"The Scorpion God: Feeling the Sting."

"The Scorpion God: Feeling the Sting."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

So I opened my Hour of Devastation fat bundle and I was excited about all the EDH goodies that I was able to get and I am raring to upgrade some of my existing EDH decks with the new cards but one card in particular stood out for me. My lone mythic card of the whole bunch and that was the 3rd god whom I did not write about. The Scorpion God makes an appearance as if to mock me. "So you don't want to write about because my other brothers seemed cooler huh , so let me make an appearance and let's see how you deal with it."

So here I am finally writing about the 3rd god who in my opinion seems underwhelming when compared to the other too but I guess if I can write about the Meandering Tower shell then I can write about a 6/5 god with recursion.

So at 5 mana , 3 colorless and Rakdos colors of Red/Black The Scorpion God is something that thrives on the death of other creatures , especially weakened creatures. Those that have -1/-1 counters on them when they die for whatever reason.

So board wipe with a Garruk's wake for example and all 3 creatures on your opponents side of the board turns into card advantage for you. While there are a lot of draw spells in Black and Red this particular drawing capacity that circles around the god is something now. So the point here is to put a lot of -1/-1 counters on your creatures or your opponents.

The color that takes advantage of these -1/-1 counters with token production is Black and Green , producing Snakes with Hapatra and Scarabs with nest of scarabs. Creature advantage is great since you can swarm away when necessary. If you want to play with the Scarab God with these cards though then you will be entering Jund Color territory which is not at all bad , I just don't know the survival rate of Jund in current standard right now but in EDH this could be the key to possible good build.

When I was listening on the youtube channel The Aetherhub and Seiben was talking about the fight between Rhonas and The Scorpion God an idea came to me about how to put the latter's ability to great use. He himself could finish off creatures and I don't mean Just pinging them to death at 3 mana cost at a time with his ability.

You could attack with him and then use the ability to finish off really big creatures or maybe even to weaken a big blocker , someone who have 5 power or so that could kill The Scorpion god when they butt heads. When you pull this off not only have you killed an opposing creature but reap the benefits of a card draw as well.

No one in my playgroup has raved about using The Scorpion God yet and I just might surprise everyone by using him as a commander soon. A 6/5 that has the possibility of recursion is not that bad to have and if you use him as a commander you can opt to put him in your graveyard and he can come back to your hand at the end of your turn. Sounds great to have in a commander right? The other 2 gods have this two but those are different monsters on their own.

So what do you think about the Scorpion God? What combos do you think would he fit in?Keep on brewing.Time to upgrade.

"Midweek Magic July 2017 # 24: Foiled by a Scheme"

"Midweek Magic July 2017 # 24: Foiled by a Scheme"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

This whole month of July has been Bant struggles for me. Oddly enough Approach of the Second sun in my deck has provided me with one or two wins and this day I thought that it might provide me with a much needed win to boost my confidence in my improvised Bant deck.

So I was able to cast the 7 mana spell and as it again peeked through my Library and it seemed that I had enough time and life to win as the Archenemy in our game something weird happened. The Scheme that was supposed to help me turned out to be my downfall.

I drew the scheme A Reckoning Approaches that lets me look at the top 6 cards of my library. Normally I would be happy because it would let me put a massive creature from these 6 cards that I looked at and then put the rest of the cards at the bottom of my library in any order.

Today was different as the 6th card in my deck was my Approach of the Second Sun that I was hoping would let me snatch away the win.And to add insult to injury among the 6 cards that I looked at none of them were creatures. So I basically drew a dud scheme and buried my win condition all in one turn.Both me and my opponents blew out air through our mouths. Theirs of relief. Mine of absolute frustration.

It also didn't help that A Reckoning Approaches showed a Second Sun resolved in it's art. I guess the reckoning that approached was meant for me as I lost this game. 

"Saying Yes"

"Saying Yes"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"I'm the one who needs your love. Just me and you ,Let's have a rendezvous." V sang as he showered.

