"Mogis' Minotaurs:The Promise of Pain and Death"

"Mogis' Minotaurs:The Promise of Pain and Death"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Mogis the God of Slaughter has finally emerged in Born of the Gods and with him comes the hope that the Minotaurs as a tribe would again rise to power.They are one of Magics Iconic tribe after all.

I have a decklist that might not be a twist on the usual Chicago Bulls deck but it does look at the great possibilities and downfalls when it comes to making the Minotaur tribe in standard. 

Minotaurs: Death and Fire

4 X Temple of Malice

4 X Blood Crypt

10 X Mountains

8 X Swamps 

______________

22 X Lands

4 X Rage Monger

4 X Boros Reckoner 

4 X Fellhide Brawler 

4 X Deathbellow Raider 

4 X Rageblood Shaman  

2 X Kragma War Caller

2 X Fanatic of Mogis

________________________

24 Creatures

  

2 X Mogis , God of Slaughter  

4 X Magmajet  

4 X Lightning Strike  

4 X Mizzium Mortars  

________________________

14 spells

Sideboard:

4 X Act of Treason

4 X Bile Blight

4 X Hero's Downfall

Right off the bat and Minotaur deck certainly comes with a lot of Brute Force. You have your 3/3's , Inspired fo 4/3 monstrosities. Magic has enablers here to in the form of Rageblood Shaman which make other Minotaurs have a +1/+1 stat pump and trample. I mean what is the point of all that power without the damage being blocked by a measly 1/1 token right? As if that stat pump is not enough , you also have the Kragma Warcaller which gives a +2/0 and Haste to any Minotaur landing on your side of the battlefield.

The problem with all this power comes at the price of mana. The deck only has 2 creatures at the 2 mana cost slots. They could be aggressive on their own but the deck really shines when all 

the other big Nastys are able to land on the battlefield around turn three. Rush decks may have a field day before the big Bulls ever get to see play or get swallowed up by bigger guys like Poly K in the latter turns.

Born of the Gods introduced the Rage Monger which made of Bulls a bit smaller in the mana department. You could cast them for far less and assuming that that the Rage Monger survives you could win by sheer power alone. I mean another Ragemonger would come into play for a measly 1 colorless mana and a Kragma Warcaller , well is just a 3 colorless mana. Big savings on the mana department right?

The real problem though is that since Mana Acceleration is literally none-existent for our Bull tribe the answer comes in great creature removal.Delay the opponents creatures from overwhelming you before you could overwhelm them. When the Mana isn't there yet you simply have to turn to Death and Fire. Burn anything that moves with Mizzium Mortars , Lightning Strike and Magma Jet. If things get much larger then there is always the dependable Hero's Downfall and Bile Blight for all those pesky tokens.

Mogis the God of Slaughter also has a lot to say about this matter. I mean he gives your opponents a choice between Death and Fire as well. 2 Damage or the sacrifice of a creature. If he isn't a creature yet you could just get by with this awesome ability and when he does become Creature Manifest then you could go to town with his 7/5 Indestructible frame. Even if your tribe is wiped out by a well timed Supreme Verdict chances are your opponents will have a hard time recuperating from their loss or even build up a good amount of creatures with Mogis remains in play.

The aggression that the Minotaurs pose may not be as fast the Goblins or Elves of the past but their threat and power is real. Take the deck for a spin and see for yourself. Make your opponents choose from being burned or being gored to death.

The Songs of Magic AKA songs blurted out during games...

"The Hills are alive with the sound of...."

The Songs of Magic AKA songs blurted out during games...

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I play with a bunch of crazy people. We love the same game and though we have less sleep and less time to eat we just have to play. Sometimes in the gaming tables in the office , in tournaments or at home there are certain songs that come out automatically when a spell is cast. Here are a few of those songs. Maybe you are your play group have heard them too...

1) "I'll catch a grenade for you..."

Right after throwing 5 points of damage at an opponents face with Goblin Grenade.

2) "Sowap if I'm drunk , Sowap I smoke weed.."

After casting sword of War and Peace or when equipping it to a creature...

3) "What a journey it has been..."

After casting Journey To Nowhere on an opponents creature...

4) "Lakas tama...ako'y nawawala..."

After firing off a Lux Canon...Ang Lux kasi niya eh...

5) "It's where my demons hide...Its where my Demons Hide..."

After playing a Rakdos Guildgate or Blood Crypt...

6) "Boom...Here comes the...Boom..."

Before declaring an attack that is assumed to be a finishing blow...especially in EDH...

