"World War Z:Living and Surviving in a World full of Zombies"

"World War Z:Living and Surviving in a world full of zombies"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

I have to admit that I was one of those guys who heard about World War Z when I saw the trailer of a bunch of Zombies piling on top of each other so that they could reach a helicopter.I watched the movie and after reading comments that said that the book was better than the movie went out and bought the book the following day.

Needless to say I really enjoyed the book more than the movie. The movie was geared more to be like an international version of 28 Weeks later. The Book was an all too different affair.While I cannot fault how the movie was made to be more visually exciting there is one fundamental difference between the book and Movie Zombies. Their speed.The Movie zombies ran.The Book Zombies groaned and shambled.

Plot: The book basically is a collection of interviews from survivors of the zombie war. From the earliest days when the first case of Zombie infestation was discovered in China until the day that most of America was won over from the Undead Menace. We would see the story unfold through the eyes of various nationalities all around the world and find a reality that we hope would never come to pass.

The Good: 

- Since the story is told in the point of view of so many characters there are so many angles that the story is attacked. There are so many points of view yet all tie in to the theme of the problems that they faced during the Zombie War.

- There are a lot of stand out stories by themselves and though it progresses from discovery to victory you could stop at any particular narrative and just continue. 

- Each story is affected by culture and political background. Soldiers for example from the Battle of Yonkers make an excellent narrative about the horrors that they had to face during battle and how the army redesigned a different approach to facing their enemy. There are so many contrasts and a keen reader would see it.

- Some of the more interesting stories are the Battle for Yonkers , The narration of the Feral child,The Japanese Otaku and The Blind Man who survived in the mountains.The Astronaut from the International Space Station.

- Though the zombies are the main antagonists of the stories and humanity the main protagonists. The book also deals with human failure and the human spirit.

- Though the threat of zombies seem unreal the book treats it as real as it ever will be and midway through the book you would never wish for it to happen in real life. 

The Bad:

- For those who want a neat origin story. Mr. Brooks did not expound what kind of infection made people into zombies. Although it was hinted that the Cubans already knew what it was before every one else. 

The Ugly: 

- Each and every zombie is ugly. There are still many of them roaming the unclaimed zones and under the sea. A possible starting point for an outbreak.

- The true face of Humanity when facing danger.

Conclusion: A lot of research went through making the book and it shows in the feel of each interview. I give this book a two thumbs up for tackling a subject that seems like the stuff of nightmares. In it we find a world changed  , as well as the people who inhabit it. 

"Celestial Archon: The gods have bestowed"

"Celestial Archon: The gods have bestowed"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

During my earlier days of Magic I was enamored by the simple fact that you could pile on several Aura's or enchantments on one creature and that creature could make such an impact that it would consistently pummel opponents to a pulp. Of course , this was when casual games were being played and the concept of creature control was held in the minimum. After joining my first tournament it became quite apparent that though Aura's have a place in Standard play it is still something that can be be easily taken cared of by a simple Doom blade or the deck can suffer from a lack of creatures to enchant when you cannot draw them. So lack of creatures spells doom for a deck that relies heavily on Aura's for the win hence the lack of appeal for some. With Theros arriving in a few short weeks this is set to change. Theros is set to do what Mirrodin did to Artifacts , create an environment that will favor those playing Enchantments.

M14 came out with a very Aura-centric card in Ajani's Chosen. A 2/2 cat that is to be enchanted with an Angelic Destiny or Rancor is nothing to sniff at. 

However the card that I would like to talk about talk about Bestows so much more. No literally it introduces the Bestow Mechanic to the world.Enter the Celestial Archon , A creature that normally costs 5 mana to cast that has the Bestow Mechanic. The bestow mechanic works like this you can pay the Bestow cost of this card and it enters the battlefield as an Aura(enchant creature) card. If it not attached to a creature it then becomes a 4/4 Flying . First strike Creature! This creature also has the distinct feature of being an Enchantment and a creature at the same time! More on that later but check this out first.

So let us say that you already have an Ajani's Chosen in play and you decide to Bestow it with the Archon's awesome stat pump of +4/+4 Flying First Strike.A 2/2 Cat will be created and the Aura will attach to the cat. Netting you a 6/6 Monstrosity that Flies and Defends like a boss! You have a possible finisher on the board already. 