"Is that Sik-K sunbaenims Rendezvous?" the sweet voice asked , a bit muffled by the wooden door. When the showering V did not answer YuuA poked her head to see him completely naked and pretended to cover her eyes but still have enough gaps between her fingers to admire him.

"Hmmmm?" V said.

"I was asking about the song you were singing , is that the one by Sik-K sunbaenim?"

"Yeah. I heard it the other day and could not get it out of my head. It kept reminding me of us." V said as he washed the last soap suds on his body. 

"I think the girl in the MV is his girlfriend , She is 2 years younger than me but I envy her body proportions" YuuA said handing V a towel while still covering her eyes with her other hand.

"Of course you are aware that there are about a hundred other girls who envy your body proportions more." The Dragon said , toweling himself , not minding how the dancer was looking at him.

It amazed V that YuuA was still not aware of how people feel about her. Having fans that were both vocal online and in person didn't assure her of her status as one of the most famous idols that ever came out in the decade of Kpop.

"You flatter me. I don't know why you still do."

"Merely stating facts." V said wrapping the towel and motioning for the girl to move out of the door. "Now please stop pretending that you don't see me through that hand and let me through so I can get some clothes on me."

YuuA turned a bit red but did as she was asked. 

"V , I wanted to ask a favor from you." The girl asked shyly. Far from the confidence that seemed to exude from every pore of her body during performances. "I was hoping that you would say Yes."

"Yes." V said as he tried picking clothes from the closet. 

"You don't even know what it is I am asking. I might ask for your kidneys." YuuA had followed him into their room and sat on the bed still looking at him.

"Ask then. But the answer is still yes."

YuuA ran toward him and hugged him just as he was unwrapping the towel from his waist. V looked as her.

"So you really are asking for my kidneys aren't you? Please don't ask for both of them though. I need at least one to live so I can be around you and you could ask me more favors in the future."

YuuA only hugged him tighter."Of course I won't ask for your kidneys. I want you to be around me." She sniffed.

V could hear it in her voice , she was about to cry again. After all that she went through he vowed not to make her cry but she said that sometimes when she cried it wasn't because she was sad. Most of the time she cried because he made her happy.

"I was about to ask you something silly but I guess if you already said Yes , I could ask you anything in the future and you would still give it to me right?"

"Of course. I might look human right now but I can grant you that wish. Dragons Honor."

YuuA said nothing. Smiled to herself and continued to hold on to V. And the Dragon held her back because he knew this was another one of those days.Days that she just needed to be held.

"To Be"

"To Be"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

I exist

Without your permission

Without your knowing

II

I am me

I am plenty 

I am free

III

But I want to exist

Where you are

And I want to be 

where you know me

IV

I want it to be you

To have things that are plenty

To be ourselves with each other

Because knowing you is to be free.

MVR, TM Kalaw 07/15/2017

"Doc In , Doc Out July 2017 #2: Palayain ang Dugo!!!"

"Doc In , Doc Out July 2017 #2: Palayain ang Dugo!!!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Patient(talking to reception): Andito po ako kasi nahuli po yung dugo ko kahapon?

Me(to myself): "So papinyansahan niyo  po ba yung nahuli niyong dugo?""

"A Not So Silly Question."

"A Not So Silly Question."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"Do you ever get jealous of anyone?" YuuA said as she began taking off her make up and the rest of her clothes to slip into something less fitting than the tight white pants and shirt she was wearing.

"I can't remember." V said , his voice seemed like a low growl and yet pleasant at the same time. As only a dragon could probably sound in human form.She did not know that many who could change like him much less know of any dragon who was like him , the Last Creation Dragon. 

"Really? I jumped on Ukwon and wrapped my legs around him and you are telling me you didn't feel anything? Any guy would feel jealous." The girl sat on the bed as she struggled to remove the rest of the pants on her left leg. She was referring to the dance show that she just competed in a few hours ago that V had watched from Day One practice until the last taping.

"I'm not a regular guy. I felt that it was sexy but the dance called for it right? I trust the choreographer. Don't you?"

"Yes I do and it turned out well but I am asking you again you didn't feel even slightly jealous?" YuuA stopped struggling out of her clothes and narrowed her eyes at the man she had been seeing for several months now.

