Reading Scud

Scud: The Whole Shebang

Rob Schrab's Scud the Disposable Assassin is a surprisingly (yet late) read for me. I've heard of it from Wizard magazine but never bothered to look for one (with a publishing outfit like Fireman Press, it's not that easy). I never expected it to be THIS funny. It's probably been a month since I laughed while reading a comic book.

Scud (the protagonist) is unbelievably thinks practically like a human. This is how artificial intelligence will ultimately become: considers survival as an ultimate basic need. So, here's the dilemma with Scud since it dies when its primary objective is met. What will it do to survive?

Kevin Garnett Taunting Jose Calderon II

My office colleague showed me the video and my first (and probably only) reaction was pure disgust. I've gone to read at forums and most people are saying that KG is classless and should have been assessed a technical foul for taunting. I think it's pure sellout. The NBA is too chicken to deal with stars (I assume that they consider KG as one of the faces of the NBA).

Other people are saying that they miss the good old NBA where taunting and physicality was the norm. Taunting is fairly normal but it shouldn't be that obvious to the public. Players can go on to trash talk (though Gary Payton would also be assessed a technical foul for non-stop trash talking before) and not get T'd up. That's okay because that can still be considered as part of the game. Kevin Garnett was not doing a normal trash talking. Chasing a player from one end of the court to the other end? Clapping? Heck, I get a technical foul when I clap my hands while I'm on the court!

Fans who are posting in defense of KG are saying that Calderon might have said something while chasing after KG's shot. That to me is the correct way to trash talk and taunt. How KG reacted to it is pure disgusting.

And if the NBA does not wish to go back to the days of the Palace brawl and Ron Artest, they better think again and review how KG was taunting another player which would have warranted a brawl (if I were Calderon's teammate, I would have words with KG and who knows what would happen next).

In this regard, I am starting a "No to KG in the All-Star" campaign. Kevin Garnett does not deserve to be in the All-Star game. True, it might have been just once that he did such a thing but he should be a better player than that.

Kevin Garnet Taunting Jose Calderon

My top 10 Shards of Alara cards

I had a top 10 Shadowmoor cards when the said expansion was released. I wanted to do Eventide but I realized that after I ranked the cards, it didn't make any sense at all. I forgot what was my number 1 card but I know it wasn't worth it.

I'm changing my outlook on these rankings. Instead of just ranking them on how "powerful" they really are, I have to look whether the card would be applicable to have a deck that would make use of it. This different outlook will look towards how useful the card really is in the current metagame, and hopefully I have enough grasp of the metagame.

I'm ranking the cards from 10 going to 1. First, an honorable mention:

Mindlock Orb is bound to be a sideboard card. And it's just too bad that it's rare. I'm going to assume that players will cringe at opening packs that have this as the rare card because it's not that useful at the first glance. Seeing as it can affect quite a lot of powerful and useful cards: the Lorwyn tribal harbingers, Primal Command's search mode, Shards' panorama lands, etc., I've ranked it as an honorable mention. Not good enough to be in the top 10 but it should not be put aside also.

10. Ethersworn Canonist

It's a control player's card. It's not just for an Esper shard deck but placing this on a white-x control deck helps limit the spells that an opponent would play per turn. But there's just a catch. If the opponent is an Esper shard deck though, that's a situation. Overall, the advantages trump the single disadvantage. It's a circumcised Rule of Law on legs and it's a bear to boot!

9. Elvish Visionary

The new Sakura Tribe-Elder? Sure looks like it but it's not as fast. The card draw on legs is a great card for green and green has always been the color that needs card draws. Even late in the game, Elvish Visionary provides the body to block potential game killing creatures while providing that one extra card for a possible solution.

8. Wild Nacatl

The new Kird Ape is more at home in an extended deck with the Ravnica shock lands. I'd gamble in using Wild Nacatl even in a standard deck. 1 to cast for 3/3 is a good enough card.

7. Ranger of Eos

The art doesn't do him any justice but since this is not a top 10 for Magic art, disregard my last thought. First look I see Reveillark written all over it. Granted that there aren't many game changing 1 to cast creatures out there, it makes the card look a little bit tame. The first card to search that comes into mind is no other than Figure of Destiny. Figure of Destiny is one card that one wouldn't mind to get in the late game considering it can be transformed to its bigger incarnations. Another card option is Akrasan Squire. That one extra point (or 2 extra points) of damage from the Exalted ability might just provide the win for that turn.

6. Jund Charm

I placed Jund Charm here because of the instant Pyroclasm effect that it provides. The card instantly makes Pyroclasm useless for a red-x deck. Jund Charm's versatility is with the two other modes. Removing a player's graveyard is good against graveyard manipulation decks. Meanwhile, getting two +1/+1 counters isn't bad either. But the Pyroclasm effect is enough to convince me to put it at where it is.

5. Hell's Thunder

Hell's Thunder is currently looking like it's too high at where it's at. All I see in this card is a 3 to cast 4 damage similar to Flame Javelin. Or in another way putting it, it's an 8 to cast for 8 damage. Clearly it's not that as good as Flame Javelin because it can be killed before it can damage. At least, with its Unearth ability, it can provide a 2nd go-around. And that ability just makes one think twice before wasting a creature-kill on a creature that will just come back later on.

4. Goblin Assault

Following Morningtide's Bitterblossom, here is Shards with their own version but this time it is a red enchantment (quite unusual itself) that's 3 casting cost and produces the same 1/1 creature but with haste (and not flying). The lack of evasion puts this card down a little bit. But I've always associated red to producing creatures (right next to green) and the ability to churn out those pesky 1/1s every turn is good. And for those planning to just be rid of the creatures later on for Shards' Devour ability, go ahead.

