Everybody fantasizes about what they would do if given the reigns of power. In fact, most discussion around banned and restricted announcements perennially involves players pontificating pointlessly about their banned wishlist. I’m not immune. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do today. I do understand how weird this article is, coming from me. I’m […]
David Ernenwein
David has been playing Magic since Odyssey block. A dedicated Spike, he's been grinding tournaments for over a decade, including a Pro Tour appearance. A Modern specialist who dabbles in Legacy, his writing is focused on metagame analysis and deck evolution.
The plan for this week was to update my metagame data tables with the results of the Grand Prix. However, Jason surprised all of us with the actual metagame update. Not that I’m complaining, mind you; it was a very nice surprise. I’m glad the more rigorous and comprehensive table is back in action. In […]
Once again, it’s time to update my paper metagame table! Magic’s had a busy weekend—between the SCG Invitational and the World Magic Cup, it was easy to miss the Roanoke Open. Which feels very odd to say, considering how popular and pervasive Opens are, but it’s the truth. Not that it matters; the data it […]
Next week is Grand Prix Oklahoma City, the biggest Modern event before the Pro Tour. And this week, there is a Modern Open alongside the SCG Invitational. These events should generate a lot of useful data. It will be tempting to wield this data and metagame your deck ahead of the Grand Prix. I am […]
Nothing is harder to see than the obvious. This is the problem of teaching Magic to new players. Whether you humiliatingly miss an on-board win, or your “missing” keys are on the table right in front of you, it happens to everyone. It can even apply to knowledge. It is easy to forget how daunting […]
Sometimes it’s necessary to revisit older topics. Whether it’s previously unavailable data coming in, or assumptions and beliefs evolving, it’s good to revisit previous statements and articles to see if they’re still valid. Today I will first finish off my Regionals update, then I need to revisit someĀ Ixalan cards both because I missed them and […]
So, here it is, the big update. After today, we will definitely have enough data to make actual conclusions about the metagame. I won’t go as far to say that it is theĀ definitive metagameāit’s not that big. However, this will show what you can expect going into Grand Prix Oklahoma City. The online metagame has […]
It begins, gentle seekers of glory. Today is a day of great opportunity and gangrenous rot. The pallid sun meekly illuminates the great ravenous hordes as they linger, eager and anxious, waiting for their moment, when they shall be unleashed upon the world to slack their unending hunger for inadequately-proportioned sugary confections. For those whose […]
Another week, another Star City Open, another round of data collection. As a general observation, the metagame diversity on display is remarkable. As the data will show, there are numerous viable archetypes and considerable diversity within those archetypes. However, clear front-runners are emerging. Should these continue through Regionals I think the metagame tiering will emerge. […]
You may not have heard, but there’s a Modern Pro Tour coming up. This is leading to an influx of interest in our beloved formatĀ andĀ increased tournament support. The past weekend had an SCG Modern Open in Charlotte; next weekend there’s another in Cincinnati, SCG Regionals are in November, and then the SCG Invitational and GP […]
The past month has been odd for me. I have been advocating UW Merfolk forever, but almost every other Fish player is mono-blue. It made sense. Perfect, painless manaĀ all the time is really appealing. ThenĀ Ixalan happened and everyone is experimenting with other colors. I’m not complaining but it feels weird. The fact that they’reĀ still not […]
The time has (finally) come to actually reveal the results of my latest banlist test. Looking back, testing two different decks made this harder than it needed to be. Focusing just on Storm would have yielded more satisfying data, though not a more significant result. As you will see, it appears that Preordain would not […]
With a new set comes new speculation, new brews, and new bold declarations. Archetypes are revived, archetypes are doomed, new decks exist, the new decks are terribleāwe’ve heard it all before. I try not to speculate and only talk about cards once I’ve actually played with them. This means I’m pretty late to the party […]
