Best Modern Horizons 3 Cards

The entire Modern Horizons 3 main set has finally been revealed. As you might expect, there are a ton of unique and exciting cards being introduced to Modern. From new multi-format powerhouses to elite reprints that are debuting in Modern for the first time, this set has a lot to look forward to.

If the first two Modern Horizons sets were any indication, MH3 is bound to shake things up. This set is even coming to MTG Arena, so Historic and Timeless enjoyers beware! With so many strong additions, narrowing down the very best cards in MH3 is not easy. However, our goal is to do just that.

Of note, we will only be including cards from the main set in our rankings. Modern Horizons 3 is featuring four new Commander Precons, but new cards from these decks will not be Modern legal. While we will be considering a card’s impact in formats beyond Modern in our rankings, we are sticking with main set cards for consistency’s sake. With that out of the way, here are the MTG best Modern Horizons 3 cards.

Honorable Mention: Emrakul, the World Anew

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Emrakul is a sick card that can completely take over the game. Getting to steal all of your opponent’s Creatures provides an easy avenue to victory. Even if Emrakul gets answered, those Creatures just go to the graveyard and don’t get returned to the opponent. As good as Emrakul is, though, it costs A LOT of mana.

The difference between 12 mana and 10 mana for Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger When you cast this spell, exile two target permanents.
Indestructible
Whenever Ulamog attacks, defending player exiles the top twenty cards of their library. , even for Tron decks in Modern, is huge. However, if you can find a way to discard Emrakul for cheap, you can reduce Emrakul’s casting cost significantly.

There are efficient, colorless cards like The Underworld Cookbook that can enable Emrakul, and you can even tutor for them from your sideboard with Karn, the Great Creator Karn, the Great Creator Activated abilities of artifacts your opponents control can't be activated.
+1: Until your next turn, up to one target noncreature artifact becomes an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its mana value.
−2: You may reveal an artifact card you own from outside the game or choose a face-up artifact card you own in exile. Put that card into your hand. . At the end of the day, there’s a good chance Emrakul doesn’t make the cut if players deem that it requires too much work. Still, the potential is there, so we felt the card warranted an honorable mention.

#10 Nethergoyf

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Nethergoyf is a really interesting take on one of MTG’s most iconic Creatures: Tarmogoyf. Unlike Tarmogoyf, Nethergoyf only counts cards in your graveyard. However, the rest of the card is all upsides.

Nethergoyf is extremely efficient at only one mana. As we’ve seen with Dragon’s Rage Channeler Dragon’s Rage Channeler Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, surveil 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.)
Delirium — As long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, this creature gets +2/+2, has flying, and attacks each combat if able. , getting a bunch of card types into your graveyard quickly is not difficult. Mishra’s Bauble and Fetchlands pull a lot of weight, so seeing Nethergoyf pop up in decks like Jund Saga wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Further, you even have the ability to Escape Nethergoyf as the game goes on. Exiling up to four different card types will almost certainly shrink Nethergoyf when you Escape it, but this is a solid option to have in attrition battles, nonetheless.

#9 Harbinger of the Seas

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Harbinger of the Seas is very reminiscent of Magus of the Moon. Requiring two colored mana symbols to play Harbinger is a downside, but for Modern Merfolk, this isn’t a big problem. Modern Merfolk is the obvious home for Harbinger, and this card should be a huge upgrade for the archetype.

Just like with Magus, decks that rely on lots of non-basic Lands like Amulet Titan can struggle in the face of Harbinger. On top of that, though, Harbinger synergizes well with the other Merfolk in the archetype. Both Master of the Pearl Trident and Lord of Atlantis pump Harbinger. At the same time, Harbinger can ensure that the opponent controls an Island so that your Merfolk can’t be blocked.

One of the weaknesses of Magus has always been that it dies to red removal spells, which can be cast even if the opponent controls no basic Lands. Harbinger avoids this problem. It simultaneously dodges Boseiju, Who Endures Boseiju, Who Endures {T}: Add {G}.
Channel — {1}{G}, Discard this card: Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land an opponent controls. That player may search their library for a land card with a basic land type, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control. , which is a perfect answer to Blood Moon. As such, if you’re playing a deck that’s heavy on blue sources, Harbinger is a reasonable consideration.

