"Midweek Magic 2018 #36 Yuriko:Praying for Lands"

"Midweek Magic 2018 #36 Yuriko:Praying for Lands"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I have already faced two versions of Magic EDH's AV Idol of the year: Yuriko. One from my Team Virulence Mate Mark Abude and another version from my Eton Midweek Magic playgroup Janry Dimaano. 

With both version I had only one wish once I was able to block a creature and I knew Yuriko would be ninjutsued into play. I pray that what my opponent reveals on top of his library would be land.

I had won over mark this way. When it was with Janry I had won a game as well because I had seemed to elevate lands to the top of libraries at will. Pero sa totoo di ko sure kung magiging lupa nga. 

Of course it was a different matter when things like Scroll Rack or Sensei's Divining top begin showing up. Yuriko decks take advantage of cards like Brainstorm and Sage Owl into full effect. Sage of Epityr would work well here as well. Turn 1 set up and then ninjutsu Yuriko on turn two with your biggest spell on top of the library.

Yesterdays game with Janry also featured Thopters produced by Whirler Rogue turning into Ninjas courtesy of Arcane Adaptation. The Whirler Rogue went well with the Ninjutsu mechanic as it would be returned to your hand and you could recast it to produce another 2 1/1 Flying Thopters! 

During 1 turn 4 1/1 Flying Ninja Thopters rammed into me and the painful part was the Ninja trigger from Yuriko. Needless to say there was nothing on top of Janry's library that would not be able to kill me.

It was an awesome win. 

"Firemind's Research:More Research Needed."

"Firemind's Research:More Research Needed."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I must admit that I was intrigued at what the Firemind's research could do. For a mere Price of Izzet colored mana you an enchantment that has whenever you cast an Instant or Sorcery card you get to put a charge counter in Firemind's Research.

Pay 1 blue and colorless and remove 2 charge counters you get to draw a card. Hopefull a Sorcery or Instant that can replenish the counters you just used.

Also Pay 1 Red and colorless and remove 5 charge counters. Firemind's Research then deals 5 damage to any target. Creature , Planeswalker or Player! 

So the point of the deck is to fill Firemind's Research with enough counters to kill everyone.And how in the hell do I do that? Time to put my Niv Mizzet thinking cap on. Let us see what we can come up:

1) I thought of Omniscience and casting spells and drawing spells and filling up this enchantment with counters that I could just go ahead and remove 5 counters at a time , pay 1 colorless and 1 red mana and kill my opponents this way.

2) I thought of cards that could proliferate and there was Inexorable Tide that basically puts 2 counters on Firemind's Research each time to you cast a sorcery or Instant since there is one counter for that time you cast the spell and then the proliferate counter that follows from Inexorable tide.

3) And then you have cards like Deepglow Skate , Gilder Bairn and Doubling Season that gives your permanent a lot of counters. The first two basically doubles it. While the last one nets you 2 counters on your permanent. Of course this means that you would have to go Temur in your EDH colors to be able to pull this off but hey it is time for some experimental deck tech! And if I can pull it off even once then I might be happy.

These 3 methods or plans might do the trick but a lot of research is still needed here. And I will be doing my own research in the matter. What do you think?  Any other ideas on how to abuse Firemind's Research?

"Doc In , Doc Out 2018: Ano po ang nawala?"

"Doc In , Doc Out 2018: Ano po ang nawala?"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

After getting a BMI of 35 I had a serious talk with a patient

Me: Sir , babalik po tayo after 2 weeks ha. Start na natin ang ating diet and exercise and after that time reassess natin ang BMI niyo.

Patient: Opo Doc.

After 2 weeks:

After weighing the patient.

Me: Sir Parang 2 weeks lang po ang nawala sa inyo ah.

"Book Devourer:Something Unexpected"

"Book Devourer:Something Unexpected"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I always love spoiler seasons and one of the things that I am on the look out for is some weird addition to an existing deck that I already made.

I look for things that does not neccesarily make my EDH decks abusive but something that makes it a bit unexpected. Something that my opponents would look at and find weird but know the reason why I put it in this particular deck.

And the one particular EDH deck that I have is lead by The Locust God. Opponents usually expect a lot of drawing followed by a lot of Swarming and then a lot of dying.

Book Reader is slow enough and that I don't really need to attack right away buy this 6 Mana Trampling Beast at 4/5 is something that I am always on the look out for.

It would give my opponents enough something to focus their hate on and maybe buy me a little time when The Locust God himself is not rollling. Even without the Izzet God in play I see the value of drawing a lot of cards and filtering my deck to get more value cards. And there are a lot of value cards in an EDH deck.

