"Greensleeves: Badgers, Mana Dorks, and Big Expectations"

 "Greensleeves: Badgers, Mana Dorks, and Big Expectations"

by:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr., MD

The Mystery Booster: Commander Edition features nine new planeswalkers that can serve as your commander, and almost all of them are callbacks to Magic's rich history.

One of those is Greensleeves, a character whose story dates back to the Brothers' War. Now she finally gets her own planeswalker card.

At six mana, she immediately reminded me of Garruk. Then again, Garruk himself can't officially be your commander unless you're playing with Rulebreaker rules, so perhaps this was Wizards' way of giving players a similar experience without actually making Garruk legal in the command zone.

Her first ability is a +2 that creates a 2/2 Giant Badger token. For a six-mana planeswalker, that's not the most impressive plus ability, especially when compared to Garruk's ability to create a 4/4 Beast. Still, the extra loyalty from a +2 is always welcome.

Her second ability is a -3 that mills three cards, then lets you put all permanents milled this way into your hand. It's essentially conditional card draw for green. If your deck is packed with lands and creatures—as most mono-green decks naturally are—you could easily "draw" three cards and refill your hand.

Finally, her -8 ultimate turns all of your creatures into 8/8 tramplers until end of turn. Since green decks are full of mana dorks that can help power out this commander early, this has the potential to be a devastating finisher.

Assuming, of course, that you still have those mana dorks—and perhaps a couple of Giant Badgers—you've been creating over the last few turns. Suddenly, those humble utility creatures become legitimate game-ending threats.

Overall, I get the feeling that Wizards simply didn't want to make another Garruk, nor did they want Garruk himself to become a commander. Greensleeves certainly captures some of his flavor while carving out her own identity.

Will she dominate the format? Probably not. I suspect a mono-green planeswalker commander like this could easily be outclassed by more explosive options.

That said... it doesn't mean I won't build her anyway.

After all, sometimes creating an army of Giant Badgers and turning them into 8/8 tramplers is reason enough to sleeve up a deck.

And honestly? That sounds like a lot of fun. Hahaha.

"A Seat at the Table"

"A Seat at the Table"

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr., MD

Earlier today, one of the more popular Facebook pages for Magic: The Gathering shared a simple letter. It was written by a girlfriend on behalf of her boyfriend.

She asked if there were any players willing to play with him. He had gone to a local venue, but although plenty of people were there, everyone was already paired off or playing within their own established groups.

I could immediately relate to that situation. More often than not, the hardest part of joining a new community isn't learning the game—it's introducing yourself to people who have been friends or playgroup members for years.

I consider myself fortunate to have found my own communities over the years. Whether it was the SM North community, my fellow Planeswalkers in Accenture and DXC, or the wonderful people at Forge Hobby Shop in Monumento and Collecticat in Greenhills, I've been lucky enough to always find a table where I belonged.

Having spent enough time in Magic's online community, where everyone seems to have an opinion about everything, I was pleasantly surprised by the response to that post. In fact, I honestly didn't see a single negative comment.

People invited the guy to join their pods. Others tagged friends who might be looking for another player. Even several local game stores in the area reached out and invited him to drop by.

I've certainly had my share of unpleasant experiences in the hobby over the years, so seeing this outpouring of kindness and encouragement was a welcome reminder of what the Magic community can be at its best.

I sincerely hope he found a game that day.

And I have to say, he's also incredibly fortunate to have someone who not only supports his hobby but is willing to step outside her comfort zone to help him enjoy it.

In my opinion, that's a keeper.

Because sometimes the best thing you find through Magic isn't a rare card or the perfect topdeck.

Sometimes, it's simply a seat at the table.

"Nivea: The Woman Behind Akroma"

"Nivea: The Woman Behind Akroma"

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr., MD

Nivea.

Just seeing her among the spoilers for the Commander Mystery Booster brought a tear to my old, nostalgic heart.

I still remember reading the Odyssey storyline, where Nivea—the beloved wife of Ixidor—was slain by Phage the Untouchable in the Cabal fighting pits. It was one of those moments that reminded you Magic's story wasn't afraid to break your heart.

Overwhelmed by grief, Ixidor used his illusion magic to create an angel in Nivea's image. That angel would become the iconic Akroma, a creature that set the standard for what a powerful finisher looked like during her era.

Personally, I've always thought it would have been interesting if Akroma had retained more of the animalistic features that Ixidor gave her in the original story. It probably wouldn't have looked quite as elegant on an angelic figure, but it would have been a fascinating nod to her origins. Card Akroma is different from Story Akroma and it feels nice that only those who read the story actually know that. 

So seeing Nivea finally receive a card of her own warmed my nostalgic heart. Then I read the card and discovered that, after she dies, she creates an Akroma token.

Damn.

What a beautiful way to tell that story through gameplay.

I'm pretty sure an Akroma, Ixidor, and Nivea Commander deck won't be particularly good.

But you know what?

I'm going to build it anyway.

"Saved by Geography: The Commander Mystery Booster Story"

 "Saved by Geography: The Commander Mystery Booster Story"

By:

Virgilio F. De Leon Jr., MD

Magic has continued its barrage of spoilers for the 2027 lineup as if the year were already coming to an end and there were no more sets left to reveal.

