Hey everyone! Are you prepared to broaden your horizons before crushing some dreams in the newest set? That’s right, it’s somehow already new set time with Modern Horizons 3 preparing to drop on MTG Arena on June 11th. I’m not getting much time outside of the content creation dungeon with this crazy release schedule, but at least my wife promised to slide food under the door every time I finish an article.
Per usual, I’ll be grading the entire set for limited purposes. Maybe one day I’ll get to see sunlight again, but today is not that day.
Here’s the usual grading scale:
- 5.0: Disgustingly powerful and basically unbeatable. Either answer it the turn it comes down or just pack up your cards. (Gruff Triplets, Virtue of Persistence, The Eternal Wanderer)
- 4.5: Incredible bomb that still gives your opponent a slim chance. (Virtue of Loyalty, Imodane's Recruiter, Realm-Scorcher Hellkite)
- 4.0: Great rare or the absolute best uncommons and removal. (Faunsbane Troll, Gumdrop Poisoner, Talion's Messenger)
- 3.5: Great role filler or removal that you never cut. (Candy Grapple, Hearth Elemental, Torch the Tower)
- 3.0: Good playable that I’m basically never cutting. (Shrouded Shepherd, Spellscorn Coven, Sharae of Numbing Depths)
- 2.5: Decent playable and the bar I hope nearly every card in my deck to reach. (Evolving Wilds, Archon's Glory, Flick a Coin)
- 2.0: Mediocre filler that normally is your 20-23rd card(s). (Mintstrosity, Ice Out, Grabby Giant)
- 1.5: Replaceable, overall bad filler. Could also be decent sideboard cards. (Titanic Growth, Scarecrow Guide, Territorial Witchstalker)
- 1.0: Bad filler. Gets cut most of the time. (Dark Tutelage, Kindled Heroism, Impact Tremors)
- 0.5: Very unhappy to main deck this, but maybe it has fringe sideboard applications. Cards that “could” be situationally decent, but bad in most situations. (Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Mana Flare)
- 0.0: Unplayable in every possible situation. They rarely print cards this bad these days. (Hew the Entwood, One with Nothing)
Powerful cards to MTG Arena releases on June 11, 2024 for Timeless and Historic formats! Learn all about Modern Horizons 3 and find all our related articles in our hub.
Accursed Marauder
Rating: 1.5/5
I’m sure some people are dreaming of playing this to make their opponent sacrifice a big ol Eldrazi while they sacrifice something that they already got some value out of. Most of the time it’ll end up being you sacrificing this while they also sacrifice a two drop.
There will be those glorious times that it is so much more, but they will be far and few between. The non token part applies to you as well so you can’t get away with as many shenanigans.
Arcbound Condor
Rating: 3.0/5
This has some serious potential as long as you are playing enough artifacts. Having somewhere to dump the counters on if this dies and being able to pick off opposing creatures is a huge step up from a Phantom Monster.
Boggart Trawler
Rating: 2.5/5
This would be a sideboard card at best, but it’s an MDFC so it’s almost always going to make the cut.
Breathe Your Last
Rating: 3.5/5
They power crept Murder in multiple ways. The Planeswalker clause is one of those rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it type of things.
The incidental life gain is a small bonus that tends to occasionally win games without people realizing it. It can lead to a sweet line where you end up surviving at one life before you swing back for lethal.
Chthonian Nightmare
Rating: 3.0/5
They’re giving us a fixed version of Recurring Nightmare which I played waaayyy back in the Junior Super Series. It’s a real nightmare to do the math for how long ago that was.
There are a few things you need to maximize this card. Cheap creatures to sacrifice (such as those handy, dandy 0/1 Eldrazi spawn), creatures with good ETB effects, and ways to produce extra energy. If you have all of these, this will perform like a bomb for you.
Consuming Corruption
Rating: 3.0/5
When you’re looking at Corrupt or Tendrils of Corruption, you have to be REALLY heavy on the Swamps because you need to do some real damage for the price. With this only costing two mana, you should be fine as long as you have nine or so Swamps in your deck. You might not be able to cast it until later, but a two-mana instant speed removal spell is still good in the later turns even it is limited in what it can kill.
