Phil Nguyen
@mtgbanding.com
I make Magic: The Gathering nonsense posts and support made up formats.
💌 Premodern newsletter writer at https://mtgbanding.substack.com/
📜 Creator of http://www.premodern.guide
💌 Premodern newsletter writer at https://mtgbanding.substack.com/
📜 Creator of http://www.premodern.guide
the best deck photos by community vote from nyc's big apple highlander charity event
1. tinker mud by @luisneiman.bsky.social
2. breakfast by sunny
3. tie between reanimator by lucy and elves by @swbmtg.bsky.social
1. tinker mud by @luisneiman.bsky.social
2. breakfast by sunny
3. tie between reanimator by lucy and elves by @swbmtg.bsky.social
February 12, 2026 at 2:53 PM
the best deck photos by community vote from nyc's big apple highlander charity event
1. tinker mud by @luisneiman.bsky.social
2. breakfast by sunny
3. tie between reanimator by lucy and elves by @swbmtg.bsky.social
1. tinker mud by @luisneiman.bsky.social
2. breakfast by sunny
3. tie between reanimator by lucy and elves by @swbmtg.bsky.social
did you know that wotc already made harry potter magic cards
February 10, 2026 at 7:54 PM
did you know that wotc already made harry potter magic cards
Reposted by Phil Nguyen
Gonna be tweaking this for a buddy going to LC! Im considering swapping the therapies to duress as he's newer to the format. Also I want to squeeze null rods into the board.
February 10, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Gonna be tweaking this for a buddy going to LC! Im considering swapping the therapies to duress as he's newer to the format. Also I want to squeeze null rods into the board.
I often see non-Premodern MTG formats struggle with differing interests of their players (eg competitive/non-comp and online/paper). We solved this in Premodern with quadrants that easily allow players to self-identify if they are a cMTGO player or a cMTGO player or a cMTGO pla—
February 10, 2026 at 2:08 PM
I often see non-Premodern MTG formats struggle with differing interests of their players (eg competitive/non-comp and online/paper). We solved this in Premodern with quadrants that easily allow players to self-identify if they are a cMTGO player or a cMTGO player or a cMTGO pla—
have no opinion on biorhythm unban in edh other than the original printing had much cooler dramatic lighting
February 9, 2026 at 4:17 PM
have no opinion on biorhythm unban in edh other than the original printing had much cooler dramatic lighting
wild that the u.s. economy is propped up by
> ai infra spending
> gambling ads
> me buying the same cards over and over because I haven't sorted my collection properly
> ai infra spending
> gambling ads
> me buying the same cards over and over because I haven't sorted my collection properly
February 9, 2026 at 2:41 PM
wild that the u.s. economy is propped up by
> ai infra spending
> gambling ads
> me buying the same cards over and over because I haven't sorted my collection properly
> ai infra spending
> gambling ads
> me buying the same cards over and over because I haven't sorted my collection properly
Reposted by Phil Nguyen
First time playing #Premodern since the Tide ban.
Won a counter war with Thwart vs Landstill.
Won vs Burn through two REBs and a Mogg Salvage.
Won on a mull to 4 against Junk (guess which four cards I kept).
This deck is still absolutely nuts 🙃
🌊🌊 Landstill
🌊🌊 Burn
🌊🌊 Junk
Won a counter war with Thwart vs Landstill.
Won vs Burn through two REBs and a Mogg Salvage.
Won on a mull to 4 against Junk (guess which four cards I kept).
This deck is still absolutely nuts 🙃
🌊🌊 Landstill
🌊🌊 Burn
🌊🌊 Junk
February 7, 2026 at 4:51 AM
First time playing #Premodern since the Tide ban.
Won a counter war with Thwart vs Landstill.
Won vs Burn through two REBs and a Mogg Salvage.
Won on a mull to 4 against Junk (guess which four cards I kept).
This deck is still absolutely nuts 🙃
🌊🌊 Landstill
🌊🌊 Burn
🌊🌊 Junk
Won a counter war with Thwart vs Landstill.
Won vs Burn through two REBs and a Mogg Salvage.
Won on a mull to 4 against Junk (guess which four cards I kept).
This deck is still absolutely nuts 🙃
🌊🌊 Landstill
🌊🌊 Burn
🌊🌊 Junk
incredible things are happening in the premodern discord
February 3, 2026 at 4:08 PM
incredible things are happening in the premodern discord
I hear you but what if next time we made the buying experience even more cursed and determined pricing based on predictive markets...
February 2, 2026 at 7:56 PM
I hear you but what if next time we made the buying experience even more cursed and determined pricing based on predictive markets...
you know what day it is
February 2, 2026 at 2:04 PM
you know what day it is
Reposted by Phil Nguyen
I've been playing hFEB for about 3 months now, lots of stepping on rakes to learn how to play.
This week I went on a trophy tear and am second place on the Premodern MTGO leaderboard, and I won both PM challenges this weekend.
I fucking love this deck. I fucking love Premodern #premodernmtg
This week I went on a trophy tear and am second place on the Premodern MTGO leaderboard, and I won both PM challenges this weekend.
I fucking love this deck. I fucking love Premodern #premodernmtg
a red car is parked next to a trailer that says u-tow on it
ALT: a red car is parked next to a trailer that says u-tow on it
media.tenor.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:45 AM
I've been playing hFEB for about 3 months now, lots of stepping on rakes to learn how to play.
This week I went on a trophy tear and am second place on the Premodern MTGO leaderboard, and I won both PM challenges this weekend.
I fucking love this deck. I fucking love Premodern #premodernmtg
This week I went on a trophy tear and am second place on the Premodern MTGO leaderboard, and I won both PM challenges this weekend.
