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. The most common path to qualify for the Pro Tour is performing well at a Regional Championship, and the typical way to qualify for a Regional Championship is via a Regional Championship Qualifier (RCQ). RCQs are open to everyone, and the upcoming round features Modern as the designated format for in-store Constructed events. This next RCQ round will begin on April 4 and run until August 2.

Regional Championship Qualifier participants during this round will receive an Ancient Stirrings promo card, and Top Finishers will also receive a Sowing Mycospawn promo card. These promo cards are available while supplies last. This RCQ round also marks the beginning of the 2026–27 Premier Play season, as winners qualify for Modern Regional Championships held in fall 2026, which feed the first Pro Tour of 2027.

To set the stage for the RCQs, this article provides a Modern format primer with a description of the game plans and defining cards of the top fifteen decks in the current metagame. Next week, I'll return with an overview of the most-important Modern additions from Magic: The Gathering® | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The Modern Metagame in March 2026

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 a vast array of viable strategies.

To capture a metagame snapshot, I analyzed over 1,300 successful tournament decks over the past month. My dataset drew from every published Magic Online list from scheduled events between February 23 and March 23, as well as all published decklists from a selection of tabletop events, including the $uper $unday RCQ at SCG CON Richmond, the Hunter Burton Memorial Open, the 4Seasons Modern Event, and the 33rd God of Modern Tournament.

To show which decks are dominating the top tables, I assigned points to each deck based on its rectified number of net wins, calculated as the number of match wins minus losses, with negative values adjusted to zero. By combining these points across all events, each archetype's share of the total rectified net wins blends popularity and performance into a single, comprehensive metric: the winner's metagame share.

In this table, each archetype name hyperlinks to a top-performing decklist that closely reflects its aggregate build. The "other" category collects decks with less than one percent winner's metagame share, including Hollow One, Azorius Control, Samwise Gamgee Combo, Orzhov Blink, Izzet Wizards, Emry Station, Golgari Yawgmoth, Eldrazi Aggro, Eldrazi Breach, Gruul Broodscale, Dimir Necro, Dredge, Jeskai Control, Five-Color Creativity, Mardu Blink, Azorius Miracles, Bant Neoform, Grixis Wizards, and more.

Compared to my previous Modern metagame snapshot from over a month ago, the metagame has stayed relatively static. There recently was a modest increase in the numbers of Jeskai Blink, along with various small percentage shifts here and there, but Boros Energy remains on top. Boros Energy posted an excellent win rate at last year's Modern Regional Championships, and it will surely be one of the main contenders at the upcoming RCQs. However, it's not unbeatable. For example, fast and linear combo decks like Tameshi Belcher and Simic Neoform traditionally hold a favorable matchup against Boros Energy.

Arid Mesa
Consign to Memory
Flooded Strand [1zdCiFHvJjVicTiq4Eh3Vz]
Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury [2tggU0KFo0UoYxioU0GBMw]
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer [1k3ugm2CtV4JKAFThBwuPI]
Galvanic Discharge [416E68UPH0GQ3Tvl9UPuGP]
Mystical Dispute

The most-played cards in Modern are fetch lands like Arid Mesa and Flooded Strand. These lands enable amazing mana consistency, as they can grab basic lands, shock lands, or surveil lands. Meanwhile, one-mana spells like Consign to Memory, Galvanic Discharge, and Mystical Dispute are the most-played ways to disrupt the opponent's plans. Finally, in terms of threats, Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury and Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer are the most played by the raw number of copies in all the decklists I analyzed.

To set the stage for the remaining Modern Regional Championship Qualifiers, I've compiled aggregate decklists for the top-tier archetypes. These lists were assembled using an algorithm that weighs card popularity, deck performance, and internal synergies. Let's take a closer look at the fifteen most prominent contenders, each representing at least 2.4% of the winner's metagame over the past month.

