Modern Horizons 2

Modern Horizons 2

 

Art Series

 

Card comparisons

 

Trivia

 

Modern Horizons 2
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	Two Modern Horizons symbols overlapping each other
Design	Ethan Fleischer (lead) Aaron Forsythe Emily Teng Allison Steele Dan Musser
Development	Aaron Forsythe (lead)
Art direction	Cynthia Sheppard
Release date	June 18, 2021
Plane	Various
Themes and mechanics	Modern power level, Merfolk, Sagas, +1/+1 counters, Dakkon Blackblade, multicolor
Keywords/​ability words	Madness and multiple other
Set size	303 + 189 + 43
Expansion code	MH2
Development codename	Decadent
Straight-to-Modern sets
Modern Horizons Modern Horizons 2 N/A
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition 2 Modern Horizons 2 Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms

Modern Horizons 2 is a Magic booster set which will release on June 18, 2021. Like the first Modern Horizons, this straight-to-Modern set will be print-to-demand.

Set details

Like Modern Horizons, this set introduces new cards into Modern and eternal formats without them ever being legal in Standard. It features a host of powerful new toolbox cards, strong themes to try out, and several throwbacks. The set was unique in its development in that it brought in three high-profile Magic figures (Sam Black, Brian Braun-Duin, and Brad Nelson, the latter two of whom were in the Magic Pro League at the time) to consult.

This set contains 303 regular cards (101 commons, 100 uncommons, 78 rares, 24 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. New cards and in-Modern reprints are numbered #001-#260, while the New-to-Modern reprints are numbered #261-#303. Alternate card frames have another card number than the original version. Borderless planeswalkers are numbered #304-306, followed by the other borderless cards #307-326. The (54) showcase "sketch cards" are numbered #327-380. The (61) retro frame cards are #381-441 and cards with extended artwork are numbered #442-480 and Bundle basic lands are #481-490, the Buy-a-Box card is #491 and the Bundle promo is #492. MH1 retro frame cards (only found in Collector Boosters) are numbered separately #1-43 with set code ???

All five enemy colored fetch lands appear at rare in the set and can be found in regular Draft Boosters. The Set - and Collector Boosters include extended art versions and retro (pre-Modern) card frame treatments for the fetch lands and many other cards. Another frame treatment is seen on the showcase "sketch cards". These feature the artist's sketch of the main card artwork, and only is featured for new cards. Instead of flavor text, some of them feature fragments from the art description that was sent to the artists when creating each card's artwork.

Modern Horizons 2 is also released on Magic Online, but not on MTG Arena.

Storyline

There is no storyline associated with this set, but there are several Dakkon Blackblade-related cards.

Marketing

MH2 Bundle featuring Dakkon Blackblade key art

MH2 Draft Booster featuring Geyadrone Dihada

MH2 Collector Booster box

In addition to Draft Boosters, Modern Horizons 2 is sold in Set Boosters and Collector Boosters. As such, this is the first supplemental set to feature Set - and Collector Boosters. Each Set Booster contains a guaranteed traditional foil, an art card, a New-to-Modern reprint and a guaranteed rare/mythic rare. Collector Boosters feature foil-etched, retro frame and sketch cards cards. Another first for a supplemental set is that it features a Modern Horizons 2 Bundle.

The Draft Boosters feature artwork from Dakkon Blackblade (key art), Geyadrone Dihada and Svyelun of Sea and Sky. The Collector Booster features artwork from Graceful Restoration, and the Set Booster from Chatterfang, Squirrel General.

With the release of Modern Horizons 2, 50 cards were rotated into The List, many of which were thematically or mechanically linked to the set.

Version	Treatment	Draft Booster	Set Booster	Collector Booster
Non-foil	Regular
Non-foil	Borderless
Non-foil	Showcase sketch art
Non-foil	Showcase retro frame
Non-foil	Extended art
Non-foil	Card from The List
Non-foil	Art card
Traditional foil	Regular
Traditional foil	Borderless
Traditional foil	Showcase sketch art
Traditional foil	Showcase retro frame
Traditional foil	Extended art
Traditional foil	Showcase retro frame (MH1 reprint)
Traditional foil	Art card (stamped)
Traditional foil	Buy-a-Box promo
Traditional foil	Bundle promo (alternate art)
Foil-etched	Regular basic land
Foil-etched	Regular
Foil-etched	Showcase retro frame
Foil-etched	Showcase retro frame (MH1 reprint)

Events

• Magic Online release: June 3, 2021
• Tabletop Prerelease: June 11–17, 2021
  • MH2 is the first non-Standard set with Prerelease Packs.

