Modern Horizons 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Set Information | |||||
Set symbol | |||||
Symbol description | The Eldritch Moon Emrakul set symbol combined with the Modern Horizons set symbol | ||||
Design | Erik Lauer (lead), Aaron Forsythe, Ethan Fleischer, Michael Majors | ||||
Development | Michael Majors (lead), Carmen Klomparens, Eliana Rabinowitz, Megan Smith, Michael Hinderaker, Dan Musser | ||||
Release date | June 14, 2024 | ||||
Plane | Multiversal | ||||
Themes and mechanics | Colorless, Double-faced cards, Eldrazi, Energy | ||||
Set size | 303 + 218 | ||||
Expansion code | MH3[1] | ||||
Straight-to-Modern sets | |||||
| |||||
Magic: The Gathering Chronology | |||||
|
Modern Horizons 3 is a Magic booster set that was released on June 14, 2024.[2][3][4] It features double-faced cards, and is designed to be drafted.
Set details[ | ]
“ | Your New Favorite Cards | ” |
Like Modern Horizons and Modern Horizons 2 before, this set introduces a total of 303 new cards into the Modern and Eternal formats without them ever being legal in Standard. It is considered to be a tentpole set for 2024.[5] This set contains 261 regular cards (80 commons, 101 uncommons, 60 rares, 20 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. New cards and in-Modern reprints are numbered #001-261, while the New-to-Modern reprints from the Bonus sheet are numbered #262-303. 25 of the new cards are double-faced (#237-261). Alternate card frames have another card number than the original version. Full-Art Eldrazi Basic Lands (including the Snow-covered Wastes) are numbered #304-309. The Bundle basic lands #310-319. Borderless Showcase "Frame Break" cards are #320-351, while borderless lands are #352-361, and the Showcase "Borderless Profile" cards are numbered #362-380. Borderless Concept Eldrazi are #381-383 and retro frame cards are #384-441. Borderless planeswalkers are #442-446. Cards with extended artwork are numbered #447-467. The textured foil borderless planeswalkers are #468-472, foil etched rares are #473-494, the Bundle promo is #495, and the Buy-a-Box card is #496. The ripple foil cards are #497-521. The serialized Titans have the same collector number as their regular variants (#381-383).[6]
Modern Horizons 3 was released on both Magic Online and MTG Arena.[2][7] It is only legal in Historic and Timeless on Arena.[8] Coinciding with its release, the name changes to Umbra armor (formerly Totem armor) and Kindred (formerly Tribal), announced over six months prior, were officially implemented.[9][10] Additionally, the Naga, Viashino, and Cephalid creature types were folded into the Snake, Lizard, and Octopus creature types, respectively (the second of which was announced by Mark Rosewater on his blog prior to being implemented).[11]
A substantial amount of cards of this set were leaked about seven weeks before its release, spurring Wizards of the Coast to quickly make them official spoilers.[12]
Storyline[ | ]
The set was accompanied by some previously released Eldrazi stories.
Marketing[ | ]
Modern Horizons 3 was the last set to be printed in the Portuguese language.[13] It is available in Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, the Modern Horizons 3 Bundle (also in Gift Edition), four Commander decks and a Collector's Edition of the Commander decks.
Serialized Eldrazi Titans[ | ]
Serialized versions of the three borderless "concept Eldrazi" in double-rainbow foil may appear in Collector Boosters. The serialized total is 250 for each.[4][6]
Bonus Sheet[ | ]
Modern Horizons 3 features a bonus sheet with new-to-Modern reprints.[6]
Special Guests[ | ]
There are 10 borderless mythic rare Special Guests cards available in both Play Boosters (in non-foil) and Collector Boosters (in traditional foil). These are numbered SPG #39-48. The five Elementals also have textured foil versions exclusive to Collector Boosters (SPG #49-53).
Collector's Edition Commander Decks[ | ]
Modern Horizons 3 features a special Collector's Edition of the four Commander Decks. In the Collector's Edition, all 100 cards are foil, and every deck contains two showcase Borderless Profile cards.[14][6]
Events[ | ]
- Debut and Previews Begin on WeeklyMTG: May 21
- Card Image Gallery and Previews Complete: May 31
- Magic: The Gathering Arena release: June 11
- Tabletop Prerelease: June 7 – 13, 2024
- Launch Party: June 14 – 16, 2024
- Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3 at MagicCon: Amsterdam: June 28–30
Promotional cards[ | ]
Tokens, emblems and markers[ | ]
Modern Horizons 3 features 34 full-art tokens in Play Boosters, as well as 1 emblem and 1 Energy Reserve helper card (which can appear on the back face of tokens).[15]
- Copy, for Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain, Echoes of Eternity and Grist, the Plague Swarm.