3. Empyrial Archangel

It's costly at its casting cost but Empyrial Archangel can turn things around on its own. At 5/8 and shroud, it's got a huge butt and an unaffected butt at that. If it can get through, it's at most 4 turns of attack while the opponent has to figure out to dish out at least 8 points of damage to attempt to get rid of the angel. Altogether, it's a difficult situation to be in and the angel's game turning ability is a reason why I placed it at the 3rd spot.

2. Naya Charm

This is one charm that can turn out to be a game winner. The third mode says it all by tapping all the creatures that target player controls. It totally fits the Naya shard since it's a possible relentlessly attacking shard. The first mode is not bad itself considering that it's a creature removal mode.

1. 3-color tap lands


Ah. Lands. Beautiful lands. The 3-color tap lands will be a dominating presence in Standard constructed. Will they win games on their own? Not exactly. But they are sure to provide the mana that will win the games. And that is all that is required for these lands.

Magic the Gathering fat pack

Here's an attempt at chronicling the only Magic product that I've bought religiously.

I started buying fat packs during Champions of Kamigawa. I had recently returned to playing Magic (actually, returned during Fifth Dawn) and I was aching to get my hands on several cards in one sitting. One of the attractions was the novel and the Kamigawa block had a beautiful story going with it. Even the previews provided intriguing stories.

The local store had not even heard of a fat pack before. The contents were as follows: 6 booster packs, a novel, 20-sided die, 40 basic lands, a random foil card, and the player's guide (printed on letter-sized glossy magazine-like paper).

The Kamigawa block fat pack was packaged elaborately: wrapped in cheap plastic and with a prominent display-like appearance to attract buyers.

The fat pack stayed this way for the whole block.

Aside from the interest in the novel, I enjoyed the player's guide tremendously as it helped in deckbuilding. It was only one block but it helped a lot.

Things changed with the release of 9th Edition Core Set. Wizards maintained the 6 booster packs, 20-sided die, and the 40 basic lands. They improved the player's guide by printing it on a smaller sized but thicker paper. Since Core Set releases are not connected to any story, there was no novel. Changes included the 2 card boxes that featured new artwork and the card dividers. All these were wrapped around a packaging that featured artwork from the set.

The card boxes are uber-necessary. With no proper container for my cards, I was able to finally stock the cards that I needed and not place them in 4-sleeved albums.

The new expansion block Ravnica: City of Guilds continued to apply the changes from the Core Set. The novel continued. The 20-sided die got replaced with a different life counter (card-like with rotating numbers to keep track of the life). Well, there's not much to say about the novels because they've always been poorly written. The huge miss was the life counter. To this date, I've never used the Ravnica block life counters and they're just somewhere with the cards in the card boxes.

Right in the middle of Ravnica and the next expansion, Wizards released Coldsnap - said to be the long lost 3rd set of the Ice Age block. Thankfully, the 20-sided die returned. The novel that was included was just the story from Ice Age and I must say that I have never opened the book.

Time Spiral block ushered in the old school feel of Magic and the fat pack continued without any change. The 10th Edition Core Set lost the novel once more (as expected) but maintained everything else.

The fat packs of Lorwyn and Morningtide continued to have the same contents but a huge change came with Shadowmoor. To offset the loss of 1 card box, the fat pack now got "fatter" with 2 more booster packs. The fat pack also lost the card dividers. I might have to say that 1 card box has the same price as 2 booster packs then. The loss of the card box doesn't hurt much because there's still one left. Which now leads us to the most recent change of them all.

Shards of Alara fat pack loses the novel and replaces it with a preview "booklet" of the Planeswalker's Guide to Alara. Coupled with the 1 basic land per booster pack arrangement, it seems that Wizards is doing quite a lot to stay profitable and I'm not amused at all over their cost-cutting measures.

The fat pack has now become unworthy for its money. And oh yeah, suggested retail price even increased! The pain!

Just to add more pain: How about getting Ooze Garden in one of your packs? Or not getting a mythic rare at all. Sheesh.

Sorry I have to be grouchy.

NBA 08-09 season in just less than a month?

Wow!

Didn't the Boston Celtics just won the 2008 NBA season like a month ago?

It seems like I never got to miss the NBA season. What would NBA players playing in that other season and winning it all. I'm talking about the 2008 Beijing Olympics were the NBA players were at win-or-go-home mode.

So, it's October and it's officially less than a month to go before the 82-game season kicks off. There has been a lot of offseason activity that's going to change the real season.

In the tradition of sports sites where they preview and rank the 30 NBA teams, here's my own version of ranking the teams. For ease of view, I'm ranking them by division.

The Boston Celtics division:
(note: I don't know each division's real name. Funnier to name it the way I'm naming it)
1. Boston Celtics - the defending champions showed that having 3 great players and 2 other mediocre players can win a championship. I doubt that everybody else is going to get surprised by this team. But they're still strong. They'll miss James Posey come playoff time and that's a story for another post.

2. Philadelphia 76ers - the Sixers get Elton Brand. They're getting back the rest of their core players. Brand has never been a selfish player that wants all the attention. He'll relinquish the scoring role to Andre Iguodala.

3. Toronto Raptors - the Raptors also beefed up in the offseason in getting Jermaine O'Neal. O'Neal has a lot going against him so it should help fuel his drive (and hopefully his body). The Raptors got rid of PG TJ Ford to get O'Neal. The trade is not disadvantageous for the Raptors because they have an excellent PG in Jose Calderon.

