Magic: the Gathering Releases New Modern Horizons 3
Once more, it’s that time! It’s time to fully rework and distort the Modern format in order to create a fantastic Limited environment for Modern Horizons 3!
One of my all-time favorite Draft formats was the first Modern Horizons set, and I regretfully never had the chance to play Modern Horizons 2. It goes without saying that I’m quite eager for this third chapter! Draft formats brimming with immensely potent cards are featured in both Horizons MTG sets, and drafting highly synergistic decks will net you big rewards.
It appears like Modern Horizons 3 won’t be any different. We’ll go over each card in a Magic Draft and assess it for both sealed decks and booster drafts, just like we do with ordinary Standard sets.
I would want to remind you, as usual, that my original thoughts about these cards are the basis for my Modern Horizons 3 Limited Set Review.
Without knowledge of the relative power levels of the colors and archetypes, or the speed at which the format will unfold, it is difficult to predict how these cards will perform. The quality of the card in a vacuum or the assumption that their particular archetype is playable form the basis for most of these Limited set appraisals. In the unlikely event that a money card appears in your pool, you might also choose to look at the list of most costly cards in Modern Horizons 3.
Modern Horizons 3 Set Themes
Eldrazi/ Colorless Mana
It’s the Eldrazi again! Although I realize that some people genuinely detest them, I adore them. I have a soft spot for Rise of the Eldrazi because they were one of the first sets I ever drafted and I enjoy the challenge of using powerful spells. Making sure you can accelerate your mana to cast the largest monsters is all that’s needed to play the majority of Eldrazi.
This is largely achieved by sacrificing the Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens, which you can do in order to add a colorless mana. Paying the colorless mana requirements is the larger problem. Make sure you have enough fixes for colorless mana while drafting Eldrazi. Fortunately, there are plenty of choices in Modern Horizons 3, such as spawn tokens and new lands.
Modal Double-Faced Lands
Modal Double-Faced cards with lands on their backs come back in Modern Horizons 3, bringing back many of the cards from Zendikar Rising. These are far stronger than the ones in this group, and even the weakest of them were rather playable.
A set of rare multicolored spells is also available that can be used as dual lands. These Limited cards are amazing. Your deck will be more consistent overall if you use them as lands when you’re mana screwed and as actual spells when you’re mana flooded. The majority of these should receive really excellent grades, in my opinion.
Energy
Another one of my favorite mechanics is energy. Numerous cards that generate energy are typically found to do so really easily. Any rewards you receive for expending that energy are then a very pleasant bonus. The fact that you frequently obtain the energy counters almost for nothing gives you the impression that you are getting away with something. A straightforward card such as Tune the Narrative is more akin to a simple cantrip for 1 mana to draw two cards.
Draft Archetypes
Azorius (white+blue): Energy Matters + Flying Creatures
Dimir (blue+black): “Draw three cards”
Rakdos (black+red): Artifacts Matter
Gruul (red+green): Eldrazi Spawns
Selesnya (green+white): Bestow/Auras
Orzhov (white+black): Sacrifice
Golgari (black+green): +1/+1 Counters Matter
Simic (green+blue): Eldrazi Ramp
Izzet (blue+red): Energy Midrange
Boros (red+white): Go-Wide Energy Aggro
Three-Color Themes
Jeskai (blue, red, white): Energy Matters
Abzan (white, black, green): Modified Matters
Temur (green, blue, red): Eldrazi
Below I’ll dive into standout cards in each mana color.
Colorless
Emrakul, the World Anew
Although 12 mana is a lot, we can definitely make it work. Casting Emrakul should almost always win you the game; all you’ll need are a few Spawn tokens, some mana ramp, and perhaps a Worn Powerstone or two. Emrakul is a game that requires work, so you can’t expect to play it without making an effort. However, Modern Horizons 3 is the only MTG set that will ever function. Although it’s unlikely to be achievable with this set, the six colorless madness cost is quite adorable.
Herigast, Erupting Nullkite
Casting this Eldrazi dragon for its emerge cost is significantly more appealing to me than using all nine mana. It’s a wonderful size and frequently includes three extra cards to give you a significant advantage. However, it’s really intriguing to be able to offer emerge to all of your creature spells, particularly when using the Eldrazi titans themselves. A proven way to rapidly win a game of Modern Horizons 3 is to let your 12-mana Emrakul cast for a lot less money. That will not happen very frequently because it requires multiple mythic rares, but we’ll take it because Herigast, Erupting Nullkite is still a very strong large dragon that drew you three cards.