#8 Ugin’s Binding

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Ugin’s Binding is a card that gets most of its mileage when in your graveyard. Assuming you have some big colorless cards to play, Ugin’s Binding can have a massive effect on the game. First and foremost, Ugin’s Binding will be a staple of blue Commander decks that can trigger it. Cyclonic Rift Cyclonic Rift Return target nonland permanent you don't control to its owner's hand.
Overload {6}{U} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.") notoriously leads to some enormous blowouts. Ugin’s Binding provides the same tempo swing (albeit at Sorcery speed), except you also get the luxury of adding an enormous threat to the board in the same turn!

Beyond Commander, there’s a chance this card could see play in mono-blue Tron or Affinity decks in Modern. It likely won’t have the same devastating effect, as players tend to excessively build out their boards with less efficient permanents in Commander. Still, clearing all opposing blockers can let you swing for lethal in one go. Being able to break a board stall essentially for free is awesome, especially in matchups like the Affinity mirror.

#7 Kappa Cannoneer

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Kappa Cannoneer is one of multiple cards on this list that slots nicely into Modern Affinity. It’s easy to greatly reduce the cost of Cannoneer, and the reward is well worth it. Ward 4 is extremely close to Hexproof. Outside of really cheap removal like Solitude Solitude Flash
Lifelink
When this creature enters, exile up to one other target creature. That creature's controller gains life equal to its power.
Evoke—Exile a white card from your hand. , getting Cannoneer off the board is very hard.

On top of that, in Affinity, you’ll likely be able to follow up Cannoneer with even more Artifacts, ensuring that Cannoneer will grow and get damage through unhindered. This card is an elite reprint that is well worth building around.

#6 Amped Raptor

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Amped Raptor is a really interesting card that might not look too scary at first glance. However, the card is quite good. In fact, well-known content creator and Modern aficionado Aspiringspike considers Amped Raptor to be one of the most broken cards in the set! While it’s unclear if this prediction will come to fruition, Amped Raptor has a lot going for it.

As long as you can reliably exile a card that you can cast, Amped Raptor is quite powerful. Some players may try to “Cascade” into Crashing Footfalls Crashing Footfalls Suspend 4—{G} (Rather than cast this card from your hand, pay {G} and exile it with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, you may cast it without paying its mana cost.)
Create two 4/4 green Rhino creature tokens with trample. and the like, but even casting a basic Tarmogoyf or Lightning Bolt is well worth the mana. The goal is to fill your deck entirely with cards that cost two or less mana so that no matter what card you reveal, you can cast it.

Some Modern decks, like Jund and Burn, almost naturally meet this criterion as is, and getting a free 2/1 with First Strike out of the deal is well worth it. The card is undoubtedly receiving a lot of hype and certainly deserves recognition on this list.

#5 Nadu, Winged Wisdom

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Nadu, Winged Wisdom does a lot for three mana. Right off the bat, you get a 3/4 with Flying. Many removal spells like Lightning Bolt can’t kill it, and even if the opponent can kill it right away, Nadu still generates value.

Of course, Nadu also grants this ability to all of your other Creatures. With this in mind, using cards like Shuko Shuko Shuko Equipped creature gets +1/+0.
Equip {0} ({0}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.) that can target your Creatures for free can let you go ballistic. Nadu’s ability only triggers twice each turn, but this is for each individual Creature that gets targeted.

So, if you have Springheart Nantuko Springheart Nantuko Bestow {1}{G}
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may pay {1}{G} if this permanent is attached to a creature you control. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that creature. If you didn't create a token this way, create a 1/1 green Insect creature token. at the ready, you can target your Creatures with Shuko, and each time a Land enters play from your library thanks to Nadu, you get more tokens to target with Shuko. If you’re lucky, drawing your whole deck is a real possibility. Nadu is such an easy card to abuse, so it definitely deserves a spot on this list.