I fucking love this deck. I fucking love Premodern #premodernmtg
sometimes people get angry when I "destroy" magic cards with stamps
I am reminded of paul desilva's reasoning why old school players sign cards at events
I am reminded of paul desilva's reasoning why old school players sign cards at events
January 28, 2026 at 8:55 PM
sometimes people get angry when I "destroy" magic cards with stamps
I am reminded of paul desilva's reasoning why old school players sign cards at events
I am reminded of paul desilva's reasoning why old school players sign cards at events
freshly stamped top 8, best deck photo, and participant prizing for nyc's big apple highlander charity event this saturday
January 28, 2026 at 5:20 PM
freshly stamped top 8, best deck photo, and participant prizing for nyc's big apple highlander charity event this saturday
two fun charts from the 2026 premodern roundtable: what do people think are the top decks and how they would rate the health of the format
January 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM
two fun charts from the 2026 premodern roundtable: what do people think are the top decks and how they would rate the health of the format
The 2026 Premodern Roundtable is here! See what 24 prominent players (including founder Martin Berlin) think about:
· the best decks in the format
· what decks/cards are underplayed
· favorite spicy decks
· ways to nourish the community
🔗 mtgbanding.substack.com/p/the-premod...
· the best decks in the format
· what decks/cards are underplayed
· favorite spicy decks
· ways to nourish the community
🔗 mtgbanding.substack.com/p/the-premod...
The Premodern Roundtable: 2026 Edition with Special Guest Martin Berlin
What does the format look like following Parallax Tide's ban?
mtgbanding.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:55 PM
The 2026 Premodern Roundtable is here! See what 24 prominent players (including founder Martin Berlin) think about:
· the best decks in the format
· what decks/cards are underplayed
· favorite spicy decks
· ways to nourish the community
🔗 mtgbanding.substack.com/p/the-premod...
· the best decks in the format
· what decks/cards are underplayed
· favorite spicy decks
· ways to nourish the community
🔗 mtgbanding.substack.com/p/the-premod...
someday klug gonna make a billion dollars on this potential alter
January 27, 2026 at 6:14 PM
someday klug gonna make a billion dollars on this potential alter
bcw and crocs are releasing card storage clogs, priced at $150
launching next month
launching next month
January 26, 2026 at 7:03 PM
bcw and crocs are releasing card storage clogs, priced at $150
launching next month
launching next month
Reposted by Phil Nguyen
Top 8 at the Premodern 1K today at SCG Portland with RB Quake. Deck needs a lot of tuning but when it feels good it feels really really good. @fireshoes.bsky.social @mtgbanding.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Top 8 at the Premodern 1K today at SCG Portland with RB Quake. Deck needs a lot of tuning but when it feels good it feels really really good. @fireshoes.bsky.social @mtgbanding.com
Reposted by Phil Nguyen
Been playing a lot of Hermit Full English Breakfast, 4 trophies this month across the previous league and this one. I'm still not smart enough to make use of Battlefield Scrounger, but I'm getting pretty good at executing the normal lines and threading through interaction.
Love love love this deck.
Love love love this deck.
January 25, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Been playing a lot of Hermit Full English Breakfast, 4 trophies this month across the previous league and this one. I'm still not smart enough to make use of Battlefield Scrounger, but I'm getting pretty good at executing the normal lines and threading through interaction.
Love love love this deck.
Love love love this deck.
Reposted by Phil Nguyen
does this work how I think it does
August 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
does this work how I think it does
would rather be a washed player than an unwashed one
January 23, 2026 at 9:55 PM
would rather be a washed player than an unwashed one
Parallax Tide has been banned in Premodern premodernmagic.com/blog/ban-lis...
Ban List Update 2026
Featured artwork, Parallax Tide by Carl Critchlow.
The changes
Parallax Tide is banned
The change is effective immediately. Fine print: ongoing leagues and tournaments in the immediate future for ...
premodernmagic.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Parallax Tide has been banned in Premodern premodernmagic.com/blog/ban-lis...
lots of talk of premodern price spikes but I think it is neat that:
> the deck that won the largest premodern event yet costs ~$350
> the deck with the second-most MTGO 5-0s and won eternal weekend europe costs ~$225
> the deck that won the largest premodern event yet costs ~$350
> the deck with the second-most MTGO 5-0s and won eternal weekend europe costs ~$225
January 17, 2026 at 2:48 AM
lots of talk of premodern price spikes but I think it is neat that:
> the deck that won the largest premodern event yet costs ~$350
> the deck with the second-most MTGO 5-0s and won eternal weekend europe costs ~$225
> the deck that won the largest premodern event yet costs ~$350
> the deck with the second-most MTGO 5-0s and won eternal weekend europe costs ~$225
5-1 with RG Slivers, my deck for the Premodern January webcam monthly! Onto the playoffs.
Have seen many 5C Slivers builds over the years but I wanted to leverage the Survival-Cradle-Rootwalla engine while being a deck not reliant on Survival landing to win.
Have seen many 5C Slivers builds over the years but I wanted to leverage the Survival-Cradle-Rootwalla engine while being a deck not reliant on Survival landing to win.
January 16, 2026 at 9:22 PM
5-1 with RG Slivers, my deck for the Premodern January webcam monthly! Onto the playoffs.
Have seen many 5C Slivers builds over the years but I wanted to leverage the Survival-Cradle-Rootwalla engine while being a deck not reliant on Survival landing to win.
Have seen many 5C Slivers builds over the years but I wanted to leverage the Survival-Cradle-Rootwalla engine while being a deck not reliant on Survival landing to win.