Kozilek, the Broken Reality
Of these three new Eldrazi titans, Kozilek, the Broken Reality is the greatest by far. It’s the simplest to cast at 9 mana, and once you do, the effect happens instantly. To start, you can draw two cards and manifest two extra cards from your hand. This is great if you have any extra land hanging around. Next, if your opponent is holding out to cast a bomb rare or anything similar, you can make them manifest cards from their hand by force. Lastly, it virtually becomes an Overrun, giving all of your colorless creatures a massive +3/+2. In this game, nine mana should get you a long way, so it’s definitely worth the money.
Nulldrifter
Baloth Null definitely needs a new moniker. At this point, what can we even say about Nulldrifter? For good reason, the first Mulldrifter is among the most recognizable monsters in Magic history. It’s okay to use 3 mana to draw two cards; it’s much better to use 7 mana to draw two cards plus a massive flier using Annihilator 1.
Fun exchange of ideas here as well. You’re still casting a spell with mana value 7, so even if you cast it only for its evoke cost, it still activates the abilities that care about that and is rendered less expensive by cards like It That Heralds the End. Nulldrifter is one of the cards I’m most eager to cast because it should be an all-star in Modern Horizons 3.
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White
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah / Ajani, Nacatl Avenger
This Ajani is ridiculous! It’s already a wonderful deal at 2 mana for two creatures with a combined power and toughness of 3/3. However, this makes Ajani, Nacatl Pariah a must-kill threat that you can play as early as turn 2, since all it needs to morph into is for the 2/1 cat to die.
If you are ever able to transform it, the planeswalker side is extremely strong. It may remove your opponent’s creatures while also giving out a free 2/1 token every turn, provided you have a red permanent to activate it in Modern Horizons 3. The fact that Ajani doesn’t appear all that good in the late game and doesn’t match up well versus Eldrazi is my main complaint about it.
Guide of Souls
Since Soul Warden was already a rather good card, the addition of a new one that also activates energy excites me much. During a game, an early Guide of Souls should provide you with a lot of free energy and one of the biggest rewards for using that energy—transforming any creature you choose into a massive angel. This is especially true if there are a few token producers. If you have enough energy, it can still come down and instantly buff one of your creatures even if you draw it later. This appears to be one of the more impressive energy payoffs, and it’s on a rather affordable body.
Ocelot Pride
One of the format’s riskiest first turn plays has got to be this white cat. You earn at least one free monster every time that Ocelot Pride attacks and survives, but after that, things get out of control, let alone if you ascend and receive the city’s blessing. The only major issue I have is that a 1/1 gets outclassed pretty fast in Modern Horizons 3, but other than that, it’s an excellent body to get +1/+1 counters and other modifications, and you can still activate this by gaining life through other sources. Since Ocelot Pride is so ridiculous, reading this early makes me want to fully embrace it.
Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
I will not speak poorly of this immensely beautiful, greatest girl! While it’s true that a 2-drop that flickers a nonland permanent when it attacks and returns it at the next end step is a nice effect to have, it’s unlikely to win a game in Modern Horizons 3. Nevertheless, those folks would be mistaken by grading Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd closer to a 4/10. I assure you that it is incorrect, and that this card is poised to take over the game in this set.
Wrath of the Skies
That one, Wrath of the Skies, is strange. It’s a highly flexible conditional board wipe. It will be costly to remove anything substantial off the board in a vacuum, and it is unlikely that you will be able to deal with the large Eldrazi in the set. However, in an energy deck, it is quite different.
You could cast this for two mana and clear the board if you have a lot of energy. You can convert whatever extra mana you may have into energy and possibly avoid killing anything. It is also possible to kill everything else and have the largest item in play. This card is quite flexible and can be played in a variety of ways, which is why it should be considered one of the strongest cards in Modern Horizons 3.
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Blue
Hope-Ender Coatl
I simply adore a simple two-for-one. You better not believe you can get away with tapping out for anything if your opponent ever has three mana up and blue available. Because Hope-Ender Coatl is a flash Wind Drake, she is absurd yet still suitable for casting without countering anything in Modern Horizons 3. And on top of that, it’s an Eldrazi. I adore it.
Kappa Cannoneer
The Kappa Cannoneer is unbeatable. I’m not sure what WotC was using when they created this artifact creature, but they should have learnt by now how to avoid a card from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Commander having the kind of effect that this one does in Modern Horizons 3.
With a possible mana cost reduction, this turtle warrior enters the battlefield as a 5/5 right away. However, each time you play an artifact, it grows larger, dealing massive damage to your opponent. If you have artifacts to feed it, the Kappa ends games quickly, and it’s difficult to deal with in the interim. The absence of artifacts is the only thing preventing this from dominating the set, but that is merely nitpicking.
Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student / Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar
Dangerous is a 1-mana flying monster that studies everything before attacking. Before your opponent can even begin to cope with Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student turn 1 on the play, you will have received two or three free Clues in Modern Horizons 3. Unfortunately, the planeswalker side isn’t as good as the draw-third-card reward; the sole instantaneous ability it has is +2.
Having said that, you can still win battles by giving attackers a -1/-0 advantage. In light of this, Tamiyo actually has a really nice appearance. It’s important to keep in mind that this just requires one mana. It’s crazy that Tamiyo has all these powers on only a single drop, and I predict she’ll be using her powers frequently.
Ugin’s Binding
This is, to put it mildly, revoltingly good. The possibility to receive a *free* overloaded Cyclonic Rift when it is triggered is simply so powerful I hardly know how to put it. Naturally, we don’t want to cast a worse Regress, so in order to desire Ugin’s Binding at all, your deck must be an Eldrazi deck, and you must then figure out how to get it into your graveyard.
It can be cast, but I would rather throw it to a Depth Defiler or something like that. If you can accomplish all of that, all you have to do is reach 7 mana, and you will reset your opponent’s board—regardless of how aggressively they started against you. What a fantastic card to bring to Modern Horizons 3.
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Black
Chthonian Nightmare
You may already be aware of how ridiculous Recurring Nightmare is if you’ve ever had the opportunity to play with or against it. If you can activate it, this black enchantment appears to be superior because it requires less mana to cast—two is definitely preferable to three.
Chthonian Nightmare can be paired with some obscene “enters the battlefield” triggers and possibly a few game-winning bombs. Turn after turn, you can play this way, regaining energy each time and using all of your strongest creature skills in Modern Horizons 3. Even while you do have to keep up with your energy usage, this is a minor price to pay for a card this crazy.
Crabomination
We’re looking at a rather simple three-for-one play, even with the addition of randomization to liven it up a little. You draw a card from your opponent’s hand, you receive a 5/5, and you most likely get a free spell for 6 mana. Although it seems unlikely, it is theoretically feasible for you to exile three cards and not hit any spells. I’m eager to play this for myself because of the enticing potential of what Crabomination could allow you to cast for free in Modern Horizons 3.
Fell the Profane / Fell Mire
I’m going to presume that you already know why Fell the Profane / Fell Mire has earned such a great rating. It’s a land with two faces. Essentially, this is just a tapped swamp that you can use to cast a legal removal spell. It’s really that excellent; it’s really amazing. Apologies, Mauling Hagra! It’s your baby brother, the badass, taking over.
Ophiomancer
Ophiomancer, a character from Commander 2013, has occasionally appeared in Legacy as well as a variety of cubes. This vicious card gives us an endless supply of tokens to spend anyway we like in Modern Horizons 3. If you don’t eliminate it, your opponent will be unable to defeat an army of deathtouch snakes that appears to be endless.
Shilgengar, Sire of Famine
One should never undervalue the opportunity to offer free sacrifice, and Shilgengar, Sire of Famine, offers a decent upside in exchange for a creature. If you are able to work hard and reach six Blood tokens, the last ability appears to likely just end the game at that point in Modern Horizons 3. Furthermore, Shilgengar is only a 6/6 flyer for 5 mana, so what exactly is the drawback?
Sorin of House Markov / Sorin, Ravenous Neonate
I can tell you from personal experience that playing against the extort mechanic is not enjoyable. I’m not sure whether you’ve ever used it before. Sorin of House Markov’s greatest benefit is a 1/4 lifelinker with extort, which I don’t think any aggressive decks will be able to counter.
It seems like it would be difficult to gain three life in a turn even if you used Sorin to attack; you would still need to cast two spells and pay the extort cost for each one. If I were to draw a Sorin early in the game, I would prioritize ensuring that my deck contained other lifegain sources, as flipping into its planeswalker side should be the main objective. Its -1 ability should eliminate the majority of enemy creatures because you’ve already gained at least three health. From there, you can use its abilities to seize control of the game in Modern Horizons 3.
Toxic Deluge
You can bet that if I were to spend my life savings on anything in this format, it would be Toxic Deluge, one of the recently released Modern cards that is now Modern-legal after being reprinted in Modern Horizons 3.
At its essence, this is essentially simply a black board wipe, but it can be so much more. You can eliminate every creature your opponent has on the board and still have anything left over if you possess the largest creature or creatures. You can probably play a new creature down after removing all other cards from the board because it just costs three mana. Board wipes are great in Limited Modern Horizons 3, but they start to stray into uncharted terrain when they have the potential to be biased.
