Abstract Metagaming
Take a look around. The winds, they change again. The echoes from Research and Development reach all planes of the multiverse. Planeswalkers shrivel from the frightening sound. The sound of others falling face first into an ocean of regret and sadness. Those who took upon the Cruise sunk. Those who went Through Time are trapped in their own hole. The Birthing Pod shut down. There is only one individual that can feel euphoria as Dredge is back from the utter decimation that takes form in the matter of a Banned and Restricted List. Golgari-Grave Troll is a card that resurfaced from the depths of the banned list, to most likely do nothing to the format.
With a shaken up metagame, people try to keep their game of playing the same type of deck with as much innovation as possible to keep to their type of deck. Brewers from across the planes try to innovate with a Podless Pod deck, a Delver deck and going back to the old forms of Scapeshift and Twin. While this could all work, the field has changed and so has the way people play these decks. The old version of the decks aren’t as strong as they were simply by the shift itself.
Decks will evolve to affect this meta change as they try their hardest to do come all format changes; when a new set is released or when there are updates to the Banned and Restricted List such as this one.
A mistake of players in times like this is the hold of the past they keep with them; nostalgia playing old decks. Shortly, this brings forth growth to decks and player bases, playing what the type of deck best suited to their own game plan. Commonly, people always say that it is best to know your deck inside and out to know how to tackle the format. It is also helpful to learn matchups and how other decks are played, in most terms as possible, to know how to attack the game specifically for.
Look to what is coming out of this: GBw Midrange is going to be a powerful deck once more with Dark Confidant and Siege Rhino coming into the picture properly. Zoo has access to Siege Rhino and Anafenza, the Foremost to be a powerful ⅘ Aggro deck.
The approach of the new metagame is how to be successful in the limited nature of knowledge that exists. Look at the reasons why cards were banned or unbanned and look at the presence of what decks were weakened (or strengthened) by the last format. Players who keep to their championed decks will venture to a new method of that deck such as Patrick Dickmann did in Pro Tour Valencia with the innovation that was Tarmo-Twin.
There is no sure fire way to play out the next few weeks and no deck will be accomplished properly because of this. The deck choices I made when I played during the KtK Metagame was specifically set up for that. Iterations of decks that I played and worked on during this time are going to just be a shell that I could develop upon. The core will remain the same since I have become accustomed to that style of play, but the cards included with change. Some cards were included or excluded for a specific reason in the KtK Modern format.
With the Pro Tour coming up in just two weeks, being aired live in February 6th through the 8th, this is where the format begins to define itself. Decks will emerge from the outskirts of Modern. New decks will come into the sight of others and players will work to turn the Metagame from Abstract to Realistic. A pillar in modern has fallen, and the cries of others fall short when it the updates were announced. There is nothing stopping people from playing what they want at the moment. Imagination runs free for all of those willing to learn and create.
The decks that I suspect to take pillar while the format is developing itself are:
Domain/Tribal Zoo
GWRb Zoo
Abzan Midrange
Affinity
Scapeshift
BW Tokens
Burn
Living End
Etc.
While everything isn’t set in stone, there is information available to all of those willing to learn. To approach this new format is to let go of the nostalgia that playing now broken decks and to create anew, decks that while similar in style are used differently. Those that attack the game from a different and powerful angle. Combo decks are weak to GBx with hand disruption and a variety of answers, but they are strong against aggressive decks. Control decks have better inevitability (not UWR, but the matchup is strong.) than GBx while weaker to aggressive decks.
Attack the format with full force. Don’t be afraid to take risks while the format adjusts and recreates itself. Onward now, my readers. The winds will change again, but now is the time to venture forward into the abyss of an unknown format.