Of course in the upper levels of the game creature removal can be found at every turn. What you will have here is a what people call a 2 for 1. If in any event the 2/2 cat or any creature being enchanted disappears the Celestial Archon will drop and become another creature! And a very big creature at that! It might be the final push to finish an opponent in the end game. It might be a bit pricey but there might be possible creatures with Bestow that cost a lot lower.We would just have to see as Theros comes out.I wonder what else the gods would bestow upon us.

"Me , The Boards and the #13"

"Me , The Boards and the #13"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

The world is full of people who see signs and those who do not. Then there are those who see the signs and totally ignore them because they are listening to something else.

I first saw the number 13 popping up 3 days before the actual board exams. 13 being the number for bad luck it was coming up  a lot as I was taking up the boards and after it. I was assigned to Room 313 in MLQU , I was student #13. The exam was August 2013. Someone would see the signs and already decide that this was an ill-fated thing. It was locked in for me but I saw it as something that was for me. Claimed it despite my fears. Kept Faith despite the doubts. My Dad and Brother said that it was my lucky 13. I believed them despite the number. I came into the exam with a humility that I did not have, I have shed off the arrogance that I had in the past. I was able to see that I will not be able to do it on my own. My logic alone will not be enough. The things I read will not be enough. I would also need to believe. (Neo ikaw ba yan?). #13 would not leave me.

On the 2nd day of the exam we have been warned through text messages that various syndicates were targeting the examinees Notice of Admission (It is our test permit so to speak). They would then ask you to pay 1000 pesos so that they would release it to you after swiping it from you. The NOA was important , it was needed for our goals. As I took a seat on the 3rd floor of MLQU to read my physio notes I noticed a CDB (Cracking D' Boards) Clear Envelope  with a NOA still in it. Thinking that someone was sitting in that spot and just went to the bathroom I paid no mind to it until about 30 minutes later.I was curious so I looked and found that it was one of my classmates , someone who I passed by but never really got to talk to. I said is this a sign? Where was the number 13 then? I looked at the guys name and counted. It was Francis Joseph. #13 poked its head at me again. I looked for the guy and met up with Freddie Combo another classmate that I chatted with a lot during breaks and we found him. The relief on Francis' face said it all. I was all to happy to hand him the NOA. I wondered if it was someone else who found it? Would they have kept it and kept him from taking the exam? It would mean an automatic zero and that zero would adjust the grade curve to let a vast majority pass. I know I would not want anything like that on my conscience and then I said to Francis to just focus on the exams now. I stopped reading my Physio notes and prayed silently in a secluded spot. I felt a calmness come over me. The Physio exam was like a blessing. I smiled knowing that someone else was taking the boards properly now because of me.I have managed to make a difference in a person that I have never talked to before in my life. 

When the exams were over. Before handing my final answer sheet and questionnaire I offered a silent prayer. I did not break my pencils as tradition dictated in these exams. I gave them to charity. I kept one. Now I and 2200 others would wait. Then came Maring and the Holidays. The agonizing days of waiting stretched on. There was no word when the exam results would come out. Was there another #13 somewhere here that was presenting itself? One final jinx? One final seed of doubt that was setting itself? It was Maring. The 13th storm that has come ashore. Following the storm naming system M is the number 13. Would it prove lucky or not? I am writing this today to show that my parents and brothers were right. I passed. 

One more thing that my wife noticed.I was Exam Passer 531. 31 is 13 reversed.Signs or not. To God be the Glory. 

"The Ghost by the bed 2"

"The Ghost by the bed 2"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Every time I go to Baguio  I still remember the incident at Teachers camp where a ghost impersonated my friend and laid on the bed next to mine.There was another encounter though and this one though not in Teachers camp was also in Baguio City.

It was my first day as a freshman of UP College Baguio. My Mom and I went up together because I had to enroll and she had a business meeting. Arriving early(around 4:30am) in the City of Pines we decided to stay at one of the hotels near the old Maharlika building so we could still sleep before 8am.(The time we were told the College would open).  

When we got to our rooms my mom chose the bed closest to the wall , lay down and promptly went to sleep. Having nothing else to do I did the same. 

I woke up because I was feeling really excited and looked at my watch. It was 6am. I was feeling a little hungry so I turned to my Mom to ask her if she wanted to have some breakfast. I turned and saw something. It was a ghost.