1. Boros Energy (21.1% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Ajani, Nacatl Pariah 4 Guide of Souls 4 Ocelot Pride 4 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 4 Galvanic Discharge 4 Arid Mesa 4 Marsh Flats 3 Arena of Glory 3 Sacred Foundry 3 Goblin Bombardment 3 Seasoned Pyromancer 3 Flooded Strand 2 Elegant Parlor 2 Thraben Charm 2 Voice of Victory 2 Plains 2 Ranger-Captain of Eos 1 Mountain 1 Blood Moon 1 Windswept Heath 3 Obsidian Charmaw 2 Wrath of the Skies 2 Celestial Purge 2 The Legend of Roku 2 Wear 2 Orim's Chant 1 Blood Moon 1 Surgical Extraction

Powered by Guide of Souls and Galvanic Discharge, Boros Energy leverages the energy mechanic to dominate the battlefield. The deck applies relentless pressure through the feline firepower of Ocelot Pride and Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, while Goblin Bombardment lets you sacrifice Cat tokens to transform Ajani into a formidable planeswalker. In the late game, Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury provides staying power and, when given haste with Arena of Glory, can end games in an instant.

While Boros Energy currently has a commanding metagame share, the deck's fortunes have waxed and waned over the past year. At Pro Tour Edge of Eternities, it managed only a 43% win rate, hampered by unfavorable matchups against linear combo decks like Tameshi Belcher and Simic Neoform. Since then, the metagame has changed. Those combo strategies have declined in popularity, while new contenders like Jeskai Blink and Simic Ritual have emerged. As a result, the environment is far more hospitable for Boros Energy right now, leading to the deck's large metagame share.

2. Jeskai Blink (9.2% of the Winner's Metagame)

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

Jeskai Blink is another deck that leverages Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury and Arena of Glory, which can effectively deal 12 damage in a single turn. Additionally, the deck makes good use of efficient threats like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer and cheap interaction like Galvanic Discharge. But the comparisons with Boros Energy end there. Instead, Ephemerate and Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd can blink a warped Quantum Riddler, letting you keep a resilient 4/6 flier on the battlefield when it returns.

One of Jeskai Blink's greatest strengths lies in its proactive and flexible use of Consign to Memory in the main deck. On the surface, it's a clean answer to cards like Goblin Charbelcher or Devourer of Destiny. But it also lets you keep a warped Quantum Riddler, an evoked Solitude, or a non-escaped Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury by countering the triggers that would remove them. Consign to Memory can even counter the delayed "return to the battlefield" trigger from Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd, effectively turning it into a one-mana removal spell. Jeskai Blink pushes all these synergies to their maximum potential.

3. Eldrazi Tron (7.1% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Eldrazi Temple 4 Urza's Mine 4 Urza's Power Plant 4 Urza's Tower 4 Kozilek's Command 4 Ugin, Eye of the Storms 4 Expedition Map 4 Ugin's Labyrinth 4 Devourer of Destiny 4 Karn, the Great Creator 4 Thought-Knot Seer 4 Mind Stone 3 Glaring Fleshraker 2 Dismember 1 Swamp 1 Vexing Bauble 1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger 1 Trinisphere 1 Sire of Seven Deaths 1 Snow-Covered Wastes 1 Chalice of the Void 2 Disruptor Flute 1 Trinisphere 1 Tormod's Crypt 1 Ensnaring Bridge 1 Liquimetal Coating 1 Cityscape Leveler 1 The Stone Brain 1 Torpor Orb 1 Walking Ballista 1 Extinguisher Battleship 1 The Filigree Sylex 1 Chalice of the Void 1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship 1 Vexing Bauble

Eldrazi Tron harnesses the iconic trio of Urza's Mine, Urza's Tower, and Urza's Power Plant to enable explosive openings. Together, they can power out seven-mana spells like Devourer of Destiny or Ugin, Eye of the Storms as early as turn three. Ugin excels in a deck that's almost all colorless spells. Karn, the Great Creator is another excellent mana sink, letting you fetch disruptive artifacts from your sideboard.

The deck remains formidable even if you fail to draw the full suite of Urza's lands. Eldrazi Temple and Ugin's Labyrinth offer enough two-mana lands to consistently enable a turn-two Thought-Knot Seer for disruption or an early Glaring Fleshraker to set up a devastating Kozilek's Command. Few decks in Modern can match the deck's ability to generate mana, though many opponents will board in Obsidian Charmaw to fight back.

4. Ruby Storm (6.2% of the Winner's Metagame)

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

Ruby Storm is a blisteringly fast combo deck centered around Ruby Medallion and Ral, Monsoon Mage. With either card on the battlefield, spells like Pyretic Ritual and Desperate Ritual cost just a single red mana, providing a massive mana boost. The cost reduction also applies to card-draw spells like Reckless Impulse and Wrenn's Resolve, allowing you to churn through your library with startling speed.