The latest offering is the Commander Mystery Booster, available to the fortunate players who can attend MagicCon events.

With the number of cards that have already been spoiled, this honestly feels like a hidden Unhinged set. It embraces the goofy, the absurd, and the downright hilarious.

Yet mixed in with all that silliness are some genuinely groundbreaking cards.

Featuring an impressive lineup of 59 legendary creatures along with the new Rule Breaker mechanic, Wizards of the Coast is practically guaranteeing that MagicCon venues will be packed to capacity.

I've always believed that Mystery Boosters are among the most enjoyable Magic products to open and draft. They thrive on surprise, nostalgia, and unexpected interactions. Now that this version is built specifically with Commander in mind and introduces even more unique cards into the mix, it looks like it will be even more entertaining.

Thankfully, all of this is happening in 2027—and only at MagicCon. Between the cost of travel and my own time constraints, attending simply isn't an option.

Which, come to think of it, may be the best thing that could happen to my wallet... and my sanity.

Sometimes missing out doesn't feel quite so bad when geography makes the decision for you.

Hahahaha.

"Star Trek in Magic: Great Idea, Questionable Extras"

"Star Trek in Magic: Great Idea, Questionable Extras"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

When it was revealed that Star Trek would become a Universes Beyond set for Magic: The Gathering, a friend asked me how I felt about it.

My answer was... mixed.

On one hand, there is so much Star Trek lore that I would love to see translated into Magic cards. I've watched almost everything the franchise has put out, even if some of its more recent iterations made me want to gouge my eyes out afterward.

To me, Star Trek isn't what it used to be. It has been hijacked by identity politics and the pursuit of appealing to a so-called "modern audience." Much like what happened with Doctor Who, the franchise often feels like a walking zombie, wearing the skin of a brand it no longer resembles.

So when the previews focused on Captain Kirk and Captain Janeway, I was relieved. Seeing two of the franchise's greatest captains gave me hope. I'm sure Captain Picard will be included as well, and probably a few characters from the newer series, but I'm hoping Wizards of the Coast stays away from the Kelvin Timeline and instead focuses on classic Star Trek—the version that made so many of us fans in the first place.

That said, there is one preview that I'm not particularly on board with: the autographed cards.

I understand why people have cards signed. Maybe it's their favorite artist. Maybe they want a keepsake from a memorable tournament or a hard-fought match against a respected opponent. Those signatures have personal stories behind them.

What I don't understand is creating autographed versions as premium chase cards. The regular versions would have been perfectly fine. As much as I like Star Trek, I don't necessarily want my Magic cards to look like collectibles that belong in a display case instead of being shuffled into a deck.

Then again, perhaps that's exactly the point. Those autograph cards aren't really meant to be played with—they're meant to be displayed. A way of saying, "Look what I pulled," and earning a little more nerd cred than the next fan.

As for me, I'll probably be buying singles, and I'm seriously considering picking up the Commander decks. I'm just not convinced this will be a particularly exciting set to crack open by the box. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

If there's one thing the past few years have taught me as a Magic player, it's that patience usually wins. Waiting a few months before buying sealed product or expensive singles has often paid off, as Wizards of the Coast has shown a tendency to lower prices once the initial hype has faded.

"When a Balrog Crews the Enterprise"

 

"When a Balrog Crews the Enterprise"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

With my favorite game officially including Startek in the Magic the Gathering universe I can now view it as  this picture.

With a Balrog crewing the Enterprise and letting me attack!

People have been writing weird scenarios like this for awhile now. And it will only get a lot more absurd now that there is a possibility that Star Wars might possibly be one of those Universe Beyond Entries in the future.

This is why I am trying to turn away from this game that I have loved for so long because some of the things that are going on in it are no longer beginning to make sense to me.

When we already have that Ready Player One vibe where no distinct IP exists. The Fornightification of Magic as someone coined a while back.

And yet the abusive relationship continues because one cannot simply walk away. Take for example The Hobbit whose preview season is ongoing and you can see all of the overpowered cards and combos that you just know Wizards of the coast has built in there to draw not only the players but those who love the world of Middle Earth as well.

Sigh.

"The Coffee That Wasn't Mine Anymore"

 "The Coffee That Wasn't Mine Anymore"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

My wife and daughter went on one of their Mommy-Daughter bonding trips. This time , it was about conducting a time in motion study. They would simulate how our Aven would leave our house early in the morning and do a typical drive to Ateneo and how her classes would go.

I was asleep the whole day so they would have to relay this to me over dinner. Well they were still telling me stories after we had dinner , it was such a full day for both of them and that made me happy.

They have even brought me coffee from Starbucks as they both knew that I was basically running on fumes now. The 5th night of a 6 night duty schedule. I was sipping this Venti cup with an extra shot mixed in so that I would be awake but I noticed something. The longer the stories went the more my cup became communal coffee! At first it was just Aven taking a sip and then my wife Hanie had also jumped into the action by taking a few sips as well. 

1/4 of my cup was gone before I knew it. We shared a laugh over it. At least I don't really feel left out now. If only they would have spared my coffee.