Sheridan Lardner | Quiet Speculation

The Cheeri0s Series: GP Vancouver Deck of Choice

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:00:56 +0000

Confession time: I'm a Cheeri0s guy. No, not the cereal, although I've been known to start off the day with a bowl of Honey Nut goodness. I'm talking about Modern Cheeri0s, the speediest combo deck in the format. The blistering fast engine combo has been my back-burner deck since 2013 when Paladin was running solo. Then Aether […]

The post The Cheeri0s Series: GP Vancouver Deck of Choice first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Quantifying Fatal Push’s Effectiveness: The Push Index

Sheridan Lardner — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 17:00:22 +0000

Happy new year, Moderners! It's good to be back to the Nexus, even if I expect I'll do far fewer articles in 2017 than I did last year. Between personal and professional developments, it's been a very busy few months for me, but I'm excited to return and plunge into Magic's newest set. No promises […]

The post Quantifying Fatal Push’s Effectiveness: The Push Index first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Buying and Building with Enemy Fastlands for Modern

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 09:00:18 +0000

Enemy-colored fastlands look to be some of the biggest Modern hits out of Kaladesh. Sheridan breaks down where they might go and how much they might cost.

The post Insider: Buying and Building with Enemy Fastlands for Modern first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Hot Modern Buys After August Grand Prix Weekend

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:00:27 +0000

Three Grand Prix in the books and many hot Modern cards coming to the surface! Sheridan points you to big winners after the Modern weekend.

The post Insider: Hot Modern Buys After August Grand Prix Weekend first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Modern Pointers for August Grand Prix Weekend

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:00:53 +0000

August's Modern Grand Prix weekend is just five days away! Sheridan has a handful of targets you'll need to check out before coverage starts.

The post Insider: Modern Pointers for August Grand Prix Weekend first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Repairing the Urzatron with WG Tron

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:00:42 +0000

Summer 2016 has been a hostile season for the Urzatron. I'd been rolling over online opponents with RG Tron for months, but starting in late May, I detected a shift. More Infect and Death's Shadow Zoo. More Through the Breach and Valakut. More crazy optimists thinking their new Shadows Over Innistrad tech would make Dredge […]

The post Repairing the Urzatron with WG Tron first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Buying Into Beating Modern Dredge

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 09:00:29 +0000

As Dredge continues its march to Modern's top, Sheridan is here to help you buy the anti-Dredge staples you'll need to beat the new menace.

The post Insider: Buying Into Beating Modern Dredge first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Buying Into Modern Dredge

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 11:30:39 +0000

With the addition of new Shadows over Innistrad staples, Dredge is making waves in Modern. Sheridan advises how to invest intelligently in the new powerhouse.

The post Insider: Buying Into Modern Dredge first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Top 5 Modern Playables: Eldritch Moon

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 16:00:00 +0000

I'm always both sad and relieved when preview and spoiler season ends. Sad, because it's fun watching the trickle of cards throughout the day and getting the big story and set staple reveals. Relieved, because it's painful to watch people misappropriate the Bolt Test, evaluate cards without either testing or any metagame context, and make one […]

The post Top 5 Modern Playables: Eldritch Moon first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Complete Review – Eldritch Moon Rares and Mythics in Modern

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 09:00:00 +0000

With the full Eldritch Moon spoiler available, Sheridan starts the task of picking cards with Modern potential. He suggests whether to buy or hold off at current prices.

The post Insider: Complete Review – Eldritch Moon Rares and Mythics in Modern first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Evaluating Allosurus Evolution in Modern

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 17:00:33 +0000

Last Friday morning, Allosaurus Rider went from a $.50 bulk-binder warmer to the next $20 buyout. The Coldsnap and Duel Deck throwback has since stabilized in the $5-$7 range with most major retailers, but dino hype hasn't had this much bite since Jurassic World trailers started appearing in late 2014. You can thank Gavin Verhey for the buyout; his Eldritch […]

The post Evaluating Allosurus Evolution in Modern first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Buying/Selling Into Modern Eldritch Evolution Hype

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 09:00:33 +0000

Eldritch Evolution from EMN has the trappings of a major Modern player. Sheridan explores Evolution's strategic and financial possibilities.

The post Insider: Buying/Selling Into Modern Eldritch Evolution Hype first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Eldritch Moon Thalia and the Bolt Test

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 16:00:16 +0000

I got an email the other day asking if I'd finished any more Emrakul tests. I'll take that one publicly: no, because I haven't tested Emrakul specifically, but yes, because I've been getting in on the RG Tron MTGO action since last weekend. I'm really hating Jeskai's Crumbles and Snapcasters, but otherwise the deck has […]

The post Eldritch Moon Thalia and the Bolt Test first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Evaluating Early Eldritch Moon for Modern

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:00:51 +0000

Eldritch Moon previews start in earnest today, but last week brought five early spoilers to get us excited. Sheridan evaluates them for Modern today.

The post Insider: Evaluating Early Eldritch Moon for Modern first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Early Tests with Eldritch Moon Emrakul

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 16:00:54 +0000

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 post Early Tests with Eldritch Moon Emrakul first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Deep Modern Specs Before EMN Previews

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 09:00:56 +0000

Eldritch Moon previews start today, but before we know a single card Sheridan is here to point out some hot spec targets.

The post Insider: Deep Modern Specs Before EMN Previews first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Modern Inspiration from Legacy

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 16:00:11 +0000

In between acing some online leagues with Ad Nauseam and running into back-to-back Infect rounds in others, I've been watching and playing more Legacy than usual. Last weekend's Grand Prix Prague and Columbus led to such an uptick in Legacy coverage that I couldn't help it. How else am I supposed to get value out […]

The post Modern Inspiration from Legacy first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: The Complete Guide to Eternal Masters in Modern

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 09:00:06 +0000

Despite being geared mainly at the Legacy crowd, Eternal Masters has some decent cards to offer Modern. Sheridan breaks them down.

The post Insider: The Complete Guide to Eternal Masters in Modern first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Modern Metagame Breakdown: 5/1/16 – 5/31/16

Sheridan Lardner — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:00:19 +0000

I've always been more of a paper player than an online one, but that changed a few weeks ago when I bought myself an MTGO deck as an early birthday present. Can you guess my purchase? Hint: if you've seen "ktkenshinx" around the tournament practice tables, chances are you've been eating Lightning Storms with Pact […]

The post Modern Metagame Breakdown: 5/1/16 – 5/31/16 first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Insider: Five Cheap Top-Tier Modern Pickups

Sheridan Lardner — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 09:00:54 +0000

Big decks can come with big price-tags, but Sheridan has scoped out five underpriced Modern staples to get fast.

The post Insider: Five Cheap Top-Tier Modern Pickups first appeared on Quiet Speculation.