This week, I plan on doing something unique. Event analysis has long been my preferred approach when it comes to writing—and reading—about Magic, and I feel strongly that my skills in methodically sifting through data, testing hypotheses, and arriving at conclusions is one of my biggest strengths in Magic, both as a writer and as […]
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By the time this article goes live, it will be just over a week and a half until the Modern portion of Grand Prix Las Vegas. To close a previous thread, yes, I am going and yes, I did win two byes. Not because I actually won a GPT (I have a habit of getting […]
I like winning as much as the next guy. Maybe even more. That’s why, since even before the Gitaxian Probe ban, I’ve brought Colorless Eldrazi Stompy to three local tournaments a week. In doing so, I’ve racked up more store credit than I know what to do with, and gained a reputation around Boston as […]
I’m trying very hard not to say, “I told you so.” Grixis Death’s Shadow, days after I touted it as the best deck to play heading into the competitive weekend, took down the SCG Open in Baltimore that I hoped on attending, crushed the field at GP Copenhagen, and took third place at Grand Prix Kobe. […]
The price of cards is a mysterious concept to a lot of people. To many, trying to predict them is about as accurate as soothsaying. I’m not entirely sure that it isn’t, but there are definitely some patterns and trends you can use to increase the accuracy of your predictions. Many players ask, “Why is […]
Welcome back to the Beginner’s Guide. Once again, it is time for some general advice for those making the transition from Standard to Modern. As always, my intention is to provide a foundation for newer players to build on. Once this is established, only then are you ready to talk about all the nuance that aficionados […]
Since the Golgari Grave-Troll banning, the Modern banlist hasn’t been updated. But the format has changed dramatically, welcoming Fatal Push into its upper crust and appropriating Death’s Shadow for a Probeless era. Of course, the format’s recent stability hasn’t stopped detractors from clamoring for bans or unbans. Today, we’ll explore what makes a format healthy, and why the notion of metagame health […]
A lot can change in a week. I was all set for SCG Baltimore this weekend, and then two things happened. First, some family issues came up that would unfortunately prevent me from traveling to play Magic. Second, Devoted Druid and Vizier of Remedies spawned a new(ish) archetype that, well, changed everything. What was good […]
Greetings, everyone! I’m back for more action here at Modern Nexus, this time with the debut of my video series. I tend to cast a pretty wide net in Modern, which means I have experience playing a large range of different archetypes. In my videos I’ll be exploring these decks and trying to shed some […]
The Oracle at Delphi was always correct. Every ancient Greek source confirms this truth. No matter what you asked the Oracle, the answer would accurately foretell the future. However, thanks to surviving prophecies, we now know she owes this accuracy to vagueness. The Oracle answered questions in ways that could mean anything. When asked about the outcome of a battle, […]
When Amonkhet spoiled, Vizier of Remedies sparked interest among Modern players as a possible redundancy boost to Abzan Company, the grandchild of beloved Modern archetype pillar Birthing Pod. It’s been nearly a month now since the set was released to Modern, and Vizier seems to have succeeded in improving Abzan Company… as well as in spawning some Company variants […]
Last week, an old Magic buddy texted me out of the blue, asking if I was interested in going to SCG Baltimore at the end of the month to play some live Modern. My first reaction: “Can’t do it, I’ve got way too much going on…” But then I remembered that it’s summer, and I […]
I’m back this week with more of my popular financial set review, now tackling the Modern Masters 2017 rares. I won’t cover each rare in the set, but I will review the most important ones in depth. I also want to talk about a few choice uncommons, so grab your calendars and wallets. You’ll need them to plan out the […]