"I think that jealousy is a waste of my time. I mean when we are together alone we do more things than that don't we?"

"I know." YuuA pursed her lips as if she wanted to hear him say something.

"So why should I be jealous then?"

"Because I want you to be possessive of me." She said this softly without looking at him as if she was ashamed with the words that came out of her mouth. She was startled at the speed that he sat as her side. 

"I already am."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"So you want me to give in to my dragon urges and gobble up everyone that ever comes near you?" V said raising an eyebrow.

"You feel that way?" YuuA asked while not able to keep a certain tone of pleasure in her voice.

"All the time but then again if I eat everyone who ever comes near you you would have less fans and friends and Seoul would be less populated. You really don't want that right?" V poked a finger in his right ear and scratched a bit. An annoying habit that YuuA let pass just for now.

"Of course I don't want that. Are you serious?"

"I told you. I am."

YuuA did not know if he should find the dragons feelings annoying or sweet but then she reconsidered, he was a little bit of both and she found that she did not mind at all. As long as he stayed by her side. And probably not eat anyone. 

"3 things I have seen this week July 2017 #3: The Absurd , The Kind and the Confused."

"3 things I have seen this week July 2017 #3: The Absurd , The Kind and the Confused."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

1) The Absurdity of the LTFRB that deprives commuters of a convenient service because they are in it for themselves rather than for the benefits of the people they claim to serve. 

2) The Kindness in the heart of someone who has always been misunderstood but proves that she does have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of others. I am proud of you my dear wife.

3) The Confusion of a dog on the road who was so intent on trying to get something to eat that it ran toward the middle of the road and then back pedalled so as not to be hit by my car. I stopped in time for it. Lucky Confused dog.

"Doc In , Doc Out July 2017 #1: Kailan po ulit?"

"Doc In , Doc Out July 2017 #1: Kailan po ulit?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Doc: Anong taon po kayo naoperahan sir?
Patient: Di ko na po matandaan Doc eh. 10 years ago.
Doc: Ah.10 years ago. Pero di mo po matandaan?
Patient: Opo.
Doc:Ok.

"Dumbfoundead - (Feat. Jessi and G.Soul) Water MV reaction: Thirsty as hell"

"Dumbfoundead - (Feat. Jessi and G.Soul) Water MV reaction: Thirsty as hell"

by:

The Vole

Jonathan Park AKA Dumbfoundead is a rapper out of the USA that has made that transition to Korea and created his own brand of music. Water is his 2nd song from his first album in Korea. He has been known for the song Safe where the MV showed his face super imposed over White actors and this was a statement where Asians are not getting the same billing or starring roles in Hollywood movies despite all the progress that has been made in recent years.

Water whose MV is directed by the Japanese Photographer Rotta may not be controversial in the political sense but it might end up controversial nonetheless as Rotta uses 4 Korean Models who have diverse looks and 2 of which Pyo Eunjin and Yunjin Kim who have been featured in his photo books. Whatever it is that you think about Rotta the man has a direction in his art and it shows a distinct look that elevates it from current styles.

The MV shows Dumbfoundead as the thirstiest man on earth and he tries and gets a drink from the hot girls that surround him. Of course you are not really sure if he is licking his tongue or making those popping sounds with his mouth because he really wants a drink. If you ask me he looks more thirsty for the girls and I think most of the people who watch this MV would leave with that dry throat feeling as well.

This is also one of those MVs that leaves you asking the question how Koreans could remain cute despite being hot as hell. The case in point would be Pyo Eunjin who obviously has certain bodily charms but has the innocent face of a child. All in a days work for Rotta I guess. It isn't much of a stretch to say that with the light color palettes , stylized posing with a mingling of innocence and sexiness that this is the video version of a Rotta photo shoot. And it feels that way.  So don't blame yourself if you feel a little thirsty after this because Dumbfoundead will surely agree with you.

"Nissa , Genesis Mage : Born to Battle."

