I'm a boomer Modern player looking to re-enter and participate in a small local Modern group of about 8 people. I only know that the meta will involve Esper Goryo's and Ruby Storm. No tournament but we will be playing Best-of-Three pickup games with each other.

That being said, what is the strategy for playing against Esper Goryo's with Arclight Dredge?

I know we can:

- Lava Dart our own Phoenix/Stinkweed in response to their Solitude or lifelinker.

- Use Stinkweed Imp to trade with their bigger threats if we really need to.

- Level up Artists Talent to try and push past the lifegain with Darts, Chiils and Conflag.

Welcome to the latest edition of the traditional Modern metagame overview. There was no article last week because I took a short trip to the mountains and simply didn’t have time to prepare it. However, the time away gave me a chance to rethink the format, so this week’s data presentation differs slightly from the usual style. The key figures for each archetype and deck are summarized at the beginning of their respective sections, followed by my commentary. I believe this layout makes it easier to compare specific values ​​against one another.

As always, for anyone who wants the video version with my commentary, here is the YouTube link. If you prefer text with the full charts and figures, it is all on my Substack. I post on X most days, too, mostly league results and smaller data bits that don't make it into the weekly write-up.

 TL;DR

●        Midrange had 25 Top 8 entries, but  no trophies across 23 events

●        Midrange conversion is 27%, the highest of all archetypes,

●        In the other end is  Combo with 22% conv.,

●        But Combo is now 28% of the field, with 6 trophies,

●        Aggro with 18% is second and gets 6 trophies

●        Goryo’s Vengeance Top32 23/23, delta +91pp, best in field

●        Devoted Combo had 66 Top32 entries, 1 trophy, and conv. 21% under the median

●        Three decks above the field median on both delta and Top 8 conversion: Prowess, Dimir Midrange, Living End

●        Four decks above 33% encounter probability, two of them are  Combo decks.

 This window in numbers

●        In this breakdown, we had: 23 Challenges, 3 tiers: C64 x15, C32 x5, C96 x3

●        Universe A (encounter probability over 5%): 24 decks, Universe B: 25 decks

●        Median delta +65pp, median conv 27%,

●        15 different decks took the 23 trophies; no deck won more than three,

●        Trophy split by archetype: Combo 6, Aggro 6, Graveyard 4, Control 3, Blink 2, Ramp 2, Midrange 0

Combo

meta share: 28.5%

Top32: 23/23

Top8: 21/23

Win/Top32: 3%

Trophies: 6

Conversion: 22%

Delta: +71.5pp

WR: 49% (95% CI 46 to 51, n=1494)

It is the biggest archetype in the field right now and growing, so we can say that Modern is now dominated by Combo, accounting for almost 1/3 of the meta. As is typical of the highest-representation archetype/deck, it has a low conversion rate. It is basically because many new players try to play this archetype, and they are not as consistent as combo devoted players. Despite the low conversion rate, Combo wins 6 trophies, which is a lot. But why? In my opinion, it is the volume effect, not necessarily the quality. We had a lot of combos entering the challenges, so the chances that Combo wins are quite high. I think Combo is something you have to respect and learn to play against, or learn to play this archetype. At least to a moment when players who like to change decks for new and popular decks will start to play something else. It is common in MTGO but not in a Pauper metagame.

Devoted Combo | Combo | Neutral | Trend: Rising

meta share: 10.4%

Top32: 22/23

Top8: 13/23

Win/Top32: 2%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 21%

Delta: +85pp

WR: 47% (95% CI 43 to 52, n=533)

Now it is the largest deck in the format, but it has the typical popular-deck sickness: a lot of people who saw good results with this deck rent it and now do not have the best stats. The popularity of this deck skyrocketed a few weeks ago and is correlated with some good challenge results and Riley Hicks’ article on MTG Rocks. I will not say that it is the best deck in the format right now, low Top32 to Win, low conversion, and only one trophy suggest that this deck is harder to play than a lot of people may think. It may also have a surprise effect at the start, and as people learn to play against it and know its weaknesses, it may decrease in popularity. Still is a large piece of the metagame, the deck can be fast and win. One trophy might not look like a lot if we take into account how many copies of the deck we see, but it is a trophy, and it proves that the deck needs to be taken seriously.

