I’m not dead yet

Hi Everyone,

I received a number of inquiries over the TFA’s facebook page and through the blog site asking if this blog is dead, dying or if I was still playing Magic or have retired. The answer to plenty of this questions is No, to some degree.

Yes I am still playing Magic, which to most of us has a lot of different meaning. If you ask if I still play paper magic, the answer is No. But I do still check into MTG Arena, playing my old Gates Mastery deck with zero War of the Spark cards yet to be included.

Do I still buy cards? On paper, No. I have shifted my priorities a bit to take care of my house, my wife, and my work. Expenses are legit when you’re no longer just fending for yourself. Do I still buy packs online in Arena? Yes, sometimes when I get the itch to see what’s new I would launch Arena and crack a pack or 2 with the gems or gold I’ve managed to tuck away. I wish I had an Ill-Gotten Inheritance lying around the house.

Do I still brew? Yes but I have not been able to find the time to write them down. I am honestly quite detached to the current mete due to the very rare times that I play but I still follow coverage (if you can still call it that), Top 8 deck lists posted online, and I still creep my favorite MTG personalities and pros to check what they’re cooking up.

Much thanks to MTG Archive, a local MTG Facebook page dedicated to gather the most relevant, useful and tactical content online for the regular Juan to learn from, it has been my go-to-source for Magic for some time now. If you’re interested to enlist to this private group, DM Julio Espina or Trish Fernandez in MTG Tambayan.

Work has been quite enjoyable as well as I have just joined a new company this year. If you haven’t heard about this new app that’s taking over the design world by storm, its about time you try http://www.canva.com. Especially if you like to design shirts, print posters and other collateral for your own Magic shop, its a fantastic tool. It has Free-mium access which allows you to use majority of its assets from fonts, templates, elements and photos. If you’re like a pro MTG player as you are a designer, subscribe to Canva Pro and unleash the power of curated photographs and premium design elements. Sign up today! #notsponsored #justabelieveroftheproduct I actually used Canva in polishing the non-text elements you see in the FB page.

Alas, much like Nissa who walked away from the Gatewatch in Amonkhet but rejoined to fight Bolas in Ravnica, I promise to come back and get more aggressive in dumping my deck ideas. I’ve done my first actionable step towards this commitment by renewing the blog’s domain for another year. Once my work has settled down and I have figured out a way to sneak in a few FNMs here in there, I promise to come back with fresh deck ideas you can bring to your tournament tables for tons of laughs and memorable top decking.

Till then,
Vanson, the Alchemist