Welcome to my WordPress weblog!  ^_^

The contents of this site will primarily be about the Trading Card Games (TCGs) I currently play, namely Versus (VS)  System and Bleach. Playing card games is one of my main hobbies these days, and instead of just coming up and then discarding random thoughts about VS and Bleach, I might as well put them up here. If anyone finds them interesting or helpful even just a little bit, then that’s the cherry on top. But I’m giving this a try mostly for myself (which is the main point of blogging, I guess).

Why TCGs?

Trading Card Games, at least the good ones, are usually mentally stimulating and a good avenue for letting out a mean competitive streak. The thinking part comes in both assembling your decks, and in actually piloting them to victory (or defeat) against other players in the community. But above all, TCGs also give me a chance to interact and have fun with like-minded individuals who enjoy friendly competition without resorting to sports, hehehe.

Why VS and Bleach?

My 1st exposure to TCGs was Magic: The Gathering (same with the majority of players, I think) back during college, but since I couldn’t afford cards at the time, I never really went further than having a starter’s deck. VS came out a few years after I’ve already started working and has the comic book flavor (Superman, Spider-Man, etc.). Since I’m a casual fan of those dorks in spandex costumes, I was readily hooked when the game first came out. It’s easily one of the best card games out there, though sadly it didn’t become popular with the masses, but that’s a different issue and is for another post.

Bleach, on the other hand, was only recently released (last year in the US), and I’ve been a fan of the anime for a few years now, so it was only natural to try out the TCG especially since most of the other VS players I hang out with also gave it a try. Fortunately, the game is fun, flavorful, and challenging enough (not quite on VS level, which may be a good thing), so we’re hooked.

Why write a blog about them?

I’ve been an occasional writer of VS articles for the local community (http://vs.skillze.com), and while it’s cool and fun to be read and appreciated by some readers, I just never found enough time and effort to do it on a regular basis. There’s also the editorial stuff to take into account, since it’s a community website (I couldn’t outright diss certain players that I wanted to, hehehe).

There are also the random thoughts about these games that come into mind in the middle of work or on the commute. Deck ideas, skeletal deck lists, a funky strategy, or whatever. Plus, I have this tiny itch to write, which comes and goes like the itch on my balls. And so that’s where this blog comes in. Sometimes you just gotta give in and scratch your balls.

Why Zabimaru as the site name?

‘Coz I tried graymalkin, and it turned out that it is already being used by a Spanish-speaking dude *shrugs*. So I went for the 2nd name that I am associated with in the local hub. It’s from Bleach. I’ll let you wiki for it.

What happens next?

Who knows? Come back and find out! Sooner or later, or whenever I feel that itch, hehehe. ^_^