4. New Jersey Nets - the Nets are prime candidates to finish last in this division but who are we kidding from giving the last place to the Knicks. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd suddenly win this division because Lawrence Frank has that notion to get his team going even if it's only just a season. They have the right blend of players to be surprising.

5. New York Knicks - eeyuck! There's no way that the Knicks will have a winning season this year. Not yet. They have to learn to play together.

Detroit division:
(I call this the Detroit division after how many seasons the Pistons have led this division)
1. Cleveland Cavaliers - will this be the season when the Cavs rule the division? Will this be the season that LeBron James wins it all? Won't he be too tired after the Olympics? Will he share the scoring responsibilities with Mo Williams? All these answers will lead to the Cavs winning the division finally. And maybe because the Pistons are in a turmoil.

2. Detroit Pistons - they just won't go away that easily. Maybe what will hinder them is the lack of experience of their new coach. Otherwise, everything else should be the same because everyone else is back for another season. And yeah, nobody got traded. Nice bluff, Joe Dumars!

3. Milwaukee Bucks - because no other team will come out of the cellar, I'll give the default 3rd place to the Bucks. Here's to Skiles and teaching this team to play defense. He's got the core group to get them over that defensive hump.

4. Indiana Pacers - they're not that organized yet. Larry Bird wants to get rid of the players he currently has in his team and that doesn't sound good to any coach.

5. Chicago Bulls - new coach. Let me restate that, new inexperienced coach. Good luck Vinny del Negro. You got to win over Ben Gordon, who is agreeing to only a one year contract. You got to win over Luol Deng who definitely wants to be recognized as the true team leader. You got to win over Joakim Noah who as a rookie already started getting in teammates' faces. Isn't that saying something about his future?

The other East division:
1. Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard rules this division! The man-child is primed for MVP consideration, finally. And with not much competition, it's a walk over.

2. Washington Wizards - after giving a huge contract extension to Gilbert Arenas, they find out that he'll miss the start of the season. They don't actually need him in the regular season. And they'll survive with what they currently have in Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler. Rest easy, Gilbert. The team needs you during the playoffs.

3. Miami Heat - I'd want to see the Miami Heat come back to win this division. But then again, if they do, I'd expect Pat Riley to suddenly take over just like the last time he took over for Stan van Gundy. Huh? Van Gundy didn't want to coach anymore? Nobody pushing him around to resign? So why the heck is he coaching exactly right now? Sheesh. 3rd place for Miami to temper down Pat Riley. Stay retired please.

4. Atlanta Hawks - just because we saw them make the playoffs this year doesn't mean they come back. They got in because this is the Eastern Conference where 8th place teams are one-hit wonders.

5. Charlotte Bobcats - what can Larry Brown do? Michael Jordan has to scout players properly otherwise Brown will end up with bad players. There's just so much a coach can do without getting the proper personnel in place. The Bobcats will compete. I'm sure Brown will make sure of that.

Texas division:
(ah, one of the most, if not the most, intriguing divisions in the NBA)
1. New Orleans Saints - they still have it. And James Posey will try to prove that he's got the championship touch a la Robert Horry.

2. Dallas Mavericks - I like Rick Carlisle. He did wonders for the Pistons. He might be a little bit controll-ish but he gets the job done. Dirk Nowitzki should be happy playing for him. And Jason Kidd will enjoy setting up all those plays.

3. San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan is still a dominant player. And there's no way that they will be ranked lower in the Texas Division. They'll miss Manu Ginobili but I can see them racking up the wins when he comes back. In the meantime, they'll bore you to death with their methodical game strategies.

4. Houston Rockets - where else would they be? It's a tough division. But considering how Tracy McGrady or Yao Ming have never finished the season together doesn't bode well for the Rockets. Hopefully Ron Artest can negate the possible loss from the two star players.

5. Memphis Grizzlies - I hope one day they'll do a Tampa Bay Rays impersonation and surprise everybod in the Texas division. They're young and inexperienced but hopefully they can run.

California division:
1. Los Angeles Lakers - the team with not much change in the offseason is sure to come back to lead this division once more. They will not surprise rivals anymore but they can still dominate. Now, if they can really get a decent point guard other than Derek Fisher...

2. Phoenix Suns - they're the lucky team to be 2nd place in the division. And that's because no other team is that good to keep up with the Lakers. The Suns have a new coach in Terry Porter and the same old bodies in Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq isn't retiring yet and who knows what he went through in the offseason to be energized for the new season.

3. Los Angeles Clippers - I'll trust on Baron Davis to lead this team. Big men are the premium in this league and thankfully he still has Chris Kaman left. Losing Elton Brand isn't going to go well but Davis did just fine without a legit big man in Golden State.

4. Golden State Warriors - they lose Baron Davis but get Corey Maggette. And they still won't play defense this season. They didn't acquire a legit big man so they'll continue to run this season.

5. Sacramento Kings - the last place team by default. I'd expect them to be a competitive team just like the Charlotte Bobcats in their division. And I wouldn't be surprised if they'll pull of some sort of miracle a la Memphis Grizzlies wishing. Kevin Martin needs help. That's all.

The other Western division:
1. Utah Jazz - the Jazz win this division by default again. But they better be careful because the Portland Trail Blazers are up and coming. The Jazz still has to deal with AK47 Andrei Kirelenko. They can trade him now for serviceable parts.

2. Portland Trail Blazers - Greg Oden is still a rookie. The Blazers can surprise the Western Conference this year. They ran out of gas last year. They've added numerous weapons. Nate McMillan will be challenged to utilize everyone. Make them all happy coach!

