"Hexhaven Invigorator: The Landfall Deck’s New Favorite Punching Bag."

"Hexhaven Invigorator: The Landfall Deck’s New Favorite Punching Bag."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

There are plenty of ways to ramp in Commander, but Hexhaven Invigorator offers a particularly entertaining proposition: hit me, and I might give you lands!

For four green mana, you get a 6/6 Chimera Horror with vigilance. That is already a respectable body, but the real attraction is its ability: whenever Hexhaven Invigorator is dealt damage, you may search your library for that many land cards and put them onto the battlefield tapped.

Yes, you read that correctly. Your opponents can accidentally help you ramp by trying to kill your creature!

Of course, the trick is to make sure Hexhaven survives long enough to enjoy the experience. A damage-based fight spell, a carefully planned block, or even an opponent's unfortunate decision to attack into it could turn into a land-fetching festival.

And Landfall decks? They are practically salivating.

Every land entering the battlefield can trigger cards like Scute Swarm, Tireless Provisioner, or Rampaging Baloths. Suddenly, what started as a little damage becomes an army of Insects, piles of Treasure, or enough Beasts to make your opponents reconsider their life choices.

The truly evil part is that Hexhaven doesn't even need to deal combat damage. It simply needs to be dealt damage itself.

Naturally, the ability has limits: the number of lands you find depends on the damage dealt, and the lands enter tapped. But with the right setup, that is a small price to pay.

In Commander, sometimes the best ramp spell is a monster that practically begs people to hit it.

Just remember to invite your opponents to swing first. It's called symbiosis, after all

"Omnath, Locus of the Void: Congratulations, Nobody Gets to Play Magic Anymore."

"Omnath, Locus of the Void: Congratulations, Nobody Gets to Play Magic Anymore."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

There are plenty of ways to lose a game of Commander. Someone assembles an infinite combo, another player resolves an absurdly powerful enchantment, or your friend spends twenty minutes explaining why his seven-card hand is actually a perfectly reasonable keep.

And then there is Omnath, Locus of the Void.

This seven-mana Elemental is a walking disaster for anyone who enjoys the concept of having a turn.

First, Omnath gets bigger for every unspent mana you have. So that player who carefully manages their resources and ends their turn with mana floating around? Congratulations! Their land management skills have just become a bodybuilding program for an eldritch horror.

Second, if you would lose unspent mana, it becomes colorless instead. Apparently, even mana refuses to leave this battlefield.

But the real problem is Landfall. Whenever a land enters under your control, you add two colorless mana.

Read that again.

Play a land. Get two mana. Play another land through some ridiculous ramp spell. Get two more mana. Then use that mana to cast more spells, find more lands, and turn your innocent little turn into an accounting nightmare.

And remember, Omnath grows with your unspent mana.

At some point, your opponents will stop asking how your deck works and start asking whether they can go home.

Omnath doesn't just threaten to end the game. He threatens to end everyone's participation in it.

By the time you finally pass the turn, your friends will have learned an important lesson: sometimes, the most dangerous thing in Commander isn't an infinite combo.

It's a land drop.

"The Doctor’s Plague Mask 2.0: Now With Better Technology and Fewer Bird Jokes."

"The Doctor’s Plague Mask 2.0: Now With Better Technology and Fewer Bird Jokes."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

The medieval plague doctor had a simple strategy for dealing with infectious diseases: wear a long robe, put on a creepy bird mask, and stuff the beak with aromatic herbs. Apparently, the idea was that bad smells caused disease, so smelling like a walking potpourri would keep the plague away.

It was a charming theory. Unfortunately, pathogens did not care about the fashion statement.

Fast-forward to 2026, and I think it is time to upgrade the design.

First, let us replace the decorative beak with a properly fitted respirator. Instead of hoping that lavender can defeat a virus, we can use modern filtration technology. Science has finally given us something more reliable than smelling like an expensive candle.

Next, we need anti-fog goggles or a full-face shield. After all, there is little point in protecting your nose and mouth if your eyes are left exposed. The updated plague doctor should be able to examine a patient without looking like a confused pigeon trying to read a laboratory result.

We should also replace the heavy medieval robe with appropriate protective clothing, gloves, and other personal protective equipment selected for the situation. And please, let us make the whole outfit easier to clean and disinfect.

Finally, we need one more upgrade: hand hygiene. No amount of futuristic headgear will compensate for poor infection-control practices.

The modern plague doctor might not look as mysterious as the original, but that is progress. In 2026, the goal is not to frighten pathogens with a bird-shaped mask.

It is to prevent them from getting a free ride into your respiratory system.

Besides, if we are going to look intimidating in a hospital, we might as well have the science to back it up.

"Mr. Spock, Science Officer: Consecrated Sphinx in a Starfleet Uniform."

