Finding ways to make an 8/9 has always been an integral part of my Modern experience. When the delirium mechanic was spoiled, I exploded with excitement. Growing Tarmogoyfs had become my entire life at that point, and having something else to do with an 8/9 Tarmogoyf was like discovering a new reason to live. But delirium only rewarded […]
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Welcome back to the Colors of Modern! This is a five-part series of articles focused on analyzing the varying impact each color in Magic has upon Modern, based on the individual cards that see play in the format and, to a broader extent, the archetypes made possible by these cards. If you missed the previous articles […]
Sorry, Team #MaritLage and Eldrazi haters. Innistrad’s got a new “guardian,” and Lady Sprankle’s going to have a tougher job pulling off the prerelease cosplay this time. Eldritch Moon previews get their formal kickoff next Monday, but Emrakul had to make her promised appearance early just in case the suspense was still killing you. Of all […]
Finding cards that could fit into existing decks is fairly easy. You know what sees play and what effects these decks need, so you know what kind of card you’re looking to find. It’s much harder to find cards that inspire new decks. I suspect this is why the only truly new deck we’ve seen […]
It annoys me greatly when I hear people derisively discuss the size of the Modern cardpool. The typical conversation revolves around deriding some odd card choice in someone’s deck because it isn’t “good enough” to see play in Modern or dismissing someone’s brew because it “has no staying power.” Part of me is always angered […]
When I began tuning Monkey Grow, the biggest surprise among peers and opponents was my sworn dedication to Disrupting Shoal. Certain players couldn’t believe that countering a spell was worth losing a card, citing Force of Will’s status in Legacy as a check to degenerate combo decks that usually gets boarded out against fair strategies. But […]
Two weeks ago I began a five-part series of articles focused on analyzing the varying impact each color in Magic has upon Modern, based on the individual cards that see play in the format and, to a broader extent, the archetypes made possible by these cards. If you missed last week’s article on blue, check […]
In between acing some online leagues with Ad Nauseam and running into back-to-back Infect rounds in others, I’ve been watching and playing more Legacy than usual. Last weekend’s Grand Prix Prague and Columbus led to such an uptick in Legacy coverage that I couldn’t help it. How else am I supposed to get value out […]
In my continuing effort to simplify and explain the complicated nature of sideboarding in Modern, I’ve fielded a number of questions about techniques and specific strategies. This makes me happy, since it shows that my readership is engaged, thoughtful, and inquisitive, everything that I could ask for as an author. What has made me less […]
Before Ancestral Vision was unbanned in Modern, it struck me as one of the more deserving cards on the list. Given the choice between playing against Jace, the Mind Sculptor in a format where tapping four mana at sorcery speed can often just leave you dead, and a Treasure Cruise analog that required an investment […]
In the Pro Tour: Oath of the Gatewatch quarterfinals, the Eldrazi-toting Luis Scott-Vargas mulliganed to four against Pascal Maynard’s Affinity. The match announcers were baffled when Luis shuffled away an admittedly unexciting five of Ghost Quarter, Blinkmoth Nexus, Wastes, Matter Reshaper, and Endless One, but after some thought, realized Luis had correctly identified that hand as too slow. The ability to take […]
Last week, I began a five-part series focused on analyzing the varying impact each color in Magic has upon Modern, based on the individual cards that see play in the format and, to a broader extent, the archetypes made possible by these cards. If you missed last week’s article on white, check it out there; I’ll […]
I’ve always been more of a paper player than an online one, but that changed a few weeks ago when I bought myself an MTGO deck as an early birthday present. Can you guess my purchase? Hint: if you’ve seen “ktkenshinx” around the tournament practice tables, chances are you’ve been eating Lightning Storms with Pact […]