3. Denver Nuggets - they lost Marcus Camby in a cost-cutting move. Camby was the only defender in the team. So, the Nuggets are back to becoming an offense-oriented team. Joy! My advice to the Denver organization, get rid of Allen Iverson now and buckle up for this season.

4. Minnesota Wolves - they get the benefit of the doubt here. They didn't lose a major player and instead added a serviceable Kevin Love. His impact is still questionable and hopefully Love doesn't spell out to BUST.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder - last place name gets last place position. Ugh. Why couldn't they find a different name. Sooners already taken? Kevin Durant is going to have a franchise-like season. He'll be considered as MVP if the Thunder end up out of last place.

And of course, meeting the guys of 8th Realm

It was great to meet the 8th Realm regulars during my visit to Manila.

First, I got to shake the hand of fellow 8th Realm moderator JT Porter, former Philippine National Champion.

On Sunday, I met up with Chingpag to collect my souvenir for supporting the May 25 Mox Pearl tournament. On hand was Lauren de Jesus.

I hooked up with JB and he pointed to me the 8th Realm guys: Dawgie, Rainman (I'm not forgetting your name here this time), Naps, Morris Tan, etc.

And there was mistervader also, the celebrity magician.

It was nice meeting you all!

GP Manila 08

It's too dark... But I hope the logo is prominent enough. I just got back from Manila (specifically Mandaluyong City) after a grueling 2-day (got to participate in the first day only) Grand Prix tournament that enticed the likes of MTG Pros Raphael Levy, Shuhei Nakamura, Tomoharu Saito, Terry Soh, and many others to join.

Getting to win would have been achievement but joining the said tournament was worth the travel. The experience and feel of a huge tournament that comes but once in every two years in the Philippines has inspired me to be a better player.

Anyway, as a sort of a summary, here is my GP experience report (never mind the actual tournament performance report because I sucked really bad):

I arrived 10AM Friday in Manila at NAIA 3. Thankfully the terminal wasn't that confusing as described by several articles in the Internet regarding the inefficiency of the operation in the terminal. But I did have to endure a long walk from the plane to the terminal exit.

The said Grand Prix was once again held at the Megatrade Hall A of SM Megamall. Upon arrival there, the place was already bustling with activity as players were vying for last chance byes. I instead joined a Super FNM Sealed Deck tournament. I didn't bother to ask how many rounds the tournament would be and upon learning that it would be 6 rounds, I quit after the 4th round (6 PM on my watch). I figured that playing for two more hours would be killer.

Saturday - I got to the venue by 10AM and proudly flashed my ID to the security people which allowed me to enter into the building ahead of everybody else (why does everybody want to get to the mall early?). To sum up my tournament performance: two wins, 5 losses and 1 draw. I thought I was doing good after the 4th round when I got my 2nd win. Some will say that it's just coincidence and some will say that it might be superstition. After the 2nd win in the 4th round, I went out to take a leak and then grab lunch (it was already 4PM and I was starving). Things spiralled downward after that.

For the tournament proper, I had my opponents sign a basic land for remembrance sake. I figured that I might face a foreign opponent and ask for his/her signature, I might as well do the same to my fellow Filipinos. One opponent remarked that I was doing something unique. Yeah. That was the idea.

Oh yeah, before the tournament started, I got to ask for Terry Soh's and Raphael Levy's signatures. I still used a basic land (unfortunately, if I did have their Pro Player cards, I couldn't find them among my binder).

I was suprised by the number of women who played. And to think that they were all pretty looking! Now, that's my type of a girl. But all of them couldn't beat the best judge in the tournament - the only lady judge among the roses, Nikki.

One thing that could have been improved was how players would know where to sit in the tournament. It was too much to crowd around a small short-sized bond paper. Well, I don't have an exact idea on how it can be improved but I sure hope the organizers will be able to solve that dilemma.

Sunday - since I wasn't qualified to get to the 2nd day (with that record? Ugh.), I relegated myself to being a spectator. I only got to witness Soh vs. Nakamura as a featured match and it was great seeing two great players go head to head. Meanwhile, I got to talk to Saito. While asking for his autograph, Nikki got in to the act also and I shamelessly asked for her autograph.


I got Nakamura's autograph after his game with Saito. I did get to use his Pro Player card. Another shameless act: I asked for Nikki's marker.

The best memory of the GP? My moment with artist Darrell Riche. I was going to ask for an original sketch. He showed me what he was currently working on and I told him I'd be getting the next one he would make. Around 5PM, Mr. Riche was asked to pack up for an interview and I got back to him. He told me that he'd sell the work he showed me earlier but I respectfully declined, telling him that I wouldn't want the guy who asked for it to get mad. True enough, the guy got back. Mr. Riche gave me a thumbs-up that he was already working on my request.

He probably thought that I was leaving the venue because he came after me and gave me the drawing he was working on. I got my hand into my pocket but he declined my payment, telling me that I saved him from being on the bad side of the guy who asked for the first drawing.

And there it was. Mr. Riche told me that I was a noble person, shook my hand and told me that he was happy to have met me.

As what they say, good things do come to good people.

Retire already...

Brett Favre.

A classy athlete that I knew of the first time after watching There's Something About Mary (apparently, I hadn't discovered American football yet). After seeing the movie, his legacy began to grow on me. Here was a quarterback who was destined to break quarterback records. He has achieved what needs to be achieved as a quarterback in the NFL.

