It’s been just over a week since Once Upon a Time got the boot in Modern, so we don’t have a lot of information with which to decisively answer the question on everyone’s mind: where does the format go from here? We do, however, have some data points. Today, we’ll look at a few decks […]
featured
Well that was fast. It’s only been two months since Oko, Thief of Crowns was banned. It’s pretty rare for Wizards to issue Modern bans in consecutive announcements, except for during emergencies like Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis’s reign of terror. So I wasn’t actually expecting anything to happen in Modern. However, last Thursday, that changed; I […]
While putting together brew reports since the Oko ban, I picked up on an interesting trend: UGx midrange seems to be catching on. And by UGx midrange, I don’t mean a single deck, à la Jund Rock. I mean the archetype at large, which has opened itself up to a myriad of different plans, packages, […]
As a new sets come out, the entire Magic writing world speculates on the spoilers. Why wouldn’t we? There’s not always much else going on during spoiler season, and brewing with new cards and ideas is a significant part of the game’s appeal. Plus, if Wizards is going to hand us easy content, it would […]
Nothing screams “Modern” like a bunch of crazy combos. And that’s exactly what February’s second half had in store for us. Turns out there are some decks that don’t run Arcum’s Astrolabe, after all: the ones that kill out of nowhere! “I Was Inverted” A the “Top” of our list is an inside-out version of […]
Another event, another set of data, another reexamination of the Modern metagame. As the time of actual Modern Opens and Grand Prix approaches, Modern players are increasingly seeking to find the new rules for the format and whatever edge they can. I’ll be tracking those changes as the data comes in, looking for developments and […]
Back when Opt was spoiled, I wrote “Opting In: Modern Cantrips,” a piece dissecting the intricacies of and nuances between Serum Visions, Sleight of Hand, and other Modern draw-a-cards. Two years and some change later, Modern is all but crawling with cantrips, albeit not even the ones we had access to in 2017. Today, we’ll […]
The metagame is beginning to take form, and now is the time for players to start adapting. This could mean adjusting which decks they play, how they play them, or what cards they play. Now is naturally a time for experimentation, but no such transitional period is free from common mistakes. Whether it’s misunderstanding how […]
Happy Valentine’s Day, Nexus readers! While I know this holiday can be a controversial one, today I’ll invite you to set aside your differences (or crippling loneliness, or whatever) and join me in celebrating the strong bonds between some of the most eligible decks of the year. As Modern again finds its footing, the format […]
Last week, we made a forecast about Modern in 2020. And with a starting point established, we can now begin tracking developments! I previously concluded that the SCG circuit was overplaying Amulet Titan, and that Modern players were forgetting to pack their graveyard hate. This week, I will be adding to the data with additional […]
Modern is at a crossroads right now. Between changes in banlist philosophy, the arrival and surging popularity of Pioneer, and the breakout success of Magic: Arena, doomsayers are out in force and quick to declare Modern passé. Today, we’ll explore each of the supposed challenges Modern faces and measure its staying power. Sporadic Banlists Towards […]
Everything has to begin somewhere. The Modern metagame is no exception, and last week I used the MTGO metagame as a bellwether for the emerging format. The five decks I examined have done well online. However, as I noted, the data isn’t necessarily accurate or indicative of what players will encounter at a Modern event. […]
It’s a whole new Modern, but we’ve got some unfinished business to take care of. Sure, some of the following lists are from after the Oko ban. Others, before. But all of them are from this month, which saw some really neat developments! Simic Urza Don’t call it a comeback! Simic Urza may have lost […]
