Modern Horizons 3

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
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Modern Horizons 3 Assassin's Creed
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Enemy Fetch Lands Anthology Modern Horizons 3 Modern Horizons 3 Commander Decks

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[ | ]

• Prerelease promo:
• Buy-a-Box: retro frame Flusterstorm
• Bundle promo: alternate artPowerbalance

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]

1. Copy, for Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain, Echoes of Eternity and Grist, the Plague Swarm.
2. 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.
3. 4/4 Angel creature with flying, for Decree of Justice.
4. 1/1 Cat creature, for Ocelot Pride.
5. 2/1 Cat Warrior creature, for Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger and Ajani Fells the Godsire.
6. 2/2 Fox creature with vigilance for Genku, Future Shaper.
7. 1/1 Soldier creature, for Decree of Justice.
8. 1/1 Spirit creature with flying, for Muster the Departed.
9. 2/2 Bird creature with flying, for Strix Serenade.
10. 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.
11. 9/9 Kraken creature, for Reef Worm.
12. 1/2 Moonfolk creature with flying, for Genku, Future Shaper.
13. 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying, for Breya, Etherium Shaper.
14. 6/6 Whale creature with "When this creature dies, create a 9/9 blue Kraken creature token.", for Reef Worm.
15. 4/4 Eternalized Fanatic of Rhonas
16. 0/0 Phyrexian Germ creature, for Colossal Dreadmask, Cranial Ram, Drossclaw and Mandibular Kite.
17. 1/2 Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature with deathtouch, for Wurmcoil Larva.
18. 2/1 Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature with lifelink, for Wurmcoil Larva.
19. 1/1 Rat creature with lifelink, for Genku, Future Shaper.
20. 1/1 Snake creature with deathtouch, for Ophiomancer.
21. 2/2 Zombie creature, for Gravedig and The Necrobloom.
22. 0/0 Zombie Army creature for Mindless Conscription.
23. 1/1 Gremlin creature, for Scurry of Gremlins.
24. 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.
25. 1/1 Insect creature, for Springheart Nantuko.
26. 0/1 Plant creature, for The Necrobloom.
27. 1/1 Insect creature, for Grist, the Plague Swarm and The Hunger Tide Rises.
28. 1/1 Spirit creature with flying, for Indebted Spirit.
29. Blood artifact, for Shilgengar, Sire of Famine.
30. Clue artifact, for Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student.
31. Food artifact, for Sorin, Ravenous Neonate.
32. 3/3 Phyrexian Golem artifact creature, for Phyrexian Ironworks.
33. 1/1 Servo artifact creature, for Inspired Inventor and Marionette Apprentice.
34. Treasure artifact, for Warren Soultrader.
35. Emblem for Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar.
36. 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[ | ]

Cycle name
Rare gold spells		Genku, Future Shaper	Psychic Frog	Imskir Iron-Eater	Rosheen, Roaring Prophet	Kudo, King Among Bears	Abstruse Appropriation	Invert Polarity	Wight of the Reliquary	Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury	Nadu, Winged Wisdom
		Ten rare dual-colored cards. One is upshifted to mythic rare to match the other cards it references.
Uncommon gold signposts		Emissary of Soulfire	Horrid Shadowspinner	Pyretic Rebirth	Titans' Vanguard	Golden-Tail Trainer	Ondu Knotmaster	Izzet Generatorium	Cursed Wombat	Scurry of Gremlins	Planar Genesis
		Ten uncommon dual-colored cards, each a signpost for one of the draft archetypes.
Common gold signposts		Riddle Gate Gargoyle	Sneaky Snacker	Cranial Ram	Writhing Chrysalis	Faithful Watchdog	Obstinate Gargoyle	Cyclops Superconductor	Expanding Ooze	Conduit Goblin	Snapping Voidcraw
		Ten common dual-colored cards, each a signpost for one of the draft archetypes.
Cycle name	Face
Hybrid MDFC lands		Suppression Ray	Waterlogged Teachings	Bloodsoaked Insight	Stump Stomp	Strength of the Harvest	Glasswing Grace	Rush of Inspiration	Revitalizing Repast	Legion Leadership	Drowner of Truth
		Orderly Plaza	Inundated Archive	Sanguine Morass	Burnwillow Clearing	Haven of the Harvest	Age-Graced Chapel	Crackling Falls	Old-Growth Grove	Legion Stronghold	Drowned Jungle
		Ten uncommon hybrid modal double-faced spells, each with a dual land on the back side that enters the battlefield tapped.
Cycle name
Landscapes		Tranquil Landscape	Contaminated Landscape	Seething Landscape	Twisted Landscape	Sheltering Landscape	Deceptive Landscape	Perilous Landscape	Foreboding Landscape	Shattered Landscape	Bountiful Landscape
		Ten common lands that can be tapped for , sacrificed to search for one of three basic lands, or cycled for three mana of those different colors.

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 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]
• In the Historic format on MTG Arena, seventeen cards were preemptively banned for power balance reasons.^[21]
  • 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).
• In Brawl, Disruptor Flute was preemptively banned.^[21]

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.^[22]

Arena Avatars[ | ]

• 

  Ashling.

• 

  Grist.

• 

  Kaalia.

• 

  Six.

• 

  Ulamog.

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.

References[ | ]