"Orzhov Advokist: Sign the Deal."

"Orzhov Advokist: Sign the Deal."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

"The Orzhov care not for repentance , only repayment."

The Orzhov syndicate are quite a ruthless bunch even known to extract payment from members who are dead. So what makes you think that you will be exempt from paying? And yet there are times that you would take the deals they are offering one way or another.

Take the case ofthe Orzhov Advokist who is really just a tough 1/4 creature that could serve as a wall for 3 mana in the case that an opponent does not take her offered deal.

So what is the deal? At the beginning of your upkeep each player is given a choice of putting 2 +1/+1 counters on a creature he or she controls. This is power that the Orzhov could grant but by signing this piece of parchment what do the Orzhov get? Why your friendship of course. And the continued existence of the player who controls the Orzhov Advokist.

If a player chooses to make a creature he or she controls stronger they in turn would turn a blind eye to the Orzhov Advokist's controller. Not touching them until the next turn , oh and if they also have a contracted Planeswalker , that planeswalker is safe too.

So what happens when a player does not take the deal? Well , they miss the chance to be stronger especially if this is in the earlier parts of the game where everyone is in a race to have a board presence. And even if all of your opponents choose the deal  , Orzhov players always have access to enough mass removal to negate those threats in the latter parts of the game. (Insert Parting Thoughts here.)

So let the Orzhov Advokist make the deal for you. You won't regret it. Make your opponents sign the deal.

"Evolutionary Escalation: A Counter Promise."

"Evolutionary Escalation: A Counter Promise."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

One of the earliest problems that I faced when I started playing EDH was the fact that I chose a commander who always wanted to smash face and I built a deck around him/her/it that reflected this nature. I spent a lot of time making the attacks strong instead of talking to the people around the table and when I realized that I was always assessed as an early threat and also taken out early I tried to sweet talk my way into alliances but I noticed that I did not have any cards that could benefit my opponents and so in the end I always get taken out via the gangbang method. 3 players to one.

Of course I have developed my Simic and Dimir color themed decks so that I have a little bit of control and things to benefit those around me in multiplayer EDH but I am always on the look out for cards that could help Skullbriar and my favorite deck have something to offer.

So I was happy when I saw Evolutionary Escalation since it was in the Golgari colors. The 2 mana costing enchantment still is in theme to most of my creature based aggro decks since at the beginning of my upkeep I get to put three +1/+1 counters on a target creature I control.

Yet it offers a political tool especially to the other guys on the table who needs a bigger creature or who needs to off another player who is the bigger threat. Giving three +1/+1 counters to a target creature that your opponent controls can go a big way in my survival in the political side of EDH and maybe have a chance of winning in the end games. 

So finally one more piece to help me. And in an ever evolving EDH environment more cards are always welcome.

"Treacherous Terrain: Land Punishment"

"Treacherous Terrain: Land Punishment"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

EDH games could last a long time.If you play with one or two Control or Police type players on the table then, EDH games last for a loooooong , looooong , loooong , looooong , loooong time. You see the point the right?

The worse part about long EDH games is that control players have to have all their schemes in full effect the longer the games go and normally aggro decks would have a hard time dealing damage or even winning the longer you have a control player on the battlefield.

You have probably thought about this as your creatures are wiped out after wave after wave of mass removal from players who do not like the idea of dying by being trampled on by dirty beast paws. And in this sea of creature less despair you probably turned inward and then began to look at things that 

were there and all you saw were lands.Lands and lots of it. And with a sigh you scoop up your Red/Green or Jund aggro deck because it was pointless to go in if you could not exploit all those lands your opponents control somehow.

And then there was this card.

Treacherous Terrain is one very dangerous card in the later stages of your EDH game especially if your opponents are running low on life points if you have managed to dent them a bit in the early turns. The 8 mana maybe daunting to look at if you draw this on your opening hand but I must commend Wizards of the coast for giving it a basic land cycling. Meaning that if you get this early you could just use it to fix your mana base first and when you are ready to use it again you play cards like Eternal Witness to put it back to your hand or give it Flashback so you could cast it from the graveyard itself.

So now people would be very wary if you smile and start looking hungrily at all those lands they have in play. To add to that effect start counting the lands loudly. Now watch and let it sink in for a moment. Watch everyone who plays control hesitate to tap out to play an Overloaded Cyclonic Rift.Enjoy. I know I will.

"Jefferson Boral: When another Comedy Act is summoned to heaven."

"Jefferson Boral: When another Comedy Act is summoned to heaven."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

In this life I have often found that the funny one's always get taken first. Heaven must have need for comedians more than any kind of person. They are probably rolling in laughter up there but I guess they probably need a new act once in awhile. And so that is what I want to think of when I lost one of my friends , Jefferson Boral. 

Last year our mothers died almost a week a part and so I found myself attending his mom's wake after coming from my own mother's wake. I found a kindred spirit in Jeff who was also going through the same loss as I was at the time and even though we promised to bond more over a cup of coffee because of our own schedules we were not able to.

When we saw each other a few weeks back in the Mercury Drugstore near Happy Site I even recommended youtuber Mike Falzone to Jeff because the guy made really funny Batman impersonations that I am sure he would like. And again we promised that we would one day sit down and talk and just reminisce and laugh about our own predicaments in life. Sadly that was the last time that I was able to talk to him. And I am again made aware that life is really fleeting. You might be talking to someone now and then tomorrow they are gone.

Jeff was too young to be taken but who am I to question what life has in store for all of us. I just hope that where Jeff is now he is reunited with his mom . Laughing at a shared joke. No longer lonely. No longer alone. Maybe he isn't the punchlines in his own jokes anymore and he could make fun of angels and such.I would.