Promotional cards

• Prerelease promo: there is a total of 60 rares and 20 mythic rares that you could get as your foil-stamped Prerelease card. These include all the newly introduced Modern Horizons 2 rares and mythic rares as well as the reprint enemy fetch lands.
• Buy-a-Box: exclusive foil alternate art Sanctum Prelate with retro frame.
  • Isn't found in any other Modern Horizons 2 product.
• Bundle promo: foil alternate art Yusri, Fortune's Flame

Tokens and markers

Modern Horizons 2 features 21 tokens.

1. 1/1 Bird creature with flying, for Scour the Desert.
2. 0/3 Crab creature, for Scuttletide and Specimen Collector.
3. 4/4 Eternalized Timeless Dragon.
4. 4/4 Eternalized Timeless Witness.
5. 0/0 Phyrexian Germ creature, for Batterbone, Kaldra Compleat and Nettlecyst.
6. 0/0 Zombie Army creature, for Lazotep Minister.
7. 4/4 Beast creature, for Combine Chrysalis and Herd Baloth.
8. 5/3 Elemental creature, for Titania, Protector of Argoth.
9. 1/1 Squirrel creature, for Chatterfang, Squirrel General, Chatterstorm, Chitterspitter, Drey Keeper, Scurry Oak, Specimen Collector, Squirrel Sanctuary, Underworld Hermit, and Verdant Command.
10. 1/1 Insect creature, for Grist, the Hunger Tide.
11. 4/4 Golem artifact creature, for General Ferrous Rokiric.
12. 0/0 Construct artifact creature with "This creature gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control," for Urza's Saga.
13. 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying, for Barbed Point, Breya's Apprentice and Sweep the Skies.
14. Clue artifact, for Academy Manufactor, Fae's Offering and Lonis, Cryptozoologist.
15. Food artifact, for Academy Manufactor, Fae's Offering, Late to Dinner, Orchard Strider, Timeless Provisioner, and The Underworld Cookbook
16. Treasure artifact, for Academy Manufactor, Fae's Offering, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Strike it Rich, and Timeless Provisioner.
17. Copy, for Aeve, Progenitor Ooze and Garth One-Eye.

Themes and mechanics

The set was announced to have a higher power level and greater complexity with even more of what players loved in Modern Horizons. It had access to more mechanics, eventually featuring 59 named non-evergreen mechanics (listed here). In addition, it makes more use of legendary creatures, and leans a little heavier into multicolor.

A new variant on an evergreen mechanic is Trample over planeswalkers (This creature can deal excess damage to the controller of the planeswalker it’s attacking).

Junk Winder is the first card to feature Affinity for tokens.

Modern Horizons 2 features the following limited archetypes:

• : Affinity (Ethersworn Sphinx)
• : "Self-discard" matters (Lazotep Minister)
• : Madness aggro (Rakdos Headliner)
• : Storm ()
• : +1/+1 counters (Arcus Acolyte)
• : Reanimator (Graceful Restoration)
• : Delirium (Prophetic Titan)
• : Sacrifice, Squirrel tribal (Ravenous Squirrel)
• : Modular aggro (Arcbound Shikari)
• : Number of token types matters (Combine Chrysalis)

Card types

• Modern Horizons 2 introduces the Dakkon, Dihada and Grist planeswalker types.
• Modern Horizons 2 introduces the first black-bordered enchantment land (Urza's Saga). It functions both as a Saga and a land until it is sacrificed.
• The set also sees the first new tribal card since Rise of the Eldrazi, and the first new Incarnations since Lorwyn.
• Merfolk and squirrels are strongly-supported tribes in MH2.
• Tokens created by Living weapon are errata'd into Phyrexian Germs.

Cycles

Modern Horizons 2 has at least nine cycles, including three double cycles.

Cycle name
Evoke Incarnations	Solitude	Subtlety	Grief		Endurance
	Five mythic rare Elemental Incarnation creatures, each with an evoke cost of exiling a card of the same color from your hand (i.e. a pitch spell.)
Suspend spells	()	()	Profane Tutor (Demonic Tutor)	Glimpse of Tomorrow (Warp World)	Gaea's Will (Yawgmoth's Will)
	Five rare sorceries with suspend, no mana cost, and an effect of a powerful spell from Magic's past.
Converge spells	Prismatic Ending	Sweep the Skies	Radiant Epicure		Glinting Creeper
	Five uncommon spells with converge.
Basic landcyclers	Landscaper Colos	Mental Journey	World-Weary	Battle Plan	Orchard Strider
	Five common high cost spells with basic landcycling M.
Cycle name
Enemy color fetch lands	Marsh Flats	Scalding Tarn	Verdant Catacombs	Arid Mesa	Misty Rainforest
	Each of these rare lands can be sacrificed along with a payment of 1 life to search for one of two basic land types. Reprinted from Zendikar.

