Modern. You devil, you.

Don't get me wrong. Modern is absolutely still growing. The traditional model of what to expect during a Pro Tour Qualifier season is the issue here.

Let's face it. The game has changed. The game is changing. Still. The expectations of the past no longer apply to the present.

"The most powerful thing is the ability to make something visible or invisible to someone else." -Dylan Beckham

This was a comment I made in the last few days. It's ironic that something I said concerning a completely unrelated matter is taking place also in the Magic world. The fact is someone is holding their breath. It's as clear as day. Actually, it might not even be holding their breath. It might be hyperventilating at this point. Prices are going down, after all.

We're getting ready to head into the fourth week of the season. The results are still trickling in, but from what I've been seeing at the top tables, there really are no real surprises. Prices haven't changed very much with the start of the new season. There are some that are clearly getting a push, but that's more from their play in Standard as well as being inherently powerful cards. I'm looking at you, Courser of Kruphix and Eidolon of the Great Revel.

So what does this mean?

My fellow QS writer, Corbin Hosler, talked shortly about The Ground Shook last week. He notices the downward trend or simple stagnation of some Modern staples, and while we don't share the same semi-pessimism, he hit the nail on the head. Even this last weekend at the 160-person PTQ I attended in Fort Worth, there wasn't even a mention of the new IQ coming into effect.

This might simply be because it is a rather lengthy distance out. It might be because--here at least--we're going to be on hiatus from Modern until late July, and then only one more before the end of the season. It might be because the first three weeks of the season in Texas was back-to-back-to-back qualifiers. I can tell you now, my wallet is hurting from all the tournaments, travelling and days off. Fortunately for me, I can budget effectively.

But can you imagine the cost of that for the average player? Much less the average player who works during the weekends? Of course there would be a little post-coital glow about this time. For most, this was where the hype was. These last three weekends. Just as much as everything is getting started everywhere else. We're kind of screaming "FIRST!" and rolling over to light our cigarette now.

All while the only real financial news to report is that Eidolon of the Great Revel is still climbing. If you recall, #3 on last week's list. Snapcaster Mage has flattened out. Tarmogoyf has too. Blood Moon is still slowly climbing, and there was a suggestion after last week's article that Hurkyl's Recall might be seeing such a boon just from Vintage Masters finally premiering on MTGO.

Honestly though, the strangest thing has happened: The exact expectations going into this season have held serve.

When everything is as expected, there's no surprise to see coming. That is a true peculiarity for Magic: The Finance. We strive on the unexpected. Pouncing before the next person can. We want there to be volatility, excitement, and panic. We want people to believe there is a down trend. "WE'RE BUYING, RIGHT HERE!"

By now we should have seen something break the format. But it hasn't. It is very much a known quantity with a wide variety of playable decks. It is a deck builder's paradise. In the last two events I have played against the same deck a whopping three times.

In other words, out of 16 matches I have played six decks that were the same. That's a ridiculously wide open field. So maybe, what we're experiencing right now is a market place that is just widely diffused. There's no true laser pointing the way to go.

Or, everyone is just holding their breath. I guess we'll see.

-Till Next Time