My friend. I will miss the shared laughter we had. The smart , witty jokes that you posted and that almost book that you published. There are still many things that could have been brought to a better end but this is it. For now.

I hope you are coming up with new jokes up there. The man upstairs needs a lot of laughter after seeing everything that is going on around here.

"Midweek Magic #6: Planeswalker Goal/ Diabolic Tutor Buddies"

"Midweek Magic #6: Planeswalker Goal/ Diabolic Tutor Buddies"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

If you are a player like me , the type who cannot go to weekly tournaments and has a very tight schedule. A schedule so tight that playtime needs to fit into a specific hour of the night or day. And like me, you might have acquired cards that you have just been dying to play but are unable to do so. Or worse yet you dream of finally being able to use a Planeswalker and push it to it's ultimate ability. I know that for some Magic players it had become a very common occurrence to just be able to cast planeswalkers and bring them to their ultimate power.

For me though. It makes me so happy that I have been fated to meet players who allow me to play and enjoy my decks to the fullest. It started with the Mardu deck that I player in GP Manila 2015. Admittedly the deck was half baked due to unforeseen circumstances at that time. It had 3 Sorin , Solemn Visitor's and a lone Elspeth, Sun's Champion and Sarkhan, The Dragonspeaker that I both got from packs. When I started playing with the deck again the planeswalkers just seemed to be drawn to it. Ugin, The Spirit dragon got in the act , I found my Karn, Liberated. Ajani Vengeant showed it's face along with Liliana of the Veil( a card that came from a Fatpack my wife both for me!) and my PR Liliana Heretical Healer.

To top it off I managed to pull a Chandra , Torch of Defiance that also fits the Mardu colors. With her in the mix I was able to play one of those things that I always wanted to play. I was able to pair her with Liliana and reenact the art on the Kaladesh version of Diabolic tutor. Granted my Mardu deck now feels like an EDH deck with random planeswalkers popping in and I have to adjust to whoever comes out first. I find that unpredictability exciting.I do not win a 100% of my games since I have really high level players against me. I do not mind in the least. Sometimes the effort that they show to beat the deck is enough. Most of the time just being able to cast a planeswalker that has been languishing in some protected box in my house is enough for me. This deck reminds me of the history that has stretched on for decades and I look forward to playing with it more.

I am thankful for being able to play every week and I keep on wondering who I will draw from my library next. Gideon Jura perhaps.Who knows right? I can't wait. 

"Ravos, Soultender:All in the abs."

"Ravos, Soultender:All in the abs."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

While it is no secret that chicks dig a guy with abs. They probably adore Ravos for the same reason and they keep coming back...even from the graveyard.

Now that I have that intro out of the way the 5 mana costing Orzhov colored Ravos may not look much in the way of stats at 2/2. 5 mana for 2 seems like an overpriced weenie but when you realize that Ravos, Soultender is basically a commander that makes all of your creatures stronger you won't really mind him posing like that on your side of the battlefield all day.

Oh and not to mention that at the beginning of your upkeep you net another card from your graveyard that can be considered as card advantage. Navigating through the fact that you could normally just draw one card. And you could even choose which to return. Who knows you might go with Karmic Guide which you can then cast to get a  White Titan and maybe get a land or any other permanent that costs 3 mana or less back too, a Liliana of the Veil perhaps? But hey don't take my word for it unless you actually are able to do it.

Ravos, Soultender also has flying so when you really need him to deal damage all you need to look out for are creatures with Flying or Reach. Don't spot any of those?That is an automatic -2 life for a player or a planeswalker. Ilista mo na as my friend once said.

Well, this is probably the 7th article I have written for today so I will end here. Thanks for your support and keep on reading.

"Yaheeni's Expertise: Sweep and Treat."

"Yaheeni's Expertise: Sweep and Treat."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

"You make supsup their life force and like use that life force to cast something for free." , Is what Kris Aquino would say if she was ever pressed into explaining what Yaheeni's expertise does to a magic player. If she ever played magic.

Hopefully not.

So the holidays are here and here also be the spoilers. Yaheeni's expertise is a 4 to cast sorcery that is both a board sweeper and a treat since it does allow you to cast a card from your hand for as long that it cost 3 mana or less. For Free! Talk about the hurts. You not only probably wipe the board of weenies or fatties but you get to cast creatures or spells that benefit you in the process. 

Having been the victim of a mono red deck that featured Boggart Ram gang's and Keldon Marauders in one of my midweek games.(Salamat Noel sa paalala na kailangan ko talaga ng early board sweep).I am looking forward to adding this to my current Metalwork Colossus deck probably replacing Incendiary Sabotage as the main board sweeper since it doesn't even require an artifact sacrifice.Making me switch to Dimir colors instead of  Izzet one's. 

In my current Metalwork Colossus deck I can see this casting Glint-Nest Cranes , Prophetic Prisms , Foundry Inspectors , Metalspinner’s Puzzle knots  and Cultivator’s Caravans which is more than half of the cards in the deck. Talk about adding value to an already strong deck. I am sure the Metalwork Colossus in play won't even feel the -3/-3 when you take out all of your opponent's blockers.

So I would take 3 please. In Standard where decks take a lot more time to develop I would have a chance to pull off tricks but not so in my playgroup who seem to be getting faster and faster with Zombies , Rats and Goblins.

I do hope Yaheeni's Expertise would serve me well.I also hope that this card is for real.It might be too early but I want it to be true.(And as of this posting. It is true. Yey!)