Honorable Mention:

One of my opponents cast a Squadron Hawk...he takes out his phone and plays the Babylos theme from Shaider as he looks for more blockers( he has been hammered down to 2 poison counters and was relieved to have a creature)...

He was so happy that he got 4 Squadron Hawks , cast another one immediately that he totally forgot that I just had to target that Livewire Lash attached to my Glistener Elf with a Giant Growth to kill him. The intro was so impressive that I didn't have the heart to disturb him...

_________________________________________________________

Writers Note: This is a half finished blog. The rest really is up to you guys. I am sure there are a lot more songs that I may not be able to recall or add here...

"12 Swords: Boros Aura Deck 2014"

"12 Swords: Boros Aura Deck 2014"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Every set brings with it different possibilities.Things that were simply not possible and the inevitable escalation that comes with new cards.

One of the things that I wanted to write about was the new 1 drop cards that would surely make a splash in Standard Pauper. An all common format is limited and easy to get into especially for beginners. The budget aspect of the deck is appealing too. If you could build a kick ass deck that could also compete then that surely would be icing on the cake.

So the 2 cards that got my attention was the Nyxborn Shieldmate and the Nyxborn Rollicker. One White and One Red. Together would make a Boros Enchantment deck possible.Enter the 12 Swords.

9 X Mountains

9 X Plains

4 X Boros Guildgate

____________________

22 Lands

4 X Hopeful Eidolon

4 X Nyxborn Rollicker

4 X Nyxborn Shieldmate

4 X Observant Alseid

4 X Keening Apparition

2 X Auramancer

____________________

22 Creatures

4 X Lightning Strike

4 X Pacifism

4 X Ethereal Armor

4 X MadCap Skills

___________________

20 Spells

Sideboard:

4 X Celestial Flare

4 X Electrickery

4 X Mugging

3 X Last Breathe

The name of the game is still Fire and Blood.The early one drops of this deck is really murder as the race for lifepoints literally starts on turn two. And consider for a moment that most of the creatures here are Aura Creatures. A turn two Ethereal Armor on any of the 12 one drops could mean a massive 3/3 creature on the 2nd turn. Potentially getting bigger as the turns progress. 

Imagine a Madcap Skills on any of those one drops as well , giving a 4/1 or 4/2 Threat.Honestly , how many decks in pauper already have 2 creatures on your  2nd turn? A low probability and this makes this deck even more deadly. 

Early attacks that draw blood might go unanswered would spell doom but there are ways of dealing with a deck this aggressive.And there are abundance of creature removal available. The 2 Auramancers are there to make sure that you get more of the same from these deadly enchantments.  

I would also like to add that Nyxborn Rollicker and Nyxborn Shieldmate have relatively low Bestow costs.So they could attach as Auras , have a their host creatures die and then become a threat all in themselves. Especially if you have been holding on to a couple of Ethereal Armors and Madcap skills in your hand( which you should , being greedy isn't worth it). 

When you have the upper hand in creatures do not be too hasty to put all of your powerful auras on one creature since a single swift blow could dash your dreams. Be patient. Keep the pressure. Rethreaten when your threat is killed. All will wither. The 12 Swords are here. 

"Moon Hunters : Damian in Darkness"

"Moon Hunters : Damian in Darkness"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I woke up to darkness and a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.Karin , she must be part of some syndicate. The kind that cuts people up and ship their parts somewhere. Maybe my organs would be harvested for one of those Black Market things and someone in Europe would end up with my kidneys. Lucky Kidneys  , they would be Europeans for the rest of their lives and me I'd just be plain old dead. 

I read somewhere that victims should be drugged.

I could still move though and I could still think , albeit absurd things like my kidneys in Europe. What I should really be upset about is the way Karin just sucked me to Oblivion, I have been bullied before but no one actually punched me and I mean to be knocked out by a girl, I'm not even the fighting type. Girls thought I was just the guy they needed to talk to get the grades. I could still feel my jaw aching. 

I tried to stand up but only managed to hit my head , yup ,I'm already in a coffin. Good for me. My eyes should be adjusting right about now to this darkness but it seems not even ambient light is getting in here.

And of course just when I thought of light the top of my "Coffin" was now being lifted away.I could see torches all around me forming a circle of brightness that was burning my eyes. Several heads were looking at me , all of them masked with symbols on their foreheads.Funny thing is all of those symbols looked like flames in different shapes. A swirling one that looked like a tornado , flames shaped like a hand , A Phoenix , A circle of flame and one that looked like a cat blazing out of a cave.Hooboy. I might have been wrong about the Organ harvesting  thing. I might be offered to some cults blood rites. Things just keep getting better and better.