The core game plan is to cast a storm of spells in a single turn, flash them back with Past in Flames, then finish the game with a lethal Grapeshot. It's a combo deck in its purest, most tempestuous form. If opponents lack removal for Ruby Medallion or Ral, or if they are not prepared with hate pieces like Orim's Chant, High Noon, or Damping Sphere, then Ruby Storm threatens a blazing firestorm.

5. Izzet Affinity (6.1% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Fiery Islet 4 Spirebluff Canal 4 Urza's Saga 4 Kappa Cannoneer 4 Pinnacle Emissary 4 Engineered Explosives 4 Mishra's Bauble 4 Mox Opal 4 Weapons Manufacturing 3 Sink into Stupor 3 Tormod's Crypt 3 Metallic Rebuke 3 Claws of Gix 2 Emry, Lurker of the Loch 2 Arcbound Ravager 1 Island 1 Shadowspear 1 Steam Vents 1 Pithing Needle 1 Welding Jar 1 Aether Spellbomb 1 Skateboard 1 Shivan Reef 3 Damping Sphere 2 Whipflare 2 Galvanic Blast 2 Mystical Dispute 2 Consign to Memory 1 Grafdigger's Cage 1 Force of Negation 1 Vexing Bauble 1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch

As the name implies, Izzet Affinity thrives on artifact synergies, quickly enabling metalcraft for explosive starts. Mox Opal provides early mana acceleration, Kappa Cannoneer grows into an unstoppable juggernaut, and Pinnacle Emissary lets you flood the board with tokens.

The list also features Weapons Manufacturing, which can rapidly assemble a mass of Munitions tokens. Those tokens supercharge Kappa Cannoneer, grow the Constructs from Urza's Saga, and can be translated into lethal damage through Engineered Explosives for X=0. Even if you don't find Engineered Explosives to blow up all your Munitions in one shot, Arcbound Ravager and Claws of Gix provide alternative ways to sacrifice those tokens and unlock their damage. The presence of an arsenal of Munitions tokens can also punish an opposing Wrath of the Skies, which is one of the best sideboard cards against Izzet Affinity.

6. Izzet Prowess (4.9% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Dragon's Rage Channeler 4 Monastery Swiftspear 4 Lava Dart 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Preordain 4 Cori-Steel Cutter 4 Mishra's Bauble 4 Expressive Iteration 4 Slickshot Show-Off 3 Scalding Tarn 3 Steam Vents 3 Mutagenic Growth 3 Bloodstained Mire 3 Wooded Foothills 2 Mountain 2 Violent Urge 1 Fiery Islet 1 Thundering Falls 1 Unholy Heat 1 Stomping Ground 1 Arid Mesa 3 Consign to Memory 3 Unholy Heat 2 Spell Pierce 2 Meltdown 1 Surgical Extraction 1 Mystical Dispute 1 Murktide Regent 1 Pick Your Poison 1 Spell Snare

At its core, Izzet Prowess is built for speed. With Dragon's Rage Channeler and Monastery Swiftspear leading the charge, the deck uses Expressive Iteration, Preordain, and other cheap cantrips to churn through spells, sculpt your hand, and buff your creatures.

The two-drops are equally formidable. Dropping a Cori-Steel Cutter on turn two and following it up with a Mishra's Bauble can kickstart a flood of Monk tokens. Meanwhile, Slickshot Show-Off allows for sudden, explosive kills, as it can swing for double-digit damage out of nowhere when combined with Mutagenic Growth and Violent Urge.

7. Amulet Titan (4.1% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Crumbling Vestige 4 Urza's Saga 4 Arboreal Grazer 4 Primeval Titan 4 Amulet of Vigor 4 Spelunking 4 Gruul Turf 3 Boseiju, Who Endures 3 Forest 3 Simic Growth Chamber 3 Scapeshift 3 Green Sun's Zenith 3 Malevolent Rumble 2 Lotus Field 2 Aftermath Analyst 2 Summoner's Pact 1 Echoing Deeps 1 Hanweir Battlements 1 Mirrorpool 1 Otawara, Soaring City 1 Shifting Woodland 1 Tolaria West 1 Vesuva 1 Urza's Cave 3 Dismember 2 Force of Vigor 2 Vexing Bauble 2 Trinisphere 1 Six 1 Collector Ouphe 1 Bojuka Bog 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Vampires' Vengeance 1 Soulless Jailer