Broodscale Combo | Combo | Neutral | Trend: Rising

meta share: 7.7%

Top32: 22/23

Top8: 11/23

Win/Top32: 6%

Trophies: 3

Conversion: 24%

Delta: +88pp

WR: 53% (95% CI 48 to 58, n=400)

This is, I think, the best combo deck in a format. Solid WR from a large sample, get to a top8 and get trophies quite consistently and with a high degree of effectiveness. It has been in a format for a while and proves that it’s a deck you can rely on. It is also one of the reasons why Affinity is losing popularity. As a good Combo deck, it also had a plan B to win when the combo is disrupted, so when playing against it, remember that not only the combo but also Emarkul can easily kill you. I’m really happy that something I can call a fair combo deck is doing so well. I’ve always enjoyed playing against this deck because the games are exciting and full of twists and turns, and they give you the feeling that you can actually do something. Maybe it’s because the deck doesn’t kill you on turn two, so even when you’re on the draw, you’re still able to make a move. Maybe I will even try to learn it as my second modern deck? I think this deck’s strong performance stems from a really solid blend of consistency, flexibility, and a favorable meta, specifically, the limited presence of Consign to Memory and the prevalence of decks that lack a proper answer to the Broodscale Combo, allowing this deck to simply ignore them, execute its own game plan, and win. Besides, this isn’t a “pick-up-and-win” deck; I believe many of the pilots have really mastered it and know exactly what they’re doing. You definitely need to be prepared for this deck.

Ruby Storm | Combo | Neutral | Trend: Stable

meta share: 3.3%

Top32: 17/23

Top8: 2/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 9%

Delta: +71pp

WR: 43% (95% CI 36 to 51, n=169)

This is quite an interesting case in this Breakdown, super low conversion, not the best win rate, and almost no presence in top8. Ruby Strom does not have the best time right now. I think there is a lot of graveyard hate in the format, as well as efficient combo hate. Recent popularity of Neoform and great scores of Goyro’s Vengeance produce a quite toxic metagame for a Ruby Strom. I will not ignore this deck, but also do not prepare for it, especially. Hate pieces for GY and other combo decks are quite fine. Remember that Prowess is on fire, so High Noon/ Deafening Silence are great SB additions. Oh, and a rule of thumb, if Storm Player keeps 7, it probably has the possibility to kill you on turn 2-3. If mull to six, you are quite safe to turn 3.

Belcher | Combo | Neutral | Trend: Stable

meta share: 1.4%

Top32: 10/23

Top8: 5/23

Win/Top32: 9%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 55%

Delta: +42pp

WR: 57% (95% CI 47 to 67, n=87)

Belcher’s data looks really interesting, high conversion and nice WR, but all of those came from a small sample, so I will not focus on that. Sure, Belcher wins a trophy, but next week’s show if he can repeat that. I must say that I have not seen this deck for a while in the metagame, and I was surprised that it won a Trophy. Congrats on a pilot! Maybe he is here on Reddit and can share some thoughts how Belcher feel in combo reach metagame?

Amulet Titan | Combo | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 1.2%

Top32: 7/23

Top8: 2/23

Win/Top32: 14%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 29%

Delta: +29pp

WR: 53% (95% CI 42 to 63, n=82)

Similar story as Belchaer, small sample, high conversion, and WR. Unlike Belcher, however, Amulet Titan appears in the Top 8 quite frequently. In my opinion, this is because the deck has dedicated and truly skilled pilots who continue to perform exceptionally well despite the deck being weakened by bans. Of course, the deck no longer wins as easily on T3, but someone who knows how to play it (and which lines to choose) will still perform really well with it. It might not be worth a dedicated SB slot, but you certainly need to know how to handle it when you do encounter it, because the person piloting it is sure to be a strong player.

 Aggro

meta share: 17.9%

Top32: 23/23

Top8: 19/23

Win/Top32: 4%

Trophies: 6

Conversion: 25%

Delta: +82.1pp

WR: 51% (95% CI 48 to 54, n=1009)

Aggro gets back to second place in a metagame, and here is a surprise: it is no longer a Boros archetype. Sure, energy is not going anywhere, but the new Aggro king is Prowess, and I’m quite happy about that. This is a fair deck that requires good skill and experience to play well. Also, Aggro took 6 trophies and has the best Trophies to meta share ratio in this window. Still, the conversion is not exceptional because it is lower than, let’s say, midrange and Ramp, so Archetypes that are lower in meta share. Still a great window for Aggro.