Double cycles

Cycle name
Rare spells	Moderation	Master of Death	Asmoranomardica-daistinaculdacar	Territorial Kavu	Sythis, Hand of Harvest	Priest of Fell Rites	Yusri, Fortune's Flame	Carth the Lion	General Ferrous Rokiric	Lonis, Cryptozoologist
	Ten rare spells.
Uncommon signposts	Ethersworn Sphinx	Lazotep Minister	Rakdos Headliner	Road // Ruin	Arcus Acolyte	Graceful Restoration	Prophetic Titan	Ravenous Squirrel	Arcbound Shikari	Combine Chrysalis
	Ten uncommon spells, each one a signpost for its respective draft archetype.
Common signposts	Chrome Courier							Drey Keeper
	Ten common spells, each one a signpost for its respective draft archetype.
Bridges	Razortide Bridge	Mistvault Bridge	Drossforge Bridge	Slagwoods Bridge	Thornglint Bridge	Goldmire Bridge	Silverbluff Bridge	Darkmoss Bridge	Rustvale Bridge	Tanglepool Bridge
	Ten common artifact taplands with indestructible.

Mega-mega cycles

The Mirran swords mega-mega cycle gets an allied colored addition.

• Sword of Hearth and Home

Reprints

TBA of the cards in the set are reprints, of which 42 are new to Modern. The latter all have a watermark of their original printing's set symbol, similar to Masters 25; except for Sanctum Prelate, which is only printed in the retro frame. These reprints occupy a unique slot in boosters.

MH1 reprints

There are also 43 retro frame reprints of MH1 favorites: they are reprinted with the MH1 set symbol and aren't part of MH2 proper. These are only available through Collector Boosters as foils or etched foils, and all commons are upshifted to uncommon.

• Archmage's Charm
• Ayula, Queen Among Bears
• Deep Forest Hermit
• Defile
• Ephemerate
• Faerie Seer
• Force of Negation
• Giver of Runes
• Hall of Heliod's Generosity
• Ice-Fang Coatl
• Ingenious Infiltrator
• King of the Pride
• Llanowar Tribe
• Ranger-Captain of Eos
• Scale Up
• Shenanigans
• Sword of Truth and Justice
• Talisman of Conviction
• Talisman of Creativity
• Talisman of Curiosity
• Talisman of Hierarchy
• Talisman of Resilience
• The First Sliver
• Tribute Mage
• Undead Augur
• Universal Automaton
• Urza, Lord High Artificer
• Weather the Storm

Changes in rarity

Mythic rare to rare

• Chainer, Nightmare Adept (Commander 2019)

Rare to uncommon

• Counterspell (Mystical Archive)
• Ephemerate (Mystical Archive)

Rare to common

• Abundant Harvest (Mystical Archive)

Uncommon to mythic rare

• Cabal Coffers (Torment)

Uncommon to rare

• Goblin Bombardment (Tempest)
• Shardless Agent (Planechase 2012)
• Sterling Grove (Invasion)
• Wonder (Judgment)

Common to rare

• Fire // Ice (Mystery Booster)

Common to uncommon

• Faerie Seer (Modern Horizons)
• Flame Rift (Nemesis)
• Quirion Ranger (Visions)
• Shenanigans (Modern Horizons)
• Seal of Cleansing (Nemesis)
• Seal of Removal (Nemesis)
• Universal Automaton (Modern Horizons)
• Yavimaya Elder (Urza's Destiny)

Notes

^* MH1 reprint

Notable cards

• Aeve, Progenitor Ooze is the first creature with storm.
• Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar is the first creature spell with no mana cost, due to its name being too long.
• Dermotaxi is the first vehicle without crew.
• Energy Deposit is the first non-creature artifact with modular.
• Urza's Saga is an enchantment land and another in the line of cards with the name of a set. Its subtypes create a stealthy pun that also forms the name of the set and refers to the Urzatron lands.