Amulet Titan is one of Modern's most intricate ramp decks, built around the explosive synergy between Amulet of Vigor and bounce lands like Gruul Turf. With an Amulet of Vigor in play, those lands effectively enter untapped and generate additional mana, enabling an early Primeval Titan. Even when Amulet of Vigor doesn't show up, Spelunking and Urza's Saga serve as redundant copies. Once Primeval Titan hits the battlefield, it can fetch Hanweir Battlements to give Primeval Titan haste, shifting the game in your favor. Mastering the deck requires a deep knowledge of its available lines of play, making it a high-skill, high-reward archetype.

The deck also features an elaborate Scapeshift combo as an alternate win condition. With Amulet of Vigor in play and enough lands on the battlefield, Scapeshift can fetch two Lotus Fields, a Simic Growth Chamber, a Tolaria West, and a Shifting Woodland to kick off a combo. Simic Growth Chamber returns Tolaria West to your hand, which you can transmute for Summoner's Pact to find Aftermath Analyst. The Analyst recurs the Lotus Fields, generating even more mana. At that point, Shifting Woodland can become a copy of Aftermath Analyst, allowing you to sacrifice it, reanimate it, and generate infinite mana. Eventually, the deck's infinite Mirrorpool and Hanweir Battlements activations can produce a horde of hasty creatures. The combo may be complex, but it can win the game on the spot.

8. Esper Goryo's (3.6% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Flooded Strand 4 Polluted Delta 4 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Psychic Frog 4 Solitude 4 Ephemerate 4 Faithful Mending 4 Goryo's Vengeance 4 Quantum Riddler 3 Marsh Flats 3 Force of Negation 3 Thoughtseize 2 Prismatic Ending 1 Godless Shrine 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Island 1 Meticulous Archive 1 Plains 1 Shadowy Backstreet 1 Swamp 1 Undercity Sewers 1 Watery Grave 1 Griselbrand 1 Breeding Pool 1 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 March of Otherworldly Light 4 Consign to Memory 3 Mystical Dispute 3 Wrath of the Skies 1 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 Surgical Extraction 1 Celestial Purge 1 Pest Control 1 Ashiok, Dream Render

Esper Goryo's aims to discard Atraxa, Grand Unifier to Psychic Frog or Faithful Mending then return her with Goryo's Vengeance for a massive swing and a fresh grip of cards. Before Atraxa is exiled by Goryo's Vengeance, Ephemerate can blink her to create a new game object, which means that you won't have to exile Atraxa at end of turn. This play usually ends the game.

But Esper Goryo's is not just a graveyard combo deck. Between Solitude, Force of Negation, Thoughtseize, and Prismatic Ending, it can also take a control role and play a fair game where Psychic Frog and Quantum Riddler provide steady card advantage. All in all, by blending a game-ending combo with a fair control plan, Esper Goryo's presents multiple powerful angles of attack.

9. Living End (3.6% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Misty Rainforest 4 Endurance 4 Generous Ent 4 Shardless Agent 4 Street Wraith 4 Subtlety 4 Force of Negation 4 Curator of Mysteries 4 Ardent Plea 3 Living End 3 Waker of Waves 2 Sink into Stupor 2 Colossal Skyturtle 1 Breeding Pool 1 Forest 1 Hedge Maze 1 Island 1 Otawara, Soaring City 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Mistrise Village 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Lush Portico 1 Meticulous Archive 1 Temple Garden 1 Commandeer 1 Striped Riverwinder 1 Wistfulness 3 Mystical Dispute 3 Clarion Conqueror 2 Inevitable Betrayal 2 Force of Vigor 2 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 Foundation Breaker 1 Harbinger of the Seas 1 Deafening Silence

Living End is a combo deck that aims to cycle several creatures, play Shardless Agent, then cascade into Living End, wiping all creatures from the battlefield while returning all the cyclers. Some versions, showing the variety and innovation possible within the archetype, stay within Sultai and emphasize Formidable Speaker and Wistfulness to find Shardless Agent more consistently. The aggregate list, however, uses Ardent Plea as a guaranteed cascade card, effectively giving the deck eight one-card combo pieces, along with numerous cycling effects to consistently find them.