"Nissa , Genesis Mage : Born to Battle."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Green Mages will surely get a kick out of Nissa , Genesis Mage. I don't know how she fits in the story since the current Nissa has Blue mana interwoven to her being. This version of Nissa will cost a lot more but will run all green baby! And Green mages don't look at that 7 mana CMC , they got mana baby , lots and lots of it even without the rocks in EDH.

So what will convince you to part with you money and get Nissa , Genesis Mage for your EDH decks? Let us look at the all the ways that she entices us and why she could very well be the Nissa for all of us who loves our creatures big and plentiful.

Her first ability is a +2 that let's you untap up to two target creatures AND up to two target lands! 

This means that you have protectors for Nissa as well as available mana for you to use either cast other spells or even play mind games with assuming you are splashing blue colors in your EDH deck. 

Imagine untapping mana dorks like Gyre Sage with a lot +1/+1 counters on it or lands like Ancient Tomb or Shrine of the Forsaken Gods. Or Any of the Ravnica Guild lands that give 2 mana of that guilds colors. I would say that that is a lot of mana and at least two blockers should your opponents decide that Nissa , Genesis Mage is a big threat and she is but let us get into that a bit later.

Her 2nd ability is a -3. In a pinch she can give a creature +5/+5 until end of turn.(What no trample???). I would like to say that this is my least favorite ability of hers and something that destroyed enchantments or artifacts or reanimated lands are more welcome but hey +5/+5 on an animated  Inkmoth Nexus will give alarm to any cautious player.

I guess the reason I would buy Nissa , Genesis Mage is the more powerful Summoning Trap that is her ultimate ability(-10 Loyalty counters) which reads , look at top ten cards of your library and put into play any number of lands or creatures among them on the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

I instantly thought of this guy. Omnath , Locus of Rage. An EDH deck that literally trampled on me. Imagine getting him in that ten card pile or even merely have him in play as you activate this ability and you potentially have a lot of 5/5 Red and Green Elemental creature tokens in play. 

Or how about a ton of creatures coming into like the old Genesis Wave decks and then the final blow of the Craterhoof Behemoth! 

I am sure that there are still a lot of Land fall or creature shenanigans but I am just excited at the thought of pulling it off. This is one of the reasons I write , it makes me happy to share exciting things like this to people. I am thankful for those who continue to read what I write and who share the same excitement when it comes to cards such as these.

Nissa , Genesis Wave...I mean Nissa , Genesis Mage is ready and willing. Now it's time to pull it off.

"Midweek Magic July 2017 #23 - The Second Sun Approaches"

"Midweek Magic July 2017 #23: The Second Sun Approaches"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

My Bant woes continue as I try and prove that my kookie deck build of Gods and Planeswalkers will work. The last time I used it it lacked win conditions and removal for other planeswalkers which is constantly increasing in our little playgroup now with Yo playing a Liliana Vess that gives really bad results for everyone else except him.

So in my continuing need to improve the deck I added the Approach of the Second Sun(mainly because I found it among my laboratory piles and mostly because I just like it and have not been playing white for some time). Most of the full art lands and dual lands of my deck are from Amonkhet and I felt like at least aesthetic wise the Approach fits the deck and it also gives me an alternate win condition. With the amount of card draw that I have in this deck like Serum Visions , Explore and Kiora it was easy to eventually draw my single copy out of 60 individual pieces. All I need is one anyway.

I was able to do so in the last 2 games that I played and was able to cast it too. I began counting 6 cards from my library and put the Approach on the 7th slot from the top. I noticed something really interesting in seeing this card . it had a psychological effect of impending doom even if it was 6 cards deep in your library.It seemed to affect opponents even if they may not admit it outright ,it seems to tell them that they better finish you off or come hell or high water the 2nd Sun will make sure that you win the game regardless of their superior board position or life points over you. 

You can count it card by card as the doom approaches as I would cycle or draw or scry nearer to the end. 2 things brought me to my end though. 

1) The inability to have my gods become creatures. Yup. I was simply lacking enough permanents to make them real creatures that could hurt my opponents. It does not matter if Ephara , Kefnet , Karametra and Heliod are all on the board. They simply will not make each other come alive. And that makes me very dead. 

