Hello, and welcome back to Metagame Mentor, your weekly guide to the top decks and latest Constructed developments on the path to the Pro Tour. Over the past few weeks, 1,000 players in total competed across the Regional Championships for Australia/New Zealand, South America, Southeast Asia, and China. Together, these four events offered 34 coveted Pro Tour invitations and five precious World Championship slots.

Modern's health and diversity were on full display, with a wide range of archetypes breaking through to the elimination rounds. In this article, I break down the Modern metagame, spotlight the breakout decks that rose to the top, and highlight the strategies that came out ahead. But first, a well-deserved congratulations to the newly crowned Regional Champions.

James Drake Victorious at the ANZ Super Series with Ruby Storm

Congratulations to James Drake, who claimed victory at the ANZ Super Series (the Regional Championship for Australia and New Zealand) by piloting Ruby Storm to a spectacular 1st-place finish! His victory secured an invitation to Magic World Championship 32, scheduled for November 2026.

Additionally, the Top 10 players without prior qualifications earned their seats at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed, a closed event for qualified competitors taking place in Richmond starting January 30, 2026.

4 Pyretic Ritual 2 Glimpse the Impossible 2 Elegant Parlor 1 Gemstone Caverns 1 Grapeshot 4 Arid Mesa 4 Reckless Impulse 1 Stomping Ground 4 Ruby Medallion 2 Strike It Rich 4 Ral, Monsoon Mage 1 Sunbaked Canyon 2 Wish 4 Mountain 4 Desperate Ritual 3 Past in Flames 4 Wrenn's Resolve 2 Wooded Foothills 2 Valakut Awakening 1 Sacred Foundry 2 Artist's Talent 4 Manamorphose 2 Bloodstained Mire 1 Wear // Tear 4 Orim's Chant 4 Prismatic Ending 1 Untimely Malfunction 1 Past in Flames 1 Empty the Warrens 1 Grapeshot 2 Brotherhood's End

"Going fast makes me feel alive," Drake explained when asked about his deck choice. "I love combo decks, and Ruby Storm is one of the most fun since it's non-deterministic. You never know what you're going to get."

As reported in the event recap, Drake went undefeated in the Swiss rounds, dropping just a single game before reaching the Top 8. And then, in the final match against runner-up Christopher Tong, Drake pulled off a stunning turn-two victory to claim the trophy.

The broadcast captured it perfectly: Pyretic Ritual into Ruby Medallion, followed by Desperate Ritual, netting three mana on turn two. Then Glimpse the Impossible revealed more rituals and card draw, the storm kept building, and moments later, a lethal Grapeshot sealed the win. It was combo Magic in its purest, most tempestuous form.

Julio Bejarano Espejo Triumphs in South America with Jeskai Blink

Congratulations to Julio Bejarano Espejo, who emerged victorious at the South America Regional Championship! Competing in the newly unified region of Brazil and South America, he piloted Jeskai Blink to victory over João Jorge Sales Junior's Boros Energy in the finals.

Both finalists earned invitations to Magic World Championship 32, while the Top 10 unqualified players secured spots at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed.

1 Elegant Parlor 1 Thundering Falls 4 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 4 Flooded Strand 4 Arid Mesa 2 Ephemerate 3 Scalding Tarn 1 Lightning Bolt 2 Arena of Glory 1 Hallowed Fountain 2 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 Mountain 4 Consign to Memory 1 Island 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 1 March of Otherworldly Light 2 Sacred Foundry 1 Meticulous Archive 4 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 2 Prismatic Ending 1 Wrath of the Skies 4 Solitude 3 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 2 Plains 1 Steam Vents 4 Quantum Riddler 1 Surgical Extraction 2 Subtlety 3 Mystical Dispute 1 Force of Negation 1 Wear // Tear 3 Obsidian Charmaw 2 Wrath of the Skies 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 1 Dress Down

Jeskai Blink first broke out nearly a month ago at the US Regional Championship in Houston. Though it represented only around 3% of the field there, it achieved an incredible 58.9% win rate, and champion Vinnie Fino showcased the deck's potential. Combining efficient threats like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer with the blink synergy between Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd and Quantum Riddler, the deck has no shortage of powerful interactions.

Since that breakout, Jeskai Blink surged to 17.7% of the metagame across the latest four Regional Championships, becoming the most played deck seemingly overnight. While it lost some of its surprise value, it proved to be an excellent metagame choice with a still impressive 53.2% win rate. Julio Bejarano Espejo clinched the trophy in São Paulo.