#4 The Flares

One of the signature packages in MH3 is the full cycle of Flares. These “free” spells all have potential to show up in Modern. Flare of Denial, for instance can act as a free piece of counter magic, and unlike Force of Negation Force of Negation If it's not your turn, you may exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target noncreature spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard. , can be cast for free even on your turn. This is a strong consideration for Merfolk but could prove to be a huge upgrade for Dredge decks as well. Between Narcomoeba and Prized Amalgam Prized Amalgam Whenever a creature enters, if it entered from your graveyard or you cast it from your graveyard, return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped at the beginning of the next end step. , finding a blue Creature to sacrifice is pretty easy.

While Flare of Denial is our pick for the best of the bunch, you shouldn’t count any of the others out. Whether you’re getting a big mana advantage with Flare of Cultivation or you’re forcing an opponent to sacrifice their Scion of Draco Scion of Draco Domain — This spell costs {2} less to cast for each basic land type among lands you control.
Flying
Each creature you control has vigilance if it's white, hexproof if it's blue, lifelink if it's black, first strike if it's red, and trample if it's green. with Hexproof, being able to advance your gameplan or disrupt the opponent’s without investing any mana of your own is incredibly powerful.

#3 Shifting Woodland

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Shifting Woodland is a Land with a boatload of potential across multiple formats. As a Land that taps for colored mana and can enter the battlefield untapped, putting Shifting Woodland into your green deck doesn’t come at a huge cost. From there, multiple archetypes can make great use of copying elite haymakers.

In Modern, Amulet Titan and Golgari Yawgmoth seem like solid homes for this card. While enabling Delerium isn’t always easy in Amulet Titan, the fact that Dryad of the Ilysian Grove and Urza’s Saga Urza’s Saga (As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — This Saga gains "{T}: Add {C}."
II — This Saga gains "{2}, {T}: Create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with 'This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control.'"
III — Search your library for an artifact card with mana cost {0} or {1}, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. count for multiple types helps a lot. Getting to use you Land to copy a Primeval Titan or Yawgmoth, Thran Physician that didn’t stick is nice luxury in attrition matchups. You can even use Primeval Titan to tutor up Shifting Woodland if you suspect the opponent has Unholy Heat Unholy Heat Unholy Heat deals 2 damage to target creature or planeswalker.
Delirium — Unholy Heat deals 6 damage instead if there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard. or Terminate Terminate Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated. at the ready.

In Legacy, things get even more interesting. Shifting Woodland, just like Thespian’s Stage Thespian’s Stage {T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}: This land becomes a copy of target land, except it has this ability. , can copy Dark Depths Dark Depths Dark Depths enters with ten ice counters on it.
{3}: Remove an ice counter from Dark Depths.
When Dark Depths has no ice counters on it, sacrifice it. If you do, create Marit Lage, a legendary 20/20 black Avatar creature token with flying and indestructible. . Because the copy never entered the battlefield with ice counters, you will net a 20/20 with Flying and Indestructible from the exchange. Once you get Dark Depths into your graveyard (between Mox Diamond Mox Diamond If this artifact would enter, you may discard a land card instead. If you do, put this artifact onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard.
{T}: Add one mana of any color. and opposing copies of Wasteland Wasteland {T}: Add {C}.
{T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target nonbasic land. , this is trivial) and achieve Delerium, you can Crop Rotation at will for Shifting Woodland and make your 20/20.

These seem like the most obvious homes for Shifting Woodland, but players are bound to explore a bunch of different shells for this powerhouse. From Omniscience Omniscience You may cast spells from your hand without paying their mana costs. to Emrakul, the Aeons Torn Emrakul, the Aeons Torn This spell can't be countered.
When you cast this spell, take an extra turn after this one.
Flying, protection from spells that are one or more colors, annihilator 6
When Emrakul is put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner shuffles their graveyard into their library. , there are tons of busted permanents to copy. This level of untapped potential certainly contributes to Shifting Woodland’s placement high up on this list.

