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.
Special Guests
Prismatic Ending
Rating: 2.5/5
Perhaps you have heard tell of this card’s constructed exploits. In limited land, it can mostly pick off smaller creatures and tokens. It might not even make the cut if the top end of this for your deck is taking out a two drop.
Solitude
Rating: 4.5/5
It sure was nice of them to toss the Incarnations in as Special Guests. Less likely than a normal Mythic so you won’t be playing around them and then BAM! wrecked in the middle of nowhere.
Solitude comes down to remove their best creature all while providing a decent lifelinking body. You’re much less likely to Evoke these in limited, but it’s still nice to have the option on the table.
Subtlety
Rating: 4.0/5
While this can only hit creatures and planeswalkers, that’s what they are most likely going to be playing(well at least creatures). An instant speed Phantom Monster who sets them back a turn is a massive swing in the game.
Dismember
Rating: 3.5/5
I have this ranked similar to Breathe Your Last because this won’t always kill everything you want in an Eldrazi world. If it wasn’t for that, I would have this up at 4.0. Still a great removal spell that can give you a massive tempo swing in exchange for some life.
Grief
Rating: 4.0/5
While not quite as ridiculous as some of the other Incarnations in limited, this still is a really good card. It’s a decent body that takes their best card. Can’t really complain about that.
Persist
Rating: 2.5/5
The annoying thing is that most of the creatures you’re really excited about bringing back are legendary, but I’m sure you won’t complain too much about bringing back an early cycler such as Eldrazi Ravager.
Fury
Rating: 5.0/5
They certainly gave this the correct name because it will make your opponent furious every time that you play this. Big double striker that also wrecks their board. Don’t really need to say more.
Endurance
Rating: 3.5/5
This is at its best when you get to eat an attacker. It’s not quite as flashy as the other incarnations since the ability is more of a constructed thing, but you could catch someone trying to reanimate. Still a really good body for the cost.
Expressive Iteration
Rating: 3.0/5
Not quite as busted as it is in constructed since you’re less likely to have a bunch of cheap spells. Still a really good card draw spell as long as you’re patient with it.
Thought-Knot Seer
Rating: 4.0/5
There is enough colorless mana running around in MH3 that casting this shouldn’t really be an issue for you. Taking their best card on a decent body that only turns into a random card if they deal with this is sick.
New to Modern Bonus Sheet
Angel of the Ruins
Rating: 2.5/5
While you don’t want to play this if you are low to the ground aggro, it does give you another decent ramp payoff for all your Eldrazi spawn tokens. Land cycling does give it some advantages like making it an easy target to bring back with Quest for the Necropolis or Persist.
Decree of Justice
Rating: 3.0/5
This card was everywhere when it came out. It was a huge deal in constructed (Thanks Mirari's Wake) and it was a massive bomb in limited. We’ve had a bit of power creep since those days. This is still really good, just not a “Haha, guess I win” card like it used to be.
Distinguished Conjurer
Rating: 3.0/5
There are plenty of juicy targets to make sure this conjurer distinguishes itself from the pack. It even throws in some lifegain along the way to keep you alive for all the shenanigans.
Orim’s Chant
Rating: 0.5/5
Let me check if Isochron Scepter is on the list… Nope. Well then this is not really a limited card. It’s sort of a Fog that can prevent them from playing other spells that turn. Some people call that a Time Walk but that statement is insane since they still get to untap and draw a card. Don’t be the sucker.
Recruiter of the Guard
Rating: 2.5/5
What secrets does your deck hold? Is it a busted bomb like Ajani, Nacatl Pariah? Then this card is great and should 100% make the cut. Is it a bunch of random dorks? Then you should probably take a pass on this.
Sevinne’s Reclamation
Rating: 2.5/5
The value of an Unearth can vary wildly. This is a way more expensive version of it, but with the potential to get back up to three things over time. This being permanent instead of just creature can matter too because occasionally you need to get a sacrifice land back.