2 Elegant Parlor 4 Ajani, Nacatl Pariah 4 Flooded Strand 3 Seasoned Pyromancer 4 Arid Mesa 4 Windswept Heath 3 Arena of Glory 2 Thraben Charm 2 Blood Moon 1 Static Prison 4 Guide of Souls 4 Galvanic Discharge 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 3 Goblin Bombardment 3 Sacred Foundry 4 Ocelot Pride 4 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 2 Plains 1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 2 Voice of Victory 1 High Noon 2 Surgical Extraction 2 Vexing Bauble 1 Blood Moon 2 Wear // Tear 2 Obsidian Charmaw 2 Wrath of the Skies 1 Celestial Purge 2 Clarion Conqueror

Boros Energy also performed admirably in recent Regional Championships, boasting a 55.8% win rate against the rest of the field. With its individually powerful cards and cohesive game plan, it's no surprise the deck earned a 2nd-place finish in São Paulo.

Its strategy is well-known: use Guide of Souls and Galvanic Discharge to dominate combat through the energy mechanic, deploy Goblin Bombardment to sacrifice Cat tokens and transform Ajani, Nacatl Pariah into a planeswalker, and close games in an instant by using Arena of Glory to hasten an escaped Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury. Boros Energy remains a formidable choice in Modern.

Winston Chamora Victorious in Southeast Asia with Jeskai Blink

Congratulations to Winston Chamora, who conquered the MTG SEA Championship (the Regional Championship for Southeast Asia) by piloting Jeskai Blink to a commanding 1st-place finish! With his victory, he secured an invitation to Magic World Championship 32. Additionally, the Top 6 unqualified players received invitations to Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed.

1 Elegant Parlor 1 Thundering Falls 3 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 4 Flooded Strand 4 Arid Mesa 2 Ephemerate 3 Scalding Tarn 2 Arena of Glory 1 Hallowed Fountain 2 Lightning Bolt 1 Mountain 4 Consign to Memory 1 Island 3 Teferi, Time Raveler 3 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 1 Spell Snare 2 Strix Serenade 2 Sacred Foundry 1 Meticulous Archive 4 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 2 Prismatic Ending 4 Solitude 2 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 2 Plains 1 Steam Vents 4 Quantum Riddler 2 Surgical Extraction 3 Mystical Dispute 1 Force of Negation 1 Strix Serenade 3 Obsidian Charmaw 3 Wrath of the Skies 1 Celestial Purge 1 Spell Snare

Marking the third Regional Championship victory for Jeskai Blink this season, it's clear the deck sits atop the Modern metagame. Winston Chamora's version distinguished itself with two main-deck copies of Strix Serenade, turning opposing Quantum Riddlers or other troublesome creatures, artifacts, or planeswalkers into harmless Bird tokens that are easily removed by Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd.

One of Jeskai Blink's greatest strengths lies in its proactive and flexible use of Consign to Memory in the main deck. The card not only answers Goblin Charbelcher or Devourer of Destiny but can also preserve your own permanents by countering exile or sacrifice triggers from Quantum Riddler, Solitude, or Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury. It can even counter Phelia's delayed "return to the battlefield" trigger, effectively turning it into a one-mana removal spell. With this level of synergy, Jeskai Blink has few weaknesses and endless tricks.

Yang Yi Triumphs in China with Izzet Affinity

Congratulations to Yang Yi, who clinched the title at China's Regional Championship with Izzet Affinity! His victory not only netted him the trophy but also an invitation to Magic World Championship 32. In addition, the Top 8 unqualified players earned spots at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed.

4 Thoughtcast 4 Fiery Islet 1 Lavaspur Boots 2 Island 1 Pithing Needle 4 Kappa Cannoneer 3 Engineered Explosives 4 Memnite 4 Mox Opal 1 Springleaf Drum 1 Shadowspear 1 Aether Spellbomb 4 Mishra's Bauble 4 Pinnacle Emissary 3 Tormod's Crypt 4 Spirebluff Canal 1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch 4 Sink into Stupor 3 Metallic Rebuke 2 Weapons Manufacturing 1 Claws of Gix 4 Urza's Saga 1 Vandalblast 1 Tifa Lockhart 1 Ashiok, Dream Render 1 Mystical Dispute 2 Blood Moon 3 Consign to Memory 2 Force of Negation 1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch 2 Galvanic Blast 1 Whipflare

Izzet Affinity also performed strongly across the most-recent Regional Championships, posting a 54.9% win rate against the field. As a popular archetype built around powerful artifact synergies, its victory in China marks the second trophy for Izzet Affinity in this championship cycle.

