"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. 

"The Accident Everyone Saw Coming"

 

"The Accident Everyone Saw Coming"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Most road accidents are not caused by bad luck. They are usually the result of ordinary people making ordinary decisions—crossing where they always cross, driving the same route they take every morning, believing that nothing will go wrong because it never has before. Unfortunately, all it takes is one morning when those assumptions collide.

Earlier today, while walking toward the parking area in McKinley West, I witnessed one of those moments. It was an accident that, in my opinion, should never have happened.

While I was walking toward the parking area here in McKinley West , I saw an ambulance at the middle of an intersection. A blue car was stopped , 2 Security motorcycles from the township was already there and as I approached it , I saw a woman being secured on a stretcher for transport. She was still moving which was a good thing. 

The driver of the vehicle who apparently hit her was on the phone talking to someone. A lot of BPO employees and joggers were ogling from a distance.

So what happened? It seemed that the woman crossed the Box at the intersection and was hit by the blue car. Based on the lack of debris , she was just merely walking when the accident occurred. 

Having seen so many people cross the same spot I have predicted that it was only a matter of time before an accident happened. 

For whatever reason people preferred crossing there instead of the wide and highly demarcated pedestrian crossing that was actually a few feet away. 

It is easy to say that it was merely the pedestrians fault for crossing there but the driver of the blue car is equally at fault in my opinion as this specific area only has a speed limit of 30kph and it is taught early on that when approaching an intersection one should slow down both of which did not happen in this instance.

There might have been some thought that since it was early in the morning that there might be no one crossing. Or the pedestrian thought that since it was an intersection people will normally slow down.

Both having made the assumption , both ending up in the hospital and having to give separate police reports and overall not having a good day.

Again something that could have been prevented. It is tiring how people never learn.