There’s something quietly electric about the weeks leading up to a tournament: the kind that builds not from noise, but from anticipation. Back in the early 2000s, when the Iloilo Magic: The Gathering community gathered monthly, preparation wasn’t rushed or improvised. It was deliberate. With weeks between events, every player had time to study, tweak, and rethink their decks.

My team’s card pool wasn’t just a pile of options; it became a landscape of possibilities, shaped slowly by trial, error, and the stories behind each match played in between tournaments.

The first factor that kept me and the members engaged is a sense of progression. Each week of preparation felt like a chapter. I would start by laying out our entire collection, grouping cards by color, archetype, and potential synergy. This wasn’t just sorting—it was rediscovery, especially at that time when access to net decks was limited. Cards I once ignored suddenly made sense in new combinations. That feeling of gradual improvement, of a deck evolving over time, creates a narrative arc that mirrors growth, something readers instinctively connect with.

Another key element is conflict, the heart of any compelling story. My preparation wasn’t smooth; it was filled with dilemmas. Should I commit to an aggressive strategy or play the long game with control? I remember sleepless nights thinking about a single card slot, whether it should be removal or another creature. We had to discuss this stuff and try to playtest. These internal battles translate well because they reflect universal decision-making struggles.

Equally important is immersion through detail. The preparation phase wasn’t just about cards; it was about the environment. Playtesting sessions on worn tables at our apartment, the sound of shuffled decks, the familiar banter among players: these details bring the story to life.  

There’s also the factor of community, which adds emotional weight to the narrative. Because tournaments were monthly, we had time not only to refine decks but also to understand each other’s playstyles. You knew who favored aggressive red decks, who leaned into blue control, and who always had a surprise strategy. Preparing my card pool meant preparing against them, not just their decks, but their habits. This interpersonal layer creates a richer story, one that goes beyond mechanics and into relationships.

Another engaging element is anticipation and payoff. Weeks of preparation built toward a single day—the day of the tournament itself. Every adjustment to my deck carried the question: would it work? That slow buildup keeps readers invested because they want to see the outcome of all that effort. Even before the first match begins, the story already holds tension, and that tension sustains attention through to the climax.

In the end, preparing my card pool during those years was never just about winning. It was about the slow, deliberate journey of refinement. What made the experience meaningful was how each stage—progression, conflict, detail, community, and anticipation—came together into a single unfolding story. These elements didn’t merely describe preparation; they gave it life. And in reliving that process, it becomes clear that the true value was not only in the outcome, but in every decision, every adjustment, and every moment leading up to the first draw.

Thanks for reading.

The MTG Prerelease pass Standard tournament held at the SM City Cyberzone was a clear success, drawing a strong turnout from the Ilonggo Magic community. Players gathered early, decks sleeved and strategies prepared, creating an atmosphere that felt focused and serious from the start. While the event welcomed familiar faces, the mood was unmistakably competitive, with everyone aiming to test their skills and prove their deck choices.

The tournament floor reflected the current Standard meta, as many players brought proven top-tier decks. Izzet Lessons appeared frequently, piloted with precision and confidence. Dimir Tempo players relied on tight play and disruption, while Simic Counters decks showcased explosive board development. These archetypes set the pace of the matches and pushed players to make careful, well-timed decisions.

Matches were intense and closely contested. Games often went down to the wire, with small misplays making the difference between winning and losing. Ilonggo players demonstrated strong game knowledge, understanding both their own strategies and the matchups they faced. Sideboarding decisions, sequencing, and patience played a major role throughout the rounds.

Despite the competitive pressure, sportsmanship remained a highlight of the event. Players discussed lines of play after matches, shared insights about the meta, and respected each other’s decisions. The tournament felt like a space where learning and competition coexisted, strengthening the local Magic community.

By the end of the event, the tournament had clearly achieved its purpose. It provided a challenging environment that rewarded preparation and skill, while also showcasing the depth of talent among Ilonggo players. The successful Prerelease pass Standard tournament at the Dinagyang Odyssey event held at SM City Cyberzone reinforced the city’s growing reputation as a strong and competitive hub for Magic: The Gathering.

Below are the results and top finishers, wherein the Top 2 garnered the Prerelease prize.

+++MtG Iloilo Lorwyn Eclipsed PR Pass Tourney Results+++
(January 10th, 2026)
Top 4:
1st, Ralph (Izzet Lessons)
2nd, Erik (Orzhov Battlefront)
3rd, Tonton (Jeskai Control)
4th, Natnat (Simic Counters)

14 players, 4 rounds of gameplay. 

Thanks for reading.

Are you a seasoned Planeswalker looking to hone your skills, or a beginner wanting to dip your toes into the exciting world of Magic: The Gathering? If so, the weekly MTG tournament at Pro Reis place is the perfect event for you! Whether you play to win or just love slinging spells with new friends, this gathering offers the ideal mix of fun, competition, and community.

