Since it was first announced back in Gen Con in 2023, Modern Horizons 3 has been looming ever closer. Now, this set is almost finally here, and it’s bigger than ever! With the main set, Commander decks, and special guests too, MH3 is absolutely colossal.
Unfortunately, as many players feared, Modern Horizons 3 appears to contain a deluge of incredibly powerful, undoubtedly format warping, cards. Thanks to this, many MTG players have little choice but to pay attention to this momentous set. Luckily, we’re here to guide you through all the chaos and myriad leaks so you don’t get lost.
Here’s everything you need to know about Modern Horizons 3.
Modern Horizons 3 Release Date
Thankfully, following the preview at MagicCon: Chicago, Wizards has revealed all the dates for Modern Horizons 3. As a welcome change, this means we don’t have to speculate about when previews are going to start or end. Instead, we can just look at the dates below which reveal all!
MH3 Preview Events
- Debut and Previews Begin on WeeklyMTG: May 21st
- Card Image Gallery and Previews Complete: May 31st
- Global Tabletop Launch: June 14th
MH3 Play Events
- Prerelease Events Begin at Your Local Game Store: June 7th
- MTG Arena Global Launch: June 11th
- Open House Weekend: June 14th
- Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3 at MagicCon: Amsterdam: June 28th – 30th
Modern Horizons 3 MTG Arena
As you can see from the dates above, Modern Horizons 3 is coming to MTG Arena. Launching on June 11th MH3 will be fully Draftable, while also being legal in Historic and Timeless. Much like the expected impact on Modern, this set’s release will likely significantly warp these formats.
For better or worse, only 18 cards from Modern Horizons 3 are being pre-banned in Historic. Optimistically, this will give Historic players a lot of fun new cards to play with, however, many are likely too strong. As a result, it may not be long before we see additional MH3 cards getting banned in Historic.
Thankfully, even if many MH3 cards do get banned in Historic, Timeless won’t ban anything. At worst, a few MH3 cards may get restricted in this format, but even that is unlikely. Ultimately, even if every card isn’t legal in every format on Arena, Modern Horizons 3 is nonetheless definitely playable.
Modern Horizons 3 Spoilers and Leaks
Following an incredibly tumultuous spoiler season, every Modern Horizons 3 card has been officially revealed. Unlike the past litany of leaks, this means each and every card is available in gloriously legible high detail.
As expected from Modern Horizons 3, the vast majority of the set’s cards are incredibly powerful. With myriad mythic bombs, and even a potentially bannable common, this set is bound to warp multiple formats. MH3 may be so powerful, in fact, that it could force a rotation of Modern.
With hundreds of new cards, plenty of new-to-Modern reprints, and new Commander cards too, this set really has it all. Unfortunately, this means there’s far too much for us to go over in just this article. Thankfully, we have another article covering every single Modern Horizons 3 card, so if you want more information, head over there.
Modern Horizons 3 Commander Decks
Alongside all the main set cards, Modern Horizons 3 also has an assortment of Commander decks. Unlike most major releases, Wizards is offering eight decks this time around, however, four of those are Collector’s Editions. These Collector Edition decks feature the new foiling technique “Ripple Foil” so they should look extra fancy.
While their existence is somewhat controversial, the Commander decks for this set have incredibly interesting themes. Playing into the set’s Modern focus, each Commander deck is built around a past Modern deck. If you’d like to know more, here’s a little bit about each Modern Horizons 3 Commander Deck
Graveyard Overdrive
Harkening back to the glory days of Tarmogoyf, Graveyard Overdrive finally enables Lhurgoyf Typal. Empowered by Disa the Restless, this deck appears to be a real hoot. That being said, the less-than-stellar decklist has already caused some disappointment among fans.
Tricky Terrain
Compared to past preconstructed decks, it’s safe to say that Tricky Terrain is rather unusual. Focused around mana ramp and animating lands, this deck boasts an incredibly unorthodox strategy. For better or worse, this should make the deck a treat to play with, especially since there are some absolutely massive creatures.
Creative Energy
Unsurprisingly, given the deck’s name, Creative Energy is all about Energy Counters. On top of the recent Science! deck from the Fallout Commander decks, this archetype has been supercharged recently. With new cards and plenty of fantastic reprints too, Creative Energy is a stellar Typal deck.
Eldrazi Incursion
Out of all the Modern Horizons 3 Commander decks. Eldrazi Incursion is easily the most hyped. Finally offering a five-color Eldrazi Commander, Ulalek, Fused Atrocity lets you use Devoid cards at long last. On top of this, this Commander deck also features a fair few fantastic new cards that are sure to delight Eldrazi fans.
Modern Horizons 3 Booster Fun
Unsurprisingly, as a modern MTG release, Modern Horizons 3 includes a number of Booster Fun treatments to entice collectors. At the moment, Wizards has shown off seven different non-standard card variants, but that’s not all. As mentioned above, the new foil Commander cards will increase this already exhaustive count by one.
Retro Frame Cards – Beloved by some and hated by others, Retro Frame cards are returning for Modern Horizons 3. For better or worse, “many cards” will be getting this treatment, so expect to see them a lot.
Concept Cards – Debuted in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, the Concept art treatment is returning once again. Rather than being used for Praetor cards, this time the Eldrazi Titans are getting this unique look.
Frame Break Cards – Initially appearing in Commander Masters, Frame Break cards push the boundaries of where art can go. Beyond testing the limits, these cards also get fantastic and unique art which is usually utterly stunning.
Borderless Profile Cards – Also first seen in Commander Masters, the Borderless Profile cards are back. By putting the character’s face front and center on the card, this Booster Fun treatment is fantastic for Commander players.
Etched Foils – While rather divisive, this foil treatment has the potential to look absolutely amazing. We can only hope that Wizards uses the etching on the right cards.
Textured Foils – Textured foils are back for Modern Horizons 3! You can expect to see this foiling technique on the double-faced Planeswalkers and “a variety of cards.”
Serialized Double Rainbow Foils – With only 250 copies of each serialized card available, this foiling technique is undeniably the rarest around. As always, you can expect these serialized cards to be exceptionally expensive due to their manufactured rarity.
Read More: MH3 is Chock Full of Low-Cost Limited Bombs!