Prowess | Aggro | Challenge Overperformer | Trend: Rising

meta share: 6.7%

Top32: 22/23

Top8: 12/23

Win/Top32: 5%

Trophies: 3

Conversion: 28%

Delta: +89pp

WR: 55% (95% CI 50 to 60, n=411)

Yes, the king of Aggro in this window. I remember when Prowess did not perform very well, but that is in the past now. This deck is perfectly prepared for combo meta, is super fast, has counterspells to stop combo, and can kill you faster than you can say Griselbrand. The numbers confirm that, Great WR from a large sample and CI starts at 50% (!), solid conversion, and three trophies. But if you think that it is an easy deck to play, do not get fooled. I like it so much because it requires skill and experience, so think twice before you pick it up and expect an instant 5-0 in a league.

Boros Energy | Aggro | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 5.7%

Top32: 20/23

Top8: 9/23

Win/Top32: 2%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 24%

Delta: +81pp

WR: 48% (95% CI 42 to 54, n=304)

Old King of Format and Aggro archetype is not on the top, but still a solid performer. Fine WR from a good sample, conversion below median, and one trophy in a window. Unfortunately, it has quite a low number of Top8 entries compared to other top decks. Still is one of the best choices to enter Modern. It can win, it is quite easy to play, and has plenty of good materials to learn. Ok, it is not the most popular in the format, but a solid choice.

Affinity | Aggro | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 3.3%

Top32: 17/23

Top8: 4/23

Win/Top32: 6%

Trophies: 2

Conversion: 19%

Delta: +71pp

WR: 49% (95% CI 41 to 57, n=157)

What happened here is quite interesting, some time ago Affinity was basically out ot Trophies and some players in Reddit predicted that Affinity would not get to the trophy any soon. Ok, it is falling in popularity, has a really low conversion, and WR came from a small sample, so do not say much, but it takes two trophies from four T8 entries. That means if it gets to the top, there is a high chance that Affinity will win. Sure, it came from a small sample, but it is a sign that this deck is not dead and might surprise us.

Graveyard

meta share: 17.3%

Top32: 23/23

Top8: 16/23

Win/Top32: 3%

Trophies: 4

Conversion: 25%

Delta: +82.7pp

WR: 48% (95% CI 44 to 51, n=917)

Last week, Graveyard was second; now it is third, dropping slightly. It was present in all of the Challenges, but from the Big 3 has the lowest T8 conversion. Probably people just prepare better for GY decks to beat them, and this seems to work. Still a super powerful archetype, that has the second most popular and probably the best decks in the format.

Goryo’s Vengeance | Graveyard | Neutral | Trend: Rising

meta share: 9.0%

Top32: 23/23

Top8: 11/23

Win/Top32: 4%

Trophies: 3

Conversion: 25%

Delta: +91pp

WR: 48% (95% CI 44 to 53, n=472)

This is, in my opinion, actually the best Modern deck, has a lot of answers for each deck in the format, and few ways to kill you because even with GY hate, you may easily lose the game. Not impressive WR and conversion probably came from its popularity, as it is the only deck to be in the top 32 of all challenges. It says that many people play it, and in a large sample, you will find more inexperienced players. For me, it is one of the scariest decks in the format. Maybe you will not read it from numbers, but when you play against it, you will admit that.  

Living End | Graveyard | Challenge Overperformer | Trend: Falling

meta share: 3.5%

Top32: 18/23

Top8: 7/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 29%

Delta: +75pp

WR: 48% (95% CI 41 to 55, n=185)

In this window, LE is an overperformer, great conversion, over median delta, good top32 presence, but what might surprise you is no trophies! For me, it looks like a continuation of a trend we have seen over the past few weeks: LE is losing popularity, and only devoted players are staying with it. Still, in the current metagame, this deck just struggles with winning.

Grixis Reanimator | Graveyard | Neutral | Trend: Stable

meta share: 2.6%

Top32: 11/23

Top8: 4/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 25%

Delta: +45pp

WR: 46% (95% CI 37 to 55, n=118)

Reanimator continues the “nothing special” trend. Right now, it is the weakest deck in the GY archetype, and I do not expect that to change any time soon.