Fast forward to the late 2000s. Favre flip-flops from retiring to unretiring and does it in straight offseasons. The first time was tense. The second time was exhilarating. So anyway, how many years has this happened? I don't know because it has gotten to a point that I wouldn't care anymore. Flip-flopping just shows immaturity. It shows the lack of ability to make a decision. Why couldn't you decide? Is it that difficult to let go of the game? It just destroys your legacy. It's now considered untainted after the miraculous 2007 season (who would forget the scoop pass?).

And the demands. Who says that Favre could now demand for his role in the team? Wouldn't that just undermine the authority of the coach? How about the authority of the general manager?

And since the great Favre has no foresight towards his decisions, he has obviously skipped on the process of thinking through a season. As written above, 2007 was a miracle season. What happens now if 2008 would be disastrous with Green Bay starting Favre as the quarterback? Of course, another miracle season would be extremely miraculous but would that be more possible than a disastrous season after a miraculous one? The NFL is one of the most inconsistent sport leagues and Favre hasn't been a model of consistency, has he?

Avatar the Last Airbender

(a bit) SPOILER ALERT

Whew! Finally. After how many months (honestly, I don't know if it reached a year but I'm pretty sure it has), the animation series has finally reached the end. And what a way to end it all. I didn't have to wait for another week after one episode. Thankfully, Nickelodeon thought of putting the last 4 episodes together. Frankly, I think each new episode would just cancel out the previous one thus minimizing its "Oomph!" factor.

Specifics:

It was great seeing Aang and Zoku as friends. Its reminiscent of Avatar Roku and Firelord Azulon. And the last part where everybody else got to gather together is a fitting ending for the group. It epitomizes the whole series where love and friendship has always been put into importance.

Could the series have been improved further? I think not. Like I said, everything was timed just right.

So, what's next? Will there be more stories? Will there be more conflicts up ahead?

Princess Azula could still be a factor. And despite that some of the Fire Nation agrees to the crowning of the Firelord Zoku, I'm sure there are personalities in the Fire Nation who would hesitate to reverting back to their peaceful selves (once a warmonger, always a warmonger).

And if there aren't any new episodes, I expect M. Night Shyamalan to do good with his live adaptation of the animated series. With his daughters as his strongest critics, he should try to live up to the hype. 2010 is the expected year. I'll hope that it's going to be a good movie despite the criticism Shyamalan has gotten from his last 2 films.

Batman

The Dark Knight.

The World's Greatest Detective.

With the recent movie (hype) over The Dark Knight Returns, it occurred to me that Batman has always been one of my favorite characters ever since I started reading comic books. My brother was the Superman fan and I was "relegated" to the "lowly" Batman. Over role play, he was always Superman and I was Batman.

But what makes Batman such an attractive character (if not to you, it is to me)?

What has been left out from the movie is Batman the detective. Movie fans drool over his brooding personality, his "darkness" and the way he dispenses of criminals. In the DC comic books, Batman is one of the better thinkers of the DC Universe. Not exactly the wisest man, but intelligent and witty enough to solve even the toughest crime puzzles. He is known to be away from the other heroes as he works undercover (a third disguise, Malone, a gangster). At the end of the story, he pops out with the puzzle already solved a la Sherlock Holmes.

And then, it just dawns that he is only human. A bit superhuman because he has trained his body to be like an Olympic athlete but nevertheless just a normal human being with the cool gadgets and transportation. I might look at him as a dark James Bond in a cowl and cape. He lives the life as a millionaire playboy but goes into the night saving people.

And that I think is one of the reasons why the character is a favorite among comic book fans. His being human takes him closer to all of us. We are more likely to become Batman ourselves, one way or another.

As for the new movie, I haven't seen it yet but I plan to do so. Thankfully, the DC Comics company have transformed their movie characters into what they really are. No more cheesy comic book-like dialog that sucks too much (I'm talking to you, Joel Schumacher).

By the way, Batman comic books (especially the limited series) are always a good read. There are a rich set of characters that are involved in Gotham City, a city that doesn't seem to run out of criminals, especially the loony ones. And if you're a fan of psychology, you will notice that there are always psychological aspects to what happens in Gotham.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Not much of a space book reader but I'm enjoying Guardians of the Galaxy.

Maybe because it's been a long time since I grabbed an out-of-this-world adventure comic book. I'm talking about all those Infinity series, Silver Surfer, Galactus vs. whoever stuff.

The story of Guardians is light. The characters seem to retrace their steps as the reader gets into the whole story. And speaking of the characters, they are one kooky bunch. Fortunately, they are well-developed. 4 of the characters seem familiar to whoever has read the old Infinity Watch (Adam Warlock, Gamora, and Drax). The fourth familiar character is Captain Marvel (who has been reborn).

The racoon is lovably cute. Unfortunately, it's the only adjective I have for him. And he's supposed to be the demolitions expert in the team. In the second issue, he goes on an annoying binge by continuing his thoughts about naming the team as Guardians of the Galaxy.

One note about the old Guardians of the Galaxy team, I've never been a fan of it before. Well, again maybe because it's somehow out of this world. Space is even more vast but I always thought that the adventures that can be had is just minimal. Maybe I just need to expand my mind further.

Well, pick up Guardians of the Galaxy. :)

Continuation of top 10 Shadowmoor cards

One note: Unfortunately, I made a mistake regarding Inkfathom Witch. I thought it was the Turn to Mist like witch. Re-evaluating it, I realized it isn't that good. So, the top 10 cards are now down to just 9 cards. Hard to recall what I thought of as an honorable mention among the top 10 cards.

I finished with Demigod of Revenge the last time. I'm down to just 3 cards and they are:



Oona, Queen of the Fae

I must say that this is one wicked Legendary Creature - library depletion and creature production rolled into one. And it doesn't hurt either that it's a 5/5 flyer for just 6 mana.



