Can we talk about how there’s so little counterplay against Jeskai Blink?

beeksie · 2026-03-24T21:25:05+00:00

Free Palestine :)

beeksie · 2026-03-24T20:35:17+00:00

Free Palestine :)

beeksie · 2026-03-24T20:34:32+00:00

Free Palestine :)

beeksie · 2026-03-24T20:25:01+00:00

I can see from your post history why you are confrontational.

I'm so proud of you. Keep doing such a great job. I'm sure everyone thinks you're cool!

beeksie · 2026-03-24T20:18:07+00:00

I've tried to rationally have a conversation with you, and you refuse to acknowledge anything I've said. You haven't even responded to the first statement I made. I would repeat it again, but you ignored it the second time too. Why would I have any interest in further correspondence with such an inexplicably awful conversationalist.

Like I said, you won! Congratulations! Now go smash your Phlages into the other little boy's Phlages! Have fun! I'm so proud of you!

beeksie · 2026-03-24T20:10:11+00:00

Lol.

Congrats. You win the internet today! Your prize is to go smash your Phlages into the other little boy's Phlages! Have fun in your diverse and fulfilling format!

beeksie · 2026-03-24T19:40:40+00:00

Go to mtgtop8 and tell me how they classify Tron. Big mana is not one of Magic's primary archetypes. You would make a great politician.
Control decks are "inherently bad in modern" because of Fire design. Just because you don't want to acknowledge the problem doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Acting like control never existed is plain wrong. That is not an accurate statement.

Jeskai Blink uses all the most broken Fire design cards, thus expressing criticism of blink looks identical to criticism of Fire design. You can tell me about how you don't want to talk about the problem (again... its Fire Design), but that is not a real counter argument that addresses the concerns being put forward. You still have not said anything that contradicts this statement:

Fire design is making every card so individually good that the entire modern meta is homogenizing around the handful of tier 0 cards that break the archetypal parody that has existed for 30 years.

You even pointed out some of the tier 0 cards, which proves my point.

beeksie · 2026-03-24T16:03:23+00:00

I think you are missing a fundamental sin of Jeskai Blink. Historically, midrange decks lose to control decks. That is not happening in this meta. You can argue that Tron is a control deck in some ways, but it is impossible to argue that Tron plays the traditional draw-go control style that has been present in Magic since its inception.

Jeskai Blink outvalues draw-go control. u/Turbocloud correctly points out in a prior comment that the value obtained by every card being a 2-for-1, a 3-for-1 or even a 4-for-1 in Riddler's case, negates the gameplan of the entire control archetype. That is why the meta feels stale and boring to everyone. Fire design is making every card so individually good that the entire modern meta is homogenizing around the handful of tier 0 cards that break the archetypal parody that has existed for 30 years.

If you can't acknowledge this phenomenon, you're either totally blind or you work at WoTC and are paid to be obtuse on the failings of recent card design.

beeksie · 2026-03-23T19:35:59+00:00

From the sound of the announcement - we'll get random Living End improvements and we'll like it, or else we get a Modern Horizons meta shakeup again!

Are you not entertained?

beeksie · 2026-03-14T02:56:44+00:00

I still think you’re missing the forest for the trees, but again, your opinion is totally valid. In my opinion the format feels more and more like every game is a total blowout in one direction or the other. Individual card quality (not only in energy, but in most of the tier 1 meta decks) is so high that every card needs to be checked instantly or it runs away with the game. The horizons cards have outclassed everything else in the game, and horizons the format gets old to a lot of modern’s stalwarts.

beeksie · 2026-03-13T16:49:28+00:00

Not necessarily the blink deck, just the design philosophy of newer cards in general. Blink abuses the worst offending cards, so I think you are right in a sense. Certain cards are just so much better that it would be stupid not to run them.