- 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature with "Sacrifice this creature: Add .", for Basking Broodscale, Drowner of Truth, Drownyard Lurker, Eldrazi Repurposer, Emrakul's Messenger, Glaring Fleshraker, Glimpse the Impossible, Idol of False Gods, Kozilek's Command, Kozilek's Unsealing, Malevolent Rumble, Path of Annihilation, Propagator Drone, Skittering Precursor, Spawn-Gang Commander, Unfathomable Truths, Warped Tusker and Writhing Chrysalis.
- 4/4 Angel creature with flying, for Decree of Justice.
- 1/1 Cat creature, for Ocelot Pride.
- 2/1 Cat Warrior creature, for Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger and Ajani Fells the Godsire.
- 2/2 Fox creature with vigilance for Genku, Future Shaper.
- 1/1 Soldier creature, for Decree of Justice.
- 1/1 Spirit creature with flying, for Muster the Departed.
- 2/2 Bird creature with flying, for Strix Serenade.
- 3/3 Fish creature with "When this creature dies, create a 6/6 blue Whale creature token with 'When this creature dies, create a 9/9 blue Kraken creature token.'", for Reef Worm.
- 9/9 Kraken creature, for Reef Worm.
- 1/2 Moonfolk creature with flying, for Genku, Future Shaper.
- 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying, for Breya, Etherium Shaper.
- 6/6 Whale creature with "When this creature dies, create a 9/9 blue Kraken creature token.", for Reef Worm.
- 4/4 Eternalized Fanatic of Rhonas
- 0/0 Phyrexian Germ creature, for Colossal Dreadmask, Cranial Ram, Drossclaw and Mandibular Kite.
- 1/2 Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature with deathtouch, for Wurmcoil Larva.
- 2/1 Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature with lifelink, for Wurmcoil Larva.
- 1/1 Rat creature with lifelink, for Genku, Future Shaper.
- 1/1 Snake creature with deathtouch, for Ophiomancer.
- 2/2 Zombie creature, for Gravedig and The Necrobloom.
- 0/0 Zombie Army creature for Mindless Conscription.
- 1/1 Gremlin creature, for Scurry of Gremlins.
- Spellgorger Weird, a 2/2 Weird creature with mana cost and "Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Spellgorger Weird.", for Ral and the Implicit Maze.
- 1/1 Insect creature, for Springheart Nantuko.
- 0/1 Plant creature, for The Necrobloom.
- 1/1 Insect creature, for Grist, the Plague Swarm and The Hunger Tide Rises.
- 1/1 Spirit creature with flying, for Indebted Spirit.
- Blood artifact, for Shilgengar, Sire of Famine.
- Clue artifact, for Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student.
- Food artifact, for Sorin, Ravenous Neonate.
- 3/3 Phyrexian Golem artifact creature, for Phyrexian Ironworks.
- 1/1 Servo artifact creature, for Inspired Inventor and Marionette Apprentice.
- Treasure artifact, for Warren Soultrader.
- Emblem for Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar.
- Energy Reserve marker.
The tokens created by Ral and the Implicit Maze (Spellgorger Weird) notably have the mana cost of the original card.
Themes and mechanics[ | ]
The set features new transforming double-faced cards that transform into planeswalkers, and new modal double faced lands.[2][10][16] It also sees the return of Energy and colorless mana costs as main themes.[17] A colorless retro frame is introduced for the latter.
Other recurring mechanics are Adapt, Affinity, Afterlife, Amass, Annihilator, Ascend, Bestow, Cascade, Collect evidence, Connive, Convoke, Delirium, Devoid, Devotion, Dredge, Emerge, Entwine, Escalate, Eternalize, Evoke, Evolve, Exert, Exploit, Extort, Fabricate, Flashback, Grandeur, Imprint, Improvise, Kicker, Landfall, Living weapon, Magecraft, Madness, Manifest, Mentor, Modified, Modular, Morbid, Outlast, Overload, Persist, Proliferate, Prototype, Reconfigure, Reinforce, Replicate, Revolt, Split second, Storm, Support, Threshold, Unearth and Vanishing. Umbra armor officially replaces Totem armor.[10]
There is also a new Quest.
