Everything We Know About MTG’s Modern Horizons 3

Get up to speed on the hottest Magic set of the year, which is releasing this week!

Modern Horizons 3 is slated to be the biggest Magic: The Gathering release of the year, where it looks to build on the success of the first two Modern Horizons expansions with a mixture of desirable reprints and exciting new cards. While there are valid concerns about how Modern Horizons can essentially force rotation in the Modern format, it’s branching out this time by adding a Commander subset, along with MTG Arena applications for Timeless and Historic players. 

Admittedly, it feels a little strange to see a Commander release support something that’s so focus on Eternal play, but let’s break down everything we know about Modern Horizons 3.

Modern Horizons 3 Key Dates, Previews, and Event Schedule

With hype amassing for Modern Horizons 3, here are the key dates you’ll need to know leading up to the release and beyond.

• Debut and Previews Begin on WeeklyMTG: May 21
• Card Image Gallery and Previews Complete: May 31
• Global Tabletop Launch: June 14
• Prerelease Events Begin From: June 7
• MTG Arena Global Launch: June 11
• Magic Online Global Launch: June 11
• Open House Weekend: June 14
• Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3 at MagicCon: Amsterdam: June 28–30
• Modern Horizons 3 Set Code: MH3
• Commander: Modern Horizons 3 Set Code: M3C
• Special Guests Set Code: SPG

Modern Horizons 3’s global release is on June 14, with Magic Online (MTGO) and MTG Arena releases falling a few days before (June 11). It’s worth mentioning this is the first Modern Horizons release that will come to MTG Arena, making the cards legal in Timeless and Historic upon release. Similar to Modern Horizons releases before it, these cards won’t be Standard or Pioneer legal but will be Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Commander legal.

Previews for the highly-anticipated expansion started on May 21 over on Wizards’ WeeklyMTG Stream, where the previews will carry through until May 31. As the previews are now complete, Wizards have now updated their Modern Horizons 3 Card Image Gallery with every card you’ll see in the biggest release of the year.

Wizards of the Coast have announced a pre-ban of sorts for Historic and Brawl with Modern Horizons 3, you can find the details here. 

Modern Horizons 3 Previews and Mechanics

Market Price: $31.92

As Modern Horizons doesn’t fit a particular worldbuilding theme, there is a selection of returning mechanics to excite casual and competitive players. Oftentimes, you see riffs on classic cards such as Cabal Therapist from Modern Horizons, which takes inspiration from the powerful Cabal Therapy. With previews complete, let’s rundown some of the most exciting cards from the upcoming release.

Emrakul, the World Anew

Modern Horizons 3, Mythic

The Eldrazi return in a meaningful way in Modern Horizons 3 with Emrakul, the World Anew, with the Eldrazi Titan incorporating Madness. Devoid also returns in Modern Horizon 3, which is a characteristic-defining keyword ability that states that a card is colorless, regardless of the colors in that card’s mana cost. Even with the return of Emrakul, Kozilek, and Ulamog, there’s some other excellent Eldrazi-adjacent cards seeing print such as Ugin’s Labyrinth and Echoes of Eternity, with the latter being ideal for Commander play. 

Chthonian Nightmare

Modern Horizons 3, Rare

Energy returns in Modern Horizons 3 in part to the Creative Energy Commander Precon, a mechanic that recently appeared in Universes Beyond: Fallout to notable popularity. For the base Modern Horizons 3 set, Chthonian Nightmare is a riff on the iconic Recurring Nightmare but uses Energy to pay these costs. The same is also true for Primal Prayers, which is a riff on Aluren, where there’s an Energy cost to help pay for abilities of effects. While it’s early days on whether Energy will make a notable, evergreen impact in Modern, Primal Prayers and Chthonian Nightmare certainly give it a good enough chance. 

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Another returning mechanic is the flip Planeswalkers first appearing in Magic Origins, as seen with Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, where if you meet a certain criteria, you may flip the card into its Planeswalker form. Grist, Tamiyo, Ral, and Sorin also appear in their pre-spark form, where some of these will certainly make an impression in Modern upon Modern Horizons 3’s release.

Modern Horizons is known for “free” spells such as Grief and Force of Negation, and Modern Horizons 3 is no different with the Flare cycle. While seemingly less powerful compared to previous “free” spell cycles, the Flares will see Modern and Commander play upon release. At the time of publication, Flare of Denial is seeing plenty of attention as it’s a “free” Cancel at the cost of sacrificing a Blue non-token permanent.

While these aren’t new cards, Modern Horizons typically offers plenty of reprints that see Modern legality for the first time. Priest of Titania, Kappa Cannoneer, Phyrexian Tower, and Laelia, the Blade Reforged are some of more exciting reprints that will feature in Modern Horizons 3 upon release.

Market Price: $15.79

An exciting part of Modern Horizons 2 was the reprint of the Enemy Fetches in Misty Rainforest, Scalding Tarn, Arid Mesa, Marsh Flats, and Verdant Catacombs, as this gave players an amazing opportunity to pick up these Modern staples at an affordable price. The same is true in Modern Horizons 3, where the Allied Fetches will return in the expansion. While these are already Modern legal, it’s another way to make Modern staples more accessible for players to collect.

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Flooded Strand, Bloodstained Mire, Polluted Delta, Wooded Foothills, and Windswept Heath will feature in Modern Horizons 3 with traditional, Retro, and Borderless printings to collect upon release. If the prices of the Modern Horizons 2 Fetches are anything to go by, these Allied Fetches will come down in price over time, which is ideal for players.

