According to your definition of modern times: yes, without a doubt.

There's a lot more than that.  I suggest you check out all the Paradox titles, such as the Hearts of Iron series, Europa Universalis III, and Crusader Kings II; the KOEI games, especially the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunaga's Ambition series; the many war strategy titles published by Shrapnel Games; and the excellent American Civil War game, Forge of Freedom.  And they're all essentially "modern times," if you mean sharing a raft of modern features, and access to plenty of memory in providing them.

There's much more than that around, but those are some of the highlights you missed.  I don't mean to be critical, but before raising such a question, it's probably a good idea to really investigate the field.

Most of those games are very very old.  I played EU3 5 years ago. The last Romance of the Three Kingdoms game is over half a decade old.  I think you just have a different idea of modern time sthan I do.

I didn't miss them. I played them. A long. Long. Long. Time ago.

Compared to...what?

If I'm a PC gamer looking to play a good 4X game. What should I buy? 

Endless Space is a good game. I think I agree with XAN that I think its sequel might push it into FE's league.

Warlock? It's just a big tactical battle that was prettied to look like Civ V (big mistake).

M&M: Heroes VI? 

If you're willing to be hard core, there's Conquest of Elysium 3 but that's really hard core.

I agree with OP. Only competition is Europa Universalis III. I believe I will get more enjoyment out of FE, especially after I create some mods.

Yet if you define "modern" as games that are only a year old, there are more than a dozen strategy games you missed that are published by Shrapnel Games, and other companies like it.  And that should also include Paradox's Crusader Kings II, East vs West, and Sengoku, all of which are roughly a year old or less.  If you meant to ask, "Is FE the best strategy game of the last year?" they all fit the conditions you set.  Unlike Disciples II, which you do include, and which came out ten years ago.

Though to be honest, I've never heard "modern" used in this fashion except by PR departments, who want us all to believe anything over a year old is old-fashioned and trash-worthy.  It's an attempt to introduce planned obsolescence to a field where games in the last decade aren't obsolete--so players must be conditioned to think they are.

Still, your choice.

Why are you assuming he's missing those games just because he didn't mention them? Other than CK2, the others you mentioned are pretty mediocre.  Sengoku? Really? 

I don't know how you define the "modern" area. To each their own. Is FE the best strategy game of 2012? Undoubtedly. Is it the best strategy game of all time? I think you'd have to put in some qualifications there. I think it's the best >fantasy< strategy game of all time including MOM. I think it's better than Civilization IV out of the box but not as good as Civilization IV eventually got with expansions. It's better than Galactic Civilizations II out of the box but not as good as Galactic Civilizations II TA. 

I wish there was more competition, frankly. FE is the best because no one else seems interested in making games with this kind of substance / production value balance anymore. Where is Soren Johnson when you need him?

Best since Civ IV, yep, I'd agree there. With mods, may even surpass that.

Now that we are talking other strategy games, can someone tell me how we still don't have f'n SMAC2 yet?!

Uh.  To answer the title.  Galactic Civilzations 2 (also by Stardock ).   Will FE unseat the champ ?  Hard to tell. 

But I predict an epidemic of one more turn syndrome

Because he defined exactly the games he included:

I wasn't discussing the quality of the games (though I do disagree with your opinion; but each to their own).  I was questioning his remark about limiting the games to the last year or so, and defining just those games above as fitting within the timeframe he's defined.  There are many more; plus, he's including one game that's ten years old.  That's all.

I am surprised that no one mentioned the Age of Wonders series yet; they are TBS games in the tradition of Master of Magic, just like FE is. The newest game, AoW II Shadow Magic (from 2002!), is still superior to FE is many aspects, most notably user interface, magic, and tactical battles.

I agree. It seemed much more put together,

I expect FE to be my 5th favorite fantasy TBS behind MOM, AOW:SM, Dominions 3 and HOMM3. 

I expect it will be my 2nd favorite TBS to mod behind Dominions 3.

Hopefully, it will exceed my expectations