Limited Archetypes[ | ]
Modern Horizons 3 features the following limited archetypes:[17]
- : Energy fliers
- : Card Draw control
- : Affinity artifacts
- : Eldrazi Spawn
- : Modified bestow
- : Modified sacrifice
- : Energy midrange
- : Modified adapt
- : Energy aggro
- : Eldrazi ramp
Card types[ | ]
Modern Horizons 3 is the first set to feature a card printed with the Kindred card type (formerly known as tribal).[10]
The set sees the return of the colorless Eldrazi. It also features the first Slith in twenty years, and the first black-bordered Wombat in thirty years. In addition, it features the third Locus ever with Trenchpost.
Creature types[ | ]
While Modern Horizons 3 doesn't introduce any new creature types to Magic, its release does mark the end of the Naga, Viashino, and Cephalid creature types. All were formally made obsolete and replaced with the Snake, Lizard, and Octopus creature types respectively. Additionally, the Cat type was retroactively added to dragons from Kaladesh with cat-like features (namely Skyship Stalker and Freejam Regent).
Counter types[ | ]
The set introduces the Everything counter for Omo, Queen of Vesuva. It also sees the return of Energy counters as a major theme, and Experience, Shield and Oil counters as well.
Cycles[ | ]
Modern Horizons 3 has multiple cycles.
Cycle name | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enemy color flipwalkers | Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger () |
Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student // Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar () |
Sorin of House Markov // Sorin, Ravenous Neonate () |
Ral, Monsoon Mage // Ral, Leyline Prodigy () |
Grist, Voracious Larva // Grist, the Plague Swarm () | |
Five double-faced mythic rare creatures that transform into a planeswalker when a certain condition is met, which represents the event that caused that character's planeswalker's spark to ignite. This is similar to the Flipwalker cycle in Magic Origins. Unlike the previous cycle, the transformed planeswalker obtains an enemy color, and one of the loyalty abilities provides a bonus if you have a different card of that color. | ||||||
Flares | Flare of Fortitude | Flare of Denial | Flare of Malice | Flare of Duplication | Flare of Cultivation | |
Five rare spells that can be cast for free if the player sacrifices a non-token creature of the same color. Each one features flavor text as a quotation from a nondescript character targeted against their opponent. | ||||||
Energy Callbacks | Wrath of the Skies (Wrath of God) |
Volatile Stormdrake (Gilded Drake) |
Chthonian Nightmare (Recurring Nightmare) |
Wheel of Potential (Wheel of Fortune) |
Primal Prayers (Aluren) | |
Five rare spells that allude to previously printed cards and utilize energy as a balancing method. | ||||||
Keyword check lands | Monumental Henge (Historic) |
Archway of Innovation (Improvise) |
Spymaster's Vault (Connive) |
Arena of Glory (Exert) |
Shifting Woodland (Delirium) | |
Five rare lands that can add one mana of that color, enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a land with a basic land type of that color, and have an activated ability that uses a keyword ability/keyword action from a previous set. | ||||||
Medallions | Pearl Medallion | Sapphire Medallion | Jet Medallion | Ruby Medallion | Emerald Medallion | |
Five rare artifacts that each cost , and each reduce the cost of spells of a certain color by . Reprinted from Tempest. | ||||||
Sagas | Ajani Fells the Godsire | Tamiyo Meets the Story Circle | The Creation of Avacyn | Ral and the Implicit Maze | The Hunger Tide Rises | |
Five uncommon Sagas, each alluding to the history of one of the five planeswalkers printed in the set. | ||||||
Landfall uncommons | Glyph Elemental | Roil Cartographer | Quest for the Necropolis | Reckless Pyrosurfer | Territory Culler | |
Five uncommon cards with a landfall ability. | ||||||
Cycle name | Face | |||||
MDFC creatures | Witch Enchanter | Hydroelectric Specimen | Boggart Trawler | Pinnacle Monk | Disciple of Freyalise | |
Witch-Blessed Meadow | Hydroelectric Laboratory | Boggart Bog | Mystic Peak | Garden of Freyalise | ||
Five uncommon modal double-faced creatures, each with a land on the back side that enters the battlefield tapped unless you pay 3 life. | ||||||
MDFC noncreatures | Razorgrass Ambush | Sink into Stupor | Fell the Profane | Sundering Eruption | Bridgeworks Battle | |
Razorgrass Field | Soporific Springs | Fell Mire | Volcanic Fissure | Tanglespan Bridgeworks | ||
Five uncommon modal double-faced noncreature spells, each with a land on the back side that enters the battlefield tapped unless you pay 3 life. | ||||||
Cycle name | ||||||
