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. As Magic World Championship 31 competitors eagerly prepared for the season's marquee event and I tracked the evolving Standard metagame over the past few weeks, another story was unfolding in the Modern format. On November 22–23, more than 3,300 players competed across Regional Championships for the United States, Canada, Japan/South Korea, and Europe/Middle East/Africa. Together, these four tournaments offered 96 coveted Pro Tour invitations and 8 precious World Championship slots.

Modern's health and diversity were on full display, with an impressive range of archetypes pushing into the elimination rounds. In this article, I'll break down the Modern metagame, examine win rates, highlight the breakout Magic: The Gathering® | Avatar: The Last Airbender™ cards, and review the finalists' decks from each event. Next week, I'll return with an overview of the spiciest Modern decks that earned a Pro Tour qualification during this enormous Regional Championship weekend.

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 format's top decks, their game plans, and their defining cards. Although it was written in October before the rise of Jeskai Blink and Simic Ritual, it remains a useful introduction for new and returning Modern players.

Across the four Regional Championships, a total of 3,364 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 Golgari Yawgmoth, Samwise Gamgee Combo, Izzet Metalcraft, Azorius Blink, Jeskai Control, Eldrazi Broodscale, Dimir Mill, Living End, Merfolk, Song of Creation, Eldrazi Aggro, Jeskai Energy, Esper Control, Grixis Midrange, Four-Color Omnath, Grixis Reanimator, Izzet Wizards, and more.

The weekend clearly belonged to Boros Energy. Compared to the preceding four Regional Championships, its metagame share rose substantially, with 11.4% of competitors choosing the deck. More impressively, it had the best performance of any archetype in the table. Its 54.4% win rate against the rest of the field firmly cements Boros Energy as a premier Modern strategy right now.

It was not always so dominant. Over the course of the year, Boros Energy's fortunes have waxed and waned. At Pro Tour Edge of Eternities, it managed only a 43.3% win rate, hampered by unfavorable matchups against linear combo decks such as Tameshi Belcher and Simic Neoform. At the time, combo strategies made up a sizable portion of the field, and Tameshi Belcher ultimately claimed the Pro Tour trophy.

Since then, the metagame has changed. Tameshi Belcher has largely vanished, while new contenders like Jeskai Blink and Simic Ritual have emerged, both posting notably weak matchup numbers against Boros Energy. These changes help explain the dramatic swing in win rates, and they suggest that Boros Energy is great again. By the same logic, linear combo decks that can reliably prey on Boros Energy may be smart choices for players hoping to gain an edge in upcoming Modern tournaments. Indeed, the Magic Online metagame over the past few weeks has already seen Ruby Storm soar ahead in popularity.

Most-Played New Cards from Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender

The four Regional Championships took place on the weekend immediately following the Prerelease of Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender. This new set injected several potent options into Modern, from sideboard tools to main-deck build-arounds. Below is an overview of the fourteen new-to-Modern cards that appeared most frequently across the decklists I reviewed.

Wan Shi Tong, Librarian [1ciGdmwFkTXG8Pfu7fWHAB]

By the numbers, Wan Shi Tong, Librarian was the most played new card overall. It scales elegantly as the game progresses, as it can be played as a humble 1/1 for two mana, a 5/5 flash flier that draws two cards for six mana, or anything in between. In Modern, however, its final ability is what truly matters. Whenever your opponent searches their library (likely because they sacrificed a fetch land), Wan Shi Tong grows and rewards you with a free card. Given the structure of Modern mana bases, these triggers are frequent and reliable. As a result, Wan Shi Tong has found a home in a wide range of blue decks: 65 Jeskai Blink, 27 Simic Ritual, 23 Dimir Midrange, 10 Azorius Blink, 6 Jeskai Control, 6 Esper Goryo's, and many other decks.

The Legend of Roku // Avatar Roku [6sYsKwIXdDKpy0nrMLzH3P]

Close behind in overall numbers was the most played card in Europe: The Legend of Roku. Primarily a sideboard option in Boros Energy, it has effectively supplanted Showdown of the Skalds as the go-to card for grindy matchups. Effectively, it draws four cards: three from its first chapter ability and one more from the creature on the back face. Along the way, it provides one mana and puts Avatar Roku onto the battlefield for free. If you value Avatar Roku at roughly three mana, then you essentially spend four mana, get four mana back, and net four cards across the Saga's progression. In long, drawn-out games, that rate can rival the efficiency of Ancestral Recall.