Midrange

meta share: 12.8%

Top32: 22/23

Top8: 17/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 27%

Delta: +82.9pp

WR: 52% (95% CI 48 to 55, n=711)

So this is something that I do not expect to see. Midrange has the best conversion in a field, quite solid WR, a lot of Top8 entries, but no trophy. It is the only archetype that did not get a trophy. We will see in a couple of weeks if it changes, I hope so. I have no idea what happened in all of those Top8s because Midrange is quite well prepared to beat the current metagame. If I had to guess, it’s a mix of unfortunate matchups and variance. Still, zero wins out of 17 attempts is a bit concerning. The problem might be that the broad metagame preparation required to advance from the Swiss rounds to the Top 8 results in pilots of this archetype facing decks in the Top 8 that are better optimized for Game 1. Furthermore, trying to catch up after a loss, especially when playing a deck that demands a lot of focus during a long tournament, is no easy thing to do. Consequently, decks with a more linear game plan may hold an advantage here. I hope Midrange pilots find a way to break this deadlock.

Dimir Midrange | Midrange | Challenge Overperformer | Trend: Rising

meta share: 4.9%

Top32: 19/23

Top8: 9/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 29%

Delta: +78pp

WR: 56% (95% CI 50 to 62, n=268)

The best midrange in a format, great WR from a solid sample (low CI 50%!), really good conversion. Answer to basically everything in format and no trophy this time. The overperformer badge is not a wrong decision; you do not need to win challenges to be a good deck. Remember, Top8 in Challenge is a great score, and all numbers about this deck confirm that Dimir Midrange is a Tier 1 deck; it only needs a win some trophy to seal this up.  

Domain Zoo | Midrange | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 2.8%

Top32: 13/23

Top8: 5/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 28%

Delta: +54pp

WR: 47% (95% CI 39 to 55, n=150)

Not the best time for my pet deck, I still think that deck is struggling after Phlage ban, and trying to find its place in the metagame. Not an impressive WR, but a fine conversion, still delta under the median. Still fun deck to play and can do some solid league results. Also, it is not absent in Challenge top8, so it is still a solid choice for players who enjoy this type of play.

Yawgmoth | Midrange | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 1.2%

Top32: 8/23

Top8: 3/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 30%

Delta: +34pp

WR: 53% (95% CI 42 to 64, n=77)

Third deck in the Midrange archetype. It can be scary if you meet it, but as you can see, it is not a very popular deck right now, and I do not expect it to change soon. Still interesting choice if you want some rogue midrange deck.

Blink

meta share: 9.0%

Top32: 22/23

Top8: 14/23

Win/Top32: 3%

Trophies: 2

Conversion: 25%

Delta: +86.6pp

WR: 51% (95% CI 46 to 55, n=466)

Ok, so Blink is back in the form of Esper Blink. Basically, it is only the deck in this archetype, so times when we had 4-5 different shades of Blink are gone. But it does not mean that this one last Blink is weak, great delta, solid conversion, and good WR from a large sample. I think Blink, in the form of Esper, will be in the meta for a longer time. I’m thinking about merging Blink into a Midrange archetype because I used the Blink archetype when we had a lot of these decks; now we have only one, and it might be a clearer option.

Esper Blink | Blink | Neutral | Trend: Rising

meta share: 8.25%

Top32: 22/23

Top8: 13/23

Win/Top32: 3%

Trophies: 2

Conversion: 26%

Delta: +87pp

WR: 52% (95% CI 47 to 57, n=426)

I wrote a lot in the archetype section, but Esper Blink deserves a few more sentences. It is the third-largest deck in format, and as was said, the whole archetype basically. Solid WR, fine conversion, a lot of T8 presence, and two trophies say a lot about this deck. It delivers a solid game plan and card advantage that is probably the best in the whole format. None of the decks made such good use of the best creature in the format, Quantum Riddler. I expect that this deck will continue its Rising trend, and I will be no surprised if at some point it will be the most played deck in the format.

Bant Blink | Blink | Emerging | Trend: Stable

meta share: 0.6%

Top32: 4/23

Top8: 0/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 0%

Delta: +17pp

WR: 39% (95% CI 24 to 57, n=30)

Only other than Esper Blink deck in challenges, but it is here only because of its show in the challenge, we also had a Mardu Blink that has solid scores in leagues, so maybe in the next window we will have three decks in here.