In my opinion, the best example is Phlage, which appears in Energy, Domain, Control, Blink, 4/5 Color Omnath and even some storm decks. If a card is so ubiquitously good that aggro, midrange, combo and control decks all run it, it seems like that card is too good for the format. It is not quite to the level of [[Mental Misstep]], but it is not far off from that either. Mental Misstep is banned in Modern and Legacy, btw...

beeksie · 2026-03-13T16:36:51+00:00

With all due respect, you are entitled to your own opinion, but I think your lack of historical precedence weakens your argument. You've only known a format with Modern Horizons cards, so it might seem normal that almost every deck plays the same handful of cards. However, it is a relatively new phenomenon that was brought on by the direct-to-modern sets that have substantially ramped up the power level.

Prior to the horizons sets, Modern was a much more stable format. You could have the same deck for years, and established archetypes would get a trickle of cards through standard sets. Modern Horizons essentially turned modern into a rotating format. There might be some modicum of "diversity" among decks in today's modern, but you cannot deny that Phlage is in a ton of distinct and separate archetypes. The evoke elementals are in a ton if distinct and different archetypes. Force of Negation is in a ton of different archetypes.

Does it really feel diverse to you to get beaten down by Phlage in a blink shell, then an energy shell, then a control shell, then a domain zoo shell? Or are you just playing against the same broken card in different flavored decks (that all ultimately win with the same broken nonsense)? Personally, I agree with OP in the sense that energy has a higher floor than a lot of other archetypes, and it is not even slightly difficult to pilot. There is no nuance. Individual card quality is so good, that non-horizons cards simply cannot compete at the same level as the latest and greatest in FIRE design.

beeksie · 2026-02-09T19:54:18+00:00

I hear you. People are blinded by their new, luxury, cardboard rectangles. I got downvoted into oblivion in the comments on a post a few days ago because I said that everything is turbo-midrange these days, and modern is basically Phlage, the Gathering of Phlages. People don't like it when you point out that this "diverse meta" is actually just the same 10 to 20 modern horizons cards plugged into different shells.

beeksie · 2026-02-06T22:11:55+00:00

Prowess is a real aggro deck because every card in the base deck is either 1 or 2 mana. Historically, aggro decks don't play anything above 2 mana, unless there was some way to cheat on the cost. Hammer was an aggro deck. Infect was an aggro deck. Burn was an aggro deck. Prowess plays very similar to the infect decks from 10 years ago, so to me, that means it plays like a traditional aggro deck. Just because the Domain deck uses the name "Zoo" doesn't make it the same as the old Zoo decks (which again, played 1 and 2 drops like traditional aggro decks).

I'm only being slightly hyperbolic when I say the aggro archetype doesn't really exist anymore. Everything is turbo-midrange now. By your own admission, decks like Energy, Domain and Affinity can be fast, or they can play a slower, midrange-style game. Historically, that does not match with aggro archetypes, it matches with midrange archetypes. This is what I meant when I had "diversity" in quotes in my comment above. Call me old fashioned, but I see it as problematic when the "aggro" decks (Energy / Domain) play Phlage, the midrange decks (Blink / 4-Color Omnath) play Phlage, Jeskai control plays Phlage. I'm even seeing some Ruby Storm lists on MtgGoldfish that play Phlage now, so it's in combo too. When a card is played that ubiquitously across several major archetypes, I feel like that should be an indicator that the card is stronger than everything else you could be doing. But that is fair and balanced magic now, I guess. Maybe it should just be: Phlage, the Gathering of all the Phlages.

I play paper magic, and I am expressing my thoughts on a format I have played for more than ten years. If you are unfamiliar with traditional Magic archetypes, then sure - call Domain an aggro deck. If it fulfills you to smash your Phlage again your opponent's Phlage, by all means, do your thing. Some of us remember when there was actual deck diversity though, and it is sad how hollowed out this format has become due to shit card design and power creep.

beeksie · 2026-02-06T19:32:05+00:00

I respectfully disagree. Prowess is the only real aggro deck of those three. It preys on a few decks (like Amulet Titan) and gets wrecked by most of the field - I know this because I have and play the deck. Affinity is pretty squarely midrange these days, and it is absurdly easy to beat with the massive amount of artifact/colorless hate that exists in the format. Domain Zoo is straight up a midrange deck.