Badgermole Cub [LerH8gGFQprXZ5n6Qbelh]

Badgermole Cub has mostly shown up in Golgari Yawgmoth and Samwise Gamgee Combo. In these decks, it boosts the mana output of Delighted Halfling or Gilded Goose, provides two sacrificial bodies to feed Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, and delivers an impressive amount of value for just two mana. Badgermole Cub was also featured in a handful of Amulet Titan lists, where it can earthbend Urza's Saga, allowing the Saga to return to the battlefield after its final chapter ability resolves.

Redirect Lightning

Redirect Lightning is the first redirect effect available for just a single red mana, making it a highly efficient sideboard card. Its most devious use is turning a Goblin Charbelcher activation back onto its owner, winning you the game out of nowhere. It can also turn any spot removal, countermagic, or discard effect on its owner. Redirect Lightning mostly appears in Broodscale decks as a way to safeguard the combo, but it has also found homes in Energy, Storm, Prowess, and various other decks.

While several other new cards made their presence felt as well, these four clearly stand out as the defining Modern additions from the latest set.

Nathan Goldberg Victorious at US Regional Championship with Amulet Titan

Congratulations to Nathan Goldberg, who triumphed in Las Vegas to win the cycle's second Regional Championship in the United States. He outlasted more than 1,300 competitors and clinched the title, trophy, and $10,000 first-place prize with a finals victory over Joseph Puglisi.

Both finalists earned invitations to Magic World Championship 32, scheduled for November 2026 at MagicCon: Atlanta. Additionally, the Top 32 players without prior qualifications locked up seats at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed, a closed event for invited competitors taking place in Richmond starting January 30, 2026.

1 Echoing Deeps 2 Gruul Turf 1 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Arboreal Grazer 3 Forest 3 Scapeshift 1 Tolaria West 1 Golgari Rot Farm 1 Urza's Cave 4 Amulet of Vigor 4 Simic Growth Chamber 1 Dryad Arbor 4 Green Sun's Zenith 2 Lotus Field 4 Crumbling Vestige 1 Shifting Woodland 1 The Wandering Minstrel 2 Aftermath Analyst 4 Spelunking 4 Primeval Titan 1 Hanweir Battlements 1 Mirrorpool 2 Summoner's Pact 4 Urza's Saga 1 Vesuva 3 Boseiju, Who Endures 2 Vexing Bauble 3 Dismember 1 Mystical Dispute 1 Dosan the Falling Leaf 1 Collector Ouphe 1 Six 1 Tireless Tracker 1 Icetill Explorer 1 Force of Vigor 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Insidious Fungus 1 Otawara, Soaring City

Amulet Titan remains one of Modern's most demanding archetypes, but it rewards precision and mastery like few others. "It's simply the best deck right now," Goldberg explained, "and I have played a lot of it already." His list featured several distinctive choices, most notably a single copy of The Wandering Minstrel as an additional option for Green Sun's Zenith, which he ran a full four copies of. Because The Wandering Minstrel offers an effect similar to Amulet of Vigor or Spelunking, its inclusion (replacing Malevolent Rumble) adds an extra layer of consistency to the deck's central game plan.

1 Thundering Falls 1 Otawara, Soaring City 2 Flame of Anor 1 Preordain 4 Scalding Tarn 4 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student 1 Lavaspur Boots 1 Lightning Bolt 1 Breeding Pool 1 Mountain 3 Mox Amber 1 Consign to Memory 2 Island 1 Strix Serenade 4 Mox Opal 1 Aether Spellbomb 4 Emry, Lurker of the Loch 4 Mishra's Bauble 3 Cori-Steel Cutter 4 Unholy Heat 1 Tormod's Crypt 1 Haywire Mite 1 Spirebluff Canal 2 Steam Vents 3 Metallic Rebuke 1 Fiery Islet 4 Urza's Saga 3 Quantum Riddler 1 Vexing Bauble 2 Blood Moon 2 Mystical Dispute 3 Force of Negation 2 Consign to Memory 1 Strix Serenade 1 Shadowspear 1 Soul-Guide Lantern 2 Fire Magic

Izzet Metalcraft relies on a large assortment of cheap artifacts to unlock the potential of Mox Opal. One of those artifacts is Cori-Steel Cutter, which can easily flood the battlefield with tokens. The deck's core of zero-mana artifacts evokes memories of the now banned Underworld Breach decks, combining fast mana, one-drop legends, and Urza's Saga for a powerful strategy. At the same time, the deck remains well-rounded thanks to its efficient interaction like Unholy Heat and Flame of Anor. While Joseph Puglisi's run in the United States was impressive on its own, the archetype also found success in Europe, where David Åberg and Alvaro Fernandez Torres secured Pro Tour invitations with similar builds.