Yang Yi's main deck is close to the stock version, exploiting Mox Opal, Kappa Cannoneer, and the combo of Weapons Manufacturing and Engineered Explosives to end games quickly. His sideboard, however, features a personal touch: a single copy of Tifa Lockheart.

After Alexandre MacIsaac won Magic Spotlight: Spider-Man with a single Poison Dart Frog in his sideboard, this is the second major event in just a few weeks claimed with a two-mana green mascot in the sideboard. It seems these lucky charms might truly have some hidden power.

The Modern Metagame and Win Rates

Modern is a nonrotating 60-card format based on expansion sets, core sets, and straight-to-Modern sets from Eighth Edition forward, save for cards on the banned list. With its deep card pool spanning over 22 years of card history, Modern boasts intricate card interactions and an array of viable strategies. My latest format primer offers an overview of the top decks, their game plans, and defining cards.

Across the four Regional Championships, a total of 1,000 Modern decklists were available for analysis. After setting archetype names based on the contents of each deck, I compiled the overall metagame share and match win rates for each deck archetype (excluding mirror matches, byes, and draws). These metrics are provided in the table below, where each archetype name is linked to a top-performing decklist that best represents its aggregate build. Check marks next to win rates indicate that the 95% Clopper-Pearson confidence interval lay entirely above 50%, indicating statistically significant, above-average performance.

The "Other" category collects decks with one percent metagame share or less, including Dimir Mill, Eldrazi Broodscale, Eldrazi Aggro, Samwise Gamgee Combo, Four-Color Omnath, Living End, Merfolk, Golgari Broodscale, Jeskai Wizards, Golgari Yawgmoth, Four-Color Ritual, Azorius Blink, Ascendancy Combo, Hollow One, Grixis Reanimator, Jeskai Chant, Five-Color Ritual, Hammer Time, and more.

The biggest shift since the previous Regional Championships in the United States and Chinese Taipei has been the meteoric rise of Jeskai Blink. A remarkable 17.7% of competitors chose the deck, cementing it as one of the format's most dominant and influential strategies right now. One of the best ways to defeat Quantum Riddler is by countering it with Mystic Dispute or by running Tameshi Belcher, which posted a 15-6 result (71%) in the matchup versus Jeskai Blink. Meanwhile, the popularity of Amulet Titan, Eldrazi Tron, and Esper Blink dwindled somewhat.

While Jeskai Blink, Izzet Affinity, and Boros Energy stood out as the three best-performing decks—all earning at least one World Championship invitation—a few creative decks and fringe archetypes also found success. Let's take a closer look at the spiciest decks that earned, or narrowly missed, a Pro Tour invitation.

Gruul Broodscale Takes Nicolas Morales Macaya to the Pro Tour

1 Windswept Heath 2 Forest 3 Blade of the Bloodchief 1 Stomping Ground 4 Basking Broodscale 1 Nurturing Peatland 4 Eldrazi Temple 2 Cavern of Souls 2 Writhing Chrysalis 1 Springleaf Drum 4 Kozilek's Command 1 Wooded Foothills 4 Grove of the Burnwillows 4 Malevolent Rumble 4 Ancient Stirrings 4 Glaring Fleshraker 2 Unholy Heat 1 Commercial District 2 Vexing Bauble 2 Walking Ballista 1 Haywire Mite 1 Soul-Guide Lantern 3 Emrakul, the Promised End 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 4 Urza's Saga 2 Thought-Knot Seer 2 Nature's Claim 2 Firespout 1 Damping Sphere 1 Vexing Bauble 1 Pithing Needle 2 Thief of Existence 1 Grafdigger's Cage 1 Warping Wail 1 Pawpatch Formation 1 Veil of Summer

Gruul Broodscale broke out earlier this year when Hunter Ovington won Magic Spotlight: Secret Lair with the deck, but it hadn't really put up major results since then. The past four Regional Championships, however, proved the deck is still one of Modern's top contenders, posting a 58.6% win rate against the rest of the field. Although the sample size was small, that's still an impressive number. Nicolas Morales Macaya earned a Pro Tour invitation with Gruul Broodscale at the South American Regional Championship, while Anthony Cuello also made Top 8 at Southeast Asia's Regional Championship.

The deck's signature combo of Basking Broodscale and Blade of the Bloodchief—producing an infinitely large Broodscale and infinite mana—remains one of Modern's most-powerful interactions. Yet in this Gruul version, that combo is often merely a secondary game plan. Many games are instead won through brute force. Writhing Chrysalis ramps into Emrakul, the Promised End or sets up a fast clock with Glaring Fleshraker, turning Eldrazi Spawn tokens into direct damage.