The masked heads moved away and someone familiar looked down. It was Karin , I tried saying her name but it just sounded like a croak. She appeared very concerned and touched the side of my face where she socked me. I mean this is some weird sado-masochistic thing , she was touching me as if to apologize. 

"Stand up Damian" Karin said , her eyes were much softer now even with all the flames reflecting in them. "I had to bring you here. The elders would need to know about you before the others."

I had a lot of questions but I was still pretty mad about this whole thing so I kept silent. I felt like I have been in this place before. I always knew that there were caves in the surrounding hillsides.When my Dad was still alive he would always take me even if all I did was doodle and complain about all the gear he was strapping on to me. This one cave , he pointed out a rock formation that looked liked a womans breasts. I didn't see what was funny but my dad was bursting to tears with laughter. I was seeing those same Breast formations now , a few feet away. Who knew there was a cult here. Who knew that my new classmate was part of it.

"Come with me Damian, the Elders are waiting" Karin said softly to break my never ending thoughts.

Karin held my hand and pulled me. Wow her hands are soft. I have never held a girls hand before , I don't think my mothers hands count. I was finding that Karins hands fit around mine just right.

She lead me through a series of tunnels and with each turn I thought that I would be further dragged into darkness , never to see the light of day. I never struggled or complained and this surprised me ,I did not feel fear and that is something to be said about someone who is constantly looking at shadows to make sure that they are not moving. This time with Karin though , these elders. I was overwhelmed more with curiosity rather than fear.What could they possibly want from a nerd like me?

This dark maze ended in a hall that was blazing with light. The whole place was carved of stone and there were alcoves of some unknown figures all leading from the entrance to the raised Dais in the center. I counted around 30 figures on the alcoves both left and right of me. The hall was not filled with masked cultists though. It only had 5 other people who were seated in the dais.I recognized the symbols on their foreheads from earlier but other than the masks they wore normal clothes.The tallest of them was in the center and 2 others were at both of his sides. 

"Step forward Damian the Witness" the tall one said to me in a voice that did not offer the choice of resistance. Or basically the choice of resisting and not being able to live. So the choice was easy.I stepped forward and left Karin who blended in with the shadows of the alcoves. 

"Bring out the prisoner"

At the side of the hall 4 Robed men , each of them having that Rasengan like thing pointed at a ragged looking man in the center. I could see that these were men that were built to defend and assault. They were huge and each of their robes had a diamond shaped flame. As they grew closer , I could see something different about the ragged man. He was walking and crawling at the same time , he had a few pairs of extra limbs and when he lifted his head he had a huge pair of antennae that suddenly flickered out of nowhere.

It made him look like a giant cockroach. And when he and his guards were a few feet away from me my nose told me quite frankly that he smelled like a cockroach too. 

"So tell me Damian , what do you see?" The tall one asked.

"What? You mean about Cockroach guy over there?"

There was a collective gasp from all around the alcoves. I could sense that there were hundreds of eyes looking at me. The elders looked at each other and whispered amongst themselves. The murmurs from the shadows seemed to stretch on to an eternity. All because I could see the cockroach a few feet away from me. And Speaking of the roach guy he was looking at me with a smile that was reserved for nerds who have found a collectors comic book in the bargain bin. 

"Karin, come before the light" one of the elders on the right said. She was a woman with a melodious but authoritative voice. Much like a grand mother would sound only tougher.

"Damian is now under your care. Instruct him and keep him till the next Full moon.Others will come for him. You must be there when they do."

Karin bowed to the woman and at the other elders. I felt like I should have said something. They were talking about me and I did not know what they meant about Karin taking care of me. She walked to my side and looked me in the eye. For a split second I saw pity in her eyes for me though I could not understand why.Then she smiled a sad smile.  

"Karin...I just wanted to ask what they meant when..."

I never got to finish. I knew what would happen.I could see her fist coming at me. It surprised me that I did not step away.Before the blow hit me all I was thinking was. "There has to be a better way of moving me around."

"Heading to the Silver Screen:Magic:The Gathering"

"Heading to the Silver Screen:Magic:The Gathering"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

"LOS ANGELES, Calif. & PAWTUCKET, R.I. January 14, 2014 -- Twentieth Century Fox and Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) have joined forces to make a series of films based upon Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast’s fantasy-adventure property, MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past), whose Genre Films banner is based on the Fox Lot, will serve as the franchise’s creative steward and produce in close partnership with Hasbro."

