habit of showing up when he was feeling a bit off. Most people would welcome her company if they were going through something but V felt differently. He was one who never wanted to be seen as weak or affected by anything. For most of the world he was the aloof dragon who never seemed to need anything. Jinyo had a different opinion about that as well.

"I do. From time to time." V answered , crushed the lit end of the cigarette with his fingers and threw it at the nearby trash bin. "Do you need me for something?"

"I always need you for something." Jinyo answered as she moved closer.She grabbed at V's jacket sleeves and dusted off some ash that had gotten on it. "But I think right now you need Me for something. Should I wait for you to tell me or would you volunteer to tell me?"

V knew that he made it easy for Jinyo to find out about his moods and she made it a point to ask whatever it was. There were times that he would meet that question with silence.Or an excuse not to talk about it but he felt a little different today.

"I think I already failed everyone of you here." V said as he looked away and stared at the Blue neon lighted cross of the church that was in front of MW entertainment. "I maybe the last of the Creation dragons but I have made too many mistakes to even be worthy of Ascension."

Jinyo hugged him from behind and for a moment he felt a little better but the things stirring up inside him were still there.

"Mistakes are a constant in life but it doesn't mean that you are judged by all of those." Jinyo seemed amused at what he had said and he knew that she was in her own way trying to cheer him up.

"The Magistrates seem to think so. They seem to be too forgiving of me." 

Jinyo began laughing hysterically and it took her a full minute or 2 to  stop. 

"What is so funny?"

"You."

"Why?"

"Since when did you give a damn about what the Magistrates think?"

V joined in her laughter because she was right.When was the last time that he had followed anything that the magistrates told him? 

Jinyo kissed him on his right cheek. "You are so adorable when you are brooding like this.I know something that can take your mind off your troubles" , the visual said as she caressed her long neck. V involuntarily swallowed.The human side of him waking up to this provocation. As much as he had trained himself to resist these things he simply could not.

Jinyo laughed even more at V's discomfort but cupped his hands and kissed him on the lips all the same. She did not mind the slight taste of the cigarette , this was V and she would do anything for him.

"When the shadows believed they were stars."


"When the shadows believed they were stars."
by:
Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"You know somehow it strikes me that for someone who is as pretty as you , you don't seem to like being the center of attention in this group." V told Jinyo as they observed everyone in the practice room.

"Someone else could have it V oppa." Jinyo slapped his muscular arm as if to stop him from making more fun of her. At the same time she had stared at YuuA who was practicing her solo dances with the choreographer at the moment."You know what they say , once you are under the brightest star there is nothing left but shadows."

"I have to disagree with that.Sometimes other stars just need a chance to shine.I have it on good authority that if it were not for you then this group would not have even been thought of. And you have been here for 4 years right? Even starring in one of your Oppas most successful video?" V said looking straight into Jinyo and her wide anime like eyes.

"YuuA Unnie was right about you. You do tend to scare people with all the information that you have on us." Jinyo said while smiling and following YuuA's steps from this corner of the large practice hall.

"I don't think that you are scared at all." V observed. "You are still talking to me."

"Has it occurred to you that maybe I am just talking to you because I am curious as to what you would do with my YuuA unnie?" The girls eyes widened as if to scare V which only made him laugh.

"Are you trying to be some sort of pretty anime owl? If you are trying to scare me then it is not working at all."

"Should I try violence? I am good at that as well."

"You can try to use violence against me but you are better off with words." 

Jinyo flipped her long black hair towards him hitting his face. "Is that violent enough Mr. Dragon?"

V grinned even more. Jinyo was getting more comfortable around him and has been spending a lot of time learning Japanese with him. They have even watched a couple of animes together in the underground basement where he stays when they don't have an appearance to get to. But lately even if they are on the road the usually aloft Jinyo would ask him if he had the latest episode of an anime they liked and they would watch it together with a certain comfort toward each other. V did not mind and he guessed neither did she but when V would ask  other things Jinyo would always point to YuuA. V understood what was happening but he let it happen anyway. When Jinyo was ready to tell him her story then she would.

He looked at the graceful YuuA in the distance and also looked at the beautiful goddess like face of Jinyo who was matching paces with the lead dancer but still lacking a certain "presence" onstage. A drive to be better? A relaxed pace? Then it occured to him that Jinyo was not really here to steal the spotlight from YuuA. She was here to protect her when she can and there was also something else. A certain hesitation.

"So when did you first like YuuA?" V probed the other Visual of Oh my doll.

Jinyo turned red but quickly caught herself in the face of the sudden question. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Ok. Then tell me someone of the opposite sex that you have had a crush on in this past year."

"I don't have to answer your questions V oppa. You are making me feel uncomfortable."

"Ok then. But if ever you want to talk about anything you know where I am right?" V turned around and started to walk toward the exit of the practice hall.

"V."

V paused and turned around catching Jinyo's soft whisper despite the loud music playing on all sides. "Yes?"

"Do you have the latest episodes?" 

"Yes."

"Can we still watch them later?" Jinyo said eyeing him sheepishly. V knew an apology when it was being offered.

"Ok then. But only if you feel comfortable."

Jinyo came closer to V took a handful of her hair in both hands and whipped her hair like helicopter blades to hit his face again.

"Dragons don't feel pain...Usually. We can feel annoyed though."

"You can't feel annoyed at me. You love me." Jinyo said and she covered her mouth ashamed that she had let her thoughts come out like a little school girl who had no control over her own lips. 

"I might.Who knows right? You bring the snacks this time. I brought the last ones." V ran out of the room so fast that Jinyo did not even have time to react. 

"I am going to bring something really spicy. Let's see if you enjoy that."

V poked his head back into the Practice hall door. "Don't bring anything spicy or I am going to force feed that to you. Your diet will be ruined hahahah"

"Oh I hate you!" Jinyo said but seemed unconvinced as she smiled at the retreating V.

"No you don't" V shouted back after some distance.

"No I don't" Jinyo whispered." I want to be around you all the time."