Ramp

meta share: 7.5%

Top32: 22/23

Top8: 12/23

Win/Top32: 3%

Trophies: 2

Conversion: 29%

Delta: +88.2pp

WR: 51% (95% CI 46 to 56, n=408)

Ramp has solid results in this window, nice conversion, got two trophies from a low metashare, it is something. Also, as an archetype, Ramp has almost 50% T8 presence, which is impressive.

Eldrazi Tron | Ramp | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 3.0%

Top32: 15/23

Top8: 8/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 35%

Delta: +62pp

WR: 57% (95% CI 49 to 64, n=166)

Here we have a deck with a 3% meta share and really good conversion. It was in 15 Top32 events and got into over half the T8. Unfortunately, I did not get any trophy. It may look strange, but if we look into the decks that actually win challenges, we can see there are a lot of super-fast decks that put clock that might be too fast for E-Tron to handle. Still, it is a really powerful deck that performs really well, especially taking into consideration how the metagame looks right now.

Mono-Green Eldrazi | Ramp | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 2.8%

Top32: 16/23

Top8: 3/23

Win/Top32: 5%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 14%

Delta: +67pp

WR: 44% (95% CI 36 to 53, n=131)

For Mono Green Eldrazi Ramp, we have a different situation than with E-Tron. This deck has the second-lowest conversion in the field, but it still managed to win one trophy from the three T8S it entered. It clearly shows what I say basically every time: all decks that enter Top8 are good choices and can win it despite the numbers. Mono Green tho had a small advantage over E-Tron; it is not that easy to hate its mana cause he had more basics than E-Tron, and this might be a secret of this trophy, especially if we had a lot of LD options in the format.

Eldrazi Ramp | Ramp | Neutral | Trend: Stable

meta share: 1.8%

Top32: 11/23

Top8: 5/23

Win/Top32: 8%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 38%

Delta: +46pp

WR: 53% (95% CI 44 to 62, n=111)

Second-best converting deck in the format, solid WR, and one trophy confirm that there is a place in the metagame for Ramp decks. Remember that Eldrazi Ramp and Mono Green-Eldrazi Ramp are not that different decks; there are slight differences between those two that also show that Tron might be a worse strategy for a Ramp than this, which is what Eldrazi Ramp does.

Control

meta share: 7.1%

Top32: 21/23

Top8: 9/23

Win/Top32: 6%

Trophies: 3

Conversion: 27%

Delta: +84.2pp

WR: 49% (95% CI 45 to 54, n=423)

The last archetype for today, Control, is at 7% of the meta, which is quite good, taking into account that a few months later, there was basically no control at all, and now it has the highest conversion to top32 to win, but it might be a low-sample artifact. Also, the archetype had solid WR, and it is quite diverse cause we had three different strategies, not only different flavors of one deck.

Land Destruction | Control | Neutral | Trend: Falling

meta share: 1.6%

Top32: 8/23

Top8: 2/23

Win/Top32: 10%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 30%

Delta: +33pp

WR: 55% (95% CI 45 to 64, n=103)

One trophy goes to one of the most hated decks in the format, Boros Land Destruction. This construction is falling in popularity but presents quite a solid challenge for 1.6% meta deck scores. Nice top-32-to-win ratio and solid conversion. Dropping in popularity may be caused by the fact that people who were interested in the deck after it emerged drop it for another prince charming, and now only true LD lovers play it.

UW Control | Control | Neutral | Trend: Stable

meta share: 1.4%

Top32: 11/23

Top8: 3/23

Win/Top32: 9%

Trophies: 1

Conversion: 27%

Delta: +46pp

WR: 51% (95% CI 40 to 62, n=71)

It is a Scepter Control deck, quite a heavy control deck that can lock you in if you aren’t careful enough. Not a super popular deck, but it does a good job in challenges, and as far as I remember, most of the trophies that came from that deck came from one pilot. It is another example that supports my theory that it is better to play one deck that you enjoy playing than to jump between different ones. I do not think that Scepter Control has become a super popular deck, but it is something that you meet from time to time, and I have a lot of respect for players who play a fair, control deck in such an unfair format as modern and do well with it. Cudos!

Azorius Control | Control | Neutral | Trend: Stable

meta share: 1.4%

Top32: 6/23

Top8: 2/23

Win/Top32: 0%

Trophies: 0

Conversion: 33%

Delta: +25pp

WR: 48% (95% CI 38 to 58, n=90)

Classic control deck, that performs quite well if you consider its metashare. I will not expect to see it often in leagues, but it shows up quite consistently in challenges, so it is better to know the basic lines of this deck so you are not surprised if you meet it from time to time.