Crabomination
Rating: 4.0/5
From the makers of Sharknado, we bring you Crabomination. I guess the crab population has a lot more going on now that Red Lobster is bankrupt.
Horrible dad commentary aside, you’ve (usually) got three shots at hitting something worth playing. There’s obviously going to be some variance built into it, but getting to cast one of them for free can be insane especially in an Eldrazi format.
The Creation of Avacyn
Rating: 0.5/5
It’s sort of a tutor and Reanimate combo, but taking all that damage to not get the card for a couple more turns is really bad. If you’re using it to get a non-creature than it’s just a glacially slow tutor. Hard pass.
Dreadmobile
Rating: 1.5/5
You really need to want a sacrifice outlet to be happy with running this. I don’t outright dread playing it, but I don’t see many situations where I’m taking it early.
Dreamdrinker Vampire
Rating: 2.0/5
A solid two drop that they can’t just keep letting through because of the lifelink. Besides using the ability, you can keep using things like Aerie Auxiliary to menace your way over for some beats.
Drossclaw
Rating: 1.5/5
I’d love this equipment if it was only one mana to equip, but I’m not too enthused with it for two. I’m more likely to want this if I have some use for the germ token. Then you’re at least getting two useful pieces of cardboard.
Emperor of Bones
Rating: 3.5/5
Even if this wasn’t messing with graveyards and possibly bringing back some creatures, it’s still a bear that pumps itself up into a 4/4 at a reasonable cost. On top of that the threat of activation means that they won’t really be able to block it effectively early.
Then there is the insane upside of bringing back some monsters to slam in. A key part is that it is when you add a +1+1 counter, not just when you adapt it. That means you can use Signature Slam or Gift of the Viper to do it all over again.
Etched Slith
Rating: 1.5/5
Menace means that this can usually get through early to be a reasonable card, but it is a terrible late game top deck.
Etherium Pteramander
Rating: 1.5/5
If you are running an aggressive artifact theme, then this can be a decent curve filler who can carry a Cranial Ram like a champ. The adapt cost becomes totally reasonable in that deck as well. If that’s not your main plan, this shouldn’t make your deck.
Eviscerator’s Insight
Rating: 2.5/5
There are plenty of things worth sacrificing running around between Living Weapon germs and the Eldrazi Spawn. The flashback may be pricy, but it’s just extra value after you already cast this or milled it. You’re not going to want to play too many of these, but the first one can be really good.
Fell the Profane
Rating: 3.5/5
Either a land or a solid removal spell. I don’t think I have to explain to anyone why this is great. I know you have a better removal spell in Breathe Your Last running around, but having the fall back of a land is so good that it draws them about even.
Fetid Gargantua
Rating: 1.5/5
A solid top end card that can potentially rack up some real card advantage especially if you have other cards that can add +1+1 counters. If you’re getting beatdown, playing a generic 4/4 for five isn’t the best thing to be doing though.
Flare of Malice
Rating: 3.0/5
You’re usually going to want to be killing their most expensive thing they have out so it’s not a huge downfall that you can’t choose. It’s not nothing though and drops it below other removal like Breathe Your Last or Fell the Profane. Potentially being free will matter when you can sacrifice something they are targeting in response or you already got some value out of something.
Gravedig
Rating: 2.5/5
You can get a bear or a two mana Raise Dead with the potential to get both for the price of a Gravedigger. Bread and butter type card that’ll always be decent, but unspectacular.
Grim Servant
Rating: 2.5/5
This isn’t a devotion set so there aren’t a bunch of things that hang around the battlefield to stack it up. As long as you can get a two or three drop out of this, it’ll be fine. I really don’t want to be playing this and paying three life to grab a land unless it is fixing for a color I need.
Kami of Jealous Thirst
Rating: 2.0/5
A 1/3 with deathtouch does a great job of clogging up the board since they can’t run their smaller creatures in and they are hesitant to lose anything more relevant to it.
Mana sinks aren’t nearly as valuable as they used to be, but it’s a decent way to win through a stalled board. You might even get to pop it off for free when you’re drawing some extra cards.
Lethal Throwdown
Rating: 2.5/5
There are a lot of sacrificeable things running around so you shouldn’t be turning your nose up at a potential one mana removal spell. Getting to draw a card if it was modified is just a sweet little bonus.