"Mr. Spock, Science Officer: Consecrated Sphinx in a Starfleet Uniform."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Magic: The Gathering has given us many things over the years: complicated combos, questionable Secret Lairs, and cards that make you wonder if R&D has simply run out of ideas.

Enter Mr. Spock, Science Officer.

At first glance, Spock looks like a perfectly respectable Commander card. He costs four mana, has a 2/4 body, and comes with an ability that basically says: whenever you would draw a card, draw two instead.

Wait a minute. Where have we seen this before?

Oh, right. Consecrated Sphinx.

The Sphinx costs six mana, has a 4/6 flying body, and draws you two cards whenever an opponent draws one. Spock, meanwhile, costs four mana and doubles your own card draw. Different triggers, certainly, but the family resemblance is unmistakable.

Wizards of the Coast has essentially taken one of blue's most notorious card-advantage engines, given it pointed ears, a blue Starfleet uniform, and a logical explanation for everything.

And honestly? I'm not complaining.

Commander players love drawing cards. We love drawing MORE cards even more. The only thing we love more than drawing cards is pretending that our opponents are being unreasonable when they ask us to stop drawing cards.

The Star Trek Universes Beyond treatment makes this familiar effect feel fresh, and Spock might even be less threatening than his flying predecessor.

After all, nobody wants to be the player who kills Mr. Spock. That would be highly illogical.

And if Wizards can reprint powerful effects in exciting new forms, perhaps we can all agree to boldly draw where no player has drawn before.

"Samut, Tyrant of Naktamun: Because Your Opponents Need to Learn to Wait."

 "Samut, Tyrant of Naktamun: Because Your Opponents Need to Learn to Wait."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

There are many ways to annoy your opponents in Commander. You can destroy their lands, counter their spells, or play a stax deck and slowly convince everyone at the table that perhaps board games were a mistake.

Or you can play Samut, Tyrant of Naktamun.

For just two mana, this legendary Human Wizard gives your instant and sorcery spells split second. Yes, split second! That lovely little ability that tells your opponents they can stop reaching for their counterspells because, for once, they don't get to interrupt everything you do.

Imagine casting a game-changing instant or sorcery while the blue player sits there with three untapped Islands and a hand full of answers. Normally, that player is practically vibrating with anticipation, ready to announce, "In response!"

With Samut around, that response may have to remain an unfulfilled dream.

Of course, there is a catch. Samut is a 2/1 creature, which means she is about as durable as a wet paper bag in a thunderstorm. She costs only two mana, though, so you can deploy her early and start enjoying the benefits before your opponents have established their defenses.

In EDH, where a single well-timed spell can turn an entire game around, making your instants and sorceries harder to interact with is a serious advantage. Your board wipes become more reliable, your removal spells become harder to stop, and your carefully planned combos have a better chance of resolving.

Just remember that split second doesn't make your spells completely unstoppable. Players can still use certain abilities and take special actions, and Samut herself doesn't protect your spells from everything. Also, her ability only works while she's on the battlefield, so keep that fragile little Wizard alive!

Still, for two mana, she offers a delicious headache for anyone who believes that holding up five counterspells makes them the sheriff of the table.

Samut, Tyrant of Naktamun reminds us that sometimes the strongest interaction is making sure your opponents don't get to interact with you.

And if somebody complains that your spells are unfair?

Tell them to slow their pulse.

Samut certainly has.

"Why Do We Procrastinate? I’ll Tell You Later."

"Why Do We Procrastinate? I’ll Tell You Later."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Why do we procrastinate?

I would probably tell you later.

And that, in a nutshell, is the problem.

We all know what procrastination is. It is putting off something we know we need to do, even when we understand that delaying it will probably make things worse. We promise ourselves that we will start tomorrow, finish it over the weekend, or finally get around to it when we have more time.

Unfortunately, tomorrow has a funny way of becoming today, and today somehow becomes another tomorrow.

For me, procrastination feels less like laziness and more like being paralyzed into inaction. I know I need to do something. I might even know exactly how to do it. But somehow, I cannot bring myself to take that first step.

Then, as the minutes turn into hours and the hours turn into days, the task begins to feel bigger than it really is. I become overwhelmed by the thought of doing it, which makes me even less likely to start.

And so the cycle continues.

The worst part is knowing that, at least sometimes, I am doing this to myself.

Nobody is necessarily stopping me. The task is still there, waiting to be done. I have the time, or at least I could probably find the time if I organized my day better. Yet I remain stuck, watching the deadline creep closer while feeling increasingly guilty about not doing anything.

It is a rather absurd situation. I delay doing something because it makes me uncomfortable, only to create even more discomfort by delaying it.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

Perhaps part of the problem is that we tend to think of procrastination as a time-management issue. We assume that if we could only organize our schedules better, make a list, or buy a more attractive planner, we would finally become productive.

