Best Budget Picks from Modern Horizons 2

Modern Horizons 2 looks to reshape Modern in a huge way. Even with the early release on Magic Online, players are looking to bend the format once again thanks to powerful cards and new-to-Modern reprints.

Granted, the tabletop release is expected to drop on June 11 so pre-order prices may fluctuate during this time. However, here are some of our budget picks so you can grab yourself a deal before prices change upon release.

Academy Manufactor

Academy Manufactor Academy Manufactor If you would create a Clue, Food, or Treasure token, instead create one of each. is beginning to make waves in Modern on Magic Online. Combining Clock of Omens Clock of Omens Tap two untapped artifacts you control: Untap target artifact. , Witch’s Oven Witch’s Oven {T}, Sacrifice a creature: Create a Food token. If the sacrificed creature's toughness was 4 or greater, create two Food tokens instead. (They're artifacts with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life.") , and Cauldron Familiar Cauldron Familiar When this creature enters, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
Sacrifice a Food: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. , you can create a bunch of tokens and include a powerful combo in one. Academy Manufactor Academy Manufactor If you would create a Clue, Food, or Treasure token, instead create one of each. helps you recuperate resources by giving you ways to gain life, draw cards, and ramp – which makes cards such as Urza, Lord High Artificer Urza, Lord High Artificer When Urza enters, create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with "This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control."
Tap an untapped artifact you control: Add {U}.
{5}: Shuffle your library, then exile the top card. Until end of turn, you may play that card without paying its mana cost. a powerful win condition. Another thing to note is the Assembly-Worker avoids Lava Dart Lava Dart Lava Dart deals 1 damage to any target.
Flashback—Sacrifice a Mountain. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.) which is plaguing the format at present.

It offers utility in Commander too, where you can use the card to create more tokens alongside enablers such as Tireless Provisioner Tireless Provisioner Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, create a Food token or a Treasure token. (Food is an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life." Treasure is an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.") and Tireless Tracker Tireless Tracker Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. . On the surface, Academy Manufactor Academy Manufactor If you would create a Clue, Food, or Treasure token, instead create one of each. seems an unthreatening card but within the correct build, it can spiral out of control. The price of this card is beginning to increase as players are beginning to understand its potential. With that, if you are looking to play artifact-heavy decks in Modern, then you’ll want to grab these as soon as possible. If you are still reeling from the Krak-Clan Ironworks banning back in 2019, then picking up a set of these is sure to help you on your road to recovery.

Quirion Ranger

Originally printed in Visions, Quirion Ranger is a powerful Elf that is sure to reshape Modern Elves. Although it does bite a Lava Dart and Wrenn and Six,

The Visions printing is currently sitting at $5 a piece whereas the reprint is bound to be lower. If you are looking to play Elves in Modern or Commander, then grabing these will save you a few bucks long term.

The Enemy Fetch Lands

I know, fetch lands aren’t cheap considering their ever-present impact in Modern. Another aspect of budget Magic is acquiring cards at a cheaper rate than their previous printings. With the release of Modern Horizons 2, Verdant Catacombs Verdant Catacombs {T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice this land: Search your library for a Swamp or Forest card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. , Misty Rainforest Misty Rainforest {T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice this land: Search your library for a Forest or Island card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. , Arid Mesa Arid Mesa {T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice this land: Search your library for a Mountain or Plains card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. , Mash Flats, and Scalding Tarn Scalding Tarn {T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice this land: Search your library for an Island or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. will feature in Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters.

It doesn’t end there, you have the traditional frame, the retro frame, and the extended frame to choose from which is going to provide plenty of copies of the Modern staples. It’s worth keeping an eye out on these as these will fall down into a more affordable price range. With that, Modern Horizons 2 is not a limited print run set meaning you can acquire Boosters at any point. Prices are expected to rise on fetch lands eventually, but at least there will be enough printings to meet demand. Even if you aren’t a Modern player, these cards are ideal for Commander and Legacy enthusiasts too.

Tireless Provisioner

Tireless Provisioner Tireless Provisioner Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, create a Food token or a Treasure token. (Food is an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life." Treasure is an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.") is bound to crop up in Landfall-style Commander strategies. You are rewarded with either a Treasure or Food token for putting a land into play. Despite being an Uncommon, this card will increase in value due to its utility in Commander. It’s unlikely to see any play in Modern, but you can’t ignore the value the Elf Scout brings.

If you are looking to build Golgari Rock on a budget, then Tireless Provisioner Tireless Provisioner Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, create a Food token or a Treasure token. (Food is an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life." Treasure is an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.") is a great placeholder on Tireless Tracker Tireless Tracker Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. . While you can’t draw cards, gaining life and fixing mana is a great way to leverage resources.

Shardless Agent

One of the biggest reprinted-into-Modern cards from the set, Shardless Agent Shardless Agent Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom in a random order.) is a powerful enabler for cheap spells. At present, the Human Rogue is seeing play in dedicated Living End Living End Suspend 3—{2}{B}{B}
Each player exiles all creature cards from their graveyard, then sacrifices all creatures they control, then puts all cards they exiled this way onto the battlefield. shells as you can cast Suspend spells for free off the card. It works rather well alongside Bloodbraid Elf Bloodbraid Elf Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.)
Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom in a random order.) , too.

Although the card has risen in price since the previews, Shardless Agent Shardless Agent Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom in a random order.) ‘s price will drop once there is circulation of the set. The card is likely to become a huge roleplayer in Modern going forward, so bagging a set on release will net you value long-term.

Prismatic Ending

While it’s not quite Path to Exile Path to Exile Exile target creature. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. , there’s a lot to like about Prismatic Ending Prismatic Ending Converge — Exile target nonland permanent if its mana value is less than or equal to the number of colors of mana spent to cast this spell. . Although it is a Sorcery, you are able to remove any nonland permanent within the casting cost. This can hit tricky permanents such as Amulet of Vigor, Blood Moon Blood Moon Nonbasic lands are Mountains. , and Chalice of the Void Chalice of the Void This artifact enters with X charge counters on it.
Whenever a player casts a spell with mana value equal to the number of charge counters on this artifact, counter that spell. .

Prismatic Ending Prismatic Ending Converge — Exile target nonland permanent if its mana value is less than or equal to the number of colors of mana spent to cast this spell. is beginning to crop up in Esper Control lists as you can meet the Converge costs with ease. The fact it’s a Sorcery shouldn’t discourage you as it offers a high ceiling in Modern. With that, picking up a set of these are sure to go far in your Modern collection as Uncommons can be harder to acquire than Rares in many cases.

Tagged Budget, magic: the gathering, Modern, Modern Horizons 2