Callbacks

Card	Inspired by	Notes
Aeromoeba	Aquamoeba	A larger, flying Aquamoeba, with a similar flavor text scheme, marking them with similar watery origins.
Altar of the Goyf	Tarmogoyf	A Tribal Lhurgoyf card, which boosts it for most of Tarmogoyf's stats. Plays off the fact that Lhurgoyfs are mechanical as anti-synergistic as can be, as each requires a heavy deckbuilding cost, so getting trample is about as good an effect as they can achieve.
Arcbound Whelp	Furnace Whelp	A constructed Furnace Whelp.
Archfiend of Sorrows	Drown in Sorrow	A demon that casts Drown in Sorrow at your opponents. Color scheme is similar.
Archon of Cruelty	Cruel Ultimatum, Grave Titan	A 6/6 archon that casts a portion of Cruel Ultimatum with a "Titan trigger".
Batterbone	Batterskull	Both are living weapons with Vigilance and Lifelink. The new card is a cheaper and smaller version of the older card.
Blazing Rootwalla	Basking Rootwalla	Both are one-mana 1/1 Rootwallas with Madness and a once-per-turn pump ability
Bloodbraid Marauder	Bloodbraid Elf
Bone Shards	Bone Splinters	Bone Splinters with extra versatility.
Bottle Golems	Bottle Gnomes	Artifact creatures who give life upon dying in one way or another and similar flavor text.
Brainstone	Mind Stone and Brainstorm	A Mind Stone for Brainstorm.
Breya's Apprentice	Breya, Etherium Shaper, Loyal Apprentice	Breya's apprentice, creating fewer Thopters and only access to monocolored abilities.
Calibrated Blast	Erratic Explosion, Explosive Revelation	An Erratic Explosion that swaps the choosing and revealing, allowing it to be calibrated to the appropriate target - ironically, the new version randomizes the revealed cards whereas the previous template allowed selection. Same mana cost as Erratic Explosion, and the card advantage of the flashback ability is reflected in the flashback cost being the same as Explosive Revelation, which drew the revealed card.
Chatterstorm	Chatter of the Squirrel and Crow Storm	A storm version of Chatter of the Squirrel.
Dakkon, Shadow Slayer	Dakkon Blackblade	The number of loyalty counters Dakkon, Shadow Slayer enters with is determined by the number of lands you control, like the original Dakkon Blackblade's power/toughness.
Damn	Damnation, Wrath of God	A smaller version of Damnation, which can overload into Wrath of God.
Diamond Lion	Lion's Eye Diamond	Both artifacts that force the controller to sacrifice the permanent and discard their hand to add three mana of one color. References Afari, author of the Tales of Jamuraa, for the first since Visions. The lion's pendant matches the earring in the original art.
Drey Keeper	Deranged Hermit	Creates Squirrel tokens and has a Lord-like activated ability for Squirrels.
Esper Sentinel	Mystic Remora	A colorshifted Remora. Cumulative upkeep is removed and, as downside, it becomes an artifact creature, making it vulnerable to artifact-hate.
Flame Blitz	Curse of Vitality et al	Depicts The Unluckiest.
Flametongue Yearling	Flametongue Kavu	A young Flametongue Kavu who can pump itself to deal higher damage when it enters the battlefield. The picture matches the original art.
Fractured Sanity	Sanity Grinding, the Scourge Decrees cycle	A card that if cycled has a similar but lesser effect than if it was hard-cast. The spell takes the mana cost, name, and effect (milling) from Sanity Grinding.
Gaea's Will	Yawgmoth's Will, the costless suspend spells from Time Spiral	A green suspended Will with updated templating, also referencing the Time Spiral costless suspend cycle.
Garth One-Eye	Black Lotus, Disenchant, Braingeyser, Terror, Shivan Dragon, Regrowth	A character from the lore in 1994, shown to master five colors of magic - and so, has six iconic spells from all colors plus artifacts. Foreshadowed by Growth Charm.
General Ferrous Rokiric	Hero of Precinct One	A powered-up Hero, also from Ravnica. Art style is similar with a figure flanked by its summoned tokens.
Ghost-Lit Drifter	Shinen of Flight's Wings, Ghost-Lit Warder, Arashi, the Sky Asunder	A composite of all three Channel designs - the purpose of the common, the name of the uncommon, and the single/X-to-all of the rare.
Glimpse of Tomorrow	Warp World, Ancestral Vision	A one-sided Warp World, with suspend cost and art direction similar to Ancestral Vision, of the costless suspend cycle.
Ignoble Hierarch	Noble Hierarch	Jund's answer to Noble Hierarch.
Jade Avenger	Chub Toad, bushido	A Frog Samurai playing off the joke that Chub Toad had bushido 2 long before it was keyworded (and so should be a Samurai).
Kaldra Compleat	Helm of Kaldra, Shield of Kaldra, Sword of Kaldra	A mockery of the Avatar Kaldra, with a Germ inhabiting the entire equipment rather than the 4/4 Avatar.