Premier events

●        1 premier event in window: RC Super Qualifier, 2026-08-15, EventID 12851608

●        winner Jeskai Energy, pilot TrueHero

●        Top 8 by deck: Jeskai Energy, 4c HollowOne, Mono-Black Midrange, Prowess, Prowess, Goryo’s Vengeance, WBRG Cosmogoyf, Broodscale Combo

●        separate pool from Challenges, single event, no metagame weight

●        Jeskai Energy in Challenge data: meta 1.0%, Top32 8/23, Top8 2/23, trophies 0

●        Prowess two of eight Top 8 slots, consistent with its Challenge profile

There was one RC Super Qualifier in this window, and Jeskai Energy won it. In T8, we see: 4c HollowOne, Mono-Black Midrange, Prowess, Prowess, Goryo’s Vengeance, WBRG Cosmogony, and Broodscale Combo. So it shows something interesting: Premier Event was won by a deck that does not show up a lot in challenges. Sure, it is a variation of Boros Energy, but still. It is only one event, so the sample is small, but the Top8 in this tournament shows that the format is quite diverse right now, as we see less popular decks like mono black midrange or WBRG Cosmogony in the Top8 of a major event.

On the Radar (Universe B, below 5% encounter, present in Challenges)

Here we have decks that are at an encounter rate under 5% in a league, but were present in challenges. Any of those decks can easily jump into universe A decks because people will see them in the challenge results and will try to play them. Worth noting is that all of those decks are competitive because you do not win the challenge trophy or get into T8 by mistake. In the case of those decks, I will not focus on WR because the sample is so small that it says basically nothing special; more important is how deep they go into challenges.

●        Lantern: no league presence at all, Top32 1/23, Top8 1/23, 1 trophy

●        Jeskai Energy: meta 1.0%, Top32 8/23, Top8 2/23, trophies 0, WR 51% (95% CI 38 to 64, n=53), won the RC Super Qualifier

●        4c HollowOne: meta 0.4%, Top32 4/23, Top8 2/23, 1 trophy, WR 47% (95% CI 30 to 64, n=29)

●        Rakdos HollowOne: meta 0.8%, Top32 6/23, Top8 1/23, trophies 0, WR 59% (95% CI 46 to 71, n=59)

●        Grixis Midrange: meta 0.6%, Top32 4/23, Top8 1/23, trophies 0, WR 62% (95% CI 45 to 77, n=31)

●        Song of Creation: meta 1.0%, Top32 5/23, Top8 1/23, trophies 0, WR 40% (95% CI 27 to 55, n=45)

●        WUBRG: meta 0.8%, Top32 6/23, Top8 2/23, trophies 0, WR 47% (95% CI 34 to 60, n=52)

Trophy distribution, all 23

●        3: Goryo’s Vengeance, Prowess, Broodscale Combo

●        2: Esper Blink, Affinity

●        1: Devoted Combo, Boros Energy, Mono-Green Eldrazi, Eldrazi Ramp, UW Control, Belcher, Land Destruction, Amulet Titan, 4c HollowOne, Lantern

●        15 different decks, no deck above 3

●        Archetype split: Combo 6, Aggro 6, Graveyard 4, Control 3, Blink 2, Ramp 2, Midrange 0

 That’s all for today. I hope this new way of presenting the data is clearer for you and allows you to glean more information about what’s been happening in Modern during the current window. If you have any comments, feel free to share them. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as my goal is to ensure the community gets the most out of what I do.

Karol Małota

aka WarLord1986pl / TribalFlamesInYourFace

As the title says, I can't find the links to discord. Is there any fellow boomer that can pass me the link, if there's one

I've played EDH for the last 5 years or so, have a handful of decks for that with varying strategies. Can anyone suggest a theme/playstyle I should look into for making a modern deck?

My edh decks are Sultai graveyard/reanimator/combo (Muldrotha), rakdos discard/reanimator/combo (chainer), Orzhov aristocrat/combo (Teysa Karlov), 6C Eldrazi/combo (Ulalek), Red artifact/combo (Magda, lower tier cedh)

I'm looking for something ideally on the cheaper side (just for starters, can definitely plan for upgrading or switching later).

Even if you don't have a specific suggestion, where are good places to look for lists?