Book Devourer. Let's Go!

"Our Story"

"Our Story"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I

I'd confess that I met you 

but you did not meet me.

It's kind of hard when you are singing and dancing

and I am on the other side of the screen.

II

In time I grew to love you

knew the sound of your voice

knew your body language

and even your future choice

III

I craved to see you

Even if you did anything

I wanted to hear you

even if you said nothing

IV

And when I am lonely I would pretend

that you would ask me how my day was

Knowing that you were somewhere else

wrapped inside someone elses arms

V

Yes this went on and I could not stop

addicted to you ,wanting you

I kept on the sad man that I am

Until one day it really came

VI

The story that I said was Ours

was the story that I created for me

You were never in it

even if I so badly want you to be.

UHG Bldg N , Quezon City. 09/11/2018 7:31am

"GWSN - Puzzle Moon MV Reaction: Figuring the Seals."

"GWSN - Puzzle Moon MV Reaction: Figuring the Seals."

by:

The Vole

"We may seem trivial and insignificant but one of possesses a unique."

I honestly did not almost watch this MV because of this silly quote at the beginning.

A unique what? Or maybe they were asking but forgot the question mark at the end?

I am thankful that I got past the quote though and I got to the first beats of the song that instantly hooked me. The MV starts with the girls dancing in front of a wide screen that has a tree in the middle and symbols flashing at regular intervals.

The choreography of this features the much touted tutting. Finger movements that heighten the steps and they are really great to look at. The beat sounds like something F(x) would put in their songs and the similarity does not end there since this group also features an Amber type.

While girl groups like Twice and Momoland feature short haired girls they remain dressed in women's clothing. Miya however is dressed like a boy. Sadly I was not able to hear if she was as good as Amber(A personal favorite of mine) but at least she makes a great showing in the visual and dance department. The world needs another F(x) and GWSN just might be that group.

Back to the MV , my theory is that the girls are all trapped in this complex , sealed away by the big screen that serves as their background as they dance. They were probably put in there as a magical experiment and were promised that if they learn the power of the seals and weaken them that they can be sent free. This is why you will see that in every waking hour they keep on experimenting with hand gestures and researching these symbols even when they should be eating , taking a bath or even sleeping.

In the end they did figure out the correct patterns as they are able to move out of their "prison".

GWSN showcases a tall maknae , a strong rapper and really great vocalists. The choreography is a treat to watch in itself so check the practice video. This group reminds me of Oh My girl when they were debuting. Not because of the star symbols but because of their beautiful coordinated movements.

I am expecting greater things from them in the future. I wonder what they will come up next.

"Vraska , Golgari Queen: Back and still killing it."

"Vraska , Golgari Queen: Back and still killing it."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

I have always told my friends that i wanted a Vraska and I got me one in a fair trade as well as in the Jace Vs. Vraska Duel planeswalker deck that I bought later on. I have always tried to include the Gorgon in many of my builds and one particular ability I enjoyed is her ultimate ability of creating 3 tokens that could defeat a player with one damage.

I have tried various ways in making this happen but I am never able to pull it off.Mostly because I use Vraska as a tool to destroy something and my opponents make sure that I never get to use her another time.

but enough of the past and on to the future. Vraska used to be an assassin but now thanks to a deal with Nicol Bolas she is the new Golgari Queen! And as queen she brings something else to the table.

For 2 colorless mana and golgari colors you get a planeswalker who enters 4 loyalty counters on it. 

For her first ability(+2) she commands one of her subjects or something that she owns to be sacrificed. Any permanents will do from lands to planeswalkers but mostly like this will be Saprolings or a creature that wants to be in the graveyard and the Golgari are full or creatures who enjoy the grave. So what do you get for this sacrifice? You gain 1 life and draw a card! One life is nothing to sneeze at and drawing a card as well. A better and worse version of Costly Plunder on a stick.

Better because any permanent can be sacrificed , worse since you only get to draw 1 card.

For her 2nd ability (-3) You can destroy a non-land permanent that cost 3 mana or loss. Abrupt Decay on a stick!There are a lot of targets in the EDH setting that fits this. I must say that this is a lot weaker than her original Vraska form but this will do the trick in a pinch.

And the ability that I am most excited is her ultimate skill(-9). You get an emblem with Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player that player loses the game!"

As Queen she just made all of your creatures to be assassins that can do her bidding! And all they need to do is connect! And I had that image in my head of a lowly saproling just minding it's own business and then Vraska commands her to attack and instantly kills an opponent. That Slimefoot deck is looking more and more appealing now.

And with creatures like this one you increase your changes of killing at least one opponent. I like my new queen. Time for me to get one.