Amusing Lhurgoyf Spells Highlight New Round of MH3 Leaks!

We are now only about a month and a half away from the release of Modern Horizons III, and there’s a lot to look forward to. Over the past week, a multitude of leaks have been revealed, showcasing some of what we can expect in the set. Some of these cards, including a new “free” Counterspell and a fixed Necropotence variant, look incredibly strong.

Today, we are going to go over a handful of really intriguing leaks that help highlight the creative designs of Modern Horizons III. We have some cool reprints, build-around mythics, and amusing Tarmogoyf alternatives to share with you, so let’s get to it!

Of note, before we dive into another group of leaks, it bears repeating that these leaks have not been officially revealed. As such, it is entirely possible that some number of them turn out to be fake. However, these cards look real, and we are going to evaluate them as such. If you would like to wait for official previews, consider this your spoiler warning. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of these unique cards!

Tarmogoyf 2.0

Kicking things off, we have Nethergoyf. Nethergoyf is eerily similar to Tarmogoyf, with a few key differences. First, Nethergoyf only counts cards in your graveyard as it grows, whereas Tarmogoyf also counts your opponent’s graveyard. This is certainly an important distinction. For anyone that has tried to Lightning Bolt down a 2/3 Tarmogoyf when there was no Instant yet in any graveyard, you understand the drawback here.

That being said, every other aspect of Nethergoyf is an upgrade. Nethergoyf only costs one mana, and much like Tarmogoyf, can outsize Lightning Bolt in short order. Fetchlands make it trivial to get a Land in the graveyard, and cards like Mishra’s Bauble and Street Wraith can ensure Nethergoyf has bulky stats right away. Add Thoughtseize and Fatal Push into the mix, and you’ve got a beefy efficient threat.

On top of that, Nethergoyf’s Escape ability can be quite relevant. Exiling four card types from your graveyard is a real cost. However, cards like Urza’s Saga that have multiple card types count double towards Escaping Nethergoyf. As such, Nethergoyf feels like a slam dunk in a grindy archetype like Jund Saga that already maximizes Tarmogoyf.

An Army of Tarmogoyfs

Speaking of Tarmogoyfs, we have a funky card presumably from the Modern Horizons III Commander expansion that can flood the board with Tarmogoyf tokens. Tarmogoyf Nest is a Kindred Enchantment, meaning it also has the Lhurgoyf type line. Generally speaking, Tarmogoyf Nest isn’t the most efficient card, since you have to invest two mana and tap the Land you Enchanted to make your Tarmogoyf token.

Luckily, Commander is full of ways to get ahead on mana. Any effects that copy activated abilities or double token production are welcome inclusions alongside Tarmogoyf Nest. Seedborn Muse and Wilderness Reclamation go above and beyond in multiplayer games, allowing you to generate a bunch of tokens every turn cycle. These aren’t any ordinary tokens, either. Tarmogoyf tokens are naturally bound to be quite beefy in a multiplayer game, even with little effort put in on your part.

A Potent Reprint

Next, we have a solid Legacy sideboard card that appears to be working its way into Modern. In Legacy, Meltdown is a great piece of technology against the blue Artifact decks. Getting to blow up Artifact Lands like Seat of the Synod, Mox Opal, Lotus Petal and beyond for only one mana can have a huge effect on the game.

Obviously, these cards aren’t legal in Modern, but that doesn’t mean Meltdown won’t play a role. Simulacrum Synthesizer has increased the popularity of Modern Affinity, and Meltdown’s ability to clean up Constructs from Synthesizer or Urza’s Saga can be very strong.

Against Hardened Scales decks, casting Meltdown for X=2 cleanly answers Patchwork Automaton, Arcbound Ravager, The Ozolith, and all zero-mana Artifacts at once. Meltdown can remove problematic hate pieces like Chalice of the Void as well. Its flexibility combined with its potential for Creeping Corrosion-level blowouts should make it a powerful inclusion in Modern.

Farewell in Black?

If you’re one of many Commander players that despise Farewell, you may be in for a rough time. Unfortunately, this Reddit leak is a bit warped, and we don’t even know the card’s name or mana cost from the image provided. Still, with how closely the text of the card resembles Farewell and the fact that we know it costs at least four generic mana, a total mana cost of 4BB wouldn’t be too surprising.

Once again, this new card seem like it could wreak havoc on a Commander table. While this card misses Artifacts and Enchantments, getting to destroy all Creatures and Planeswalkers at the same time is a relatively unique effect. If you’re playing a black Commander deck with a lot of Artifacts and Enchantments, this card seems poised to do a lot of heavy lifting.

The Black Flare

Finally, we have what looks like the black Flare in the cycle of “free” spells. Having to sacrifice board presence to gain what is ultimately just a removal spell at the end of the day isn’t super exciting. That being said, there are still some decks that could make good use of this card.

When we discussed Flare of Denial, we mentioned that it works quite well in decks like Dredge that can put Narcomoeba and Prized Amalgam into play without investing much mana. In a similar sense, Flare of Malice works best alongside Creatures that you don’t mind if they get sacrificed.

Stitcher’s Supplier and Bloodghast, for example, pair nicely with Flare of Malice. Getting to remove Primeval Titan or Murktide Regent for zero mana can be a huge swing, so Flare of Malice definitely has potential.

You can even Evoke Grief, cast Not Dead After before Grief goes to the graveyard, and lastly sacrifice it to Flare of Malice. This isn’t really a useful play early in the game for Scam decks, so Flare of Malice may not make the cut here. The interaction is definitely something to keep in mind, nonetheless.

Each of these leaks are robust additions to either Modern or Commander. For better or worse, it seems like Modern Horizons III is bringing even more super-efficient cards to the format. Keep your eyes peeled for more leaks and spoilers in the coming weeks, because we’re just getting started.