Golgari Broodscale Takes Matthew Dewitte to the Pro Tour

1 Swamp 1 Windswept Heath 1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician 2 Forest 4 Agatha's Soul Cauldron 3 Blade of the Bloodchief 1 Underground Mortuary 4 Basking Broodscale 4 Delighted Halfling 4 Grist, the Hunger Tide 1 Shifting Woodland 4 Verdant Catacombs 1 Wooded Foothills 3 Overgrown Tomb 4 Malevolent Rumble 4 Walking Ballista 1 Vexing Bauble 3 Dredger's Insight 1 Wall of Roots 4 Young Wolf 1 Haywire Mite 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 4 Urza's Saga 2 Spymaster's Vault 1 Ashiok, Dream Render 3 Fatal Push 1 Pithing Needle 2 Pick Your Poison 3 Fulminator Mage 1 Soul-Guide Lantern 1 Disruptive Stormbrood 3 Thoughtseize

Broodscale combo decks have several distinct flavors, and Matthew Dewitte secured his Pro Tour invitation with a Golgari variant at the Australia and New Zealand Regional Championship. His list, reminiscent of the one Benton Madsen piloted to a 7-2-1 record at Pro Tour Edge of Eternities, stands out for abandoning the Eldrazi elements altogether. There's no Eldrazi Temple; Kozilek's Command; Glaring Fleshraker; or Emrakul, the Promised End in sight.

Instead, Dewitte's version leans on intricate creature-based combos. Yawgmoth, Thran Physician enables a well-known loop with two copies of Young Wolf. Sacrificing a fresh Young Wolf removes a +1/+1 counter from the other Young Wolf, creating a loop that can draw a huge number of cards.

Agatha's Soul Cauldron adds yet another dimension to the deck, since exiling Grist, the Hunger Tide with the Cauldron grants Grist's loyalty abilities to the counter-laden creatures. Additionally, the Cauldron can enable an infinite Ballista line. Specifically, if the Cauldron exiles Walking Ballista and puts a +1/+1 counter on Young Wolf, you can remove the counter to shoot itself, which triggers undying, and you can repeat this for infinite Blade of the Bloodchief triggers. "The deck had a lot of good matchups and attacked the meta from a different angle," Dewitte claimed, and his results backed that claim.

Simic Ritual Takes Nicolas De Prada to the Pro Tour

1 Flooded Strand 4 Flare of Denial 1 Otawara, Soaring City 2 Snow-Covered Forest 1 Fblthp, the Lost 4 Coiling Oracle 4 Misty Rainforest 2 Dismember 2 Hedge Maze 4 Abhorrent Oculus 1 Breeding Pool 4 Birthing Ritual 2 Snow-Covered Island 2 Force of Negation 3 Verdant Catacombs 4 Shardless Agent 1 Brazen Borrower 1 Watery Grave 3 Subtlety 4 Ice-Fang Coatl 4 Sink into Stupor 2 Harbinger of the Seas 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 2 Endurance 1 Endurance 3 Mystical Dispute 1 Collector Ouphe 1 Force of Negation 3 Consign to Memory 3 Culling Ritual 2 Force of Vigor 1 Harbinger of the Seas

Simic Ritual has quietly become one of Modern's top-performing archetypes. After achieving an astonishing 62.3% win rate across the Regional Championships for the United States and Chinese Taipei, it maintained its momentum with a 55.6% win rate over the past four events. Nicolas De Prada's Top 8 finish in South America—earning him a Pro Tour invitation—came with a stock version of the archetype.

The deck revolves around Birthing Ritual, which transforms creatures with enters or cast triggers (such as Coiling Oracle, Ice-Fang Coatl, and Shardless Agent) into more-imposing threats like Abhorrent Oculus. Alternatively, putting Fblthp, the Lost onto the battlefield with Birthing Ritual draws you two cards, ensuring the deck rarely runs out of resources. Meanwhile, the suite of 1/1 cantrip creatures doubles as sacrifice fodder for Flare of Denial or as pitch cards for Subtlety and Force of Negation. The result is a powerful deck that is part value engine, part interactive tempo, and all synergy.