Since you always want to cascade into Living End, the deck cannot run any other spells with mana value 2 or less. With pitch spells like Endurance, Subtlety, and Force of Negation, it's still possible to have relevant interaction in the early game while satisfying the cascade deck-building restriction.

10. Domain Zoo (2.9% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Scion of Draco 4 Leyline of the Guildpact 4 Wooded Foothills 4 Leyline Binding 4 Territorial Kavu 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Arid Mesa 4 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 4 Flooded Strand 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 3 Doorkeeper Thrull 2 Steam Vents 2 Arena of Glory 2 Consign to Memory 2 Stubborn Denial 1 Thundering Falls 1 Godless Shrine 1 Plains 1 Temple Garden 1 Indatha Triome 1 Mountain 1 Teferi, Time Raveler 1 The Legend of Roku 1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 3 Mystical Dispute 2 Consign to Memory 2 Wrath of the Skies 2 Damping Sphere 1 Nihil Spellbomb 1 Wear 1 Surgical Extraction 1 Celestial Purge 1 Obsidian Charmaw 1 Vexing Bauble

Domain Zoo is a disruptive aggro deck that leverages two- and three-color lands to unleash the full power of Territorial Kavu and Scion of Draco. These creatures hit hard and turn Stubborn Denial into a reliable counterspell. When Leyline of the Guildpact begins the game on the battlefield, the mana base becomes painless, and Scion of Draco gives your entire team vigilance, hexproof, lifelink, first strike, and trample.

The main deck copies of Doorkeeper Thrull offer both synergy and disruption. In terms of synergy, Doorkeeper Thrull turns your own Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury into an undercosted 6/6 that sticks around. While it may lose its Lightning Helix enters trigger, Phlage can dominate the battlefield on subsequent attacks. In terms of disruption, Doorkeeper Thrull shuts down Solitude's removal, Primeval Titan's initial land-search enters ability, and the draw abilities on Quantum Riddler and Atraxa, Grand Unifier. It even limits the effectiveness of Modern staples like Weapons Manufacturing, Guide of Souls, and others. Doorkeeper Thrull does more than you might think.

11. Simic Ritual (2.9% of the Winner's Metagame)

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

Simic Ritual 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 gas.

The collection of 1/1 cantrip creatures also fuels interaction, as they can be sacrificed to Flare of Denial or pitched to Subtlety or Force of Negation. This all results in a synergistic deck that combines value generation with free interaction and powerful threats.

12. Dimir Midrange (2.8% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Orcish Bowmasters 4 Counterspell 4 Fatal Push 4 Polluted Delta 4 Subtlety 4 Island 4 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian 4 Consult the Star Charts 4 Field of Ruin 3 Spell Snare 3 Undercity Sewers 3 Watery Grave 3 Sheoldred's Edict 2 Cling to Dust 2 Force of Negation 2 Flooded Strand 1 Swamp 1 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 1 Misty Rainforest 1 Scalding Tarn 1 Logic Knot 1 Thoughtseize 4 Consign to Memory 3 Mystical Dispute 3 Break the Ice 2 Engineered Explosives 2 Harbinger of the Seas 1 Toxic Deluge

Nowadays, most Dimir Midrange decks can play almost entirely at instant speed, letting you decide how you want to respond to your opponent's plays. You can use Counterspell or Spell Snare if there's a major threat on the stack, or you can spend your mana on Fatal Push or Sheoldred's Edict to deal with a resolved creature. Alternatively, Orcish Bowmasters will answer 1-toughness creatures like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer or Ocelot Pride while punishing Quantum Riddler for drawing extra cards.

Wan Shi Tong, Librarian is an important part of the strategy, also capable of flashing in at any time. Its final ability is key. 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 such, Wan Shi Tong is the deck's primary win condition.

13. Simic Neoform (2.6% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Misty Rainforest 4 Allosaurus Rider 4 Consign to Memory 4 Eldritch Evolution 4 Neoform 4 Planar Genesis 4 Summoner's Pact 3 Hedge Maze 3 Pact of Negation 3 Veil of Summer 2 Disciple of Freyalise 2 Generous Ent 2 Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant 2 Nourishing Shoal 1 Breeding Pool 1 Griselbrand 1 Xenagos, God of Revels 1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 1 Bridgeworks Battle 1 Polluted Delta 1 Ureni, the Song Unending 1 Hooting Mandrills 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Scalding Tarn 1 Snow-Covered Forest 1 Snow-Covered Island 1 Endurance 1 Flooded Strand 1 Wooded Foothills 3 Mystical Dispute 3 Nature's Claim 3 Ice-Fang Coatl 1 Hooting Mandrills 1 Into the Flood Maw 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite 1 Veil of Summer 1 Abhorrent Oculus 1 Snow-Covered Forest