Deep Analysis
Rating: 3.0/5
Everyone loves some Deep Analysis for the high-quality card draw and flexibility. It provides excellent value if you mill it or loot it away or just ends up being a draw four in installments.
Estrid’s Invocation
Rating: 0.0/5
Words…more words…do nothing…
Kappa Cannoneer
Rating: 4.5/5
This grade is assuming that you have plenty of artifacts in your deck to really take advantage of this. It’s a rapidly growing unblockable threat with ward 4 shutting down any attempts to mess with it.
On top of that, every time you attack it gives you an excuse to yell “Blastoise use Hydro Cannon!
Reef Worm
Rating: 2.0/5
I’m down on this because I’ve already seen plenty of times that this was sitting there doing nothing as an 0/1 for four mana while the opponent sets up to do all the stuff and things. It gets significantly better with sacrifice effects or in matchups against aggressive decks.
Shrieking Drake
Rating: 1.0/5
I’m going to mostly take a hard pass on this one. Scryb Sprites with a drawback is no bueno. If you have multiple ETBs that are worth it, then you can consider this.
Buried Alive
Rating: 0.5/5
I really don’t think there is anything worth doing with this in this format. Maybe if you someone stumbled into a deck with multiple reanimation spells. I don’t see it happening though.
K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
Rating: 1.5/5
Yikes, this is expensive and this isn’t commander. It also takes multiple black spells to get this to be a reasonably priced lifelinker. Can you imagine paying four mana and six life for this only to have it countered or removed for two mana.
Nadier’s Nightblade
Rating: 1.5/5
I’m not very high on playing a 1/3 for three unless it has some serious juice backing it up. This does let you drain them out with Eldrazi spawn tokens, but I wouldn’t even play this in any deck that isn’t stacked with them.
Ophiomancer
Rating: 4.0/5
This card is a real beast that demands removal or they won’t be profitably attacking on the ground anytime soon. It really cooks with sacrifice synergies and overall just does a lot.
Comically enough there are a couple snakes in the set in Fanatic of Rhonas and Hope-Ender Coatl. I’ve already heard “WAIT, why didn’t I get a snake?!?” Just a small thing to watch out for when you play this.
Toxic Deluge
Rating: 4.5/5
A three-mana splashable and scalable board wipe is straight fire even if it does cost some life. You should probably slam this if you see it as it will steal some games that they thought they were far ahead in. Sounds pretty toxic to me.
Victimize
Rating: 3.5/5
A double reanimation spell is strong even if you have to sacrifice a creature to do it. There are plenty of pieces of fodder running around so you won’t have too much trouble setting up your victim.
Cursed Mirror
Rating: 2.0/5
I’m not huge on paying three for a mana rock when there are so many other ways to ramp in the format. Getting to smack in once is nice, but it doesn’t always line up. I’m giving it this grade with the assumption that you have some sick ETBs to take advantage of with this.
Fledgling Dragon
Rating: 1.5/5
This was amazing back in OG OTJ limited. Threshold isn’t one of the mechanics that this format is built around so you are unlikely to have it unless it is later in the game. Potentially drawing a late game Shivan Dragon isn’t really making up for paying four mana for a 2/2 flyer the rest of the time.
Laelia, the Blade Reforged
Rating: 4.0/5
I don’t know about you, but attacking with a rapidly growing creature that provides me with an extra card every turn really does it for me. The only issue is that sometimes you draw this and it can’t survive an attack leaving you paying three mana to be able to play the top card of your deck until end of turn.
Playing this with Amped Raptor can do some silly stuff since they are individual flips. There are multiple other cards that can get in on the action as well.
Meltdown
Rating: 1.0/5
While you’ll never be playing this in the main (at least you shouldn’t be), it is a complete house when you bring it in against Rakdos artifacts.
Meteoric Mace
Rating: 1.5/5
I look at this as a significantly worse version of Colossal Dreadmask. Sure, you might hit something great off Cascade, but its random and unlike Discover you can’t just put it in your hand if it’s inconvenient to cast it at the time. It feels like you’d usually prefer to just have the big old creature already equipped.
