With Modern Horizons 3 near, the Modern metagame is holding its breath. Players are choosing to play established decks and coast to the metagame's finish.

The post May ’24 Metagame Update: Waiting for Horizons first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Modern's metagame has fallen back on old favorites. With Modern Horizons 3 coming soon, players are holding their breath for the new shakeup. The data is clear.

The post April ’24 Metagame Update: Holding Pattern first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Violent Outburst is banned, and the Modern metagame is adjusting. However, from the data it's clear that players have little idea which direction it's heading.

The post March ’24 Metagame Update: The Cascade Crash first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

I haven't had to do that many metagame updates for February, it being the month where bans tend to happen. That wasn't the case this month, though I suspect that the data will add fuel to the banning call fires. I understand, but I'd caution everyone to consider the context before jumping to conclusions. February's data is defined by the Regional Championships and that created a localized warp.

The post February ’24 Metagame Update: Championship Changes first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

There is a clear metagame warp in January's data. However, it appears to be driven less by actual metagame forces than Magic Online being Magic Online.

The post January ’24 Metagame Update: Convergent Consensus first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Time to close the books on 2023. It's been quite a year. We saw two of the biggest sustained warps in Modern's history, banned and restricted policy reverted to an earlier form, and we had the first unban since 2019.

The post December ’23 Metagame Update: Holiday Hangover first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

With Fury and Up the Beanstalk banned, Modern is set to dramatically change. The data clearly shows how necessary the bans were, though the impact is uncertain.

The post November ’23 Metagame Update: A New World first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Modern continues to be dominated to an extreme degree by Scam. There has been innovation in the lower tiers, but it appears that the status quo will persist.

The post October ’23 Metagame Update: It Got Worse first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

In September, Modern's metagame developed along the same lines as it did in August. This is not a good thing, and it is getting much worse. David has the data.

The post September ’23 Modern Metagame Update: Getting Cheated first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Modern has finally achieved critical mass... of legends! Mox Amber holds together a five-color pile that can grind out anything with its top-down engine-focus.

The post I Put All Modern’s Best Cards into One Deck and It’s Sick first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

The June Modern Metagame Update is here. New additions have stirred Modern's mostly stagnant metagame, but that might not be permanent. David has the details.

The post June ’23 Metagame Update: Churn Returns first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Everyone has their favorite formats. In his first article, Mapson tells us why Modern and Legacy are his. He also gives us his lists for the weekend.

The post What Makes Modern and Legacy Special? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

The Modern Metagame Update is out. Modern continues to be stable, despite efforts of rogue decks to make a mark. Some unexpected decks did well in May.

The post May ’23 Metagame Update: Continued Continuity first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Aiming to revitalize Standard, Wizards has changed when bannings can occur. But the new system carries grave implications for larger formats.

The post How the New Banlist Policy Could Ruin Larger Formats first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

It appears serialized cards are here to stay, and every time Sig opens social media, he sees more of them. This week he explores the future of these novelties.

The post Serial Printings of Serialized Cards first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

April's Modern metagame data is deceptive. The tale that the numbers suggest isn't the story that actually happened. David E has the explanation inside.

The post April ’23 Metagame Analysis: Not Neck and Neck first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

April's Modern Metagame Update shows the top decks settling in while innovation and change rock the lower tiers. And Murktide has a surprise for us, too!

The post April ’23 Metagame Update: Looking Familiar first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

What is the best deck in Modern? There are many possible answers, but David E. has the data-driven case for Murktide being the best deck in Modern today.

The post Caught Blue-Handed: Is Murktide Modern’s Best Deck? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

An article from another site on the rising cost of Magic has David S. questioning "Is Magic really getting more expensive?" Join him as he runs the numbers.

The post Is Magic Getting More Expensive? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

While the data is clear, the reasons behind Modern's metagame trends remains elusive. David E. has a finger on the deck driving the changes, and how to respond.

The post March ’23 Metagame Analysis: A Fable of Outliers first appeared on Quiet Speculation.