Welcome to the third week of the new Modern. For many of us this is probably the most significant week simply because now is when the new IQ season really kicks off. Yes, there were a few IQ’s last week concurrent with the Baltimore Open, but this is the week that stores nationally really started to host tournaments, allowing Modern […]

Today I will be focusing on Grixis Control. Where it came from, the challenges it faces, how it can respond to the new Modern landscape we find ourselves in, and what role it will play moving forward. For those unfamiliar with my opinions on this deck, you can brush up here, here, and here. While […]

Can you believe it was only a month ago when we were picking through the scattered debris of our once beloved format? Or declaring one deck the first true Tier 0 overlord in Modern history? Following the April 4 banlist update, and the subsequent Modern events from April 8 until today, the horrors of Eldrazi […]

After weeks of waiting, the time has come! Eldrazi is gone, and we could possibly be on the precipice of a Control Takeover. Before I wake from this dream, I have to do the only thing I know how: analyze! This week, we’ll briefly go over the ban announcement, the immediate impacts, and make some predictions […]

Rejoice, fellow Nexites! The Powers-That-Be have at last stepped in to put an end to Eldrazi Winter. We may at last emerge from the ruins, gaze upon the metagame again with clear eyes and eager hearts, and go forth and enjoy this beautiful new world. Breathe in, good Nexites, and breathe out a great, joyful sigh […]

The numbers are in, and things couldn’t look worse. Prior to this weekend’s events, which will forever go down in history as “The Day Liberty Died,” there remained a small sliver of hope. Maybe the tools exist to beat Eldrazi (probably not). Maybe our future has yet to be set (seems pretty set). Maybe there’s […]

27 days left. April 4 is literally highlighted on my desk calendar, with a big red X drawn through a little Eldrazi caricature in the “Appointments” space. I’m not playing a single turn of sanctioned Modern until then, a resolution I believe many Modern players share. Who wants to even be at the same table as an […]

Detroit. Bologna. Melbourne. It is in these three cities that Modern players across the world will unite for a last stand against the Eldrazi apocalypse. From March 4 through March 6, all eyes in the Modern community will be fixed on the much-anticipated Grand Prix weekend. It has been one month since teams at Pro Tour […]

Welcome to week three of the Eldrazi Apocalypse! On Monday, I tried to distract us with promises of greener April pastures, but even the most indefatigable Modern optimist struggled to forget the weekend’s horrors. StarCityGames’ Louisville Classic was one of the ugliest Modern events I’ve ever seen. I described it as a “twisted, tentically nightmare” […]

Magic feels like it’s under attack. Reddit has gone ballistic with the so-called #vendorleak scandal, incensed by stunning (or not so stunning…) allegations of merchant misconduct from an anonymous tipster. Wizards announced Eternal Masters to the joy of many and dismay of many more, reigniting debate about the Reserved List, Legacy, Modern, and future Constructed formats. […]

Metagame diversity is my preferred measure of Modern health. More specifically, diversity as determined by the data analysis methods you’ve come to expect from Modern Nexus’ Top Decks and metagame breakdown projects. Let’s get this out of the way early: Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch does not meet those standards. No matter how you parse the Day 1, Day 2, or […]

Brace yourself: the Modern Pro Tour is coming. Between the Oath of the Gatewatch exposition, StarCityGames’ Regional blowout, and Super Bowl Sunday, I’m going to be glued to a screen for every waking weekend hour. Will Affinity, Burn, and Grishoalbrand run riot in Atlanta? Can Von MIller’s defense stuff Cam Newton’s offense on the Levi’s […]

It hasn’t even been a full week since Twin got buried on the Modern banlist, and although Exarch is still mourning, it’s time for players to buck up and dive into the new metagame. If you play paper Modern, the controversial January 18th announcement went into effect last Friday the 22nd. MTGO folks had to […]