If we’re in endgame moving equipment around mode, I’d much rather have +6+6 and trample than +4+0 and trample even if it costs one mana more.
Annoyed Altisaur
Rating: 3.5/5
The great thing about this is that it adds a massive presence that can either block flyers or smash on in while you spin the Cascade wheel. It is a bit pricy, but it is usually worth it.
Branching Evolution
Rating: 1.0/5
There are only two types of decks in this format. Ones that don’t want to touch this with a ten-foot pole and ones that really want this card. The vast majority of them are in the former grouping and you should be very careful to not misjudge which one you are. Don’t play this unless it is slap you in the face obvious that you should be.
Don’t be that person who is like I have five cards that add counters, I should play this. You shouldn’t.
Priest of Titania
Rating: 2.0/5
There really aren’t a lot of elves running around this set so this will usually just be a normal mana dork that costs two mana while being a 1/1. That’s a bit below the curve, but if you have a couple of other elves in your deck, the potential upside on this is nice.
Sylvan Safekeeper
Rating: 1.5/5
I feel this is more a sideboard card against a heavy removal deck than anything else. It really does nothing against someone just building up their Eldrazi board.
Wirewood Symbiote
Rating: 1.0/5
As we just said with Priest of Titania, there really aren’t enough Elves running around to take advantage of this. This is much worse than that because the fail case of a 1/1 that does nothing is significantly worse than a random mana dork.
Breya, Etherium Shaper
Rating: 2.5/5
The only question on this card is whether or not you can actually cast her. Even without other artifacts, she’s a giant beating with one shot of her ability thrown in if you’re willing to sacrifice her ETB thopters.
Kaalia of the Vast
Rating: 0.5/5
This is a reprint mostly for commander that you really should never be running in your limited deck. Feel free to give her a spin if you are already these three colors with good fixing, have multiple expensive things that she can drop, and want to live that meme life.
The Medallions
Rating: 0.0/5
I am lumping these all together because I don’t want to repeat myself five times. These are constructed cards. Don’t play them.
Junk Diver
Rating: 2.0/5
I really only want this if I am already running an artifact-based deck with some Cranial Ram action. Outside of that three mana is too expensive for a 1/1 flyer that has to die to do anything.
Urza’s Incubator
Rating: 1.0/5
I really don’t like that this card is symmetrical because naming Eldrazi might let you go off early, but your opponent usually has first shot at it. I would prefer bringing it out of the sideboard where you know you are the only one benefiting from it. Even then it is questionable.
Worn Powerstone
Rating: 2.5/5
Double ramping on turn three continues to be a powerful play since it lets you go right into your six drops on turn four.
Barbarian Ring
Rating: 1.5/5
As I talked about on Fledgling Dragon, this isn’t a set made with Threshold in mind. It’s going to be very difficult to get there and you’ll probably have to take a few points along the way before you get a Shock out of it.
Cephalid Coliseum
Rating: 1.5/5
As a continuation from above, you are probably slightly more likely to hit Threshold in a durdly blue deck than an aggressive red deck. You’re also more likely to get punished for taking those extra points of damage.
Deserted Temple
Rating: 1.0/5
Highly doubtful that this is ever worth the cost of having a colorless land in your deck unless that’s what you are actually using it for.
Nesting Grounds
Rating: 2.5/5
This can actually do some crazy things bouncing counters on to Evolution Witness. Basically, I really want this if I have cards that take advantage of this, but most likely won’t play it if I only have a couple of counters cards.
Phyrexian Tower
Rating: 1.5/5
There are certainly some decks that can benefit from this (for example if you’re running Reef Worm) and it can provide colorless for Eldrazi. I probably wouldn’t play it in any deck that didn’t need both parts.
Wrap Up
Thanks for reading! I’ll be back tomorrow with my limited archetypes article for Modern Horizons 3 as well as one on Midweek Magic. Until then, stay classy people!
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.
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