Since work was getting in the way of writing I am just finally getting to write about this. And let me just say that I am greeting it with mixed feelings.

Finally someone realized that Magic really is a great product with a lot of history and stories to play around with. It also happens to have a very devoted fan base. They will be making a series of Films based on our favorite game. Magic:The Gathering.I am happy about the news but a part of me is dreading it as well.

The dread part stems from the awful experience of seeing fantasy films that well...suck.And a movie based on Magic that sucks well , that is just something that will be absolutely unforgivable . I hope they don't treat this as some sort of kids game.People literally grew up with the game and will be expecting a product that will probably have people asking them about the game.Or at least have people say , "So that is why you love playing that game so much."

There are concerns that the strategy game would not translate well to the big screen then again the game part of the franchise might not be the thing that the movie producers would be focusing on.The books and stories enhanced the gaming experience , I hope the movies they produce will do the same.  

Magic has a whole lot of heroes and villains to choose from. Each expansion has a plane and a theme of struggle to work on.All would look beautiful on the screen.I hope they focus on the Planeswalkers because inwardly every player has that desire. To traverse the planes and see the multiverse. To summon spells and creatures. I hope that they present the magic part well.

I want to see the planes come to life.Dominaria ,  Mirrodin , Kamigawa , Innistrad and Phyrexia in particular.Any story that they could come up with should show the uniqueness of the plane it is set on , though it would serve as a back drop , the treat of seeing it on the big screen is enough for me.

I wish that they do not mess up any of the characters because they are sacred to players from all around the world.Jace is easily the planeswalker of choice which they could build a story around.A lot of actors could play him too. There have also been talks that The Rock would make a cool looking Garruk. It is a great fit.Regardless of the actors they choose I just hope they treat the characters right. Much like the First and Second Batman Films from Chris Nolan and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings.

A lot of hopes but only the future would tell if this endeavor would make the game more recognized or the object of ridicule. I don't envy the creative teams position , they have fan girls and fan boys that they need to make happy and  they have millions to make if they do it right. They have both to lose when they come up with a poor product. The waiting begins. 

"Rise of the Dark Realms:Together We Rise"

"Rise of the Dark Realms:Together We Rise"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I love Rise from Flobots! The song with a chorus that goes...

"Rise , Together We..Rise"

Yup , this is the song I would sing once I am successfully able to cast this 9 mana costing sorcery that spells certain doom for all my EDH opponents. Rise! 

I know that it has been around for awhile and the initial hype surrounding it have been somewhat dampened by all the exciting cards from Commander 2013 and Theros but heck I am still a Necromancer and still Golgari so the fact of the matter is I still love this card and cannot wait to cast it.

Although , I have been playing Dimir Control the last time I played EDH. Maybe just to shake things up a bit because my opponents already knew Skull Briars win condition. I wanted to play something else. A little control until I am ready to smash face.

When I think about it Rise of the Dark Realms fits more in a very aggressive Mill deck rather than my Golgari deck. I mean think about it. Having Jace, Memory Adept and Consuming Aberration in play. Jace Mills 10 cards for 0 cost and the Aberration, well he is just a Milling machine on a stick. Mirko Vosk is my commander so he gives out a helping hand here too. So when things are full in the graveyard department then it is time for good old Rise of the Dark Realms to make an appearance.

I mean aside from milling someone you could wait really late in the game to cast it.The late rounds where several cycles of Mass Removal have already been used. It is a great time to harvest those still warm bodies in the grave. Especially if you were the one who put them there.

I did mention before that I love Leyline of Anticipation because it just makes every spell better for me.An end of turn Rise of the Dark Realms on your opponents turn and then an overwhelming attack on your own turn. I mean who could not want that right? All creatures are now yours,sure people well have a lot of things to deal with the threat but they could only remove one graveyard at a time and chances are you would still have a lot of cool creatures left over to do your bidding.

So until I sing that Flobot song. Keep on brewing. Keep on playing.Rise!

"Moon Hunters: Damian the Witness"

"Moon Hunters: Damian the Witness"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

It was getting pretty dark after I finished my lab project. I just had to ask myself the question , if this was assigned as group work why was the only person looking at Petri Dishes when the lamp lights lit up near the schools laboratory? I should horde the grade for myself but then again my so-called group mates are going to need it more than I do.

I waved hi to the guards on my way out.One of them was Kuya Sol who knew me even from a distance.He knew the tall nerdy kid who has been doing this since First Year and he wasn't so surprised to see me still doing it now that I am on my last year. Good old dependable me.