Owen Turcotte Triumphs in Canada with Jeskai Blink

Congratulations to Owen Turcotte, who emerged victorious at Canada's Regional Championship, defeating Aidan Mirabelli in the finals. Both finalists earned invitations to Magic World Championship 32, while the Top 12 unqualified players secured spots at 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 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 Mountain 4 Consign to Memory 1 Island 2 March of Otherworldly Light 3 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 2 Strix Serenade 2 Sacred Foundry 1 Meticulous Archive 4 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 3 Prismatic Ending 4 Solitude 3 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 2 Plains 1 Steam Vents 4 Quantum Riddler 3 Ashiok, Dream Render 2 High Noon 2 Surgical Extraction 3 Mystical Dispute 1 Strix Serenade 1 March of Otherworldly Light 3 Wrath of the Skies

The popularity and win rate of Jeskai Blink has dipped slightly compared to the preceding four Regional Championships, in part due to the loss of surprise value and the rise of Simic Ritual, which is a difficult matchup. Even so, the combination of Quantum Riddler and Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury remains more than capable of winning major tournaments. "I knew I wanted to play a deck with Phlage," the newly crowned champion Owen Turcotte started, "and I thought Jeskai Blink was the best Phlage deck. Phlage takes over the game immediately, and Arena of Glory makes Phlage take over the game [even] faster."

2 Elegant Parlor 4 Ajani, Nacatl Pariah 4 Flooded Strand 4 Seasoned Pyromancer 4 Arid Mesa 3 Arena of Glory 2 Thraben Charm 1 Blood Moon 1 Static Prison 4 Guide of Souls 1 Mountain 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 2 Voice of Victory 4 Marsh Flats 2 Surgical Extraction 2 Blood Moon 3 Orim's Chant 2 Wear // Tear 1 The Legend of Roku 2 Celestial Purge 3 Wrath of the Skies

Aidan Mirabelli, who had posted consecutive 8-8 finishes at the previous two Pro Tours, had an excellent weekend at Canada's RC. His 2nd-place result not only keeps him on the Pro Tour circuit but also earns him a coveted World Championship invitation. He was especially pleased to achieve that success with Boros Energy. "It's my absolute favorite deck, and I have lots of reps on it," he explained. "It also had strong matchups this weekend." His sideboard made excellent use of Orim's Chant, which he described as "basically Time Walk," along with the newest addition from Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Roku.

Yuta Hori Victorious in Japan with Jeskai Blink

Congratulations to Yuta Hori, who claimed victory at the Champions Cup Final (the Regional Championship for Japan and Korea) with a finals win over Atsuya Okuno. Both finalists earned invitations to Magic World Championship 32, while the Top 16 unqualified players secured seats at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed.

1 Elegant Parlor 1 Thundering Falls 3 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 4 Flooded Strand 4 Arid Mesa 2 Ephemerate 2 Snow-Covered Plains 1 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian 4 Scalding Tarn 2 Arena of Glory 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 Snow-Covered Island 3 Consign to Memory 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 1 March of Otherworldly Light 4 Galvanic Discharge 1 Strix Serenade 1 Sacred Foundry 1 Meticulous Archive 1 Prismatic Ending 4 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 4 Solitude 3 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 1 Steam Vents 1 Snow-Covered Mountain 4 Quantum Riddler 1 High Noon 1 Surgical Extraction 2 Mystical Dispute 1 Force of Negation 1 Consign to Memory 1 Deafening Silence 3 Obsidian Charmaw 1 Prismatic Ending 3 Wrath of the Skies 1 Celestial Purge

With wins by Owen Turcotte in Canada and Yuta Hori in Japan, Jeskai Blink captured two Regional Championships during the final weekend of the cycle. While the lists share the same core synergies and defining cards, Hori's build stands out for its inclusion of a single copy of Wan Shi Tong, Librarian alongside four copies of Galvanic Discharge. The red removal spell is quickly becoming a staple in the archetype. It functions like a Lightning Bolt whose copies can combine to handle a small creature and a large creature, and it pairs particularly well with Wrath of the Skies out of the sideboard.