Allied color fetch lands | Flooded Strand | Polluted Delta | Bloodstained Mire | Wooded Foothills | Windswept Heath | |
Five rare lands that can be sacrificed along with a payment of 1 life to search for a land with one of two basic land types. Reprinted from Onslaught and Khans of Tarkir with new art and flavor text of different planes. |
Double cycles[ | ]
Vertical cycles[ | ]
Cycle name | |||
---|---|---|---|
Eldrazi kickers | Sowing Mycospawn | Depth Defiler | Voidpouncer |
Each of these three Eldrazi creatures has a kicker ability that requires to pay, at least, . |
Pairs[ | ]
Mirrored Pair | Description | |
---|---|---|
Eldrazi Linebreaker () | Thief of Existence () | Two rare Eldrazi with mana costs 1CM, the only creatures to mix colored and colorless mana in their casting costs. |
Kozilek's Unsealing () | Path of Annihilation () | Two uncommon enchantments that create Eldrazi Spawn tokens and have abilities that trigger when a creature spell with mana value 7 or greater is casted. |
Drownyard Lurker () | Warped Tusker () | Two common Eldrazi with mana cost and a cycling ability costing 2M, that create an Eldrazi Spawn token when cast or cycled. |
Nyxborn Unicorn () | Nyxborn Hydra () | Two common enchantment creatures with bestow and +1/+1 counter related abilities. |
Glimpse the Impossible () | Malevolent Rumble () | Two common sorceries that gives card advantage and sends cards to the graveyard, then creates Eldrazi Spawn tokens. |
Reprints[ | ]
Apart from the allied color fetch lands (which are not new to Modern), Modern Horizons 3 also has returning cards from Magic's history to join Modern. In contrast to the earlier iterations, these are printed on a bonus sheet. Each Modern Horizons 3 Play Booster includes one card from this Bonus sheet. These all have a watermark of their original printing's set symbol.
Changes in rarity[ | ]
- Rare to mythic rare
- Rare to uncommon
- Common to uncommon
Notable cards[ | ]
- Skoa, Embermage is the first common legendary creature printed since Homelands in 1995. (The Prismatic Piper and Faceless One are both special rarity.)
- Petrifying Meddler is the only mono-blue creature with reach. Strictly speaking, this is not a color pie break, as blue has access to flying, and reach is simply a worse version of flying.
- Writhing Chrysalis quickly became infamous for its extreme power in Draft shortly after the set’s release. As a common, almost every draft pool had at least one, and the combination of its powerful, efficient Reach body and its synergy with the Eldrazi Spawn tokens heavily featured in the set made it a top pick, even over many rares. Data collection sites reported that it won 61% of games in which it was drawn, a higher number than any other common in history and higher than all but three other cards in the set.[18]
Banned and restricted cards[ | ]
- In the Pauper format update of May 13, 2024, Gavin Verhey noted that a common card in Modern Horizons 3 had a high likelihood of facing balancing action quickly after its release, as it was similar to an already-banned card.[19] Through the release of set spoilers, it became clear that the card in question was Cranial Ram, a card reminiscent of the then-banned Cranial Plating and All That Glitters. The Pauper Format Panel ultimately determined that the card would have a warping effect on upcoming Pauper tournaments and decided to pre-ban the card on June 6, 2024.[20]
- According to the designers of Modern Horizons 3, Nadu, Winged Wisdom underwent a design revision shortly before the set was shipped. Because of this, the design team did not anticipate the power of its synergy with 0-mana activated abilities, such as that of Shuko. This resulted in decks built around Nadu dominating at Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3. They contained a powerful combo that generated infinite mana and drew through the deck, were resilient to interaction, and took extremely long turns. As a result, Nadu was banned in Modern on August 26, 2024, and a companion article was released by Wizards noting that it was a design mistake.[21][22] Later, on September 23, 2024, it was also banned in Commander for creating long, non-deterministic combos.[23]
- Vexing Bauble is another hate piece against manaless strategies, which is generally acceptable for formats other than Vintage, where it turns into prison piece instead. The fact that it can be sacrificed for value largely on demand meant it was ultimately asymmetrical and hence too free of an inclusion; it was restricted in August 2024.[21]
- In MTG Arena, seventeen cards were preemptively banned from the Historic format for power balance reasons, plus Disruptor Flute being preemptively banned from Brawl.[24][24]
- Harbinger of the Seas.