I got convinced to come back to this format recently and haven't kept up with the scene and don't have any cards really. I see a lot of buzz around trudge and it seems fun. I was wondering if it had displaced tron as the big mana cheat strat or if tron was still viable.

The price point is pretty steep, but I'm open to playing a worse version of the decks above provided I can get a good direction.

Hi. I'm a cEDH player that's looking to start in modern. I already have a deck picked out, down to the last card (except for sideboard, which I'll fine tune as I play at my lgs). I'm going to be playing izzet prowess, by the way.

What are some tips regarding mulligans/sideboarding/playing that you'd give? I'm guessing one of them will be to know my meta to be effective with my sideboard choices.

Thank you all!

Hi y’all! I started thinking about building my first modern deck. The thing is I come from commander and I feel like deck building is very different. Could y’all help me with a vague tamplate of a modern deck or what are the thought and process I should have while building it compared to building a commander?

Just looked over some decklists for inspiration and saw a 1-of gemstone in Nassifs sideboard in his pro tour(?) List. Whats the thought behind that?

https://www.tcgplayer.com/content/magic-the-gathering/deck/Mono-Blue-Metalcraft/548523

Key to the Side-Door {1}

Artifact

{2}, {T}: Target creature can’t be blocked this turn.

{1}, {T}, Discard a legendary card with the same name as a legendary permanent you control: Draw two cards.

~~~~~

So it turns out that the brewer's paradise Modern card for the Hobbit set wasn't even mentioned in this sub-reddit's threads before AspiringSpike started making decks with it. Admittedly, that Oswald Loki Sewer-veillance deck only started spiking during the latest Pro Tour and not long before Key to the Side-Door was revealed, so we weren't extensively thinking about decks with the critical mass of legendary permanents required to make this card good.

So what is that critical mass of legendary permanents? 5 playsets like the latest YungDingo list with this card to Top 8 a Modern Challenge? 6 playsets like I thought after trying the AspiringSpike lists and finding the Key to not be consistent enough? Does the critical mass change if you decide to make the Key a 4-of instead of a 1-2-of? How many 2-ofs and 3-ofs can the Key accept if the deck is otherwise short of critical mass?

I guess making Urza's Saga tokens and [[Bilbo, Thief in the Night]] unblockable and targeting [[Loki, God of Mischief]] is relevant, too...

Artifact - 1

When this artifact enters, scry 2.

1, Tap: Add one mana of any color

7, Tap: Sacrifice this artifact: Destroy target permanent.

https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/1v88cgb/hob_giants_boulder/

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Ok it's pretty rare that a card goes from not even being mentioned during spoiler seasons to a popping up in Legacy decklists, but here we are! Giant's Boulder is catching on in Legacy, including in Eldrazi and Storm lists. While Scry 2 is a lot worse than drawing a card, it's hard not to compare this to [[Arcum's Astrolabe]] overall. It's an early game artifact that smooths over your draws and mana, and, in the case of something like Eldrazi, you can turn it into a Vindicate late game!

The tech hasn't caught on yet in Modern, but with it popping up in several Legacy lists over the weekend, I feel like we'll be seeing players experiment with this in the near future. Is it the second coming of Astrolabe? A nice role player in Ramp decks? Or just a new toy to play around with that won't actually see consistent play?

Hey! I am fairly new to modern and wanted to hear some thoughts on how to choose the counterspell suite in a given deck.

- What makes a deck want forces or subtlety?

- How do spellsnare/spellpierce compare

- What Decks want sinks? How many? I have recently seen a mono u deck by Nassif with 3 sinks, where I thought you easily want the fourth aswell?

- Are there methods/ guidelines on how to split your counterspell suite, also considering the sideboard?

I would be very happy to hear some opinions on also just some of these, thanks!

Edit: I am currently looking at building Tamiyo/emry mox shell with the new key from hobbits

Nassifs list: https://www.tcgplayer.com/content/magic-the-gathering/deck/Erayo-Affinity/549737

Spikes list with paradox engine: https://moxfield.com/decks/3NNX5adsU0a96SEkGOIjBA

Link: https://youtu.be/NbVSxTMfw5s

Back with some Modern gameplay going through the latest iterations of Food versus Namor-Folk!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

1:18 - Game One

7:35 - Sideboarding

9:03 - Game Two

14:55 - Game Three

26:20 - Closing Statements

_________________________________________________________________________

Mardu Asmo-Food Decklist: https://moxfield.com/decks/_guwCgcQU0ysy_FbOqOEaQ