Orzhov Blink Takes Mauricio Iriarte Valenzuela to the Pro Tour

1 Swamp 4 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 4 Flickerwisp 4 Witch Enchanter 4 Thoughtseize 3 Flooded Strand 4 Fatal Push 1 Arid Mesa 3 Ephemerate 3 Ketramose, the New Dawn 2 Orcish Bowmasters 2 Shadowy Backstreet 2 Bleachbone Verge 3 Emperor of Bones 3 Plains 4 Solitude 1 Boggart Trawler 2 Relic of Progenitus 2 Godless Shrine 4 Overlord of the Balemurk 4 Marsh Flats 2 Ashiok, Dream Render 1 Surgical Extraction 2 High Noon 3 White Orchid Phantom 2 Vindicate 3 Wrath of the Skies 2 Clarion Conqueror

Following the release of Edge of Eternities, many Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd enthusiasts migrated to blue variants to gain access to Quantum Riddler. Yet the classic Orzhov build, which Raul Porojan used to win Magic Spotlight: Modern earlier this year, remains viable. Mauricio Iriarte Valenzuela reaffirmed the archetype's strength with a Top 8 finish at the South America Regional Championship, securing his Pro Tour invitation.

Orzhov Blink thrives on the potent synergy between Overlord of the Balemurk and Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd. When blinked, Overlord of the Balemurk returns without its time counters, making it an undercosted threat that provides repeatable card advantage. Similarly, evoking Solitude and blinking it with Ephemerate allows you to strip opposing boards of creatures with ruthless efficiency.

While capable of grinding through long games, Orzhov Blink's real strength lies in its balanced, interactive game plan. Armed with Thoughtseize, Fatal Push, and a suite of efficient disruption, the deck adapts well to a wide range of matchups. Ketramose, the New Dawn further enhances the value engine by letting you draw a card each time you exile something with Emperor of Bones; Solitude; Flickerwisp; Ephemerate; Relic of Progenitus; or Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd on your turn.

Rakdos Vampires Surprises by Almost Reaching the Top 8

3 Swamp 4 Dauthi Voidwalker 4 Thoughtseize 3 Fatal Push 2 Blood Moon 2 Lightning Bolt 2 Terminate 4 Orcish Bowmasters 1 Mountain 4 Blackcleave Cliffs 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 4 Verdant Catacombs 1 Raucous Theater 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 4 Vein Ripper 4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord 4 Blood Crypt 4 Bloodstained Mire 1 Mutavault 1 Dreams of Steel and Oil 3 Surgical Extraction 1 Ashiok, Dream Render 2 Abrade 2 Meltdown 2 Pyroclasm 1 Fire Magic 2 Sheoldred's Edict 1 Magus of the Moon

Among all the decks that turned heads at recent Regional Championships, none stood out quite like this Rakdos Vampires list, which posted an impressive 7-2 record in South America—just shy of the Top 8 cut.

The devastating turn-three sequence of Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord into Vein Ripper—the same combo Seth Manfield used to win Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor—dominated Pioneer in 2024. While Sorin was eventually banned in Pioneer, it remains fully legal in Modern, where it can steal games just the same. Admittedly, Vein Ripper is a little weak to Solitude, but it does have the right stats to defeat Quantum Riddler in combat.

Wrapped in an interactive Rakdos shell filled with spot removal, discard, and efficient threats, this inventive build has the tools to compete in Modern. Orcish Bowmasters may also be well-positioned in a metagame dominated by Quantum Riddler. The deck's main weakness lies in consistency: if you don't draw Vein Ripper, then Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord can feel underwhelming, as the list lacks additional Vampires like Mutavault or Bloodtithe Harvester to maximize Sorin's synergy.

Still, the high-roll potential of a turn-three Vein Ripper is undeniable. Seeing such a daring off-meta deck perform so well is a refreshing reminder of Modern's creative spirit.

What's Next for Modern?

Modern remains as vibrant and varied as ever, with a constantly churning metagame and dozens of archetypes capable of claiming victory at the highest level. The Regional Championships thus far have firmly cemented Jeskai Blink as a top-tier contender, but the format is evolving every month and rewards those who dedicate themselves to a deck—players who know every line, every sideboard plan, and every subtle interaction by heart.

One final weekend of Modern Regional Championships remains in this cycle, and it promises to be a thrilling finale. On November 22–23, the weekend after the Prerelease of Magic: The Gathering® | Avatar: The Last Airbender™, Regional Championships will take place for United States (Las Vegas), Canada, Japan/South Korea, and Europe/Middle East/Africa.

Expect fierce competition, breakout decks, and thrilling livestreams as the world's best Modern players vie for the big prizes. For English coverage, tune in to Star City Games's YouTube channel and Fanfinity's YouTube channel to bring every highlight, deck tech, and dramatic finish straight to your screen!