#2 Ugin’s Labyrinth

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Ugin’s Labyrinth is an incredible addition to Modern. One thing Modern has lacked for most of its existence is access to Lands that tap for multiple mana at a time. Legacy staples like Ancient Tomb Ancient Tomb {T}: Add {C}{C}. This land deals 2 damage to you. and City of Traitors are not Modern legal.

Meanwhile, many cards that give players access to extra mana early, including Simian Spirit Guide and Mox Opal Mox Opal Metalcraft — {T}: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if you control three or more artifacts. , are banned for good reason. Ugin’s Labyrinth does require you to put in some work to maximize it, but the upside is huge.

Likely the two best homes for Ugin’s Labyrinth in Modern are Affinity and Eldrazi Tron. Affinity decks already play Sojourner’s Companion Sojourner’s Companion Affinity for artifacts
Artifact landcycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for an artifact land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.) , and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them add Myr Enforcer Myr Enforcer Affinity for artifacts (This spell costs {1} less to cast for each artifact you control.) to the mix to consistently enable Ugin’s Labyrinth. Getting to play Simulacrum Synthesizer Simulacrum Synthesizer When this artifact enters, scry 2.
Whenever another artifact you control with mana value 3 or greater enters, create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with "This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control." a turn ahead of schedule can be the difference between winning and losing.

Similarly, Eldrazi Tron decks can exile All is Dust or Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger When you cast this spell, exile two target permanents.
Indestructible
Whenever Ulamog attacks, defending player exiles the top twenty cards of their library. to turn on Ugin’s Labyrinth. Not only does this make it more likely you’ll be able to jam Thought-Knot Seer on turn two along with Eldrazi Temple, but you now have the ability to play 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. on turn one. This can completely shut some decks down, especially on the play. Obviously, not every deck can play Ugin’s Labyrinth, but those that can get a huge boost.

#1 Vexing Bauble

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Don’t be fooled by Vexing Bauble’s rarity. This card is absolutely bonkers. Over the years, both Modern and Legacy have received an abundance of “free” spells, some of which came from MH2! The fact that Vexing Bauble counters any spell that was played for free, regardless of its actual mana value, is a huge distinction from something like 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. .

With Bauble in play, you no longer have to worry about your Scam opponent sticking an early Grief Grief Grief Menace
When this creature enters, target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card.
Evoke—Exile a black card from your hand. . Cascade decks like 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. combo get completely hosed by this card. In Legacy, Bauble shuts off Force of Will Force of Will You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell. as well as elite sources of fast mana like Mox Opal Mox Opal Metalcraft — {T}: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if you control three or more artifacts. and Lotus Petal Lotus Petal {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color. . In Vintage, if you’re on the play, you can jam your Moxen, Black Lotus Black Lotus {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add three mana of any one color. , or Mana Crypt Mana Crypt At the beginning of your upkeep, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, this artifact deals 3 damage to you.
{T}: Add {C}{C}. , then slam Bauble to make sure your opponent can’t do the same.

Vexing Bauble simply does so much for so cheap. You can even find it off of Urza’s Saga Urza’s Saga (As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — This Saga gains "{T}: Add {C}."
II — This Saga gains "{2}, {T}: Create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with 'This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control.'"
III — Search your library for an artifact card with mana cost {0} or {1}, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. . You can always crack it to draw a card as the game goes long, but early on, it messes with A LOT of strategies. We expect this card to become an immediate multi-format staple, and thus it earns the top spot in our rankings.

Tagged Commander, Historic, Legacy, magic: the gathering, Modern, Modern Horizons 3, MTG, Timeless, Vintage

MTG Best Modern Horizons 3 Cards

Honorable Mention: Emrakul, the World Anew

#10 Nethergoyf

#9 Harbinger of the Seas

#8 Ugin’s Binding

#7 Kappa Cannoneer

#6 Amped Raptor

#5 Nadu, Winged Wisdom

#4 The Flares

#3 Shifting Woodland

#2 Ugin’s Labyrinth

#1 Vexing Bauble

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