It would have been nice if I had some company tonight but I was enjoying the quiet of the road and the full moon up above.A hunters moon they would say. I'm not much of a hunter.I am more a full blown scientist. I even have the eye glasses and the pimply face to show for it. Yup.No one would mistake me for a hunter ,not even in a million years.

Our town is a simple one , a population of less than 600 or so(I read that in the Fiesta Manual which I also wrote and researched). A lot of the families knew each other by good or bad reputations. We seldom have new people move here. The city was only a few miles east so why settle in a sleepy town like this but there was one family who did move here. It was the Villadios family. House of God. I only mention it now because I saw Karin walking in the woods that I was walking into right now. Nothing really peculiar about Karin aside from the fact that she had the wide eyes and cheerful face right out of an anime. I mean she was pretty but then again compared to everyone else around here she was a Ms. Universe contestant.

What was peculiar about Karin tonight though was she was moving as deliberate as possible toward something that I could not see, it was like a flame , something very faint at first. I moved closer , hiding behind a tree and then I saw it. Karin was sneaking up behind something that looked like a Red flame floating from the ground. It was as huge as a man , as big as Kuya Sol as I estimated and Kuya Sol was 6'1. 

What in the world was Karin up to? There she was unmindful of the thistles of grass hitting her bare legs as she inched closer to her quarry.Her upper body covered by a metal blue sweater , her face was obscured by the hood that she had worn over her head but edges of her long raven hair was still being carried by the wind. The Red Flame seemed unaware of her approach. Karin spread her arms to her sides and produced spinning blue flames at each of her palms. Something similar to Naruto's Rasengan? Wow ,cool my classmate could do Rasengans.

It was at this point that the flame finally noticed. Probably a little too late too because she had sprinted toward it and with both hands brought down the blue orbs from her palms , colliding with the creatures sides. There was no sound but the Red Flame seemed to be engulfed in those orbs of Karin's.It looked as if it was in so much pain , writhing around yet unable to break free from the blue orbs pull. In a matter of moments it was gone and only the radiance of the full moon bathed us with its light.I tried to back away as discreetly as I could. I must be too tired and all that alcohol from the lab was getting to me. No one would believe me if I told anyone anyway.

Karin turned and was able to spot me from my hiding place and with a speed that I cannot believe she would ever possess, was upon me in what seemed like a blink. Another orb was forming on her right palm.

"Please tell me you didn't see anything"She said while pressing the orb toward my neck. I could feel it spinning with a force like that of a metal grinder. The very air in between it and my neck seemed to be spinning uncontrollably.

"I'm good at forgetting things if you are worried about me seeing anything tonight" I stammered to her face.

For a moment there was something deadly in her eyes and I feel that this was my end. Poor old me.The good old bacterias I have been cultivating would be left untended , The Dinner my mom prepared would go cold and my brother , who would he torment now? He would not even mourn for me but bully the next hapless nerd. Why , I was saving my little corner of the world here. I found all these thoughts absurd as I faced certain death.

For a moment I knew it was certain and I just closed my eyes. A few more seconds...then a couple more passed by. Death was becoming less certain then? A few more seconds ticked away and I was still alive. I opened my eyes , Karin still had the orb in her palm but it was a good distance from me , the non-lethal distance. I liked it. The deadly aspect of her eyes was gone as well.

"I can't kill you..."

"Good...I didn't want that either. I mean we still have that Chemistry exam tomorrow and I don't know about you but I have a lot of reading ahead of me tonight"

"I can't let you leave either..."

"Now wait a minute..." I started to protest.

"No, I can't let you leave without signing a contract with me."

"A contract? Is this going to be a Sex Slave kind of thing? Because you know...I know a lot of things but..."

"Shut up.You have been watching too much Hentai. You will sign a Moon Hunters Assistant Contract."

"Moon hunter? Assistant? I have never hunted anything in my life. I didn't even know what that Red flame was. I mean did you kill it?"

Karin looked shocked at me. "You saw it's true form?"

"True form?It was a Red Flame what else should it be?" 

Karin pointed at the prone form of a man in black on the ground."I only sensed it's presence , humans possessing the power to summon these spirits must be regulated. Only those of the Order should have dominance otherwise the imbalance would prove catastrophic for mankind. What you did , well, let me put it this way,  only higher people from the Order could see Santhermos like that."

"Well I saw it!" proudly pointing to myself , still not grasping the mess I was getting caught up with..

"I'm so sorry Damian but I really have to do this now".Karin Punched me in the face. Her fist slamming at the side of my head was the last thing I remember as the world blinked into darkness.