2) I am also very vulnerable to discard spells like Duress and such since I do not have graveyard recursion. Time to bring in some Elixirs and probably a little Fog magic like Ram has been telling me for two straight days.

I will try and put in the changes as I do not want to give up on this deck before I move on to my next deck which is an Abzan counter deck for Modern with Skull Briar again. 

Keeping my fingers crossed that the adjustments will work.I hope that this will not be the end into my forays into Bant Magic as I might totally abandon the idea for awhile if I do not see any improvements. 

"Nicol Bolas , the Deceiver: Bolas Uppercut!"

"Nicol Bolas , the Deceiver: Bolas Uppercut!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Today is Thursday , July 13 2017. One day before the official release of Hour of Devastation and it's accompanying products most notably  ,  the Planeswalker deck that features Nicol Bolas the Deceiver. There are a lot of reasons to probably try and own a Nicol Bolas but most likely it would be to improve certain builds of decks like in EDH or in Archenemy. 

I guess we will be seeing in the next couple of weeks if the God Pharaoh and the Deceiver will have any impact in Standard or Modern decks but for now I want to talk about the latter card as this one will be readily available in a box instead of the former which you might get in a lucky Booster Pack or as a single from one of your favorite suppliers. I like a sure thing. Nicol Bolas the Deceiver is sure to give opponents a really hard time when he hits the battlefield.

So at 8 mana , 5 and Grixis colors of blue , black and red the Deceiver comes in with a starting 5 loyalty counters(although if you know Nicol his loyalty is only to himself, I just wanted to get that off my chest).

So the first ability is designed to make multiple players suffer. Lose 3 life like good sheep or decide to stave off this life loss by sacrificing a non land permanent or discarding a card. Both alternatives can be pretty painful in certain situations but at least opposing planeswalker have a choice of poisons right?

Now if you think about it Nicol Bolas the Deceiver will come out pretty late in the game. Most opponents will most likely have lower life totals and he could pretty much serve as a coup de grâce here. Most likely if you are playing opponents who are not control they won't have much of a hand to discard or if you have been board wiping a lot chances are they also won't have much in the way non land permanents to sacrifice.

Oh and this gives a +3 by the way.2 more turns until the Deceiver Ultimates you.

The Deceivers 2nd ability comes as a saving grace if your opponent only has a single creature that is threatening you. And card advantage too. -3 loyalty counter stills sounds good because it is creature removal and card advantage all in one neat package.

"Booolaaaas Upppper Cuuuut!"

The Deceiver's ultimate ability is what I would like to call the Bolas Uppercut.There is even a scheme that let's you do the same thing in Archenemy. So apparently an uppercut from the planeswalker dragon is worth 7 points of damage to the face. So I imagine that in this case he lines up or makes his opponents surround him and he makes a little whirling motion to deal 7 damage to each of his opponents(Me and my imagination again). And get this if that is not enough to finish everyone off you also get to draw 7 cards from it. Maybe one of those cards could be the lethal thing that you are looking for. There are many things in the color of Blue , Black and Red that could kill opponents. 

Well , I am pretty pumped to own a copy of the Deceiver and add him to my existing Sultai+Red deck. He is sure to feel right at home. I also can't wait to Bolas Upper Cut all the members of my playgroup. That's a taking to the chin that I look forward to especially since it's not my chin. 

In closing I'd like to say this , For someone who is supposedly a Deceiver he sure is pretty open about what he intends to your opponents. Mainly killing them. So what do you think of the Deceiver? Would you be buying a copy? 

"Midweek Magic July 2017 #22 - When the Gods bolted In and my Rude awakening , again. "

"Midweek Magic July 2017 #22 - When the Gods bolted In and my Rude awakening , again. "

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I have often wondered what a Bant deck was like and with the abundance of planeswalkers and gods that I have that fit in those colors I was able to create such a deck. A God/Planeswalker deck that relied on Mass Removal to get things done.