Knollspine Invocation

In the tradition of Seismic Assault comes an enchantment that turns all the cards in the hand to direct damage spells. Granted that it's still costly to do so, still, a card worthy to turn around games.



Beseech the Queen

And finally, the best card that I can think of in Shadowmoor has to be one of the most versatile tutors I've ever seen. At the least, it could probably tutor a 2 or 3 casting cost card at the 2nd turn or 3rd turn. At the most (and costliest casting cost to play it), it could tutor a 6 casting cost card. And just like Flame Javelin, this card can be splashed anywhere. Now that has got to be something.

My Shadowmoor top 10 cards

This is a top 10 list inspired by the now-canceled Inquest magazine.

I might disagree with how Inquest used to do their list (who would have thought that Mortify would be the best card from Guildpact) but there are times that I enjoy how they rate their cards. They might miss out on some but nevertheless it inspires one to do similar things.

My criteria for creating a list: said card should be able to deliver an impact on its own (or if needing a couple of cards to deliver maximum impact, it should be a commonly available card type and not a specific card). I am a believer of combos. I adore how other people can think up of great combos. But this is not a top 10 combo list. A card, by its own, can easily be rated as "powerful" even on its own lonesome. A perfect example: Wrath of God.

And so, my list:



10. Prison Term

Finally, a Pacifism that can easily be transferred. One of the unfortunate things in Magic when using Pacifism is the realization that a better creature gets played right at the next moment that Pacifism is played. Prison Term ensures that succeeding better creatures won't be able to attack or block thus rendering the need to draw another Prison Term moot.



9. Flame Javelin

A direct damage card. How unusual is that? This card is because it can be splashed into just about any deck. Of course, it's lamer to pay 6 mana for 4 damage but the thing is, it's useful in any deck and that's enough.



8. Counterbore

I can't seem to have a top 10 list without a permission spell. This one mixes Lobotomy to Counterspell. Despite the high casting cost, it seems to have become a trend (I did write a long time ago that a decent counter spell without any frills or additional benefits is costed at 2UU). This card might not actually see play in any Standard Constructed deck but it sure looks tempting to break. Its power level is just fit to be placed in the top 10.



7. Vexing Shusher

And... one of the reasons why I kill myself with putting Counterbore in the top 10 list is simply because of Vexing Shusher. It's just the card that red and green are looking for. The card completely hoses blue mages' counterspells. And at 2/2 for 2 casting cost, it entirely fits the mindset of a red or green aggressive deck.



6. Godhead of Awe

Barring the weird art, this UW version of the Spirit Avatar cycle of Shadowmoor creates numerous problems. How about 1/1 creature problems. The mass effect it brings to the table is enough to turn the game around. And, oh yeah, 4/4 flying for 5 casting cost is not bad too.



5. Demigod of Revenge

How about that for another blue hoser? Or, even a slap to discard decks. Another of the Shadowmoor's spirit avatars makes an appearance and it's right for its color at black and red. Oh, and it's flying and it has haste. Other copies in the graveyard? They come right back and pummel for more possible damage. That's gotta hurt.

To be continued...

Hoarding the Nation of Horde of Notions

Is it possible to combine both collecting and competing in Magic? Collecting and competing are two aspects of Magic that I’ve always pondered on whenever I browse other players’ albums. It all started in Kamigawa block when the said expansion had a bunch of legends to jumpstart an idea of filling up several albums. In the Champions of Kamigawa prerelease, I opened up a Jugan, the Rising Star and a Konda, Lord of Eiganjo. Add to that the prerelease foil, Ryusei, the Falling Star, and I said to myself that I already had 3 of the numerous legends in Champions of Kamigawa. How many more to go…

True enough, I’ve been able to fill up my albums with Kamigawa block legends but at a financially crippling cost. To date, I can say that the Kamigawa block is the block where I bought a lot of packs just for the sake of searching for those legends. Useful cards from the block that were not legendary would be available for trade in exchange for any crappy legend. I often would say, “This is what I deserve for mixing collection with competition.”

Before Kamigawa, I already had a “respectable” Angel collection – an inspiration from an ex-girlfriend who liked angels a lot. But collecting the angels never compared to the eccentricity that I had burning in me with all the Kamigawa legends.

The trend has continued to Ravnica block (2 legends per guild), Coldsnap, Time Spiral block (the classic characters but I honestly lost count of what I have and have not), and recently in Lorwyn with a legend for each represented tribe.

Other recent themes added to the collection included lands, the Time Spiral 0 casting cost cycle of spells, Future Sight textless creatures, and X Edition tokens. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep up with the high cost of my purchases and had to give up the sparkling Time Spiral shocklands that I have been lucky to get in every fatpack.

Ebay

The reason for mentioning my collection troubles is because I recently went into an Ebay bidding binge and among the cards that I won was a set of Horde of Notions that ended at $0.99. Having already bought another item from the same seller, the shipping for the said set was discounted to $1.70. Then the other shoe dropped. I am actually spending more for the shipping than for the actual cards. Again, I have outdone myself, all for the sake of collecting legends.

I decided that I should try as much as I can to make use of the Horde of Notions in a deck. At least, this set of cards won’t end up just being collection album fodder. And how more convenient it is to turn this idea into an article. My inspiration for the deck is the preconstructed Elemental deck.
Deck construction it is

To start off, below is the decklist for the preconstructed Lorwyn Elemental deck. It’s a 5-color deck that’s primarily heavy on red cards.