Modern Horizons 3 Products

Market Price: $230.60

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As Modern Horizons 3 is a high-profile premium release, the set features Play and Collector Boosters along with Bundles, Gift Bundles, and Prerelease Kits to purchase upon release. Unlike with previous Modern Horizons releases, there will be four Commander Precons (along with Collector Edition variants) to support the biggest Magic set of the year. However, the Commander cards themselves will not be Modern legal but only available to play in Commander, Vintage, Legacy, and Pauper.

Modern Horizons 3 Commander Precons

Market Price: $232.68

Market Price: $472.60

As mentioned briefly earlier, Modern Horizons 3 will see four Commander Precons to support this exciting release. Furthermore, there will be Collector Edition variants available, with each card coming in an all-brand new Ripple Foil treatment with Profile Borderless printings of the face and alternative Commanders in these premium products. Before we dig in, let’s break down what is in these Collector Edition Precons:

• 1 ready-to-play deck of 100 Magic cards (2 Borderless Profile cards, 98 Ripple Foil cards
• 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack
• 15 new-to-Magic cards
• 10 double-sided tokens
• 1 deck box (can hold 100 sleeved cards)
• 1 Life Wheel
• 1 Strategy insert
• 1 Reference card

With that out of the way, let’s get into the four Commander Precons supporting Modern Horizons 3’s release.

Creative Energy

ARTICLE SPOTLIGHTCreative Energy MTG Commander Precon Upgrade GuideGet creative with the newest precon.Harry Becker6/4/2024

Creative Energy  is the Jeskai (Red/White/Blue) Commander Precon in Modern Horizons 3 and will focus on the Energy mechanic that was first introduced in Kaladesh. While we’ve already had a Jeskai-aligned Energy Commander Precon in Science! from Universes Beyond: Fallout, but this one is led by Satya, Aetherflux Genius, who cares about creating tokens that are copies of a creature you control. You get some Energy synergy in there as well, allowing you to rack up power to obliterate your opponents! 

Eldrazi Incursion

ARTICLE SPOTLIGHTEldrazi Incursion MTG Commander Precon Upgrade GuideOops, all tentacles!Zach Herwood-Mussen6/6/2024

Eldrazi Unbound from Commander Masters proved to be the most popular Commander Precon from the release, so Wizards are bringing Eldrazi back with a five-color variant in Eldrazi Incursion. Led by Ulalek, Fused Atrocity, you can copy all spells, activated, and triggered abilities you control if you pay the two colorless mana whenever you cast an Eldrazi spell, allowing for some chaos to ensue! 

Graveyard Overdrive

ARTICLE SPOTLIGHTGraveyard Overdrive MTG Commander Precon Upgrade GuideUpgrading the best Modern Horizon 3 Precon is anything but a grave undertaking.Drew Knapp6/3/2024

Graveyard Overdrive is the Jund (Red/Black/Green) offering from Modern Horizons 3, where you can expect something akin to Modern Jund, a classic archetype in the format. This Commander Precon sees a mixture of cheap spells and creatures to play a Midrange-style game plan and with Lhurgofs making a meaningful return, Disa, the Restless is here to lead them into battle! 

Tricky Terrain

ARTICLE SPOTLIGHTTricky Terrain MTG Commander Precon Upgrade GuideHow do you upgrade something that has… well, everything? Cal is here to help you.Callahan Jones6/5/2024

Lastly, Tricky Terrain is the Simic (Green/Blue) Commander Precon in Modern Horizons 3 and seems to focus on mana ramp with a subtheme of copy effects. Traditionally, this is something Simic is well-known for and with Omo, Queen of Vesuva at the helm, you have the ability to turn everything into, well… everything! 

The Special Guests in Modern Horizons 3

Market Price: $15.14

A first for Modern Horizons, Special Guests will feature in Modern Horizons 3, where you can expect a mixture of desirable reprints in Play and as Textured Foils in Collector Boosters upon release. Now previews for Modern Horizons 3 are done and dusted, here’s the list of Special Guests cards that will appear in the set:

• Fury
• Grief
• Solitude
• Endurance
• Subtlety
• Thought-Knot Seer
• Dismember
• Persist
• Prismatic Ending
• Expressive Iteration

It’s worth noting while Fury is part of the Special Guests for a Modern-focused release, it does remain banned in Modern so if you open copies upon release, you wouldn’t be able to play them in the Eternal format.

The Card Treatments in Modern Horizons 3

Market Price: $13.51

Modern Horizons 3 keeps to a similar theme of incorporating Extended Arts, Etched Foils, Textured Foils, and Retro Frame cards as seen with most high-profile Magic releases. Furthermore, there will be Borderless treatments of the set’s most powerful Rares and Mythics, such as Flare of Denial and Chthonian Nightmare, which will be a popular purchase with Constructed and Commander players upon release.

Also, the Borderless Profile treatment returns in Modern Horizons 3. Debuting in Commander Masters, this design quickly became popular with Commander players where you can expect the striking treatment to appear on various legends within the set.

As for the Basic Lands? Wizards of the Coast have outdone themselves this time with these stunning Full Art Lands depicting the Ulamog, Emrakul, and Kozilek razing the landscape all in their Eldrazi glory. Furthermore, Snow-Covered Wastes sees a printing for the first time in Modern Horizons 3, which will be of interest to Commander players who love throwing spaghetti at their opponents.

Lastly, serialized cards return in Modern Horizons 3 and will feature on the Eldrazi Titans for this release. Taking inspiration from Phyrexia: All Will Be One, these Eldrazi will come in their concept art form and will be serialized out of 250. These cards will only appear in Modern Horizons 3 Collector Boosters, and you expect these to appear in the Double Rainbow Foil treatment we’ve seen on previous serialized cards. Furthermore, you can expect Ulamog and Kozilek to have similar serialized treatments in the set upon release.