mtgo | Quiet Speculation

Seeking Stoneblade: Testing in the New Meta

David Ernenwein — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:00:04 +0000

The pandemic persists, and consequently Wizards has yet to restart their premier paper events. Which might not be a bad thing. Considering how badly the MPL went and the lack of clarity over what comes next, it's better to give them time to figure it out. However, that does mean that many players with the […]

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Modern Top 5: Underplayed Cards

David Ernenwein — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 16:00:31 +0000

It's summer. There's not much happening on the Magic front. And I've got summer things to do. So I'm giving in and doing a list article. At least the algorithm will be satisfied. And I still have my professional pride preventing me from doing it in a nonanalytical way. The Online Metagame An explainer/disclaimer before I […]

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A Dim Light: Examining Boros Lumimancer

David Ernenwein — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:00:35 +0000

By the time you read this, Strixhaven: School of Mages will have been available on MTGO for six days. And some people even have it in paper. Consequently, results are beginning to trickle in which include the new cards. Which means that I can start seeing how well my psychic abilities are developing. And maybe […]

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The Latest Contender? Analyzing Heliod Company

David Ernenwein — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 16:00:26 +0000

And now, back to our regularly scheduled metagame analysis. Let me just take a look at what's been winning... oh. MTGO's reporting system is bugged; there's been no new data since March 10. Huh. Ok, well, let me just see what's happening in the community... wait, really? Heliod Company is considered the best deck now? […]

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Practical Experience: MTGO All-Access Week

David Ernenwein — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:00:58 +0000

As January comes to a close, it's time to start looking forward to the new Modern. Kaldheim hits shelves next Friday, and while its impact on Modern will be muted, there will be new brews and deck adjustments which will cause some turbulence. The only question is whether there will be a major change, either from a […]

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Uro on MTGO: Lessons from the MOCS

David Ernenwein — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 17:00:28 +0000

Continuing on with article types that have been vanishingly rare this year, it's time to look at the lessons from a specific tournament. I haven't done this since February because there just haven't been any Modern tournaments. Wizards has neglected every other format in order to push Arena. Which means that other competitive formats have been neglected. […]

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Practical Example: A League Story

David Ernenwein — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 17:00:18 +0000

Alright, now. Everybody exhale. Last week is over. We can all try to grind our way through the rest of the year. We've been through enough already. Now it's time for some lighter fare, especially the kind that used to be my bread and butter. Then, the lockdown rendered then impossible. I am of course […]

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The Changing Landscape of Magic: The Gathering

Joseph Davidson — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:00:34 +0000

COVID-19 has changed the future of Magic: The Gathering forever. Joe takes a look at the changing landscape of the competitive Magic world and how MTG Finance-minded players can prepare for the new normal.

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Preparing for a Paper Future with Double Masters

Joseph Davidson — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Paper Magic is going to come back someday and people are going to start wanting paper copies of cards featured in competitive decks again. Joe takes a look at his top choices from Double Masters for players looking to pick up cheap, competitive reprints before paper tournaments begin again in earnest.

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Banned and Restricted List Update – August 3rd, 2020

Christopher O'Berry — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 04:33:57 +0000

Today brought one of the most significant bans in recent memory, and at breakneck speed. Surprise?! The August 3rd, 2020 Banned and Restricted announcement is live!

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Budget-Focused: Deflecting Palm, a Core Set 21 Uncommon, and More for Your Pioneer Binder!

Eric Pankow — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:00:39 +0000

UndyingMTG takes aim at Boros Pioneer sleepers in the next edition of his Budget-Focused series.

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Budget-Focused: More Pioneer cards you need to acquire!

Eric Pankow — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 11:00:59 +0000

In a followup to last week, UndyingMTG examines another handful of cards flying under the radar in Pioneer.

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Companion Modern: Consistency vs. Certainty

David Ernenwein — Tue, 26 May 2020 16:00:25 +0000

Another week of data, another update to the Ikoria metagame. The trends had been moving towards companion stabilizing in Modern. Last week, the individual companion cards seemed volatile in terms of usage, but the mechanic itself appeared to have achieved saturation. We observed some signs suggesting that companions might be been fading in Modern, which […]

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Companion of the Week: Metagame Breakdown

David Ernenwein — Tue, 19 May 2020 16:00:47 +0000

When working with data, scale is everything. Just as an area looks very different when using Google Streetview versus Google Maps, the context, meaning, trends, and ultimately the conclusions reached from the data will depend heavily on the scale it's examined on. This is the reason that economics is split between micro and macro level […]

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The Companion Effect: Metagame Update

David Ernenwein — Tue, 12 May 2020 16:00:50 +0000

In the absence of data, speculation and rumor thrive. It's time to correct that problem with a deep data dive. I have been collecting metagame data for the past month, and today I'm going to share my findings. The rhetoric about companions has been flying thick since they were revealed, but their actual impact was […]

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Insider: Capitalizing on the Modern Horizons Flashback

Kyle Rusciano — Thu, 07 May 2020 16:38:55 +0000

Modern Horizons Flashback Drafts hit MTGO! Kyle reexamines the key cards Modern Horizons on MTGO, and a few sleeper hits with high upside.

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On Fire: Lurrus Burn

David Ernenwein — Tue, 05 May 2020 16:00:49 +0000

Modern is on fire. I've come to expect this declaration every time there's a noticeable shift in the format. Sometimes it's justified. Sometimes it isn't. And sometimes its semi-literal. Burn appears to be dominating Modern at the moment. Red decks have been doing well since Oko, Thief of Crowns was banned, but it was Prowess […]

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Navigating Vendor Shut-Downs

Sigmund Ausfresser — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 11:00:41 +0000

COVID-19 has forced temporary suspension of many large Magic vendor operations. This week Sig reports on which vendors are closed, which are still open for business, and how he's shopping during this tumultuous time.

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Online Only: MTGO Metagame

David Ernenwein — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:00:05 +0000

*Sigh* Oh, Magic Online. It is only now, with paper Magic shut down, that I am forced to regularly use you. And remember that I love/hate you. The ability to pick up and play my preferred format anytime, and against anyone in the world, is a true joy. Having to navigate your stubbornly obtuse command schemes […]

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Coronavirus, Cancellations, and You

Joseph Davidson — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 11:00:21 +0000

Wizards Play Network has announced that In-Store Play is officially suspended in North America, Europe, and LATAM until at least May 10th. Joe talks about the potential financial impacts for local game stores, online sellers, and average players as well as what we can do to stay connected as a community in these trying times.

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