Happy (almost) Independence Day America! For Fireworks Day Eve, I have been inspired to go back to the Beginner’s Guide. Recent spoiler discussions and in-game observations made me realize that I have a lot more Modern basics to cover. I’ve danced around this a few times, but never actually discussed building a Modern sideboard. I’m […]
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It’s been awhile since I last discussed GRx Moon, one of my darling archetypes. Sarkhan, Fireblood inspired me to return to the deck for the first time since the Bloodbraid Elf unban, itself an episode that ended up frustrating me as I tried and failed to integrate the hasty 3/2 into the deck. M19’s new […]
Another new set, more new cards, and more chances for hope to spring eternal. As always, players are wildly speculating on their playability and trying to fit new cards into everything. I’m not immune, and especially now that the full spoiler is out I have been looking for and testing Modern playable cards. Two in […]
Wizards designing core sets again is an exciting prospect for Modern players. This decision allows the company to print cards that answer problems in non-Standard constructed formats, or otherwise supply those formats with new toys, unfettered by the flavor restrictions a given world imposes. For Wizards’ part, they’ve seemingly jumped at this opportunity, for the […]
With Grand Prix Las Vegas in the books, it’s time to reexamine the metagame. 2,779 players in a single event provides a valuable data crucible. In theory, such an event would produce results very similar to the “real” Modern metagame. In theory. Reality is chaotic, and has given us something far more interesting to dissect: […]
Dominaria’s been Modern-legal for almost two months, and a host of players have tried their hand at brewing with Mox Amber, including yours truly. While more aggressive lists than mine have put up 5-0s here and there, the card has mostly fallen flat, as many expected. But the few results Amber has scored inspired me to […]
Aaron Barich took down the Invitational this past weekend infecting the competition in the Top 8. He is no stranger to the deck, but his performance is a good reminder that the deck is by no means dead. The loss of Gitaxian Probe over a year ago now was followed by a steep decrease in […]
At last, GP Las Vegas is upon us. Unfortunately, work-related complications mean I will not be going. But that won’t stop me from examining the latest Modern results to anticipate the metagame. While these results are not entirely unexpected, interpreting the data with care ensures a more accurate metagame read. The data from the past […]
Another SCG Regionals is in the books, and SCG Con is just days away. It’s an exciting time to be a Modern player, or at least a Modern data hound. Today, we’ll look at some of the cooler lists from Regionals, and I’ll give my thoughts both on the recent success of Colorless Eldrazi Stompy […]
There are a few cards in Modern that everyone absolutely loves unconditionally. Particularly the ones that don’t allow them to cast their spells. You know, we have Blood Moon, Stone Rain, and Choke as some common fan favorites! Spreading Seas for the less devout, and Sea’s Claim for the more dedicated. Ghost Quarter and Field […]
There is an old proverb about the best-laid plans. I intended to examine the results from SCG Regionals this week, but at writing time, they had not been officially posted. The few forum and reddit posts provide patchwork at best data, so that article will have to wait. Instead, I will be discussing how I […]
With Humans the de facto best deck in the format, now’s an exciting time to be interacting in Modern. The control renaissance offers players plenty of options when it comes to picking their poison. Whether they’re zapping Champion of the Parish with Lightning Bolt or Fatal Push, or closing out games with Tarmogoyf or Celestial […]
With hard metagame data being increasingly hard to come by, having several events in a row is a relief. Rather than extrapolation and conjecture, data and fact can guide my recommendations. This string of Star City events will provide an excellent guide for those heading to GP Las Vegas, and preparation and information are the […]