4 Blade of the Bloodchief 4 Ugin's Labyrinth 4 Forest 2 Thought-Knot Seer 4 Basking Broodscale 4 Eldrazi Temple 1 Cavern of Souls 1 Springleaf Drum 4 Kozilek's Command 1 Grove of the Burnwillows 1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth 2 Ancient Stirrings 4 Malevolent Rumble 4 Glaring Fleshraker 1 Walking Ballista 3 Vexing Bauble 1 Haywire Mite 4 Emrakul, the Promised End 3 Drowner of Truth 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Soul-Guide Lantern 4 Urza's Saga 1 Sire of Seven Deaths 1 Soulless Jailer 2 Thought-Knot Seer 1 Pithing Needle 3 Dismember 1 Grafdigger's Cage 1 Cavern of Souls 1 Sire of Seven Deaths 1 Veil of Summer 3 Nature's Claim 1 Beast Within

Eldrazi Broodscale with main-deck copies of Vexing Bauble was first popularized by Guglielmo Lupi, the winner of the most recent Magic Online Champions Showcase, and it emerged as one of the standout archetypes of the Regional Championship weekend on November 22–23. Despite making up just 0.6% of the metagame, Eldrazi Broodscale posted an excellent 59.3% win rate, which is significantly above average. Okuno's list represents an interesting evolution of the strategy, opting for Drowner of Truth over Devourer of Destiny to enable Ugin's Labyrinth while securing more reliable land drops in the mid-game.

Daniel Toledo Triumphs in Europe with Boros Energy

Congratulations to Daniel Toledo, who hoisted the trophy in Antwerp to claim victory at the Ultimate Guard European Magic Series Regional Championship. He bested more than 1,200 competitors, securing the title and $20,000 prize for 1st place with a finals victory over Guglielmo Lupi.

Because Lupi had already earned an invitation to Magic World Championship 32 through his MOCS win, the World Championship slot normally awarded to the event's runner-up passed down to 3rd-place finisher Pierre Liebsch, who now joins both finalists on the road to the game's biggest stage in November 2026.

In addition, the Top 36 players who were not yet qualified for Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed locked up their invitations to that event.

2 Elegant Parlor 3 Flooded Strand 3 Seasoned Pyromancer 4 Arid Mesa 3 Windswept Heath 3 Arena of Glory 2 Thraben Charm 1 Blood Moon 4 Guide of Souls 2 Mana Tithe 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 3 Marsh Flats 4 Ajani, Nacatl Pariah 1 Voice of Victory 1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 1 High Noon 1 Surgical Extraction 1 Damping Sphere 1 Reprieve 1 Blood Moon 2 Orim's Chant 2 Celestial Purge 2 Wrath of the Skies 1 Showdown of the Skalds 1 Containment Priest 2 Wear

Daniel Toledo piloted Boros Energy to victory with confidence and precision. "I played it a lot, and I think it was well-positioned for the tournament," he said. Toledo's list featured two spicy main-deck copies of Mana Tithe, which he highlighted as the standout card of his weekend: "It's very difficult to play against this card."

1 Echoing Deeps 1 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Gruul Turf 4 Arboreal Grazer 3 Forest 3 Scapeshift 1 Tolaria West 1 Urza's Cave 4 Amulet of Vigor 2 Simic Growth Chamber 2 Lotus Field 1 Green Sun's Zenith 4 Crumbling Vestige 1 Cavern of Souls 1 Shifting Woodland 4 Malevolent Rumble 1 Aftermath Analyst 4 Primeval Titan 4 Spelunking 1 Vexing Bauble 1 Hanweir Battlements 1 Cultivator Colossus 1 Mirrorpool 4 Urza's Saga 2 Summoner's Pact 3 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Vesuva 2 Firespout 1 Gemstone Caverns 1 Vexing Bauble 2 Dismember 1 Null Elemental Blast 2 Six 1 Bojuka Bog 3 Force of Vigor 2 Elder Gargaroth

Lupi brought Amulet Titan to Antwerp because he believed "it's the single best deck in the format right now," but it ultimately fell to Toledo's Blood Moon in the finals. Compared to Nathan Goldberg's winning list from the United States Regional Championship, Lupi opted for Cavern of Souls and four copies of Malevolent Rumble in the main deck. The contrast highlights just how flexible Amulet Titan can be, with multiple viable builds that all retain the deck's trademark explosive ramp turns and infinite-combo potential.

Looking to the Future

The Modern decks that captured the eight final World Championship slots in this Regional Championship cycle offered a compelling snapshot of the format's breadth. Those coveted invites were claimed by two Amulet Titan decks, two Boros Energy decks, and two Jeskai Blink decks, alongside a single Izzet Metalcraft and an Eldrazi Broodscale list. Together, they paint a picture of a format where raw power, synergy, and specialization can all lead to the game's biggest stage.

The release of Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender left a subtle imprint on the weekend's metagame, with Wan Shi Tong, Librarian and The Legend of Roku emerging as the most-played newcomers in Modern.

Stay tuned for a closer look at the spiciest Modern decks that secured a Pro Tour qualification during this massive Regional Championship weekend!