prowess | Quiet Speculation

Prowess Paramount: May ’21 Metagame Update

David Ernenwein — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 16:00:01 +0000

I'm interrupting this spoiler season with an important bulletin: it's time for the metagame update! And this will be a strange one. Although... I'm not entirely clear on what a normal metagame update might look like. I mention that there's something unexpected happening every month. It's never the same weird thing, but it's always something […]

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An Abundant Harvest from Historic

David Ernenwein — Tue, 18 May 2021 16:00:01 +0000

I don't get Wizards's decision making. So many calls over the past few years just leave me scratching my head. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, and there have been editorials aplenty on every possible issue already. Instead, today I want to examine one very specific decision and its consequences. Specifically, Wizards made the […]

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A Building Wildfire: April ’21 Metagame Update

David Ernenwein — Mon, 03 May 2021 16:00:48 +0000

The new month brings a new metagame update. And this time, there's nothing disruptive to report. No bannings, no weird and still-unexplained data gaps; just a perfectly normal bit of data gathering. Which means that I'll be delivering a straightforward metagame update. Which will be nice, since there's another Modern Horizons coming, and that might […]

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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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Choosing The Right Bullet: A Beginner’s Guide

David Ernenwein — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 16:00:57 +0000

It's time, once again, for a return to The Beginner's Guide to Modern. This my long-running but periodic series where I cover the fundamentals of Modern for those new to the format. Though, as happens with a series that's four years old at this point, I've already covered all the fundamentals and obvious misconceptions long […]

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A Positioning Gift: Metagamed Merfolk

David Ernenwein — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 16:00:24 +0000

Decks come, and decks go. The metagame has no sacred cows. A deck must find its niche and then hold it to maintain relevance. Strength in a vacuum doesn't matter, nor does the dedication of the player base. Three years ago, Grixis Death's Shadow was an absolute monster of a deck, to the point that […]

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July ’20 Metagame Update: Post-Astrolabe Ban

David Ernenwein — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 16:00:53 +0000

Another month gone in quarantine. At least, I think it's been a month. Time is steadily losing all meaning to me. What even is this year, and what was I talking about? Oh yeah, it's August now, so I need to take another look at Modern's metagame. Fire up the spreadsheets and break out the […]

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Situation Contained: Core 2021 Early Spoilers

David Ernenwein — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 16:00:21 +0000

In these uncertain times, it is only natural to seek stability and comfort in the familiar and predictable. Which is a convoluted way of saying that the world may be burning, but spoiler season has returned on schedule. It's not much relative to everything else, but even small comforts are important. In the past, Core […]

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Errant Errata: June B&R Reaction

David Ernenwein — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:00:54 +0000

Here we are again: another set, another set of problems, and another banning... oh wait, nothing's getting banned in Modern. Awkward. And more to the point, a waste of a perfectly good rant setup. Why am I even bothering... oh right, something else happened this time around. And it is consequential. Though not in the […]

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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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May ’20 Brew Report, Pt. 1: Comp-repared

Jordan Boisvert — Fri, 15 May 2020 16:00:39 +0000

Okay, so companions are everywhere. But looking past that acknowledged reality, I see a Modern bursting with possibilities, and even applying the different companions in brilliant, unpredictable ways. Let’s take a look at what May’s first half has had to offer us in terms of Modern ingenuity! One Tribe... Or Two One unexpected (at least, […]

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Here be Monsters: Ikoria Spoilers Week 1

David Ernenwein — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 16:00:30 +0000

Alright Magic world, it's time to screech to even more of a halt: it's spoiler time again. That means you, Timmy and Tammy! Particularly you, since this set is tailor made to your preferences, they being giant monsters and the making thereof. The pickings are a bit thinner for Spike this time around, but that's fine […]

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Spoiler Scouring: Two New Ikoria Brews

Jordan Boisvert — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 16:00:44 +0000

As starved as many are for distractions in this day and age, distractions also abound, and got the better of me this time. Like a silent, scaled predator, this set crept up on me. I had to double-check if Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths was even slated to be sanctioned in Modern. Wait a minute... Behemoths? […]

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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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Adaptation and Acclimation: Metagame Adjustments

David Ernenwein — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 17:00:24 +0000

Another event, another set of data, another reexamination of the Modern metagame. As the time of actual Modern Opens and Grand Prix approaches, Modern players are increasingly seeking to find the new rules for the format and whatever edge they can. I'll be tracking those changes as the data comes in, looking for developments and […]

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Hold ‘Em & Fold ‘Em #16

Edward Eng — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 12:08:51 +0000

The SCG Dallas Open showcased some interesting developments in several formats. Eddie takes stock of new technology and logs the changes to his portfolio in response.

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