Red
Aether Revolt
Compared to many of the other build-around enchantments we’ve seen, this red one might not give you anything up front, but it might be one of the worst. It’s absurd to turn anything that produces energy into a removal spell.
Numerous monsters that grant you two or three energy when they reach the battlefield have been observed, and you can now transform them into improvised Flametongue Kavus. One of the strongest reasons to construct an energy deck in this format is Aether Revolt, which is going to be one of my most sought after early choices in Modern Horizons 3.
Detective’s Phoenix
This phoenix appears to be eternal right now. It’s a wonderful idea to run this enchanted creature as a Skyknight Legionnaire on turn three, and once it dies, you can bestow it for some extra value from the graveyard. The phoenix returns as a 2/2 after that creature dies. It may then die once again. Next, rinse and repeat as necessary.
Eldrazi Linebreaker
I’ll give you the lowdown: This guy is way better than reckless Stormseeker. The trigger for Eldrazi Linebreaker starts to get extremely out of control when there are only a few Eldrazi in play. First of all, it can grant itself haste during the turn you play it, making this a 4/3 haste trample even in a vacuum for just 3 mana in Modern Horizons 3.
When you’ve been able to go wide with your spawn tokens later in the game, you can just start throwing them at your opponent. Imagine being able to upgrade a menial spawn into a 5/1 and use it for attacks every turn. It’s worth pursuing, even though you don’t even need to activate it to be a powerful card.
Galvanic Discharge
Did I really award a modest common an 8/10, a grade typically reserved for rares and the best uncommons? You’re very correct—I did! Ultimately, any creature in the format has the potential to be killed by this 1-mana red removal spell.
It’s still ridiculous that Lightning Bolt is the only card that can’t hit a player when used without an energy deck in Modern Horizons 3. When combined with other energy sources, this red instant can defeat almost anything. My choice for the best common in the set has to be this one because it is among the strongest common removal spells I have ever seen.
Laelia, the Blade Reforged
The Blade Reforged is an extremely strong weapon, as seen by its roles in Legacy, Laelia, and Vintage Cube. The turn you play this card, it attacks as a 3/3 with haste, which is already a good thing. The card it exiles is usually unplayable, but occasionally you can set aside your land drop for it.
Following that initial step, Laelia rapidly spirals out of control, expanding and drawing cards for you on each turn. It will very certainly win the game on its own, therefore you had to kill it right away. Even if Laelia doesn’t do anything while you’re already behind, it’s still an incredible bomb. That’s the one drawback.
Reiterating Bolt
Wow, what a surprise. With this set, Red’s burn spells aren’t playing around. We can certainly discover more productive ways to use our time, as I’ve stated numerous times before. Okay, that concludes our discussion! What I want to focus on is reiterating Bolt. If it accumulates sufficiently, a 2-mana Plague Wind could be possible in Modern Horizons 3. It is quite simple to kill three animals with just six energy. When things become tight, you can use it to kill their 2-drop without even using energy. This is really interesting, and I’m surprised that it doesn’t happen more often.
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Green
Monstrous Vortex
Monstrous Vortex seems like it should have been empty. Ultimately, the Eldrazi ramp deck will be the primary contender for this. Well, whatever, I’m into it. The moment you receive your first discovery trigger, casting this has already yielded a reward in Modern Horizons 3. You can head to the races after obtaining one or two more. It can’t just be thrown into any green deck, but once I had five or six sufficiently large creatures, I could be interested.
Six
When I initially saw this spoiler, I about burst out laughing. It’s weird to see Six by itself because I adore Wrenn and Six. It’s also an amazing card. Giving your unpleasant ability, retrace, to every non-land permanent card in your graveyard with no exertion at all seems like a great way to win a game of Modern Horizons 3 easily. Although there hasn’t been much in the set to support a graveyard-themed strategy, if one does exist, this is a huge payoff.
Springheart Nantuko
What an odd card. It’s a little difficult to understand, but essentially, it means that you must always make a 1/1 token or more upon landfall. However, you can make a duplicate of a creature for two mana if Springheart Nanuko is linked to it.
I think the card’s affordability is what makes it so appealing in Modern Horizons 3. You can copy your enchanted creature right away, make a land drop, then bestow this on something good for 4 mana. Even better, play this on 6, crack a fetch, and pay to receive two copies. We have a cycle of common fetch lands. Though it’s a fantastic rare that you should choose very carefully, my only complaint is that it’s very situational.
Signature Slam
This is essentially a strict improvement on Clear Shot, one of the game’s most potent green removal spells already. During a battle, you can use Signature Slam to set up a two-for-one by using your creature to kill a creature and win the battle. Additionally, you retain the +1/+1 counter, which you may use to activate additional powers. Not only is this amazing, but it’s also among the greatest pieces in the set.