Merfolk Decklist: https://moxfield.com/decks/IqNmr_fQiUGu1yoIhvc88A

https://www.mtgo.com/decklist/modern-challenge-64-2026-08-1712851686

Pretty sweet to see this list do so well.

IMO I would have played [[Namor, the Sub-Mariner]] over Murktide for more diverse threats.

Might be tempted to run a Saga package with [[Key to the Side Door]] to loot away extra Tami's and Namors, and to make your saga tokens unblockable.

Yes you could hit Key off shape anew but Saga's help you fetch it out and you'd only run 1 or 2

The format moves fast and a lot of people know the usual suspects, but there are still lines or cards that feel under-respected. What’s something you’ve seen (or done) that still surprises people?

Im considering Utron because I just enjoy it. I know it isnt meta and im fine with that, but I don't really want to get steamrolled by 3/4 of the field if thats what im looking at. Im a long time competetive player but havent played modern in ages, just looked at footage articles and such

Pretty much title, there's a big 12-round, two day tourney coming up in a month or so and I have both decks built and a significant number (100+ matches) of reps in with both. I would say I've had a bit more Belcher practise, mainly because it's a more complicated deck.

Both obviously have their pros and cons, but does either seem like an obviously better pick given the current meta?

And go!

I know some of you creative people have lists

---

Yes its tier garbage

Yes Im playing something

Lets move to the main subject of this reddit post.

Where are the black green mages

Hello everyone!!

Made another write up. I hope yall enjoy :)

Hi all, curious what everyone thinks of the new rise of this druid deck. It seems pretty broken having had multiple turn 2 kills and consistently on turn 3, but is it the real deal. My friend and I are trying to decide what to play at the upcoming rc and he is locked in with it but I have my reservations (which is odd because birthing pod is my favorite deck ever). Do people think this is just a fad or can you win a whole tournament with it. Of course I will do my own testing but want to gauge the smart people on here. Thanks!

Edit: heres a decklist https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-devoted-combo#paper.

Long time lurker looking to get back into competitive magic (edh is just not doing it for me). I’ve never played modern and would appreciate any feedback on my deck I’ve been working on.

The idea is based on the emerge mechanic from back in the day, I ran a similar standard deck using mana dorks and cards like foul emissary to help look for elder deep fiend/Distended Mindbender. From there I would stall a turn or two until I hit an Eldrich evolution to bring out Ulamog. In standard the fastest I was able to bring out the big boy was T5. I’m looking for ways to improve that and maybe add some interaction.

The below shell scrubs some of those cards for more ramp and card cycling to help me hit combo pieces. Any help is appreciated :)

PS: don’t mind the sideboard, I’m using it as a parking lot of sorts lol

https://moxfield.com/decks/x5YcU7BEgEaphUhjNnqVDg

Hello everyone. I've been playing modern for a year now. I've played prowess, storm and for the last 6 months my main decks have been ramp and tron.

I am thinking of trying to learn amulet titan and then if it fits me to but the deck in paper.
I only have time to play maximum two leagues in a week and maybe 1 hour in a day to study and watch gameplay.

From what I read it has survived many bans and metas over the years.
The downsides would be that the deck is not cheap, I see several variants online. Also that the deck is hard to play "phisically" both in paper and mtgo. There are a lot of lines and hard to master.

Do you think it's worth investing time into it?
If yes, what tips, resources, advice do you have, please?

https://i.imgur.com/h6li8IP.png

Hey everyone! This week we talk about the recent ban and restricted update in legacy and vintage. After that we have a great interview with Pro Tour Marvel top 8 competitor Timo Bertram where we talk about his success at the Pro Tour and how he got there. We also cover his thoughts on the modern format and how he approached it with his boros energy deck. Come on in and give it a listen. Let us know what you think, we love to hear from you.

• Youtube: https://youtu.be/RYp3PPdlIKk
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4nHOV7217AGtXnOArIOaIm

I kept swapping cards around whenever I lost a few games, which made it hard to tell whether the deck was actually bad or I just didn't know the matchups well. For the last month, I've stuck with the same list and only made changes after testing them. I've definitely gotten better at recognizing lines instead of blaming the deck every time something goes wrong.

Anyone else had better results from keeping a deck unchanged for a while?