My initial outing with it was a partial success. I was able to exile or bury under creatures my opponents control or outright destroy them. This is what you get when you draw 4 mass removal spells and could eventually cast them in the mid game.

I then began plopping gods like Thassa , Heliod , Ephara and Karametra. Along with permanents like Dromoka and Rashmi that was able to get their devotion count animate these indestructible enchantments and with the way cleared of any other creature I was able to attack for a victory. 

It was not to be during the actual archenemy matches where my hand was brutally reduced by back to back Inquisition of Kozileks from Ram and Duress and a Tide Hollow Sculler from Janry on the second turn. I realized the weakness of my deck. It had no way of returning cards from my graveyard and it had no direct way of destroying non-land permanents like planeswalkers. Yo had a wonderful time discarding my hand with Liliana Vess for example and even getting to Ultimate her. He didn't even know what to do with so many creatures. The same feeling I had when I was able to ultimate her as well.Planar Cleansing should do the trick next time but would it be in time for me?

I am stuck with this awakening. I will adjust and I hope it will be enough because I feel like I creature something different from our groups existing meta game of hard control and I hope to continue making these kinds of decks in the future. 

"3 things I have seen this week July 2017 #2 : "The Cheater , The Bully and the Prince."

"3 things I have seen this week July 2017 #2 : "The Cheater , The Bully and the Prince."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Despite my losses at the recent PR event I attended I was able to see three things that in a way define the people that play magic for me. 

1) I saw a cheater. I might let this one slip because he is relatively new or at least I knew him to be a new player. The play was that he cast a Mirage Mirror. Activated it to copy a Glory Bringer , attacked with said Glory Bringer and ended his turn in which he silently lowered his 2 card hand and untapped 2 lands. 2 lands which he should not have untapped. I don't know if he was desperate enough for a 1 pack win but I hope he does not think that this sort of thing will fly in the future with other players who are more observant.

2) I saw a bully. This guy talks the talk and walks the walk. Among the magic players I know he seems to be the one who represents tough love the most and he does so to make you a better player. I saw him bullying a new player once and you could see the fire in that new players eyes to be better , to come up with a win. He once told me that this was how he was taught magic. It might not have worked for me but different strokes for different folks.

3) I saw a Prince. Once he was a little boy but that boy has grown into someone who has been gaining a reputation as a winner and his skills has improved the last time I saw him. His deck building skills are something else. Opting for a deck that took advantage of battle tricks and the obvious advantages of the sealed pool he was given. I was not able to play against him as we did before but I was satisfied in knowing that he was still happy playing the game.

"In your fiction"

"In your fiction"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

I

I wanted to be happy just being a part of your fiction

And I would have wanted to just stay

Another shadow overcome by these emotions

II

So why do I shy away from your gaze?

And it withers my none-existent resolve

You reach out your hand for me to hold.

III

A mirage in this desperation I convince myself

but the image never wavers 

And I must consider that this might be true

IV

"Take it" , you seem to say without saying

And as I reach out the lights come on

And I find me just like before , forever just in your fiction.

Notre Dame , July 12 2017

"Stuck"

"Stuck"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

Darkness.Inevitable Darkness

Mitigated by loud silence.

Of your sighs of despair

Mingling in your presence there.

II

Memories. Sad Memories.

In a sea of more sad memories.

You reel me in the reel

looping on until you no longer feel.

III

Hoping was something to do I guess

but not in this kind of mess

I find that I cannot find

The motivation that I want

IV

In your darkness.

In your silence.

In you memories.

Trapped in the light void recess.

"3 things I have seen this week July 2017 #1 : 3 Car Strike , The Princess and A guilty pleasure"

"3 things I have seen this week July 2017 #1 : 3 Car Strike , The Princess and A guilty pleasure"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

1) 3 cars hitting each other on 3 separate times. On my way to Work the traffic in Munoz slowed quite a bit when there was a truck and car taking up the whole lane on the left. Once I got past that there was another vehicular mishap literally a few feet from the first one. What a commute right? On my way home that same night an SUV and car clogged up the exit to Valenzuela in Monumento because they both decided to speed going into it. Tsk tsk tsk

2) People treating Aven like the princess that I know she is and like any grateful parent these people get my affection because they treated my daughter right.