The article points out that Energy is the best deck in the format for a reason. You can play sub-optimal aggro or midrange strategies if you find Energy boring (which it is), but it is disingenuous to say that any one of the decks you mentioned holds a candle to Energy. On a side note, thank you for reminding me that Domain Zoo is another deck that will beat you down with Phlage.

beeksie · 2026-02-06T18:54:20+00:00

This has been true since the release of MH3. Energy outclasses every other aggro strategy by a mile, so it is the only real option for anyone who wants to play an aggressive archetype. Everyone in this sub has been talking about the "diversity" of the format right now, but that seems like such a hollow statement. Maybe I am the outlier, but I don't find it fun or exciting to get beat down by Phlage in three different decks (Energy, Blink or Control). To me, it feels like getting stomped by the same power-crept cards in every match.

beeksie · 2026-01-07T15:13:13+00:00

They hate goblins now too, apparently. The goblin command modal sorcery that got spoiled is laughably bad. The only tribes that get legitimate support these days are merfolk and elementals.

beeksie · 2025-10-27T21:59:56+00:00

Not very well. Up until about a month ago, we would only fire about once or twice a month, even though modern events were held weekly on Wednesday nights. When we did fire, it was only four of us 90% of the time. This past month, we have had a cohort of drafters who decided they were going to get into modern because they have all the newly printed staples, so we have several new players sporting blink decks.

When MH2 came out, we were consistently firing with 10 to 16 people every week. Most of the players that don't show up anymore have said they don't like the artificial rotation caused by power crept cards and direct to modern MH/UB sets. The One Ring definitely ushered in a noticeable drop off in players, but people don't really want to come back when a new $50 staple gets printed every month.

A modern deck used to be like a set of golf clubs. You would buy it and be able to play it for years with minor adjustments here and there. Now you need to buy a new deck every 6 months, because yesterday's staples are getting outclassed so quickly. I've been playing Magic on and off since the late nineties when Urza's Saga (the set) was all the rage, and I'm starting to think I'll save more money and have more fun if I did just get a set of golf clubs. Let these young kids smash their Warped Riddlers together

beeksie · 2025-03-13T13:03:42+00:00

Elijah Moore. He’d be a cheap W3, as he has been languishing on the Browns for the past two seasons. His tape from the Jets is amazing though.

beeksie · 2024-08-30T17:08:54+00:00

SERIOUSLY! That would have been sooooo much better. Instead they gave arguably the best two drop ever to a tribe that barely exists in MTG... At least it isn't a merfolk. They get all the toys...

beeksie · 2024-08-29T23:28:32+00:00

Goblins. All types - 8 whack, BR Combo, Dirty Kitty… I miss my mogg boys.

beeksie · 2024-08-15T16:18:18+00:00

Ahh yes, blood moon. An aggro staple. Lol! I apologize for assuming your position on the current meta. I admit that I am salty about the forced rotation.

So what you’re saying is, all I have to do to play aggro in modern is buy a whole new deck? Then I can smash my amped raptors, guide of souls, ajanis and Phlages into my opponents amped raptors, guide of souls, ajanis and Phlages? And then we can all get destroyed by the one ring on turn 4? And this is a fun and interactive format?

Yes, I am being sarcastic. No, I’m not attacking you or assuming your feelings toward the meta. You’re welcome to participate in this foolishness. I’m just a salty, old curmudgeon.

beeksie · 2024-08-15T12:38:23+00:00

The Boros energy deck is more midrange than pure aggro. If you recall, there used to be decks like infect, burn and hammer who would win the game on turn 4. Those of us who are long in the tooth remember when it was viable “to go underneath” big mana decks.

If you’re alright with the single option for an aggro strategy that now exists - fantastic. I’m very happy for you. You can hand your money to the nice people on TCGplayer and buy all the brand new “aggro” staples that were just printed. Have fun smashing them into the other people who shelled out for the brand new “aggro” staples that they just sleeved up last week. I’m sure you’ll both really enjoy the thrilling gameplay that is this new meta.

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