My best and worst moments with Modern Horizons 3
Magic: the Gathering's new juggernaut draft format; Summer Games Fest kicks off
I’ve spent over 20 hours this week playing Magic, thinking about Magic, and writing about Magic. The trading card game’s newest blockbuster set — arguably its biggest release of the year — is right around the corner:
I was among the lucky few invited by Wizards of the Coast to preview Modern Horizons 3 on Arena, Magic’s digital app, ahead of its physical release next week. I spent that time crushing draft tournaments and diving deep into the set’s intersecting mechanics.
And boy howdy are those mechanics a doozy. You can read my analysis (and prerelease tips!) in the full article, but I can also illustrate them in two clips. The first features a heartbreaking, oafish error I made against Luis Scott-Vargas, one of the game’s most decorated professionals.
The second is a glorious if completely self-indulgent annihilation of IGN:
Here’s a screenshot of the deck featured in both clips for the Magic sickos among you:
And as is my wont, I ended my article by musing on the game’s future:
But while I admire many of MH3’s individual card designs, the overall power escalation worries me. As a product line, Modern Horizons has always shaken up established formats: from the original’s Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis, which terrorized tournament play in 2019, to Modern Horizons 2’s Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, which still reigns today. I’m not sure which cards will break out of this most recent edition (early bets are on Ajani, Nacatl Pariah and Necrodominance), but by juicing new cards so much, I fear that old favorites may soon wither away.
I’m not just talking about the set’s rarest cards. MH3’s commons are so strong that they resemble rares from a decade ago; its uncommons may have convulsed the competitive scene five years ago. As Magic’s production accelerates and its mandate to manufacture more exciting cards continues, I worry about the overall sustainability of the hobby.
That’s not to mention the pricetag. The cost of Magic packs spiked this year after the introduction of new “Play Boosters,” which contain more rares and special collectible cards on average than the previous “Draft Boosters.” At roughly $8 a pack, Modern Horizons 3 is nearly as expensive as Commander Masters, a 2023 product that drew criticism for its high cost. But Magic players are more enamored with the contents of Modern Horizons 3, and, judging from my own circle, much more resigned to the game’s ballooning power and price.
I get it. A new Magic release, particularly one this mechanically adventurous, always hits the community like a shot of adrenaline. I had fun with the set and I hope others do too. But I also understand players who complain that they’re exhausted by the breakneck pace. For all our sakes, I hope the temperature comes down just a little bit before the inevitable “Modern Horizons 4.”
In other games news —
Summer Games Fest is kicking off mere hours from time of writing.
Netflix revealed a whole parcel of new games coming to mobile.
And longtime game show host Pat Sajak is retiring from Wheel of Fortune (here’s the interview with TV critic Eric Deggans that I produced about it!).