Krark-Clan Ironworks is now banned in Modern. Despite its dominance on the tournament scene, though, the deck failed to stamp out the format’s trademark diversity and innovation. Plenty of decks and deckbuilders brought exciting new tech to the tables this month, and we’ll ring in the new year right by unearthing some of it today. Tempo: […]
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Alright Monday, what you got this time? Wow. They actually banned something for once. And something very significant at that. Even better, there’s an in-depth explanation attached. This certainly demands a deeper dive. I’ll start with the obvious part: nothing got unbanned. I’m sorry for those who have their hearts set on playing with Stoneforge […]
Another banlist announcement is just around the corner. While the last few announcements have proven unfruitful, I believe this time will be different; after all, it is January, and Wizards has a history of shaking up Modern around this time. I’m anticipating at least one unban, and wouldn’t be surprised if a ban occurred as […]
The set release is nigh! With all of Ravnica Allegiance spoiled, speculation can end and brewing begin. I’m pleasantly surprised by all the potential Modern playables. This expansion might not go down in history like Khans of Tarkir, but I expect plenty of cards to see play, if only because they’re too interesting not to brew with. However, […]
*Editor’s note: at the time of writing, Pteramander’s English name had not been spoiled. This article’s title refers to the card as “Salamander Drake.” Spells-matter decks perform admirably these days, but my favorite Human Insect rarely inhabits them. Last week, I mused about what Delver of Secrets would need—both card-wise and metagame-wise—to again be a player […]
Spoiler season is now well and truly underway. As the set comes more into focus, the brewing can begin in earnest. I would caution players to never get too attached to a card or idea during spoiler season. The barrier to entry in Modern is high, and just because something seems like it should be […]
As a lover of aggro-control and specifically thresh decks in Modern, which I consider the removal spell format, my focus when it comes to building decks of this type has always been on threats. Putting together a new brew? I first ask myself which threats to include. Glossing over recent decklists? My eyes first go […]
Happy New Year! Here’s to another year of Modern here on the Nexus. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the holiday break as much as I have, but it’s time to get back to work and decipher the upcoming set release. Wizards decided to give us an early Christmas present with Ravinica Allegiance spoilers right before everyone disappeared for […]
Editor’s note: from Humans to Ironworks to Arclight Phoenix, 2018 saw Modern’s power level rise dramatically. This year, deckbuilders learned to balance tension in their brews to devastating effect. Today’s article is a re-run of what I consider my most relevant article to that metagame development. Happy holidays! The Modern community is ruthless in its […]
Instant/sorcery support? Cost-reduction mechanics? Cheap card draw for aggressive strategies? Light Up the Stage, a card with spectacle spoiled from Ravnica Allegiance this week, hits all my soft spots, yanking me from a haze of Inkling up-smashes and Richter side-specials to brew anew. Today, I’ll share my findings on Light Up the Stage in what […]
Every few weeks, speculation begins to rise about the next Banned and Restricted Announcement. Whenever something actually does happen, I frequently see laments over being blindsided and calls for Wizards to implement a banning watchlist. While an official list will never happen as it would unduly influence the secondary market, I do think it useful […]
When it comes to Modern, I’m always up for a surprise. I penned an article last week declaring the death of midrange as a Tier 1 strategy in an aggro-combo metagame. But it seems the meta has already corrected itself: last weekend’s GP Portland Top 8 featured a finals between Grixis Death’s Shadow and BG […]
The Modern metagame cycles, though the process is slow and hard to see. This complicates determining which trends are just flashes in the pan and which must be accounted for and adapted to. Metagame-specific decks, like Death and Taxes at GP Las Vegas 2017, can look like real decks, at times frustrating players trying to […]