Legion Vanguard	Viscera Seer	Vampires who sacrifice a creature to manipulate the top of the library.
Liquimetal Torque	Liquimetal Coating	Same mana value, art style, and ability to turn nonland permanents into artifacts.
Monoskelion	Triskelion	Monoskelion is a smaller Triskelion, only having 1/3 the counters and 1/3 the mana cost.
Necrogoyf	Necrogen Mists, Lhurgoyf	A Lhurgoyf that feeds itself and others like it with its discard ability.
Nettlecyst	All That Glitters , Living weapon	An Equipment version of All That Glitters with living weapon.
Out of Time	Parallax Wave	Enchantments that removes creatures until itself later expires, but with opposite purposes - Parallax Wave is a precision tool for creature decks, while Out of Time is a board wipe with downside.
Phantasmal Dreadmaw	Colossal Dreadmaw, Phantasmal Dragon	An Illusion version of Colossal Dreadmaw that sacrifices itself upon being targeted.
Piru, the Volatile	Legends Elder dragons cycle (Chromium, etc.)	Another of the Elder Dragons of Dominaria, who was the Life-Partner of Chromium Rhuell
Profane Tutor	Demonic Tutor, the costless suspend spells from Time Spiral	A spell with no mana cost and both a Suspend cost and effect that mirrors Demonic Tutor.
Prophetic Titan	Prophetic Bolt	If you have Delirium, the Titan is Prophetic Bolt on a stick.
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Kari Zev, Skyship Raider	Kari's pet, striking out on their own - the Dash ability resembles Kari's ability to have Ragavan enter only for combat.
Rift Sower	Search for Tomorrow	The searcher of tomorrow as depicted, with the same mana and suspend costs.
Rise and Shine	Animating Faerie	Bring to Life on its own, and with overload.
Rishadan Dockhand	Rishadan Port	Rishadan Port on a stick
Scion of Draco	Draco, Scion of the Ur-Dragon	Both in name, art, and domain mana value reduction ability.
Spreading Insurrection	Insurrection	Both gain control of multiple creatures. Insurrection costs more, but takes all creatures. Spreading Insurrection takes one, but has storm and costs less.
Sudden Edict	Chainer's Edict, Sudden Death	Another Edict with the naming convention and split-frame art style of the split second spells. Flavor text is vaguely reminiscent of Sudden Death.
Sylvan Anthem	Crusade, Season of Growth	Colorshifted Crusade with the scrying ability of Season of Growth.
Sythis, Hand of Harvest	Karametra, God of Harvests
Thought Monitor	Thoughtcast	A Thoughtcast strapped to a flier.
Thraben Watcher	Always Watching	One of the watchers depicted in Always Watching, who also shares the buffing Lord-like ability.
Timeless Dragon	Eternal Dragon	Both creatures are 5/5 Dragons with flying, plainscycling , and an ability that moves the dragon from the graveyard to another zone. The first creature with eternalize to return smaller than the original stats.
Timeless Witness	Eternal Witness	Similar in art and regrowth-like ability, the second card to play off the use of Eternal in its name by giving it the Eternalize ability.
Tireless Provisioner	Tireless Tracker	Instead of Clues and a buff-ability, produces Food and Treasure tokens from the Landfall ability.
Tormod's Cryptkeeper	Tormod's Crypt	Tormod's Crypt on a stick
Tourach, Dread Cantor	Hymn to Tourach, Order of the Ebon Hand	Tourach himself - the kicker effect is Hymn to Tourach, while his stats as a 2 MV 2/1 with protection from white reflects his alliance with the Ebon Praetor.
Tourach's Canticle	Hymn to Tourach	Another song dedicated to Tourach, also involving random discard.
Underworld Hermit	Deranged Hermit, Evangel of Heliod	Creates Squirrel tokens equal to your devotion to black. Mana cost, ability and art direction very similar to Evangel of Heliod.
Unmarked Grave	Entomb	An Entomb for nonlegendary cards. Reflects how the most popular reanimation targets (Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Griselbrand, Iona, Shield of Emeria) are all legendary.
Verdant Command	Primal Command et al	A modal spell in the vein of the original commands with similar art.
Vile Gravedigger	Entomb	Art and mechanic.
Void Mirror	Nether Void	A permanent that counters spells symmetrically. The shape of the relic matches the wisps in the void.
Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	A legendary land that causes all lands to be treated as a specific basic land type, in addition to their other types, based on a famous location on Dominaria.
Young Necromancer	Young Pyromancer, Liliana Vess	A young girl who imitates a famous planeswalker and wears a brooch with her face on it.