# Name Cost
1 Wispmare
1 Dawnfluke
1 Mulldrifter
2 Æthersnipe
1 Shriekmaw
2 Mournwhelk
1 Flamekin Bladewhirl
2 Flamekin Brawler
2 Flamekin Harbinger
3 Smokebraider
3 Soulbright Flamekin
1 Incandescent Soulstoke
2 Inner-Flame Igniter
1 Inner-Flame Acolyte
2 Ceaseless Scarblades
2 Changeling Berserker
1 Faultgrinder
1 Briarhorn
1 Changeling Titan
1 Horde of Notions
3 Consuming Bonfire
2 Springleaf Drum
2 Wanderer's Twig
1 Plains
2 Island
2 Swamp
12 Mountain
1 Forest
2 Shimmering Grotto
1 Vivid Crag

The strategy of the preconstructed deck, as obtained from the magicthegathering.com site, is to use some of the creatures’ Evoke ability early. Later on when the game drags on, these creatures can be played at their full cost. Amusingly, Horde of Notions is a centerpiece due to its ability to play Elementals from the graveyard. The creatures that were played earlier with Evoke would be targets for Horde of Notions’ 5-color ability.
Preconstructed observations

2 automatic inclusions for my new deck are the Smokebraider and the Flamekin Harbinger. Smokebraider is a Signet for Elementals and helps speed up the deck. The Flamekin Harbinger is the cheapest of all the harbingers in Lorwyn and will search for the needed Elemental here. An Elemental deck would need a set of these two cards.

There’s only one Horde of Notions in the original build. That’s understandably so because it’s a preconstructed deck and there are always only 2 rare cards inserted. Talking about rare cards in the deck, the other rare is Incandescent Soulstoke. The Soulstoke pairs well with the Horde as its activated ability can bring an Elemental into play and bring the said Elemental into the graveyard at the end of turn. Horde of Notions, being a legendary creature, should have 3 copies. The Incandescent Soulstoke should have 4 copies.

There are only one each of Mulldrifter and Shriekmaw in the precon list. I’m curious why there’s only one Mulldrifter when it’s a common card. The Shriekmaw is also another Elemental worth considering because of its Terror-like ability (despite that it’s at Sorcery speed). It should be noted that the Mulldrifter flies while Shriekmaw has Fear.

Other Elementals with Evoke being considered from the preconstructed deck include Wispmare (enchantment removal), Aethersnipe (another creature removal), Briarhorn (instant creature pump), and Mournwhelk (discarder). I’ve set myself not to include Inner-Flame Acolyte (smaller creature-pump), Dawnfluke (damage preventer), and Faultgrinder (land destruction).

The rest of the deck is also disregarded, save for the Shimmering Grotto and the Vivid Crag.

So now the question surfaces on whether it is imperative that the deck should just stick to red cards only (and splash one other color) or continue the preconstructed theme of 5-colors. With the inclusion of the 5-color Horde of Notions, this would need to be a 5-color deck. The deck will still be red-based but will have a splash of the 4 other colors.

The rest of the deck

Of the 6 Elementals with Evoke that has been considered; only Mulldrifter and Shriekmaw are standouts to be included in the deck. 4 copies of each card will be placed in the deck. One other addition from the 6 is Wispmare for those unexpected pesky enchantments that might be encountered. I decided not to put in Aethersnipe because it can return only and not destroy. Mournwhelk has also been removed because I’m not that a fan of discard effects. Briarhorn has been thought of but its lack of evasion makes it a non-inclusion in this deck.

Time to add more Elementals with Evoke. Ingot Chewer is in as the Wispmare equivalent for artifacts. Also in is the huge 7/7 Cloudthresher – a safeguard for possible numerous fliers.

And here are other Elementals (the ones without Evoke) that will be added to the deck: Flamekin Spitfire, Nova Chaser and the lone non-Lorwyn card added to the mix: Timbermare. Only 1 Flamekin Spitfire is in the deck as a possible deadlock solution. There are 4 copies of Nova Chaser. It’s included for the possibility to tutor another Elemental by championing a Flamekin Harbinger and at the same time being able to swing for 10 damage. The lone Timbermare might just be a 4 casting cost spell dealing 5 damage or an opportunity to just tap out opponent’s creatures at the end of turn for the big swing by the next turn (suggested use with Incandescent Soulstoke).

Finally, the only non-creature spell that’s added is Fertile Ground. It’s scary to play a 5-color deck without the proper mana fixing thus the Fertile Ground is included to help out.

The Incarnations

The Incarnation cycle of Elementals in Lorwyn are bombs. Purity and Dread are tempting to include in the deck. I initially thought that I wouldn’t worry about casting the rest of the Incarnations with all the mana fixing that the deck already has. Or I could just find a way to get the Incarnations into the graveyard then use the Horde of Notions ability to play them from there. Then I remembered that no matter what, I just wouldn’t be able to play the Incarnations that way because they just get shuffled back to the library once they hit the graveyard. I scratch the idea of the Incarnations but I’m still putting a Vigor in my sideboard.

The deck
24 Lands:
2 Shimmering Grotto
2 Vivid Crag
2 Sulfurous Springs
2 Shivan Reef
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Karplusan Forest
1 Battlefield Forge
7 Mountain

32 Creatures:
4 Smokebraider
4 Flamekin Harbinger
4 Incandescent Soulstoke
3 Horde of Notions
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Wispmare
1 Flamekin Spitfire
4 Shriekmaw
4 Mulldrifter
4 Nova Chaser
1 Cloudthresher
1 Timbermare

4 Non-creature spells:
4 Fertile Ground

Sideboard:
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Wispmare
3 Eyeblight’s Ending
4 Eyes of the Wisent
1 Vigor
3 Krosan Grip

Voila!

