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Filtering Information: Analyzing SCG Somerset

Today, I figured we’d take a break from brewing and get back to analyzing some pure tournament results. I’m still winning with Spell Queller, but high-level Modern events don’t come around often enough to ignore them completely. This past weekend, Modern got a lot of love in the form of the split-format Star City Games […]

Archetype Variations & Esper Blink

Since the release of Eldritch Moon a few weeks ago, I’ve been obsessed with Spell Queller in Modern. The versatility and unique power of the card, along with the potential for synergies in deckbuilding and the complex lines of play it can sponsor, have been too enticing to resist. For the past few weeks I’ve […]

Perfecting the Formula: Improving UW Spell Queller Blink

Last week, I introduced you to UW Blink, the archetype I brewed on stream with Spell Queller from Eldritch Moon. In that article, I discussed my philosophy behind the deck, analyzing card choices and discussing particular interactions Spell Queller has with the deck and the format in general. I was then, and still am, convinced […]

Modern Metagame Breakdown: 7/1/16 – 7/31/16

Well, you know what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same. The month of July saw some metagame shifts portended the month before take concrete form, as the paper shares adjusted to more closely resemble MTGO results. Death’s Shadow Zoo, Dredge, and Eldrazi ascended to Tier 1, replacing Abzan Company and […]

Breaking The Format: Spell Queller in UW Blink

Sometimes, innovation takes time. Endless nights of preparation, countless hours of practice, hundreds of games contributing to spreadsheets of statistics that inform close, calculated changes. In Magic (and Modern especially), this is the most common form of innovation we see. Death’s Shadow Zoo lists tend to fall in one of two camps, but within those […]

Then and Now: Developments in Death’s Shadow Zoo

13 months ago I wrote my second-ever article for Modern Nexus, focused entirely on a then-rogue strategy called “Suicide Zoo,” or Death’s Shadow Zoo.  (I also did a Video Tech, which you can watch here!) Championed strongly by Frank Karsten and Fabrizio Anteri, the deck put up splashy results in Magic Online Dailies (yes, those forgotten things) […]

Fulfilling Your PPTQ Needs: Esper Control Pt. 2

With Modern PPTQ season on the horizon, players round the world are turning their attention to our beloved format. Standard fanboys and Limited snobs alike will force themselves into our happy place, challenging our dominance and superior format knowledge as they attempt to wrest Regional PTQ invites from our deserving arms. In their ignorance, they […]

Primers – Nahiri Jeskai Control

Enough theory, enough lists. I’m back from Rome, (and back to streaming!!), which means I’m back to playing a whole lot of Magic. Today we’ll be talking about Jeskai Control with Nahiri, the Harbinger, breaking down the decklist, exploring variations, and discussing its strengths and weaknesses in Modern. Let’s get to it! Jeskai Control in […]

The Colors of Modern – Part Five: Green

Welcome to the final installment of 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. Check out the […]

Early Tests with Eldritch Moon Emrakul

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 […]

The Colors of Modern – Part 3: Black

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 […]

The Colors of Modern – Part Two: Blue

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 […]

The Colors of Modern – Part One: White

For the past two weeks I’ve been in Rome, experiencing the city and all its wonders through a roughly six-week study abroad program for architecture. Among many things, my studies have dealt significantly in history, be it the bloody history of Rome’s oft-changing seat of Caesar or the general majestic forces at work in Rome’s […]

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