Marionette Apprentice
Rating: 3.5/5
Two bodies for two mana is a great deal especially since one of them is flapping up in the skies. The ability is going to really add up over the course of a game while it will be going nuts if you are running a sacrifice theme.
Mindless Conscription
Rating: 3.0/5
Definitely a build around, but you at least start out with a Centaur Courser so it’s not like it’s a three mana do nothing. Eviscerator's Insight gives you an easy way to draw three cards during your turn and pop out another zombie. Once you’re up one, this is a bargain.
Necrodominance
Rating: 3.5/5
I have a lot of thoughts on this. Number one is that the stats on this are going to be terrible from people just slamming it into the wrong deck because it’s “the new necro”.
Secondly is that it really wants you to pick up things like Consuming Corruption because if you can gain five or six life, this is so much better.
Third is seriously for the love of God, don’t just thump this on turn three. You don’t want to give up your draw step early. You want to play it out like a normal game and then slam this to keep your gas tank full while your oppo is running on empty.
Nethergoyf
Rating: 2.5/5
It’s only one mana and will quickly get up to a 2/3 or 3/4 depending on the early flow of the game. Even bigger if you have any self-mill action going on. There is clearly more potential, but we’re trying to remain as realistic as possible here. The unearth is nice, but will leave your goyf wanting.
Quest for the Necropolis
Rating: 3.0/5
I do like reanimate spells and this one is decently costed if you get it down early. Even late in the game it can still be reasonable as long as you’re holding a land when you top deck it. It can also take something out of their graveyard so you’ll be getting the best thing available.
Refurbished Familiar
Rating: 2.5/5
This is a good card at three mana and a great one at two so the number of cheap artifacts you have running around really matters here. In some decks this is going to drop down to a 2.0 and in the perfect decks for it, it’ll be more like a 3.0.
Retrofitted Transmogrant
Rating: 2.0/5
This probably looks pretty janky to most people, but it is a great synergy card. Outside of being a cheap artifact for things like the recently discussed Refurbished Familiar, it is great as a sacrifice or to provide some value after you discard or mill it.
Ripples of Undeath
Rating: 1.0/5
While some decks are going to be happy self-milling, it’s not an option with this and three a turn adds up fast. What do you get for that effort? The opportunity to pay a mana and three life for one of those cards. You can clearly do better than this.
Scurrilous Sentry
Rating: 1.5/5
I am a fan of conniving, but this is a bit too expensive for what it does.
Shilgengar, Sire of Famine
Rating: 4.5/5
There aren’t a lot of angels running around and this is the only thing that makes blood tokens in the set so you’re probably going to be six creatures deep before you can bring everything back. Still being able to turn anything into a blood token is a solid ability to have.
Oh, did I forget to mention that this is a 6/6 flyer for only five mana. That part seems pretty relevant as well.
Sorin of House Markov
Rating: 4.0/5
The front of this is nothing to write home about, but is still a solid two drop for a grindy deck. There are plenty of easy ways to flip this besides just extorting, for example a Consuming Corruption should get the job done.
Obviously a cheap Planeswalker that can jump up to five loyalty right away is going to be good. Especially since it can protect itself by either killing their creatures or outright stealing them.
Warren Soultrader
Rating: 2.5/5
Most of the time you’ll just be using this ability on something they targeted with a removal spell, but it can let you ramp up pretty quick if you have some disposable creatures. Dropping a massive creature well ahead of curve can cause some serious problems.
Wither and Bloom
Rating: 3.5/5
Cheap efficient removal that then lets you get a +1+1 counter out of it later is a great card. There are so many cards that synergize with the counter that you’ll be thrilled running a pile of these.
Wurmcoil Larva
Rating: 3.5/5
Baby Wurmcoil Engine is still a house even at half the size of the original. It might feel a bit expensive in comparison, but that card was egregious in limited. This will get the job done at a slightly less efficient rate.
Wrap Up
Are you looking for solid removal spells? Then black is exactly what you want to be drafting in this set. It’s also packing a lot of artifact and sacrifice synergies that can actually overlap quite a bit even if they don’t seem like it at first glance.
Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon with my limited review of the red cards from Modern Horizons 3. Until then, stay classy people!
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.
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