Multicolored
Abstruse Appropriation
Hi, Fractured Identity. Is that you? I think it is! Naturally, you’ll need some colorless mana in your deck for Abstruse Appropriation to be a 10/10, but even then, if you have no colorless mana sources at all, Abstruse Appropriation is only about a 6. They fall far behind if you manage to cast their permanent. What a lovely card for Modern Horizons 3!
Disa the Restless
Disa the Restless is the face commander of the Graveyard Overdrive Commander precon, so all right, I’ll stretch my mana base for her. However, you can find her in Play Boosters and include her to your Limited decks.
We don’t give a damn about the first ability because there is only one lhurgoyf in the set, and it is also mythic uncommon. But it’s amazing because every time you hit your opponent, a Tarmogoyf token is created. You can already have two large creatures for five mana and have the potential to create more if you can use that ability during your Disa turn.
Imskir Iron-Eater
This turns into a 6-mana monster that draws one card for you when just two artifacts are in play. Yes, even though it’s not very thrilling, I’ll take it. In order to make this into a massive monster Mulldrifter, our true goal is to collect four or more artifacts. How easy the artifact deck will allow for such a play is still to be seen. Perhaps this is why Tamiyo Meets the Story Circle is being played.
Kudo, King Among Bears
Yes, I adore it! We met Ayula, Queen Among Bears, in Modern Horizons 1, and this is her royal consort. Bravo Modern Horizons 3! King Among Bears has an extremely unusual ability, but keep in mind that this affects all creatures on the battlefield and that the color combination green and white is sensitive to changes. In essence, it implies that since your bears are more likely to be modified, you’ll probably have the biggest bears on the board. For many decks to even be able to engage in battle with you, Kudo is a must-kill.
Nadu, Winged Wisdom
Nadu, Winged Wisdom appears to have legs in Limited and could prove to be the finest printed Commander in Modern Horizons 3. Alternatively, wings: this can draw a lot of extra cards. Not only does it activate spells, but also abilities.
The easiest interactions Nadu, Winged Wisdom has are with auras and equipment; I’d be much more likely to use combat tactics with her around, though I can’t think of all the interactions she has at the moment. Additionally, because of how effectively it casts, you almost certainly won’t pass it or eliminate it from a deck that has the potential to cast it.
Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury
I’ve cast Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger more times than I care to recall, and Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath was banned in several formats. It seems sense that you start off paying 3 mana for a Lightning Helix, but after you start trading, this older giant will remain in the graveyard until you manage to get out of it.
Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury, finally makes contact with the board, taking control of the match. You will just need to concentrate on dealing with larger creatures, which shouldn’t be too difficult as you won’t have to worry about the smaller ones. You can continue eliminating your opponent’s creatures each turn. This is perhaps one of the strongest cards in Modern Horizons 3, but it’s just not a reasonable card.
Satya, Aetherflux Genius
The face commander of the Creative Energy Modern Horizons 3 Commander precon, Satya, Aetherflux Genius, is unquestionably the best Commander card available in Limited. A 3/5 with menace and haste for just 4 mana is a very strong card by itself, but when you attack, you also get 2 energy and a token copy of anything else you have in play for free in Modern Horizons 3. Although it states that you can use energy to keep the token active, I doubt you will bother as long as the deal nets you some damage and a good that enters the battlefield trigger.
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Special Guests and Conclusion
Thought-Knot Seer
It’s quite sweet to acquire a 4/4 while ripping a nonland card out of your opponent’s hand. The ultimate Mesmeric Fiend is the Thought-Knot Seer, although they never get the same card back. Yes, they will draw a card, but most likely it will be a land.
Solitude
Nothing is more Nekrataal than solitude. You obtain an extremely helpful physique in exchange for being able to permanently respond to any species. But wait, to make it even more versatile, it also has flash and its evoke cost. It’s also a fantastic lifelinker. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest white cards in Modern Horizons 3, as well as one of the greatest in Modern, Legacy, and even Vintage Cube.
Fury
What then is there to say about Fury? The card is merely delicious. It’s the largest and most potent version of Flametongue Kavu that we’ve ever seen, and potent enough to be prohibited in Modern. This elemental form will descend, slay a creature or two, and then pose a serious threat to everyone on board. All we could ask for in a bomb uncommon.
This Modern Horizons 3 collection, which will be available at Magic Arena, ought to be the most approachable premium set we’ve ever seen. It looks really fantastic, so I hope you have many chances to draft it.
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