- Winter Moon.
- The five Modern Horizons 2 Evoke Incarnations (Solitude; Subtlety; Grief; Fury; Endurance).
- The five Modern Horizons 3 Flares (Flare of Fortitude; Flare of Denial; Flare of Malice; Flare of Duplication; Flare of Cultivation).
- The enemy colored fetch lands (Marsh Flats; Scalding Tarn; Verdant Catacombs; Arid Mesa; Misty Rainforest).
Callbacks[ | ]
Preconstructed decks[ | ]
Instead of Preconstructed Modern decks, MH3 curiously features four Commander decks as a part of the set's product line.
Theme deck name |
Color Identity | Commander | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Graveyard Overdrive | B | R | G | Disa the Restless | ||
Tricky Terrain | U | G | Omo, Queen of Vesuva | |||
Creative Energy | W | U | R | Satya, Aetherflux Genius | ||
Eldrazi Incursion | W | U | B | R | G | Ulalek, Fused Atrocity |
Gallery[ | ]
Magic: The Gathering Arena tickets introduced for Psychic Frog's Horizon Hideaway prize wall.[25]
Arena Avatars[ | ]
Six.
External links[ | ]
- Official product page.
- WPN product page.
- Mark Rosewater (June 3, 2024). "Expanding Your Horizons: Eldrazi". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Mark Rosewater (June 10, 2024). "Expanding Your Horizons: Energy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Mark Rosewater (August 19, 2024). "State of Design 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
References[ | ]
- ↑ Information below the text box
- ↑ a b c Jess Lanzillo, Chris Kiritz, Athena Froehlich & Mark Rosewater (August 5, 2023). "Magic: The Gathering 30th Anniversary Panel at GenCon – A Recap of MTG's Past, Present & Future (Video)". Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.
- ↑ WPN (August 7, 2023). "Magic at GenCon: Celebrating 30 Years and Casting Foresee on Years Ahead". Wizards Play Network.
- ↑ a b Adam Styborski (February 23, 2024). "A First Look at Modern Horizons 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 10, 2023). "We know that modern horizons 3 has DFCs". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b c d Mike Turian, Adam Styborski and Kendall Pepple (May 21, 2024). "Collecting Modern Horizons 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen, Aaron Forsythe, Mark Rosewater, Roy Graham (February 23, 2024). "The Preview Panel - MagicCon Chicago (Video)". Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.
- ↑ u/karzuu (August 5, 2023). "Modern Horizons 3 will be legal only in Historic, not in Alchemy". Reddit.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November 3, 2023). "Card Updates Coming with Khans of Tarkir on MTG Arena". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c d Matt Tabak (May 21, 2024). "Modern Horizons 3 Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 29, 2024). "The Viashino creature type has been changed to Lizard". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (April 30, 2024). "The Modern Horizons 3 Leaks, Nulldrifters, and You". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (February 22, 2024). "Changes to Magic Product Languages in 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ WPN (February 23, 2024). "Dates & Details for Modern Horizons 3". Wizards Play Network.
- ↑ Clayton Kroh (May 31, 2024). "The Tokens of Modern Horizons 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 21, 2024). "Third Time is the Charm, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (May 27, 2024). "Third Time's the Charm, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Sierkovitz (June 13, 2024). "Some of you were asking me if the win rate of Writhing Chrysalis is unprecedented.". Twitter.
- ↑ Gavin Verhey (May 13, 2024). "Explanation of Pauper Bans for May 13, 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Gavin Verhey (June 6, 2024). "Pauper Bans for June 6, 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Dan Musser & Dave Finseth (August 26, 2024). "August 26, 2024, Banned and Restricted Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Michael Majors (August 26, 2024). "On Banning Nadu, Winged Wisdom in Modern". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-banned-and-restricted-announcement-september-23-2024
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (June 3, 2024). "MTG Arena Announcements – June 3, 2024". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Lee Sharpe (May 28, 2024). "Psychic Frog's Horizon Hideaway on MTG Arena". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.