3) I saw a drama that was not the best and the story felt rushed and off but I still liked it. Refuse to name the drama. It already has too much drama in it. Heheheheh

"The Hour was Upon Us: Hour of Devastation PR event @PlayGround Hobby Cafe"

"The Hour was Upon Us: Hour of Devastation PR event @PlayGround Hobby Cafe"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

The hour was upon us and in the posh inside's of the PlayGround Hobby Cafe every player attending the Hour of Devastation Pre release event was eagerly waiting for their kits and a chance to rip into what they believe to be the cards that they have been waiting for either to add to existing EDH or Standard decks or just simply for their own personal collections. 

But first was Lunch and Playground really had some really great meals included in the PR price so that everyone who paid for it was sure to be full while building their sealed decks.The Teriyaki Bowl was particularly great and I might just drop by just for that. Hahahaha

I was happy to see Archie and Alvin and see how the place has improved since I was back there (circa Dragons of Tarkir PR) and with the exception of that time that my wife was in the hospital and I dropped by when Roniel and I bumped into each other at the Greenwich below the shop. 

I got to see some familiar faces from my playing days back in SM North like Ed Tanyag , Jap and Aki who have not seen in awhile.Jorrell Ang was there and I was unexpectedly pleased to get my Coursers of Kruphix early since we were set to meet Tuesday. Mark was still bullying everyone consistently so that was a comfort knowing how everyone is still up on their toes around his aggression. Hahahahah.

I also got to meet a lot of new players and I might probably want to boast of my only win in the 4 round event but this time I'd like to focus on how I lost on the first 3 rounds. I decided to run with this deck and yeah it felt natural to fall back to my normal colors of the Golgari persuasion.

Round 1

This match turned out to be a fight between Razaketh and The Scarab God. My opponent simply had more removal than I do , the 2nd game saw him eliminate Razaketh and The Scarab God Eternalized him. Having a 4/4 Razaketh and a 5/5 Scarab God was all it took for the loss. 

Round 2 

Kefnet's monument. I was surprised to see the monument probably because my opponent and I were running similar colors of Black and Green until I realized horribly what it was about to do. Yes it would probably great in a mono blue deck with creatures but it's ability made sure that this would make it's way into creature decks regardless of color. Every creature that lands on the battlefield on your opponents side would tap a creature you control. So even with the big creatures in my deck they won't be able to much if they are all on their backs. 

I saw the sign on this one way early and had no way of getting the single Manglehorn that was probably fuming inside my deck.

Oh and The Scarab God was also in this deck which just made it a whole lot worse for me over all.

Round 3 

This round I felt like I was making the necessary adjustments as I realized that I can splash in blue with some of the mana fixers that I had on the deck. Alas. Of all the things , I had come face to face with a Glory Bringer which brought me to glory really fast. Really Really fast.

The Scarab God Bested the Plague Lord twice!

Round 4 

My only win occured because my opponent had a massive land flood and was not able to draw his Mass Removals. 

I was also able to deal enough damage before he could cast his Approach of the 2nd sun. It was a mere 4 cards away from the top his deck too so I squeaked clear with Razaketh and Rampaging Hippo. It seemed more like a luck win more than anything else. Hahahahha

All in all it was a great haul with 2 Ramunhap Excavators(1 PR foil and 1 normal) the aforementioned Razaketh and Rhona's Last stand. At least according to my calculations those cards already paid for the PR cost itself plus all the other loots I got. After missing the Aether Revolt and Amonkhet PR's I was sure not miss this one. I am looking forward to the Ixilan PR and seeing more of everyone. 

For now it is time to brew and update decks. Keep on playing everyone.

Midweek Magic 2017 #21 - "Teka. Magkakampi na tayo!"

"Midweek Magic 2017 #21 - "Teka. Magkakampi na tayo!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Anyone who has ever played Magic with a particular player or playgroup for a long time will tell you that it is very easy to fall into particular roles or patterns of behaviour on any specific game. Especially in multiplayer games likes EDH or Archenemy or Archenemy EDH as what we sometimes play in our group.