Pro Reis place is located on Fuentes Street in the downtown area of Iloilo City with the nearest landmarks of Robinsons Place Main and Iloilo Terminal Market.

What to Expect at Our Weekly Tournament

Every Saturday of the week, our LGS transforms into a lively battleground where players from all over the area come together to test their decks and strategies. Here’s what makes our tournament a must-attend event:

Friendly Atmosphere for All Skill Levels

• Beginners Welcome: Whether you’re new to the game or just getting back into it, the atmosphere is friendly and inclusive. Our community is full of experienced players happy to offer tips and guidance.
• Competitive Thrills: If you’re more experienced, come ready to compete against tough opponents who’ll push you to your limits. This is a great way to prep for larger regional or online events.

Formats We Offer

• Standard: Build a deck using the latest set releases and keep up with the evolving metagame.
• Commander (EDH): Enjoy the wild fun of multiplayer gameplay with 100-card singleton decks led by powerful commanders.
• Draft and Sealed: Love cracking packs? Join our Limited format events to build a deck from booster packs on the spot!

Schedule & Entry Details

• When: Every Saturday at 2:00 pm. Please arrive 15 minutes early to register!
• Entry Fee: Ranges from P100 to P150 only
• Prizes: Boosters, store credit, and special promos for top finishers. Even if you don’t place high, we have participation rewards to ensure everyone walks away with something.

Why Join Our Magic: The Gathering Community?

At Pro Reis place, it’s more than just a competition. You’ll find a welcoming space to:

• Meet New Friends: Join a community of fellow enthusiasts who share your passion for MTG.
• Learn and Improve: Face a variety of decks and play styles, helping you grow your skills and knowledge.
• Discover New Strategies: Exchange ideas with players about the latest set mechanics and how to upgrade your favorite decks.

Helpful Tips for First-Timers

• Bring Your Deck: If you don’t have one yet, we have pre-constructed decks for purchase at the store. You can also borrow decks from players depending on availability.
• Know the Format: Check which format is being played on the day you plan to attend.
• Be Patient and Ask Questions: Our players love helping others learn!

Ready to Join the Fun?

If you’ve been looking for a way to connect with other Magic: The Gathering fans in your area, this weekly tournament is the perfect opportunity. Whether you aim to top the leaderboard or simply enjoy playing some games, we can’t wait to see you at Pro Reis Place here in Iloilo City.

Here in the MTG Iloilo Community’s current and only local game store, the big challenge is to ensure that the sealed products of each Magic: the Gathering set are sold to the local players. At times, we can’t expect these players to have the finances and budget to buy booster packs as they might prefer to buy the card singles for their deck components rather than take the risk of pulling these cards from the packs.

Supporting your MTG Local Game Stores (LGS) by purchasing card products is a great way to contribute to the local Magic: The Gathering community.

Here are several tips on how to effectively support your LGS Local Game Store through buying MTG card products:

1. Buy Local, Not Online: Whenever possible, purchase your MTG cards and products from your LGS rather than online retailers. This helps ensure that a significant portion of your money stays within the local community.
2. Participate in Events: Attend Magic: the Gathering events hosted by your LGS. Entry fees and the purchase of products such as prizes associated with events contribute directly to the store’s revenue.
3. Preorder New Releases: Consider preordering new MTG sets or products from your LGS. This provides the store with a gauge of demand and helps them plan their inventory.
4. Buy From the Singles Bin: If your LGS sells individual cards (singles), check their selection before buying online. Purchasing singles from the store can be a direct and immediate way to support them.
5. Subscription Services: Inquire if your LGS offers subscription services for booster packs, singles, or other MTG products. Subscriptions can provide the store with a steady source of income.
6. Promotional and Limited Items: Purchase promotional items, limited editions, or exclusive products that your LGS may offer. These items are often unique and can only be found locally.
7. Accessories and Supplies: Buy card sleeves, deck boxes, playmats, and other accessories from your LGS. These items may seem small but can be relevant in contributing to the overall sales of the store.
8. Gift Cards: Consider buying gift cards from your LGS. Gift cards make great presents, and the revenue goes directly to the store.
9. Special Orders: If your LGS allows special orders, consider placing orders for specific cards or products through them rather than online.
10. Check for Loyalty Programs: Some stores have loyalty programs where you earn points or discounts based on your purchases. Take advantage of these programs if available.
11. Recommend the Store: If you have friends or visitors to the city who play MTG, recommend your LGS to them. Word-of-mouth recommendations can bring in new customers.
12. Stay Informed About Sales: Be aware of any sales or promotions your LGS may have. Take advantage of discounts or special offers when they align with your needs.
13. Support Online Platforms: If your LGS has an online store, consider making purchases through their website. This can be especially helpful during times when physical visits are challenging.
14. Engage in Social Media: Follow your LGS on social media platforms. Participate in discussions, share their posts, and engage with the community online, particularly in Facebook Groups. This helps promote the store to a wider audience not only in the city but also outside.