Now, on to the prices of the rare cards and possible substitutions in case these cards are hard to find. Incandescent Soulstoke is currently priced at $4 by starcitygames.com which means it can probably be had for around P100. I absolutely do not have any idea for a replacement for Incandescent Soulstoke. The best suggestion would be to add more Elementals with Evoke.

Meanwhile, Nova Chaser is currently priced at $5 which would probably mean P125 to P150. If there are no Nova Chasers available, Changeling Berserker would have to do at half the damage (and at non-trample one) and at the same casting cost. Incidentally, the Changeling Berserker has the Champion ability also and can be tutored by the Flamekin Harbinger.

In case of a missing Timbermare or a Cloudthresher, I think Briarhorn would have to do at this point.

As for the lands, a list that might go like this would have to do in case of a lack of painlands:

4 Shimmering Grotto
2 Vivid Crag
2 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Plains
2 Swamp
2 Island
4 Forest
7 Mountain

The list of lands above looks scary (to me). I might think of increasing the number of forests to ensure a 2nd turn Fertile Ground. Or instead of using a set of Fertile Ground, I’ll place Wanderer’s Twig to make sure I get that needed land out to be able to play whatever is in my hand.

That’s it. That’s the deck idea for the meantime. Meanwhile, I’ll wait for my Horde of Notions to arrive.

What I'm reading nowadays

It's been quite a few months that I've posted on my blog. Although I know nobody is reading this but if somebody happens to accidentally access my blog, thanks for the audience. I've been meaning to write about all the current comic books I've been reading for quite some time now. This post is basically a summary of what I'm currently reading nowadays.

In no particular order:

1. Amazing Spider-man - Brand New Day started out nice. I like the idea tremendously. But the story has not progressed as well as I expected. A lot of issues have been left hanging, most notably about the first villain (I even forgot the name) that Spidey faced. Seeing how Peter Parker deals with his teenager-like problems again has been delightful to experience once more but it has become redundant. There has to be some sort of progress to his situation otherwise he's still comparable to being a married man. And it seems that as the creative team changes, the whole story changes. There are just a few continued acts but the comic book is jumping from one story to the next without even finishing the previous situations. X-files anyone?

2. Batman books - Batman and the Outsiders and Gotham Underground. The interest on Batman has been existing since I started reading comic books. Batman is an attractive character considering that he's only a human without any actual superpowers. That said, he oftentimes relies on his brains to solve a mystery. The Outsiders comic book is being read because I started with the first issue and seemed to have gotten stuck with the succeeding issues. It's nice to see Batman lead a time. He's intriguing because trust is something that's difficult to come by with the time. An added attraction is Metamorpho, also a long time favorite. He's the comedian in the team. As for Gotham Underground, it's classic Batman at his finest. Wheeling and dealing punches and just using cunning to get through against a horde of supervillains.

3. Flash - Having followed the Bart Allen version, I feel obligated to follow this new series which is awkwardly numbered at a high issue number already. Nevertheless, the original (and more unique, in my opinion) speedster of the comic book fantasy world, is just an ordinary superhero. Take away the speed and he's a normal human being. Wally West and his family brings a little bit of reality to his fantasy.

4. Groo - the current series is Groo: Hell on Earth. I'm a huge fan of funny comic books and Groo is one of my favorites. Credit goes to my big brother who introduced me to this outstandingly stupid character. Hell on Earth is just like An Inconvenient Truth. In a way, the setting can be applied to our current situation where we are careless of the environment. Nicely done by Aragones and as usual, Groo is funny.

5. Iron Fist - The character appeals to me. Here's a rich dude (a la Batman) who's a master of martial arts. I think I got to the tournament match part (the current storyline) and it appealed to me more. But then, the story has tailed off. I miss the matches. Pure action. Some side stories here and there.

6. Justice League/Justice Society - Still yet another comic book that I've been "obligated" to read because I started from the beginning. Both series feature stunning artwork. The bump on JSA is that they keep on adding members to the team. Both series are great because of the whole team concept. Another bump: it seems redundant that no matter how unbeatable they supposedly are, they still get some licks but of course they win out in the end.

7. The Boys - by far, a kick-ass book that I'm enjoying tremendously. The story is the best out of everything enumerated here. It's just perfect. Here's a group of anti-superheroes figuring to be the police of rowdy superheroes. If it's Garth Ennis, there's going to be plenty of surprises and I can always afford to be surprised. Keep it coming!

That's all for the moment. There's more hopefully.

Slam Dunk 2008

I'm stuck to watching the clips/highlights. Thanks youtube!

This year's Slam Dunk contest has to best and most enjoyable I've seen in years. It's not about how high you can go but it should be how fun it's supposed to be. The NBA should put in participants like Dwight Howard, a player that has a lot of personality.

Way to go Dwight Howard!

ASM 546

It's a Brand New Day.

And I love it!

Maybe I love the Brand New Day side of Spider-man because he just got out of his marriage and I just got out of my own shackling relationship.

But the whole idea presents a whole lot of directions to go to. It literally frees Peter Parker from one damn obligation in his life (his wife). Being a bachelor allows him to not be at home every night to be with the wifey. Being a bachelor allows him to flirt with all those cute babes in dashing and sexy uniforms. Being a bachelor wouldn't make Peter feel guilty about humping one with Black Cat.

Peter is now a bachelor. Just like Bruce Wayne. The difference between the two is that Peter is not rich and his "roommate" does not know that he's Spider-man.

More power to Marvel on this one! I hope it sticks!