Sometimes, those things help. But I suspect procrastination is not always about managing time. Sometimes, it is about managing how we feel.

A task might seem too difficult, too tedious, or too important. We might be afraid of doing it badly, disappointed that we cannot do it perfectly, or simply exhausted by the thought of having to begin. Putting it off gives us temporary relief. For a little while, we do not have to deal with the discomfort.

The problem is that the relief never lasts.

Eventually, the unfinished task returns to our attention, now accompanied by guilt, anxiety, and the knowledge that we have even less time to complete it.

Perhaps the answer is not to wait until we feel motivated. Motivation is unreliable, and waiting for it can become another form of procrastination.

Maybe we need to make starting easier. Instead of promising ourselves that we will finish an entire project, we can commit to working on it for ten minutes. Instead of worrying about getting everything right, we can allow ourselves to produce something imperfect and improve it later.

The goal is not necessarily to finish everything immediately. It is to break the paralysis long enough to begin.

I am still working on this myself. Knowing why we procrastinate does not automatically make us better at overcoming it. Sometimes, even writing about procrastination becomes another task we put off.

But perhaps there is a lesson in recognizing the problem without beating ourselves up over it.

We cannot change the time we have already wasted. We can only decide what to do with the time that remains.

So, if there is something you have been putting off, perhaps today is a good day to begin.

Not tomorrow. Not next week.

Today.

And if you are asking me whether I have finished everything I need to do, well...

I'll tell you later.

"Captain Kirk: To Boldly Go… and Empty Your Hand."

 "Captain Kirk: To Boldly Go… and Empty Your Hand."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Star Trek spoilers are now among us.

It has been a long time coming, but we all knew this day would eventually arrive. Magic: The Gathering now has Star Trek cards to add to its already bewildering collection of card pools.

I wanted to steer clear of this crossover, but I couldn't help myself. After all, we're talking about Star Trek, and there are only so many times a Magic player can resist the temptation to peek at a new set.

So, the first card I want to discuss is the franchise's most famous captain: Captain James T. Kirk.

He's a three-mana red creature with an aggressive tilt. Which makes sense, because Kirk was aggressive in dealing with threats and equally aggressive in pursuing women on just about every planet he visited!

Jokes aside, Kirk is a Mythic Rare creature with a 2/2 body. That's not exactly the most imposing frame for a legendary captain. He can easily be taken out by a humble Shock, but at least he brings plenty of value to the table.

His ability also encourages you to empty your hand before he arrives. You'll want to play your lands, deploy your creatures, and cast whatever spells you can before dropping the legendary captain into the fray. The fewer cards you have left in hand, the more flexibility you get from his abilities.

Kirk has both an enter-the-battlefield trigger and an attack trigger, giving him a bit of that old-school Titan feel. Whenever Captain Kirk enters or attacks, you choose one of the following modes. If you have no cards in hand, you can choose one or more instead.

Discard a card, then draw a card.

Create a 1/1 red Officer creature token.

Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.

There's some interesting flexibility here.

The first ability is particularly useful when your hand is empty because it essentially reads, draw a card. You get to dig for another resource without having to give anything up.

The second option gives you a 1/1 Officer token. This is particularly useful if you don't have any creatures on the battlefield and need to establish a presence before your opponent starts applying pressure.

Finally, you can give your entire team +1/+0 until the end of the turn. If you're already ready to swing, that extra power might be enough to push an opponent into the red.

What's particularly nice is that Kirk doesn't have to attack immediately to provide value. Even if you can't send him into combat the turn he enters the battlefield, you still get to use his enter-the-battlefield ability. And once he starts attacking, he can continue generating value while helping your other creatures hit harder.

I can see him finding a home in Winota, Joiner of Forces decks, where Humans are constantly being put onto the battlefield. An additional Officer token can help build up your board, while the power boost can make an already threatening army even more dangerous.

Of course, I'm not entirely convinced that this is the best representation of Captain Kirk.

Mechanically, the card makes sense. He's aggressive, resourceful, and capable of rallying his crew to get the job done. The ability to choose between drawing cards, creating an Officer, and boosting your team gives him some welcome versatility.

But I can't help feeling that something is missing.

Kirk was more than an aggressive captain who charged into danger. He was a strategist, a risk-taker, a diplomat when necessary, and occasionally a man whose personal life seemed to require its own starship. His character had a depth that went beyond simply attacking and making sure his hand was empty.

Perhaps this is only one aspect of Kirk's character, and other cards in the Star Trek set will explore the rest. Still, for a Mythic Rare representing one of science fiction's most iconic captains, I was hoping for something that captured a little more of what made him special.

For now, Captain Kirk looks like a solid, aggressive card with a home in the right deck.

He can generate resources, build a crew, and help lead the charge.

Just don't expect him to survive a Shock.

After all, even the captain of the USS Enterprise has to worry about two points of damage.