From the response to last week’s article, it seems the Nexus readership shares my interest in discussing the parameters and strategic relevance of Modern archetypes. Our community raised some insightful points in the comments, so today I’ll address those and expand a little on my theory – especially delving into my thoughts on spectrums. “Theory” is the operative […]

Everyone has a pet card (or three) they want reprinted in a Modern legal set. For me, that card is Goblin Bombardment. Combo power? Check: who didn’t love Enduring Renewal and Shield Sphere (except your opponent). Value power? Check again: Gravecrawler must have been a Goblin in a previous life, because he was made for […]

In Modern Sleepers (Part 1), I led with a blurb about what makes Modern such a great format. Today, I’ll begin with a bit about what makes a card playable in Modern and how to hone card analysis skills. Improving at card analysis benefits players and collectors alike. When a budget player “buys in” on a […]

With the recent release of Magic Origins and preparations for attending my first Pro Tour in Vancouver, Modern has unfortunately taken a backseat to Standard testing for me recently. This pains me greatly, as moving from the extremely mana-efficient, decision intensive, role-switching matches of Grixis Control in favor of clunky, barbaric Abzan Midrange is similar […]

I don’t remember the last time a “no changes” banlist announcement was met with so much contention and disagreement. Although some players have expressed satisfaction and relief at Wizards’ decision last week, others have done the opposite, questioning Wizards’ understanding of Modern, challenging the banning of some cards and not others, and overall doubting Wizards’ ability […]

An hour ago, Wizards released their 7/13 Banned and Restricted Announcement to an eagerly awaiting Modern community. I’d been refreshing pages for about two hours by that point, so I hope you join me in taking our collective hats off to Wizards as we applaud them for the Announcement’s decision: no changes. I’m not just […]

The most frustrating part about the Modern banlist isn’t always the bans themselves. In fact, I haven’t really disagreed with a ban since Seething Song/Bloodbraid Elf bit the dust back in January 2013. For me, the most frustrating part can be lack of player understanding about Wizards’ banning criteria, and Wizards’ lack of transparency in how they discuss […]

Magic Origins has arrived! Origins is the last of the Core sets (6th Edition, 10th Edition, M15, etc.), which marks the end of an era for how sets are released. It’s fitting that a set like this will have some high-impact Modern playables, but the bar was already set high in Khans block. Maybe a […]

It would be hard to pick a “best” moment at GP Charlotte. With all the awesome feature matches (big props to Starcitygames for the coverage), interesting deck techs, online buzz, and general community involvement in the event, it really felt like an interactive experience even for those stuck at their desks. Although Charlotte was not […]

You hear that? That’s the sound of Snapcaster Mage hitting the $80 mark. Oblivion Stone hitting $50. Huntmaster of the Fells tripling in price. The Modern market’s recent meltdown depresses a lot of players, but in me, it breeds excitement. This is where the action’s at! Modern’s never been more alive, as evidenced by the […]

If someone told right now that my weekend had suddenly freed up, I’d snag airplane tickets and be down in Charlotte faster than the average Infect game. But it’s probably for the best. The world isn’t ready to feel the wrath of Puresteel Paladin or Disciple of Griselbrand+Blood Moon just yet. Which is really another way […]

Hello again to all you Nexus readers and Modern players! In our announcement last week, I talked about some changes to the site and our short and long-term goals moving ahead. A big part of this is continuing to provide you quality Modern content, which means bringing on writers to ensure regular articles and diverse viewpoints. […]

Hello Nexus readers and Modern community! As many of you have probably noticed, it’s later in the day and no article has been published yet. We recently underwent some staff transitions and today was the day to get things switched over and make sure the transition went smoothly. As Sean announced yesterday on Facebook and […]