By actively choosing to purchase MTG card products from your LGS, you not only support the store financially but also contribute to the overall vibrancy and sustainability of your local Magic: The Gathering community.

I remember my first Magic: the Gathering Prerelease event where I just prepared a piece of paper, a ballpen, and a deck box containing some basic lands in it. At that time, internet access was limited and you’d only have the official MTG website posting the info on the complete spoiler list, and the strategy details were somewhat premium.

Preparing for your first Magic: the Gathering Prerelease event can be exciting, but also a bit daunting. Here are some tips to help you prepare:

Research the set: Familiarize yourself with the new set that is being released by reading articles or watching videos about the new mechanics, themes, and key cards.

Understand the rules: Make sure you are familiar with the basic rules of Magic: the Gathering, as well as any new rules or mechanics introduced in the new set.

Build a deck: Prerelease events are limited-format events, which means you will be building a deck from a limited pool of cards provided to you at the event. Familiarize yourself with the colors and mechanics of the set, and try to identify which cards and colors are likely to be strong.

Practice building decks: Before the event, try building some sample decks from your collection or using online deck builders to get a feel for building a limited deck.

Bring supplies: Make sure to bring any necessary supplies such as dice, sleeves, a playmat, and a pen and paper for tracking life totals. Also, snacks and bottled water to supplement your energy during the rounds of gameplay of the tournament.

Be on time: Arrive early to the event to ensure you have plenty of time to check in, register, and get settled.

Have fun: Remember that Prerelease events are a fun and casual way to play Magic: the Gathering and meet other players in your community. Don’t worry too much about winning or losing, and enjoy the experience of playing with new cards and meeting new people.

Overall, preparing for a Magic: the Gathering Prerelease event involves familiarizing yourself with the set, understanding the rules and mechanics, practicing building limited decks, and bringing necessary supplies. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well-prepared to enjoy your first Prerelease event.

I have contacted our local TO Rei Coo for the upcoming Magic: the Gathering tournaments that could entice the local Iloilo community in joining and playing competitively with more reason to do so. With that in mind, we tried to gauge the possible dates of the Prerelease weekend since the usual delays on the arrival of the product are expected. This has become the norm since the pandemic struck as the supply chain has been affected.

This is the period where we try to be as flexible as possible and also with the players signing up and adjusting their schedules. This is quite hard as most are already working professionals and that the schedules should be set beforehand.

Anywho as this would be a Prerelease event, we decided to have a PR Pass tournament for a weekly schedule. That is either on the Pioneer FNM or Saturday Standard event. Since this will be for a new set, I think this would be beneficial more for the Standard peeps as a free entry to the Prerelease event would mean free new cards for their decks to use. We will see what our TO would decide on the final date of this tournament.

We will announce the event details as soon as it is finalized.

The current Magic: the Gathering Standard metagame is still shaping up with the entry of The Brother’s War in the format though we already seeing some staple decks like those built around Portal to Phyrexia. Some variances I saw was Mono-Green and Jeskai Midrange artifacts. Also, the new Soldiers Tribal aggro deck is looking to be the face of the metagame under the aggro category.

For today’s blog post, we take a look at another version of the deck build that benefits from creature cards placed on the graveyard. The main creature is Urborg Lhurgoyf, and it looks to be getting an upgrade from The Brother’s War set. I found this list from the User-Submitted Decks page of the MTG Goldfish website and decided to do a deck tech discussion video.

Check it out below.

One of the major Magic: the Gathering events or tournaments in our local MTG Iloilo City community was the yearly Iloilo City Championships held every December of the year. I call it a tribute to the community and commemoration of another year of competitive, meaningful, and fun Magic: the Gathering gameplay.

One of the previously-held MTG City Champs which I will feature today was last 2016. The formats were Standard, Pauper, Booster Draft, and Duel Commander for the side events. It was a two-day event held December 29-30 at Robinsons Place, Jaro. It was a good thing that the mall management was able to accommodate us with no payment for rent whatsoever. They also included placing tables and chairs for us and we only provided the event poster to be placed on the stage of the mall activity area.

Here are some highlight photos from the MTG Iloilo Champs 2016.

Here is the album link to the full copy of the pictures during the course of the tournament.