It was a man who didn't seem to notice me but lay on the queen sized bed right next to my mom. There was a ghost in the room  , not a few feet from me and I found myself unable to move.Should I throw something toward my mom wake her up? Should I start screaming at the ghost? what would I do if it turned towards me? 

The decision on what to do was solved by the ghost itself. It slowly turned to face my mom.And deliberately hugged her. I stood up and ran toward my mom just as the apparition faded. My Mom woke up shaking. I told her that a ghost just hugged her.

My mom started praying and speaking in tongues as she was was prone to do when she was upset.Though there was no feeling of malice or danger my mom decided to check out and never go back there again.

"EDH battles: Tunnel-Visioning to Victory"

"What is that I see? Is that...A way to win?"

"EDH battles: Tunnel-Visioning to Victory"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

Playing Possum is a sound tactic. Hiding one's true strengths is a page out of the Romulan playbook. "To be unknown is to be powerful." Sometimes it is also great to just let it all hang out so in one of the casual EDH games that I was in I was happy to be just be my aggressive self. Pressuring people is easy when you have a commander who keeps on getting bigger with each damage that he dishes out. In every EDH game there are some who show off their strategies and there are some who hold out to the very end. As a personal policy I always try and pressure the new guy on the table so that he would show me what his deck could do. If I meet you for the first time on an EDH battlefield, the first words out of my mouth after I put a +1/+1 counter on Skull Briar is "Welcome to the game". People usually don't mind this , it is just my way of saying hello and finding out what the deck could do. Sometimes I never find out because my opponents die but sometimes they survive long enough to show me that I should channel my aggression elsewhere. 

Sometimes I do channel my aggression elsewhere to help an opponent develop so I can see how he can pull off a win. One example was an Izzet mage who was content to just blend in to the background. This was Neil who people were teasing to have a powered deck. I never played with him before so I wanted to see why people were teasing him so much.So there I was chipping away at my other opponents life totals , deliberately not attacking the guy to see if he would have any defensive or card drawing creature that he would drop. It was odd but he did not cast anything. He was just there waiting. I was almost through with one of my opponents life totals when he decided that I was the imminent threat to everyone ( I wondered how he assessed that with a 9/9 Skull Briar already on the board) and brought out his killing combo piece. 

During my second main phase he countered a Sylvan Primordial that I cast with a Hinder. This put the Sylvan Primordial at the bottom of my library.On his turn he then used a Tunnel Vision naming Sylvan Primordial. The sorcery would then require me to Mill my library until I revealed the named card which was now at the very bottom. This effectively put 80 or so cards in my graveyard. Milling me to 1 card and killing me on the next two turns wasn't exactly a thrilling experience for me but I did appreciate the great kill combo.Assuming that he survived the other opponents that were more aware of his tricks. Everyday is another day of learning I suppose and it was great to discover another great win condition. It also showed a glaring weakness that can be fixed with one card. I swore to get an Ulamog and pay more attention the next time around. I don't ever want anyone else tunnel visioning me to a loss again. 

"I will be ready"

"EDH Battles: The Massacre Wurm Massacre"

"EDH Battles: The Massacre Wurm Massacre"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

Ah the Massacre Wurm ,a really really great asset in taking out a lot of those pesky 1/1's and 2/2's in early games. The casting cost of this monster screams a full commitment to Black mana since it requires 3 of these and 3 colorless to be cast normally. Thank goodness I was running a reanimator deck that didn't rely on the color requirements all that much.At 6/5 he is a really great Aggressor and defender when needed but what he really brings to the table is the ability to give -2/-2 to all of your opponents creatures until end of turn.( He just smiles at those indestructible and Hexproof 2/2's). He also has the added ability of having opponents lose 2 life for each creature that goes to his or her graveyard. Such a wonderful comes into play ability. Something that I really needed because during my early EDH days I was facing a lot of aggressive weenie EDH decks. 