In a group there will always be dominant players who want to exert their types of game play , when I am Archenemy I am control and this is balanced by Ram and Janry who also play control or in local Magic terms "Pulis." These two are very efficient in their roles that normally the group falls to the Archenemy when one of them falters in game play. Of course it also doesn't help when schemes are all falling into place and the Archenemy has a strong deck.

One time we switched up roles and decided that Pao , one of our newer players would be Archenemy and since I was free from trying to control the board I also switched up to the role of assaulter and as anyone would tell you my preferred choice of game play. I was playing Gruul(R/B) Instead of my usual Dimir or Sultai Colors. Ram and I found ourselves at the same side of the table for once but the weird part is that he naturally keeps on thinking that I was still the Archenemy so when I plopped down a Zhur taa Ancient the following exchange occurred ,

Ram: "Teka , counter ko yan!"

Pao and Yo: (Nabigla)

Me: (Nabigla din) "Teka! Magkakampi na tayo!"

Ram: "Sorry. Sorry. Reflex."

Yup we have been playing Magic for a while now that I instinctively Ram taps mana to counter for a big threat that I summon even if the Archenemy was the one who was supposed to be worried. Just another game in our Midweek Magic adventures.  

"Why do I write?"

"Why do I write?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I would to say that I write for the pleasure of writing. For the process , for the ability to be able to put thoughts into readable words that you can share or keep. I take pleasure in the act itself and even if that sounds a bit pretentious I don't know how honest I can still be when it come writing things down.

When I write my stories  , I want to write ideals for my little daughter , things that teach her and make her feel things like giddy happiness  , or that creepy vibe she feels after or that awesome feeling when she reads something cool for the first time with unjaded eyes. Things can change rather quick when you have someone as smart as Aven  and her preferences can all be fleeting at this time but no one can blame a dad for setting something higher for her when it comes to stories.

I write poems to express things out of my day or even as a form of fiction. I like changing the meaning of words  because we all have things that we associate with words like love or violence or memories. Some of my poems deal with the fact that we can simply look at a word , attach a memory or bias to it and it can remain that way until someone can change our perspective on the matter. I might be able to change your mind. I might even solidify you in your bias. Either way I consider myself successful if I made you feel anything for that word or topic.

I feel sad for people who are unable to express themselves and only find creative ways in the manner in which they hurt other people. What you think of me and my writing is none of my business after all but it is sad that you cannot write a single creative thing and have the gall to actually criticize a persons work , to reduce it to a blurb and to attach labels to it without really spending the time to read or have insightful thoughts about it. I feel sad for people like this but they exist and whatever causes them pain I feel that it ends. That is my sincere wish but not withstanding I know that they will still be the people that they are with or without their misery to accompany them.

I write about Magic because I love the game and I feel like in my own way I am contributing to one thing that is lacking in our very own country , people who write about Magic. It is ok to have an original thought , that it is ok to show how happy you are or how sad you are or how angry you are about issues within the magic community. In my experience , Magic players are not selfish with their knowledge or tech , they freely give it because they want people to enjoy the game or have people compete with them on equal footing. I have learned some of the coolest things about Magic by listening to people who I consider are experts in the field. I am not an expert. I merely write my thoughts about cards and combos and expansions and every thing in between. As a player of magic I love sharing things I have learned and realized. Not all that I say is perfect but I do put forth my thoughts down for all to see and I don't hide behind a pseudonym when writing about Magic. I am who I am , with my combo's that are not combo's and things that other players correct in my articles. I have fun writing about magic and I will continue to do so. I will try and bring out the fun and things that people love about the game and what keeps them there despite all the changes and challenges. I will do that as a Magic writer because there are only a few brave enough to do it. 

Will I keep writing? Yes I will. Will people praise my work? Probably not. Will people buy a book that I publish? Who knows. What I do know is that writing like learning will continue to be a never ending process for me. Something that I would love to work on until the day that I can no longer write. I will keep writing because it is a part of who I am.