I have thought of ways of promoting the Magic: the Gathering Iloilo community by having some raffle number games in the form of repacks. These contain at least a Mythic or Rare, some commons and uncommon, and a foil card. I priced each for only 25 pesos, numbered it 1 to 100, and to be randomized it beforehand. I had some regular value Rares and full-art basic lands added, and one of the repacks was inserted with a special card. That is because the participants will have chances of opening a Morophon Judge Foil which is currently around 50usd each.

I thank the local EDH community for the support and the 100 slots were quickly filled just days after my announcement of the repack raffle game. I then took time last long weekend to build the 100 repacks and did the raffle opening on Facebook Live last Monday.

Here below is the video recorded and uploaded to my Youtube Channel.

The Magic: the Gathering Pioneer format has become a weekly Friday Night Magic event for the Iloilo City community and the regulars were around 8 to 10 players in attendance already. It is a good thing, as this format is now recognized in some of the upcoming major Magic: the Gathering events scheduled in the country and worldwide.

It was my first time joining last Friday’s Pioneer FNM and I piloted my housemate Gedi’s Mono Red Aggro deck. I had to make some slight changes though as I have checked the local metagame and noted some possible archetype matchups. I referenced some builds with Chandra, Dressed to Kill in the main deck but upon checking Gedi’s current build, I realized that a lot of cards needed to be changed. The list still goes with Bomat Couriers and Ash Zealots which I think is not efficient anymore. Unfortunately, my teammate Ace is also playing Mono Red, and the supposed card pieces I will borrow will be used in his deck. It is then that I stick with the same creatures and cut a few slots for Chandra DTK.

I arrived at Pro Reis place past 6pm and just minutes before the start of the first round. There were about ten players in total and the prize lineup was Crimson Vow draft booster packs. We will try our luck again in pulling Sorin or Chandra from this set.

Below are my rounds matchup results:
Round 1 vs Mono Blue Spirits (Won 2-1)
Round 2 vs Mono Black Aggro (Lost 0-2)
Round 3 vs Mono-Red Aggro (Lost 1-2)
Round 4 vs UW Control (Won with concession)

I think the deck build is still decent, it is just that drawing eight lands in a row will get you nowhere. Overall, still hoping to play this archetype again next week with the preferred decklist. Congrats to the top players and the community for making Pioneer alive again.

Until the next blog post.

Seeing the consistency of the players in the weekly Magic: the Gathering Saturday Standard tournament at Reis Place was quite satisfying. That may be because they have mostly established the decks they are playing and that was already updated with the cards from the recent set, Streets of New Capenna. As for my card pool team, we have already fulfilled the top-tier decks and are just mainly adjusting with the builds to optimize the usage of our cards. The dual lands might be a slight issue but more card components are already on the way.

Last Saturday’s attendance was around fourteen, even if I was not or a teammate able to join. These are the regulars but I was still hoping to see a new face in the community to be at that competition level. Let us just get our hopes up as we try to schedule an open house learn-to-play session soon.

Here below are the results of the Saturday Standard tournament last June 18th at the current active LGS in Iloilo City. Good job and congratulations to two of my team that went 1st and 2nd place, Ace and Jan.

MtG Iloilo Saturday Standard Tourney Results
(June 18th, 2022)
Top 6:
1st, Ace (Grixis Vampires)
2nd, Jan Bedia (Esper Raffine)
3rd, Atan (Rakdos Sacrifice)
4th, Floyd (Jund Frank)
5th, AJ (Mono Black Control)
6th, Natnat (Mono-White Aggro)

14 players, 4 rounds gameplay

This is one of my current dilemmas for MTG Iloilo. The current scenario of recruiting new players to join the community is quite a challenge. This is mainly because of the lack of public events such as the hobby conventions wherein we can present the TCG and hold a learn-to-play session to teach them the basic game rules. As of this posting, I have not yet heard of a local event dedicated entirely to hobbies and scheduled for the rest of the year.  

The other option is to tap our local game stores to schedule learn-to-play sessions. There are two existing stores in Iloilo City at the moment, and Reis Place is already back at 100%. Nth Dimension is still getting back in shape with the weekly Commander tournaments and may, later on, start to resell products from the newest Magic: the Gathering sets. I might have the owner propose this type of activity to teach new players & also gain customers for the store of those who might be interested in other TCG and board games. In that way, more people will get to know the place and the hobby.

My weekends are pretty much on full schedule as of this month but if ever we can arrange a certain date, then I will try to facilitate it with the materials such as precon intro decks, rules guide sheet, and the like. As for the manpower, maybe I will ask some players to volunteer on it if they got the spare time to do game tutorials.

This is probably the most feasible way to hold these learn-to-play events and so we will check in the coming weeks if either of the two LGS will agree to hold this at their stores on a vacant date. I see Nth Dimension as more spacious and accessible for this one & so the event marketing will just follow.

Just stay tuned you guys on the update on this one.