MODERN HORIZONS 3 Teases 40 Returning MTG Mechanics and More

The upcoming Modern Horizons 3 release will have many Magic: The Gathering fans itching to know more. But happily, as summer approaches, we’re getting a ton of new information to consider about this next big release. Recently, we learned a lot of interesting information about Modern Horizons 3, including its 40 returning mechanics, Commander Deck options, and more. Let’s take a look at some of what’s being teased for avid Magic gamers.

Modern Horizons 3 hero image Magic the Gathering
Wizards of the Coast

Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 Reveals 40 Returning Mechanics

Hold onto your hats, players. Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 is bringing back 40 mechanics to the game. We’ve highlighted some of them below and listed the rest. 40 shouldn’t be too many to remember, should it?

Returning Mechanics:

  • Energy: Energy counters can be used to pay the costs of activated and triggered abilities that require energy as payment.
  • Bestow: When a player has a card with bestow in their hand, they can either choose to cast it normally for its mana cost or cast it for its bestow cost. A creature with bestow gives you the option to cast it as an Aura that enchants a creature, granting the enchanted creature the power, toughness, and abilities of the creature with bestow. 
  • Modify: Several cards in the set refer to modified creatures. A creature you control is modified if it has one or more counters on it, if it’s equipped, and/or if it’s enchanted by an aura.

The full list of Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 includes: dapt, Annihilator, Affinity, Afterlife, Ascend, Bestow, Collect Evidence, Connive, Cycling, Devoid, Devotion, Dredge, Emerge, Energy, Entwine, Escalate, Eternalize, Evoke, Evolve, Extort, Fabricate, Flashback, Kicker, Kindred, Living Weapon, Madness, Mentor, Modified, Morbid, Outlast, Overload, Proliferate, Prototype, Flashback, Reconfigure, Reinforce, Shield Counters, Spelunking, Storm, Support, Umbra Armor, and Unearth.

Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 Will Have Four Commander Decks

In addition to Collector boosters and Play boosters, Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 will have four different Commander Decks. Here’s what we know about them.

Magic The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 Commander Decks
Wizards of the Coast

The Modern Horizons 3 Commander Decks celebrate the powerful mechanics and themes found across the set, including:

  • “Tricky Terrain,” a green-blue deck that ramps lands for value
  •  “Graveyard Overdrive,” a black-red-green deck focused on graveyard recursion
  •  “Creative Energy,” a blue-red-white deck that uses energy for powerful payoffs
  • “Eldrazi Incursion, a five-color Eldrazi deck that devours all opposition

The Collector’s Edition of these Commander Decks “feature an exclusive brand-new Ripple Foil treatment on all 100 cards, and each deck includes two Borderless Profile versions of legendary creatures.”

You can have a look at some Commander Face Cards below, as well.

In addition to all of the above, Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 teases a deep dive into familiar and expanding lore. Emrakul, Ulamog and Kozilek will all return in this game. And a release notes that fans will be able to dive into origin stories of Magic’s “most iconic characters.” As an example, “Planeswalker Tamiyo transforms from an Inquisitive Student to a Seasoned Scholar, with all new abilities and strategies to use.”

Ulamog, the Defiler_RetroFrame
Wizards of the Coast

Additionally, 42 reprints will come to the Modern format for the very first time, these include the cycle of Medallions, Urza’s Incubator, and others. Additionally, Retro Frame Cards appear as a tribute to Magic‘s earliest form.

You can also keep track of all newly released Modern Horizons 3 Magic cards here.

When will Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 release? Here are some dates for you:

  • Prerelease: June 7 
  • MTG Arena Launch: June 11 
  • Global Tabletop Launch: June 14

You can pre-order your cards from Amazon here and from your local store here.

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