Modern's metagame is very clearly settling. The numerous Regional Championships and other large events clearly demonstrated this stability, for better or worse.

The post November ’25 Metagame Update: Championship Month first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

The Modern metagame appears to be settling down. The Energy metagame is shifting to be combo focused and Blink continues to adapt. This likely means no bans.

The post October ’25 Metagame Update: Changing the Sheets first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

With Modern Horizons 3 near, the Modern metagame is holding its breath. Players are choosing to play established decks and coast to the metagame's finish.

The post May ’24 Metagame Update: Waiting for Horizons first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

I haven't had to do that many metagame updates for February, it being the month where bans tend to happen. That wasn't the case this month, though I suspect that the data will add fuel to the banning call fires. I understand, but I'd caution everyone to consider the context before jumping to conclusions. February's data is defined by the Regional Championships and that created a localized warp.

The post February ’24 Metagame Update: Championship Changes first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

There is a clear metagame warp in January's data. However, it appears to be driven less by actual metagame forces than Magic Online being Magic Online.

The post January ’24 Metagame Update: Convergent Consensus first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Time to close the books on 2023. It's been quite a year. We saw two of the biggest sustained warps in Modern's history, banned and restricted policy reverted to an earlier form, and we had the first unban since 2019.

The post December ’23 Metagame Update: Holiday Hangover first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

With Fury and Up the Beanstalk banned, Modern is set to dramatically change. The data clearly shows how necessary the bans were, though the impact is uncertain.

The post November ’23 Metagame Update: A New World first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Modern continues to be dominated to an extreme degree by Scam. There has been innovation in the lower tiers, but it appears that the status quo will persist.

The post October ’23 Metagame Update: It Got Worse first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

April's Modern metagame data is deceptive. The tale that the numbers suggest isn't the story that actually happened. David E has the explanation inside.

The post April ’23 Metagame Analysis: Not Neck and Neck first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

April's Modern Metagame Update shows the top decks settling in while innovation and change rock the lower tiers. And Murktide has a surprise for us, too!

The post April ’23 Metagame Update: Looking Familiar first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

The February Modern Metagame Update is here, and its data seems deeply at odds with the claims Wizards made about format win rates. What's the real story?

The post February ’23 Metagame Update: Closed Circle first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

The January Modern Metagame Update is here. In this month, the top decks remain stable while the lower tiers show more innovation and experimentation.

The post January ’23 Metagame Update: Before the Storm first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

David S. got to sling some Sneak and Show in person, and is back with both a tournament report and some juicy financial takes for Legacy lovers.

The post Sneaking & Showing: A Legacy Tournament Report first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Modern is moving in a decidedly red direction. Indomitable Creativity decks are diverging between paper and online play. David E. explains how and why.

The post December ’22 Metagame Analysis: A Warp Has Formed first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

New month, new Modern metagame update. While there have been shakeups within the Tiers, the last update of 2022 looks familiar... and that's alarming.

The post December ’22 Metagame Update: Concerning Continuity first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

The metagame has achieved general stability, but the paper and MTGO metagames are diverging... and Tier 1 is half the field! David E. has the data.

The post November ’22 Metagame Update: Divergent Continuity first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

Francesco discusses new creatures from the Zendikar block, with a special focus on the competitive history of the much-maligned Eldrazi.

The post Magical Creatures: Rigger, Surrakar, and Eldrazi first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

It's a new month, and that means a new Modern Metagame update. Modern continues to be in a complicated place as David E. explains.

The post July ’22 Metagame Update: Izzet Over Yet? first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

David E. continues his series on fringe Modern decks, getting in some reps with Wishshift and Showdown of the Skalds. Do they have what it takes?

The post Simply Eclipsed: MTGO Summer Testing #2 first appeared on Quiet Speculation.

David explores the implications of April's metagame data, fleshing out the state of Cascade Crashers, the dangers of Amulet Titan, and the likelihood of bans.

The post Unexpected Stability: April ’22 Metagame Analysis first appeared on Quiet Speculation.