Simic Neoform seeks to cast Allosaurus Rider by exiling two green cards, sacrifice it to Neoform or Eldritch Evolution, and tutor out a game-winning creature. The top target is Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant, who can flood the battlefield with a menagerie of creatures. Disciple of Freyalise can convert Ghalta into 12 life and 12 cards, while Xenagos, God of Revels transforms Ghalta into a 24/24 trampler with haste. This can all happen as early as turn two.

If you don't hold any friends for Ghalta, then Griselbrand or Atraxa, Grand Unifier lets you sculpt your hand while adding an enormous flying lifelinker to the battlefield. Alternatively, some white-black decks are simply incapable of answering Ureni, the Song Unending. With a powerful toolbox of options, a resolved Neoform typically spells game over. Even if you had to use Summoner's Pact or Pact of Negation in the process, you can use Consign to Memory to counter their "lose the game" triggers in your next upkeep.

14. Izzet Metalcraft (2.6% of the Winner's Metagame)

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

Izzet Metalcraft relies on a large assortment of cheap artifacts to unlock the potential of Mox Opal. Meanwhile, Mox Amber is unlocked by Emry, Lurker of the Loch and Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student. 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.

A turn-two Cori-Steel Cutter followed by a zero-mana artifact can start an onslaught of Monk tokens that will keep growing over the subsequent turns and put a lot of pressure on the opponent. And at the same time, the deck remains well-rounded thanks to its efficient interaction like Unholy Heat and Metallic Rebuke. Izzet Metalcraft is sometimes aggressive, sometimes controlling, and always synergistic.

15. Tameshi Belcher (2.4% of the Winner's Metagame)

4 Hydroelectric Specimen 4 Tameshi, Reality Architect 4 Disrupting Shoal 4 Jwari Disruption 4 Sea Gate Restoration 4 Sink into Stupor 4 Suppression Ray 4 Whir of Invention 4 Goblin Charbelcher 4 Lotus Bloom 4 Thundertrap Trainer 4 Fallaji Archaeologist 3 Flare of Denial 2 Waterlogged Teachings 2 Spell Snare 2 Stern Scolding 1 Force of Negation 1 Beyeen Veil 1 Into the Flood Maw 3 Consign to Memory 2 Mystical Dispute 2 Hurkyl's Recall 1 Tezzeret the Seeker 1 Harbinger of the Seas 1 Flusterstorm 1 Unable to Scream 1 Into the Flood Maw 1 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student 1 Strix Serenade 1 Force of Negation

Tameshi Belcher's core plan is to activate Goblin Charbelcher, revealing zero actual lands to deal lethal damage instantly. To reach the necessary mana to cast and activate Belcher, the deck relies on a suite of modal double-faced cards and Lotus Bloom, which Whir of Invention can put onto the battlefield.

The deck also features a potent backup combo. Tameshi, Reality Architect, when paired with Lotus Bloom, can generate immense amounts of mana, often culminating in an enormous Sea Gate Restoration that seals the game. Meanwhile, the deck features a surprising amount of interaction, as it exploits Disrupting Shoal and Flare of Denial as potentially free countermagic. Even though it may look like a glass cannon, Tameshi Belcher is deceptively resilient.

What's Next for Modern?

The next round of RCQs will begin on April 4, featuring the Modern format. You can find an RCQ near you by checking with your local game store or visiting your regional organizer's website. While Boros Energy will likely be the prime deck to beat, the format continues to evolve month by month, sustained by a remarkable diversity of viable decks. Dozens of archetypes can post strong finishes, and success often hinges on piloting skill and familiarity. In the hands of a seasoned player, nearly any deck can succeed.

The upcoming RCQs qualify for Modern Regional Championships held in September or October 2026, which in turn feed the first Pro Tour of 2027. Before then, Modern will take center stage at Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel Super Heroes at MagicCon: Amsterdam on July 17–19, 2026. Exciting times are ahead for the Modern format, so grab your deck, learn it inside and out, and maybe we'll see you on the big stage next!