I maybe a fan of swarming my opponents but I'm not so fond of being swarmed by a horde myself. So I decided that I would really purchase one for my EDH deck ( all the better to kill Soldier tokens with). I bought my copy from my good friend Mark and ironically he was the first person that I got to use it on. We had a battle between his ever efficient Mono Red Krenko Tokenator deck that pumped out a real mob of Goblins that overwhelmed opponents on a consistent basis and my favorite Skull Briar that normally did not have a creature with such massive removal capabilities. The massive amount of tokens on Mark's side of the board meant that he would take damage in the 20's, I didn't really want to use the recently purchased card on him ( He was reluctant to sell it because he knew what would happen but he sold it anyway) but I was about to have a rampaging horde of 2/2 goblins down my neck of the woods. Needless to say he knew that his deck was strong and he knew I now had an answer to it. Funny thing is he still beats me with those goblins most of the time. 

At a recent EDH free for all in the ongoing Arsenal League my Massacre Wurm would shine through for me again , this time it was against Consistent Contender Karl. I had to face down 13 2/2 tapped zombies from Army of the Damned which Karl had cast in order to pressure everyone on the board. I had the most to lose because my life total was the lowest. I was sure I was a goner with just 6 lands , no creatures to block with and no decent Mass removal spell in my hand (Where is a Damnation when you need one?!!!). You could just imagine how happy I was when I drew no other than Mr. Massacre Wurm with all his sharp teeth grinning at me. I knew he was hungry and wasn't so squemish in eating up 2/2 Zombies. When he landed on the battlefield and with no one in a hurry to counter him , my friend Karl took in a whopping 26 life loss to the face while losing the army he had hard cast.  Awesome Moment. I wish I had a camera. I didn't.I eventually lost the game but that Massacre Wurm arriving on the battlefield , the other players assessing if its to their advantage to have it land and then deciding to have it resolve is a great feeling. So after retooling my deck Mr. Massacre Wurm was an auto add in and will always be in any of my EDH decks that would have black in it. 

Sometimes is just not enough to kill one creature. Sometimes it has to be a total massacre and I will  always have the right guy...err...Wurm for the job. Till next time! Keep on brewing! Keep on playing! 

"Outbreak Tablas: The Failure"

"Outbreak Tablas: The Failure"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr

He had considered himself lucky. Lucky to be alive. This electric post had saved his life. It has been 2 days since he found himself scrambling up the steel steps. 2 days since these things  , these slow undead , flesh eating things  had cornered him here with no hope of escape. His stomach was growling now. His muscles ached from holding on to the steel rungs that were now biting into the flesh of his palms and his thighs. He had slept up the electric post free from the undead's reach by hugging the concrete slabs tightly and tying his arms among the rungs.He continued to sit in a manner that would have looked comical to anyone still alive who could see it. He had to laugh at that thought just a little bit. Nobody in town would be alive. It was just him and Them now. A tear dropped from his eye. Hitting one of the creatures that was consistently trying to grab his leg. His Wife and daughter could be dead by now. He promised them that he would come back for them. He promised that he would bring help. He told them that it was better for him to go alone , that they would be safe in the basement of their house. All they need to do is to keep the door closed. He would come back for them. He promised. He kissed his little girl and she hugged him. 

"Please hurry back Papa ,I'm scared." He could still remember her saying.

He promised he would be back but the undead were everywhere.There was a mass of them wherever he turned. Neighbors and out of town Fiesta visitors all mingled to produce a mob that was out to get him. He had run and run and in the distance he saw the concrete electric post.He fought his way toward it and scrambled up the steel rungs just in time to get away from the creatures grabbing hands. He knew that there was no way for him to go back down now. The post was far away from any roof for him to jump. As far as he knew the power was still on. The zombies at his feet were a deep throng of outstretched arms , reaching out for him. Moaning for his flesh. He had to get out of here for his wife and daughter. There has to be away to save them. He just can't do nothing.

It was then that he saw them. At the far edges of the undead crowd. He saw the bright yellow dress that her daughter wore when she last saw her.The dress was now tinged with blackened blood coming from the huge gash on her young neck. His wife shambled along with her. He had failed them. He had promised them salvation. He had promised them safety. The 2 seem to have seen him as they continued their seemingly purposeless movements. They hungrily reached out for him. 

He looked at them one last time. And let go of the steel rungs.  

_____________________________________________

Outbreak Tablas and Outbreak Manila will be a collection of short stories about people who were there when the zombie apocalypse finally came. I have a couple of them in the works. I hope you enjoyed reading them as I have enjoyed writing them. Thank you.